A-Jiang fed Xu Nian a pill to counteract the effects of the Soft Jade Powder.
Realizing she could move, Xu Nian immediately got out of A Jiang's arms and sat down somewhere a distance away from him.
To ease the awkwardness, Xu Nian said, "My name is Xu Nian. You can call me by my name, A Jiang. You don't need to call me sister."
"Ah Jiang still prefers to call me 'sister'." Ah Jiang revealed two cute little tiger teeth, looking obedient on the surface, but sighing inwardly.
His sister was indeed lying to him; her guarded posture and eyes made him feel very wronged.
She said she would marry him if he saved her father, but he knew she was just trying to appease him temporarily.
It's okay, my sister likes to play these kinds of games, so let her play. She can't escape them.
"The antidote for the Gu poison is in the Holy Mountain. Sister, don't be scared and cry when you go!" Ah Jiang was really afraid that Xu Nian wouldn't be able to walk if she went to the Holy Mountain, thinking about the situation there.
"Is it terrifying there?" Xu Nian's heart tightened. What would the sacred mountain in the northern frontier look like?
“Sister should know that we people of the Northern Frontier are skilled in the art of Gu poison. The Holy Mountain is the origin of our Gu poison. It is cold there all year round, but there are countless snakes, insects, rats and ants, and poisonous creatures. It is no exaggeration to say that we have to step on these things to find the antidote.” The scene described by A Jiang made Xu Nian’s hair stand on end.
The sight of various poisonous creatures crawling all over the mountains was truly terrifying.
But she had to get the antidote. Hope was right in front of her, and she couldn't back down because of fear or cowardice.
"Ah Jiang, I'm going. You'll protect me, right?" Xu Nian looked at the boy expectantly.
"Of course, I will definitely protect my sister." A-Jiang nodded. She was the bride he had chosen, and he would risk his life to prevent anything from happening to her.
"Ah Jiang, can we go to the Holy Mountain now? I'm afraid my father won't last much longer. I want to find the antidote to save him as soon as possible." Xu Nian pretended to cover her face and cry. Her voice was small, but it was very pitiful.
Even though he knew his sister was putting on an act for him, Ah Jiang couldn't bear to see her so heartbroken.
"Sister, I'll go tell the village chief about going to the sacred mountain. You stay in your room and don't go out. If people from the village come to see you, don't open the door. Wait for me to come back in your room, okay?" A-Jiang solemnly instructed Xu Nian.
"Okay, I'll wait for you to come back." Xu Nian wasn't that stupid. With her goal seemingly within reach, why would she run away?
Most importantly, this boy named Ajahn is so easy to coax.
After leaving him, Xu Nian wasn't sure she could find someone more obedient than him.
As soon as A-Jiang left, Xu Nian quickly looked around the room. Apart from being clean and tidy, Xu Nian did not find anything unusual about the use of Gu poison.
At the village head's office.
When the village chief heard that A-Jiang was going to take Xu Nian into the Holy Mountain, he advised him to think twice, because even they, who were skilled in using poison, might not be able to survive safely once they entered the Holy Mountain.
Ah Jiang insisted on going, because the herbs and worms he needed to refine the love potion could only be found in the sacred mountain.
He can't refine the Love Gu if he doesn't go to the Holy Mountain. If he doesn't refine the Love Gu, how can he keep his sister?
Ajahn Chah understood perfectly that he couldn't keep Xu Nian with just his sincere heart.
"This is the Gu Insect King I crafted. Wear it on your body, and it will ward off most poisons." The village chief handed a bamboo tube about the size of a thumb to A-Jiang.
"Thank you, Village Chief, A-Jiang." A-Jiang happily accepted the bamboo tube and quickly bowed to the Village Chief in gratitude.
"No need to thank me, A-Jiang. I've watched you grow up, and I've always treated you like my own grandson. I have no other requests, my only request is that you live well, A-Jiang." The village chief patted A-Jiang's shoulder with his aged hand, his smile filled with both relief and worry.
A-Jiang's heart fluttered, and he assured the village chief, "Grandpa Village Chief, don't worry, I will definitely bring my bride out of the sacred mountain safely."
"Sigh! I'm getting old. You young people can make your own decisions." The village chief sighed, gave A-Jiang a few more instructions, and then let A-Jiang go back.
Back in his room, A-Jiang prepared some dry rations, put a cloak on Xu Nian, returned her sword, and then led her away from the village.
The mountain road was rugged and overgrown with weeds. As you got closer to the sacred mountain, you could easily step on snakes, insects, rats and ants along the way.
Xu Nian went from being relaxed at the beginning to looking pale.
"Sister, do you see that iceberg ahead? That's the sacred mountain of the people of the Northern Frontier." A-Jiang's face was full of fervor as she finished speaking and bowed in the direction of the sacred mountain.
"Besides being covered in poisonous creatures, what else is special about this sacred mountain?" Xu Nian asked seemingly casually.
“Sister, our people are buried in the sacred mountain after they die. Countless of our ancestors are buried there, including my parents!” A-Jiang smiled warmly.
For him, going to the holy mountain was also a way to visit his family.
"Ah Jiang's parents are inside too?" Xu Nian's eyes widened in surprise. Was the child in such a terrible state?
He lost both his parents at a very young age; we don't even know how old he was when he lost them.
"Yes! A-Jiang's mother died when she gave birth to his little brother, and his father was killed by outsiders." A-Jiang said indifferently. They had been gone for so long that he had no feelings for them anymore.
"So you grew up alone?" Xu Nian looked at A Jiang with complicated emotions.
She warned herself not to be soft-hearted towards the boy, but her heart had its own thoughts, and a dense, subtle pain surrounded her entire heart.
"Pretty much! If it weren't for Grandpa Village Chief taking care of A-Jiang all along, A-Jiang would have starved to death long ago." A-Jiang's bright eyes dimmed.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you those questions," Xu Nian said guiltily.
"It's alright, sister, that's all in the past."
"If you really feel sorry for A-Jiang, why don't you kiss A-Jiang? As long as you kiss A-Jiang, A-Jiang won't be sad anymore." A-Jiang's playful request was ruthlessly rejected by Xu Nian.
What kind of ridiculous request is this? Her earlier concern must have been a lie!
Has she forgotten what this man did to her?
If I kissed her the moment we met, I'd be even more eager for her to take the initiative, but that's absolutely impossible.
"If my sister doesn't want to, then forget it." A-Jiang was very disappointed.
He really wanted his sister's kiss as comfort, but judging from her expression, she didn't seem to be able to accept it.
The two did not exchange another word the entire way.
Upon reaching the foot of the sacred mountain, A-Jiang instructed Xu Nian to walk behind him while he scouted ahead.
Only after Xu Nian reached the sacred mountain did she realize how terrifying A Jiang's concept of poisonous creatures crawling all over the place truly was.
The mountain path was clearly frozen and transparent, yet it was crawling with snakes, insects, and rodents.
If people want to get across, they have to clear away the snakes, insects, and rodents along the way, otherwise they will crawl onto them.
Xu Nian bit her lip and followed A Jiang, taking out her sword to clear away the poisonous insects and snakes on the road.
The two quickly cleaned up while hurrying on their way.
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