Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 359 - 358: Beyond Saving

"So what is the effect of this thing? Why is it named Chang’e Drunk?" Zhu Yu felt even more curious after hearing this. "If this thing dies upon seeing the light and turns to ash instantly, how can it be put to use?"

"That’s precisely the point." Yan Daoxin nodded. "The reason it’s called Chang’e Drunk is because Chang’e, you see, lives in the Moon Palace, witnessing the sun rise and the moon set, and vice versa, never seeing the sun, just like this flower.

As for the ’Drunk’ part, it’s tied to the usage and effect of this thing.

Although Chang’e Drunk turns to ash upon exposure to light, if cultivated properly to bloom and bear fruit, its fruit, too, cannot see the light. In darkness, it emits a subtle fragrance. When dried and ground into powder without light exposure, it can be blended with other materials into incense. Sealed with a wax pill, when you need to burn it, just throw it in the incense burner. The wax melts with the heat, releasing the fragrance inside.

Long-time users of this incense would appear glowing, radiant, as though they drank tonic wine, hence the term ’drunk.’

Zhu Yu listened, feeling a bit puzzled. If it were just these aspects, Chang’e Drunk seemed to be a rare and valuable item.

But she clearly remembered the blood scent that emerged from the soil once the wooden box was opened. It had been lingering in the underground passage, growing stronger the moment the black box was opened.

Those who were drained of blood, dying like mummies, their blood was likely used to irrigate these flowers named "Chang’e Drunk."

But what kind of good family’s rare elixir would need such a sinister method of irrigation with human blood?

"Why does this need blood for irrigation?" she asked Yan Daoxin. "Did the ancient books you read record this?"

"Indeed, they did," Yan Daoxin nodded. "Chang’e Drunk doesn’t really need much water. If irrigated with ordinary water like rain or river water, it might grow but never bud, bloom, or bear pods, only leaves with no effect at all.

To let it bloom and bear fruit, it must be irrigated with blood, and human blood is best. Others have tried pig, sheep, and even chicken or dog blood, but it barely forms tiny buds.

Some even thought of using monkeys, the animals most similar to humans, but their blood only proved slightly better than chicken or pig blood, forming only pods without seeds inside.

So, anyone determined to obtain the fruit of Chang’e Drunk must be ready to use human blood for cultivation."

"What effects does the incense made from Chang’e Drunk have?" Lu Qing asked, with an expression hinting he already knew part of the answer.

"Hard to say." Yan Daoxin shook his head. "Anyway, Chang’e Drunk itself doesn’t achieve much; it only makes one look flushed and seemingly full of vitality. Even a regular pulse check would feel neither fast nor slow, neither floating nor sinking, robust as if in good health without any issues."

With that explanation, Lu Qing understood: "So, if one mixes some slow-acting poison with Chang’e Drunk, using Chang’e Drunk to disguise it, a poisoned person might appear exceptionally healthy even as the poison spreads through their body, internally damaging their organs? This Chang’e Drunk seems to be perfect for ’covering up the truth.’"

"Precisely," Yan Daoxin was pleased with his understanding.

"This doesn’t sound like something reputable families would use," Zhu Yu frowned, looking disdainfully at the handful of black ash, feeling its growth process and effects both reeked of something sinister and contemptible.

"Listen here!" Yan Daoxin laughed, "If you put it like that, Lu Qing would never have been carried off, weak and feeble, to Shanqing Temple, begging my master for help! People of this world, no matter how dignified they seem on the outside or how high or low their status, as long as there’s selfish desire, as long as there’s greed in their hearts and enough outside temptation, there’s no such thing as reputable families.

In fact, humble folk fighting among themselves do so without scruples. They might punch each other directly, or at most slip some croton beans in someone’s food. The truly malicious ones might resort to arsenic or rat poison.

In contrast, the more prestigious the family, considering themselves beyond reproach, the more they fancy using Chang’e Drunk to mask their repulsive deeds."

This was something Zhu Yu found hard to refute.

Take the people around her as an example. Not mentioning how Pang Yuzhen once used such sordid and sinister methods to deprive the Miao Family of their ability to have children, just by being able to travel alongside Lu Qing under the guise of "Chief Historian Yu" today was because someone had plotted a poisoning scheme at their wedding banquet.

"You’re right; the innate good or evil of human nature is given at birth. The so-called ’prestigious’ or ’righteous’ is just self-flattery." Zhu Yu nodded, "Moreover, those more guilty often boast more.

Yet speaking of which, if someone uses Chang’e Drunk to mask a poison, once the poisoned person’s condition deteriorates beyond what Chang’e Drunk can conceal, would there still be hope then?"

She had been pondering this ever since Yan Daoxin elaborated on this item’s properties, confirming she had noticed a scent similar to Chang’e Drunk but not entirely identical.

Clearly, someone had added other scents in it, concocting a toxic perfume with ulterior motives, to fool the senses.

That day, for instance, the old Shopkeeper had shown a scented skirt...

"Well... once it is beyond concealment, it’d probably be truly hopeless." Yan Daoxin knew what Zhu Yu meant, so he glanced at Lu Qing, hinting something unsaid.

Lu Qing felt the implied meaning in his gaze and nodded: "I understand."

"That’s fine. Now that it’s clear to you all, I need to head back for some more sleep," Yan Daoxin yawned and stretched, "I couldn’t sleep well last night, worrying about this, and now I’m very tired."

"Wait a moment," Zhu Yu stopped him, pointing at the handkerchief he was about to take, "Last night, we left in a hurry because we heard voices. Since this thing is so rare, if those people went down to tend to the Chang’e Drunk seedlings, they might find a flower missing in the box."