FID – Chapter 1011

Chapter 1011 – Do You Want to Climb Back In?

Xue Honglian’s jaw tensed slightly. He closed his eyes, then opened them again, and for the first time, anger flickered in his normally unreadable gaze.

She called him ‘husband’? Just for a few snakes?

Audacious! Reckless! Looking for death!

He took a step and started walking in the direction where the girl had disappeared.

After a long moment, a small head peeked out from a pile of hay not far from where the man had just been standing. The figure looked around slyly, making sure no sign of the man was nearby, and only then exhaled in relief.

Struggling with the bundle, she painstakingly climbed out of the haystack and tore apart the tightly bound knots.

Inside were all her little treasures. She had carried them for so long without a single movement, and she had no idea if that heartless monster had suffocated them!

Killing is against the heavens!

Thud-thud-thud. 

Extremely light footsteps.

The small figure, still wrestling with the bundle, stiffened and didn’t dare look up.

The footsteps shifted from behind to in front, and the man’s black brocade boots came into her view. She didn’t even need to lift her head. He was close enough that she could see the intricate black silk embroidery on the shoe.

Slowly lifting her head, Qian Yi forced a smile. “Hahaha, so you were here. I was worried you might get lost, so I was about to come look for you.”

“Unfortunately for you, my nose is very sharp. I smelled the unique scent of the Xijiang snakes.”

“…You knew I was hiding in the haystack?” Qian Yi’s small face flushed bright red. “Why didn’t you say something earlier!”

She hid for so long she nearly suffocated!

His gaze landed on the bit of straw trembling on her forehead, and the man spoke lightly, “I wanted to see how long you could hide. You probably hadn’t reached your limit yet. How about you crawl back in and try again?”

“…”

What the hell—where did this damned freak crawl out from? Can someone bring back the chatterbox?

She would rather deal with the sharp-tongued chatterbox than endure this freezing, emotionless torture! It wasn’t meant for human beings!

Most importantly, she dared to talk back to the chatterbox, but she didn’t dare provoke this ice cube. She was afraid he’d pinch her to death with two fingers!

This bastard—his moods were completely unpredictable!

The colors shifted rapidly across the girl’s face—from red to black, then from black to purple. Just when Xue Honglian thought she was about to erupt and bare her fangs, her shoulders shrank and she plastered on a fawning smile.

“Honglian, wow, I didn’t expect that not only are your skills to be impressive, your nose is extraordinary as well, hahaha! I was just playing a tiny joke on you earlier. Hungry? Shall we go back and eat?”

“…” Xue Honglian reached out his hand toward her and curled his finger upward slightly.

Qian Yi gathered the bundle in front of her. “Uh, this bundle is a little heavy. How about I carry it for you? How could I let you do hard labor? Since I invited you over, you’re my honored guest. Hard work and heavy lifting are for me! Don’t be polite! Hahaha!”

The man didn’t withdraw his hand, and the look in his eyes turned cold.

Qian Yi felt as if her spine was shrinking inward. She couldn’t understand why she was so scared in front of this ice-faced man. It was completely abnormal!

She was so intimidated that, even though she desperately wanted to claim the bundle for herself and stubbornly say no, her body seemed to act faster than her brain. Her hands trembled as she shakily began to hand the bundle over.

Just as the bundle was about to reach his hands, Qian Yi gritted her teeth, suddenly withdrew it, and in one go untied the knots. Under the oppressive aura of the man, she pulled out the limp Xijiang snakes inside.

“They’re really adorable—tiny, soft, and cute. They can even entertain you! Watch!” she said, picking out a few snakes that still had some awareness. She tapped their heads to wake them up and placed them on the ground. “Left turn, right turn, slide, curl, roll—”

The fierce, aggressive Xijiang snakes of the Black Witch Cave, which could strike at any moment, actually followed every command from the girl—turning their heads, wagging their tails, rolling, acting cute, obedient as if trying to please their owner.

After completing the routine, she picked up the snakes and held them in her palms. Together, she and the snakes looked up at Xue Honglian.

“See? I told you they’re well-behaved. I wasn’t lying, right?” She blinked. “So should we put them back?”

One person, a few snakes—their gazes were astonishingly alike at that moment.

Pitiful, seeking approval. 

Soft.

The man looked down at her from above, his body against the light so his expression was hard to see—but the chill in his voice was unmistakably clear. “If I say no, I suppose I’m meant to get bitten, right?”

Qian Yi froze, her expression almost collapsing.

That was exactly her plan. If he refused, she would make a desperate move and have the little snakes bite him. If they miraculously managed to land a bite, her little companions might have a chance to survive.

But that was the absolute last resort. Because the success rate was practically zero.

She forced out a stiff smile, wanting to cry—this guy was too freakishly strong!

While she was still calculating in her heart, the man simply reached out with his long arm and took both the bundle on the ground and the soft little snakes in her palms.

He didn’t leave behind a single scale.

Qian Yi’s face went blank. She was furious, but didn’t dare to show it.

His movements were so fast it was impossible to react. If she really fought him, he probably could kill her with just two fingers.

Just looking at his face, she knew he definitely wasn’t someone with a compassionate heart, let alone someone who’d show mercy to a girl.

And she wasn’t exactly at the level of some delicate beauty anyway.

Her whole spirit deflated, and even the hay stuck on her head drooped weakly downward.

“If you can find a way to extract their venom, I can let the snakes live,” the man said casually as he picked up the bundle and walked toward the village, his voice drifting into her ears like heavenly music.

Qian Yi’s eyes lit up, and she shot up, chasing after the man. “There’s a way! There’s a way! So you want the snake venom—you should’ve said so earlier! Just tell me how much you need, and I’ll have the little snakes spit it out for you! I’ll give you more than you could ever finish!”

Xue Honglian’s eyes darkened. More than I could finish? She actually dared to taunt him with words. Does she seek revenge for every grievance?

At this level, she was nowhere near Feng Qingbai.

He glanced sideways at the girl now pressed up against him, smiling ingratiatingly, and snorted. He had no intention of truly reckoning with her. After all, this was the extent of her ability.

“Do you know how to control beasts?” he asked, his tone calm.

This was also why he had eased up in the second round of the competition. He wanted to learn more about this village.

Now, it seemed his earlier suspicions might have been correct.

The Saintess Tribe had privileges and placed emphasis on bloodlines. That a girl could even coexist with poisonous creatures pointed in one direction.

“Not exactly controlling beasts,” she waved her hand, smiling. “I can’t control real wild animals. Only these little creatures listen to me.”

“There used to be rumors that people from Xiliang were skilled at commanding snakes, insects, mice, and ants. I didn’t expect it to be true.”

“Not really. Ordinary Xiliang folk don’t understand these things. Only our Saintess Tribe and the Gu Medicine Clan can do this. And even within our clans, not everyone can. It depends on one’s talent.”

These were originally secrets, not meant to be casually told to outsiders. But facing Xue Honglian, Qian Yi felt no need for such caution.

She inexplicably trusted him because he didn’t seem like the type to scheme behind people’s backs.