Chapter 22
To Mo Xiaoxin's surprise, Leng Huai slowly opened his eyes, and his previously deathly pale face returned to normal.
He looked up at Mo Xiaoxin, who was still standing there in a daze: "Come here, help me up."
Mo Xiaoxin walked over stiffly without realizing it.
The black snake was still quietly watching them in the water. As soon as Mo Xiaoxin moved, the black snake's eyes followed her, its eyes like two black lamps burning with an eerie light, its pupils long and vertical.
The cave was chilly, and the sight of the black snake sent a chill down Mo Xiaoxin's spine.
"Don't be afraid, it won't hurt you." Leng Huai looked at the black snake gratefully.
Leng Huai introduced the black snake: "This is my new wife, Mo Qiuxin."
Mo Qiuxin smiled awkwardly and waved to the black snake: "Hello, I am Mo Qiuxin."
blacksnake:"……"
The black snake stared intently at her without blinking, its face expressionless, its gaze unreadable, revealing neither liking nor disliking her.
Leng Huai was not surprised by the black snake's reaction. He said to Mo Xiaoxin, "This is an ancient divine beast, the Xuan Snake."
Ancient mythical beasts?
Mo Xiaoxin couldn't help but suppress her fear and exchange a glance with Xuan She.
Those golden pupils seemed to pierce through her, filled with an eerie quality.
The black snake glanced at Mo Xiaoxin for a moment before diving into the water, creating a splash before returning to calm.
In the past, the timid Mo Xiaoxin would have fainted from fright at this scene, but now she had experienced so much. Even though today's events shocked her, it was only a momentary emotional fluctuation, and she quickly regained her composure.
Aside from the existence of the Xuan Snake, what terrified Mo Xiaoxin the most was what the Xuan Snake had just done to Leng Huai.
She witnessed the black snake forming a fleshy body from its scales and attaching it to Leng Huai's body. In the blink of an eye, the dense, eerie-looking scales disappeared, as if it were all her illusion.
But she knew that everything that had just happened was real.
This is simply unbelievable.
Leng Huai's complexion returned to normal, and his skin looked perfectly fine. If Mo Xiaoxin hadn't just witnessed it with her own eyes, she would never have believed that Leng Huai's body was made of snake scales.
No wonder he needed the black serpent to heal his body in this black pool before.
Seeing the doubt in Mo Xiaoxin's eyes, Leng Huai smiled and asked, "What? Are you scared?"
Mo Xiaoxin shook her head: "I just find it strange."
Leng Huai: "What's so strange about that? We demons are different from monsters. Monsters are usually creatures that have cultivated themselves, while demons are evolved from various evil thoughts and have no physical body. If you want to have a physical body, you can either cultivate for millions of years or find a body that is willing to give you a physical body."
"I see. But you've been cultivating for tens of thousands of years, haven't you?" Mo Xiaoxin was still a little puzzled. How could Leng Huai, with his cultivation level, possibly need a second method?
Leng Huai fell silent, his thoughts returning to the great war ten thousand years ago.
Just when Mo Xiaoxin thought Leng Huai wouldn't tell him, Leng Huai's thin lips parted: "In the previous great battle, everyone thought I won a great victory without lifting a finger, but what they didn't know was that my physical body was shattered at the time. It took a long time to find the ancient divine beast Xuan Snake to make a physical body for me. This physical body is different from ordinary ones. It is hard and indestructible, but because it does not belong to me, I need Xuan Snake to help me recover from time to time."
Mo Xiaoxin was stunned. She never expected that someone as strong as Leng Huai would go through such a thing. But what surprised her even more was that Leng Huai was willing to tell her all this.
"Was what I saw last time helping you recover?"
"Yes, this was my weakest moment."
"Aren't you... worried that I'll tell others about this?" Mo Xiaoxin asked suspiciously. Given Leng Huai's suspicious nature, why would he suddenly open up today?
A dark and unfathomable meaning flashed in Leng Huai's eyes, and Mo Xiaoxin had a bad feeling.
He slowly said, "The head of the black snake contains a deadly poison. It requires taking an antidote every week, otherwise the poison will take effect and cause death. I also need to come here every week to recover."
"You, you poisoned me with snake venom?" Mo Xiaoxin's expression changed.
Leng Huai remained noncommittal.
Sure enough, she knew this man would never reveal his weaknesses to others so easily; he just wanted to drag her along to this wretched place.
Mo Xiaoxin said through gritted teeth, "Then I really have to thank you."
Leng Huai smiled wickedly: "If I'm not mistaken, your poison is about to take effect."
As if in response to Leng Huai, her body suddenly began to ache. Her limbs first felt numb and itchy, followed by excruciating pain as if thousands of steel needles were piercing her at the same time, which quickly spread throughout her body.
Mo Xiaoxin's face instantly turned ashen, her lips turned a frighteningly dark purple, large beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, and her breathing became rapid and heavy. She felt a chilling coldness spreading rapidly from her heart; the poison had taken effect!
Wherever the poison touched, her skin turned a strange bluish-black color, and her stomach churned violently, causing her to vomit due to intense nausea.
I feel so bad...
She clutched her chest: "You! You're not human!"
Leng Huai: "I am not human, I am a demon."
With a loud crash, Mo Xiaoxin, unable to withstand the stimulation of the poison, fainted.
Mo Xiaoxin thought she would be in the space when she woke up, but she didn't expect to be lying on the jade bed.
The familiar scent made her feel dizzy.
It was that strange fragrance again.
Thinking of how Leng Huai had tricked her by poisoning her with snake venom yesterday, she muttered, "You deserved to be poisoned. With such a wicked heart, you'll lose your senses sooner or later and become a useless piece of trash!"
Fortunately, she had already taken the antidote for the insomnia powder, so the poison could no longer enter her body; it just made her feel uncomfortable from the smell.
"You're talking badly about me first thing in the morning?"
Before seeing him, they heard his voice; Leng Huai opened the door and walked in.
He held a bowl of herbal medicine in his hand, and his eyes were bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept all night.
Mo Xiaoxin was suspicious. Could it be that he stayed by her bedside all night and then brewed medicine for her again in the morning?
Could it be that he felt guilty towards her?
No, no, no, as proud as Leng Huai is, how could he possibly do these things for her?
No one will feel guilty, and Leng Huai will not feel guilty.
"Drink the medicine." Leng Huai handed the medicine to Mo Xiaoxin, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Mo Xiaoxin glanced at the dark, unappetizing medicine. A pungent smell entered her nostrils, making her feel nauseous.
She forced back her nausea: "Take it away, I won't drink it. Who knows what kind of tricks you're up to now?"
Leng Huai's face darkened: "This is the antidote. If you don't drink it, I'll throw it away."
Upon hearing that it was the antidote, Mo Xiaoxin's expression immediately changed, and she said with a forced smile, "I was just joking, hehehe."
She snatched the bowl from Leng Huai's hand, took a sip and almost spat it out. The bitter taste of the medicine spread in her mouth and then rushed to her head. It was so bitter that she almost burst into tears. Her stomach churned, and she stared painfully at the remaining medicine in the bowl.
How can it be so bitter! And it makes me feel nauseous!
"Don't vomit!"
Mo Xiaoxin opened her eyes wide, her mouth filled with the bitter taste of medicine, and she couldn't even speak.
My stomach churned again.
Seeing that Mo Xiaoxin's cheeks were puffed out, she looked like she was about to vomit.
Leng Huai tapped Mo Xiaoxin on the back, and Mo Xiaoxin felt much better. She forced herself to swallow the medicine in her mouth.
But she hesitated to drink the remaining medicine in the bowl.
It wasn't because of the hardship, but because she suddenly thought of something.
She felt Leng Huai's cold gaze, as if he would kill her if she didn't take her medicine.
She raised an eyebrow and deliberately spilled the medicine on the bed.
The dark brown liquid floated on the jade bed, and soon it was absorbed by the jade bed, restoring its usual bright color.
Before Mo Xiaoxin could even marvel at the wonders of the jade bed, she noticed Leng Huai's icy, piercing gaze.
“Mo! Qiu! Xin!” Leng Huai uttered a few words from his throat.
"Oh dear? I didn't mean to."
She did it on purpose.
Mo Xiaoxin chuckled to herself.
As she expected, Leng Huai struck her neck with a palm strike.
[Ding—System Notification: Congratulations, host, you have received two million in cash. Due to the close proximity of your completion of the two tasks, you have also received an additional reward of 1 Spirit Stone Fragment. 993 attempts remaining.]
Mo Xiaoxin shook her neck. The pain relief was indeed effective. This time, she felt no pain at all during the death; she only felt a tingling sensation in her neck.
Mo Xiaoxin glanced at the reward items and asked curiously, "System, what are these spirit stone fragments? What are they used for?"
System: "Spirit Stone Fragments: Collecting ten fragments will allow the system to fulfill any request in this world."
Mo Xiaoxin was pleasantly surprised: "Any request is fine? Can I just complete the task progress directly?"
The system was dumbfounded: "Ahem, of course that won't work, it's beyond our scope of business..."
Mo Xiaoxin waved her hand: "I was just joking, don't take it seriously."
The system was relieved; Mo Xiaoxin's personality is indeed fickle, comparable to Leng Huai's cunning. It's true what they say, "One is influenced by one's company."
It's pitiful that it has to serve Mo Xiaoxin while also suffering Mo Xiaoxin's teasing.
Its life is so miserable.
The system explained: "This request means that when you encounter danger or difficulties, you can ask us to help you open a backdoor for you."
This explanation was quite straightforward, and Mo Xiaoxin suddenly understood.
Mo Xiaoxin: "I understand, is it enough to collect ten? What if I collect a hundred? Can you do ten things for me?"
"Yes, you can collect ten. However, you can only do it once. Even if you get a lot of spirit stones, you can only have one chance. The rest can be exchanged for cash or items."
Mo Xiaoxin gave a thumbs up: "Not bad, not bad, finally something useful. If we encounter any danger, I won't have to worry anymore."
So far, Mo Xiaoxin hasn't had anything that the system can help her with, but she'll gather the necessary resources first; maybe something will come along in the future.
When she woke up again, Mo Xiaoxin waited for Leng Huai to open the door and come in.
Mo Xiaoxin's gaze towards Leng Huai softened.
This isn't someone I dislike, she's her money tree!
She repeatedly comforted herself with this thought.
Leng Huai found it strange: "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Mo Xiaoxin smiled: "Did you brew this medicine for me?"
"Hmm." Being seen through at a glance, Leng Huai was not embarrassed as expected. Instead, a strange warmth rose in his heart.
He didn't want to tell her that the antidote was difficult to take and required constant monitoring of the heat.
"Thank you," Mo Xiaoxin said, but in her heart she cursed Leng Huai to the core.
Thank you for the specially made poison. You deserved to stay up all night.
If there were a Best Performance Award in this world today, she would definitely be making a name for herself by now.
She took the medicine from Leng Huai and gulped it down.
Why is this medicine still so bitter?
It was so bitter that she felt dizzy.
Leng Huai pulled out something; it was a sugar painting.
The sugar painting is shaped like a plum blossom, with a plum blossom petal on it. She took a closer sniff and found that the sugar painting had a delicate plum blossom fragrance.
Outside this house, there is a plum tree that blooms year-round, filling the air with its fragrance.
"I didn't expect you to do this." Mo Xiaoxin was quite surprised.
Mo Xiaoxin took a bite, and the faint fragrance of plum blossoms blended with the sweetness of the sugar painting, spreading throughout her mouth. The aroma was refreshing and invigorating, instantly enveloping the bitterness in her mouth with the fragrance of plum blossoms.
After taking the medicine, Mo Xiaoxin felt warm all over. The bone-chilling cold and piercing pain disappeared instantly.
“What you heard that day wasn’t entirely accurate,” Leng Huai suddenly said.
"What?" Mo Xiaoxin didn't understand what he was talking about.
"Those words Ye Songlan said that day in the Ye family's secret room," Leng Huai repeated, a rare occurrence for him.
Mo Xiaoxin raised an eyebrow. Was Leng Huai explaining something to her?
Leng Huai looked ahead, his mind lost in memories: "I met her during the Chaos War. I was severely injured and near death, lying by the lake, barely clinging to life. She found me. I had been poisoned by the enemy and was shivering all over, unable to utter a single word. I just let her lead me into a nearby cave. She was very skilled; she immediately recognized the poison I had been given, but the antidote was extremely difficult to find. She said she had studied pharmacology since childhood and would definitely save me."
He paused for a moment, seemingly caught in a whirlpool of memories. Mo Xiaoxin could tell that those memories were very painful for Leng Huai.
“I did my best during that war, but I was abandoned by my family and betrayed by my friends. I began to doubt everything in this world, so when a strange woman said she wanted to save me, I had no hope.”
“I stayed alone in the cave for three days and three nights, starving and suffering for three days and three nights. The feeling of being chilled like a thousand ice spikes piercing my bone marrow is something I will never forget in my life. As you can probably guess, the venom was snake venom.”
Leng Huai glanced at the silent Mo Xiaoxin: "You must be cursing me in your heart, right? Why did I let you get poisoned by snake venom? What if I told you that if you want to become the overlord of these six realms, you must get poisoned by this snake venom?"
Mo Xiaoxin asked in surprise, "What do you mean?"
"I also discovered this secret by accident. At that time, my magic was stuck in the same place and I didn't make any progress. But after that, I started to make rapid progress, which enabled me to turn the tide in the great battle and become the king of the demon realm."
"How did Songlan remove the poison from you that night?" Mo Xiaoxin felt a little uneasy. She didn't know why this feeling suddenly appeared. She didn't want to hear about their intimate actions from Leng Huai, but she was also very curious about what they had done.
"She saw that I was shivering from the cold and my lips were turning purple. She lit a fire for me in the cave and then warmed me with her body. If she hadn't helped me keep warm, I probably wouldn't have made it through the night."
"Ah..." Mo Xiaoxin blushed upon hearing this, as if the erotic scene was right before her eyes.
"Don't misunderstand, she was just hugging me while fully clothed. I didn't do anything inappropriate," Leng Huai explained.
Mo Xiaoxin breathed a sigh of relief. "So that's how it is. You should have said so earlier. It's not a big deal."
However, women in this world value chastity extremely highly. It seems that Ye Songlan had already given her heart to Leng Huai, otherwise she would not have been willing to sacrifice her reputation to save him.
"After she saw that I was much better, she went to find an antidote for me at dawn, but the snake venom had already entered my bone marrow, and even after drinking the antidote, it was not completely removed."
Mo Xiaoxin continued, "So over the years, Ye Songlan has kept many venomous snakes at home in order to research an antidote for you."
Leng Huai nodded slightly.
Mo Xiaoxin sighed, "Ye Songlan truly loves you to the bone, so why do you want to marry me instead of her?"
Leng Huai remained silent for a moment, then replied, "She helped me detoxify and keep me warm, and I am indeed very grateful to her. But if I have to marry her because of this, I can't do it. I... am not a good person."
He is not a good person.
He does have self-awareness.
Mo Xiaoxin thought to herself.
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