Chapter 102 Removing the Curse Removing the Curse

As soon as Yue Guanyi brought the Divine Mechanism Army to the White Pole Soldiers, he learned that the King of Dian had already begun to take action. A large army was advancing towards the fortress of Yunxia City. Yunxia City was a crucial point for entering Shu from Yunnan, with towering cliffs on one side and vast plains on the other, hence its name Yunxia City (City Below the Clouds).

Once the King of Dian captured Yunxia City, he could march straight into Shu.

Because of this, Yue Guanyi had no choice but to station himself and the Divine Mechanism Army here to defend the city along with the White Pole Soldiers.

“Fortunately, Lady Qiu negotiated with the Miao village in time, causing them to turn against the King of Dian and side with us. Otherwise, we would have had no chance of victory if the King of Dian suddenly attacked,” Chang’an said with relief.

Yue Guanyi stood on the city wall, looking down at the millipede slowly crawling by his feet, and muttered, “I wonder how Qiu Niang is doing.”

“Your Highness, don’t worry. Since Lady Qiu was able to turn the tables and persuade the Miao village, she must be safe and sound,” Chang’an consoled.

“What about the curse in her body? Has that bitch Jiang Si removed it for her?” Yue Guanyi’s heart clenched tightly. This was something he had been constantly worried about. Jiang Si was cunning and would never do anything that wasn’t in his own interest.

As long as the curse wasn’t removed, he couldn’t eat or sleep in peace.

“This… Your Highness, please don’t worry. We’ve been sending letters continuously. Lady Qiu will surely reply to you after reading them,” Chang’an didn’t dare to speak carelessly, after all, Jiang Si was as cunning as a fox, and Lady Qiu’s fate was uncertain in his hands.

But if Jiang Si was unwilling to remove the curse and continued to restrain Qiu Shuzhi, she would forever be Jiang Si’s puppet.

Yue Guanyi’s worry grew deeper and deeper: “The letters sent to the Miao village will definitely be read by those people first. How can I openly ask about these things? Moreover, Jiang Si is not someone who can be easily persuaded.”

Jiang Si was his birth mother, yet Qiu Niang was able to persuade Jiang Si to go against his own mother, and even convince the Miao village to switch sides without any token of proof. What bargaining chip did Qiu Niang use?

He began to feel uneasy, and the desire to go to the Miao village personally to find Qiu Shuzhi grew stronger and stronger. Only after seeing Qiu Niang safe and sound in person could he put his mind at ease.

But now he was forced to be trapped here…

Yue Guanyi’s toe moved, crushing the millipede under his foot into a pulp. Frustration, extreme frustration.

The news that the King of Dian had begun to take action naturally didn’t escape the Miao spies hiding in the dense forest, secretly observing.

Qiu Shuzhi, Jiang Si, the Clan Leader, and the Miao village elders gathered to discuss and deliberate.

“Since the King of Dian is advancing towards Yunxia City, he will inevitably have to cross the nearby mountains. We can ambush them on the way,” Qiu Shuzhi proposed on the hastily made simple sand table.

“Outside Yunxia City is a cliff, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Although the King of Dian has an army of 200,000, it’s already challenging to attack the city in such terrain, let alone with the Divine Mechanism Army’s cannons,” the Clan Leader said.

Elder A Li slightly pursed her lips: “Clan Leader, you’ve forgotten, in order to rescue the Holy Child, we’ve already nearly wiped out the Divine Mechanism Army, and most of their firearms have fallen into the water.”

The Clan Leader’s face stiffened.

No one had expected that their former opponents would become allies, but it was too late for regrets now.

Qiu Shuzhi quickly said: “That’s exactly why we should ambush them on the road, to weaken a portion of their forces in advance and share the burden for Yunxia City.”

As she spoke, she formulated various ambush strategies based on the mountain terrain along the route, maximizing the advantages of the Miao village to achieve victory with inferior numbers.

The Clan Leader’s eyes lit up after listening, and he couldn’t help but praise: “I didn’t expect Lady Qiu to have such talent as a military general.”

Jiang Si also smiled slightly as he listened, full of admiration as he clung to her arm, leaning on her shoulder like a cat, acting coquettishly.

Qiu Shuzhi blushed a little. She had only studied Confucian teachings here, how could she know anything about military tactics? It was just that she had read many history books in her previous life, accumulating some experiences that people of Da Qi didn’t have.

Although A Li was somewhat dissatisfied with Qiu Shuzhi, she had to admit that Qiu Shuzhi’s method was better than hers.

With her straightforward personality, she made the decision directly: “Then it’s settled. Time is of the essence, we’ll set out tomorrow.”

After returning to their room, Qiu Shuzhi held his hand, her voice full of reluctance: “Tomorrow I’ll be leaving with Elder A Li. Your martial arts have been crippled, so stay in the Miao village and wait for my return.”

Jiang Si frowned tightly: “No!”

He couldn’t possibly let Qiu Shuzhi leave his sight, not even for a moment.

If she went with A Li, what if they encountered Yue Guanyi on the way? What if he pestered her relentlessly and took her back? Or if Qiu Shuzhi learned about Yue Guanyi’s miscarriage, she would certainly soften her heart.

“Lan’er, don’t be silly, this isn’t child’s play,” Qiu Shuzhi coaxed him gently, lightly kissing his fingers.

“It’s precisely because it’s not child’s play that I can’t leave. I can’t watch you put yourself in danger,” Jiang Si hugged her tightly, not letting go. “Tomorrow I’m going with you. Wherever you go, I go. We’ll never be apart.”

Qiu Shuzhi laughed softly: “Why are you throwing a tantrum like a child? We have a long future ahead, there’s still plenty of time for us.”

Seeing her gentle, smiling expression, Jiang Si felt increasingly guilty.

Qiu Shuzhi was genuinely good to him, while he had repeatedly schemed against her. The curse he had placed on her body was still unresolved. If she knew the truth, she would surely be very disappointed in him.

The day to remove the curse was drawing nearer. The parasites were about to hatch inside her body. If not removed now, even if he had the antidote, it would be useless once the parasites fully hatched inside her.

Jiang Si’s face grew increasingly grim.

“What’s wrong? Why do you look so pale?” Qiu Shuzhi cupped his face, concerned.

The worry and anxiety in her eyes couldn’t be faked. The kinder she was to him, the more tormented he felt inside.

“It’s nothing,” Jiang Si shook his head, biting his lower lip and forcing a smile. “I’m just afraid that once you leave and see Yue Guanyi, you won’t come back… Wife-master, I’m really scared.”

He was constantly worried about the threat of Yue Guanyi. The deeper his love, the more this worry followed him like a shadow. No matter how well Qiu Shuzhi reassured him verbally, it couldn’t alleviate the growing anxiety in his heart.

It was laughable when he thought about it. Initially, he had confidently planned to seduce Qiu Shuzhi and capture her heart.

Yet he never expected that he would be the one to fall, to be firmly grasped. He gradually became like his father, insecure about a woman’s love, desperately seeking her attention and pity.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid,” Qiu Shuzhi held him in her arms, her steady voice constantly soothing him.

Listening to the strong, rhythmic heartbeat in her chest, Jiang Si gradually made up his mind.

“Wife-master, do you know? In the Miao region, there’s a custom. If two people in love can drink each other’s fresh blood, they can merge their blood into each other’s bodies, and stay together forever, never parting in life or death,” Jiang Si said slowly, leaning against her heart.

Qiu Shuzhi’s hand paused for a moment, then she smiled gently: “Alright then, let’s do it. Never parting in life or death.”

She seemed to take his words as a childish joke that only kids would believe, yet she still indulged his willfulness.

Jiang Si drew the short dagger from his waist, gazed at it for a moment, then cut his own wrist. Immediately, blood flowed like a fountain, bright red droplets constantly falling from his wrist.

The moment his blood emerged, it seemed to carry a strong fragrance, producing a violent attraction to her. It was as if the insects buried in her body had already smelled the blood and were restlessly urging her to quickly drain his blood.

Qiu Shuzhi swallowed hard, resisting strongly.

Jiang Si brought his wrist to her face, the blood growing thicker, making his arm appear even whiter: “Wife-master, let’s begin.”

Qiu Shuzhi turned her head slightly, her lips touching his wrist. The fresh blood stained her thin lips, nourishing her heart along the meridians. The craving grew stronger, and her desire for his blood became increasingly intense. She began to uncontrollably suck his blood, and in her intense desire, she even bit her own lip corner.

Jiang Si could feel a dull, draining pain from his wrist. The wound was constantly licked by her soft, warm tongue, blood flowing continuously into her body, while the corners of his mouth grew paler.

He knew this was the final frenzy of the curse insects. This fresh blood was both wine and poison to them. Once in contact, it wouldn’t take long for all the curse insects to die, no longer threatening Qiu Shuzhi’s life.

Qiu Shuzhi gradually regained her senses under the influence of Jiang Si’s blood, understanding in her heart that the curse in her body was finally completely removed. A great weight that had been hanging over her heart finally lifted.

“Lan’er, are you alright?” She released her mouth, fresh blood staining the corner of her lips, a spot of warm, burning red amidst the boundless tenderness and whiteness.

Seeing Jiang Si’s pale face due to excessive blood loss, she said with self-reproach: “It’s all my fault. I don’t know why, but once I tasted your blood, I became addicted and couldn’t bear to let go, causing you to be like this.”

“Come, let me give you my blood,” Qiu Shuzhi said, taking the short dagger from his hand, about to cut her own wrist.

“No,” Jiang Si stopped her, shaking his head weakly as he leaned against her.

“But-”

Jiang Si smiled faintly, his pale lips making his smile seem fragile, like a peony frozen by ice and snow, ready to shatter at a touch.

His hands slowly climbed up to her neck, his slender fingers with distinct knuckles gently wiping the corner of her broken lip.

The tip of his jade-like finger was stained with a bit of her red. He slowly put his fingertip into his mouth, feeling the iron rust taste blooming in his mouth. Finding it not satisfying enough, he simply propped himself up on her, pressing himself tightly against her, his tongue repeatedly licking the corner of her mouth.

The moist, warm tongue tip mixed with the constantly surging gasps of breath caressed her ear.

Jiang Si’s eyes darkened slightly, full of infinite deep affection and enchantment: “This is enough.”