Jian Yi had no idea how long he’d been unconscious; all he knew was that when he woke, a burst of savory meat aroma hit his nose — and it really did smell good!

Someone was nearby!

His innate alertness made him sit up abruptly the very instant he woke, gathering force in his palm.

Feng Jiu’er eyed him, her face full of displeasure. “What are you doing? Trying to kill me again? Didn’t we agree you’d wait until you found a physician before doing anything to me?”

Jian Yi frowned, his head clearly not having fully caught up yet.

Still, he managed to make out that the person before him now was Feng Jiu’er.

“Mm.” He rubbed the space between his brows, casually conveying that he meant no harm.

But when had he ever agreed that he had to find a physician before acting against her?

Had he agreed to it after fainting? Having passed out, he found he could barely recall.

Had he agreed? It seemed like he had, and yet it seemed like he hadn’t. For a moment, even he was confused.

But still — what was that smell, so fragrant?

Jian Yi looked up, and the thing in her hand nearly frightened him into fainting all over again.

“What are you afraid of? I’ve already roasted it — it can’t bite you!”

Feng Jiu’er nearly rolled her eyes. Honestly — such a big man, nearly one meter ninety tall, sturdy and strong, and a master of the martial arts world too — surely about as formidable as they come, wasn’t he?

Yet he was afraid of a tiny little water snake, and even with it already roasted, the sight of it still made his face turn pale in an instant.

Feng Jiu’er didn’t know whether to laugh at how timid he was or to find it endearing.

“Are you this scared because you were bitten by a snake as a child?”

She hadn’t studied psychology, but generally speaking, that was usually the only explanation.

Jian Yi said nothing, but from the flash of gloom that crossed his eyes, Feng Jiu’er could guess that her assumption wasn’t wrong.

“Actually, this is what’s called psychological suggestion. Because you were bitten as a child, you came to think this thing was terrifying. But in truth, you’re plenty strong now — strong enough that every time you see one of these, you could kill it with a single stroke of your sword.”

Jian Yi still said nothing, only feeling, faintly, as though his leg had begun to ache again.

It was obvious at a glance that he was recalling those terrifying experiences from his childhood.

She’d heard he was an assassin, one who had begun making his way through the martial world from his youth, gaining fame early on.

A person like that, she suspected, had probably been an orphan since childhood — otherwise, what parents would willingly let their child walk the irreversible path of an assassin?

She suddenly stood up and walked toward Jian Yi.

Jian Yi, however, stared at the snake meat in her hand, his whole body tensing up, and said coldly, “Don’t come closer!”

“It’s already roasted — what are you afraid of?” Feng Jiu’er kept walking forward, undeterred.

“Don’t…”

“There’s nothing to fear. If you’re really scared, how about I just eat it all up, bite by bite?”

Jiu’er crouched down in front of him, and true to her word, picked up the snake meat and took a bite.

Jian Yi felt his stomach churn and nearly retched.

“Mmm, it’s really delicious. Do you want a taste?”

“Take it away!”

“Just try it! After you taste it, you might end up liking the flavor.” Feng Jiu’er held the meat out to him.

“I said, get away!” Every pore on Jian Yi’s body was clenching tight; he was nearly at the edge of his limit.

Feng Jiu’er let out a breath, looking at him. “Honestly, since you spend so much time traveling through the wilderness, snakes are something you’re bound to run into easily.”

“If next time you run into a venomous one and you faint at the very sight of it again, it could crawl over and bite you while you’re unconscious — wouldn’t you be doomed?”

Just imagining snakes crawling onto him and opening their bloody jaws to bite him made Jian Yi’s fingertips tremble uncontrollably.

He was genuinely terrified — so much so that cold sweat kept breaking out all over his body.

Who would have thought that this number one assassin of Bei Mu was actually afraid of snakes.

Jiu’er pressed her lips together, staring at his sweat-beaded profile. “Actually, have you ever thought that you could conquer it? Even eat it?”

“No…”

“Do you really want to spend your whole life living under the shadow they’ve cast over you?”

Jiu’er sat down beside him, taking on the air of someone about to lecture him.

“Why not think about it — you’re really not the same as you were as a child anymore. You’re very powerful now, aren’t you?”

“You know, Great Hero Jueyan, you really can conquer them — all you have to do is eat this snake meat!”

“Take it away…”

“I refuse to believe you’d willingly let them hold you down for the rest of your life!”

“No…”

“Then eat it!” Jiu’er pushed the snake meat in her hand even closer to him once more.

Jian Yi instantly tensed up again, every meridian in his body taut, cold sweat sliding continuously down his forehead and face.

“Eat it! Then you’ll have beaten it!”

“No—” Don’t push him! “Get… away. If you don’t get away, I’ll—mmph!”

Jian Yi’s eyes flew wide open, glaring fiercely at the woman before him!

This damned woman had actually shoved the snake meat right into his mouth!

He immediately tried to spit it out, but Feng Jiu’er’s expression darkened, and she said sharply, “If you spit it out, you’ll lose forever!”

Jian Yi froze, his palms clenched tight.

If he spat it out, he would lose! Was he really going to admit defeat just like that?

He had been afraid for over a decade now, and just as Feng Jiu’er had said, for someone like him who often traveled through the wilderness, this weakness could be fatal.

Was he really… going to admit defeat?

“Don’t be afraid. Just bite down — bite down hard, and you’ll have won!”

Feng Jiu’er stared at his lips — oh dear, this man’s lips were so soft and pink, how could they look so good!

She nearly stared herself silly!

She hastily turned her face away. “Quick! Bite down, bite hard! You can conquer it, you really can!”

At last, Jian Yi clenched his fist tightly and bit down hard.

“Hiss!” It hurt!

Though the pain wasn’t unbearable, this unexpected sting still made him furrow his brow tightly.

“Ugh, are you out of your mind! Why would you bite into its bone?”

Thankfully the snake wasn’t venomous — he’d actually bitten right into the snake’s bone, and she had no idea whether he’d hurt those handsome thin lips of his in the process.

Feng Jiu’er pulled the snake meat away, staring at his lips. “Where did it hurt?”

“Seems like… inside.” Jian Yi looked a little embarrassed — even eating something had managed to hurt him. Was this snake truly born to harm people? Could it cause mischief even after death?

“You don’t even know how to eat snake meat?” Then again, thinking about it, given how afraid he was of snakes, he had surely never eaten snake meat in his whole life.

Feng Jiu’er tore off a piece of the meat and handed it to him. “Look, the middle is bone, and so are the sides — only the meat along the back here is edible.”

Jian Yi still looked a bit reluctant and tried to dodge away, but Feng Jiu’er pressed the meat right up to his lips anyway.

“Come on, you’ve already eaten some — what’s there to be afraid of now? Eat it, and you’ll have won!”

Honestly, fussing about like some shy young maiden — couldn’t he just get on with it already?

Jian Yi glanced at her, then looked again at the small piece of meat in her hand.

Then, suddenly gritting his teeth, he took a bite…