Chapter 145 Drugging

Fang Xu and Qiu Chuji sat inside the carriage, followed closely by Old Wu and the other guards.

After calculating the time, Fang Xu figured there were no longer any pressing matters requiring his personal attention around Danyang Commandery and County.

Moreover, in Fang Xu’s view, this was not the right moment for him to take active initiatives.

What he needed to do now was wait—wait for what, exactly?

Naturally, he was waiting for the seeds he had sown to sprout and break through the soil.

In Fang Xu’s estimation, the time was not yet ripe, nor was it the moment to reveal his true identity.

After Fang Xu and his party departed from Danyang Commandery and County, Zhang He, who had been standing guard at the city gates the entire time, could not help but release a heavy sigh of relief.

To Zhang He, it felt as though he had just been thoroughly drenched by a torrential downpour.

Especially when he recalled what Fang Xu had said to him earlier, along with the words Old Wu had spoken to him the previous midnight.

Those warnings hung above Zhang He’s head like a sharp blade, making him realize that his little tricks were indeed nothing more than showing off one's slight skill before an expert.

Zhang He, who had originally thought himself utterly doomed, genuinely had not expected to escape with his life.

Even though Zhang He understood the reasons why Fang Xu chose not to move against him for the time being, this was by no means a protective amulet that allowed him to act recklessly or arrogantly. Fang Xu would certainly never tolerate another stunt from him.

One must not forget Fang Xu’s status; even though the background and identity he possessed behind the scenes were far more terrifying, the authority of the Commandant of the Guard was already more than sufficient to dismiss and replace a commandery governor. Zhang He knew that if there were a next time, it would mark his execution day.

It was not that Fang Xu dared not touch him, but rather that he simply couldn't be bothered to waste the effort.

Having figured out these matters, Zhang He finally understood why Murong Bai had chosen to side with Fang Xu.

Since even Murong Bai was honestly standing on Fang Xu’s side, what clever little schemes did he think he was qualified to play?

If Murong Bai failed, could he possibly escape unscathed?

That was obviously impossible. Especially from Zhang He’s perspective, would Murong Fu ever let him go?

At this moment, Fang Xu, who was heading toward Nanyang County, naturally had no idea what Zhang He was thinking. Instead, he was listening to the report given by Qiu Chuji, who was sitting right across from him.

After all, over the past few days, Qiu Chuji had conducted repeated experiments, though she had ultimately only managed to isolate a few special substances.

She had failed to obtain a complete gunpowder formula, yet Fang Xu did not blame her at all. Instead, he offered words of comfort and reassurance.

If it were so easy to invent, gunpowder probably wouldn't be worth much, would it?

With this thought in mind, Fang Xu absentmindedly twirled the bamboo tubes in his hand.

These two bamboo tubes were originally intended as farewell gifts for Zhuge Jun and Shangguan Lian, and naturally served to convince Zhuge Jun and the Shangguan family of his friendly intentions.

Yet judging from the current situation, it seemed they wouldn't be needed anymore?

"Here, Chuji, take these two," Fang Xu said, handing the two bamboo tubes to Qiu Chuji, leaving her stunned and staring at him blankly.

How could Qiu Chuji not know what these two bamboo tubes represented? She looked at Fang Xu in disbelief, wondering what he intended to do now.

"I have Old Wu and the others to protect me anyway. Consider these two your talismans," Fang Xu said with a smile, naturally noticing the bewilderment on her face.

Upon hearing Fang Xu's words, a flush of crimson immediately spread across Qiu Chuji’s cheeks.

She hurriedly lowered her head, terrified that Fang Xu might notice the blushing on her face.

"Thank you..." Qiu Chuji whispered softly. Fang Xu merely smiled and said nothing more.

He looked out at the scenery passing by the carriage window and fell into deep thought.

Meanwhile, Qiu Chuji kept her head lowered, clutching the two bamboo tubes tightly while observing Fang Xu from the corner of her eye.

The midday sunlight happened to cast its warm glow directly onto Fang Xu’s profile, a sight caught by Qiu Chuji. His naturally striking demeanor, heightened by the illumination of the sunlight, left her somewhat entranced—until a soft rumble from her lower abdomen broke the spell.

Embarrassed, Qiu Chuji quickly lowered her head further, using both hands to press against her protesting stomach.

Fang Xu looked at her with a light chuckle and said nothing, understanding well that this was inevitable.

Even for himself, he was indeed beginning to feel a bit hungry.

Having only partaken in morning tea at dawn, it was now noon—the proper time for lunch.

A moment later, after giving a few instructions to the coachman, Fang Xu directed the group to find an inn for a proper meal as soon as they entered the borders of Nanyang County.

One had to admit that Nanyang Commandery was truly incomparable to Danyang Commandery.

By the time Fang Xu and his party arrived at an inn just outside Nanyang County, everyone’s stomachs were growling in unison.

Fang Xu naturally noticed the embarrassed expressions on their faces and could not help laughing out loud.

He told everyone to order whatever they liked; after all, traveling from this spot to Nanyang County would only take the time it took to burn a few sticks of incense.

He figured they would easily make it before the city gates closed tight.

And even if they missed it, what major issue would there be in staying overnight at this establishment?

Before long, the inn's waiter had prepared fine dishes and good wine, serving them onto the table. The company, having been starved for hours, fell upon the food without ceremony.

While the flavors were merely passable, Qiu Chuji had originally planned to make do with her own dry rations.

Yet how could Fang Xu let her get away with that? Faced with such appetizing dishes, Qiu Chuji gradually let her guard down and began to enjoy the meal.

After all, how could plain white steamed buns ever compare to these rich meat dishes?

Seeing everyone eating with such gusto, Fang Xu could not suppress his smile.

He then picked up his teacup and took a casual sip, but after only a single taste, he realized something was amiss.

To his astonishment, the objects before his eyes seemed to sway unsteadily, while one by one, the people behind him collapsed onto the tables, losing consciousness.

He looked up to see the innkeeper’s wife eyeing him and his companions with a shifty, treacherous gaze, while a heavy fog clouded his own mind.

Fang Xu genuinely never expected that every single one of them had fallen into a trap.

Even Old Wu had passed out, leaving Fang Xu as the last one holding on.

He could not fathom the reason behind this—why would these people target them out of nowhere?

Had he somehow offended these individuals somewhere along the way? Yet he could not dredge up a single relevant memory.

Ultimately, overpowered by the potency of the drug, Fang Xu’s limbs grew weak, and he slumped heavily across the table, losing consciousness entirely. Whatever happened next remained completely unknown to him.

Before blacking out, the final question echoing endlessly in Fang Xu's mind was: Why on earth would such a thing happen right within the territory of Nanyang County?