AWB Chapter 515 Xie Jingchun's Storyline: Love Poison
Chapter 515 Xie Jingchun's Storyline: Love Poison
Then, Xie Jingchun grabbed Nan Nan and rushed outside.
But after running a few steps, they suddenly found themselves standing in front of a familiar yet eerie temple gate.
It's actually the Mandarin Duck King Temple!
At that moment, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded inside and outside the temple gate.
"Hold them off!"
Dozens of figures emerged from behind the temple, along the mountain path, and in the long corridor, all dressed in gray-blue robes and carrying iron rods or short blades.
Several of them had dark patterns painted on their faces and cold, brooding eyes.
Xie Jingchun's eyes sharpened. He shielded Nan Nan behind him, held his long sword horizontally, and spoke in a low voice.
"Nan Nan, stay close to me, don't leave."
Nan Nan nodded immediately and drew a hidden blade from her waist.
This was something Xie Jingchun had secretly prepared for her a while ago.
Xie Jingchun's eyes blazed with fury, and then she took a step forward.
His figure was like a leopard, and his long sword cut through the wind, pointing directly at the enemy.
Before the first person could react, the sword had already pierced his throat, and blood spurted out.
Despite being outnumbered, Xie Jingchun's swordsmanship was swift and agile, relentlessly pressing his enemies forward.
He was ruthless and decisive, and with a few quick maneuvers, he forced the three people who were approaching him to retreat.
"Left rear!" Nan Nan suddenly called out a reminder!
Xie Jingchun suddenly shifted his body to the side, reversed his longsword, and delivered a horizontal slash!
"puff!"
The person who attacked from behind had his shoulder slashed open by a sword, cried out in pain, and fell down the steps.
More people rushed forward.
Flames were raging outside the temple gate, and some people had already lit torches and were gathering in this direction!
The air was thick with the smell of sweat and blood, and the air was thick with the ever-approaching killing intent.
Xie Jingchun's breathing was slightly heavy as he protected Nan Nan and gradually retreated to the stone steps in front of the temple.
His gaze was cold as he stared at the growing number of enemies. He whispered to her, "Don't be afraid, hold on a little longer, Zhou Ningchuan and the others will be here soon."
Nan Nan gripped the short blade tightly, her eyes no longer showing fear.
Xie Jingchun gripped his longsword tightly and shouted, "Anyone who dares to take another step will die!"
In front of the Yuanwang Temple, the firelight cast a fierce glow, and the atmosphere was filled with murderous intent.
Xie Jingchun's robes were soaked in blood as he swept his long sword across the room.
They had fought their way through a narrow path, but the enemy kept gathering and their numbers kept increasing!
High above the temple gate, the statue of the Mandarin Duck King stands silently overlooking the surroundings.
Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats approached from afar, tearing through the night wind in the mountain forest.
"boom--!"
"Xie Jingchun, step back!"
A familiar voice sounded.
Immediately afterwards, a sharp arrow flew through the air and pierced a torch in front of the temple, exploding with a "bang" and sending sparks flying.
Several dark figures sped up from the mountain path.
The leader was dressed in a dark blue official robe, with a silver-patterned sword at his waist, and his handsome face was filled with a chilling murderous aura.
It was Zhou Ningchuan.
"Guards, follow me! All of you, charge in!"
His sword was already drawn, and before the horse stopped, he had already leaped down.
With nimble steps like a swallow and flashing blades, he beheaded two enemy leaders in just a few steps!
"By order of the Dali Temple, the evil cult of Yuanzhen Gu is hereby completely eradicated, and all members shall be killed without exception!"
Behind them, more than ten constables and soldiers dressed in night clothes filed in, each carrying a short bow and a long knife, their movements swift and their eyes sharp.
They moved swiftly, focusing on the outer perimeter, and quickly joined forces with Xie Jingchun.
Nan Nan also retreated to the safe flank, guarding the rear under the protection of a yamen runner.
"Xie Jingchun! Watch out!"
A cold glint appeared and struck.
Xie Jingchun blocked the attack with his backhand, then threw his dagger to the side, striking the attacker squarely in the throat.
The group quickly cleared the area.
Xie Jingchun took out a small porcelain bottle from his bosom, lit it with a tinderbox, and flicked it with his fingertip, sprinkling out extremely fine powder from the bottle's mouth.
A silver light flashed, and the powder lit up one by one, revealing hidden clues.
Zhou Ningchuan glanced at Xie Jingchun and followed him forward.
They started from the back corner of the temple and eventually walked to a solid, vermilion wall.
When Xie Jingchun came out, he was sprinkling powder all the way, and it came in handy now.
"here."
He slashed his sword across the corner of the wall, and the entire stone slab slowly moved backward.
An extremely hidden passageway to the rear hall was finally revealed to everyone.
The group rushed in quickly, torches illuminating the dark passage. The air around them was stuffy and fishy, and the walls were damp and covered with black ash.
Footsteps echoed in the passageway, and the further they went, the colder it got.
A real royal palace finally appeared before their eyes!
This is the place Xie Jingchun and Nan Nan just came from.
Directly ahead, a gray figure staggered toward the secret door behind the wall.
"Don't let him get away!" Xie Jingchun shouted in a low voice.
He moved with lightning speed, catching up in just a few steps.
The old man was quickly captured. By then, the talisman on his forehead had been torn off, revealing his dry and sunken eye sockets.
Zhou Ningchuan drew his sword and pressed it against his neck. "Tell me, why did you do this?"
Where is the real Mandarin Duck King?
"The Mandarin Duck King?" The old man grinned, his eyes reflecting both candlelight and madness. "Where is there any Mandarin Duck King?"
"I am the Mandarin Duck King."
Zhou Ningchuan frowned, grabbed him by the collar, and lifted him up from the ground: "Where are the three missing couples? Where did they all go?"
"They've all been poisoned by Gu," the old man said casually, without any attempt to hide it.
Nan Nan and Xie Jingchun exchanged a glance.
This place is indeed related to Gu (a type of poison).
Xie Jingchun gripped his longsword tightly. "Why did you choose us today?"
The old man's smile widened. "I've already given you my reasons."
"Because you truly love each other, only those who truly love each other can cultivate a real love potion."
"They're not the kind of couples who seem very loving. Those people are just trying to continue the family line and uphold so-called ancestral customs."
"I want sons, I want grandsons, I want to be recognized by the clan, and I want my name to be in the ancestral hall."
"Couples like this can't cultivate a love potion."
"They have no feelings; they only taint the Gu worms."
Zhou Ningchuan stared intently at him with a grim face, "What exactly is your purpose in practicing this kind of Gu?"
The old man's lips slowly curled up, and a strange, burning light shone in his eyes.
"Love potion can make any man you like fall in love with you."
"If this kind of Gu worm is successfully cultivated, it can fetch an exorbitant price."
Upon hearing this, Xie Jingchun sneered, "Who would buy something like this? Who would be willing to use such low-class stuff to deceive someone's feelings?"
The old man didn't seem to care, saying, "You won't buy it because you already have it."
"But most people in this world can't have it."
"You don't know what a woman will do when she's desperate."
"They would give anything to win a man's heart."
Just as Xie Jingchun was about to ask another question, he suddenly heard an official rushing in from outside the hall, bowing and reporting.
"Sir! We've found something in the back!"
The group, carrying swords and lanterns, walked through the side hall passageway to the back.
The air grew increasingly damp and foul-smelling, and the talismans on the wall had long since yellowed and peeled off.
A faint stench fermented in the darkness.
After passing through a dilapidated moon gate, the firelight illuminated a stone chamber ahead.
The walls were inlaid with bronze hooks, and ropes and shackles hung from the ceiling.
Several dried bloodstains were drawn on the ground, layer upon layer.
At the innermost part of the stone chamber, a bronze cauldron was emitting cold smoke, with charcoal ash still burning beneath it and the residual warmth of the furnace fire still present.
Beside the cauldron, on a wooden couch, lay six broken and dried-up skeletons.
It was those three missing couples.