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墨書 Inktalez
In an instant, everyone's gaze was focused on Qin Yaru.
Bai Yunsheng paused, his eyes flickering, but his expression remained unchanged, as if he didn't recognize her at all. Qin Yaru didn't glance at the young man whose origins were unclear. It was already evening, and her face was shrouded in a layer of hazy light from the setting sun, appearing dreamlike.
"Oh? Who is it?" Pang Yuanying smirked, but cold light flashed in his eyes, ominous and menacing.
Qin Yaru slightly lowered her head, casually picking up a bottle of detoxification water that everyone had drunk from. She held it to her nose, sniffed it, and murmured, "Good stuff. I was worried I wouldn't have enough anesthetic. The anesthetic made from this is twice as effective as what I currently have."
She smiled and looked up. "Wu County Magistrate, how about this Pufferfish Poison as a reward for your detoxification efforts?"
Wu County Magistrate was momentarily stunned: "Poison..."
Pang Yuanying and the elderly man beside him quickly reacted. The old man's face changed dramatically: "You mean this detoxification water is actually poison?"
Qin Yaru raised an eyebrow and smiled: "That's right. This is Pufferfish Poison. Although the processing method is quite crude and the quality isn't very high, the quantity is substantial."
The Vermilion Bird Tower was originally in disarray, with people inside feeling anxious and uneasy. However, they were captivated by Qin Yaru's words and momentarily forgot their worries. Even those who were severely poisoned had stopped vomiting; they could only lie there motionless. The Shopkeeper had intended to send them to the back courtyard to rest, but given the unclear situation earlier, no one had managed to take care of them.
Looking at the hesitant crowd, Qin Yaru sighed: "Aside from Pufferfish, the only things consumed here are drinks and tea. I see that the Marquis is quite particular; whether it's drinks or tea, they are all self-prepared, and this old gentleman personally took them."
Her gaze slowly fell on the elderly man. "With your meticulousness, you surely wouldn't make a mistake. Aside from these items, everyone present has only drunk detoxification water. Naturally, no one would suspect that this life-saving detoxification water could turn into a deadly poison."
Everyone suddenly realized.
The old man slammed the table: "Indeed." He exchanged a glance with someone nearby, and immediately two armed guards rushed forward to examine the detoxification water. One of them dipped a bit of liquid and tasted it with his tongue before immediately spitting it out, trembling as he said, "Hu Lao, it indeed has poison."
The atmosphere upstairs was even more peculiar.
When eating Pufferfish, one must prepare antidote water; this is common knowledge. From the very beginning, the Shopkeeper of the Vermilion Bird Tower placed the antidote water on a table on the second floor. It's better to be safe than sorry; if something goes wrong, it's good to have it on hand to save one's life.
Qin Yaru exhaled and took a few steps, standing two arm lengths behind Pang Yuanying, before smiling and saying, "I found it strange from the start. Since the Pufferfish I prepared are not poisonous, then what happened to the person who tested the poison for the Marquis at the beginning?"
Her gaze swept across everyone's faces for a moment before she continued slowly and calmly, "Once we know that the antidote water is indeed effective against poison, things become clear. If the tester was poisoned, their instinctive reaction would surely be to drink the antidote immediately. And since the Marquis has the highest status, he would likely consume the most of it. The worse he feels, the more dangerous his situation becomes, meaning he would have taken in even more antidote..."
Before she finished speaking, everyone's eyes began to scan the entire second floor and gradually settled on a short, thin man lying silently in a corner.
He seemed to be in a state of unconsciousness, completely unnoticeable. If it weren't for Qin Yaru's reminder, no one would have paid attention to him at all.
However, at this moment, everyone looked at the short man with a hint of suspicion.
The old man maintained a stern expression and said coldly, "Wang Da, go check on Li Qi."
A guard behind Pang Yuanying responded immediately but had only taken a couple of steps when the short man suddenly sprang up and lunged toward the Marquis.
The second floor was instantly thrown into chaos; only Qin Yaru stood firmly in place, completely unaffected. Her position was very strategic, allowing her to protect herself to the greatest extent.
For Qin Yaru, instinctively seeking advantage and avoiding danger on the battlefield had become second nature. If she didn't possess such skills, how could she dare to follow Gao Feng around recklessly?
Although this man was fierce and reckless, he was just one person and seemed not particularly skilled. The Yamen Runners and the Marquis's guards quickly surrounded him. In no time at all, they had him tied up tightly and brought before Pang Yuanying.
Pang Yuanying frowned and turned to the old man beside him, asking, "Who is he?"
Before the old man could respond, the short and thin man bound on the ground suddenly raised his head, glaring at Pang Yuanying with bloodshot eyes. A coarse laugh escaped his throat, but it was more chilling than a cry: "You actually don't know who I am? Right, you are the lofty Marquis, and I am just a dog raised by your Pang Family. Why would you need to remember me?"
Pang Yuanying coldly watched him struggle at his feet without saying a word. The old man, however, was furious and shouted, "Li Qi, you were once a beggar. If it weren't for the kindness of the old master who took you in, how could you have lived to this day? How dare you be ungrateful and betray your master? You deserve to be cut into a thousand pieces!"
Upon hearing this, the man's face seemed to show some signs of struggling shame, but his gaze towards Pang Yuanying remained extremely venomous: "Even if the Pang Family has been kind to me, for ten years I have tested poisons for the Pang Family, facing death one hundred thirteen times..."
His voice then rose higher as he screamed hoarsely: "Our loyalty as servants means nothing to this lofty Marquis. Just because his friends took a glance at Yue Niang, he generously sent her away. He is carefree and generous, but are we not human? Just objects that can be casually given away? He caused Yuehan to endure humiliation and take her own life... Yue Niang was carrying my child!"
No matter how he raged, Pang Yuanying did not even bother to look at him, leaning back in his chair with a hint of weariness: "What a good Pufferfish Feast has been disturbed by this beast. Enough, take him away and ask what needs to be asked clearly. Dispose of him quickly; he’s just an eyesore here."
Such nonchalance in dealing with a person seemed no different from handling livestock in Pang Yuanying's eyes.
Having said that, he seemed no longer interested in caring about a doomed servant. Turning to Qin Yaru, he smiled and said, "Consort Qin, I hope you'll cook for me again another day." His tone was surprisingly gentle, like a spring breeze.
Qin Yaru couldn't help but shiver. Even though she considered herself well-experienced now, she still found it hard to withstand such a nobleman—once this matter was settled, she should leave early and avoid getting entangled with this Marquis!
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