Chapter 90: Tea leaves, results of the investigation (1/2)

Han Yunxi knew the study was smelly and gave a derisive smile. “Your highness, let me invite you out. It reeks a bit here.”

“It smells just as much out there,” Long Feiye said coldly.

“Then let’s go to the courtyard,” Han Yunxi shrugged her shoulders, not at all embarrassed despite being the hostess. It wasn’t as if she had invited him in.

As a doctor, she too had a slight degree of mysophobia, but every time she immersed herself in researching new poisons, she forgot all about cleanliness. Right now the study could still be considered tolerable. In a couple more days, the mess would probably grow worse than a trash heap. Of course, as soon as she finished her research, she could clean it up nice and neatly.

“You’re making poisons?” Long Feiye didn’t have any intention of leaving.

“Just trying some things out because I’m bored,” Han Yunxi answered. Actually, all the bowls on the table contained Ten-Thousand Snake Poison. She’d taken it out of the detox system yesterday afternoon and placed them in water. It only took one day before they changed into this.

“What kind of poison is this?” Long Feiye asked again.

“Ten-Thousand Snake Poison. I collected some from the young general’s blood last time and started researching since I had nothing else to do,” Han Yunxi replied. It wasn’t the truth, but it wasn’t exactly a lie, either.

But in Long Feiye’s eyes, she was lying. It seemed like this woman was busying herself with Mu Qingwu’s affairs, but why was she hiding the fact from him? According to Chu Xifeng, she’d even looked for Gu Beiyue twice, but he couldn’t even leave the palace. Long Feiye didn’t call her out right away, but found a place to sit down and speak.

“What have you found out?”

Han Yunxi glanced over. Even amidst all the smelly medicinal ingredients, he still looked noble and clean like an immortal descended from the Heavens. Not a speck of filth could touch him. What did he mean by this? Did he actually want to have a conversation?

“I haven’t found anything yet?” Han Yunxi replied in a questioning tone. She didn’t give Long Feiye a chance to ask again, but queried, “Your highness said you had business…what is it?”

But who knew that Long Feiye had hardly sat down before he got back up. “Nothing.”

So speaking, he walked past her without turning back and left the Leisurely Cloud Pavilion.

Just like that, he’s done?

Han Yunxi was truly puzzled. She ran to the door, only to see that Long Feiye’s figure had long shrank into the distance. Exactly what did he come here for?

Why was he always so baffling?

—

Long Feiye seemed to slow his steps, but his figure flickered before appeared in a flash before his sleeping quarters. Chu Xifeng, who had been waiting by the door, was astonished. “Your highness, didn’t you get back much earlier?”

After all, he had urgent intelligence to report. With his master’s personality, how could he be late? Yet seeing his complexion, Chu Xifeng guessed that he wasn’t in a good mood. Long Feiye didn’t say a word, but opened the door and went inside. Chu Xifeng followed behind him and missed seeing his knitted eyebrows.

Dammit.

Long Feiye was in a hurry to see Chu Xifeng but stopped when he saw her in the courtyard. After that, he even took a detour to her quarters. He hated these unconscious actions that came without thought, as if he was losing control of himself.

Seeing his master’s footsteps still, Chu Xifeng hurried over and reported in a low voice, “Your highness, there’s news.”

Only now did Long Feiye recover his senses and tilted his head back, his expression cold and mysterious. “Which family?”

Long Feiye’s efficiency when doing things was beyond rebuke. After getting Han Yunxi’s prescription from Mu Qingwu’s hands that day, he immediately found his contacts in the medical community and started his own investigation.

“Your highness, those three snake poisons are truly rare. Only three families have all three poisons, but there’s about ten families with one or two types each.” Chu Xifeng reported honestly, though his heart wasn’t in it. He couldn’t help but think that something was off with his master today, although he couldn’t say what.

Long Feiye kept silent until he realized Chu Xifeng wasn’t speaking. He turned around, his calm face turning frosty. “What else?”

Chu Xifeng couldn’t help but shiver and speak timidly. “The three families with all three snake poisons are Northern Li Country’s Li family, Western Zhou Country’s imperial pharmacy, and Pill Fiend Valley. There wasn’t time enough to investigate the other ten families, but your subordinate has already gotten people to look into Northern Li Country’s Li family. I believe we’ll get more details very soon.”

After learning his lesson from Long Feiye’s moods, Chu Xifeng immediately moved on to his next report. “Your highness, two more spies in the secret prison starved themselves to death. Right now we only have two more left. As your subordinate sees it, it won’t be easy to get them to talk.”

Long Feiye nodded. “Arrange for your lordship to interrogate them personally.”

—