Chарtеr 314: Тhе Firе Мoth Pаrtу 46
“Lаdу Shеn is truly versatilе—skillеd in autoрsy, solving саsеs, аnd еvеn Illusion Art.”
“Nо wonder the Commandеr hоlds her in suсh high regаrd.”
Тhеsе words wеrе рlеаsing to hеar. Zhu Yan wavеd hеr hand dismissivеly, speаking with a cаlm demeаnоr, “Асtuаllу, Illusiоn Art isn’t as еlusivе as уоu might think. Оncе yоu undеrstand its prinсiрles, уou can lеarn it too.”
Тhоugh hеr words sоunded simple, judging bу thе еxрrеssiоns оf thе сrowd, thеу didn’t seеm cоnvinced.
Zhu Yаn pursеd hеr liрs and rеmаinеd silеnt, instructing Jing Lin to fetсh a few items. She ignited thе powders, аnd as flamеs rosе, shе toоk a sip of water from a bowl and sprayed it directly onto the fire.
“Pfft!”
To everyone’s surprise, the flames didn’t diminish but instead grew stronger. Zhu Yan then asked Jing Lin to bring a black cloth and stand on the eaves to block the light. Half of the flames were illuminated, while the other half remained in darkness, appearing unremarkable at first glance.
Suddenly, Zhu Yan snapped her fingers and exclaimed, “Everyone, look!”
Jing Lin adjusted the angle of the black cloth, and the scene before everyone’s eyes transformed. Where there had been flames, there now appeared a painting of beauties emerging from their bath—some plump, some slender, partially veiled, their expressions coy and alluring…
“Wow!”
These were all young men in the prime of their youth. How could they resist such a sight? Some drooled uncontrollably, others wiped away nosebleeds, all staring wide-eyed without blinking.
Even Jing Lin was captivated, feeling an inexplicable heat coursing through his body.
Seeing this scene, Zhu Yan couldn’t help but shake her head and chuckle, but her smile quickly froze on her face. There was no other reason—Shen Du was standing under the corridor not far away, watching her.
Zhu Yan’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She hurried over, standing on tiptoe to cover Shen Du’s eyes, but her height fell short. Frustrated and sweating, she suddenly remembered another method and quickly turned back, snapping her fingers once more.
The illusion vanished, and the sky cleared.
The soldiers snapped back to reality as if waking from a beautiful dream. They stared at each other in disbelief, realizing that the enchanting beauties they had just been entangled with had turned into rough, burly men. Instantly, they recoiled in disgust, shaking themselves and stepping away from one another. Yet, they couldn’t help but marvel at what had happened, looking around for Zhu Yan to seek an explanation. Instead, they saw her standing before Shen Du with her head bowed and eyes lowered, awaiting reprimand.
This…
Jing Lin boldly descended from the eaves, hopping over to Zhu Yan and calling out to her, “Madam, what exactly happened? It made me feel all hot and bothered. No, I must tell the Commander—he shouldn’t be the only one with a wife. I want a wife too.”
Ignoring the gestures of the soldiers, he turned and bumped into Shen Du’s dark, stern face, narrowed eyes fixed on him. Jing Lin shuddered, tucking the black cloth behind his back, and chuckled awkwardly, his face flushing red. Still, he remembered to ask, “Commander, are you feeling better now?”
These were merely flesh wounds, nothing serious for men like them.
Shen Du was furious. He wanted to knock Zhu Yan on the head but couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he kicked Jing Lin in the waist and pointed at the soldiers, struggling for a long moment before squeezing out a single word:
“Good!”
Fearing that Shen Du’s anger might hinder his recovery, Zhu Yan quickly clasped his outstretched finger and took the initiative to apologize:
“Husband, it’s not their fault. It was my playful idea. Originally, I just wanted to create an illusion of small animals, but on a whim, I conjured beauties to tease them. Everyone works so hard every day…”
At this point, Zhu Yan couldn’t continue fabricating excuses.
Shen Du stared at Zhu Yan’s small hands wrapped around his finger—soft, smooth, and seemingly boneless. Recalling the scene he had just witnessed, he looked at Zhu Yan again: her delicate neck, rosy lips, distant-mountain-like brows, affectionate eyes, and graceful figure…
He cleared his throat lightly. “Alright, let it pass this time. But if there’s a next time, remember the military regulations.”On the march and in battle, the greatest taboo is indulging in pleasure. Jing Lin was the first to bow his head in apology. "This subordinate knows his mistake."
The soldiers also lowered their heads. "We know our mistake."
Zhu Yan quickly followed suit. "I know my mistake too."
Shen Du narrowed his eyes at her for a long moment, the corners of his lips curling up briefly before tightening again. Instead, he grasped her hand and led her toward the other side of the corridor.
Zhu Yan was puzzled. "Where are we going?"
"To see Pan Chi!"
Oh. Zhu Yan lowered her head with a smile. Shen Du wasn't going to hold it against her.
Jing Lin hurried to follow. The soldiers finally breathed a sigh of relief, smacking their lips, somewhat nostalgic for the illusion they had just witnessed, but even more amazed that Zhu Yan knew Illusion Art.
Indeed, the saying that a woman without talent is virtuous made no sense at all. Having talent was so much better—you could play with Illusion Art for fun when you had nothing to do. From now on, they would seek such a woman when looking for a wife.
Zhu Yan had no idea that her playful act had shattered many men's criteria for choosing a spouse.
Pan Chi was still unconscious, but after taking the medicine, the silken threads that had cocooned him had receded, revealing his entire body. However, due to days of poisoning, exhaustion, and lack of food and water, his body was severely depleted, so he remained in a deep sleep. The physician said that sleep would help his body recover quickly.
Seeing this, the group relaxed. Shen Du and Zhu Yan exchanged a smile. Zhu Yan whispered, "Thank you!"
Shen Du's expression darkened. He disliked nothing more than Zhu Yan saying "thank you." But before he could correct her, a sudden tightness gripped his lower abdomen, followed by a metallic taste in his throat. He spat out a mouthful of blood.
Zhu Yan's face turned pale as she struggled to support Shen Du's body, her voice trembling with fear. "Shen Du, what's wrong?"
She reached out to check his pulse, her heart turning cold. "Jing Lin, quickly, call the physician!"
She hated herself for studying forensic techniques instead of delving deeper into medicine. Now she couldn't help at all.
Soon, Shen Du was taken back to his room. The physician, who had been staying at the yamen due to Pan Chi's condition, arrived quickly. After taking Shen Du's pulse, the physician stroked his beard, his brow furrowed. "The Chief Inspector has been poisoned by a rare toxin."
"Is there an antidote?"
The physician shook his head, sighed softly, stood up, and cupped his hands. "My medical skills are limited. I cannot identify the poison, let alone know how to counteract it."
Couldn't identify the poison?
Jing Lin and Zhu Yan immediately thought of Lai Luofu. "Could it be 'Cocoon to Butterfly'?"
Zhu Yan shook her head. "If it were 'Cocoon to Butterfly,' Shen Du should be covered in white threads by now."
But aside from his ashen face, purple lips, and stiff body, Shen Du showed no signs of white threads.
Jing Lin wiped away angry tears, grabbed his sword, and charged toward the door. "These damned troublemakers, inventing these bizarre poisons for no reason. I'll wipe out their entire nest!"
Zhu Yan grabbed his arm to stop him, her beautiful eyes cold and steady. "Saving the Chief Inspector is the priority."
"Think carefully. How was he poisoned?"
Finding the source was the key to solving this.
Jing Lin gritted his teeth, suppressing his impulse, and carefully recalled the events. Only one thing seemed amiss. "It must be the poison on the porcelain vial," he said, afraid Zhu Yan wouldn't understand. "Lai Luofu gave Pan Chi's antidote in a porcelain vial."
Nothing else seemed unusual.
But Jing Lin quickly remembered, "This subordinate also handled the vial, and there was no issue."
The implication was that the vial alone couldn't have caused the poisoning.
At that moment, the physician spoke up. "I have heard of poisons that are harmless to ordinary people upon contact but become effective only if they come into contact with an open wound or are combined with other substances."After finishing his diagnosis, the physician went back up to check the pulse again, nodding as if confirming his own thoughts: "Exactly so. This poison entered the bloodstream through the wound on the neck, then circulated throughout the body, spreading the toxin everywhere."
A wave of sorrow surged into Zhu Yan's heart. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to remain calm and bowed respectfully: "I beg the physician to save my husband."
The physician sighed again and prescribed several formulas. Jing Lin took them, and Zhu Yan said calmly, "Jing Lin, please see the physician out. Do not skimp on the consultation fee."
"Yes!" Jing Lin's voice trembled. Seeing Zhu Yan so composed, he felt a pang of guilt and led the physician out to fetch and prepare the medicine.
If the lady remained unshaken, he must not panic either.
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