Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Poisoning
Poison!
Under the ticulous observation of the Sword Gourd Spirit, there were tiny particles in the chicken at invisible to the naked eye—those particles turned out to be a slow-acting poison: arsenic powder.
Because martial training required dicinal decoctions, he had read a book about dicines before, which ntioned all kinds of poisons.
Arsenic powder is colorless and tasteless; in small doses, eating it won’t cause any symptoms, but if consud over a long period, the accumulated toxins cause irreversible damage to the internal organs—a very fierce chronic poison.
"Brother Chu, it slls amazing, don’t you catch the aroma?" Liang Yuan’s mouth watered, and he nearly could not hold back any longer.
Chu Ming kept a calm face, let his chopsticks fall, picked up a piece of chicken and stuffed it into his mouth.
Ning Hao and Liang Yuan, seeing this, imdiately started eating eagerly.
There wasn’t much arsenic powder in the roasted chicken—just eating it once would be no big deal.
If they took the proper antidote within half a day, it would purge the toxins remaining in the body.
Since soone had put poison in his food, he’d just play along and see who was behind it.
As for who, he didn’t need to guess—those who bore grudges against him and wanted to kill him without a trace, only the Chu Family’s madam fit the bill.
What Chu Ming didn’t expect was that the Chu Family’s reach could extend into the academy.
Still, that was just as well; this poisonous chicken might be a clue—he could follow the trail upstream.
Ning Hao and Liang Yuan were wolfing down their food; if they knew there was poison within, he wondered what faces they’d make.
Yet Chu Ming maintained a steady pace, bowl after bowl, until the seventh bowl—he only put down his chopsticks then. The poison’s presence hadn’t spoiled his appetite; truthfully, he’d gone a whole day without eating.
Stuffed, Ning Hao and Liang Yuan stared blankly as Chu Ming finished bowl after bowl.
"Brother Chu, you just visited the painting workshop, why do you look like a refugee escaping disaster?"
"Yeah, Brother Chu, eat less, or how about this: no need for you to foot the bill today, all three of us can pitch in... you really don’t need to polish it all off..." Liang Yuan’s throat bobbed—just as he started speaking, the private room door was shoved open by brute force. Standing at the doorway was an old man in scholar’s robes.
The old man’s face looked bad, his eyes brimming with anger as he shot a fierce glance at Ning Hao and Liang Yuan, then eyed Chu Ming like a hunter sizing up prey.
"Mr. Shen!"
Mr. Shen?
Chu Ming looked up, just in ti to et Shen Yu’s sharp gaze.
Ning Hao and Liang Yuan instantly lowered their heads, not daring to et his eyes.
Why did Mr. Shen co? The two of them figured it out right away.
For an academy teacher to personally seek out a junior examinee is a trendous honor—sothing they’d love to have, but might never encounter in a lifeti.
But Brother Chu had stood Mr. Shen up twice: once he skipped an appointnt, another ti he sohow slipped away right under Mr. Shen’s nose.
Notably, both events happened in the dining hall.
As the saying goes, "Don’t try a third ti." Who knows what Brother Chu will do today?
"I’ve already paid the silver."
Shen Yu sat beside Chu Ming; his first words nearly made Ning Hao and Liang Yuan’s jaws drop. He then reached out, tore off a piece of roast chicken, and started eating on his own.
No need to guess what the paynt was for—it was the cost of this al.
Ning Hao felt his mouth go bitter, his heart a little bitter too.
Last ti, Mr. Shen invited Brother Chu to dine—Ning Hao went, Brother Chu didn’t, so it was Ning Hao who paid. He’s still not over it.
This ti, it was supposed to be Brother Chu’s treat, but Mr. Shen paid up instead.
Ning Hao sneaked a look at Chu Ming, expression complicated.
So to Mr. Shen, is the gap between
and Brother Chu really this wide?
"Thank you, Mr. Shen." Chu Ming put down his chopsticks and bowl, glanced at Shen Yu’s greasy fingers, his eyes flashing helplessness.
This roast chicken has poison in it...
"What, I paid for the silver and can’t even eat a few pieces of chicken?" Shen Yu wiped his hands, his tone unfriendly.
"Of course, Mr. Shen, would you like another piece?"
"I’m full." Shen Yu stood up and headed for the door. "Let’s go."
"Go where?"
"Yunqi Courtyard."
"Huh?" Ning Hao and Liang Yuan’s eyes went wide.
This is blocking up the living quarters—cutting off Brother Chu’s escape route!
Chu Ming’s brows twitched—this old gentleman was truly relentless.
Looked like there was no avoiding it this ti.
"Mr. Shen, how about we just talk here?"
"Here?" Shen Yu’s face took on a strange smile. "Here’s fine, I’m old now and nothing really matters to . If you don’t care about earning scholarly rit, then let’s stay here."
Because of his push for simplified script, he’d pretty much made enemies of everyone who could be offended. Otherwise, he would not have ended up as a powerless instructor in Baiyuan County.
If outsiders overheard Shen Yu openly discussing simplified script with Chu Ming, it might not bar Chu Ming from ever earning honors, but it would certainly hurt his future career prospects.
"Right, as for you two boys, you’ll probably end up diocre all your lives too," Shen Yu exaggerated again.
...
Chu Ming, Shen Yu, and the other two left the dining hall together.
At this hour there weren’t many junior examinees in the hall, but with Shen Yu, a teacher, showing up, he still caught plenty of eyes.
"Did those three offend Mr. Shen? Why do they look like they’ve done sothing wrong?"
"You don’t get out much, huh? Mr. Shen’s here for that senior brother."
"Which one?"
"That one," one junior examinee pointed at Chu Ming, "Mr. Shen’s already co for him three tis."
"Really?"
"Why would I lie? A bunch of us have seen it the last two tis. The whole academy’s heard about it. You wouldn’t know—buried in your books all day, out of the loop."
"..."
Ning Hao and Liang Yuan heard the whispers; their mood, which had been a bit low, suddenly felt a lot lighter for no reason.
So this is what it feels like to be the center of attention.
In silence, the four made their way to Yunqi Courtyard.
"Which room is yours?" Shen Yu glanced leisurely around the small courtyard and asked Chu Ming.
The implication: they still had to talk inside the room.
Chu Ming’s expression shifted slightly; there were things in his room left out. If Shen Yu went in...
Seeing his silence, Shen Yu shot a cold glare at Ning Hao and Liang Yuan.
"Uh, Mr. Shen, um, Brother Chu—Junior Brother Chu lives on the west side." Liang Yuan gave an awkward laugh and pointed to the western room.
"Not bad, kid." Shen Yu strode to the building, pausing at the door. "How about you fetch
a pot of tea while you’re at it?"
"..." Liang Yuan nodded ekly, sighing to himself—how long is this talk going to last?
Shen Yu then looked at Ning Hao: "Last ti, what I told you—figured it out yet?"
Ning Hao shook his head.
"It’s normal if you haven’t," Shen Yu put his hands behind his back, his eyes deep as he looked at Chu Ming. "I’ve tried pushing simplified script, and as of now, it seems only this kid gets it."
It was hard to say whether Shen Yu was speaking to Ning Hao, to Chu Ming, or just musing to himself.
After a pause, he reached out and pushed open the door, lowering his voice: "Kid, do you really understand, or are you just rubbing my ego? Co in and let’s talk."
By the look of things, you’d think this was Shen Yu’s own turf.
Chu Ming eyed the white-haired old man, feeling a bit helpless, then walked in.
The door closed behind him with a click. Ning Hao stood dumbstruck at the entrance.
Inside the room.
Shen Yu casually locked the door behind him, almost as if afraid soone might slip away.
Chu Ming moved calmly to the desk and quietly slid the pages of copied cultivation technique and the Mountain Scripture excerpt Liu Sitong had given him back underneath the weighty Poetry, Politics, and Military text.
"What are you hiding? Let
see," Shen Yu’s eyes never left Chu Ming from the mont they entered.
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