The Dramatic Crown Princess Wants to Poison Me!

Chapter 259: Chapter 259: Cold Bone Yan Mink

Miss Mo shivered at the thought, and without further intent to linger, she quickly rose and left the private room!

Huangfu Jingchen exited Wangsong Building and headed south.

To the south, there is a mountain with a ruined temple, an easily recognizable landmark.

First, head for the mountain; as for the temple, you will find it upon reaching the mountain.

To save time, he even employed Qinggong.

But this was a marketplace, and the sky hadn’t fully darkened yet, so as not to alarm others, he ascended to the rooftops, darted across houses, retrieved his horse, and galloped southward!

Huangfu Jingchen was in great haste.

The sky seemed on the verge of darkness; if he arrived late, nighttime visibility would be low, making it difficult to find the ruined temple.

The time left for Xia Wenjin was scarce; he didn’t want to delay even one night.

As for what Miss Mo said, that the Undying Poison Doctor was eccentric, moody, and viewed human life as insignificant, possibly not even intervening—these things were still better than having no hope at all.

Although mountains could exhaust horses, Huangfu Jingchen controlled his horse like it was flying—this horse was a fine steed, running swiftly.

Yet despite this, by the time he reached the foot of the mountain, the sky had already darkened.

The mountain before him was a dark hue, its originally lush trees now shrouded in shadow, casting heavier silhouettes, and a small path led straight up the mountain.

As for the ruined temple, cloaked in the night’s veil and without any light, even straining to see the distance did not reveal its location.

Fortunately, stars speckled the sky; though their light was dim, it barely illuminated a yard ahead.

Once close enough, one could see it.

Huangfu Jingchen had one thought: to find the ruined temple and the Undying Poison Doctor. To beseech him, regardless of the cost, he was determined to obtain the Undying Poison Doctor’s help to cure Xia Wenjin.

The night wind blew gently; the sudden flapping of night birds’ wings echoed faintly and abruptly. Thankfully, Huangfu Jingchen was bold, and single-mindedly focused on seeking the Undying Saint Doctor.

Step by step, now nearing halfway up the mountain, three paths appeared before him.

One to the left, one to the right, one forward!

Which one led to the ruined temple?

Huangfu Jingchen paused briefly, then chose the left path.

He couldn’t afford mistakes; not knowing the correct way, he would explore each path one by one!

The path narrowed, unsuitable for horseback; besides, Miss Mo had mentioned that the Undying Poison Doctor was guarding a Cold Bone Yan Mink, waiting for its offspring.

The Cold Bone Yan Mink was extremely alert, capable of flight, agile, easily startled by the sound of hooves.

This was what the Undying Poison Doctor wanted; if startled away, he might lose not only the chance to enlist the Undying Poison Doctor’s aid but possibly his life due to the doctor’s anger.

Although desperate for aid, he was far from thoughtless.

Executing his Qinggong, only a faint breeze rustled from his garments; even the leaves remained unperturbed.

The mountain path narrowed further, eventually disappearing, leaving no sign of a trail; Huangfu Jingchen halted.

If there had been a temple, even abandoned, people must have lived there at some point; surely a path would lead there. Yet no traces ahead indicated the wrong path.

Without hesitation, he immediately turned back.

This time, he took the upward path, though hesitantly; Miss Mo mentioned a temple within the mountain, not atop it. He had reached halfway up—wasn’t the way up toward the summit?

Nonetheless, doubts aside, he pressed onward; at worst, he would waste more time, refusing to miss any possibility due to hesitation.

Carefully observing the roadside throughout, finding no forks, he smoothly reached the summit—where was the ruined temple?

Evidently, the right path was correct.

Having explored two wrong directions, an hour wasted, Huangfu Jingchen did not feel dejected but remained hopeful.

Acting on his explorations had ruled out two paths, making the correct one evident.

Ready to head back, he advanced scarcely five steps when a slight rustling arose from the grass; Huangfu Jingchen swiftly concealed himself behind a tree.

Peering from behind, he spotted a small red-winged creature descending from a tree, landing on the ground, retracting its wings from sight, visible only were its fluffy large tail.

The creature was only two palms in size, resembling a grown squirrel, yet entirely fiery red; even at night, its fur appeared vibrant, with beady eyes unlike any squirrel.

Huangfu Jingchen was astounded; Cold Bone Yan Mink?

Wasn’t it supposed to be in a ruined temple? How was it here?

Typically, animals protect their young, but Cold Bone Yan Mink was an exception; its offspring, once born, could fend for themselves, leaving the mother free from care, essentially the most hands-off mother.

Nimble, venomous, warm-bodied despite icy bones, and remarkably intelligent, Cold Bone Yan Mink was rarely seen; taming one would be akin to acquiring a first-rate bodyguard, increasing in prowess as it matured.

Yet its intelligence meant adult minks were untamable.

However, young minks were analogous to newborns, unaware of parents; kept close, they bonded to their master, loyal to the core.

Presumably, the Undying Poison Doctor wanted a young mink, thus vigilantly awaited its birth.

The Cold Bone Yan Mink was present, but where was the Undying Poison Doctor? Had it already given birth?

If birthed, obtaining the young mink, the Undying Poison Doctor would depart at once. Vast beyond measure, Jianghu a boundless realm—where could he seek search? Only five days remained.

Worries gnawed at Huangfu Jingchen’s heart as the Cold Bone Yan Mink frolicked in the night.

Yet, it wasn’t frolicking; the creature bit into a branch, cutting it quietly yet precisely, then laid it on the ground, layering leaves atop.

The spot chosen, concealed behind bushes, was discreet.

The creature, diligently constructing a nest, remained alert, glancing about warily.

Suddenly, the entire mink sprung upward, striking toward the right-front grass, swiftly snaring a long rope.

The rope moved—no, it was a snake.

The snake coiled its tail, entwining the mink, craning its head to bite, but the mink proved swifter, its sharp teeth closing on the snake’s menacing spot.