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

Sang Che's body collapsed with a thud.

She was so fragile that it was both terrifying and heartbreaking to watch.

But the dried corpse, which should have lost control and turned into a pile of bones, still held a curved knife and guarded Sang Che.

"Saintess!"

The Miao soldier who had been following Sang Che got anxious. He had barely taken a step when he was captured by the Miao King's soldiers, kicked to the ground, and had a curved sword pressed against his back.

If this guy dares to raise his waist, he'll be chopped in half and thrown out to feed the dogs.

"You bastard, you don't deserve to be our king at all, you're just... a pile of stinking dog shit!"

"Everyone despises them!"

"Only the Holy Maiden receives divine protection. If we show such disrespect to the Holy Maiden and displease the gods, you will never again receive their blessings!"

His shouts weren't just random shouts.

The Miao soldiers, who were already wavering, were filled with fear upon hearing this, especially since the dried corpse puppet that should have fallen was still guarding Sang Che so majestically. The Miao soldiers, who were already believers in the gods, were even more disarmed.

Even if they serve the Miao King, they will still choose to follow the gods when the gods are truly angered.

"Very well, if I manage to break through this encirclement today, every one of you will be yours."

"I will settle all accounts once and for all; don't even think about running again!"

Before the Miao King could persuade his soldiers, the palace gates were smashed open by the emperor's iron cavalry. The leading general immediately saw the disheveled Miao King and was filled with doubt.

Then I caught a glimpse of a... dried corpse standing in the center of the hall.

While it's described as a dried corpse, it doesn't quite resemble one.

Even if the flesh of this corpse dressed in fine clothes is completely dried by the wind, one can still guess from its spirit that this person was either rich or noble in life, either a duke or general guarding a region, or an emperor.

Remembering His Majesty's instructions, the general calmed himself down, raised his hand, and signaled the guards behind him to take down the dried corpse puppet in one fell swoop.

"Men, seize these Miao people and bring them back to the imperial court."

"Today, everyone present will receive a reward."

Upon hearing that there would be a reward, the soldiers immediately swallowed their fear.

They had heard of the Miao puppets before, but they were just dried corpses. Could they really be as terrifying as those siege weapons?!

The general, riding a tall horse and dressed in black armor, had little interest in the remote Miao region. It was only because the emperor had repeatedly ordered him to come here that he was interested.

And promised him many benefits.

He might not even come this way.

The general's soldiers saluted and said, "Yes, General."

The elite troops dispatched by the emperor were exhausted after a long journey.

But the weapons they carried were top-notch, incomparable to the curved swords commonly used by Miao soldiers.

Those Miao soldiers who resisted fiercely and with courage would be stabbed through the guts on the spot.

Now, even those who had objections dared not utter a sound, allowing the imperial army to tie up the Miao king tightly.

The Miao King, who was used to having the power to command the wind and rain, was not about to accept his fate. His Miao soldiers, despite being outnumbered, still fought bravely and tried to rescue him.

"General, this woman is the medicinal ingredient His Majesty is looking for."

Upon hearing the report from his soldiers, the general looked down and saw that the dried corpse was capable of taking on a hundred men single-handedly. Its curved blade was stained with blood as it guarded the extremely weak Sang Che, who lay on the ground.

"Everyone here can die, except for those His Majesty desires."

"I don't care what method you use, you must bring this woman out of Miao territory and to the imperial court to see His Majesty."

"Otherwise, I will hold you responsible."

...

The Miao King's palace was filled with the lively sounds of fighting.

Yin Huaixi's heart was in her throat.

What she couldn't let go of the most was Sang Che. Swords and blades have no eyes, and Sang Che's body must be extremely weak now.

She'd be blown away by the wind, and Sang Che has no one to take care of her. What is she going to do...?

She couldn't help but worry.

Having not seen him for a long time, Yin Huaixi wondered if Sang Che had become even thinner due to the torment of illness.

I wonder if that heartless guy who left ever thought of her.

But if it were her A-Che, he would definitely be missing her.

"On my command, draw the bow and launch the fire arrows."

"No matter what, we must take this place today."

Yin Huaixi gave the order, and her deputy, who was standing next to her, listened and immediately directed the army to launch rockets.

The slender arrows were nocked on the bow, their arrowheads burning fiercely. In no time, this raised "sea of ​​fire" shot towards the Miao King's palace.

As Yin Huaixi watched the raging fire ignite, she had only one thought in her mind: she had to save her A-Che.

As Yin Huaixi picked up the "Gu King" wrapped around her palm, an idea popped into her mind. Since all the Gu worms feared the "Gu King," why didn't she take advantage of this and let the thousands of Gu worms in Miao territory follow her guidance to destroy the emperor's army's prestige?

Before leaving, Sang Che told her everything, including the incantation used by the "Gu King," which was in that medical book. Sang Che had long expected that she would read it.

They made preparations in advance.

A sudden gust of wind whipped up the leaves, and a chilly wind swept across the mountain. Yin Huaixi closed her eyes and imitated Sang Che's usual way of manipulating Gu worms, chanting incantations.

"Shh...shh..."

The sound of countless poisonous insects crawling came from all directions, even shocking the mysterious woman following behind Yin Huaixi.

She had never heard His Highness mention that this "Third Miss Yin" could manipulate Gu worms.

Countless venomous insects, including snakes, centipedes, spiders, and ants, surged into the Miao King's palace.

The imperial soldiers who discovered the influx of Gu worms were initially quite calm, as they had encountered many Gu worms along the way.

There are ways to deal with it.

Of course, they weren't afraid of the poisonous insects that suddenly appeared in Miao territory.

This time, however, the leading general had a bad feeling. If it was a Gu worm, there should be a limit to its effectiveness.

Why is this black tide becoming more and more dense?

They show absolutely no sign of stopping!

"What's the panic? This is Miao territory; insects are everywhere. Isn't that perfectly normal?!"

Seeing that the army's morale was low, the general immediately tried to reassure them. The soldiers listened and waited for the general's next order.

Unexpectedly, the poisonous insects, seemingly fearless, coiled around their ankles and knees, rendering the sachets worn by the soldiers as if they were nothing.

The venomous insects' sharp fangs instantly felled half the army. Seeing this horrifying sight, even the composed general felt a chill run down his spine.

"General! General!"

"Help me!"

They were all panicked and covered their exposed necks, but this futile effort could not stop the poisonous insects.

They are so small that they only need to find a crack to squeeze into and embed themselves in a person's skin.

With a single bite, the poisonous fangs inject all the toxins into the soldier's body, causing the soldier to die instantly from the poison.

The soldiers fled in panic, creating complete chaos.

Even the Miao king, who was tied up, didn't understand what had happened.

Logically speaking, in Miao territory, only Sang Che possesses such "the power to summon wind and rain," so why is Sang Che now being ambushed and lying on the ground?

Is there anyone else who can be so imposing?

There were things he didn't know about in this Miao region.

Such a raging sea of ​​fire did not deter these venomous insects; instead, they seemed determined to devour people and drink their blood.

"No...it's the Gu King!"

"The Gu King has arrived!"

Upon hearing the name "Gu King," the Miao soldiers knelt down as if they had seen a god descend to earth.

The general then realized what was happening and looked into the distance. He saw a woman on horseback leading thousands of poisonous insects, approaching them.

"Ah Che, don't be afraid."

"I am coming."