Chapter 2248: The Miao Youth Fiercely Loves 11

Afternoon sunlight slanted into the cave mouth, Jin Chen was squatting beside the rock wall, fiddling with a clump of poisonous vines.

A red snake slipped out from his sleeve, its scales scraping the stone wall with a faint rustling sound.

It reacted strongly to this place; there must be highly poisonous insects here.

"Found it."

Jin Chen parted the rock crevice, and inside hid a red earth blind spider the size of a fist.

The spider was dark red all over, its eight legs glowing with a faint light in the shadows.

Before he could catch it, footsteps came from outside the cave; Luo Xiao appeared at the mouth with Bai Mo.

The curved blade at Luo Xiao's waist clinked, startling the spider to retreat deeper into the crevice.

"Young Master, you have keen eyes."

Luo Xiao stared fixedly at the spider, "Red earth blind spiders are not common."

Jin Chen stood up, the red snake rearing its head and flicking its tongue at his wrist.

"You want to join the fun too?"

"In the Holy Son Selection, each relies on their own ability."

Luo Xiao smiled, his hand already resting on the Gu pouch at his waist, "Good things naturally go to whoever has the ability."

Bai Mo stood behind Luo Xiao, but his gaze occasionally flicked to the silver needles in Nan Yixing's medicine basket.

He whispered, "If we could obtain this spider to cultivate Gu… Senior Martial Brother, would you compete with us for it?"

Nan Yixing curled his lips, "What do you think?"

Bai Mo: "……"

Bai Mo stepped forward half a pace, his face showing just the right amount of worry, and said to Jin Chen, "Young Master, I heard Luo Dage say that this red earth blind spider is fierce and hard to tame; better……."

He wanted to speak but stopped, glancing at Luo Xiao's sturdy build, then at Jin Chen, "Let Luo Dage try first? After all, your status is noble; if you get hurt, it would not be good."

Jin Chen: "……What do you mean?"

Do I look weak!?

【Hey! Host, Green, go back!】

Jin Chen choked, 【Don't use weird abbreviations.】

【Oh… Green tea, go back!】

Before his words faded, the sound of a wheelchair rolling over gravel came again from outside the cave.

He Mo Ning and Jin Que appeared at the cave mouth.

"Still quite lively." Jin Chen crossed his arms and smirked, his earrings swaying in the dim light.

The atmosphere inside the cave momentarily stagnated.

The red earth blind spider seemed to sense danger, beginning to retreat deeper into the crevice.

The spider silk it spat out carried a foul odor, corroding the rock wherever it passed into tiny pits.

"Where do you think you're going!" Luo Xiao shouted low, his Miao blade flashing cold light, cutting the poisonous silk lunging at him.

He leapt agilely onto the rock wall, blade pointing straight at the spider's vital abdomen.

Jin Chen flicked his fingertip; the Red Snake Gu shot out like a blood-red lightning, precisely entwining the spider's legs, the snake's scales rubbing against the spider's limbs, the toxin spreading indiscriminately.

Jin Que frowned, lowered his eyes, and as he lightly coughed with a clenched fist, a gold-armored Gu worm suddenly flew out from his sleeve.

The beetle was no bigger than a thumb, yet its wings buzzed like thunder as it dove straight for the spider's most vulnerable head.

Soon after, Bai Mo's pupils contracted slightly; he had never imagined Jin Chen's strength could be so overwhelming.

Watching Jin Chen and the red snake's assault, the fierce blind spider was already retreating step by step, about to be driven into a dead end.

He bit his lip, his fingertips unconsciously moving toward the silver needle in his sleeve.

Nan Yixing's hand suddenly rested on his shoulder, a chill mingling with the scent of medicine enveloping him.

Bai Mo's fingertip twitched; the silver needle almost slipped from his grasp.

"Senior Martial Brother." Bai Mo forced a smile, "I'm only worried about the Young Master……."

Nan Yixing's compassionate eyes narrowed slightly, showing no anger, yet his fingertip pressure increased by three parts.

"It's not yet your turn to worry about Jin Chen."

Suddenly, a sharp whistle erupted inside the cave.

Jin Chen's silver bell chain coiled around the red earth blind spider; the red snake's tail tip flicked away the gold-armored Gu worm, then seized the chance to climb onto the spider's body, appearing about to successfully entwine it.

Bai Mo watched helplessly as that rare poisonous spider was about to fall into Jin Chen's Gu pouch, feeling secretly vexed.

"Senior Martial Brother," he lowered his voice, "Luo Xiao clearly has greater strength; giving this spider to the Young Master is just a waste!"

Nan Yixing suddenly increased the pressure on his hand; Bai Mo winced, sucking in a cold breath.

Jin Chen's violet gaze swept over here; the Red Snake Gu's tail tip wrapped the poisonous spider and flung it toward the rock wall.

Bai Mo watched helplessly as that rare poisonous spider was sealed into Jin Chen's Gu pouch, his nails digging deep into his palm.

Just then, danger arose suddenly.

The grass clump suddenly shook violently; a stout wild boar burst out, its tusks pointing straight at Jin Que standing outside.

He Mo Ning's face turned pale; he wanted to rush forward to stop it but lacked the strength, instinctively shouting, "Senior Martial Brother!"

Nan Yixing furrowed his brow slightly, recalling Jin Chen's words that if Jin Que came to harm, he too would suffer.

In that instant, the silver needle between his fingers shot forth.

The first needle pierced precisely into the boar's left eye; the beast let out a miserable howl.

As it turned in pain, the other two needles had already sunk deep into the deadly spots behind its ears.

The boar's massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

At that moment, Nan Yixing and Jin Que were no more than five steps apart.

When Jin Que lifted his eyes, his pupils held gratitude, bitterness, and above all an indescribable desolation.

He gazed at Nan Yixing, as if through him he were looking at that brother who never gave him a proper look.

"Thank you."

Jin Que's voice was soft, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the azure bracelet on his wrist, the corner of his mouth pulling into a bitter arc.

"No wonder A-Chen... trusts you so much."

Nan Yixing put away his silver needles, his peripheral vision catching Jin Chen playing with a poisonous spider not far away.

As Jin Chen stepped out of the cave, holding a poison sac wrapped in spider silk, he happened to hear Jin Que's hoarse "Thank you."

He paused his steps, seeing Nan Yixing standing beside Jin Que, not far away lay a dead pig.

……When did this pig appear?

"Big Brother, you're quite enthusiastic."

Jin Chen shook the spoils in his hand, the spider silk glimmering with an eerie deep-green poisonous light in the sunset.

Nan Yixing turned, his gaze landing on the poison sac in Jin Chen's hand, "Got it."

His tone was ordinary, yet he unconsciously took two steps toward Jin Chen, as if trying to distance himself from Jin Que.

Jin Chen noticed the small gesture, his brow slightly rising, "Are you afraid I'll misunderstand?"

He deliberately glanced toward Jin Que, "I'm not so petty as to quarrel with a sickly weakling."

Nan Yixing reached out to take the poison sac, his fingertips inadvertently brushing the back of Jin Chen's hand.

"If something happens to him, you'll feel it too."

Though the words were spoken plainly, Jin Chen suddenly laughed.

Not the usual laugh laced with toxicity, but a genuine amusement,

"So Big Brother was worried about me." He stepped half a pace closer, his nose almost brushing Nan Yixing's forehead, "You should have said so earlier."

Not far away, Jin Que's gaze remained fixed on his brother.

In those purple eyes, identical to Jin Chen's, complex emotions surged.

Nan Yixing caught it in his peripheral vision, silently turning his body to block that line of sight.

"Impressive."

Nan Yixing raised his hand, gently smoothing Jin Chen's somewhat messy braid.

The gesture was so natural that even he himself froze for a moment.

【Villain Heartthrob Value +5, total 23!】

【Villain Blackening Value -3, total 77!】

Jin Chen lazily took Nan Yixing's hand as they left, Luo Xiao staring at their overlapping sleeves, his machete scraping against the stone with a piercing sound.

"Big Brother Jin."

Luo Xiao suddenly kicked aside the poisonous spider remnants at his feet, looking at Jin Que, "You don't want to see the young master pleased, do you?"

He lowered his voice, his gaze sinister, "You know Jin Chen so well, you're connected by gu, and with my blade…"

Jin Que's hand hanging at his side suddenly clenched, his knuckles cracking.

He slowly lifted his eyes, the gloom surging in them making Luo Xiao involuntarily retreat half a step.

"What are you?" Jin Que's voice sounded poisoned, "Do you even deserve to lay a hand on my brother?"

Luo Xiao's face changed drastically, his machete ringing half an inch out of its sheath. "You!"

"Get lost."

Jin Que flicked a golden-armored gu worm from his fingertip; its wings brushed past Luo Xiao's ear, he couldn't dodge in time, leaving a bloody trace behind his ear.

"Don't think of dragging me into harming A-Chen with you; you'd better not make any small moves. I have my own plans."

Luo Xiao: "……"

"Psycho!"

He stormed off angrily, Bai Mo looking puzzled at Jin Que, only after a while turning to follow.