Yunyi knew what Master was worried about. Since she couldn’t tell him that she knew Qinggong, she directly changed the subject. "Has the snow on the rooftop been shoveled?" Before Yuan Yuxun could answer, Yuan Zining spoke up, "Grandpa went up to clear the snow a few days ago and almost fell off..." Yuan Yuxun quickly interrupted, "Don’t listen to his nonsense." Yuan Zining looked up at his grandfather. "I’m not talking nonsense." Yunyi, of course, understood. "Master, later I’ll find someone to make you a ladder. When not in use, just keep it in the sheep pen, and take it out when needed. In case I’m not around, it would be safer." Yuan Yuxun didn’t refuse. After all, his own heart truly pounded with fear every time he went up there, and besides, having a ladder would also reassure his young apprentice. "How was it?" he asked. "Did your journey to the Northwest bear any fruit?" Yunyi smiled, taking the items from her back basket out one by one. "I experienced the desolation and sandstorms of the Gobi Desert," she said jokingly. Of course, what she didn’t mention was that she had also taken the opportunity to give Sun Ruiming and Su Aiyu a good beating. By now, those two must be experiencing what extreme itchiness felt like, probably almost in agony. Naturally, she couldn’t speak of this. "Master," she said, "Qiao Yuxiang might not be able to do anything for the time being, but word about her has definitely gotten back. You all need to be extra careful these days. I’m afraid they won’t give up easily and will send more people over." Yuan Yuxun also understood. To get their hands on what he possessed, how could those people possibly let him and his grandson go easily? What he feared most was them becoming desperate. "Yunyi, if the day truly comes when things can’t be salvaged, you must protect yourself. Don’t get involved, understand?" After a brief pause, he continued, "If possible, help me protect Zining." Yunyi felt a pang of sorrow. "Master, don’t be so pessimistic. I only said that to remind you to be more vigilant in your daily life, to guard against them doing something desperate. There’s no need for you to worry excessively. Besides, we’ll deal with whatever comes our way. We’ve endured for so long; we can certainly make it through this darkness before the dawn." When Yuan Yuxun heard her last words, he looked up at Yunyi. "You..." Yunyi lowered her voice. "I heard some news while I was out." Yuan Yuxun felt a surge of excitement, yet he hesitated to ask aloud, afraid it wasn’t what he hoped. Seeing his expression, Yunyi quickly said, "The situation up there has changed. People have already started returning to their posts." Upon hearing this, Yuan Yuxun’s voice trembled as he spoke, "Really?" Yunyi nodded. "In the coming days, make sure Zining never leaves your sight. After all, they haven’t shied away from using unscrupulous means before." While they were talking, Yunyi suddenly put her finger to her lips and made a ’shushing’ gesture to both Master and Zining. Yuan Yuxun couldn’t help but pull his grandson into his arms. Yunyi moved to the doorway, opening it just a crack for concealment. Then, she extended her spiritual power toward the source of the sound. To her surprise, she sensed Zhong Liyuan heading their way, muttering to himself, "Why am I so unlucky? Sent to this godforsaken place, I’ve made no progress on my task, and now they’ve saddled me with another one! Are they treating me like a beast of burden?" As he grumbled, he stamped his foot hard. Unexpectedly, his foot slipped, and he fell flat on his back right there. For a young woman to be coming this way so late, it didn’t take much to realize she was targeting the Yuan family. It seemed Yunyi needed to find an opportunity to investigate Zhong Liyuan’s background. Fresh chapters posted on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝕟𝕖𝕥 If he truly was sent by Master’s enemies, they needed to make preparations soon.