Chapter 1012 — She Was Being Walked Like a Dog!
Although this man was temperamental, difficult, and frightening, she still trusted her own judgment.
For the people of the Saintess Tribe, the purer the bloodline, the sharper their sixth sense.
That was also why she could get along peacefully with the little snakes and other poisonous creatures, but that was something she absolutely would not tell Xue Honglian.
You had to keep a little mystery—mystery made a person seem lofty and impressive.
Thinking of this, she suddenly realized: the two of them had known each other for at least two days now. She had practically laid out all her background for him, but as for Xue Honglian, aside from his name, she knew absolutely nothing.
That was so unfair.
“Xue Honglian, tell me about yourself. Where are you from? What does your family do, and what do you do? Your martial arts are exceptional. You’re not actually some wandering hero of the jianghu, are you? No, you can’t be. You don’t have a shred of heroic air. When you show up in front of people, you only scare them half to death.”
Xue Honglian: “…” His fingers twitched with the urge to clamp her mouth shut.
She wasn’t saying those things just to provoke him. On the contrary, she truly meant every word, which somehow made it even more aggravating.
He was someone whose emotions almost never fluctuated, yet she could make him feel the impulse to swat her dead at least several times a day. That alone proved the depth of her talent for irritation.
“Xue Honglian? Come on, tell me. Look, whatever you ask me, I tell you everything without hiding anything. Shouldn’t you at least reciprocate? Only then will I tell you even more, right?” Ignoring the twitch at the corner of his eye, Qian Yi pressed on, “You’re my protector now, so I need to know more about you. That way we can act more naturally together and fool everyone. If we slip up, neither of us will escape. Me and you. Truly.”
“An assassin,” Xue Honglian’s answer carried a faint, hidden malice. Cool and flat.
“An assassin? Really?!” The girl sucked in a sharp breath, stared at him for a long moment, then slapped a hand onto his arm. “Xue Honglian, you’re amazing! So this is what an assassin looks like! So good‑looking, so skilled, and with such a weird temper!”
Xue Honglian couldn’t stop himself; he ground his molars.
This reaction was absolutely not the one he wanted.
In Lucky Nannan’s words…This person was truly a weirdo.
Any normal person hearing the word assassin would be terrified. Only she could spout such a response.
“How many bad people have you killed? Are you the kind who acts chivalrously, punishing evil and helping the poor? Cutting down corrupt officials with a single strike? Beating up bullies and tyrants? I really admire you!”
Her eyes shone with longing, then she sighed dramatically: “Too bad I’m not as capable as you. When I fight someone, I’m always the one getting smacked around. Sigh.”
Xue Honglian abruptly quickened his pace, leaving her far behind within a few breaths.
If he had to hear even one more word, he was going to strike first—and make sure that mouth of hers would never make another sound.
He never knew a person could be this noisy.
Compared to Qian Yi, even Qian Wanjin would have to admit defeat.
“Hey! Why are you walking so fast? I haven’t even finished asking my questions! Besides being an assassin, who are you? What does your family do? Say a few more words!” Behind him, the girl ran with her short little legs, shouting as she chased.
Xue Honglian sped up even more. “Shut up if you don’t want to die!”
“Die? What do you mean die? You’re a righteous assassin. You wouldn’t kill an innocent civilian like me!”
He really hadn’t killed ordinary civilians.
The people he took out were all prominent figures in various countries; one death could destabilize a region.
Her nagging didn’t stop, even under his threat. He constantly chattered, riling up his murderous intent.
Xue Honglian shook the bundle in his hands, reached in, and tossed the snakes out one by one.
One to the left, one to the right, another farther away.
Her chatter turned into cries of surprise, and her scrambling footsteps changed direction following wherever the snakes landed.
The road back to the village became a bizarre scene: One person continuously threw things, and the girl constantly picked them up.
By the time they returned to the bamboo courtyard, Qian Yi was utterly exhausted.
And the little snakes she had painstakingly retrieved, broken-legged and all, were immediately taken back by the man at the gate—not a single one left for her.
So on this entire journey, she had been walking around like a dog! After walking her, he even took away the dog bones he had been using to tease her!
Qian Yi prided herself on being civilized, never swearing, but at that moment, she wanted to rush up to Xue Honglian and shout, ‘Curse you old ancestor!’
He was the worst lunatic she had ever encountered in her entire life—past and present.
From the very beginning, her initial evaluation of him had been correct. He was completely insane!
While the girl lay downstairs secretly cursing him out with every expletive she knew, Xue Honglian returned to his own room. He closed the door, set down the bundle of snakes, and walked over to the window.
Pushing it open, the last rays of the sunset immediately poured in.
It was already evening, and the clouds on the horizon glowed magnificently, bathed in shades of purple, gold, and red—dazzling and breathtaking.
Standing high above, looking down at the small village below, Xue Honglian’s eyes were filled with an air of mystery.
What kind of village could attract the attention of a country’s emperor, enough that every year he would select eligible girls from the village to enter the palace… to become furnace vessels?
Why did the girls of this village become furnace vessels? And why did Qian Yi possess the ability to control poisonous creatures?
Was there a connection between this village and the now-vanished Miaojiang?
During today’s conversation with the girl, she revealed that besides the Saintess Tribe, Xiliang also had a Gu Medicine Clan. What kind of people were they?
It seemed that Xiliang was hiding countless secrets.
He had no real desire to investigate, yet he was forced to do so.
He needed to find a way to remove the Life Link Gu affliction from his body. He did not fear death, but if he died, his friends would grieve.
Thinking of those people far away in another kingdom, Xue Honglian’s eyes softened, a gentle warmth like the glow of the sunset on the horizon.
He had never imagined before that someone like him could have friends.
This was the luckiest thing in his life.
Since receiving Feng Qingbai’s message saying that the Miaojiang might be in the northwest, more than two months had passed, and he still hadn’t replied. They had probably been waiting all this time.
His gaze flickered.
Being in Xiliang, how could he send information back to Nanling across the heavily guarded border?
What was happening here might be useful to Nannan and the others.
It could also be useful to Feng Qingbai.
Hiss-hiss—
Hiss-hiss—
From the bundle came the chilling sound of flicking tongues. Disturbed, Xue Honglian felt annoyed.
His emotionless eyes glanced back. The bundle on the table began to stir again.
He took a few steps over, grabbed the bundle, and with a sharp smack threw it onto the ground. The contents inside became quiet once more.
Downstairs, Qian Yi was startled, her heart racing. Her first thought was that her little snakes were ruined.
Anger surged, and refusing to back down, she yelled, “Xue Honglian, I’ll fight you!”
Peek-Aboo 
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