The lingering fragrance

The cool breeze that Bian Que brought with him when he left, mixed with the scent of herbs and a faint trace of humus, seemed to still linger in the warm pavilion, clashing with the originally cozy and calming incense.

“Soul-Separating Grass…” Yang Yuhuan repeated the name softly, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. “This plant grows in extremely damp and shady places, is highly poisonous, and is extremely difficult to cultivate. As far as I know, there is no natural environment for its growth near Chang’an.”

Gongsun Li gently fanned away the strange medicinal smell lingering in front of her nose with her fingertips and said, "In other words, the person who can use this to poison someone either got it from a very far place, or... they are secretly growing this thing in some place in Chang'an that we don't know about?"

Pei Qinhu continued to stare at the doorway, as if Bian Que's gloomy figure was still there. He said in a muffled voice, "Who cares where he got it from! Now that we know it's this damn 'Soul-Separating Grass,' if we follow this vine, we'll surely find the bastard who did this."

Yi Xing leaned back on the soft pillows, his fingertips unconsciously twirling the edge of the thin blanket. He pondered, "Brother Hu is right, this is indeed a clear clue. But the murderer is meticulous. Since they dared to use such a rare poison, they must have concealed its source." He raised his eyes to look at Yang Yuhuan, "Sister Yuhuan, are there any rumors circulating in the martial arts world about someone who is proficient in pharmacology and can cultivate such poisonous herbs?"

Yang Yuhuan pondered for a moment, then slowly shook her head: "There are certainly experts in using poison, but as Bian Que said, this poison is a mixture, requiring profound knowledge of pharmacology. Such people are rare, capable of cultivating rare poisonous herbs and precisely adjusting the dosage to kill with a single blow. Perhaps..." She paused, "...not from the Central Plains."

"Not from the Central Plains." These words plunged everyone present into deep thought. Chang'an, as the capital of the empire, was a melting pot of nations and diverse forces. If it truly was the work of outsiders, their motives became even more intriguing.

“And the fabric,” Gongsun Li recalled another key point, “to be able to imitate it so closely that even Bian Que had to carefully distinguish it at first, the other party must have carefully observed Yi Xing’s clothes up close, or… simply had a sample.”

Yi Xing nodded slightly: "I usually stay at home and rarely go out. My clothes are mostly handled by Sister Ali and Sister Yu Huan. Outsiders can't possibly have access to them..." Several servants responsible for cleaning or purchasing things on the perimeter flashed through his mind, but they were all blurry. Yao Tian was not a monolithic entity, and it was not impossible for outsiders to infiltrate or bribe insiders.

Pei Qinhu scratched his head in frustration: "This won't work, that won't work, are we just going to wait like this?"

“Of course we won’t just wait around.” Yi Xing’s voice was soft, but it carried a calm strength. “The fact that the other side has made a series of moves, framing and assassinating, shows that they are in a hurry, or rather, their plan has reached a critical point and cannot afford to fail. The more they are in this situation, the easier it is for them to expose their weaknesses.”

He straightened up slightly, a movement that made his breathing a little erratic, but his eyes became even clearer: "What we need to do now is, firstly, to be tight on the inside but loose on the outside, secretly investigating any possible loopholes within; secondly... to take the initiative."

"Take the initiative?" Gongsun Li blinked. "How?"

“The Tianyuan Strategy,” Yi Xing slowly uttered these three words. “The murderer’s target was it, and Dr. Wang died because of it. So, where is this chess manual now? Lord Di will surely be keeping a close watch on it. But perhaps we can start from other directions—for example, what other people and things related to ancient books, institutions, or foreign customs has Dr. Wang recently come into contact with?”

He looked at Pei Qinhu: "Brother Hu, you have a wide network of connections and are well-informed in the market, could you...?"

"Leave it to me!" Pei Qinhu immediately patted his chest. "I'll go to all the markets and neighborhoods tomorrow, especially those places where all sorts of people gather. I guarantee I'll be able to find out some inside information!"

Yi Xing then looked at Gongsun Li: "Sister A-Li, the music hall is frequented by a diverse group of people; perhaps we can overhear some whispers or whispers about the court or the martial world..."

"Understood." Gongsun Li nodded solemnly. "I will keep an eye on it."

Finally, he looked at Yang Yuhuan: "Sister Yuhuan, please think carefully again about all the records about 'Soul-Separating Grass' and similar rare poisons. Perhaps... you can discover the unique habits left by the murderer when preparing the poison."

Yang Yuhuan gently agreed, "Okay."

The simple division of labor revitalized the previously somewhat gloomy atmosphere caused by confusion. With a clear direction, they were no longer passively taking hits in the dark.

Yi Xing let out a soft sigh, feeling the tightness in his chest dissipate considerably. He leaned back against the soft pillows, his gaze sweeping across the window. The night was still deep, but on the horizon, a faint glimmer of gray seemed to be appearing, a harbinger of the approaching dawn.