Testing for poison with a silver needle was a popular method among the common people. However, silver needles were only capable of revealing the presence of arsenic poison whereas many more unnamed poisons could escape its detection.
Qin Miaoyu was very cautious; after running tests with a silver needle, she had also even ordered some people to catch a few chickens and ducks to use the soup on them.
After an hour had gone, the animals were still jumping around in full health.
Unless, this was a poison that spread slowly, so its effect would only show itself after a few days.
Cui Buqu looked at that bowl after he'd finished listening to her speak.
After the half-full bowl of Tremella and Lotus Seed Soup was taken for examination, there was not much of it left.
He raised the bowl up, and just like he did before in the estate, he sniffed at it again.
"The soup is cooled, but there is still a faint fishy smell." Cui Buqu said.
Qin Miaoyu nodded her head, "Because there are some fish maws in it. It's good for the skin when women drink tremella boiled with fish maw."
Cui Buqu had never invested much in beauty, so he only offered silence. He would never simply offer an opinion on subjects he didn't know much about. "Zhangsun's letter just came. He asked me to return to the capital as soon as possible. Go ask Feng-er, see whether he wishes to remain and investigate or if he is willing to put the case on hold and hand them over to the Luoyang Authorities and go back with me."
With experience from all the cases he had investigated, the annihilation of the Yandang Estate has already reached its end. The murderer has likely fled the moment they arrived. Unless the other committed another murder, or if they obtain some clues from Lin Wei after returning to the capital, it would be very difficult for them to have a breakthrough.
Cui Buqu added: "I would let the Luoyang Authorities gather more coroners to examine these corpses of the Yandang Estate and leave behind one Zuoyue member to take over. If there are any new findings, he would immediately report back to the capital. You people from the Jiejian Bureau could also leave behind some people to investigate together."
After a moment of being stunned, Qin Miaoyu immediately answered: "I will ask the Second Commander to make a decision!"
"Wait."
Cui Buqu stopped her, a look of confusion on his face.
Qin Miaoyu thought that she'd seen wrongly.
Given Cui Buqu's personality, it was practically impossible for him to give such a look.
After a while, Cui Buqu asked: "Would the skin lose its shine from sleeping too late?"
Qin Miaoyu: "???"
Her instincts told her that Cui Buqu's words might mean something else—some mechanism hidden within them that required her to analyse it.
Qin Miaoyu's brain went blank for a moment. "It should be… true."
Cui Buqu: "Do you usually go to sleep late?"
Qin Miaoyu blinked. "When I was in the Kingdom of Khotan, I obtained some secrets about retaining one's beauty and made it into the recipe of an Immortal Salve. Even if I sleep late at night, that would be no trouble. If you want, this humble woman could offer it with both hands. Or, do you want to offer them to the Second Commander as gifts?"
Cui Buqu looked at her: "How did you come to the conclusion that I was giving it to him?"
Qin Miaoyu felt that she'd said something wrong. She felt shy and so she lowered her head.
Cui Buqu smiled all of a sudden, speaking gently and slowly: "It's only due to me thinking how jade-like and luminous your skin is, Qin Miaoyu, that you look incredibly beautiful. If you overwork yourself, it would be such a pity. There are quite a number of beauty secrets in the palace. Perhaps some of them could be of use to you. The next time I pay the palace a visit, I will request from the Empress for some on your behalf."
Qin Miaoyu was shocked at the favour she received. Her heart was a little moved, "Can that be done?"
Cui Buqu: "Naturally. Although you are a member of the Jiejian Bureau, you play a great role in defeating the Thirteen Pavilions of Yunhai this time. The Empress has always been generous. I am simply passing a message."
In all honesty, no woman wouldn't be moved after hearing such words. Qin Miaoyu was no exception. She happily said: "Then, many thanks to Commander Cui!"
Since they stepped onto Guangqian to this moment, one could say that they hadn't stopped working, for upsurges happened one after the last. Even for people like Qin Miaoyu who was quite good in martial arts couldn't help her stomach growling after returning to her own home and seeing the steamy meal delivered by the envoy from the posthouse.
In life, one must strive for a luxurious lifestyle to their full enjoyment; to only wag a finger and watch someone offering them the things they wanted with both hands—since the moment of joining the Fuyu Sect, trained, and ordered to get close to the Khotan King's nephew and become the concubine of Yuchi Jinwu, Qin Miaoyu had established such a thought for herself. However, all these thoughts changed when she was forced into surrendering and handing over everything she knew to join the Jiejian Bureau.
She woke up earlier than a rooster and slept later than a dog. Every day, she'd have to busy herself dealing with cases, frequently putting her life on the line. Once in a while, she would even have to fight against top martial artists. Nevermind a luxurious lifestyle; if she could sleep on time it would already be quite the treat. Qin Miaoyu knew that Feng Xiao hadn't fully trusted her. Su Xing, who infiltrated the City of Six Crafts with her and later killed the mistress of the Lu family, was already dead. Qin Miaoyu was the only one who survived.
So, in order to protect her own life, Qin Miaoyu had no choice but to work hard. Her desires for items of luxuries lessened, and now she couldn't even help wetting her eyes at the sight of hot soup and a bowl of rice.
The more she lived, the more she fell back. Qin Miaoyu suddenly couldn't help feeling sourness in her heart.
To think of that year, when she was someone surrounded by servants, and yet now—
Pei Jingzhe's voice rang from the outside, "Sister Qin! After discussing with Commander Cui just now, my Lord decides to set out after sunrise."
"Got it!" Qin Miaoyu immediately said. Hearing Pei Jingzhe's footsteps getting further and further away, she had no time to spare to mourn, so she immediately raised the bowl and began to eat.
At this time, it's not even six hours away from sunrise. After eating, she'd still need to wash…
What a terrible life for a fragile woman like her!
If they could return to the past, she would most definitely slap the past version of herself who had stolen the Jade of Heaven's Lake. Who asked you to be greedy and short-sighted?! Quickly pack your bags and leave, otherwise, you would be caught into the den of tigers and wolves to work like horses and cows!
Qin Miaoyu could only gobble down her soup as she gathered her bitter tears.
In such a season, the sky was slow in transitioning from night to morning. After the time where the Dragons are going to bring rainwater (7AM – 9AM), the sky outside still looked dark.
Once Qin Miaoyu finished washing, it was already past the time when the oxen were chewing the cud (1AM – 3AM). When she thought about how she couldn't sleep much after lying down, she meditated on the bed instead. When 7 am drew near, her heart was on alert, and so she opened her eyes, got down the bed, and went out to make arrangements in advance.
The people in the posthouse would make arrangements for the horse carriages. The horses have already been fed full. They would only need a driver to guide them out and place a harness on them.
Qin Miaoyu was very meticulous. Since the weather was too cold, Cui Buqu's carriage would not have enough blankets to keep him warm. Normal people may hold out for a little, but with Commander Cui's body, he would have frozen and fallen ill. She still remembered what Cui Buqu had told her yesterday about getting her some beauty salves from the palace. In her heart, she said: if Commander Cui fell ill on the journey, it would delay him going into the palace. Thus, she gave the carriage a glance and made the envoy put in some additional blankets.
One night has gone. There was a thin layer of ice surrounding the carriage. Even the steps leading to inside the carriage weren't spared. That was where the host would have to step on to get into the carriage. It was also the place where the driver would be sitting. Qin Miaoyu gave it a sweeping glance and was stunned on the spot.
Lanterns at the gates of the posthouse wavered; their gentle light swaying like it would go out at any moment.
On top of the white-coloured ice, there were two footprints.
Those footprints were very light, so light that anyone could have missed them. They were heading into the direction of the inside of the carriage.
All the hairs on Qin Miaoyu suddenly stood!
All her fatigue disappeared within an instant. She abruptly took a few steps back and shouted: "Who goes there? Come out!"
The horse carriage didn't even shake.
Instead, someone else came running out due to her voice.
Qin Miaoyu flipped her hand to draw out Pei Jingzhe's sword, sweeping it with the pivot of her wrist and tore the carriage's curtain apart.
Someone was sitting inside.
His face was twisted and it had turned green. His eyes were wide and round, his mouth hanging open, glaring at Qin Miaoyu as if he was looking at an incredibly horrible and painful sight.
Pei Jingzhe let out a slip of his tongue: "Zhou Laoqi!"
A member of the Jiejian Bureau, Zhou Laoqi. He was originally sent as a scout to the Yandang Estate. By orders, he was supposed to infiltrate the Yandang Estate in the disguise of a servant and monitor every move of the estate.
After that bloody incident, the Jiejian and Zuoyue Bureaus had lost a scout each.
Now, Zhou Laoqi of the Jiejian Bureau has shown himself.
Then where was the one from the Zuoyue Bureau?
As everyone outside was in a frenzy, Zhou Laoqi didn't bulge. He continued to look at them.
"He is dead."
Ming Yue walked out from the door. Those severe injuries of his haven't recovered, and so most of his time was spent resting in the horse carriage. At this moment, although he wasn't as quick as he used to be, he revealed himself like blinding lightning as he attacked. One might say that his condition has turned for the better.
But when he attacked, Zhou Laoqi didn't move.
Ming Yue's expression changed slightly. As he used a little more strength, the horse carriage shook a little, yet Zhou Laoqi's butt seemed to be stuck fast to the ground.
"Something is fishy under the carriage." Cui Buqu coughed twice. He had also come out. The lack of rest made his face look paler than yesterday night.
Pei Jingzhe bent down and looked at the bottom of the carriage and quickly found the problem.
"There is a sword under the carriage!"
Once he pulled the sword out, Zhou Laoqi finally slumped sideways.
Not only Pei Jingzhe, but everyone else was also astonished.
Zhou Laoqi was placed into the carriage, then fastened onto the seat by a sword piercing directly into his body. So, it was obvious why when Ming Yue attacked, he hadn't bulged.
From the looks of his expression, Zhou Laoqi might not have been completely dead when the sword pierced through.
How did it feel as an experience to be pierced through your body alive by a sword before you were dead?
Pei Jingzhe knew that this wasn't the sort of pain a normal person could endure. Even his own guts seem to be churning.
"The enemy is imposing their dominance on us." Ming Yue said dully.
His words made Pei Jingzhe's heart start beating fast.
The enemy's capabilities had led to the Yandang Estate's total annihilation. It was impossible for Zhou Laoqi to escape this, and it seemed like the enemy not only knew that Zhou Laoqi was a scout of the Jiejian Bureau, they even know that Feng Xiao and the others had made their way here and tortured Zhou Laoqi to death in front of them on purpose. This wasn't only challenging Feng Xiao, but also a challenge towards the entire Jiejian Bureau.
Ming Yue has always been lenient and he seldom got angry. And yet, this time, he truly was angry. "Er-lang, we should stay here. We'll leave only after the truth has been discovered!"
Before Feng Xiao could speak, Cui Buqu spoke first: "I suggest we all leave. We leave now."
Towards Cui Buqu, Ming Yue still held some degree of respect. He angrily said: "Commander Cui. This person obviously knew our intentions and whereabouts. If we fail to remove them quickly, I fear they would pose an even bigger threat!"
Although Pei Jingzhe and the others said nothing, their expressions agreed with Ming Yue.
Cui Buqu's train of thought was different from theirs. "Before I slept yesterday, I already asked the people from the posthouse. The posthouse of Luoyang is larger than any others that could be found. Not including us, there were three different groups of people. One group of four went to Xin'an County to assume their post as county officials. One group of six passed by Luoyang as travelling scholars. Another group of thirty-six people were from the group belonging to Yangcheng Xuanzhu, the daughter of the Emperor's late brother, Prince Caijing. Adding to the miscellaneous workers of the posthouse, there were too many people. News of us leaving today must have spread out last night and it wouldn't be impossible to investigate, but it would most certainly be time costly. In fact, it would not yield effective results. I think that the enemy has a different motive."
Feng Xiao, who hasn't spoken before, concluded his words: "What you mean is that he is trying to stop us from leaving Luoyang so quickly."
"That is right." Cui Buqu nodded, "The more he wants to stall us, the more it proves that we need to hurry back to the capital. This matter cannot be delayed, and so we must depart immediately."
As Ming Yue listened to this, his eyebrows furrowed in silence. For a moment, he could think of nothing to say back.
But Feng Xiao had already made the decision. He allowed Pei Jingzhe to inform the posthouse immediately and allow them to help bury Zhou Laoqi's corpse. Then, he made arrangements for Cui Buqu and Guan Shanhai to change into a different horse carriage. The group of people tidied and arranged their journey, not having the time to even fawn on each other about the weather.
Everyone was separated into three different horse carriages. Guan Shanhai and Ming Yue shared one; Qin Miaoyu and Bing Xuan shared one; Cui Buqu's horse carriage would be in the centre along with a few Zuoyue guards and eagle riders from the Jiejian Bureau.
One moment before the horse carriages departed for their journey, Cui Buqu was sitting inside the carriage in deep pondering when he saw Feng Xiao giving up on riding a horse and welcomed himself into the carriage.
"How warm is it in here!" Feng Xiao comfortably exhaled a breath and met Cui Buqu's speechless expression, "The enemy is in the dark, yet we are in the light. I had no choice but to abandon my comrades to come over here and protect you. Don't you forget who it was that helped you stop someone else yesterday night."
Little Lord Pei who was unable to "share in the joys and sorrows" with his superior was being blown over by chill winds outside as he rode on a horse.
As he thought about how tired the other was last night, Cui Buqu withdrew the words he wanted to speak and instead passed the pre-prepared water sack made from animal hide next to him over to Feng Xiao.
"It's warm."
Feng Xiao raised a brow, and from the corner of his eyes, he saw another water sack similar to the one he was holding in the corner of the carriage.
This meant that Cui Buqu had long already prepared this one, wanting to give it to him.
He gave the other a half-smile and received the water sack to take a sip.
The water was still warm, and after slipping down his throat, it had even tasted sweet.
Feng Xiao blinked. He thought that just because he was in a good mood, the water had turned sweet, but quickly realized this was not the case when he took another sip.
It really was sweet.
"What did you put in the water?"
"Poison." Cui Buqu casually raised a book to flip it open, not even raising his head.
"Ooh~~~~" Feng Xiao dragged his tone, "It appears to be Bingzhi Pellets."
Cui Buqu: "…"
"My apologies. I've taken the wrong one. This was originally meant for Qin Miaoyu." He coldly stated.
Feng Xiao sighed. "Although one might say that there are no little amount of people in this world who admire my eminence and grace, if you hold such kindness, it's only right for you to say them out loud."
Cui Buqu coldly laughed: "Although one might say that I would never take a fancy on common mortals, that even if Second Commander Feng has fallen for me, I might not even bat an eye at you. However, with your manner of concealing your intentions in such a way, aren't you disgracing your status and air as a top martial artist?"
Feng Xiao chuckled. "Who says I fell for you? How would I fall for an ailing invalid? Stop immersing in your fantasy. Could it be that you have fallen for me?"
Cui Buqu sneered. "You think I would fall for a bald tailed peacock with a polished exterior who habours a disappointment on the inside?"
They met each other's gazes and tore away at the same time, no longer paying the other any attention.
Feng Xiao said in his heart: Hmph, refusing to speak your heart!
Cui Buqu gave a cold laugh inwardly: Refusing to speak your mind!
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Dust Bunny: I forgot to put this earlier. Bingzhi (冰芝) Pellets whereas 冰 means 'Ice' and 芝 appears to be from lingzhi (灵芝) is a medicinal mushroom that has been recognized for over 2000 years. Personally, I believe Bingzhi is referring to frozen lingzhi, maybe from a dash of wuxia-ness.