Surprise! The Straight Man Long Aotian Actually Steals the Villain's Skirt - Chapter 16: The Saint of Southern Border Obsessed with Gu Poison 16

Chapter 16: The Saint of Southern Border Obsessed with Gu Poison 16

Lu Yi walked behind Xie Rong, his gaze lingering on Xie Rong’s slightly strange walking posture before pausing.

He now slept on the floor outside the bamboo hut, not only having to eat Xie Rong’s leftovers and drink his cold tea, but also bathing in the fragrant water Xie Rong had used. Thus, every night he had to guard the door while Xie Rong bathed, waiting until Xie Rong finished before he could wash.

Last night, as he leaned against the doorframe, he happened to glimpse through the crack that Xie Rong, still damp, had lifted his robe and was examining his body in the bronze mirror with his back turned.

He seemed unable to understand why he felt uncomfortable, his cold expression unchanged as he consulted ancient texts while inspecting himself in the mirror. After a long while, he threw both the texts and the bronze mirror to the ground.

Lu Yi thought coldly that he would never tell Xie Rong the reason for his discomfort.

He almost hated Xie Rong to death! From now on, he would only farm and wash clothes for this demon with hatred in his heart, never again foolishly entertaining any fantasies.

How ridiculous that night he had actually thought that since they’d been intimate, they should become husband and wife, and he would bear Xie Rong’s sins if necessary.

A fierce eagle’s cry pierced the silent sky, snapping Lu Yi out of his thoughts as he abruptly looked up.

What are you dawdling for? Xie Rong viciously yanked the chain around his neck.

Lu Yi withdrew his gaze and quickened his pace without a word.

…

The midday sun beat down fiercely, heat waves rolling in one after another. The drug slaves wiped sweat from their faces during breaks from transplanting seedlings, occasionally stealing glances toward the orange trees.

There were two orange trees in Rosy Valley. The one before the bamboo hut was carved with the words Xie Rong’s Little Orange, while the one by the fields bore the inscription Xie Rong’s Big Orange.

The only things in Rosy Valley without carved names were the captured drug slaves.

Currently, under the big orange tree, Xie Rong lounged in his rocking chair to escape the heat as usual, with the only difference being the chained man by his side.

If any drug slave slacked off, he no longer used his whip, but would drag Lu Yi over to make Lu Yi teach the slave a lesson.

Xie Rong never imagined he could come up with such a brilliant method.

By making Lu Yi fight with these stupid pigs, even when they returned to Shangyun Capital later, the protagonist would be an accomplice despised by all! A villain’s accomplice!

Having personally beaten these poor drug slaves, Lu Yi could no longer play the righteous hero. Wouldn’t he be pounding his chest in regret every day?

Xie Rong, halfway through peeling an orange, couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of the man’s comical chest-pounding.

Once he started laughing, he couldn’t stop. Covering his stomach, a faint excited flush rose to his cheeks.

Host, why are you so happy? The system puffed its cheeks, using all its system energy to manifest a small fan that it waved into blurs.

Someone’s about to have bad luck soon, of course I’m happy, Xie Rong broke off a segment of orange and put it in his mouth without chewing, merely squinting to savor the faint citrus fragrance.

Host, autumn hasn’t arrived yet. Is this orange edible?

It’s delicious, want to try? Xie Rong broke off another segment and held it to the system’s mouth.

Host, I’m a system. I have no sense of taste.

Just have your main system enable taste permissions, Xie Rong said carelessly. Isn’t he omnipotent?

The system stared at the tempting orange segment before it, hesitating for a moment.

Host, wait for me. The system vanished on the spot.

After a while, the white Slime jumped back onto his shoulder, opening its mouth wide: Ah—

Xie Rong tilted his head with an innocent blink, stuffing a citrus segment into the system’s mouth.

The white Slime chewed a few times before the electronic expression on its face turned into two large crosses.

So sour, so sour, so sour! Host, you’re tricking me again!

Xie Rong laughed, his shoulders trembling. You’re such a little fool.

Beside him on the table sat a flower basket bearing Xie Rong’s name. He tossed all the citrus peels into it.

Later, he would crush the peels and mix them with the drug slave’s blood to feed the Gu worms, producing a batch of citrus-scented Gu worms.

As for the remaining citrus fruit…

Xie Rong’s gaze swept sideways toward the man standing motionless like a stone pillar nearby. Come here.

When the man stiffly approached, Xie Rong shoved all the remaining citrus segments into his mouth, smiling with curved eyes. If you dare spit it out, everyone in the valley will go hungry for three days because of you.

… Lu Yi chewed silently a few times, his brow twitching over his eyes, veins bulging on his forehead as he forced himself to swallow the citrus.

An intense sourness, accompanied by the bitterness of a young fruit plucked prematurely, spread from the tip of his tongue, seeping into his blood and heart.

What a great man you are. Don’t worry—at dinner later, I’ll kindly inform all the drug slaves that it’s thanks to your sacrifice that they get to eat. They’ll surely be very grateful to you, right? Xie Rong patted his cheek lightly, then casually glanced away. Now, sever one of that drug slave’s Achilles tendons.

As if knowing Lu Yi would rather die than comply, Xie Rong curled his lips maliciously and whispered, Sever one person’s tendon, or have me sever all of theirs—not a difficult choice, is it?

Does it make you this happy to watch me play the villain? Lu Yi asked hoarsely.

The man’s breath carried the scent of citrus. Xie Rong leaned in to sniff it. Watching you suffer makes me this happy.

When you suffer, you’ll understand how I felt—how much pain I endured when you destroyed eighteen years of my hard work.

Lu Yi closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, his dark pupils were somber, especially when looking at Xie Rong, devoid of any light.

Fine, I’ll go.

Xie Rong watched him walk away.

Host, aren’t we being too cruel? I’m almost too scared to watch.

Xie Rong peeled another citrus fruit, lowering his gaze without a word.

Suddenly, a scream echoed from afar, startling the egrets resting in the fields into flight.

Xie Rong walked over and glanced at the drug slave who had fainted from pain, his face deathly pale.

Why isn’t he bleeding? he asked, turning to Lu Yi with feigned curiosity.

I used needles to stimulate the acupoints on his leg, making him experience pain equivalent to a severed tendon, Lu Yi replied, his voice raspy. After a pause, he added, Besides, if his tendon were cut, he might not work well for you in the future.

Xie Rong chuckled and turned to leave, but Lu Yi urgently grabbed the hem of his robe.

Xie Rong! Everything has its cause and effect—karma. Don’t accumulate more bloodshed. If you’re unhappy, torment me instead. Lock me up, do whatever you want to me! I’ll bear it willingly and blame no one. Lu Yi’s voice trembled.

After a few moments of silence,

Xie Rong smiled. Alright.

Ding! Congratulations, Host, for unlocking the original novel’s hidden plot!

In the Rosy Valley map, to uncover the method to counteract Gu poison, the protagonist voluntarily allows the antagonist to imprison him in a secret chamber, enduring endless suffering while maneuvering against the antagonist. Eventually, he secretly learns a flute melody in the chamber to control the Gu worms, causing all the Gu worms in the valley’s inhabitants to fall into a deep slumber. Protected by the Gu worms, he survives crossing the toxic miasma and sets the Rosy Valley forests ablaze to exact revenge.

System, there’s no need to inform me about such unrewarding matters in the future, Xie Rong said, pulling the iron chain as he brought the man back to the bamboo hut.

Beneath the bamboo hut, there was indeed a secret chamber—a place he usually used for focused Gu cultivation to avoid disturbances.

Lu Yi, you seem quite knowledgeable about Gu poison. Why don’t you tell me—besides the Mother Gu and Child Gu that obey its commands, what else does a Gu King possess?

Lu Yi, bound to the bed in the secret chamber, shook his head as a spider crawled onto his face. I don’t know.

Xie Rong wasn’t angered. He took a silver needle, heated it red over the candle flame, and slowly inserted it into Lu Yi’s firm abdomen. There are also sources to absorb yang energy anytime, anywhere.

With that, he sat at the head of the bed, opened a newly acquired manual on yang energy utilization, and following the methods described in the text, positioned himself atop Lu Yi.