Alarm bells blared in Daziel's mind, but his face remained impassive, his eyes instantly turning wary.
He shifted his body to block the doorway, preventing her from seeing inside the room, his voice turning a few degrees colder.
"That's very thoughtful of you, Head Alchemist Lingsha. However, we are in perfect health and wouldn't dare trouble you."
The smile on Lingsha's lips didn't fade, her bright eyes seeming to pierce right through to a person's heart.
"Is that so?" she asked softly, her tone level yet carrying an undeniable, penetrating force.
Daziel's brow furrowed even tighter. "What, does Head Alchemist Lingsha not believe me?"
Far from backing away, Lingsha leaned forward slightly. The unique scent of medicinal herbs grew clearer as she closed her eyes, her nose twitching as if savoring a rare vintage.
"Mr. Daziel, did you know?" her voice was soft, yet every word was crystal clear. "Scents can convey a great deal of information. This room contains the scent of calming incense, the scent of the inn's bedding, the scent of dust… and also…"
She snapped her eyes open, her gaze locking precisely onto Daziel.
"…The scent of exhaustion after utter depletion, the lingering afterglow of a cathartic session… and the scents of two very different women, entangled with your own aura, refusing to dissipate. This combination of scents is not as simple as being in 'perfect health.'"
Her face drew so close that the tip of her nose almost brushed his chest, her warm breath shamelessly invading his personal space.
"This scent…" Lingsha slowly raised her eyelids, her gaze watery and direct as she stared into his eyes, her tone laced with a playful knowingness, "…is the scent of a lie."
Seeing this, Daziel was momentarily stunned.
Do you think you're Bucciarati? Why don't I just let you have a lick? It'd be more effective than your sniffing… and you can decide where you want to lick.
Though the scene before him was beyond his expectations, Daziel forcibly suppressed his urge to retort with sarcasm.
His expression turned cold. He looked directly at Lingsha, feigning a hint of arrogance in his tone.
"You can tell I'm lying just by sniffing? I am an ally of the Luofu, a holder of the Alliance Jade Token. Without evidence, your nose alone cannot convict me of any crime!"
Lingsha seemed completely unfazed by his attitude, maintaining her poised and elegant demeanor.
"Don't be angry, don't be angry. Anger produces turbid qi, which will disturb the pleasant scent you originally carried." she said lightly. "To get what you want, you must learn emotional management. Like myself, I always remind myself to…"
As she spoke, she demonstrated, taking a deep, calming breath. The fragrant scent that spilled forth filled Daziel's nostrils. Daziel, however, had no time to savor it. He cut her off, his own voice a bit unnatural.
"With an attitude like that, how do you expect me to have a proper conversation with you? Why don't you just tell me what's happened to Yunli?"
"Mr. Daziel, you needn't be so tense." She chuckled, taking half a step back, but her probing gaze remained locked on him. "Yunli violated the laws of the Xianzhou, broke into the heavily guarded armory, and stole the prize for the Martial Exhibition. Naturally, she must be dealt with according to the law."
She paused, then changed the subject. "However, if you wish for her to suffer less in the Shackling Prison, or to be released sooner, it's not entirely impossible."
Daziel's eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to threaten me with Yunli? Do you think that's possible?"
"It's not a threat," Lingsha said, shaking her head and tapping her temple lightly with a jade-like finger. "I am merely stating a fact. Yunli's crimes are not light. Without someone to mediate, her situation will likely be grim. And my visit this time, besides following General Huaiyan's orders to retrieve the Demon Sword, is also because I am very… interested… in you, Mr. Daziel."
"Interested… in me?"
That phrasing briefly threw Daziel for a loop.
"Yes, in you, sir." Lingsha sized him up, her gaze seeming to want to see through him completely. "I've heard that General Feixiao's chronic illness was cured by you using a peculiar method. And last night, when Miss Yunli was in peril after coming into contact with the Demon Sword, it seems you were also the one who helped suppress the sword's backlash."
Daziel's vigilance skyrocketed. This Lingsha knew far more than he had imagined.
She even knows about Feixiao. Did that Fox Slave run her mouth? So much for her absolute loyalty to the Borisin War Chief. Should I go back and 'discipline' her properly?
"So, retrieving the Demon Sword was just a pretense. Your real goal is to probe my secrets?" Daziel sneered.
"You could say that," Lingsha admitted frankly, her smile unwavering. "After all, compared to forging swords, my interests are elsewhere. As a physician, my primary concern is naturally the methods of healing. As for you, sir…"
Her gaze fell upon Daziel's chest, as if she could see right through his clothes to what lay within. "Your constitution, your methods… they make me exceptionally curious. If you are willing to cooperate, hand over the Demon Sword, and allow me to conduct a thorough 'examination,' perhaps… I can put in a good word for Yunli with my superiors."
"After all, I am acquainted with Yunli, and I would hate to see her… in such a sorry state in prison."
"An examination?" Daziel raised an eyebrow. "What kind of examination?"
Lingsha's smile grew more meaningful. "Naturally… the most thorough, most in-depth examination. To ensure that you, sir, and the young lady in the room, have not been left with any hidden dangers from your contact with the Demon Sword. After all, that sword's demonic nature is unlike any other." She glanced meaningfully towards the inside of the room.
Daziel instantly understood her implication.
"And if I say no?" his voice grew cold.
The smile on Lingsha's face faded slightly, a hint of helplessness in her eyes. "Then I'm afraid Miss Yunli will have to spend a few more days in the Shackling Prison. Furthermore, Mr. Daziel, if the crimes of harboring a Demon Sword and assisting a criminal are confirmed, I'm afraid you and your companions will not be able to escape implication."
Daziel fell silent.
He knew Lingsha wasn't bluffing. Even if he was an ally of the Luofu, she was acting by the book. If this blew up, it would not only be embarrassing for Jing Yuan, but it would also damage the reputation of the Astral Express.
He glanced towards the bed. March 7th was still sleeping soundly, completely unaware of what was happening.
Even though we fight like family, I can't let Little March get dragged into this…
As for Yunli, though she had turned herself in, he had been the one to encourage her to steal the sword to get the plot back on track. Ultimately, he was responsible.
"The sword… I can give it to you," Daziel said slowly. "But you must guarantee Yunli's safety and not use her to threaten me again."
A flicker of delight crossed Lingsha's eyes. "But of course. As long as the Demon Sword is returned, I have my ways of mediating on Miss Yunli's behalf." She took a step forward, holding out a slender hand. "So, the sword?"
Daziel didn't move immediately but gave her a long, deep look.
"Before I give you the sword, didn't you say you wanted to conduct an examination? Since you're so confident in your 'examination,' then please, begin. I'd like to experience for myself just how skilled the Head Alchemist of the Alchemy Commission truly is."
He had already made up his mind. This Vidyadhara woman wanted to probe his secrets, but he, in turn, wanted to gauge the depths of the Alchemy Commission and figure out what her true angle was.
Lingsha was slightly taken aback, then broke into a graceful smile. "You are a straightforward man, sir. In that case, it would be rude of me to refuse."
She took a light breath, and her entire demeanor suddenly changed. The gentle softness from before seemed to have been just a facade. Now, her eyes were sharp, filled with the focus and authority of a physician.
She retrieved a small, exquisite incense burner from her sleeve. The body was bronze-colored, the lid intricately carved with Luofu cloud patterns. A strange fragrance billowed from the vents, transforming into thousands of strands of red smoke.
While guiding the red smoke to curl around her palm, Lingsha explained to Daziel, "This incense burner is called the 「Smoke Jade Branch」. It is a necessary tool for practicing medicine. I studied under the lineage of the Zhuming's Dragon-Hearted, Yanting-Jun, and mastered the medical art of 「Golden-Scaled Abode」. I need this incense burner to perform at my best. As for the smoke refined within… let's just call it a secret recipe."
Daziel nodded without comment. He knew all these settings from the game but didn't expect her to be so forthcoming.
Lingsha's movements were elegant and composed, carrying the natural authority of her position. She lit a special short incense stick in the burner. A strange, crimson wisp of smoke rose, coiling in the air without dispersing, finally forming into the shape of a small, red rabbit.
"Now then, please relax, sir. I am about to begin." Lingsha's voice became somewhat ethereal. She raised two pale fingers and plucked a line of red smoke. The smoke twisted around her fingertips, coalescing into a faint, fine needle.
She slowly brought the smoke needle towards Daziel's forehead.
Daziel stood perfectly still, allowing the herb-scented fingertips to approach. He wanted to see just what the secret arts of the Alchemy Commission could uncover.
Just as the smoke needle was about to touch his skin, a sudden change occurred!
"Huh?!"
Lingsha's expression changed dramatically, her eyes filled with shock. She had expected to detect the residual demonic aura of the Demon Sword. But at that moment, an aura a hundred times more complex erupted from Daziel's body!
It was no longer a passive, lingering scent, but an active, almost aggressive shockwave of energy! This aura was more intense, more domineering than any ailment she had ever "smelled" in her many years of practice.
The ultimate heat and bone-chilling cold were intertwined, yet forcibly merged by a strange power, a flow of yin and yang that instantly dragged her consciousness into a bizarre, chaotic vortex.
"Ah…"
Lingsha felt a violent wave of dizziness. Her nasal cavity was filled with that intensely familiar yet strange scent, and countless chaotic sensory signals exploded in her mind. Her sense of smell, her pride and joy which could identify ten thousand medicines and ailments, seemed to have completely failed her. Instead, she felt a wave of nausea.
The red smoke needle she had condensed could no longer maintain its form. With a few soft clinks, the spare silver needles she carried slipped from her sleeve and scattered across the floor.
Her body went limp, and Lingsha involuntarily pitched forward.
Daziel hadn't expected this turn of events either. He only felt the energy that had taken all night to calm down being actively drawn out by her medical arts, and then the woman before him collapsed without warning. He instinctively reached out, wrapping an arm around Lingsha's soft waist and catching her in his arms.
He was met with a fragrant, soft, jade-like armful.
Lingsha's body was even more slender than he had imagined. Through her well-fitted red and black dress, he could clearly feel the unnatural heat of her skin and the slight tremor of her body. Her carefully styled hair fell into disarray, a few strands clinging to her flushed cheeks. Her usually clear, sharp eyes were now covered in a layer of mist, filled with confusion and helplessness.
The cool, herbal scent from her body mixed with the fragrance she emitted due to her abnormal state, as well as the complex aura she had "absorbed" from Daziel, creating an even stranger scent that swirled around them.
"You… what did you do to me?" Lingsha gasped, her voice hoarse and alarmed. She tried to struggle, but found her entire body was weak, unable to muster any strength. Her prized secret arts of the Alchemy Commission had not only failed to uncover Daziel's secrets but had backfired, leaving her in an unprecedentedly compromising position.
The aura that had surged back from Daziel was now coursing through her limbs, making her body flash between hot and cold, her heart racing uncontrollably, her face burning. This feeling… it was strangely similar to the symptoms described in case files of those who had gone mad while cultivating certain yin-yang techniques.
Daziel looked down at the flushed, dazed Head Alchemist in his arms, his own heart filled with bewilderment. He could feel that the special energy generated from "treating" Yunli and March 7th had been stimulated during his contact with Lingsha and had affected her.
Is this… her just desserts?
"I didn't do anything," Daziel said in a low voice, but his arms held her even tighter, preventing her from escaping. It was the truth. Although it was unintentional, since the situation had developed this way, he might as well go with the flow.
He lowered his head, moving close to Lingsha's ear, and spoke in a voice only they could hear.
"Head Alchemist Lingsha, it seems your medical skills can fail you occasionally. Or perhaps, there are some things you shouldn't just go 'sniffing' around."
The warm breath on her sensitive earlobe made Lingsha tremble. She bit her lower lip, her long, slender legs instinctively pressing together, their curves accentuated by the special red-and-white gradient stockings.
"Let… let me go!" Lingsha's voice was weak, but it still carried a hint of bravado.
Far from letting go, Daziel lifted her slightly, pressing her more tightly against himself. He could feel every slight tremor of her body and her racing heart.
"Let you go? And have you go back to stir up trouble, making Yunli suffer for a few more days in the Shackling Prison?" Daziel's tone was laced with icy sarcasm. "Or perhaps, Head Alchemist Lingsha would like to personally experience the true power of that Demon Sword? I still have quite a bit of its 'afterglow' on me, you know."
He deliberately emphasized the word "afterglow."
Lingsha's face grew even redder, almost looking like it would bleed. She naturally understood the implication in his words. Although she didn't know the specific details of last night's unbelievable events, judging from the lingering aura on Daziel, it was no ordinary "purification." If she were to be fully triggered by this aura now… the consequences would be unimaginable! The pristine reputation she had painstakingly built would be utterly destroyed!
"What… what do you want?" Lingsha's voice was shaky, tinged with a poorly hidden panic. For the first time, she felt so powerless and passive before someone.
Seeing her like this, Daziel's anger over Yunli's arrest subsided slightly, replaced by the calm of someone in complete control.
"It's simple," Daziel said slowly, his burning gaze fixed on Lingsha's eyes. "First, tell me Yunli's exact situation in the Shackling Prison. I need to ensure she is unharmed."
"Second, that Demon Sword. What does the Alchemy Commission plan to do with it? And what is General Huaiyan's attitude?"
Daziel paused, a meaningful arc tugging at his lips. "Head Alchemist Lingsha, since you came to 'examine' a body today, why don't… I help you with an 'examination' as well?"
His suggestive gaze slowly slid from Lingsha's flushed face, over her graceful curves, and finally settled on her slender legs, which were wrapped in silk and now slightly trembling.
"Let's see if you've been left with any… 'aftereffects'… from 'smelling' things you shouldn't have."
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