grasp
When their eyes were sufficiently accustomed to the light, they saw several people standing in the center of the mountain gate. The leader was a young man dressed in a dark blue robe, and a black snake was coiled in his hand, which was very similar to the one they had encountered in the valley earlier.
Before Jiang Yi and the others could ask, the man said with a smile, "I didn't know when our distinguished guests arrived. I apologize for not being able to greet you properly."
The group looked at each other, completely bewildered. "Distinguished guests?" they asked. "Are you talking about them?"
Jiang Yi asked, "Uh, sir, what do you mean by that? Are we... the distinguished guests you're referring to?"
The man stepped forward and replied, “Yes. The clan chief instructed us to wait here early this morning. And since you did not harm my black snake when you entered the valley, it is clear that you are the people the clan chief was talking about. Please.”
Jiang Yi's eyes widened in surprise. Luckily, He Lin and the others hadn't slashed the snake with their swords. If they had accidentally killed someone's pet earlier, they probably wouldn't be so easy to talk to now!
These people from southern Xinjiang are indeed quite capable; they keep dangerous animals as pets.
The little girl I met before was a falconer, and now I've met someone who plays with snakes. Who knows what other strange things I'll encounter when I go inside?
However, getting in so easily is far too smooth; it's unexpectedly smooth!
I thought there would be some kind of mountain guardian or at least someone to guard the entrance, but before I could even open my mouth, they invited me on their own.
Qi Junxu took the lead and walked towards the mountain gate. Despite being a prince, he was not worried at all about being ambushed.
He's not worried; plenty of people will worry about it.
Besides Qi Junxu's bodyguard Feng He following along, He Lin gave Gu Ziyu and Shan Yanzhi a wink. The two understood and stayed close behind him to protect him in case anything went wrong.
No matter what, Qi Junxu is a prince. If he encounters any misfortune while he is away, He Lin will probably be the first suspect. Besides, no one knows what these people from the Southern Frontier are up to, so there are some things that must be guarded against.
"Excuse me, sir, what's your name?"
"You may call me Aoki, young lady."
Jiang Yi nodded. "Qingmu, you just said that your clan leader told us to wait here, but how did he know we would come? Or is he able to predict the future?"
The young man smiled shyly, then scratched his head and said, "No, not long ago there were traitors here. The chieftain and the goddess went to capture them. Thanks to everyone's help at the inn, that's how we learned you were planning to come to Southern Xinjiang."
As he spoke, the black snake became very restless, constantly slithering on his arm before finally climbing up his shoulder and neck, coiling around his neck several times. Jiang Yi was terrified, wishing she could stay as far away from him as possible, but she was also incredibly curious and determined to find out something. So she forced herself to stay two steps away from him and casually tried to get information out of him.
When Shangguan Muya heard him mention the inn and the goddess, she couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that the goddess you're referring to is that little girl, Zhuoma?"
"Indeed, Zhuoma is the goddess of our southern border region. She is a gift from the Eternal Heaven to our southern border region."
Jiang Yi pressed further, "A gift? Why do you say that?"
When Jiang Yi first met Zhuoma, she only thought she was straightforward and cute. But when Zhuoma ordered Amu Li to gouge out the eyes of the two thieves, Jiang Yi felt only cruelty and horror.
Aoki explained, "Zhuoma's father died early. On the night she was born, a rare blood moon appeared in the sky over southern Xinjiang. After her birth, her mother also died. A strange fragrance could be smelled for miles around, attracting many insects and beasts. Moreover, she could communicate with the Gu insects and birds and beasts of our southern Xinjiang from a young age. So the chief adopted her and named her 'Zhuoma,' hoping that she could lead our tribe to greater prosperity and strength."
"So that's how it is..."
No wonder little Zhuoma has a maturity beyond her years; it turns out that her tribe has placed great hopes on her since she was a child.
Born with a unique fragrance, and marked by a blood moon in the heavens, she could communicate with animals from a young age. Just imagining that scene made Jiang Yi almost unable to believe it.
This is totally the standard for a female protagonist in a novel, okay?! She was born extraordinary!
Aoki has already made it so clear, so there's no need to ask, we know that the elderly man who was with Zhuoma last time must be their clan leader.
After walking a short distance along the steep mountain wall, the end of the path suddenly opened up, giving one a sense of unexpected joy and tranquility.
Jiang Yi looked around and thought to herself, "Even in modern society, this building would be at least a 5A-level scenic spot."
Southern Xinjiang is nestled among mountains and rivers, boasting beautiful scenery. Buildings of varying heights can be seen everywhere, and as far as the eye can see, there are rolling hills. The saying "backed by the Ten Thousand Mountains" is truly apt. The white mist swirls around, creating a breathtaking landscape painting.
Aoki led the group straight inside. Occasionally, passersby would stop and scrutinize these outsiders, their eyes revealing a hint of wariness, but they would gradually relax when they saw that the leader was Aoki.
Jiang Yi secretly tugged at He Lin's sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Hey, He Lin, are you itching to use your hands?"
He Lin couldn't follow her train of thought and wondered if he had misheard: "What?"
"What I mean is, don't you like to draw? Such a beautiful place, wouldn't it be a shame not to draw a picture of it and take it home to keep?"
"The customs of southern Xinjiang are different from ours. They mostly dislike foreign things, and similarly, they may not like their things flowing out. Since we are newcomers, we should not cause unnecessary trouble."
"oh."
Noticing the disappointment in the person next to him, He Lin pursed his lips and said, "But I've memorized it and will draw it for you when we get back."
"Really?"
"Fine, don't believe me then."
"I believe you! I believe you! You can't go back on your word!"
"knew."
"..."
As they walked to the edge of a clear blue lake, a wooden building came into view. It was only two stories high and stood alone. Because there were no other buildings around, the environment was much quieter.
"Da da da..."
The person could not be seen, only the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard, like the sound of people going downstairs. The sound was quite cheerful, and there was a faint, clear bell sound in the footsteps.
"Sister! I told you we'd see each other again soon, didn't I? How about it?"
Little Zhuoma quickly descended the wooden building, ran out from the back of the building, put her hands behind her back, tilted her head and smiled at Jiang Yi and the others, and then walked towards them step by step.
When I saw her again today, she was different from the coarse linen clothes she wore at the inn that day. She was dressed in purple, and her long hair was tied together with colorful ribbons and braided into several braids that hung down in front of her. She wore two or three bells at her waist, which jingled with each step, making a very pleasant sound.
Jiang Yi crossed her arms and couldn't help but tease, "Wow, isn't this the Goddess? You've changed so much in just a few days. You're no longer that dirty, pitiful little kitten."
Zhuoma smiled and said, "Sister, you're still as charming as ever."
Jiang Yi snorted lightly: "Of course."
"..."
"Brother, my grandfather has been waiting for you for a long time."
These words were spoken to He Lin.
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at him.
Aoki had already helped the clan leader out.
"Young man, you've finally arrived."
The old man still had a pair of white eyes, unfocused, and he leaned on a cane.
He Lin asked, "Did you know I was coming?"
The clan chief glanced sideways, as if carefully identifying something. Finally, he abandoned Qingmu's support, slowly leaning on his cane, and precisely approached He Lin from among the crowd, raising a hand and gently placing it on He Lin's chest.
"It was it that told me you were coming."
Heart-eating worm! !
Jiang Yi asked excitedly, "You mean the Gu worm in his chest, right? Do you have a way to get it out?"
"Sister, don't worry, if Grandpa says that, it means he's pretty sure."
The old man withdrew his hand, turned back to look in the direction where Zhuoma was, and snorted, "Who said I was confident? You little ingrate."
Zhuoma stuck out her tongue.
"I have already gone blind, so even if I had the will, I don't have the strength."
Jiang Yi bit her lip, her heart plummeting from its highest point to its lowest.
This isn't about letting go; it's about putting it on even higher.
"What can we do? That bug awakens in his chest every month and torments him repeatedly. Senior, since you knew we were coming, you must have a solution. We can't just stand by and watch him die!"
"Who are you to him?"
“I…” Jiang Yi glanced at He Lin and said, “I am his wife.”
The clan chief sighed, "It's not that I don't want to save him, but I only have a 50% chance of successfully removing this Gu worm. If I make a mistake, he will die in no time. To be honest, I also bear some responsibility for the fact that this Heart-Eating Worm was taken out of the Southern Frontier and used by someone."
"...Back then, a young man from your Great Liang named Lao Gui came to this place and offered a high price to buy a Gu worm that could control people. I did not agree, but a traitor stole it and sold it. I never thought that many years later it would have the opportunity to return in this way. That night in the inn, I sensed its presence."
Qi Junxu remained silent until he heard the clan leader mention Old Ghost. A faint, almost imperceptible certainty flashed in the depths of his eyes, followed by deep disappointment.
Old ghost!
That's right, it's the former head of Yuling Pavilion.
Was He Lin's poisoning truly related to his mother?
Why is that?
With only a 50% chance, Jiang Yi dared not gamble, nor did she dare to easily answer on behalf of He Lin.
He could do anything else, but this was the one thing; if he made the wrong bet, he would lose his life.
“He Lin…”
He Lin's lowered eyelashes trembled, and when he raised his eyes again, he found that everyone was looking at him.
He smiled and said, "Half a chance is better than nothing. I'm willing to give it a try."
Gu Ziyu and Shan Yanzhi called out to him at the same time, "Young Master!"
Yin Zhaobai also spoke up to advise, "He Lin, think it over carefully. This kind of thing can't be taken lightly. What if..."
He let out a long sigh and laughed, "I've thought it through. If I unfortunately die, it's just a tribulation I was destined to suffer. I've been tormented by the Heart-Eating Worm far too much and in too much pain over the years."
Everyone fell silent.
Jiang Yi didn't speak, but just stared intently at He Lin, her lips pressed tightly together, her big eyes gleaming with tiny sparkles.
He Lin seemed to sense her worry and sadness, and was about to reach out to take her hand when Jiang Yi took a step back and dodged away, then turned and ran away.
Shangguan Muya and Xia Zhi quickly chased after them.
The clan chief asked him again, "Young man, are you sure you want to do this?"
He Lin watched Jiang Yi's receding figure for a long time before softly saying, "Yes, I want to live."
...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
