CHAPTER 156: CHAPTER 155: SOMETHING’S OFF

Zhu Yu was somewhat surprised, but she did not inquire further, as asking such questions was neither her place nor proper etiquette.

Discovering that Lu Qing was no longer in mortal danger, Situ Jing finally let out a sigh of relief. There were numerous matters in the camp he needed to address now that the group of bandits had been subdued. Although he initially thought of suggesting Lu Qing recuperate in the camp, this proposal was swiftly rejected by Yan Daoxin, who had come in right after.

"General Situ, you should attend to the camp affairs. I will take Lu Qing back for a slow recovery," Yan Daoxin said without any formality, "Also, I’ll need General Situ to prepare a carriage so we can transport him back to the post station."

Situ Jing could not refuse such a request; he already felt guilty about Lu Qing, and there was no other way to compensate him. Hastily, he ordered the camp’s most spacious carriage to be brought over. After arranging for several beds to be placed inside, the talisman and Fu Lu carefully lifted the still weak, though conscious, Lu Qing onto the carriage. The group then left the camp and headed back to the post station.

"What happened to that Deputy Capital Commander, Zhou Kang?" As they were halfway there, Zhu Yu suddenly remembered to ask the rune.

The rune snorted disdainfully, "He tried to flee, but I caught him and brought him back. He’s currently detained in the imperial guard camp, under the watch of General Situ’s personal soldiers."

"Afraid some of the imperial guards might secretly release him?" Zhu Yu inquired.

The rune chuckled, "Chief Historian, you’re jesting! He committed such a vile act, almost killing the entire camp’s brothers. If he were guarded by the imperial guards, he might not survive tonight without being quartered."

Zhu Yu found this reasoning quite sound.

Though the red-haired blue-eyed masked man was evidently trained somewhere as a death warrior, who has now taken his own life, making further questioning impossible, at least they captured Zhou Kang alive. There’s still a chance to extract information from him, providing some explanation to the higher authorities.

Upon arriving at the post station, Zhu Yu, while able to perform basic wound treatment, was not skilled in medicine. Upon settling Lu Qing in, she quickly called for Yan Daoxin to check Lu Qing’s pulse and examine him thoroughly.

"How is he?" Zhu Yu, while Yan Daoxin examined Lu Qing, sat quietly without daring to breathe loudly. When she saw Yan Daoxin frowning deeply, sitting by the bed and staring at Lu Qing, she couldn’t resist asking, "Is his injury very serious?

Why do you... have that expression? I checked when we were in the imperial guard camp; the sword didn’t hurt his heart or lungs..."

"Yes, precisely why I’m worried..." Yan Daoxin sighed heavily, "It’s said calamity lasts forever, I hadn’t believed it before, but now I do!

This fellow is truly hard to kill! The sword pierced his chest, even in the left chest, yet avoided any vital organs!

It seems in the coming decades, it will be difficult for me to steer clear of this burden!"

Zhu Yu finally understood Yan Daoxin’s meaning after hearing his words, and somewhat irritatedly glared at him, yet felt utterly reassured inside.

Although she hasn’t known Yan Daoxin very long, during this period she’s witnessed his capabilities.

She only realized after arriving at the post station that Yan Daoxin quickly concocted the antidote for the poison. The confirmation process involved the waist card brought by the rune, revealing the poison was embedded during the fake waist card creation process, using poison juice for quenching, fully permeating the waist card so the holder could unknowingly be poisoned.

Such tampering on the waist card naturally couldn’t be accomplished by outsiders, hence to lure the "external collaboration" using the camp’s "internal assistance," Yan Daoxin pretended he hadn’t formulated the suitable antidote.

Moreover, those he treated, the imperial guard soldiers, remained in the post station.

Later, the antidote was sent into the camp, secretly added to the food to be ingested by all the soldiers, transitioning from previously releasing poisoned individuals outside, to deliberately having people "poisoned" each day and wait outside, utilizing the plan to return the favor with the same tactic, thereby giving those villains a taste of the same "internal and external collaboration."

Yan Daoxin’s remarkably exceptional detoxification skills were buried and restrained all for this grand plan.

Lu Qing was conscious now, and after returning to the post station, was administered medicine by Yan Daoxin again, showing considerable improvement compared to when in the camp.

Seeing Yan Daoxin’s words almost caused Zhu Yu to lose color in her face, Lu Qing slightly raised his hand, hanging on the bedside, seemingly intending to place it on Yan Daoxin’s wrist: "I’m injured now, but if you keep talking this way, I could still pinch your life channel."

Yan Daoxin grinned and generously extended his wrist, grasping Lu Qing’s hand and placing it on his own wrist: "Go ahead, don’t hold back, this life is yours for the taking, choke me now!

Listen to your own weak voice, even speaking tires you. Save your energy, wait till you recover before threatening me!"

After speaking, he turned to Zhu Yu and said, "In these coming days, you better keep an eye on me, I fear I can’t resist adding croton to this fellow’s medicine!

I’ll have him healing while being weakened every day from diarrhea, let’s see how he plans to boast about pinching me."

Zhu Yu was much more relaxed, and hearing Yan Daoxin’s words, couldn’t help but burst into laughter. She recalled Lu Qing indeed had a medicine, which Fu Lu was currently brewing downstairs, so she got up intending to check.

But as soon as she stood, everything went black, and she staggered, stabilizing her body by grasping the nearby round table.

"You should go rest!" Yan Daoxin glanced out the window, "Dawn is breaking, and you endured quite a turmoil last night.

Go sleep for a while, and I guarantee I won’t add croton to Lu Qing’s medicine while you rest!

Go on, go on!"

Zhu Yu indeed couldn’t hold up much longer; now that everything was finally settled without looming danger, she didn’t push herself, simply nodding and dragged her heavy legs back to her room to rest.

After Zhu Yu left, Yan Daoxin turned, waving his hand before Lu Qing’s eyes: "She has left, recover your gaze!"

Lu Qing turned his head and glared at Yan Daoxin.

"What? Ashamed and infuriated that I’ve seen through you, glaring at me?" Yan Daoxin smirked, "Your family’s ancestral golden silk soft armor was taken from your family’s old residence by the Emperor, and only properly given to you once you came of age.

Whenever you went out, you always wore it to ensure safety.

This time, why don’t you explain how that soft armor managed to end up on the ’Chief Historian’s’ body?

Only this time did you not wear soft armor, and coincidentally got struck by a sword, yet fortuitously returned with your life. I haven’t seen you seem scared about it at all, earlier you instead seemed anxious over someone’s wobble.

You, something’s off!"