Wu Li's face instantly darkened. He turned away as if in a fit of pique and snapped, "If you've got the guts, just be a mute for the rest of your life!"
Chai Xiaomi watched his retreating back and let out a long sigh of relief. Thank goodness he hadn't taken her with him.
This way, she finally had the chance to look for the Phantom Color Stone alone.
The drum tower stood tall and majestic, its eaves curving gracefully toward the sky.
In the square before the tower, guests from various tribes of Miaojiang gathered to present their gifts. The women wore a diverse array of skirts and dresses that shimmered with dazzling radiance under the sunlight, while the men sported indigo short tunics with silver knives hanging from their waists.
The sweet aroma of rice wine intertwined with the melodious tunes of the lusheng in the air. As the wedding preparations were underway, a unique blend of jubilation and solemnity brewed ahead of the celebration.
Qi Lao attended in full dress, sitting high upon the elevated platform.
He gladly accepted the gift lists presented by the various tribes.
He laughed so hard he could barely contain himself, the wrinkles and folds on his face practically bunching together.
Below the platform, some outsiders whispered among themselves, "This is his sixty-third wife, isn't it? Tsk, tsk, tsk. To be able to marry such a beautiful, flower-like young girl at his age... being the tribal chief sure is a blessing. I heard the princess of Liangya Prefecture is only nineteen. Truly a fine cabbage ruined by a pig."
Right beside the person speaking stood a man whose hands were clenched into fists, his breathing so heavy that it blew his fake beard slightly askew.
Behind the man followed a short and stout attendant; both were dressed in the attire of the Black Miao tribe.
As the crowd went up one by one to present their gifts, the two took advantage of the distraction and quietly slipped out of the crowd.
"This is the gift from the Voodoo Gu Tribe—the Crimson Blood Silkworm. Please accept it with a smile, Chief."
A clear, crisp youthful voice rang out from the platform.
The man who had been about to leave suddenly halted his steps.
He looked back to see several members of the Voodoo Gu Tribe standing on the platform. A young boy stepped out from among them, pulled out a dagger, and expressionlessly slit his own wrist.
As if he couldn't feel the pain, he didn't even furrow a brow. He simply squeezed a wriggling bug out from the thick blood.
Cradling it in the palms of both hands, he offered it to the Yuebai Chief.
The blood on his wrist was quickly sucked dry by the Crimson Blood Silkworm hiding inside, and the scar healed at an incredibly rapid pace.
Qi Lao's eyes lit up, trembling slightly with excitement as he stared greedily at the bloody Crimson Blood Silkworm in the boy's palm. "Good, very good! The Voodoo Gu Tribe has truly put their heart into this gift!"
The excitement in his cloudy eyes could hardly be contained. He stood up, grabbed the Crimson Blood Silkworm directly, stuffed it into his mouth, and swallowed it whole.
Such an impulsive act shocked everyone present.
It was said that the Crimson Blood Silkworm was highly nourishing and could prolong life, but he could have at least washed it before eating.
Wu Li, however, showed not a trace of surprise on his face. His gaze was indifferent as he watched Qi Lao lick clean the residual blood at the corner of his mouth.
Seeing Qi Lao's satisfied look, a fleeting glint of coldness flashed through his eyes.
"Crimson Blood Silkworm?" the man who had stopped murmured to himself, then instructed the attendant behind him, "Little Chubby, go find out about that person's background."
"Yes, Young Master. And you?" Little Chubby asked softly.
"I will go look for it myself. You don't need to follow me." Jiang Zhiyu gripped the sword at his waist, his gaze sweeping over the top floor of the drum tower.
Yaoyao was up there. He had to get the Phantom Color Stone before the wedding and then take Yaoyao far away.
Time was running out for him.
On the other side.
Chai Xiaomi hunched over, hiding behind a wooden barrel, looking somewhat skeptically at the system navigation. "Are you sure it's here?"
This building was dilapidated and old, without even a single guard. Would the Yuebai Chief really leave such an important magical artifact lying around here so casually?
Youtiao was certain: "One hundred million percent it's inside. If the Phantom Color Stone isn't in there, I'll be worse off than soy milk for the rest of my life!"
To Youtiao, this was the most venomous of oaths. Chai Xiaomi was now thoroughly convinced.
To avoid detection, she pulled the wooden barrel over herself and, peering through two carved-out peepholes, inched forward little by little.
Suddenly, two moving barrels bumped into each other.
Two pairs of distinct black-and-white eyes met through the peepholes.
"Holy crap, you scared the life out of your grand-auntie!" Chai Xiaomi shuddered in fright.
As soon as she spoke, the opposite barrel shook excitedly, and an eager male voice came from inside: "Are you from the Central Plains?!"
Jiang Zhiyu had practically worn out his lips trying to learn the tongue-twisting Miao language. To actually hear familiar words in this village brought forth a profound sense of being moved by meeting a fellow countryman in a foreign land.
"Ah, yes. This humble girl is from Lingyu Prefecture, named Xiaomi. And you, sir?" Chai Xiaomi bluffed.
Hearing that she was one of his own subjects, Jiang Zhiyu immediately threw off his barrel, his eyes welling with tears. "What? You're a citizen of Lingyu Prefecture? I am your Young Master!"
Chai Xiaomi's pupils dilated in shock. She lifted her barrel, her emotions even more agitated than his. "You're saying you're the Young Master of Lingyu Prefecture?!"
The male lead—Jiang Zhiyu!!!
Wait, why did he look like this?
Chai Xiaomi looked in great disappointment at the scruffy, bearded man in front of her. This was the male lead that the devastatingly beautiful female lead had chosen over the supporting male character?
Jiang Zhiyu was stung by the undisguised disgust in her eyes. He immediately made a big show of ripping off the fake beard and fake eyelashes stuck to his face.
In an instant, a graceful, radiant young man, as refreshing as a clear breeze and a bright moon, appeared before her.
He pulled out a folding fan from who-knows-where and fanned a breeze over his face, creating an ethereal, fairy-like aura.
He wore an expression that clearly showed he thought he was incredibly handsome.
He had committed a cardinal sin! Once a man thinks he is handsome, he ceases to be handsome.
Chai Xiaomi blinked slowly a few times, the disgust in her eyes not fading. She tossed out a lukewarm remark, "Truly worthy of being our Young Master. You look... okay."
How should she put it? He was good-looking, yes, but far from giving her the stunning impression that Wu Li did.
With a precious gem already seen, mere stones pale in comparison.
He was the sunny type. Probably the female lead was just into this style.
Jiang Zhiyu felt his face burn. He closed the folding fan and silently stuck the beard back on, asking as he did so, "What is a little girl like you doing running around here?"
Chai Xiaomi sighed. "It's all for you, my beloved Young Master."
Jiang Zhiyu: ?
"Everyone in the world knows that you, Young Master, are in love with the princess of Liangya Prefecture, yet the princess is being married off to the Yuebai of Miaojiang as a trade. It's all because of that Phantom Color Stone. If I steal the Phantom Color Stone for you, wouldn't the princess be able to marry into Lingyu Prefecture?"
Jiang Zhiyu was so moved that his eyes turned red. He never imagined there would be a citizen who cared so deeply for him.
"What a coincidence! I am here today to steal the Phantom Color Stone as well. Let's cooperate. Once this is done, I will definitely reward you handsomely!"
Chai Xiaomi was overjoyed. "That sounds great! Let's go up and look for it together."
The two wooden barrels moved slowly, but as soon as they got close, an invisible force bounced them both away.
"Oh no! There's a barrier. We've been discovered." Jiang Zhiyu said in frustration, "It's my fault for not detecting it beforehand. You go find a place to hide, and I'll lure them away. We need to plan this carefully!"
Sure enough, the sound of a group of footsteps came running from the distance. Chai Xiaomi nodded and urged, "Take care, Young Master. See you around!"
She knew the male lead had plot armor and wouldn't die easily, so she fled with peace of mind.
