When Unfated Tian took Parting Tears from Han Xiangxun's hands, he caught the faintest trace of Fleeting Glimp…
When Unfated Tian took Parting Tears from Han Xiangxun's hands, he caught the faintest trace of Fleeting Glimpse of Beauty lingering on her.
Her perfume was running out again.
"Graceful as a startled swan, supple as a wandering dragon." Those were the words Cao Zhi had written for the Water Lady, the same ones Unfated Tian had borrowed for his masterpiece, the perfume he'd crafted just for her.
In these turbulent times, agarwood was worth its weight in gold.
Fortunately, the Evercare Clinic still had a stash of imports from Fuling. This particular ingredient was priceless, and Unfated Tian allowed no one else to touch it.
Agarwood was rich and heavy, clinging to fabric for days. This is a fragrant medicine that could ward off evil and calm the mind.
With careful precision, he scraped a few flakes into a porcelain dish. He hesitated, then added two more.
Unfated Tian always gave Han Xiangxun the best and kept the worst for himself.
Blissful Retreat announced that Madam Han had left to source fresh ingredients, but business would continue as usual.
Meanwhile, in the wilds of Qinghe, several Khitan scouts were found dead. They were poisoned, with no trace of the killer.
Rumor had it their insides had liquefied. Even vultures wouldn't go near them.
No one knew Han Xiangxun was lying wounded at the bottom of a well, recovering from injuries sustained at Still Shore.
The night she woke, she summoned Unfated Tian to meet her there.
"You shouldn't have acted so recklessly."
"You suspect me? I'm a doctor. How could I kill?" He put on an exaggerated look of hurt, though the amusement in his eyes betrayed him.
He knew his acting wouldn't fool her.
"No experience. Got carried away." After she left, Unfated Tian sighed.
If staining his hands with blood kept her safe, so be it.
Eliminating everyone who'd seen her that night was the only way to ensure her peace. Especially when she'd been hurt so badly.
The scent of blended perfumes brought him back to the present. As he finished the new mixture, a faint smile touched his lips.
When Unfated Tian left Han Xiangxun's room, the water clock marked the deepening night.
Soft moonlight spilled into the chamber. Beside her bronze mirror sat a fresh porcelain vase.