Eunuch, do you really know these martial arts?

Chapter 627 Switched Out

Jiang Nian's lips twitched incessantly.

He really didn't know what to say, no, he couldn't say anything at all.

Is this system a joke?

Isn't this supposed to be a maintenance system? How come the style has changed so much all of a sudden?

Damn it, if the system hadn't been tied to Jiang Nian all along, he would have even started to suspect that someone had secretly replaced his system without his knowledge.

"Host?"

After a long while, before Jiang Nian could speak, the system couldn't help but shout out instinctively.

Are you sure you haven't been switched?

Jiang Nian said that he did not ask the question on purpose, but he really could not explain the system's abnormal behavior!

The key point is, damn it, the task has been issued, the punishment is there, but there's no reward?

Isn't this just making people work for nothing? Punishment without reward is simply outrageous. Besides, it eliminates any motivation to complete the task!

Jiang Nian now just wants to be a couch potato.

"Dear host, this system kindly reminds you that the mission timer has started from this moment. If you fail to complete the mission within the specified time, all the skills you have acquired will be revoked!"

Without answering Jiang Nian's question, the system dutifully reminded him that what he should be doing now was completing the task, not sitting here thinking about random things.

"..."

It has to be said that the system is really good at grasping the key points and has completely exploited Jiang Nian's weakness.

He didn't want to be reduced to his original form, so all Jiang Nian could do now was to cheer up and complete the mission.

"Is there really no reward at all?"

Before getting up, Jiang Nian asked, still unwilling to give up.

No matter what, shouldn't we at least offer them something in return?

"Dear host, I'm very sorry, but please complete the mission as soon as possible!"

The system seemed to have turned into an emotionless machine again, speaking meticulously in this manner.

Jiang Nian put down the newspaper and stood up abruptly.

"I really like this chef. I'd like to have some authentic Japanese cuisine for lunch. Please remember to tell the chef to make it later!"

Jiang Nian gave Zhou Zhou, who was still eating breakfast with a conflicted expression, a serious instruction.

"What?"

Zhou Zhou thought Jiang Nian was absolutely crazy. Otherwise, how could she have asked the chef to cook when she knew there was something wrong with him? She even shamelessly ordered food.

That's not the point. Could it be that Jiang Nian was already under control after ingesting the poison in his breakfast?

impossible!

This poison isn't in large quantities; it will take at least two consecutive days to completely subdue Jiang Nian.

What exactly is going on?

Before Zhou Zhou could figure it out, Jiang Nian finished giving instructions and walked straight towards the gate, clearly indicating that she was about to leave.

Ignoring the jumbled thoughts in her mind, Zhou Zhou quickly dropped the rice ball in her hand and chased after him.

Regardless, Jiang Nian's safety was his responsibility during their time in Japan. If anything happened to Jiang Nian, he feared that even before the person who had secretly poisoned him could act, he would be killed by Dark Eagle first.

A protector may have a high status in the shadow organization, but in front of the person in power, he is really just an ant. If they want to kill him, they don't even need to say a word.

Jiang Nian didn't even need to download a map. The system had already prepared a complete map of Japan in his mind, which appeared clearly in his mind.

Jiang Nian and Zhou Zhou strolled around casually for more than two hours before returning on time when lunch was served.

Seeing that Jiang Nian went straight to the restaurant to eat as soon as she returned, Zhou Zhou followed behind, watching Jiang Nian's back and falling into deep thought.

Could it be that Jiang Nian really just said it casually and didn't find anything?

While he was hesitating, Jiang Nian had already eaten quite a bit of food.

Could it be that Jiang Nian is so eager to eat lunch because he ate food laced with poison this morning?

If the other party arranged for someone to put poison in Jiang Nian's food, why would they ask him to plant the "Heart-Eating Gu" in Jiang Nian's food?

Given Jiang Nian's condition, is it really worth risking my life to deliver the message to him?

Zhou Zhou began to hesitate.

It wasn't until he sat down and saw that there was only food on the table, and the note he had folded that morning was nowhere to be found, that Zhou Zhou's heart skipped a beat.

At that time, he was in such a hurry that he followed Jiang Nian out, forgetting to take the note he left on the table with him.

The person clearing the table must have seen that note.

I'm sure the person who poisoned me has already seen the note, right?

In this situation, it seems he has no other way out.

“Mr. Jiang Nian, I would like to have a serious talk with you, just the two of us!”

Before Jiang Nian finished eating, went upstairs, and entered his room, Zhou Zhou called out to him, speaking with a serious expression.

That morning, although he went out with Jiang Nian, Jiang Nian didn't say a word the whole way, and he even pretended not to hear Zhou Zhou when she spoke.

Perhaps Zhou Zhou wasn't in a hurry before, but after discovering that the note he left behind was missing, he was no longer as calm as before.

Zhou Zhou still doesn't understand what kind of Gu poison is in his body, which means he has no way to cure it.

He couldn't risk his life, so even if Jiang Nian didn't want to talk to him now, he still had to have a serious talk with her.

"Come in!"

Jiang Nian opened the door and walked in first. Just as Zhou Zhou was about to despair and barge in, he casually spoke up. "System, block all spying signals in this room!"

After Zhou Zhou entered his room, Jiang Nian gave the system an order.

"Alright, host, signal blocked. Friendly reminder: four hours have passed since the seventy-two-hour period ended, leaving you with only sixty-eight hours. This system eagerly awaits your humiliating defeat!"

The system did this on purpose; after completing the task Jiang Nian had assigned it, it deliberately said this.

Jiang Nian ignored the system and looked at Zhou Zhou instead.

"You've been talking to me about all sorts of strange things several times. What exactly do you want?"

Knowing that Zhou Zhou's actions were, to some extent, a form of surrender to her, Jiang Nian still spoke coldly and irritably.

He didn't care what Zhou Zhou was thinking; if he was unhappy, then Zhou Zhou wouldn't have an easy time either.

“Mr. Jiang Nian, I am willing to follow you, but I only hope that you can help me find the person who poisoned me. The other party gave me orders to use the Heart-Eating Gu on you. Moreover, a small amount of Gu poison was added to your meals this morning and at noon. If you continue to eat it, once it accumulates to a certain level, you will also be controlled by someone!”

Zhou Zhou explained bluntly. He now understood that Jiang Nian was definitely not someone he could threaten, and if he wanted Jiang Nian to stand on the same side as him, he had to show sincerity.

After saying these words, Zhou Zhou took out a small, light green porcelain bottle.

"The other party has put poison in your food. I have the antidote. Take it immediately. You must not let them control you!"

Zhou Zhou knew all too well that if even Jiang Nian was controlled by others, then he would never get the better of her.

He wanted to get rid of the Gu poison in his body, but at the same time, Zhou Zhou did not want to be controlled by others.

Jiang Nian took the porcelain bottle from Zhou Zhou and held it in her hand, gently playing with it.

He didn't say anything, his gaze remained fixed on Zhou Zhou.

After entering the room, Jiang Nian sat down on the sofa, while Zhou Zhou stood opposite him.

Because Jiang Nian didn't offer him a seat, Zhou Zhou stood there awkwardly.

Feeling Jiang Nian's gaze fixed on him, Zhou Zhou felt an intense sense of tension rising within him.

Jiang Nian remained silent, and Zhou Zhou had no way of guessing what he was thinking. There was nothing he could do but wait.

Those few minutes felt like years to Zhou Zhou; his back was drenched in cold sweat, soaking his clothes. But even so, he could only wait quietly.

“I understand what you mean. It’s just poisoning me, I don’t care. But I want this Heart-Eating Gu. Get it ready, I need it tonight!”

Jiang Nian finally spoke, but not to answer Zhou Zhou's previous question; he simply said it in a very relaxed tone.

Zhou Zhou looked up in disbelief, staring wide-eyed at Jiang Nian.

"Comrade Jiang Nian, this Heart-Eating Gu is no ordinary Gu poison. One can easily be infected and suffer the constant pain of the Gu worms biting your heart. Moreover, and most importantly, there is no cure for the Heart-Eating Gu; the only way to alleviate the pain is with the blood of the person who raises it!"

Thinking that Jiang Nian was unaware of the power of the Heart-Eating Gu, Zhou Zhou quickly explained.

He couldn't understand what Jiang Nian was trying to do at all. He was afraid that Jiang Nian was planning to use himself as bait to lure the person behind the scenes into a trap. But once the Heart-Eating Gu was planted, one's life would truly be ruined.

Even Zhou Zhou himself couldn't guarantee that he could survive if he were infected with the Heart-Eating Gu.

To alleviate the pain, one can only be subject to others for the rest of one's life.

Although Zhou Zhou had crafted the Heart-Eating Gu, he had never used it. After all, the person afflicted by the Heart-Eating Gu would suffer greatly, and the person who cast it would also be in pain, having to release blood from time to time. If one's body was weak, one would not be able to withstand it.

"You don't need to worry about that. I have my own way of handling everything. Just give me the Heart-Eating Gu. Zhou Zhou, you should understand that you rashly said some things in public today, and I'm afraid you won't have a good night tonight. You'd better think this through!"

This time, Jiang Nian didn't look at Zhou Zhou again. He simply played with the small porcelain bottle and calmly said this. With the system in his possession, poisons and the like couldn't get close to him, but Zhou Zhou was different. He wondered how much longer he could hold out.

Jiang Nian's words left Zhou Zhou momentarily stunned. He wasn't even quite sure what Jiang Nian was trying to express.

At the very least, based on his understanding of Jiang Nian, he never did anything pointless. Back then, if it weren't for the support of the Shadow Organization, Zhou Zhou wouldn't have been able to escape alive; he would have been captured by the Chinese military long ago.

His brain was still working perfectly. Even if he'd become a bit slow lately, it was only because he was back at the base and Zhou Zhou thought nothing would happen to him, so he relaxed.

Now, when he starts to use his brain, his thoughts become much more active.

"Mr. Jiang Nian, I am willing to follow you. So, can you help me get rid of the Gu poison that is currently afflicting my body?"

After pondering for a while, Zhou Zhou finally realized what was going on. Jiang Nian clearly knew there was poison in the food, yet she didn't care at all and even ate it twice in a row. In fact, this was a signal to him.

It's all my fault for being so slow-witted. Jiang Nian had made her point so clearly, yet I still hadn't realized it. No wonder Jiang Nian was unwilling to agree.

"You say you want to follow me, so why should I believe you? Zhou Zhou, you used to be a smart person, but now you've become quite muddled. There's no conflict of interest between us right now, and the poison you put on me is completely useless. Just for the fact that you used poison on me, I'd rather take your life. I believe the leaders in the Shadow Organization wouldn't object, after all, the benefits I can bring to Shadow Organization now far outweigh what you're offering. Under these circumstances, if you can't show any sincerity, why should I help you?"

Jiang Nian stared coldly at Zhou Zhou, her tone icy.

He wasn't exactly a saint, especially since Zhou Zhou had threatened him before. Taking Zhou Zhou in wasn't a big deal for Jiang Nian. Even alone, he could wreak havoc on the Shadow Organization if he wanted to.

However, Jiang Nian didn't mind if someone was willing to do the work. At least he didn't have to lift a finger, so what was there to say?

"This is the mother worm of the Heart-Eating Gu. I will consume the offspring worms, and with the mother worm in your hands, my life will also be in your hands."

Zhou Zhou knew that he couldn't possibly persuade Jiang Nian with just a few words.

However, when he sensed a deal in Jiang Nian's words, he realized that Jiang Nian did indeed have an antidote that could cure the Gu poison in his body.

He had suspected that the poison in his body might have been inflicted by Jiang Nian, but after entering the Sakura Kingdom, Zhou Zhou realized that Jiang Nian would not have inflicted poison on him.

However, Zhou Zhou still had some doubts in his mind—Jiang Nian clearly did not touch the Gu poison, so why did he have the antidote on his hands?

Zhou Zhou and Dark Eagle had reviewed his identity information countless times. He was involved in crucial national projects of China, and the research projects he participated in were all top-secret. Some projects he oversaw even yielded results far exceeding initial predictions. (End of Chapter)