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Finding Xiao Jinyan requires a full stomach for strength.

After swallowing the food in his mouth, Xiao Jinyu finally said excitedly, "At first, seeing such a grand setup made me nervous, but once I charged into battle, it was like boiling water surging inside me, feeling like I had endless strength."

Shen Chuwei puffed her cheeks and said, "I get it; it’s like the first time I ate at the royal banquet, where one mouth just wasn’t enough—I wish I had an extra pair of hands and another mouth."

Xiao Jinyu nodded vigorously, as if he had found a kindred spirit, "Exactly, that’s the feeling I had! I wished for an extra pair of hands and another mouth to kill twice as many enemies, to bellow with more vigor."

"To deal with each dish one by one seemed too troublesome; I wanted to sweep them all away in one go," Shen Chuwei articulated and then scooped up a big mouthful of rice and dishes.

Once again, Xiao Jinyu nodded vigorously in agreement, "That’s right! Watching the enemies surge one after another, I just wished my sword was forty meters long so I could take them all down with a single swing."

One talked about devouring food, the other about fighting battles—two completely unrelated things, yet the pair discussed them with great enthusiasm.

With a full belly and quenched thirst, Xiao Jinyu picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea.

Pots, pans, and ladles would be cleaned up by dedicated young soldiers.

Shen Chuwei also took a cup of tea and sipped it to cut the greasiness.

After taking a few sips of tea, Xiao Jinyu suddenly declared, "I must defeat Xueyue Country and Fengqi Country before the Crown Prince brother returns."

Shen Chuwei paused mid-sip, looked up at Xiao Jinyu who was still clad in Kirin Armor and holding a teacup, his phoenix eyes faintly visible in the light.

In that moment, she felt as if she was seeing Xiao Jinyan.

No wonder they’re brothers from the same mother; they look so alike.

"I believe in you; you can certainly do it."

Bolstered by Shen Chuwei’s encouragement, Xiao Jinyu’s confidence soared. He was determined not to disappoint the Crown Prince or his Imperial parents.

When Qin Xiao returned, Xiao Jinyu had already retreated to his own tent to rest.

"Master, the commoners of the Xingmiao Clan who came to Jisai Town for market day live just across the mountain. The Xingmiao Clan is divided into three ranks: the Royal Clan, the nobility, and the commoners. A distinguished Poisonous Insect Master from the nobility can even surpass his peers in rank—there are four levels of Poisonous Insect Masters, namely ’Heaven,’ ’Earth,’ ’Mystery,’ and ’Yellow’.

.. The current Clan Leader of the Royal Clan is about fifty years old, with three sons and a daughter. .."

Qin Xiao succinctly introduced the social system and hierarchy of the Xingmiao Clan.

Shen Chuwei asked, "Are the Poisonous Insects of the Xingmiao Clan very powerful?"

Qin Xiao replied, "Indeed, they are formidable. I’ve heard that there are at least a hundred varieties, more dangerous than poison."

Although Shen Chuwei had heard about Poisonous Insects in modern times, they were not as exaggerated as described, perhaps lost with the passage of time?

"Give me an example."

"For instance, the Heart-Devouring Poisonous Insect burrows into the entrails and slowly gnaws at the heart, causing unbearable pain until the victim dies in torment. Another is the Mind-Controlling Poisonous Insect, which can manipulate a person’s thoughts, turning them into a zombie," explained Qin Xiao.

Shen Chuwei gasped; holy moly, are they really that terrible?

Even with her advanced medical skills, she couldn’t cure Poisonous Insects.

Shen Chuwei asked again, "Is there a way to deal with them?"

Qin Xiao nodded, "Yes, that would be to purge the Poisonous Insect."

"..." Shen Chuwei replied, "What’s the difference between saying that and saying nothing? It’s like needing the bell’s ringer to undo the bell; no one else can do it."

Qin Xiao bowed humbly, feeling that Shen Chuwei’s point was valid, "That’s why the Xingmiao Clan have generally not dared to offend easily, but of course, a direct assault is also a possibility."

Shen Chuwei said, "I have no intention of conquering the Xingmiao Clan; I just want to go to their territory to see if I can find any information about Xiao Jinyan."

At Shen Chuwei’s words, Qin Xiao’s eyes lit up, "Then your subordinate will head over tonight for a look."

Shen Chuwei raised an eyebrow, "Are you tired of living? Walking into death’s door?"

Qin Xiao bowed his head, "Your subordinate was impetuous."

"Go rest for now; let’s head to Jisai Town early tomorrow morning," instructed Shen Chuwei.

"Your subordinate understands," Qin Xiao responded and left to carry out the order.

Shen Chuwei yawned, washed up, and went to bed.

The next day, Shen Chuwei, holding Xuetuan, appeared in Jisai Town once again. This time, she only brought Qin Xiao with her; too many people would be conspicuous and make things difficult.

The streets were noticeably less crowded than the previous day, especially with those wearing the attire of the Xingmiao Clan.

Holding Xuetuan, Shen Chuwei asked, "Qin Xiao, is there a shortcut to the mountain across the way?"

At that question, Qin Xiao paused, "Your subordinate will go and ask."

Shen Chuwei nodded, "Go quickly, and also inquire about the route to the Xingmiao Clan town."

After Qin Xiao took his leave to carry out the orders, Shen Chuwei continued forward. In a short while, she saw a crowd ahead and, out of curiosity, made her way over.

"This disease is so strange, I’ve never heard of it—those ten thousand gold are out of reach now."

"Ten thousand gold; I’ve lived a lifetime and never seen that much money. Too bad I’m not a doctor, or else I’d have given it a try no matter what."

"Doctor Qian, aren’t you going to try? Ten thousand gold—if you cure it, it’s all yours," one tall man turned to look at an elderly figure beside him.

The old man seemed tempted, "Then I will give it a try?"

Shen Chuwei, hearing about curing a disease, pushed her way through the crowd of tall men until she reached the center.

She found herself in front of a bulletin board with a posted notice.

The notice offered a reward of ten thousand gold for curing a disease.

As soon as Shen Chuwei finished reading the notice, she saw an old man step forward to accept the challenge, and she followed suit.

Both the old man and Shen Chuwei grabbed a side of the notice.

Seeing who he was competing with for the reward, the old man scoffed at the young person, "You’re just a brat, what are you doing here stirring up trouble?"

Shen Chuwei, still dressed as a man because of her youthful appearance, was mistaken for a boy.

"Old man, even though I’m young, I know medical skills," she said.

The guard, seeing the two people come forward, asked, "Both of you, who actually knows medical skills?"

...

ps: Dear readers, rest assured, I won’t write a tragedy.