Chapter 2261: The Miao Frontier Youth's Fierce Love 24

Song Xi's lament to A Sha is another story.

A Sha's fingertip lightly brushed Song Xi's neck, "You want to run again; last year when I let you go, you said you'd bring back strange novelties from beyond the mountains to see me."

Song Xi's Adam's apple rolled, but he couldn't make a sound.

The gu pattern on the back of A Sha's hand glowed faintly in the moonlight; she pressed Song Xi's hand to her chest, "Do you know the gu worms here tell me your whereabouts every night?"

A Sha suddenly laughed, but her eyes held a cold frost, "You betrayed me and got together with someone else."

Her fingertip traced the jumping gu pattern on Song Xi's wrist.

"My heart-linked gu was meant to save you, but you made me suffer three whole nights."

Jin Chen played with the red snake, raising his brows at the words, "Since he's a faithless man, why not feed him to the great snake behind the mountain?"

The red snake hissed in agreement.

Nan Yixing raised his brows and glanced at Jin Chen.

A Sha shook her head, the silver ornament in her hair tinkling softly, "I gave him three chances."

"The first time he said he'd bring his parents to drink the wedding wine, but his parents were already dead—he was lying to me."

"The next two times, he was lying as well."

A Sha looked at Song Xi and said, "You don't realize—every time you lie, the gu pattern burns."

"So this time…" She gently wiped the tear from the corner of Song Xi's eye, "I've brought you back, and I won't give you a chance to leave."

"Song Lang, you don't know how many faithless outsiders the great snake behind the mountain has devoured over the years; I don't want to see you suffer, so be obedient."

Song Xi: "……"

Chu Wan couldn't hold back and chimed in, "You little brat, you've deceived us."

Song Xi's tears flowed uncontrollably.

"But it's not that serious, right?" Chu Wan scratched his head, "A Sha sis, you'd be better off finding someone who truly likes you…"

She didn't finish, remembering the village's rules, and fell silent again.

The atmosphere sank into silence.

The Miao women gazed at the South Gate disciples, some with a confrontational air.

Jin Chen suddenly rose, pulling Nan Yixing from behind into his embrace, the hand resting on his waist making a strong presence, gently blowing near his ear.

"They asked me to decide; older brother, what do you think we should do?"

Nan Yixing increasingly felt that what just happened wasn't his imagination.

Jin Chen deliberately brought up the fate of the faithless.

His heart stirred, he curled his lips, "Since it's the village's rule, the South Gate shouldn't interfere."

"But the crime doesn't deserve death."

The Miao women still seemed to have some objections; Jin Chen raised a hand to stop them, his peach-blossom eyes flicking over them briefly.

The girls fell silent at once, then heard Jin Chen's voice sound again.

"A Sha, take him back—cut it off cleanly."

"Yes, Young Master."

A Sha perhaps took it in, gazing complexly at the overlapping backs of Jin Chen and Nan Yixing, she shook her head lightly and led the trembling Song Xi away.

Fan Ruoxi and Chu Wan, hearts full of worries, immediately rose and returned to their rooms.

Only the medicine cauldron gurgled in the room, its bitter aroma lingering, making one unable to resist nodding off.

A corner of the bamboo blind was lifted by the night wind, moonlight spilling onto the edge of the unfinished medicine bowl on the table.

Jin Chen stepped on Nan Yixing's shadow, pinning him against the window lattice, his fingertip brushing the other's slightly cool lips, gently rubbing at the corner of the mouth.

"Older brother won't betray me, right?"

Nan Yixing lowered his eyes, then suddenly opened his mouth and bit down on that restless fingertip, the teeth grinding lightly against the knuckle.

"What do you think?"

Jin Chen chuckled low, pressing his damp fingertip between the lips, "I won't give older brother any chance—not even once."

His eyes reflected the shimmering moonlight, "I am the Holy Son; no one can leave the village under my watch."

Nan Yixing suddenly raised his hand, his fingertips threading through Jin Chen's hair, the black strands flowing like water from the silver chain.

He gently combed through those cool strands, then suddenly lowered his head and kissed the youth's lips.

"Then you'd better remember this."

"He's no good person; if Jin Chen fails, he'll only do something even more vicious than A Sha."

"In a sense, Jin Chen's reaction like this actually pleases him."

The medicine's fragrance drifted from the boiling cauldron, mingling with their interwoven breaths.

Jin Chen's silver bell chain had at some point wound around Nan Yixing's waist sash, scattering fine specks of light in the moonlight.

Outside the window, night insects hummed low, bamboo shadows swaying on the blue‑brick ground, as if also bearing witness to these words of love.

【Detected Villain Blackening Value -5, total 60!】

——

In the blink of an eye, the day arrived to enter the Forbidden Land for blessings.

The morning mist hadn't yet cleared; Jin Chen yawned, leaning on Nan Yixing's shoulder, his fingers twirling the other's sash, "Older brother, is your medicine pouch full? Later, when we go into the mountains, there's nowhere to find realgar, and there are many poisonous bugs."

Nan Yixing shoved the breakfast into Jin Chen's hands, "It's full, don't worry."

The Grand Priest walked over leaning on a bronze staff, followed by a few youths carrying the offerings.

The old man narrowed his eyes at Nan Yixing, his white beard trembling, "Young Master, the Forbidden Land's rules……"

"I know, I know—outsiders can't enter."

Jin Chen lazily waved his hand, then pulled Nan Yixing to his side, "But this is my inner person—how is that considered an outsider?"

Nan Yixing: "……"

A San was stuffing dry rations into the bamboo basket; hearing that, he almost pinched the rice cake into a ball, "Oh Young Master! This must not be spoken recklessly!"

"How?"

Jin Chen raised an eyebrow, his fingertip drawing circles on Nan Yixing's waist, "Seven days ago's wedlock wine, you all didn't drink it?"

Everyone: "……"

"You mean the Holy Son's sacrificial wine laced with croton seed powder? What kind of wedlock wine is that!"

The elders' faces instantly showed a variety of expressions.

Jin Que stood behind them, his tone somewhat complex, "A Chen, after all, there are our clan's secrets in the forbidden land; this is not appropriate."

"Not allowed to bring, right?" Jin Chen suddenly took Nan Yixing's hand and turned to go back.

"Then you go yourselves; I happen to go back to catch up on sleep."

"Wait!"

The elder hastily held his copper staff across in front of him; the old man looked worriedly at Nan Yixing, then at Jin Chen.

"Bring… bring them along. However, Doctor Nan must stay close to the Holy Son; absolutely do not touch anything in the forbidden land."

Nan Yixing calmly adjusted his medicine pouch, "Elder, rest assured."

Jin Que lowered his eyes, arranging the bundle, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible, "Then you, be careful."

Jin Chen looked back and raised an eyebrow at him, "Take care of yourself, don't hold us back."

A San came running up, the silver bell hanging at his waist jingling, "Young Master, wait for me! The sacrificial offerings are still with me!"

The morning mist gradually dissipated, leaving only a disordered string of footprints on the mountain path, heading toward the Forbidden Land of Broken Dragon Cliff.