The Outcast Male Sub-Lead Stole the Female Lead’s Role - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The Medicine Valley was located in a remote part of the back mountain. Though secluded, it was vast, filled with rare flowers and spiritual herbs. When used in medicine and catalyzed by spiritual power, their efficacy was unparalleled. However, the valley didn’t just house flora; it was also home to poisonous herbs and insects. While medically useful, they were extremely dangerous and required careful processing before use.

Jiang Xu quietly followed the tail end of the group through the barrier. He had intended to sneak off and find Yan Huan, but to his surprise, a disciple ahead noticed him and shouted in astonishment, “Senior Brother!”

At that shout, everyone turned to look at him. Jiang Xu stood there with an awkward smile, looking toward the front. Sure enough, Shi Jingyu, having heard the commotion, walked over with a look of surprise. “Junior Brother Jiang? Why are you here? Didn’t you just leave?”

Jiang Xu gave a sheepish laugh. “Uh, well, I had left, but then I realized I’d never actually been to the Medicine Valley, so I wanted to take a look.”

“Never been here?” The surprise on Shi Jingyu’s face deepened, quickly shifting into concern. “Junior Brother, you used to frequent the Medicine Valley. Could it be that your previous injuries haven’t healed, and your memory is affected?”

Crap! Jiang Xu slapped his forehead. He suddenly remembered that the original host actually loved coming here because he enjoyed researching poisons. In his haste, he had completely forgotten that detail.

“Oh, right, I remember now,” Jiang Xu chuckled nervously. “Senior Brother, you should get back to leading the other disciples in their cultivation. It wouldn’t be good if I delayed everyone.”

Shi Jingyu had no choice but to drop it, though worry still lingered in his eyes. “If you feel unwell later, you must tell me.”

Jiang Xu nodded repeatedly. Once he saw Shi Jingyu lead the disciples away, he breathed a sigh of relief, scanned his surroundings, and ducked into a small stone path to find the female lead.

The Medicine Valley was indeed enormous. He walked for a long time until he was breaking a sweat. Just as he reached an area where the vegetation was particularly lush, he heard a familiar voice.

It was Fu Bihan. She seemed to be giving instructions to some disciples. Delighted, Jiang Xu moved closer and hid behind a tree. He watched as the disciples dispersed in small groups, presumably to carry out the tasks she had assigned.

Only Yan Huan headed toward a secluded spot alone. Jiang Xu was about to follow her when he noticed that after the other disciples had left, Fu Bihan started tailing Yan Huan.

Of all the disciples, why is she following Yan Huan specifically? Jiang Xu frowned and quickly followed them.

Yan Huan was dressed in the standard white robe of a new disciple, her long hair tied back in a clean ponytail. Her expression was cold and indifferent. Despite the plainness of the clothes, she carried an air of ethereal grace. Jiang Xu followed until they reached a small stream, where Yan Huan finally stopped.

Fu Bihan stopped as well. With her hands behind her back, she watched Yan Huan approach the water. Just as Yan Huan began to crouch down, Fu Bihan let out a light cough and strolled over. “Junior Sister Yan, what are you doing by the water?”

Yan Huan’s hand paused. she stood up quickly and cupped her hands in a respectful greeting. “Senior Sister Fu, I am thirsty and wished to drink from the stream.”

“Thirsty?” Fu Bihan’s eyes widened. “Who knows what’s in this stream? Won’t you get a stomach ache?”

Hiding behind the tree, Jiang Xu listened closely. Fu Bihan’s tone sounded quite mocking. Sure enough, she continued:

“Or does Junior Sister Yan just prefer stream water?” Fu Bihan covered her mouth in mock surprise. “I’ve only ever tasted mountain spring water purified by Spirit-Cleansing stones. I’ve never tried this. Since you want to drink it, there must be a reason. Perhaps this water has a ‘unique’ flavor compared to the spirit springs. However,” she leaned down, smiling sweetly, “you’d better wait until we go back to drink. In the Medicine Valley, there’s no telling if the water contains venomous creatures.”

What a passive-aggressive tone! Behind the tree, Jiang Xu felt annoyed even as a bystander. He wondered what Yan Huan was thinking and peeked out to watch, only to see that Yan Huan’s expression remained indifferent, showing no sign of anger.

…As expected of the female lead. She can actually put up with this?

“Senior Sister is right. In that case, Yan Huan will go search for herbs,” Yan Huan said calmly before turning to leave.

Fu Bihan clearly hadn’t expected such a reaction. She stomped her foot in frustration and, refusing to give up, chased after her. Jiang Xu stealthily followed.

Whether by Fu Bihan’s design or not, the tasks led Yan Huan into increasingly remote areas. This time, they went deeper into a place overflowing with rare flowers and exotic herbs, making Jiang Xu feel as though he had stepped into a rainforest.

“The Blood-Coagulating Grass you’re looking for isn’t easy to find, but this environment looks like a place where it might grow.” Fu Bihan stood with her arms crossed, watching Yan Huan search through the greenery. A malicious smile suddenly flickered across her face. She walked over to a low thicket, crouched down, and touched the damp earth. Glancing into the bushes, she smiled. “Blood-Coagulating Grass loves dark, damp places. Why don’t you look here, Junior Sister Yan?”

Fu Bihan is actually being helpful to her rival? Jiang Xu frowned and peered toward the thicket. He was too far away to see clearly, only spotting some strangely shaped plants. After a moment’s thought, he carefully crept forward a few steps.

Yan Huan didn’t refuse. Thanking her senior sister, she crouched down and reached her hand into the vegetation. Jiang Xu watched intently and suddenly spotted a bright green spider on a leaf—it was currently aiming for Yan Huan’s hand!

He whipped his head toward Fu Bihan and saw her gloating expression. Gritting his teeth, he dashed forward, grabbed Yan Huan’s arm, and pulled her back. To his shock, the spider was incredibly fast; seeing its prey escaping, it lunged from the leaf. Startled, Jiang Xu instinctively threw his hand out to block it, feeling a sharp sting on the back of his hand.

The small green spider hit the ground and vanished instantly. Seeing this, Fu Bihan ran over. “What are you doing, interfering like that!”

Though the spider was small, its bite was no joke. The wound burned like fire. Jiang Xu gritted his teeth and sucked the toxic blood from the puncture marks. “…I should be asking you what you were trying to do, Junior Sister.”

The wound had already turned a bruised greenish-purple; clearly, the venom was potent. Jiang Xu clutched his hand and looked at Yan Huan. “Are you alright?”

Yan Huan clearly hadn’t expected this. Her cold, beautiful face was full of shock. She looked at Jiang Xu’s hand, her brow furrowing deeply, and suddenly turned and ran off.

“Hey! Why are you running away?” Jiang Xu touched his face. Was he really that scary-looking?

“Why do you still care about her?” Fu Bihan grabbed his hand. “That spider was small, but its venom is very strong. We need to treat this fast!”

Jiang Xu pulled his hand back and looked her in the eye. “You saw that spider just now, didn’t you, Junior Sister?”

Fu Bihan’s face went pale. She awkwardly withdrew her hand. “…I, I didn’t.”

“Whatever,” Jiang Xu waved it off. It wasn’t his place to fix her character. He was just glad he made it in time, or the female lead would have been hurt. He looked at his hand. “The venom isn’t fatal, is it?”

Fu Bihan shook her head quickly. “No! But the Green Spider’s venom is peculiar; it might cause some ‘other’ symptoms. As long as you take the antidote back at the sect, you’ll be fine!”

Jiang Xu sighed in relief. At that moment, Yan Huan, who had run off, reappeared. She was holding a purple herb. Glancing at Jiang Xu’s hand, she knelt, crushed the herb with a stone, and placed the pulp over his wound, gently rubbing it in. She then took out a pale blue handkerchief to wrap the hand.

The burning sensation subsided significantly. Surprised, Jiang Xu touched the poultice. “What is this? It’s so effective!”

Yan Huan’s expression finally relaxed. She explained, “This is Kalan Grass. It neutralizes toxins.”

Fu Bihan glanced at her and muttered reluctantly, “It is Kalan Grass. But the spider’s venom is stubborn. While Kalan can neutralize it, it won’t clear the root of the poison.”

“Junior Sister certainly knows a lot,” Jiang Xu remarked. He couldn’t help but be a bit sarcastic, thinking about how she knew it was hard to cure yet used it to harm someone anyway.

“I’ll take responsibility for curing you!” Fu Bihan stomped her foot, glared at both him and Yan Huan, and ran away.

“Why does she always run away when she loses an argument?” Jiang Xu muttered.

“Thank you,” Yan Huan said suddenly, cupping her hands.

Jiang Xu waved it off. “No need for thanks. I just happened to see it.” Since he finally had contact with the female lead, he had to find a way to set her up with the male lead.

Yan Huan said nothing more but looked at his hand. “Senior Brother, should we head back?”

Jiang Xu touched his hand. “I won’t die, right?”

Yan Huan, confused by the question, replied, “Of course not.”

Jiang Xu let out a sigh of relief and winked at her. “It’s too early to go back. Since Junior Sister Fu is gone, let me take you to meet another Senior Brother.”

When they found him, Shi Jingyu was carefully answering questions for the nearby disciples. His serious, focused demeanor was enough to make even Jiang Xu admire him.

Standing a short distance away, Jiang Xu clicked his tongue in appreciation. “Do you see him, Junior Sister? That’s our First Senior Brother.”

Yan Huan, not quite following his intent, looked over. Jiang Xu continued, “What do you think? Doesn’t he look like the personification of ‘clear wind and a bright moon’?”

Clear wind and a bright moon? Yan Huan took a closer look at Shi Jingyu and nodded in agreement. “Indeed he does.”

Jiang Xu was overjoyed and began to praise him incessantly. “You have no idea, Junior Sister. Senior Brother is incredibly kind, has a gentle temperament, is very diligent, and his cultivation is top-tier! A man like that—anyone who sees him is bound to fall for him.”

As he spoke, he watched Yan Huan’s expression. Seeing her remain indifferent, he doubled down. “Plus, a man like him would definitely be great at managing a household!”

This time, Yan Huan’s expression finally shifted, though it looked somewhat complicated. Her emotional range was small, so Jiang Xu couldn’t quite grasp the deeper meaning. He assumed his matchmaking was working and looked at her expectantly, only to hear Yan Huan ask with slight hesitation:

“Senior Brother… are you in love with the First Senior Brother?”