Chapter 104: Night visit, life hanging by a thread (2/2)
“There’s still the two bedrooms, we’ll keep looking,” Han Yunxi said mildly, though her heart was secretly delighted. Those two or three poisons must have been a coincidence, she must have been overthinking things!
Long Feiye didn’t ask any more, but walked with Han Yunxi to Han Ruoxue’s quarters. A woman’s rooms were different, and these exuded a faint fragrance as soon as they drew near. Long Feiye paused before saying, “Come back when it’s daylight.”
Han Yunxi glanced at the skies and replied, “We can still make it. It’ll save us an extra trip.”
First and foremost, she had a bet at stake and no time to waste; secondly, she wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly until she thoroughly cleared things up. It was very possible that she was over thinking things when she couldn’t find any more traces of snake poison. But it was also highly possible that the poisons were hidden in these bedrooms. Long Feiye was about to speak when Han Yunxi retrieved a stick of something that resembled sandalwood and carefully lit one end. She poked a hole through the paper-covered windows and inserted it inside.
Even if such sleep-inducing incense was only used by the likes of riffraff, it was still convenient at critical moments like these. Han Yunxi calculated the time before shooting Long Feiye a mischievous smile. “Your Highness, break open the door.”
Long Feiye couldn’t help but think these words were quite daring. Actually, if they wanted to investigate Third Madame, it was a simple affair to come by at daytime and turn the house inside out without anyone the wiser. He must have been crazy to bring this woman here in the middle of the night to do such things.
He expressionlessly pried the door open and watch Han Yunxi slip in, but remained unmoving in place without taking a single peek inside. He avoided women’s rooms like the plague; besides, its owner was still sleeping inside.
Han Ruoxue was already asleep, but the added effects of the incense made it nearly impossible for her to wake up. Han Yunxi inspected all corners before drawing closer to check the bed. She lifted the bedcurtains and saw that Han Ruoxue had a terrible sleeping posture, sprawled messily all over her bed. Unconsciously, Han Yunxi glanced towards the door, musing that it was a good thing Long Feiye hadn’t entered.
She didn’t know whether to regret or rejoice that Han Ruoxue’s rooms were free from poison. Now there was only Third Madame Li’s rooms left. Han Yunxi didn’t dare to look at Long Feiye’s face, but thought that tonight’s disappointments were enough to dispel his good mood.
As before, she used sleep-inducing incense to sink Madame Li into unconsciousness before opening the door and slipping inside. Long Feiye stood silently outside, but kept a careful watch on his surroundings for movement. If Third Madame Li was a spy, then this courtyard wasn’t so simple at first glance. She’d at least have guards that came and left the place.
Madame Li’s rooms were much bigger than Han Ruoxue’s, and also the most suspicious. Han Yunxi examined everything carefully, completely focused so as to not miss a single trace. Yet after a thorough search, nothing had triggered her detox system alarms. Finally, Han Yunxi’s eyes rested on the bed, the last place to inspect in this entire courtyard!
“Third Madame, did you administer the Ten-Thousand Snake Poison?” Han Yunxi murmured to herself, step after step leading her closer to the bed.
If Long Feiye had followed her inside, he would’ve sensed something off long ago. Unfortunately, he was still outside.
Han Yunxi approached the bed in degrees. She didn’t know any martial arts, so how could she sense the frightening killing intent emanating from its occupant? As soon as Third Madame smelled the sleep-inducing incense, she’d woken up. Right now, she held a sharp dagger in one hand. Her expression was sinister and diabolic, completely different from her usual self. She’d heard Han Yunxi’s mutterings and realized that she’d come. So Han Yunxi really did suspect her, and she’d even dropped by to investigate!
How did this girl start suspecting her?
Did she really find traces of poison that day in the wooden house? Those three drawers that she’d opened indeed used to hide snake poisons, but they’d already been cleared out. They didn’t leave behind any scent, so how did Han Yunxi find out? This girl could cure Mu Qingwu’s Ten-Thousand Snake Poison, which proved that her poison skills weren’t bad at all. But no level of poisons master could sniff out the traces of scent left behind by those three snake poisons!
Third Madame was filled with questions, but she didn’t have time to consider so much right now. She hadn’t even made her move before this damned girl gained the initiative. Very well then, today she’d help her achieve her aim! If Han Yunxi died here, nobody would ever know. One less poisons expert in Tianning’s imperial family would save them a whole lot of trouble. Thinking up to here, Third Madame’s killing intent grew stronger.
Han Yunxi stopped before the bed. She wouldn’t be able to investigate so thoroughly without the detoxification system, but even with that she wouldn’t leave any corner untouched, including Third Madame’s own hands! She didn’t want to find anything, but she had to stick to her principles. Since she’d promised Long Feiye, she had to work earnestly until the end. Han Yunxi focused and concentrated hard to increased the sensitivity of her detox system. Inside the bedcurtains, Third Madame’s cold phoenix eyes narrowed, one hand holding a dagger, the other the curtains.
Han Yunxi also raised a hand to grasp the curtains, about to lift them aside. Just as her life was hanging by a hair, a cold voice suddenly rose from outside. “Han Yunxi, are you done yet?”
Hearing this, Han Yunxi turned her head while Third Madame suddenly grew apprehensive. Of course she recognized the owner of that cold and emotionless voice.
It was him, Long Feiye!