Regardless of whether they’re hiding in Dafu Temple, the culprits have connections to Dafu Temple. Come, let’s go see if Master Jingxi has awakened.”

The two returned to the bamboo house, and Qiao Zhao asked the monk guarding outside Jingxi’s room: “Master, has Master Jingxi awakened?”

The monk pressed his palms together in salute to Qiao Zhao: “Benefactor may go in and see.”

Qiao Zhao turned back to Shao Mingyuan: “I’ll go in and take a look first.”

Shao Mingyuan nodded.

Qiao Zhao went inside and saw that Jingxi was still sleeping.

She quietly withdrew and shook her head at Shao Mingyuan.

The two sat down on wooden chairs behind the bamboo house.

Qiao Zhao took out her folded handkerchief and opened it to reveal the poisoned tooth.

The root of the tooth had a blackish-yellow tinge that was nauseating, yet she directly used a silver needle to extract a bit of the poison and sniffed it at her nose.

Shao Mingyuan was quite surprised.

He had thought girls would find such things disgusting.

Qiao Zhao glanced at him and said flatly: “What are you looking at me for?”

As if guessing Shao Mingyuan’s thoughts, the young woman said calmly: “Of course, I also find it disgusting, but determining what poison it is is more important, isn’t it?”

Shao Mingyuan nodded, gazing at her deeply with unexpected gentleness in his voice: “Yes.”

Qiao Zhao focused all her attention on the tooth. After smelling it, she frowned: “It’s not arsenic.”

“You can tell by smell?” Shao Mingyuan asked with a smile.

“Mm, arsenic has a bitter almond scent that’s very easy to distinguish.” Qiao Zhao manipulated the yellowed tooth through the handkerchief, saying hesitantly: “There’s a very faint fishy smell, rather like some toxin extracted from a living creature.”

“Living creature?”

Qiao Zhao looked up at him, her tone flat: “Snake venom, for example.”

Shao Mingyuan’s expression grew grave: “If it is from a living creature, then determining exactly what creature the toxin was extracted from becomes very necessary.”

Different places would have different fish, insects, and beasts. If they were lucky, they might even be able to deduce which faction was training the assassins based on this clue.

“Can Miss Li distinguish it?”

Qiao Zhao shook her head: “Not for now. There’s nothing here, and to determine exactly what toxin it is would require many things for verification. We can only wait until we get out. Fortunately, this type of poison can be preserved for a long time, so delaying a few days won’t affect it.”

“Then we’ll wait until we get out.”

“General Shao, do you want to relay what happened at Shuying Nunnery to the outside world?”

Currently, everyone outside knew that Shao Mingyuan could enter and exit the mountain, and Master Wumei’s disappearance was a major matter. If this news wasn’t relayed out, he might be blamed by his superiors later.

“It needs to be sent out. I’ve already sent a signal and am waiting for my personal guard’s carrier pigeon.”

Qiao Zhao was somewhat surprised.

He wasn’t planning to make the trip personally?

As if guessing Qiao Zhao’s thoughts, Shao Mingyuan smiled: “The enemy is hidden while we are exposed here, with layers of mystery. Leaving you alone here would be too dangerous.”

“So I’ve become General Shao’s burden.” Qiao Zhao smiled helplessly.

“No.” Shao Mingyuan firmly denied it.

Meeting the young woman’s deep gaze, he said seriously, “Miss Li shouldn’t think that way. I now cannot do without Miss Li’s daily acupuncture treatments – wouldn’t that make me Miss Li’s burden?”

Qiao Zhao smiled gracefully.

At least this fool had some self-awareness.

“Benefactors, Master Jingxi has awakened.” A monk came to report.

Qiao Zhao entered the bamboo house.

“Master Jingxi, do you feel better now? Does your head still hurt?”

Jingxi sat up halfway: “Much better already. So Third Miss Li also understands medicine.”

“I learned a little from my grandfather. Master Jingxi, you’ve served the master for many years, haven’t you?”

“Yes, ever since the master took her vows at the nunnery, this poor nun was assigned to serve her. Third Miss Li, is there any news of the master now?”

“Not yet. The abbot of Dafu Temple has already arranged for the masters to search everywhere. Master Jingxi should take heart.”

“Amitabha. They say that those who have left worldly life have emptied themselves of the four elements, but those who can truly achieve this have probably already become Buddhas. I’m not afraid of Third Miss Li laughing at me – when this poor nun thinks of the master’s current uncertain fate, my heart feels as if cut by knives.”

“I deeply empathize with Master Jingxi’s feelings. Though I’ve only spent a few months with the master, I’ve long been captivated by her grace.” Qiao Zhao observed Jingxi’s expression and suddenly asked: “Master Jingxi has served the master for so long – have you ever heard the master mention having any special objects in her possession?”

Jingxi slowly shook her head: “After this poor nun awakened, I thought about it repeatedly, but no.”

“The master never had any unusual words or actions? Master Jingxi, please think carefully – this may be crucial to successfully finding the master.”

Jingxi fell into contemplation: “When the master first came to the nunnery, this poor nun was still young. I vaguely remember that the master often couldn’t sleep entire nights then, but that’s human nature and couldn’t be considered unusual. Later, the master gradually returned to normal sleep patterns.”

Jingxi paused here: “Let this poor nun think… Later, the master seemed to have restless sleep again on occasion. Once was over three years ago…”

Qiao Zhao’s heart jumped.

Over three years ago was exactly when her grandfather passed away.

She didn’t know why, but even though she knew of Master Wumei’s feelings for her grandfather, she found it difficult to develop any antipathy toward this princess who had spent most of her life with Buddhist lamps and scriptures.

When thinking of Master Wumei, she felt more sighs than anything else.

The word “love” truly was troublesome for people.

However, it was obvious that Master Wumei’s disappearance had no connection to her grandfather’s passing.

“Were there any other strange occurrences?”

“There was another time, many years ago now. The master once went down the mountain, and after returning, she had several days of restless sleep.” Jingxi sighed. “The reason this poor nun remembers is that in the master’s decades at the nunnery, that was the only time she went down the mountain.”

“Does Master Jingxi remember which year that was?”

“It’s been twenty years. Mm, now it’s the twenty-fifth year of Mingkang’s reign, and that was the fifth year of Mingkang’s reign.”

“Did Master Jingxi accompany the master down the mountain? Do you know whom the master met?”

“The one who accompanied the master down the mountain wasn’t this poor nun, but a maidservant who had taken vows together with the master. That master passed away many years ago.” Jingxi collected her thoughts. “Something from so long ago shouldn’t be related to the master’s current tribulation.”

“Then has Master Jingxi encountered any strange events?” Taking advantage of the good atmosphere, Qiao Zhao turned to asking about Jingxi herself.

Jingxi smiled: “This poor nun has been at the nunnery since I can remember, and every day has been much the same.”

“Has Master Jingxi ever saved anyone? Or made any friends?”

“This poor nun rarely goes down the mountain and has had no opportunity to make friends. As for saving people, Jingxi pondered a moment. “Once, I gave a steamed bun to someone who was nearly fainting from hunger at the foot of the mountain. Apart from that, there haven’t been any particularly notable events.”

“Then, Master Jingxi should rest well. I’ll go gather more information, and I’ll inform you immediately if there’s news of the master.”

“Thank you, Third Miss Li.”

Qiao Zhao walked out.