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

The visitor spoke Miao language.

But some of the accents made Sang Che think to himself that these were probably bandits from the bandit stronghold.

As expected of a business where you risk your life, they speak with such ferocity and unreasonableness.

The coachman quickly dismounted, and he obsequiously took out the vessel that Sang Che had handed him from his pocket, holding it with both hands.

Another bandit stepped forward, frowning, and whispered in the man's ear, "This is... a vessel for raising poisonous insects!"

The other bandit laughed contemptuously.

"Brother Weng Bao, why are you afraid of these people? I think the people in this carriage who are of unknown origin might just be Han Chinese trying to trick us."

"They want to secretly gather information from us so they can report it to the imperial court!"

He drew a rough, curved knife from his waist; the blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

The onlookers couldn't help but shrink back.

"Hey! You guys inside the carriage, get out here right now!"

"Otherwise, I'll make you regret it today!"

His only response was a silent breeze that stirred the carriage curtains. Sang Che listened to the bandits' menacing threats without showing any anger.

Yin Huaixi's heart was pounding in her throat, but she couldn't sit still.

She didn't even notice that her fingers were pinching Sang Che's thigh tightly. She swallowed hard and was thinking about how to deal with the group of bandits.

That's how it is in the original story; these river bandits are extremely vicious and commit all sorts of evil deeds.

When they get angry, they're capable of doing anything despicable.

Seeing no movement from inside the carriage, the bandit raised an eyebrow, his anger rising.

Just as he was about to dismount, he noticed the dish held by the trembling coachman quivering. Then, countless dense swarms of flying insects appeared from the distant horizon.

"Gu worms...it's Gu worms!"

Moreover, they had never seen this kind of Gu before!

The coachman was also terrified, but he remembered Sang Che's instructions and, even though he was trembling like a leaf, he dared not drop the vessel in his hand.

Seeing that something was wrong, Weng Bao quickly shouted towards the carriage, "May I ask... which village are you from, young lady?"

"We have offended you greatly in the past!"

"Please forgive me, young lady!"

Even after hearing the bandits begging for mercy and saying goodbye, Yin Huaixi still didn't dare to lift the carriage curtain.

The buzzing and flapping of insects in my ears were no joke.

Even without using Gu worms, Sang Che, who was born with the bloodline of Chi You, could do this.

Moreover, Sang Che definitely carries a large poisonous insect on him, and the king of poisonous insects can command a hundred followers.

How could those little insects not be afraid?

The carriage was cramped, and Sang Che leaned forward unconsciously, giving Yin Huaixi a bright smile.

"Huaixi, are you going to keep pinching me like this?"

"You Han Chinese are known for being so particular about these things, so why aren't you ashamed now?"

Sang Che's slightly narrowed eyes really made him look like a fox who could see through everything.

Belatedly, Yin Huaixi looked down and realized that she had been so tense that she had forgotten her hand was still pinching Sang Che's thigh...

If it weren't for Sang Che wearing an indigo blue dress with solemn and dignified patterns, which diminished the somewhat ambiguous and romantic atmosphere...

At this moment, all sorts of chaotic images were flashing through Yin Huaixi's mind.

Stop, stop, stop...

We're all women, so why can't she win against Sang Che, this blind little man who has ulterior motives and "imprisoned" her?

Besides, Sang Che certainly hasn't read the vivid and exciting books about the Peninsula. Even if he hasn't eaten pork, he's seen pigs run!

Aside from the Gu worms, everything else is fine; why should she be afraid of Sang Che?!

So, instead of escaping Sang Che's approach, Yin Huaixi, with her neck slightly raised, even turned the tables and rubbed her nose against Sang Che's cheek. She pretended it was an accident and sincerely apologized, "I'm so sorry, I was startled just now, that's why..."

Unexpectedly, Yin Huaixi would approach despite her fear, causing Sang Che's breath to pound and his blood to rush.

This feeling brought her unprecedented pleasure; even when she refined a superior Gu worm, Sang Che did not feel this way.

She inhaled the scent of Yin Huaixi's neck, and her mind began to race with wild fantasies. She wondered if the blood of this person in front of her would be sweet if she took a bite…

Noticing Sang Che's absent-mindedness, Yin Huaixi quietly distanced herself from him, as if what had just happened was merely a non-existent interlude.

...

Seeing the completely motionless carriage curtain, Weng Bao frantically pulled out the pills he used to repel poisonous insects from his waist, but before he could even crush them...

The man riding a horse next to him was the first to be bitten by the poisonous insects. He cried out "Ouch!" and fell straight off his horse!

The onlookers scattered and fled, no longer daring to continue watching the spectacle.

When poisonous insects bite, they either gnaw the person down to a bare skeleton or poison them to death, leaving the corpse swollen like a pig's head.

In despair, the carriage curtain was lifted, and a hand as white as snow in December reached out.

Upon seeing the intricate patterns on the newcomer's sleeves and collar, Brother Wengbao's head buzzed, and he realized something was wrong.

The other party has a very powerful background!

"Young lady, my brother and I were blind just now, please forgive us!"

Weng Bao quickly apologized and admitted his mistake, but Sang Che ignored him.

She stepped down the stairs.

With a flick of his finger, all the poisonous insects fell silent, gradually lying on the ground and surging towards Sang Che like a tide.

Who could imagine that the venomous insects that were just moments ago so ferocious, seemingly capable of devouring a person alive, were now behaving as docilely as can be under Sang Che's indigo-blue dress?

"Didn't I tell you to keep a close eye on what the coachman is holding?"

"Why are you still so ignorant?"

With a slight bend of his finger, Sang Che caused the poisonous insects to devour the eyes and tongue of the person lying on the ground.

Without his tongue, the man could only let out muffled screams, but the blood he spat out was licked clean by the poisonous insects.

The dark eye sockets were filled with sand, and just a glance was enough to send chills down one's spine, making one feel numb from head to toe.

Even though Weng Bao had seen the world and had witnessed young women controlling Gu worms, he was still a worldly man.

Faced with such a mysterious and unpredictable girl, he was terrified.

For an ordinary Miao woman, raising even one decent Gu worm is already a great achievement.

This was the first time Weng Bao had ever seen a technique that could control so many poisonous insects.

But he had heard the village chief say that among all the Miao women today, only one could do that.

That is—the saintess.

With his thoughts racing, Weng Bao knelt down with a thud, plunging his curved knife into the mud.

"The Holy Maiden?!"

Weng Bao's voice was so frightened that it was barely louder than the flapping of a poisonous insect's wings, and Sang Che did not hide anything from him.

Sang Che crouched down, placed her index finger to her lips, and said slowly and gently, "It's me."

"Don't tell anyone I'm here, or—you and that man from earlier won't survive the night."

"If I want you to die at midnight, you will die at midnight."

After saying these shocking words, Sang Che gave a sweet smile.

She turned around with blank eyes and cheerfully explained to the belated Yin Huaixi, "Everything has been taken care of, Huaixi, let's go."

Seeing the bandits writhing and struggling in agony on the ground, Yin Huaixi swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

The expression in his eyes was fleeting.

She replied softly, "Okay."

"Let's go now."