Jingshang pointed to the small pile of contents and said: “This is a Di Nation fragrance ingredient called Midie. Though it is called a fragrance, it has almost no scent at all. Worn alone inside a sachet on one’s person, it has a calming and mind-clearing effect.”

Calming and mind-clearing?

Shi Ting and Yan Qing looked at each other. This seemed somewhat different from what they had suspected.

Something calming and mind-clearing worn on the person would have no effect on one’s health — Qian Lan wouldn’t have the kindness for that.

“Go on. Why are you hesitating?” Xie Yan was growing impatient.

Jingshang looked back at the few women clustered around him, then said without much grace: “All of you, go wait for me in the back.”

The women, hearing this, turned and left without a moment’s hesitation.

With them gone, Jingshang continued: “Though wearing it alone is harmless, when Midie is combined with something called Fengjing, it produces other effects. You saw those women just now — I gave each of them a sachet containing Midie, while I myself carry the Fengjing on my person. As long as they are in close proximity to me, these two substances interact: Midie causes a substance to gradually seep out and be absorbed by the wearer, inducing in them a growing dependence on whoever carries the Fengjing. As time passes, the wearer becomes increasingly obsessed with that person, until at last she reaches a state of complete obedience — like a docile puppet responding to commands.”

Everyone present was stunned. This seemed to surpass the limits of their understanding.

The world was vast and full of wonders. Who could have imagined such a bizarre thing existed.

“If Midie is worn over a long period, apart from becoming entirely subservient to the Fengjing carrier, will the wearer themselves suffer any ill effects?”

“Of course they will.” Jingshang lowered his voice, afraid the women might hear. “With extended wear, the person will grow more and more listless, gradually developing symptoms resembling a wind-cold illness. Even if a physician is brought in to examine them, only a wind-cold will be diagnosed. After some time, the wind-cold symptoms disappear, and the person will gradually grow emaciated — eventually losing all interest in food and drink. Whatever they eat, they vomit back up. After wearing it for about a year, the person will die of starvation.”

“And yet you still use it on them?” Yan Qing said, indignant. “Knowing the side effects of this thing and still doing this — how is this any different from deliberate murder?”

“Miss, please calm yourself.” Jingshang said hastily. “Of course I would not let them wear it continuously. At intervals, I give them something to take as a counterbalance.”

“This can actually be counteracted?”

Jingshang nodded vigorously: “As long as the sachet is not worn for a period of time, and then a thing called Hanlu is administered, within two weeks the control of the Fengjing can be lifted. But I can only give them one week’s worth of Hanlu — after all, I’m a man who cannot do without women, and since women won’t willingly come to me, I have no choice but to resort to this method.”

After finishing his explanation, Jingshang asked with curiosity, “This is a secret art of our Di Nation, and those who possess the formula are few. Could you — could you be acquainted with people of the Nagase Clan?”

“Nagase?” At the mention of those two words, Yan Qing suddenly thought of Ling Ai’s childhood sweetheart — his name, she recalled, was something like Nagase.

“Only the Nagase Clan knows this secret art, and they never pass it on to outsiders,” Jingshang said. “When I was in Di Nation, I worked for the Nagase Clan for a time and happened to learn of this secret art. I was intensely curious at the time and went to great lengths to obtain a little Midie and Fengjing. When I was found out, I fled in the night. At that time, the Nagase Clan’s power was immense — leaving Di Nation and coming to Xin Guo was my only option; staying in Di Nation would have meant certain death.”

“Is the Nagase Clan very powerful?”

“They were, once — but then they offended the royal family and were nearly exterminated. The few remaining members live in great obscurity. The Nagase Clan dealt in secret arts that the world would not accept, so after the clan fell into decline, this secret art ceased to appear again. I never imagined I would see it here in Xin Guo.” Jingshang marveled repeatedly. “Could it be that members of the Nagase Clan have also come to Xin Guo?”

“The Midie and Fengjing you stole — were they used only on these few women?”

“What I stole was not much. As for the quantities I’m using, they could last perhaps another year — after a year, these women will be leaving me anyway.” Jingshang pointed at the items on the table. “As for what raw materials the Midie is made from, how it is produced, and the origin of the Fengjing — only the Nagase Clan knows.”

“And what is this Hanlu you mentioned?”

Jingshang laughed with a snicker: “That’s simple — it’s snow water. Fresh snow water, or stored snow water will both do. But one thing needs to be added to this snow water.”

Jingshang raised an eyebrow: “A child’s urine.”

Shun Cheng had been blanketed in a heavy snowfall two days prior. The snow had covered the entire city, white in every direction.

After leaving the black market, Shi Ting and Yan Qing returned to the Shi Mansion.

Luo Huaimeng was waiting inside the room. Seeing them come in, she asked anxiously: “How did it go?”

Shi Ting took a seat beside Yan Qing, and seeing Shi Ting’s expression was calm, Luo Huaimeng knew the situation must have taken a turn for the better.

“Qian Lan has been controlling the Marshal with a secret art — and this secret art comes from Di Nation. Fortunately, the Marshal has not been under its influence for long; it is not without a remedy.”

Hearing that it could be remedied, Luo Huaimeng finally let out a breath of relief: “The antidote — it won’t be difficult to find, will it?”

“Not difficult at all. It only requires snow water mixed with a child’s urine.”

Luo Huaimeng frowned: “What would a child’s urine accomplish?”

Yan Qing explained to her: “A child’s urine contains urokinase, which has the effect of dissolving blood clots. It can also nourish the yin, reduce internal heat, cool the blood, and disperse stagnation. I believe the substance called Midie contains components that a child’s urine can directly counteract.”

“I see.” Luo Huaimeng pressed a hand to her chest. “Only when the Marshal recovers will things be right again — otherwise Qian Lan truly will have full control.”

“Mother, rest easy. I will have someone prepare the antidote right away,” Shi Ting reassured her. “The sachet on the Marshal’s person has already been swapped out, so it will no longer affect him. In the days ahead, Doctor Zhang will continue coming to administer acupuncture. As long as the antidote is mixed into the medicine Doctor Zhang has the Marshal take, within two weeks the Marshal will make a full recovery.”

“Good, good.” Luo Huaimeng grew agitated with emotion. “Then let’s act quickly, without delay. The Marshal’s constitution has already been declining day by day — if this continues, there’s no knowing how long he can hold on.”

The matter regarding the Marshal’s side had been entrusted by Shi Ting to Doctor Zhang. Each day when Doctor Zhang came to attend to the Marshal, he would have him drink the Hanlu remedy.

The Marshal, for his part, was entirely ignorant of his own “illness” and was also utterly indifferent to it. The one thing he had to accomplish each day was to see Qian Lan.

Whatever Qian Lan said, the Marshal would agree to without hesitation.

But the Marshal at present could still think, and had not yet fully degraded into Qian Lan’s puppet. Before reaching that stage, Shi Ting still had the opportunity to restore him completely — it would only require a little time.

The previous snowfall over Shun Cheng had not yet fully melted when another heavy snow drifted down.

Yan Qing had already spent an entire night in the Military Police Division’s laboratory, while Shi Ting stayed throughout in his office handling official documents.

Though they would have been more comfortable at home, for the sake of the experiments Shi Ting had moved them both into the Military Police Division to stay.

He had a cot added to his office for her; at night, Yan Qing slept on the narrow bed while he made do on the sofa.

Yan Qing and Gu Zhen took turns keeping watch in the laboratory, frequently sleeping only four or five hours a day. Without even looking closely, one could spot the dark circles beneath both their eyes.

Yet both of them threw themselves into the work tirelessly, feeling not the slightest fatigue. Each day, seeing their experimental results advance a little further than before was a matter of tremendous excitement.

“Get some rest,” Shi Ting appeared at the laboratory doorway and knocked gently. “Have Gu Zhen come take over for you.”

Yan Qing had been at it through the night, and hearing him say this, she did feel a little drowsy.

She followed Shi Ting back to his office. He had already made up her bed for her. She crawled under the covers, but didn’t immediately close her eyes — instead she lay looking at the man sitting beside her and said: “Shi Ting, do you think we’ll succeed?”

“We will.” He took her hand in his palm, and the warmth of it, solid and reassuring, wrapped itself around her.

She knew he understood none of these things — but she simply wanted to hear his word of assurance. In her heart, anything he said would come true.

All the effort of these days was nothing more than seeking peace of mind.

“Go to sleep now.” Shi Ting placed his palm over her eyes. “Pushing yourself like this, your body won’t hold up.”

“When you’re solving a case, don’t you often push through like this?”

“We’re used to it. You’re not.” Shi Ting’s voice carried a trace of command. “Sleep.”

Yan Qing obediently closed her eyes, but her hand still gripped the sleeve of his coat. Shi Ting looked down at those small, white fingers, and a gentle warmth rose at once in his eyes. He couldn’t help bending down and softly pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Yan Qing opened one eye and looked up at the handsome face hovering close, smiling brightly: “Good thing I wasn’t asleep yet — caught you stealing a kiss.”

Shi Ting laughed. His lips moved from her forehead to her lips, where they grazed and lingered softly. “Sleep.”

Yan Qing felt her heart stirred by him, but she was truly too sleepy. She had no choice but to close her eyes, set aside the pleasant scent of his breath and that familiar warmth, and drift deeply into sleep.

Perhaps because she knew Shi Ting was right there beside her, Yan Qing slept with great peace. Not even the knocking at the door, growing louder and louder, woke her.

It was Shi Ting who rose, set his documents to one side, and walked over to open the door with long strides.

The moment the door opened, Gu Zhen’s round, fair face squeezed through the gap. The relentless day-and-night wakefulness of recent days had left his complexion looking somewhat ashen, but his eyes gleamed with bright light.

“Seventh Brother, where is sister-in-law?” Gu Zhen asked, excited.

Shi Ting glanced back. “Still asleep.”

“Seventh Brother, go tell sister-in-law — we succeeded, we really succeeded!”

Yan Qing, sleeping so sweetly, instinctively opened her eyes the moment she heard the words “we succeeded.”