Lin Yuan sneered. Just as she expected, if Shunzi really intended to poison her, why would he place the poison in such a hard-to-reach spot inside her shoe? He must have been trying to gain some advantage for himself.
Lin Yuan glanced at the small packet in her hand and then at the larger one held by the guards, an idea forming in her mind.
"Shunzi, let’s not mention the matter of you trying to poison me today. Even if you were just a thief, I could have you sent to the Yamen and thrown into jail."
Shunzi’s eyes widened with fright as he looked at her, shaking his head violently. "No, no, please, don’t."
Lin Yuan smiled interrupting him, "However, I’ve suddenly come up with an idea. If you cooperate with me, I assure you that you won’t end up in jail."
Shunzi’s eyes darted around, and without a second thought, he nodded in agreement. First, get out of there and then whatever happens, would she still be able to control him once he’s gone?
Lin Yuan sneered inwardly, how could she not guess what he was thinking?
She motioned to Liuzi, who hesitated, but upon seeing the "pill" in his hand, he hurried it over to her.
Lin Yuan took the pill and dangled it in front of Shunzi, her smile innocent, "Shunzi, just in case I let you go and you decide to run away, making it impossible for me to find you, unfortunately, I’ll have to trouble you to eat this pill. Honestly, I didn’t want to make you take it, but thinking about how you’re a thief, I’m just not reassured. Look, you even took half of the medicine Shopkeeper Chen gave you for yourself, so I simply can’t let my guard down, can I?"
Shunzi’s eyes were fixed on Lin Yuan’s slender fingers. Those fingers were pale, delicate, and unspeakably beautiful. However, he felt they were no different from the claws of a ghost clawing its way out of Yama Palace!
Shunzi felt a lump in his throat, his upper gums, where a front tooth was missing, clamped down on his lower lip. He wanted to refuse, but with five or six expert guards around him, was there any chance he could?
Lin Yuan’s lips curved slightly as she patted him gently on the head, soothingly coaxing him, "There, there, don’t be afraid. This pill isn’t as terrible as you think; it won’t claim your life immediately. Since you’ve come here to poison me, you must be very familiar with my Rice Flower Fragrance. To tell you the truth, Doctor Hu from Shande Hall, who testified for us last time, is a distant relative of mine. This medicine, you see, was personally formulated by him. What’s its name again? Let me think, oh right, it’s called the One-day death pill. Listen to that, isn’t the name so cute, so charming? Its effects are even more endearing. If you don’t have the antidote within one day, you’ll convulse, bleed from every orifice, and die. Moreover, you’ll feel your internal organs bleeding too, until all your intestines rot away, yet you’ll still be alive, until all your blood drains out, and then you’ll slowly close your eyes. Isn’t that adorable? Now, now, hurry up and take it. As long as you do what I’ve asked of you, you can come back for the antidote. Of course, that’s only for today, if it’s too late I can’t guarantee the antidote will work. You know as well as I do, the sooner you take the antidote, the better."
Speaking the most malicious and horrifying words in the world, Lin Yuan somehow made them sound gentle and bewitching. Xia Zheng watched her with amusement, pondering when he might get her to say a few such tender and alluring words to him.
Liuzi and several guards, however, were terrified by their boss’s seemingly harmless but actually most vicious demeanor. Liuzi, who knew what was going on, felt both annoyed and amused. No wonder these two could get together; they are both so cunning!
The other guards glanced at each other and simultaneously shuddered.
"What will it be? Have you made up your mind? Are you going to swallow it yourself, or do you want me to feed it to you?"