Feng Jiao Xue walked towards the cup again, thankful that there was still a small dose left.
Normally, in her old body, she could have taken a taste test and identified the ingredients instantly. But with this fragile vessel, she doubted she would survive if she tried. Briefly, she considered her situation. She really needed to start training this body’s immunity to poison. It would not do if her own ’weapon’ was used against her. But... with the accumulated toxicity from the poisons in her childhood, perhaps she could jump-start it.
"Little Snowflake?" Feng Zhenhai placed a hand on her shoulder. "You know you don’t have to do this. Let’s leave it to the professionals, okay?" he coaxed.
Feng Jiao Xue placed a reassuring hand over his. "Grandfather, trust . I know what I’m doing."
A scoff from the side caught her attention. "Attention whore." Feng ng glared. "What could soone like you, who never even had basic education, know? Even people from the countryside are more knowledgeable than you!"
"Sister has more brains than you!" Mo Tianze hissed indignantly.
"Why you—! What did you say?! You stupid beast!" Feng ng raised her hand to strike Mo Tianze across the face, but a cold, iron-tight grip stopped her.
"Cousin, you really should watch that temper," Feng Jiao Xue warned coldly.
"She is still young, Cousin. Feng ng is just a youthful miss," Feng i stepped in, attempting to pry Feng Jiao Xue’s hand from Feng ng’s wrist. A brief, cold smirk flickered on her lips.
Crack!
Feng ng’s eyes widened as tears stread down her face. "Ahhh! Daddy, it hurts!" She clutched her broken wrist, sobbing.
"ng’er!" The second madam ran to her daughter, pulling her into her arms protectively.
"Go get the healers! Imdiately!"
"You wretched rat!" The second madam bristled.and tried to attack Feng Jiao Xue but Feng Zhenhai blew her away with his Qi.
"Feng Haotian! Control your wife!" He bellowed as he imdiately stood beside Feng Jiao Xue. "Enough! Have none of you know sha?! To dare plot against your family mber! Infront of the emperor and others at that?!"
"Febg i, take your sister to the infirmary" Febg Zhenhai glared. He was no fool, the way Feng i moved her wrist, it was clear to him who actually broke Feng ng’s wrist.
"Jiao Xue, do what you must do to get to the bottom of this" Feng Zhenhai ordered.
"Yes, grand father" Feng Jiao Xue bowed and headed for a nearby room.
"You’re showing more than you’re supposed to," Huang Jin De’s voice echoed in her mind, disapproving.
They had planned for her mastery in poison to be a hidden card.
"But then, the emperor will owe a favor," she replied silently.
"Isn’t saving his son enough?" Huang Jin De asked, struggling to keep up with her shifting plans. This wasn’t part of their original strategy, and honestly, he wasn’t sure what she was thinking anymore. She always deviated when new variables presented themselves, making her actions unpredictable.
"We don’t know how much he values his son. Doing him a personal favor and proving my worth will ensure he hesitates before moving against . At the very least, it will make him think twice," Feng Jiao Xue explained as she observed the vial.
She carefully tilted the cup, examining the remnants. The color was faintly cloudy, the scent carrying a bitter yet slightly floral note. Rubbing a small drop between her fingers, she noted its viscosity. Too thick to be a common herbal poison, yet too diluted to be sothing purely alchemical.
She placed the cup down and took out a silver needle from her sleeve. Dipping the tip lightly into the liquid, she observed the reaction. The needle darkened, a sign of necrotic agents at work.
"Can you discern what’s in this poison?" she asked aloud, her gaze focused.
Huang Jin De hesitated before responding. "It’s mixed. There’s sothing suppressing its reaction. Have you checked for delayed toxins?"
Feng Jiao Xue humd in agreent and took out a thin parchnt, brushing a few drops of the liquid over it. She then reached into her pouch and retrieved a pinch of Moonshire Blossoms, a powdery silver herb known to react to certain poisons.
Sprinkling it over the parchnt, she watched closely. The parchnt darkened in patches, forming jagged lines. Then, a faint shimr of green surfaced at the edges.
Her eyes narrowed. "Snake-Bone Herb..."
Huang Jin De’s silence told her he recognized the significance.
Snake-Bone Herb was a rare ingredient, commonly used in poisons ant to paralyze or slowly deteriorate the victim’s internal organs. However, its most damning trait was its affinity to stick to the bloodstream, making it hard to expel once fully ingested. Worse, any remnants within the body could react violently to Moonshire Blossoms, producing a visible, undeniable mark of its presence.
"If I use powdered Moonshire Blossoms on the culprit, any remnants of the poison in their body will react," she murmured.
Huang Jin De humd. "Then, we find out who dares to be behind this poisoning.."
She straightened and turned walk back into the room towards the emperor, her voice calm yet firm. "Your Majesty, I request that more of the Moonshire Blossom powder be prepared imdiately. This powder reacts to traces of the Snake Bone Herb, it will expose anyone who has co into contact with the poison."
The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly. "You propose we test everyone in this room?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Feng Jiao Xue replied. "The true culprit must have handled the poison at so point. Even if they wore gloves, traces of it may remain on their sleeves, fingertips, or even the folds of their robes. If we act now, we might be able to catch them before they have a chance to dispose of the evidence."
The emperor exhaled sharply, considering her words. Then, with a nod to one of his attendants, he commanded, "Prepare the Moonshire Blossom powder imdiately. Upon my orders, no one is to leave this place untested! We’d like to see who is the daring fool that tried to harm Us!"
The guests shifted uneasily, whispers rippling through the crowd. The guilty party, whoever they were, would be unable to hide for long.
"Is she serious? She wants to test all of us?"
"This is absurd! Does she think we’re criminals?"
"Why should we be subjected to this? The culprit has to be that beast!"
"Shh! Do you want to anger the emperor?"
"If she’s right, then the real perpetrator is still here among us..."
"Who would dare poison the emperor and a powerful cultivator? They must have a death wish!"
"Tsk, this girl is just putting on a show."
"But what if she’s telling the truth?"
"Damn it, what if she finds sothing on by accident? I don’t even know what that herb looks like!"
"This is humiliating! I refuse to be treated like so common suspect!"
"If you have nothing to hide, then there’s nothing to fear..."
Murmurs erupted amongst the crowd but they dare not confront the emperor directly. They have no death wish.
Soon, the powder was brought forth, and the first test subject was Mo Tianze.
"Since all of you doubts my friend, Tianze, you will go first." Feng Jiao Xue asked the pitiful fox to step forward.
"How can we tell that you didn’t tamper with it?" The official who first spoke up againts Mo Tianze nervously asked.
"Because we, his majesty’s imperial healers, have personally prepared the powder" a physician replied before Feng Jiao Xue could. "And to ensure validity, we have also ascertained that the poison did, in fact, contain Snake Bone herbs"
Mo Tianze looked at Feng Jiao Xue and confidently stepped forward without hesitation, holding out his hands. Feng Jiao Xue carefully sprinkled the powder over his fingertips, sleeves, and the edge of his collar.
Nothing.
The powder remained inert, confirming his innocence.
One by one, the guests were checked. Each noble, official, and servant extended their hands, sleeves, or robes, the powder falling upon them without reaction.
Feng Jiao Xue’s eyes remained sharp, taking in every flicker of nervousness, every bead of sweat forming on certain foreheads.
Finally, it was the turn of the first official who had spoken against Mo Tianze.
The mont the powder touched his fingertips and sleeves, a faint greenish hue spread across the fabric and skin.
Gasps filled the hall.
The man jerked his hand back as though burned, his face draining of color. "T-This is preposterous! There must be so mistake!"
Feng Jiao Xue’s gaze turned glacial. "There is no mistake. The reaction proves that you have handled Snake Bone Herb. Do you have an explanation, Official Xun?"
The emperor’s gaze darkened, his voice thunderous. "Speak! What is the aning of this?!"
The official trembled, sweat forming at his temples. His eyes darted about, searching for an escape. But there was none.
Feng Jiao Xue remained silent, watching with a knowing smirk as the web of lies unraveled before them.
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