Chapter 16 - Dragon Saliva Incense (1/2)

Chapter 16: Dragon Saliva Incense

In the hazy light of morning, Xue Dongting suddenly caught a whiff of a very familiar scent. Her eyes shot open. Song Yuming was not in bed. Incense smoke curled up to the ceiling, wisps of smoke from an incense burner rising and wafting about in the room.

She knit her brows. That scent was really familiar. A simple, yet grand scent. Maybe this was just a dream and she was experiencing sleep paralysis. Despite the cold she got up and went to the table where sat the incense burner. She reached out and let the smoke glide past her fingertips. Suddenly she remembered something and her face fell as took several steps back, knocking a porcelain bowl off the table.

Song Yuming heard the commotion from the courtyard. He pushed the doors open and entered. She was staring at the incense burner, panic-stricken. He ran over to her. “Dongting? What’s wrong?”

She watched the smoke. “Where… Where did you get that?” Her voice was quavering.

She knew what this was. Dragon Saliva Incense! She had smelled it before, in the third prince’s manor. This incense was exorbitantly expensive. They said it was saliva from a dragon that dripped into the sea when the dragon slept and congealed into a mass. That’s why people called it “gold of the sea”. Only the imperial family could obtain this incense. Third Prince loved incense, and he regarded this one as a treasure.

She turned to Song Yuming sharply, an odd look on her face. “Who are you?”

Song Yuming’s eyes clouded briefly and he was silent. Then he said, “I’m just a fisherman.”

Xue Dongting narrowed her eyes, her tone of voice somewhat aggressive. “Then how come you have dragon saliva incense?”

Song Yuming looked at the incense burner. He lifted the lid and watched the smoke drift up. “I found this on a little island. I liked the scent so I brought some back.”

Xue Dongting started, and all her worries melted away. It would not be unusual for a fisherman out at sea to find dragon saliva incense.