Chapter 356: This Snake Is Called Man Jinghong
“I’ve walked this cave many times—I know the way. Just stay close and watch your step; don’t trip on the rocks.”
He’s been through here many times?
Did that mean Chi Jincheng also couldn’t pass through the official checkpoint in the past?
“Chi Jincheng, at this point, can you finally tell me who you really are? Were you exiled as well?”
“Do I look like an exile?”
Yu Luo: …
“Then why did you need to travel through here before?”
“Do you really want to know?”
Chi Jincheng, who had been steadily leading the way, suddenly stopped walking. From his tone, Yu Luo could tell he had turned around to face her.
Her curiosity about his identity had been growing, but now, she suddenly felt a sense of unease.
“Forget it. If you want to say it, say it. If not, I’m not that curious.”
Yu Luo pushed lightly against his back, urging him to move forward.
Chi Jincheng chuckled softly but didn’t tease her further—he simply turned around and continued walking.
“Ah! What the hell?!”
Just as he turned back around, Yu Luo suddenly felt a sharp pain at her ankle.
She instantly let go of his robe, reaching down instinctively to grab her ankle—
But before she could touch it, she felt a cold, slithering sensation dart across the back of her hand.
A chill ran down her spine.
Before she could react, she heard the unmistakable sound of a sword being unsheathed—
And then, everything went black.
“Yu Luo! Yu Luo?!”
Chi Jincheng’s voice, usually so calm and composed, was now filled with panic.
Yu Luo felt herself falling—not onto the cold, hard ground, but into a warm embrace.
Her vision, which had at least been able to make out the outline of the cave, collapsed into total darkness.
Even Chi Jincheng’s voice seemed to be getting further and further away…
*
When she regained some consciousness, before she even opened her eyes, Yu Luo felt a strange warmth around her ankle.
The darkness she had fallen into felt heavy, making it difficult for her to fully wake up.
She struggled to lift her eyelids, her body feeling unnaturally weak.
It took several attempts before she managed to see a faint glimpse of light.
Looking around, she saw rough stone walls surrounding them.
A campfire burned nearby, its flickering flames casting long shadows.
Next to it, she saw the remains of a snake—chopped into pieces.
And when her gaze landed on its head, a deep sense of dread washed over her.
She wasn’t dreaming.
They were still in the cave.
But where did Chi Jincheng even find firewood to build a campfire inside this place?
As her mind became clearer, that warm sensation on her ankle returned—
And when she looked down, she was horrified by what she saw.
“Chi Jincheng! What are you doing?!”
Yu Luo’s voice, though weak, trembled with shock.
She found Chi Jincheng kneeling beside her, holding her ankle in his hands—
And his mouth was pressed against her wound.
He was sucking out the poison.
Her heart nearly stopped.
The relationship between them wasn’t even that close—he was literally risking his life for her!
With a surge of panic, Yu Luo tried to pull her leg back.
But before she could escape, Chi Jincheng tightened his grip, holding her ankle firmly in place.
She was too weak to resist.
She could only watch, wide-eyed, as he spat out a mouthful of black blood onto the ground.
“Chi Jincheng, stop! You’re going to poison yourself!”
The moment he spat out the blackened blood, he lowered his head again, returning to sucking out more of the poison.
Yu Luo’s heart clenched.
She struggled, feeling her body growing weaker from the poison.
She tried to push him away, but her strength was gone.
She could barely speak without feeling drained.
Finally, after several more mouthfuls of tainted blood, the color of his spit began to return to normal.
Only then did he finally stop.
Chi Jincheng slowly lifted his head, his face illuminated by the firelight.
The usually perfectly composed man now looked pale, his breath slightly unsteady.
Even with a hint of exhaustion, he still had that dangerous charm, his sharp features enhanced by the faint trace of blood on his lips.
But his expression was calm, as if what he just did was nothing at all.
“You’re insane,” Yu Luo rasped, her voice hoarse. “Chi Jincheng, you didn’t have to do that. You could have poisoned both of us!”
Even though he had drawn some of the venom out, the remaining toxins were still spreading through her bloodstream.
This meant he was also poisoned—even if the effects were lighter, he had still been exposed.
Seeing her furious expression, Chi Jincheng finally let out a low chuckle.
He wiped the remaining blood from his lips, leaning back lazily against the cave wall.
“Don’t worry,” he said, his voice deep and smooth. “I won’t die. I fed you an antidote pill earlier. And before I sucked the poison out, I took one myself.”
“But this snake’s venom is too strong. My antidote can only suppress it, not fully cure it.”
Yu Luo was fuming.
“You didn’t need to do that! We aren’t even that close! Why risk your life for me?”
She wasn’t naive.
Chi Jincheng wasn’t some love-struck fool willing to sacrifice himself for a woman he had just met.
A man like him—wealthy, powerful, and extremely dangerous—could have any woman he wanted.
So why would he go this far for her?
“Yu Luo,” he said, his tone unreadable.
“If I told you I did this just to win your favor, would you believe me?”
Yu Luo’s mind went blank.
No, no way.
There was no way he was doing this out of some genuine admiration.
He must have some ulterior motive.
He was playing the role of a hero, trying to earn her trust—but she wouldn’t fall for it.
“I don’t want to know your motives,” she snapped. “Just rest. I need to check if I have any medicine left.”
She immediately closed her eyes, focusing on entering her system’s storage space.
System!
[Yes, host?]
“What was that snake? What kind of poison does it have?”
[That snake is called Man Jinghong. Its venom has two effects: it can cause organ failure, but also has a strong aphrodisiac component. However, don’t worry—the antidote Chi Jincheng gave you is suppressing most of the effects. The organ failure poison is mostly neutralized, but the aphrodisiac… is still present.]
Yu Luo froze.
Her eyes snapped open, alarm flashing in them as she turned to look at Chi Jincheng.
She was now even more wary of him than before.
