Chapter 2264: The Miao Border Youth Fiercely Loves 27

That night, Jin Que had the gu worms summon Jin Chen to the stream bank, citing the life-substituting gu as the reason.

Under the moonlight, Jin Que's silhouette appeared especially frail.

He slowly crouched, his fingertips brushing the icy stream.

The lights in the wooden building across the bank were warm, and a vague figure of someone approaching could be seen.

The stream reflected the broken moonlight, shallow enough to barely cover his ankles; Jin Chen stopped where there was water, keeping a distance neither far nor near from Jin Que.

"A-Chen." Jin Que coughed lightly twice, his voice soft, "I thought you were asleep and wouldn't come over."

"Speak if you have something to say."

Jin Chen kicked aside a stream stone impatiently, "I still need to go back to sleep."

Jin Que's smile froze on his face, and he insisted on asking self‑torturingly, "Are you going back to sleep with Doctor Nan?"

"Or what?" Jin Chen raised an eyebrow; the silver bell on his braid had been removed by Nan Yi Xing, his black hair hanging at his waist, adding a touch of eeriness.

The stream suddenly rippled, soaking a patch of Jin Que's robe.

He lowered his head to look at their reflections in the water and said softly, "I just wanted to ask—what did you find when we went into the mountains this afternoon?"

Jin Chen tilted his head suspiciously. "It's none of your business."

Jin Que took out a bamboo tube from his bosom.

Under the moonlight, the golden thread worm glowed faintly gold inside the tube.

"I saw the corpse‑raiser before you did." Jin Que's voice was softer than the stream, yet it instantly tensed Jin Chen's body.

Jin Chen:!!

Jin Chen narrowed his eyes, clenched his fists, eager to try, "What do you want to do?"

The stream dampened Jin Que's robe, and a sickly flush appeared on his pale face.

"A-Chen." He stepped forward, his eyes holding an almost mad tenderness, "If we dispel the gu, we'll truly have nothing to do with each other."

"Isn't this fine as it is?" He took another step, his fingertips trembling as he wanted to touch Jin Chen's cheek, "When you're in pain I can sense it, and when I cough blood you can too…"

"No."

Jin Chen's expression instantly became extraordinarily complex.

He stepped back, speaking decisively.

"Are you sick?"

Jin Que's hand froze in mid‑air, the light in his eyes dimming bit by bit.

The sound of the stream suddenly grew loud, drowning out his heavy breathing.

The golden thread worm in Jin Que's palm shone with an eerie gold under the moonlight, his voice soft, "If I were to eat it now…"

Jin Que's voice trembled, "If you don't want me to eat it, will you break up with Nan Yi Xing?"

Jin Chen: "……"

"No." Jin Chen repeated, his fingertips stirring with spiritual power, ready to snatch it away.

"Why! We're the same!"

Jin Que suddenly tore open his collar, the spider‑web‑shaped scar on his chest looking hideous under the moonlight, "We're both treated as sacrifices, unable to escape this fate…"

He staggered backward, water splashing everywhere, his voice hoarse like a cracked silver bell, "You can't treat me like this!"

Before his words finished, Jin Que slipped and fell backward into the deep water.

"Damn." Jin Chen hadn't expected this change.

【Ahhhhh!】 Ling Gun Gun blared, 【Can't die! What'll happen to you if you die!】

Jin Chen clicked his tongue in anger, spiritual power lifting Jin Que, he grabbed Jin Que's wrist in one grip, only to see a near‑mad smile on his pale face.

Jin Chen clicked his tongue in anger, Spiritual Power holding up Jin Que, he grabbed Jin Que's wrist in one go, but saw on the other's pale face a near-mad smile.

Jin Que was scooped up by him and flung onto the shallow shore.

The next instant, Jin Que suddenly lifted his head, his chin hooked by a dagger.

The golden thread worm in his hand had vanished without a trace.

Jin Chen's voice was low and lazy, but the killing intent and irritability couldn't be concealed.

"You never quit, do you?"

Jin Que's whole body ached; he gritted his teeth and asked, "Why… can it be Nan Yi Xing, but not me?"

Jin Que ached all over, gritted their teeth and asked: "Why…… can it be Nan Yixing, why can't it be me?"

Not a hint of hesitation or thought, as if even asking many more times would still yield only that answer.

The light in Jin Que's eyes suddenly faded, but the hatred remained.

Jin Chen frowned, grabbed a length of hemp rope from somewhere, and bound Jin Que, "I see you've still got energy—let's dispel the gu tonight."

Jin Chen frowned, not knowing where he grabbed a length of hemp rope, tied Jin Que up, saying, "I see you have plenty of energy, then let's do the detox tonight."

This person is really weird!

Anyway, dispelling the gu—he and Nan Yi Xing have more or less prepared for it.

Jin Que's eyes widened, "……no, no…"

Jin Chen sealed his mute point, and silence fell at once.

Ling Gun Gun also let out a sigh of relief.

Forced love may work, but it depends on the person.

Forced love may be effective, but it also depends on the person.

Jin Chen dragged Jin Que back; Nan Yi Xing saw it and showed no surprise.

Or rather, he had anticipated it all along.

Or rather, he had anticipated it all along.

Jin Que is really not someone good at hiding.

"I've made preparations, don't worry." Nan Yi Xing merely lowered his head for a glance, then fixed his gaze on Jin Chen.

Jin Chen grunted, tired enough to yawn.

Moonlight streamed through the paper window, casting mottled shadows on the blue‑brick ground.

Jin Que was bound with hemp rope to the bamboo bed, able only to emit muffled sobs.

Nan Yi Xing held a silver needle, carefully wiping it clean in the candlelight.

"Bear with it." Nan Yi Xing said to Jin Chen, the silver needle steadily piercing his chest.

Jin Chen let out a muffled grunt, fine beads of sweat seeping from his forehead, then he suppressed them with Spiritual Power, and his expression recovered.

At the foot of the bed, Jin Que suddenly struggled violently, the hemp rope biting deep into his flesh.

He stared fixedly at Jin Chen, his eyes full of pain and unwillingness.

Nan Yi Xing looked at him, then took out another silver needle and jabbed it into Jin Que's acupoint.

Jin Que's body instantly stiffened, only his eyes able to move.

Tears slid down silently, soaking the bamboo bed.

A San, who was helping to pour hot water, swallowed nervously, not really understanding but inexplicably afraid to stare.

Insect chirps came from outside the window, the night breeze brushing over Zhu Lin.

Nan Yi Xing concentrated on needling, the silver needle flashing cold light in the moonlight.

Jin Que convulsed violently again, the spiderweb‑like pattern on his chest spreading like a living thing up to his neck.

The gu poison burst through the mute acupoint, he unconsciously shouted Jin Chen's name, his voice hoarse and out of tune.

The silver needle in Nan Yi Xing's hand paused, he glanced sideways at Jin Chen, who was propping his head up, feigning sleep while enduring the pain.

"Don't move." Nan Yi Xing reached out, pressing down on Jin Que's shoulder, his voice soft, his eyes showing both pity and a dark chill.

"It'll be fine soon; soon you'll have nothing to do with each other."

Jin Que squeezed out a broken voice from his throat: "You… are dreaming."

"Without the gu, I'm still his brother…"

"Brother." Nan Yi Xing called out first, the corners of his lips lifting, "Are you satisfied?"

Jin Que: "..."

That address of "brother"—Nan Yi Xing, in what capacity was he calling him? Jin Que knew full well.

"I know; behind the life‑substituting gu perhaps lies a greater conspiracy."

Nan Yi Xing still spoke softly, even lowering his eyes to wipe the sweat and tears from Jin Que's forehead.

But his movements were gentle, the depths of his black eyes revealing an indescribable chill, extremely stark.

Kind eyes, a fierce ghost's heart.

"But that doesn't matter; Jin Chen and I will uncover the truth, once I get the gu mother…"

Nan Yi Xing inserted another needle, leaned in close to Jin Que's ear and said: "I will take Jin Chen away from here; you won't be able to find him, nor harm him again."

Jin Que's anger surged to his heart, he turned his head and spat out a mouthful of congested blood, dark and thick.

"Excellent, the gu insects are about to emerge." Nan Yi Xing smiled satisfactorily, raising his voice: "A San, bring another basin of hot water."

"Eh, okay." A San stood guard at the door, stuffed the uneaten rice cake into his pocket, and rushed off without stopping.

"Doctor Nan is really great," A San thought gratefully; helping the young master was his duty anyway, and Doctor Nan had given him plenty of ginseng and pills—this work was truly worthwhile.