Chapter 44: Aphrodisiac and Kidney Tonic? Scorpion Tail Soaked in Wine?
When the Imperial Master Xuan Yi and Xiao Yu and their group, escorting the "Owl Lord" who looked like an evil spirit, crawled out of the half-collapsed cave entrance that was still emitting smoke and dust, they were greeted by Censor Qian and his "demon-hunting team" who were also covered in dust and dust but extremely excited.
Censor Qian took the lead, holding high in his hand the broom tied with a red cloth and a few chicken feathers on the top. When he saw everyone coming out, especially when he saw the "leader" who was tied up and had a hideous face, his old face suddenly smiled like a chrysanthemum.
"Oh my! Prince! Master Imperial Preceptor! You are finally out!" Censor Qian swung his "Nine Heavens Demon-Slaying Sweep", looking quite like an immortal (if you ignore the mud spots on his robe and the saliva at the corners of his mouth).
"That's what I told you! There must be a great demon at work deep underground! Fortunately, I observed the celestial phenomena at night and calculated with my fingers, and discovered that the demonic energy was rising to the sky. So I quickly led my servants to exorcise the demon! What do you think? My strategy of 'luring the snake out of its hole' and then 'catching the turtle in the jar' is brilliant, isn't it?"
Imperial Master Xuan Yi felt his heart throbbing when he saw Censor Qian's smug expression that said, "Praise me quickly, give me credit for the first achievement."
Lure the snake out of its hole? Catch the turtle in the jar?
Old man, you almost buried alive the snake, the turtle and the person who caught the turtle!
Xiao Yu had no expression on his face, and just glanced at Censor Qian lightly. That look made Censor Qian shudder inexplicably, and the words he wanted to take credit for were stuck in his throat.
"Sir Qian," Imperial Preceptor Xuan Yi forced a smile uglier than crying and cupped his hands, "This time... thank you Sir Qian for your 'help'. If Sir Qian hadn't arrived in time, I'm afraid we would have had to go through a lot of trouble." He deliberately emphasized the words "help" and "arrived in time", and Censor Qian smiled happily, thinking that the Imperial Preceptor was thanking him sincerely.
"Very good! Very good!" Censor Qian stroked his sparse beard and said proudly, "Exorcising demons and monsters is my generation's job! Master Imperial Master, there's no need to be polite! But..." He changed the subject and looked at the imprisoned "Owl Master" with a burning gaze. "This monster is extremely ferocious. From my observation of his face, I can see that his forehead is black and he is shrouded in demonic energy. He is definitely not an ordinary person! I wonder how Master Imperial Master plans to deal with him? In my opinion, he should be burned with thunder and fire to eliminate the trouble forever!"
Upon hearing this, the "Owl Lord"'s face, which was already twisted by pain, became even more ferocious. He glared at Censor Qian viciously, as if he wanted to devour him alive with his eyes.
Imperial Preceptor Xuan Yi quickly laughed out loud, "I appreciate Lord Qian's insightful advice. However, this matter... well, it involves a wide range of people. We need to bring him back for a thorough interrogation and thoroughly investigate his accomplices before we can catch them all. As for the subsequent handling, the decision will be made by His Majesty."
Xiao Yu said coldly, "Censor Qian, this is the crime scene. I have ordered it sealed off. The people you brought with you must stay for now and cooperate with the investigation and record their statements."
When Censor Qian heard that he had to stay and cooperate with the investigation and record his statement, he immediately became unhappy: "Your Highness, I am an official appointed by the court, and I have made great contributions this time..."
"Because Lord Qian is an official appointed by the imperial court, he should set an example and cooperate with the investigation." Xiao Yu's tone brooked no room for argument. "Come here, please ask Lord Qian and his entourage to rest aside. The Ministry of Justice will come to question them later."
Several Eagle-Eye Guards immediately stepped forward and half politely and half forcefully "invited" Censor Qian and his group of servants who still wanted to take credit to the side.
Censor Qian wanted to argue a few more times, but when he saw Xiao Yu's cold eyes and the shining sword on the waist of the Eagle Guard, he finally shut up tactfully, but he was still muttering words like "killing the donkey after it has done its work" and "demolishing the bridge after crossing it".
Imperial Preceptor Xuan Yi looked at Censor Qian's frustrated expression, feeling secretly pleased but also a bit sympathetic. This old man was quite an oddball.
He ordered his men to temporarily block the collapsed cave entrance with huge rocks, and sent people to guard it strictly to prevent anyone from entering by mistake and to prevent the "bone-dissolving mysterious water" inside from leaking out and causing greater harm.
After tossing and turning for most of the night, the sky was already turning pale.
Xiao Yu brought the "Owl Lord" and the crucial "Qingzhe Record" and returned to the Regent's Palace first, preparing to interrogate him overnight.
When Imperial Master Xuan Yi dragged his tired body back to the Imperial Master's Mansion, the lights in the mansion were still brightly on.
The housekeeper had been waiting at the door with a group of servants, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the Imperial Master Xuan Yi had returned safely.
"Sir! You are finally back! Miss Jiu... Miss Jiu..." The butler seemed to be hesitant to speak, with a strange look on his face.
Imperial Master Xuan Yi's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, is this girl going to do something weird again?
"What happened to her?" asked the Imperial Master Xuan Yi weakly.
"Miss Jiu said... she said she dreamed that you, sir, caught the giant scorpion king. She also said that the tip of the giant scorpion king's tail can be used as medicine, and soaking it in wine can... strengthen yang and nourish the kidneys. She has already instructed the kitchen to prepare a large jar and the best medicinal materials, and said that she will soak it for you when you bring the scorpion tail back..." As the housekeeper spoke, he carefully observed the expression of the national teacher Xuanyi.
The face of the Imperial Master Xuan Yi instantly turned from white to blue, from blue to black, and finally to a variety of colors.
Aphrodisiac and kidney nourishment? Scorpion tail in wine?
Did he, a dignified imperial teacher, need to soak scorpion tails in wine to strengthen his yang and kidneys? How could he face the world if this got out?
"Throw...those jars and herbs...all...away from me!" Imperial Master Xuan Yi practically squeezed out these words from between his teeth.
"Yes... yes..." the butler responded quickly.
Imperial Master Xuan Yi took a deep breath, tried to calm his blood vessels that were about to burst again, and walked towards Ajiu's yard with unsteady steps.
When I pushed open Ajiu's door, I saw the little girl lying on the table with a piece of paper covered with all kinds of strange-looking insects and bottles and jars spread out in front of her. Her little head was nodding, and it was obvious that she had fallen asleep while waiting.
There was a trace of crystal saliva hanging from the corner of his mouth, as if he was dreaming of something delicious.
Next to her, the half-human-height cloth tiger was placed in a majestic posture, with a feather duster tied to its paw with a red rope, as if it was going to fight.
When Imperial Master Xuan Yi saw this scene, for some reason, the anger and fatigue in his heart quietly dissipated for the most part.
Although this girl was a bit clueless and prone to getting into trouble, she wasn't completely useless. At least, if it weren't for her "nonsense" tonight, the fate of Xiao Yu and herself would have been disastrous.
He sighed softly, walked forward, picked up a thin blanket on the table, and carefully covered Ajiu with it.
Ah Jiu seemed to have noticed something and mumbled in a daze, "Sir... big scorpion... tail... soaked in wine... smells good..."
The veins on the forehead of the Imperial Master Xuan Yi jumped uncontrollably again.
He decided that the first thing he would do tomorrow morning was to issue a clear order prohibiting any words related to "scorpion tail" and "aphrodisiac and kidney-tonifying" from appearing in the Imperial Master's Mansion!
Perhaps, he should seriously consider finding a more reliable mentor for Jiu to teach her what to say and what not to say, so that she won't make such ridiculous mistakes again.
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