"My subordinate greets the master!"
Sheying knelt before Ji Jinmo on one knee, disregarding the filth of the cold palace floor. Her alluring eyes were filled with concern.
However, Ji Jinmo remained like an unfeeling block of ice. Instead of feeling joy at Sheying's arrival, he frowned and demanded, "Where should you be!"
"But Master..."
Sheying looked up abruptly, wanting to defend herself, but as her gaze met Ji Jinmo's cold, deep, ink-like phoenix eyes, all words were choked in her throat.
"Get out!"
His indifferent voice crackled with anger. Sheying dared not argue further. Like a naughty child, she lowered her head. After a few seconds of silence, she reached out, and the snake coiled around her wrist bit her. Blood dripped down her wrist. She took out a bottle from her bosom to collect the blood. After collecting about half a bottle, she handed the bottle to Ji Jinmo.
"Master, take this to suppress it for now!"
Ji Jinmo took the porcelain bottle.
Seeing him accept the bottle, a glimmer of joy appeared in Sheying's eyes. The snake released its bite and coiled around her wrist again. The two wounds from the bite were still bleeding.
Nan Shiying crouched down and asked Sheying, "Do you need me to stop the bleeding for you?"
Sheying glanced at Nan Shiying. A cold glint flashed in her eyes, but due to Ji Jinmo's presence, she dared not do anything to Nan Shiying. She could only say with a cold face and a harsh tone, "No need. Take care of the master!"
With that, she suddenly stood up, deliberately bumping Nan Shiying's shoulder. Nan Shiying, supporting herself with her hands on the ground, managed to avoid falling. When she turned to look, the person had already vanished into the night!
"Can I kill her?"
Nan Shiying crouched beside Ji Jinmo and asked him.
Ji Jinmo glanced at her and said indifferently, "You can!"
Nan Shiying clicked her tongue and asked again, "Her blood can suppress the蛊 (gu) worms in your body? Why?"
Ji Jinmo replied, "Those who control snakes are somewhat similar to蛊 (gu) masters. However, her blood alone is not enough; it needs to be combined with snake venom."
Nan Shiying let out an "Oh," realizing why she had made the snake bite her.
"I really will kill her!" Nan Shiying looked at Ji Jinmo, speaking very seriously.
Ji Jinmo nodded and asked, "So?"
"Nothing!" Nan Shiying found it a bit boring and pouted, no longer wanting to discuss the topic. Ji Jinmo tilted his head back and drank the blood from the bottle. The blood flowed down his throat, attracting the蛊 (gu) worms within him. The previously churning worms finally calmed down. Ji Jinmo casually threw away the porcelain bottle and smiled at Nan Shiying, "You won't!"
"What?"
"Won't kill Sheying!"
"Heh~"
Nan Shiying let out a cold laugh. Ji Jinmo pulled her hand and placed it in his. "I know you; you won't."
Nan Shiying tried to pull her hand back but couldn't immediately. Instead, she agitated Ji Jinmo's wound. Ji Jinmo suddenly began to cough violently. Nan Shiying patted his back, feeling both angry and helpless, and could only let Ji Jinmo hold her hand.
The cold palace was silent, with only the occasional sound of birds flying past.
A soft sound came from the roof tiles above. Nan Shiying looked up suddenly. Ji Jinmo picked up the long saber from the ground and shielded her behind him.
"Crash~"
Roof tiles fell from above, and the Black Guards attacked.
Ji Jinmo put his arm around Nan Shiying's shoulder and led her towards the Black Guards. The long saber whistled, and the Black Guards only saw a flash of cold light. The next moment, they felt a sharp pain in their chests.
He looked down; the long saber had pierced his heart. Until the moment of his death, he couldn't understand why Ji Jinmo, whom they had been chasing and forcing to flee, had suddenly become so formidable.
After killing the attacking Black Guard with one strike, Ji Jinmo stepped on the roof tiles, leaped into the air, and then swung his saber,
Splitting the moonlight with a single stroke, dyeing the moonlight with a magnificent scarlet hue.
He, with his saber, plunged into the Black Guard ranks, as if walking through an empty realm. In an instant, he had slaughtered all the Black Guards.
Nan Shiying looked at Ji Jinmo's profile, and the scenes of the day replayed in her mind, her pupils widening instantly. Ji Jinmo turned his head, their faces so close that they could feel each other's breath. He lowered his head, nuzzling Nan Shiying's nose, his warm breath brushing past her lips. "What are you thinking about?"
Nan Shiying's eyes widened in shock. She grabbed Ji Jinmo's neck and pushed his face away, biting out, "I'm thinking about the purpose of your actions today!"
"To save you!" Ji Jinmo replied.
Nan Shiying forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes and suddenly asked, "Where is Thirteen?"
Ji Jinmo said, "He went to find you!"
"Alright!"
Nan Shiying took a deep breath and asked again, "Is Sheying's blood like a top-grade tonic?"
This damned scoundrel. Before that Miao border remnant activated the蛊 (gu) worms, he hadn't seemed so valiant. Now, however, he had instantly taken down nine Black Guards.
Ji Jinmo thought seriously for a moment and then replied, "Perhaps!"
"Ji Jinmo!"
Nan Shiying glared at him.
Ji Jinmo threw down his long saber, raised his hand, and grabbed Nan Shiying's wrist. "Just this once!"
In the moonlight, the scales that had grown on his temples had significantly reduced. Her round eyes seemed to be set ablaze. After glaring at him for a long time, she slowly lowered her eyelids.
...
The Demon Hunter Army breached the palace city. Xuan Yi led the Demon Hunter Army towards Jingren Palace.
Inside Jingren Palace, besides Empress Dowager Ji Hong and wet nurse Qin, the Imperial Guards, palace maids, and eunuchs lay scattered on the ground. All the imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital were gathered at Jingren Palace, detoxifying the poisoned individuals.
A eunuch ran in frantically, his pale face filled with terror. "It's bad, it's very bad! The Demon Hunter Army, the Demon Hunter Army has broken in!"
"What did you say?"
Ji Hong shot up abruptly, his fierce eyes fixed on the eunuch. The already terrified eunuch could no longer bear it. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted onto the ground.
"Useless!" Ji Hong cursed and ordered the imperial physicians to revive the man.
The imperial physicians administered acupuncture. With one needle, the eunuch slowly woke up. He scrambled up from the ground, trembling like a sieve. "Your Majesty, the Demon Hunter Army has attacked the palace city and is heading for Jingren Palace!"
"Damn it!"
"Where are the Imperial Guards!!"
"The Imperial Guards... the Imperial Guards are powerless to resist!"
"Useless, all useless!" Ji Hong was furious. He turned his head and looked at wet nurse Qin, his sinister gaze sharp as a knife. "Tell me, what should we do now?"
Wet nurse Qin said, "As long as the Black Guards kill Ji Jinmo, everything will be resolved!"
"What if they can't kill him!" Ji Hong questioned!
"Impossible!" Wet nurse Qin raised her head and replied with certainty, "Ji Jinmo is bound to die!"