"Bought?" Jun Moxie instantly became vigilant, straightening his back. "That medicine is absolutely unnecessary unless one has suffered a severe injury causing blocked meridians! How is it that it was bought right at this critical juncture? Could it be that information leaked earlier, and someone is targeting my Jun family?"

"Impossible!" Jun Wuyi shook his head with certainty. "Even the person seeking the medicine doesn't know why they were seeking it, nor do they know it has anything to do with me. I doubt it's targeted at me! However, such a coincidence is truly too striking. Is this fate playing tricks on me, preventing my recovery?"

Jun Moxie frowned, slowly pacing a couple of steps. If the required five ingredients were only short one, no matter which one, Jun Moxie could find other methods to compensate, at worst resulting in slightly reduced efficacy. But if two were missing...

"Has Third Uncle issued an order to investigate who snatched that ingredient before him?"

"The investigation is underway, but this just happened, so we haven't found anything yet." Jun Wuyi smiled faintly, seemingly unhurried. He even tried to comfort him, "Third Uncle has waited so many years; he won't mind waiting another month or two. No need to rush, no need to rush."

Nodding gravely, Jun Moxie held his wine cup, lost in thought. The more he pondered, the more he felt a complete lack of direction. Seeing him distracted, Jun Wuyi didn't disturb him, merely pouring a drink for himself, content in his own leisure.

A sound of light, somewhat familiar footsteps approached, and Jun Wuyi suddenly chuckled.

Guan Qinghan, clad in snow-white robes, her delicate face etched with frost, walked over slowly. As she neared, Jun Moxie felt an iceberg gradually bearing down on him. Emanating from this delicate woman was an icy cold that pierced the bone!

It made one feel that this beautiful, ethereal woman in white had long since frozen her own tender heart...

Jun Moxie had protested many times about Guan Qinghan being tasked with testing his moves; he firmly believed that in terms of combat skill, he only lacked sheer power. In this world, if one spoke purely of killing techniques, he would claim second place, and absolutely no one would dare claim first!

But this secret was unknown to Old Master Jun, and it absolutely could not be known. Therefore, the Old Master was resolute in rejecting Jun Moxie’s protests. Especially after witnessing Guan Qinghan’s almost "abusive" sparring session on the first day, the Old Master had left only one sentence before departing.

That sentence was: I am very satisfied. Keep beating him viciously for me!

This was the first time Jun Wuyi had witnessed it today, so naturally, he had to watch with wide eyes to see clearly. Over the past month, as an elder, he had repeatedly been bested by his nephew. Jun Wuyi certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity to be both entertained and to vent his own frustration; after all, such chances were rare.

I really don't know how to fight! Jun Moxie wailed internally.

Or perhaps, it was more accurate to say Jun Moxie dared not counterattack. Having lived two lives, the great assassin Jun was steeped in blood, taking lives with every casual movement; he was exquisitely skilled at killing! But when it came to ordinary martial arts sparring that required holding back, not only could he not deploy his true killing skills, but even methods intended to subdue the enemy often resulted in maiming the opponent's limbs, which absolutely could not be used!

Especially since the person opposite him was his own sister-in-law! Although this sister-in-law did not treat him kindly, he couldn't kill her, could he? Of course, breaking a limb or dislocating a joint seemed out of the question too, especially when directed at a woman—it would be awkward.

Furthermore, there are certain spots on a woman that a man finds exceedingly difficult to strike unless they are mortal enemies.

With these techniques barred, Young Master Jun had precious few options left to deal with the opponent, especially facing his sister-in-law whose Xuan Qi cultivation far surpassed his own. The powerful could unleash their full strength with exhilarating freedom, while the weak were constrained, the power dynamic between strong and weak becoming irreversible. This inevitably pushed the great assassin Jun to his wits' end, leaving him to suffer bitterly!

Guan Qinghan stood quietly, like a solitary snow lotus blooming atop an iceberg—aloof and ethereal, unreachable, yet also proud, cold, pure, and immaculate!

"Can we skip today?" Jun Moxie pitifully proposed his condition. "I can bring you two more jars of wine, okay?"

"No!!" Guan Qinghan’s expression remained as frigid as ever. Her slender, jade-white hands clapped once, unleashing a burst of black energy! Ninth-Grade Xuan Qi! "Are you... ready?" Guan Qinghan watched him without surprise or joy, as if observing a highly durable human punching bag.

Pah, you’d only be this enthusiastic if I offered you wine! Heavens, are you messing with me? You actually gave this woman the legitimate chance to beat me! And I can’t even truly fight back! Ready? What good is being ready?! Jun Moxie was furious inside.

His concealment from the Old Master had indeed produced a positive effect—it had generated the Old Master's hope—but it also had a negative consequence. Being deceived by his grandson for so many years must have severely displeased the Old Master. Therefore, Guan Qinghan's sparring was entirely an insidious plot arranged by the Old Master to torment him! Or perhaps, it could even be called an "overt plot"!

Yet, he had to swallow the bitterness silently, knowing the truth but unable to speak it. What infuriated him most was that although he possessed countless means to deal with this woman, he absolutely could not use them!

He could easily subdue her, yet he had to feign submission and endure the abuse. Was he a masochist? This was the most tragic situation in the world. He wondered when the Old Master would finally lift this punishment.

If this punishment could only end if he sincerely apologized to his grandfather, he would very earnestly say three words to the Old Master: I'm sorry!

If this punishment could have an expiration date, he would hope it was—the next second! ...

As Jun Moxie was lost in his rambling thoughts, he saw a swirling emerald mist before his eyes, and a jade hand, white as frost and snow, shot towards his chest with a punch. With an angry cry, utterly frustrated, he dodged away. Guan Qinghan did not relax in the slightest, pressing her attacks relentlessly, striving to complete the beating task in the shortest possible time, grab the two jars of wine from the victim, and hurry back to savor them slowly. She certainly had no time to waste playing with this little hooligan.

Although this fellow's recent behavior seemed to have changed somewhat, Guan Qinghan still held not the slightest interest in spending even one more second around him!

Angry cries, cries of pain, and wretched screams echoed without end. The thwack-thwack sound of fists and feet landing on muscle was like falling rain—rapid, tight, and perhaps even pleasingly crisp! Jun Wuyi held his wine cup aloft, watching the fight, which was extremely unbalanced in strength and utterly tedious, and could not help but shake his head and chuckle. He thought his old man's idea of punishing this rogue nephew was truly brilliant. Just as he was thinking this, his eyes suddenly focused, and his expression shifted dramatically to one of intense gravity. He stared intently at Jun Moxie's movement, not even having time to set down his wine cup!

A single movement by Jun Moxie had caught his attention!

Previously, Guan Qinghan had struck with a palm and followed with a kick, the two moves connected very closely. At that moment, Jun Moxie spun his body, his elbow moved slightly, but then he retracted it, only to be knocked to the ground immediately after!

This was a very common and unremarkable movement, but to the eyes of Jun Wuyi, a great general who had commanded on the battlefield and a master of Earth Profound rank, it was utterly soul-stirring!

Battlefield combat emphasizes defeating the enemy in a single move; the strike determines life or death! But the subconscious action Jun Moxie made, although ultimately retracted, allowed Jun Wuyi to clearly see that the tip of Jun Moxie’s elbow was aimed precisely at Guan Qinghan’s throat! At that moment, a slight exertion of force would have instantly ended Guan Qinghan's life!

That alone would have been enough, but more crucial was the timing of the action. It was precisely in the transitional gap between the palm strike and the kick—two tightly linked moves by the skilled Guan Qinghan. That minute opening was almost fleeting, comparable to a flash of white light, and could be considered the greatest flaw in those two moves from Guan Qinghan!

At that instant, Guan Qinghan had absolutely no way to defend against that phantom-like strike!