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

They stayed in the dark cave for an unknown amount of time, and the Miao people watched over them as they ate, drank, and relieved themselves.

If it were an ordinary person, under such tight surveillance, they would probably have gone insane long ago.

But they were, after all, people of the imperial court, and they had to go through the proper military examinations to obtain their positions.

Their resilience is unmatched by others.

The days of bland, watery food had left him so hungry he was dizzy; even a block of iron would wilt at this point.

In a drowsy state.

Outside the cave, the group of Miao people bowed in unison, chanting in their Miao language.

Everyone was jolted awake from their drowsiness.

Everyone looked toward the man in the group who was fluent in the Miao language, and saw him nod with a furrowed brow.

I made a mouth shape.

...

"I have met the Holy Maiden."

Yin Huaixi followed behind Sang Che, noticing the excessive respect these Miao people showed him.

I know it clearly in my heart.

This group is likely descended from the Miao people who once served Chi You, and they have great respect for Sang Che, who possesses Chi You's bloodline.

Unlike the Miao people in the bandit stronghold who mingled with the Han people every day, they were more afraid of Sang Che.

They were afraid that Sang Che might secretly cast a spell on them.

"Let them leave."

Sang Che's accent when speaking Miao was very different from when she spoke Mandarin.

The leader nodded, picked up a torch, and gestured for the Miao people with curved knives at their waists to retreat.

"Ache, you're finally back."

"I heard from them that you arrested a group of Han Chinese. Why weren't you allowed to use Gu poison?"

All the Miao people guarding the cave came out to wait.

Hearing the noisy footsteps and the chorus of greetings, Jiawan knew that Sang Che had arrived.

She happily stepped outside, only to unexpectedly encounter Yin Huaixi, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

Her eyes kept stealing glances at Yin Huaixi, which made Yin Huaixi feel embarrassed.

Awkwardly, she hooked her fingers around her collar and pulled it up, trying to cover up the ambiguous marks on her neck.

"Ah Che, I heard them say the other day that you... this time you went out specifically to let her keep watch?"

"It turned out that she had planned to escape all along, and in the process, she attracted a group of Han Chinese spies."

The unfamiliar Miao language rang in his ears, and Yin Huaixi felt as if he were listening to a wordless book.

Oh no.

Having stayed in the village for so long, Yin Huaixi still managed to figure out the few phrases the Miao people often used.

She can understand it if she hears just a sentence or two, but if she hears more, she won't understand it.

After Jiawan finished speaking, she stared at Yin Huaixi with an extremely strange look, as if she wanted to stare right through him.

Feeling stared at like that, Yin Huaixi silently shrank behind Sang Che. She placed her hands on Sang Che's shoulders, but her gaze bypassed Jia Wan, wanting to see what was happening inside the cave.

He noticed Yin Huaixi's helplessness.

Sang Che stretched out his hand, placed it behind him, and pressed down on the back of Yin Huaixi's hand.

"Ah Shui, this matter has nothing to do with you, you don't need to ask so many questions."

Sang Che's blatant protectiveness made Jia Wan pretend to be sad, clutching her chest and whimpering.

"Ah Che, how could you be so cruel?"

"How can you treat me so coldly just because I'm a Han Chinese?"

Yin Huaixi understood both sentences without any difficulty.

It turns out that Jiawan was speaking Chinese, not Miao.

Sang Che, however, was not buying it.

She reached out and took Yin Huaixi's hand, then turned her head and said calmly, "Ignore her, just keep moving forward."

The person you want to see is inside.

Seeing that the two had something to talk about, Yin Huaixi said softly, "Well... I'll be going now."

After saying that, she walked into the cave.

There was not a trace of lingering attachment.

...

After the person left.

Jiawan put her hands behind her back, recalling the time they spent together a while ago, and asked curiously, "When did things get to this point between you two?"

"Ah Che, you didn't cast a spell on her, did you?"

If Sang Che really did use a love potion on Yin Huaixi, then there would be no need to have her locked up, nor would there be any need to carefully protect her.

With just a wave of her hand, under the influence of the love potion, Yin Huaixi would completely turn into a clingy lapdog.

The kind that will never leave its owner's side no matter what.

"You should know what the side effects of forcibly implanting a love potion in someone are?"

"That goes without saying."

Jiawan choked.

Having practiced Gu for so many years, she certainly knew what the side effects of planting a love Gu were.

Love potion manipulates a person's emotions, causing them to become obsessed. However, this only works if the person harbors hatred or resentment.

This will consume one's own essence and blood.

Over time, this person will become withered and lifeless, like a walking corpse.

Jiawan: "Ache, why do you care so much?"

"If she really dies from the backlash of the love potion, why don't you just turn her into a puppet?"

"That way, A-Che... your eyes will be restored to their original state, just like before!"

Sang Che listened quietly.

He lifted his foot and walked into the cave.

She finally spoke: "What if I didn't want her to die?"

Jiawan's expression changed instantly, showing a hint of mockery, but more so, worry.

"Ah Che, you haven't actually fallen for her, have you?"

"Even if...even if the high priest says you are destined to be together in this life, he asked the gods to ask this question so that your eyes could be healed. Why should you dwell on things from your past life?"

"Furthermore, don't Han Chinese people have the saying that after crossing the Bridge of Helplessness, one drinks Meng Po's soup, which means forgetting all the suffering of the past life? Why...why do you have to get caught up in it!"

Sang Che's ears were sore from her noise.

If he weren't blind, Sang Che would have easily left Jia Wan far behind.

Seeing that Sang Che remained unmoved, Jia Wan hurriedly stepped forward to stop him from walking forward.

"Ah Che... are you even listening to me?!"

Reaching out and grabbing the belt around Sang Che's waist, Jia Wan wished she could pull him over and give him a good lecture to dispel his unrealistic ideas about this Han man.

Sang Che: "I heard it."

"You don't need to pull and tug like that."

Then, Sang Che sighed.

There was a hint of reluctance in the expression.

She added, "I have given her one chance. If she runs away again and abandons me, I will not be able to."

"I will take out that love potion and implant it into her body."

...

Torches crackled and popped inside the cave.

Yin Huaixi walked in through the gravel, and his gaze fell upon a group of Han Chinese people chained up behind the cave fence.

They had clearly been locked up for some time; their hair was disheveled, and they looked quite pathetic.

"Pah!"

"How can we, people of our kind, associate with the Miao people? You woman... how dare you even show your face here? You are truly shameless!"

The middle-aged man, who was locked up in another place, started cursing loudly. Yin Huaixi didn't even have time to figure out if this man was also one of her second sister's men.

Instantly, the man's face stiffened, and he fell straight down.

Then, Yin Huaixi heard the familiar sound of silver bells again, and Sang Che was standing behind her at some point.

A gentle, soft smile.

"Huaixi, that person is so noisy."

"Don't you think so?"

As soon as the words were spoken, a small, black worm crawled out of the wide-open mouth of the slumped man.

The person who had looked perfectly fine just moments before was now a bluish-black corpse that had begun to decompose.

The little insect fluttered its wings and flew to its owner's side.

Just as it was about to land.

Sang Che stopped the little insect from moving.

"It's filthy, don't put it on me."

After saying that, Sang Che wrapped his arms tightly around Yin Huaixi's shoulders again, pressing his soft cheek against Yin Huaixi's shoulder.

It strongly suggests that they are locking the door to prevent people from leaving.