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

Sang Che's words lingered in Yin Huaixi's mind as she looked up at the sky.

Discover the eaves of the blue-tiled roof.

A small bird perched on it.

It folded its wings and remained silent.

My body was trembling.

It was clearly afraid of the little teeth wrapped around Sang Che.

Yin Huaixi shifted her feet, her long skirt obscuring Xiaoya'er's peeking gaze, preventing the snake from noticing the bird's presence.

My second sister sent another message.

Yin Huaixi had forgotten the fear that Sang Che had just "threatened" her with.

Holding Sang Che's cold hand tightly, Yin Huaixi only wanted to send this ancestor to the inn.

Then... sneakily take the letter off the bird's body.

She couldn't hide her joy.

Sang Che noticed it very quickly.

Sang Che's thoughts, which had been calmed down, began to churn again. She lowered her eyes, and Xiao Ya'er tactfully wrapped her arms around Sang Che's other wrist.

She didn't try to snatch the hand that Yin Huaixi was holding.

Seeing its owner's low spirits, Little Tooth gently stroked Sang Che's arm with the scales on its tail, which made Sang Che laugh.

Little Tooth was the most beautiful snake in the den; the more beautiful a snake's markings, the more potent its venom.

Sang Che knew very well that Xiao Ya'er was close to her because she was a descendant of Chi You.

It's like she's raising poisonous insects.

Even the Gu worms would recognize her as their master.

They became docile and obedient.

If... Huaixi really has to be that bad child who crawls out of the "vessel," then she has no choice but to be a little cruel.

...

"Holy Maiden, everything has been moved."

"I have written a letter to the high priest, asking him to send the next batch of medicine here."

The medicine Sang Che was taking was based on a prescription written by the High Priest himself, containing rare medicinal ingredients. If it weren't for the Miao King's expending of manpower and resources, the Holy Maiden's illness might not have been able to be suppressed.

Even the mighty Miao King, who reigned supreme in Miao territory, still had to bow down to Sang Che.

People from the Central Plains could say that the "King of Gu" was nonsense, a lie fabricated by the Miao King to intimidate the imperial court.

In Miao territory, this is not just a rumor; the "Gu King" is a real being, and it was left behind by the great god Chi You.

However, raising a "Gu King" requires nourishing it with essence and blood, which is no easy task and would probably cost Sang Che half his life.

Sang Che listened to the birdsong in the distance, his fingertips tapping lightly on the table, making a crisp sound.

She rested her chin on her other hand, nodded slightly, and still had that bright smile.

"Okay, I understand."

The little red snake crawled to the edge of the table. It was also very sensitive to the birdsong around it. With a flick of its tail, its little teeth tried to climb from the windowsill to the eaves.

But Sang Che grabbed its tail.

With a slight pressure from the fingertip, the little tooth winced in pain and curled up.

Sang Che spoke calmly, reprimanding, "Don't disturb them."

The silver bells hanging from his chest jingled softly as Sang Che loosened his grip on the tail of the small red snake.

She wanted to see if Yin Huaixi could escape from her grasp.

...

Release the bird.

Under the pretext of moving her luggage, Yin Huaixi secretly hid under the eaves and nervously unfolded the note.

[The time remains the same. Change your clothes and follow the fleet. You can leave the village safely and without worry.]

Is my second sister's movement that quick?

Yin Huaixi became slightly suspicious.

However, people could come and go in this alley at any time, and with so many people around, Yin Huaixi didn't have time to think much about it.

She reached into her sleeve, pulled out a tinderbox, lit the paper strip she was clutching, and watched the ashes dance and fall to the ground.

A pair of embroidered shoes stepped on it, completely erasing the ashes of the paper, and Yin Huaixi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She rubbed her temples.

I still can't forget the two people I saw this morning. They looked extremely fierce and were dressed in traditional Miao men's clothing, not Han Chinese.

One of them, in particular, had strange bottles and jars hanging from his waist, making it easy to see that he was likely skilled in underhanded tactics.

If she leaves at night.

What should we do if Sang Che is brutally murdered?

Yin Huaixi bit her thin lips, deep in thought.

She wasn't worried about Sang Che getting into trouble; she was just wondering if the female lead in this novel was just a framework, and if Sang Che died, then... would this world disappear?

Moreover, with Sang Che's abilities, dealing with those two Miao men would be a piece of cake.

But... the darkest place is where things are most likely to go wrong.

Before she leaves tonight, for whatever reason, she has to give Sang Che a heads-up.

But this didn't allow her escape to be discovered, which put Yin Huaixi in a dilemma.

...

I stood outside in the wind for a while.

Yin Huaixi didn't dare to hide for too long. She carried her things upstairs and kept looking around the area on the first floor of the inn where guests were being received, wondering if the two suspicious Miao men were there.

A fleeting glance.

Yin Huaixi did indeed see the two people sitting blankly at the table. In front of them were large chunks of meat, which looked like they weren't cooked properly and were covered in scarlet blood.

That's disgusting.

Do you want to eat undercooked meat...?

The two men didn't use chopsticks; they just grabbed the meat and slowly gnawed on it. Their behavior scared everyone around the table away, and no one dared to sit down.

Disgusted by the sight, Yin Huaixi suppressed her nausea, covered her mouth and nose, and quickened her pace upstairs.

Stumbling and staggering, Yin Huaixi bumped into Yiyun. Yiyun, who was originally about to curse with anger, saw that it was Yin Huaixi and her anger instantly subsided.

This is the Holy Maiden's darling; who would dare offend her?

She hugged the wooden tray tightly and gestured to Yin Huaixi with her lips.

"The Holy Maiden is about to take a bath. Have you forgotten the massage techniques I taught you the other day?"

Yin Huaixi shook her head.

Yiyun ignored why Yin Huaixi was so restless and continued, "Then go in. The Holy Maiden is waiting for you. Don't keep her waiting too long."

Urged on like this, Yin Huaixi sighed and pushed open the door to go inside.

Sang Che was lying in the bathtub, green water droplets flowing over her body, her long black braids were loose, and fine strands of hair fell over her shoulders. Sang Che still had her fingers pressed against her cheeks.

She called softly, like a hawthorn covered in frosting.

"Huaixi, come here."

Put the things down.

Yin Huaixi rolled up her sleeves.

She resignedly sat down on the small stool behind Sang Che, dipped two fingers into the water, and splashed a handful of water onto Sang Che.

Water droplets pattered onto the water's surface, and a hazy mist veiled Sang Che's graceful figure as Yin Huaixi intently massaged Sang Che's skin.

Avoid sensitive areas.

However, contrary to his usual behavior, Sang Che grabbed her wrist and stopped her from moving.

"Huaixi... could you do what you just did for me again?"

That's completely nonsensical.

Yin Huaixi didn't think that much about it at the moment.

She frowned slightly and asked, "What is it? Do you need help relieving your aches and pains?"

Sang Che shook her head slightly, and wet droplets slid down her cheeks as she smiled charmingly.

"That's one way to put it."

Yin Huaixi was even more puzzled: "Then...aren't I doing it right now?"

Why did you stop me?

With her hands braced against the bottom of the bathtub, Sang Che leaned forward, her nose brushing against Yin Huaixi's cheek. She smiled and said, "Because... you need to try a different method."

"Only talent can bring me joy."

Yin Huaixi was even more puzzled, but Sang Che's body was already halfway out of the water, the green waves rippling, and she pinched Yin Huaixi's earlobe with her fingertips.

Before Yin Huaixi could react...

Just like before, Sang Che kissed Yin Huaixi's thin lips, and she gently sucked on them.

Insatiable greed.