After provoking the holy maiden of Miao territory, she was infected with a love curse.

Startled by the loud commotion, Yin Huaixi was slightly puzzled and gripped Sang Che's wrist even tighter.

He looked at Lü Panshan, this intruder, with eyes full of hostility.

"Where did you come from, you Han Chinese?!"

"How did you end up in our village? All Han Chinese shouldn't be being arrested—"

Before he could utter the last two words, a small red snake appeared at Lü Panshan's ankle.

It curled up and slowly climbed upwards.

Nobuko vomited it out.

Its appearance was quite terrifying.

When Lü Panshan saw the red snake, he was immediately startled. Knowing the principle of striking a snake at its vital point, he suddenly pointed two fingers downwards, about to grab the snake's neck.

But the snake was incredibly agile. It coiled up along Lu Panshan's calf and rose up to his waist in the blink of an eye!

"Young Master!"

"Watch out!"

The boatmen dared not approach the red snake.

Listening to the light footsteps, Sang Che guessed that Lü Panshan had brought about ten people. She pointed with her finger and said in a gentle voice, "Little Ya'er, don't be fierce."

Sang Che stepped forward and walked out from behind Yin Huaixi. Her sickly appearance was truly heartbreaking.

Lu Panshan stared at Yin Huaixi with resentment. He had certainly heard that Sang Che wanted to find her predestined lover from her past life to use a love potion to share the seven emotions and six desires in order to restore her gradually failing eyesight.

But he didn't believe that Sang Che had actually brought a woman back.

absurd!

What can women do together?

Such a fair-skinned woman looks like she's not up to any good; she probably couldn't even withstand a bite of insect poison.

What qualifications does he have to stand beside the Miao holy maiden?

I'm afraid they'd only ever be good for being a foothold in the kitchen.

Under Lü Panshan's intense gaze, Yin Huaixi suddenly remembered who this person was.

These boatmen kept calling him "Young Master," so he must be the eldest son of the bandit leader who controls the smuggling route on the Silver Moon River.

In the original story, he made things quite difficult for the character "Yin Huaixi" in the early stages.

After all, Sang Che had already decided that "Yin Huaixi" was her destiny.

Unable to get involved, Lü Panshan loathed Yin Huaixi, a Han Chinese of unknown origin.

Moreover, he desperately needed the Holy Maiden's trust to gain a foothold in front of the Miao King.

As the Miao King's power grows stronger, all that is needed is an opportunity to negotiate with the imperial court and expand the Miao territory.

Not to mention the major and minor tributaries of the Silver Moon River, the entire canal of Lingshui City will be under their control.

Wouldn't all that power and countless riches and honors just come rushing towards them?

Why worry about food for these brothers in the village?

Lu Panshan's flattery was highly purposeful. Yin Huaixi looked at Sang Che, wondering if Sang Che knew about Lu Panshan's intentions.

The plot points in the original work that kept popping up unexpectedly, like "the mountain road here has eighteen bends," were dispensable to Yin Huaixi and many readers.

Therefore, Yin Huaixi was not sure what Sang Che was thinking, or whether he would reject Lü Panshan as he did in the original work.

After Lü Panshan's attempt to murder her failed, Sang Che, in a fit of rage, turned Lü Panshan into a puppet, with countless Gu worms parasitizing his body, turning him into a humanoid "vessel".

"Young Master Lü, what brings you here?"

Sang Che's tone remained gentle, but deep down she was displeased by Lü Panshan's sudden intrusion.

If Yin Huaixi weren't here, these dozen or so people probably wouldn't have been able to get upstairs; they would have been knocked to the ground by her "treasure."

Unable to move.

Lu Panshan clenched his fists, flicked his sleeves, and didn't voice all the filth in his heart.

"Ache, there's only one type of Han Chinese in our village: the 'medicine human' used for testing poisons and drugs!"

"By allowing Han people to roam freely in the village, aren't you letting down the spirits of our ancestors!"

Yin Huaixi wanted to agree with what Lü Panshan said; as a Han Chinese, she really shouldn't be staying here.

Who doesn't want to go home?

Listening to the footsteps of these insects every day, Yin Huaixi was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

She tried her best to prevent herself from meeting the female lead, but in the end, she made a mistake and was still arrested.

Even if fate were to destroy her, she would not accept it.

Her fate is her own; how can she die here?

The maids who followed closely behind were very displeased with Lü Panshan's disregard for the Holy Maiden's dignity. They said, "Young Master, the Holy Maiden had a reason for bringing in outsiders. How can you reprimand her like this?"

Is there any distinction between superiors and inferiors?

Enraged by such a retort, Lü Panshan, who had always been able to get whatever he wanted in the bandit stronghold, was furious.

Where have I ever been treated like this?

Lu Panshan was about to retort, saying that these servants didn't know the rules and that it was their place to interrupt when he and Sang Che were talking.

The forked tongue of the small, bright red snake brushed against his cheek, making Lü Panshan freeze.

"You may all step back for now. I have something to say to the young chieftain."

Sang Che smiled faintly.

Seeing that she was about to approach Lü Panshan, Yin Huaixi tightened her grip on Sang Che's wrist, her eyes filled with worry.

Don't overthink it...

She wasn't sympathizing with Sang Che; she was simply worried that something might happen to him, which would put her in an awkward position as an outsider.

This was the first time in the past few days that Sang Che had received such care from Yin Huaixi. She moved a little slowly, reaching out her palm to gently stroke the back of Yin Huaixi's hand.

He shook his head.

But he was secretly very pleased with himself.

"It's alright, if you're worried."

"Just help me up."

Upon hearing Sang Che's instructions, the maids and boatmen outside the door dared not linger any longer and left one after another.

Seeing the two acting intimately, Lü Panshan's eyes darted around suspiciously.

Could it be that these past few days...?

Did those two take advantage of his absence and force themselves on him?

After dismissing everyone, Lü Panshan knew that if he continued to make a scene, Sang Che would get angry. He tried to keep his tone as calm as possible, but his eyes still couldn't treat Yin Huaixi as an ordinary person.

The damned red snake on his wrist was coiling tighter and tighter, constantly flicking its tongue to warn him against misbehaving.

Lü Panshan: "Ache, I was a bit impolite just now, but outsiders don't know the details... Even if you figured she was yours..."

The conversation ended there; Lü Panshan didn't continue. He didn't understand why Sang Che was so obsessed with finding her destined love from her past life.

Sang Che Ruo only wanted to cure her eyes.

Such a small matter is something that Lu Panshan, the well-deserved young chieftain, can also handle!

Lü Panshan: "But that was in the past life. In this life, you shouldn't have any connection."

Lu Panshan knew that Sang Che had a trump card that could make Yin Huaixi completely submit to her, and that Sang Che had not yet planted the love potion on Yin Huaixi.

This means he still has a chance.

In the vast Miao region, the poison of Gu can be cured.

But there is one Gu that only one person can raise, and there is no cure for it.

That was the Gu that Sang Che had personally crafted.

The imperial court was on high alert day and night, fearing that the Miao King would allow Sang Che to become the "Gu King" and plant a Gu curse on His Majesty the Emperor, thereby controlling the Emperor and the entire court.

Sang Che's jet-black braid swayed, her silver ornaments fluttering, and she clasped her fingers tightly around Yin Huaixi's, squeezing them between her fingers.

"What if I insist on having it?"

As soon as these words were spoken, countless black insects surged towards the foot of Lüpan Mountain like a tidal wave.

Sang Che's smile deepened, his expression innocent and naive.

She smiled and said, "Panshan, you should go back now."

Don't make me angry.