Chapter 673: Wuxia: Even Archrivals Can Become Lovers 07

"You…"

"Nonsense."

Jin Chen interjected, "You don't have any other words?"

Mu Huaizhi, furious, struck with his palm blade, holding nothing back.

The two oddly started fighting again, without weapons, yet as before many times, they couldn't tell who would win.

They were so familiar with each other's moves they could even predict what the next strike would be.

"I say, Mu Huaizhi, you're injured, so your strength is weak."

Jin Chen, while blocking his attacks, threw in jokes, occasionally even setting the knocked‑over chair upright.

Mu Huaizhi suddenly stopped moving, furrowing his brows deeply.

He suddenly had a strange feeling.

Every previous exchange with this person had felt his ruthlessness, but now he felt Jin Chen's strength was unfathomable, as if he were deliberately holding back.

"Tired of fighting?"

Jin Chen peered over his shoulder, shook his head, "No, you're too weak like this; people would think I'm bullying you."

"No more fighting, no more fighting; if you don't eat, I still have to eat."

Jin Chen opened the door to receive the meal the old man brought, saying he wouldn't give Mu Huaizhi food, but actually piled more meat into his bowl than his own.

"This person is feeding pigs."

Mu Huaizhi forced down a few bites, couldn't help it, and grabbed Jin Chen's chopsticks.

"Eat your own."

"Hey, I won't."

Jin Chen tilted his head, his handsome brows and eyes full of interest.

"I've found feeding you quite enjoyable; as someone I control, you have no right to object."

He scooped another bowl of soup and placed it before him, "You have to eat all of this, or else I…"

Jin Chen thought, propped his chin on the back of his hand, and smiled with hidden meaning.

"Otherwise I'll give you a poison gu, forcing you to obey me."

Mu Huaizhi: "……"

He clenched the bowl and still ate everything clean.

"That's more like it."

Jin Chen satisfied, gathered the bowls, and carried them out.

"What is he going to do?"

Mu Huaizhi wondered, never thinking it was about washing dishes.

"That's not something this demon would do."

Afraid Jin Chen might get excited and hurt someone, Mu Huaizhi thought a moment, then followed him out.

"Uncle, wash that too; this water is cold."

Unexpectedly, Mu Huaizhi didn't see any fighting scene.

Jin Chen squatted outside the kitchen, rolled up his sleeves beside the old man, his hands red from the cold water as he washed dishes.

"Hero, your rooms are spotless; I'm glad too! You don't disdain our coarse tea and plain rice."

Jin Chen replied without looking up, earnestly scrubbing the bowls, though he seemed unskilled.

"Eh, this food is great; my friend who's obsessed with sword practice year‑round would get as thin as a stick if he didn't eat more."

He stacked the washed bowls, seeing the old man's legs inconvenient, and placed them in the kitchen cabinet.

Then he turned, grimacing, covering his hands and blowing on them.

This scene really exceeded Mu Huaizhi's expectations.

Helping ordinary families wash dishes—no matter how you look at it, it doesn't seem like something this demon Jin Chen could do.

Moreover, earlier forcing himself to eat was actually because…

Mu Huaizhi pressed his lips, quietly turned and left.

【Villain Heartthrob Value +10, total -25!】

【Hehe, changing your image in the Main God's heart is a heavy and long road!】

Jin Chen pursed his lips, leisurely strolled around the yard, checked for no danger, then returned to his room.

"Jin Chen."

"Huh? You're not asleep yet."

This was the first time, after being captured by Jin Chen, that Mu Huaizhi spoke to him calmly.

"Why did you come to Yunshu Town?"

He knew the reason Jin Chen suddenly left today; he had also seen that totem.

He originally thought this demon had another scheme, but now it seems otherwise.

"Look, those people who kidnapped the kids today claimed to be of the Nine Nether."

Jin Chen sat opposite him, then lay down sideways a second later, "So I came to investigate who did this and restore the Nine Nether's reputation."

Mu Huaizhi stared at him in surprise, after a long while managed to say,

"You Nine Nether Demonic Cult actually still have any reputation to speak of."

Jin Chen: "……Mu Huaizhi, I'm going to beat you again."

His displeased look was so vivid, utterly unlike the gloomy, cruel demon Mu Huaizhi knew from before.

Mu Huaizhi stopped speaking, blankly staring out the window.

Boom—

The rainstorm that had been brewing all evening finally fell.

The courtyard was instantly soaked; raindrops fell from the tiled eaves, wetting the grass and sending up a unique damp odor.

"With such heavy rain tonight, those kid‑snatchers probably won't come out, right?"

Jin Chen rose, leaned sideways against the doorway, and said, "When we first entered town today, did you notice anything odd?"

"No."

Mu Huaizhi spoke truthfully.

"It's very quiet, but that's exactly the biggest suspicion."

"That's right; this rain should stop soon, so we'll go out again tomorrow to check."

But danger obviously didn't intend to let them wait until tomorrow.

At midnight, the rainstorm gradually ceased.

In the utter silence, Jin Chen suddenly opened his eyes, sat up, and looked out the window.

He turned his head; Mu Huaizhi had already sat up, the two exchanged a glance, and without agreement they swiftly got out of bed and dressed.

Listening closely, the sound of swords and blades seemed to come from the street outside.

The others in the courtyard were still sound asleep, so Jin Chen and Mu Huaizhi climbed over the wall and ran toward the east.

The sword sounds were coming from Fang Xun, Fu Zhiyuan, and several others wearing black rain cloaks and bamboo hats.

Jin Chen grabbed Mu Huaizhi and they hid at the alley entrance, first crouching to observe for a moment.

These people were different from the few in the forest that day; they were obviously more formidable, and every move was a killing technique.

What struck the two as even stranger was that several men carrying coffins followed behind this group.

Jin Chen made a gesture, signaling Mu Huaizhi to follow, then they went around from the alley to the rear to look at the coffin.

A black‑clad figure approached from behind, face covered with a black cloth, eyes exposed and fixed on the two's backs.

The four men carrying the coffin stood there motionless; Jin Chen found it odd, went around, and finally saw clearly.

These were clearly four wooden puppets.

Since they were puppets, they were usually accompanied by mechanisms.

Jin Chen threw two stones over to test; seeing no reaction, he then approached.

The coffin lid wasn't sealed tightly; it could be easily pushed open.

Just one glance filled the two with shock and anger.

Inside the coffin lay three children made into desiccated corpses!

The desiccated bodies were seated upright, their seven apertures sealed with earth, yet they stared straight upward.

Those fighting Fang Xun finally realized someone else had come to cause trouble; one black‑clad oddly dressed man immediately tried to activate the puppet, already holding a whistle in his hand.

Jin Chen and Mu Huaizhi immediately retreated, struck the puppet's arm, and seized the coffin.

At that moment the puppet was being activated, and it lunged at the two with great speed.

During the fight, the bamboo hat on the puppet's face was knocked off.

Mu Huaizhi's face showed astonishment; the puppet's face was actually made of human skin!