Chapter 261: A chowhound appears
Compared to other squirrels, the one on Jun Yixie’s shoulder was much smaller. It was around the size of a fist and as round and chubby as a ball. Its most distinctive trait was its body of soft fur, white without a speck of dust. Most squirrels were timid creatures, but this one was extremely bold. When it sensed Jun Yixie looking its way, it didn’t even hide, but completely ignored him beyond a sideways glance. Then it continued eating with gusto. Despite the fact that it was simply a unique animal, Jun Yixie still felt like he was being looked down on.
Of course, his main focus was still on Han Yunxi. This was the Poison Sect’s Lotus Mountain, so it was inevitable that they’d run into some strange creatures. He was about to grab the squirrel and toss it aside when his actions enraged the creature. It actually swiped a claw at his hand! Because Jun Yixie didn’t expect this, he didn’t evade the squirrel. Three bloody gashes appeared on the back on his hand, making for a ghastly sight. The squirrel rose up on its haunches, its two stocky claws resting against its chest. All the fur on its body stood on end like a hedgehog as it bared its teeth and glared at him.
He was a little chowhound who loved to feast on poisons. The one thing he loathed was anyone interrupting his delicious meals! Although he was angry, he still couldn’t resist the allure of the beautiful flavors he’d tasted just then. This fellow’s shoulder had a poison that was too scrumptious, enough to make him want to take the whole thing back to his den for a leisurely feast. When he saw that Jun Yixie didn’t move, the white squirrel assumed that he’d been frightened by its powerful aura. Thus, he refocused his efforts on the wound in his shoulder.
It hadn’t been poisoned? It liked to eat poisons?
Suspicion crept into Jun Yixie’s eyes. Carefully, he reached out a hand to catch the creature, but the white squirrel suddenly scurried away from his hand before baring its fangs and claws to jump at his face. Jun Yixie hastily beat it aside. Meanwhile, Han Yunxi took the chance to struggle out of his grip and run towards the white-robed man. The white squirrel ended up on top of Jun Yixie’s head and used all four of its claws to ravage his hair.
Couldn’t he eat a good meal of poison in peace? So annoying!
“Beat it!” Jun Yixie had never been attacked on his head before. He was irritated as well, and did his best to slap the squirrel off, but it evaded all his attacks while continuing to mess with him. Its quick leaps made it impossible for Jun Yixie to touch him. Han Yunxi could only watch on in confusion. Where in the world had this animal come from? It was so intelligent. Had it come to their rescue?
“Leave, hurry!” the white-robed man couldn’t hold on for much longer.
Han Yunxi couldn’t be bothered with details as she hastily helped him up and fled deeper into the forest. Half of Jun Yixie’s attention was still on them, so he started chasing them as soon as they ran, ignoring the white squirrel. But the white squirrel was even faster than him. It jumped off his head and starting making chittering noises as it chased wildly after Han Yunxi.
What was this? So it hadn’t come to save them after all?
Both the white squirrel and Jun Yixie were giving chase, with the animal leading the two. Han Yunxi used all her strength to support the white-robed man, but she couldn’t run far without any lightness techniques. Soon enough, the white squirrel caught up. Han Yunxi stopped and prepared to use its needles when the animal pounced at her. She closed her eyes, but it didn’t attack her face. Instead, it landed on her medical pouch and furiously dug its way inside, leaving its chubby butt to stick out from the opening.
This…
Han Yunxi couldn’t be bothered to figure it out. She grabbed hold of the squirrel’s fat tail and pulled it out, before tossing him directly at Jun Yixie and running away. Whether or not this animal was here to save them, it should help them stop Jun Yixie first! Jun Yixie caught the squirrel in its hands, but it simply leaped up and attacked its face again. Jun Yixie dodged out of the way as the squirrel went back to chasing Han Yunxi. Instead of pouncing directly this time, it climbed up the side of her leg. Unfortunately, she caught it again. Since she was running for her life, she didn’t give a second thought to the little animal beyond the fact that it could slow down Jun Yixie. When the white squirrel tried to burrow into her medical pouch again, Han Yunxi tried her old trick again and grabbed it by the tail. Perhaps she’d used too much strength this time, but the squirrel gave a tragic chitter as soon as she pulled it up. Again, Han Yunxi threw him at Jun Yixie to buy more time.
After being tormented again and again, the squirrel finally lost its temper. The third time Jun Yixie caught it, it didn’t chase after Han Yunxi right away. Instead, it sat in his palm and stared at the man with his large black eyes. It really was reluctant to part with the poison on this guy’s shoulder. After living for so many years, it’d never eaten such tasty poison. It was certain it was a completely new strain! But since it had to catch up to Han Yunxi, it couldn’t be bothered with this man.
As Jun Yixie prepared to closed his hands, the white squirrel suddenly gave out a savage chitter. Its sharp cry was like a meteor breaking through glass, making its listeners extremely uncomfortable. Before it finished, swarms of flesh-eating rats appeared from the surrounding undergrowth to surround Jun Yixie on all sides. Still, they didn’t move to attack him directly. Jun Yixie was caught extremely off guard. He never thought this white squirrel could summon flesh-eating rats here. When he thought back to the disaster in the Sky Pit, he began to suspect the origins of this animal and gave a start. He tried to tighten his grip, but the white squirrel evaded his fingers and leaped into the air, landing just outside the flesh-eating rat swarm. As soon as it did, all of the crouching rats reared their backs and rushed in to attack. Jun Yixie immediately turned around and fled!
Dammnit!
Han Yunxi and the white-robed man were nearby, but he had no way to reach them now. The boiled duck had flown away1! Whether or not this little white squirrel was the poison beast, he’d definitely drain its blood dry the next time they met!
Jun Yixie used all his strength to flee with the flesh-eating rats in hot pursuit. Han Yunxi finally released a breath of relief, but she didn’t dare stop. Supporting the white-robed man, she kept heading deeper into the forest so she could quickly find a place to hide. The white squirrel sat on a tree branch as it watched Jun Yixie’s form fade into the distance. Its bright black eyes were filled with reluctance at seeing its delicious meal disappear just like that. It was a long time before it turned back, only to see Han Yunxi getting farther away. With a squeak, it leaped up and started chasing after her furiously.
New master, don’t abandon me, yahh!!
The white squirrel caught up to Han Yunxi very quickly. This time, it played docile and didn’t try to sneak into her medical pouch. Instead, it followed carefully behind her. Han Yunxi was planning to find a more concealed location, but the white-robed man was too weak to walk any further. She had to treat him right now! Thus, she helped him lean against a tree, using its large branches as a form of cover. By now, the feeble white-robed man had almost shut his eyes. Still, he held on as his mouth moved, as if trying to tell Han Yunxi something.
“Don’t talk right now. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely save you,” Han Yunxi said seriously.
No matter who this white-robed man was or why he appeared, the fact remained that he’d saved her when she was in her most helpless, frightened state. This was a kindness that she’d remember.
“Don’t worry, I’m not seriously injured,” said the white-robed man despite everything, wanting her to be at ease.
Han Yunxi didn’t even know what to say. She took his pulse with one hand while the other moved to take off his face veil, but the white-robed man stopped her mid-motion. His hand was very much like Long Feiye’s, icy cold with long slender fingers. But unlike Long Feiye’s coarse, rough skin, his was as gentle as jade. Han Yunxi could only think that he rarely used any weapons.
“Don’t look…all right?” Though his voice was weak, it still carried a warm, gentle tone. His gaze was even gentler. He was looking at Han Yunxi as if she was the person of his heart, his pupils soft and mild. Within his gaze was a thread of doting and helplessness.
It was the kind of look that could intoxicate anyone.
Though his words were clearly an entreaty, not an order, Han Yunxi found herself unable to refuse. She couldn’t reject his request as much as she couldn’t reject those eyes. She even felt herself calming down from all the tension before and revealed a light smile. “You’re definitely not ugly, right? What are you afraid of?”
Actually, all she wanted to do was check his complexion. Since he was from the Shadow Clan and so familiar with the medical academy’s Poison Sect, she definitely shouldn’t know him.
“Mm, I’m very ugly. You mustn’t look, no matter what,” he replied as he nodded, but he stopped moving his head after only two nods to pass out. His head tilted to one side as his entire body topple sideways.
She thought he could still hold on!
“Hey, don’t fall asleep! You can’t fall asleep, no matter what!” Han Yunxi grew agitated. Yes, rest was mandatory under such circumstances, but if the victim fell asleep, they wouldn’t have the strength to wake up again.
Ignoring the issue of the face veil, she laid the white-robed man flat on his back and undid his clothes. Judging by his pulse, he’d overused his inner energy and vigor. Then, Jun Yixie had kicked him twice, further damaging his heart. Without a doubt, he was severely injured, but fortunately his body was solid. Otherwise, anyone else would’ve died by now. Han Yunxi had no idea how to treat inner energy, but she could still use her needles to preserve his heart vein and restore his vitality. After unclothing the man, she quickly dug into her medical pouch for needles, only to discover that all of her poisons inside had disappeared. Meanwhile, each and every one of the needles were left in a mess.
This…what had happened?
She’d opened her pouch when she was in front of the Xuan gold door and everything had been fine then. When the white squirrel tried to burrow its way in just then, she’d dragged it out in time too. Where did all her poisons go?
When the little white squirrel concealed on one side saw Han Yunxi get anxious, it seemed to remember something. Its large eyes blinked a few times before it innocently lowered his head. Right now, the white-robed man was in a dangerous condition, so Han Yunxi had no time to consider details. She dumped out all of her disordered needles to look for the ones she needed. A giant pile of poison-expelling needles fell on the ground, but she only needed the few reserved for acupuncture and moxibustion amongst them. It was really difficult to find them amongst the bunch! Anxious to save a life, Han Yunxi’s temper grew worse and worse, her pale white face turning deathly serious and frightening. The few times that the little white squirrel dared to raise its head, it unconsciously tucked its tail between its legs.
Suddenly, Han Yunxi burst out, “Where are the needles?!”
After being a poisons doctor for so many years, what she hated the most was other people touching her acupuncture needles!
The little white squirrel was scared to death. It didn’t dare to hide anymore, but jumped straight onto the white-robed man’s body…
1. the boiled duck had flown away (煮熟的鸭子飞了) – zhushou de yazi feile, a saying that means everything was done and over with until the prey escaped at the last minute