Chapter 53 A Chaotic World of Demonic Couples A chaotic world of demonic beings, immoral and unsavory, utterly ignorant...
Although the Yuan family suffered heavy losses at Guandu, the threat remained, and various covert infiltrations made this winter seem restless.
Incense burned in Guo Jia's study, and the tightly closed lattice door kept out the cold air.
On the desk lay a small lacquered box containing the "evidence" that Lu Hong had presented during the day: medicine from Ye City obtained on the black market. It was said to be secretly circulating among the upper classes there, and there were recent signs of it flowing into Xudu. Lu Hong was worried about its effects and earnestly requested the Grand Master to take it back to his wife for a thorough investigation.
Deng Jie tested the poison with a silver needle, then rubbed some in and sniffed it. Finally, driven by a doctor's curiosity and inquiry, she rubbed a piece in her mouth before Guo Jia could speak, startling Guo Jia so much that he almost knocked over the lacquer box in her hand.
"How could you be so reckless!"
“This is not poisonous; I can tell.” Deng Jie said dismissively, pressing him down onto the soft couch in the study. “You should lie down and do moxibustion first. I need to test the aftereffects to determine its purpose.”
Guo Jia stared at her face carefully again and again, but saw no change, so he lay down hesitantly and let her do as she pleased.
"If you feel unwell, let me know immediately and I will go and call Master Hua to come and take a look!"
“There’s no need to bother Master with this; I can judge for myself.” Deng Jieman reluctantly lifted his clothes and inserted the silver needles directly.
The smoke curled upwards, and the room temperature quietly rose as the incense burned.
At first, there was nothing unusual. Guo Jia became drowsy under the warmth of the moxibustion and the steady pressure from Deng Jie's fingertips.
However, when Deng Jie bent down again to examine his back, a sudden surge of heat rose in his chest.
A chill ran through her, and an unusual blush instantly rose to her cheeks. Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her hands, which had lost most of their strength, began to tremble. She knew something was wrong.
As she shakily removed the needles from Guo Jia's body, Guo Jia noticed her unusual behavior and turned his head to look at her, asking, "What's wrong?"
Deng Jie suddenly stood up, avoiding his gaze, his heart pounding like a drum.
The swirling smoke only intensified her anxiety. A picture of herself grinding medicinal powder flashed through her mind, and combined with her own reaction, she immediately understood.
"N-nothing...it's just a little hot..." Her voice trembled without her even realizing it as she forced herself to remain calm and removed the silver needles from Guo Jia's back one by one, then pressed her forehead against his back.
"I roughly know what kind of medicine it is... I just don't want you to see me like this..." She breathed heavily, hoping she could pull through.
"What medicine is it?! Where do you feel unwell? Is there any remedy?"
Guo Jia turned over to investigate, but she swiftly covered his eyes and pressed him back onto the bed.
"I told you not to look!" But when she saw Guo Jia lying there with his upper body naked, she couldn't suppress the restlessness in her heart. She raised her eyebrows slightly, smiled, and took off her belt to cover his eyes.
"What are you doing?" Guo Jia subconsciously raised his hand to pull, but Deng Jie grabbed his wrist, wrapped his hands with a belt, raised them above his head, and tied them to the wooden railing of the bed.
"You've always been the one teasing me..." She leaned down and whispered, her fingers tracing Guo Jia's high nose and thin lips, "Today it's my turn to enjoy myself..."
Guo Jia felt itchy from her breath, but his body quickly received the message she was sending, and a wave of heat spread throughout his body. He chuckled and said, "So that's how it is. Jia knows what medicine it is now."
He said, relaxing himself and waiting for her: "Then come, I'll be waiting for you anytime, Madam."
As the incense in the burner burned out, the effects of the medicine Deng Jie had swallowed finally wore off.
"This...this is probably meant to be burned...I was aroused by the burning incense and the medicinal properties were activated...I actually ingested this stuff internally..." Deng Jie sighed heavily.
"Let's see if you dare to experiment with medicines again next time!" Guo Jia scolded, then smiled gently, "No wonder you reacted so strongly... However, if this kind of medicine were to circulate in Xudu, it would be detrimental to the current situation, and an order must be issued to ban it."
Deng Jie nodded slightly in his arms, closed his eyes, and murmured, "If it's mixed with other sleeping pills and used on specific people, then it will be troublesome."
Guo Jia immediately understood her meaning; using a beautiful woman to extract information through romantic encounters was a common tactic.
"Or long-term use may also be harmful to the body..." Deng Jie continued slowly with his eyes closed.
"Damage?! Then you..."
Guo Jia was startled and shifted his posture to examine the object, but she gently raised her hand to stop him.
"Just this once... it's alright. I'll try to adjust a clearing formula tomorrow."
The next day, he leisurely handed over his duties at the school office, but he was still thinking about the effects of the drug from the previous night. "This drug is extremely harmful. When you receive it, remember to hand it over to Jia... Madam will destroy it as well."
As for how it was destroyed... Guo Jia pondered this in secret, naturally not telling him.
Guo Jia brought these boxes and bottles home, and was plotting how to "destroy" them with ill intent when Deng Jie, who was at home making new incense powder, mysteriously pulled him into the room.
"Smell it, I made it." Her eyes lit up as she handed the porcelain box to Guo Jia.
Guo Jia took the sample with suspicion, sniffed it briefly, and then widened his eyes. "You... this?"
The subtle fragrance emanating from this box was remarkably similar to the forbidden medicines from Ye City that he had confiscated!
Deng Jie chuckled and put the porcelain box away.
"How about it? I've improved it; the effect is gentler, and there's no risk of harming your health."
"Oh? How do you know it's gentle? Have you tried it?"
“Then please, my husband, try it yourself.” She said, and went to light incense.
"Wait, wait!" For some reason, Guo Jia felt a sense of panic and retreat for the first time and stopped Deng Jie.
Deng Jie looked up at him, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "What, is Fengxiao going to admit defeat now?"
Guo Jia's competitive spirit was ignited by her malicious smile. He gritted his teeth and stamped his foot, "What are you talking about! If I were to admit defeat, why would I have brought the medicine back?"
He swallowed, then suddenly a brilliant idea struck him, and a sly glint appeared in his eyes: "Speaking of which, Yi, haven't you ever thought about your best friend...?"
Deng Jie was taken aback. "You...you mean Shen Ge?"
Guo Jia rubbed his hands together and laughed, "Brother Changwen should be most lacking in this..."
Deng Jie chuckled, but his hands didn't pause for a second. He quickly lit a fire and threw incense. "Once we've tested the medicine and improved all the ones you brought, I'll naturally send a portion to them!"
Startled, Guo Jia scurried outside, crying, "Madam! Madam! Wait! Wait!"
"how?"
Their commotion caused the family in the other side room to start peeking over the wall to listen to the commotion.
Guo Jia glanced back, composed himself, and coughed lightly, "Never mind, I'll go dig up the wine jar..."
A few days later, Guo Jia took leave and stayed at home, where he was now slumped over his desk, completely lacking any semblance of decorum.
Sunlight streamed through the windowpane onto the desk, casting a ray of light on Guo Jia's head.
He was leaning against the table, his legs stretched lazily to the side. Although he held a bamboo scroll in his hand, his eyes were vacant, his soul still wandering in Wushan, and he had no desire to open it and read it.
Deng Jie was rustling around behind the screen, seemingly searching for something. She peeked at him and scolded, "You just took leave the day before yesterday, why are you off again today?"
Guo Jia turned his face away and snorted weakly, "It's all your fault."
“Then go to your bedroom and rest properly. What kind of behavior is it to be sprawled out here?” Deng Jie’s smile peeked through the screen.
Guo Jia shrank back, glancing warily at the figure behind the screen out of the corner of his eye. "...Isn't it because I'm afraid of you?"
Deng Jie was amused by him and chuckled, "It seems my husband is still in good spirits, still able to crack a joke."
Before she finished speaking, the light and shadow behind the screen shifted slightly, and she turned and stepped out.
Guo Jia instinctively straightened his back.
Deng Jie stepped out gracefully, wearing a dazzling, shimmering ice silk feather robe!
Guo Jia felt a dazzling light before his eyes, and his head spun. "Madam... please spare Jia..."
As the light and shadow shifted gently, and the sun shone higher, the sunlight in the study gradually shrank until it disappeared completely.
Guo Jia slumped on the soft couch, staring blankly at the roof beams, exuding a sense of utter despair and hopelessness.
Deng Jie, on the other hand, looked radiant and carefully straightened his feathered robe as he got up.
She picked up the torn marks on the cuffs and hem, her brows furrowing in heartache: "You said you'd let me go, but when have you ever let me go? This precious silk fabric, you've torn it to shreds! What a waste!"
Guo Jia grumbled and protested, "How was I supposed to know this fabric was so delicate, so easily handled..."
As he looked closely at the damaged area, a sudden inspiration struck him. He struggled to his feet and exclaimed, "Oh? It doesn't matter. Even if it's broken, it can still be put to good use!"
"What...what are you going to do now?!"
"Jia, go get the scissors, to take the lady's measurements for a dress!"
"Thump!"
Just as Deng Jie was scolding and Guo Jia was getting up, a loud bang suddenly came from the closed lattice door of the study. The two fell silent instantly and looked at each other in bewilderment.
"What's that sound?" Deng Jie was puzzled and wanted to go out to check, but Guo Jia stopped him.
Guo Jia put on an outer robe, slipped barefoot to the door, carefully opened a crack in the door, and peeked out to look.
A bag of bamboo slips lay rolled on the ground by the door, next to an exquisite brocade box.
Guo Jia looked up and saw that only A Yu was sweeping the courtyard.
"Ayu! Who just came by?"
Ayu jumped, chuckled sheepishly, and jogged forward a couple of steps, her eyes darting around. "Reporting to the Chief Priest, it was Clerk Chen who came by..."
Guo Jia raised an eyebrow, a complex emotion flashing through his mind. "How long has he been here?"
Ayu chuckled, "It wasn't long, I just arrived a little while ago, threw this bag of letters against the door, and left..."
He paused, glancing at Guo Jia with ill intent, "But as he left... I heard him muttering something about 'a monster of a chaotic world,' 'immoral and corrupt,' 'shameless,' and 'utterly disgraceful'..."
"Smack!"
Before he could finish speaking, Guo Jia picked up the bag of bamboo and smashed it straight at A Yu's face.
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