Chapter 2240: Miao Border Youth Fiercely in Love 03

Inside the cave, damp and cold, the stone walls were crawling with fluorescent green poisonous insects, emitting a Youyou cold glow.

Jin Chen stepped into the cave, his purple clothes and silver bell still conspicuous in the dark; the three Miao youths lying on the ground saw him and immediately wailed.

"Young master! You've finally come back!"

"If you don't come, we'll be gnawed clean by the poisonous insects!"

Jin Chen snorted, poured a few crimson pills from his waist bamboo tube, and stuffed them one by one into their mouths.

"Useless, they could lose even in a poison duel like this."

A San swallowed the pill, his complexion finally returning to normal, rubbing his numb leg as he complained.

"You said you'd personally hold the fort, but you ran off halfway—how could we hold out?"

Jiu Tian also got up, shaking off the poisonous insect carcasses from his clothes, and said, "Exactly! You said you were going to see… older brother? We almost got backlashed by the poisonous insects!"

Jin Chen raised his eyebrows, "What do you know?"

Gongzi suddenly spasmed and vomited black water, his palm suddenly showing a bloody hue.

Jin Chen tore off the silver scorpion poison from his waist sash and threw it into the filth; the scorpion tail actually pierced his palm like a living thing.

"I told you not to touch the corpse-raising soil of the neighboring village."

He crushed the pill and scattered it on Gongzi's eyelids, speaking irritably: "If you mess up again, I'll feed you as the sealing mud for a poison vat."

Gongzi: "... uh."

Jin Chen walked straight to the deeper part of the cave, "Getting down to business."

The three exchanged a glance and reluctantly followed.

Jin Chen lifted the hanging vine-leaf curtain, revealing a middle-aged man covered all over with strange black patterns lying there.

The man half-leaned against the stone wall, his eyes cloudy, constantly muttering indistinct delirium, as if trapped in some nightmare.

Jiu Tian frowned: "He was like this when we found him; after finally waking, he seems possessed."

Gongzi crouched, carefully examining the man's black markings: "These patterns look like those of the neighboring village's corpse handlers… could it be corpse poison?"

Jin Chen crouched, flicked his fingertip, and a tiny centipede poison crawled out of his sleeve, quickly burrowing into the man's skin.

The black patterns twitched instantly, as if stimulated, but soon returned to normal.

"Not corpse poison." Jin Chen withdrew the centipede, his eyes slightly cold, "He has poison inside him, but also suffered from herbal poison."

A San exclaimed in surprise, "Double poison attack? Who's so ruthless?"

Jin Chen stood up, his silver bell chiming lightly, "Take him back."

Jiu Tian hesitated, "But this person's origins are unknown; what if…"

Jin Chen gave him a knock on the head.

"Afraid he'll bite people?"

Jiu Tian immediately covered his head, "Young master said to bring him, so we bring him!"

Jin Chen turned and walked out, humming a little tune, his silver bell echoing crisply in the dark cave.

A San muttered softly, "Young master has been acting mysterious lately…"

Jiu Tian shrugged, "Who knows?"

Gongzi sighed, "Come on, let's get to work."

The three lifted the unconscious man together, following Jin Chen's silhouette, and disappeared into the deep forest outside the cave.

——

Miao King's Tower was built against the mountain, its eaves hung with copper bells that chimed ding-dong in the wind, like the Buddhist chants of an ancient mountain temple.

Nan Yixing stepped into the main hall, his junior fellow disciples behind him, his steps steady, his sleeves fluttering.

The Miao King sat in the chief seat, his hair white as frost, yet spirited, his eyes bright and sharp; seeing them enter, he smiled and beckoned.

"Guests from afar have arrived, please sit."

Nan Yixing clasped his hands in salute, his voice warm like jade: "I am the junior Nan Yixing, bringing my fellow disciples to pay a visit."

He introduced the people behind him.

Second junior fellow disciple Fan Ruoxi, third junior fellow disciple Chu Wan, fourth junior fellow disciple He Mone, and the slightly nervous junior fellow disciple Bai Wan standing at the back.

The Miao King stroked his beard, nodding with a smile: "Good, good, all good children."

He took out an antiquated copper key from his sleeve and handed it to Nan Yixing: "This is the key to the Spirit Herb Hall; generations of Southern Gate disciples who come here stay there. Inside, medicinal materials are plentiful—feel free to take as you need."

Nan Yixing took the key, his fingertips touching the intricate patterns on it, faintly able to smell a medicinal fragrance.

His expression unchanged, he said, "Thank you, Miao King."

The Miao King added, "I have a mischievous little grandson, younger than you; I hope…"

Before his words finished, a clear chime of silver bells came from outside the hall, followed by the youthful voice of Zhang Yang.

"I heard you talking about me from far away."

Everyone turned to see Jin Chen striding across the threshold, his purple robes flying, silver ornaments jingling, the pheasant feather on his braid swaying lightly with his movements.

He took a few steps to the Miao King's side, reaching out to pull the old man's beard: "Old Man, what are you scheming about me again?"

The Miao King slapped his hand away, blowing his beard and glaring: "No respect at all!"

Jin Chen then punched the Miao King's shoulder, grandfather and grandson going back and forth, almost starting to wrestle on the chair.

The surrounding disciples of the Miao King were long used to it, some even chuckling softly.

Nan Yixing watched the scene silently, a faint smile flickering in his eyes.

Jin Chen noticed the gaze, then turned his head to look at Nan Yixing, a mischievous light shimmering in his purple pupils.

"Older brother, we meet again."

Nan Yixing gave a slight nod: "Young Master Jin Chen."

Jin Chen raised his eyebrows, seeming dissatisfied with the address, but didn't say more, merely clapped his hands and shouted toward the outside.

"Ah San, bring the person in!"

Three youths came in at the call, supporting a middle-aged man whose whole body was covered in black markings, and carefully laid him flat on the ground.

Miao King's eldest disciple Sun An stepped forward to examine, frowning, and said, "This is… the corpse‑handler from the neighboring stockade?"

Jin Chen crouched, used his fingertips to pull open the man's collar, revealing the ferocious markings on his neck; his tone was light, yet carried a hint of depth.

"Yeah, he's half‑dead, half‑alive; he was like that when we picked him up."

Nan Yixing's eyes narrowed slightly, he walked over slowly, lowered his gaze to scrutinize the person on the ground.