Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 340 - 339: I Salute You as a True Man

With Yan Daoxin’s assurance, everyone felt much more at ease. However, to be cautious, they did not return to their rooms as they did the previous night, but gathered in one room on the second floor, which also served as a form of mutual watch.

At first, everyone was extremely alert, even appearing particularly refreshed and full of energy because of Yan Daoxin’s Awakening Pills.

Yan Shu even secretly worried, asking Zhu Yu in a whisper whether they would be unable to sleep because the pills worked too well, staring into the air until dawn if nothing happened that night.

However, her concern was clearly unnecessary.

As night deepened, the small courtyard remained quiet, with no sign of anything unusual except for the faint fragrance from the flowers blooming again in the pond.

However, around Hai Chu time, Lu Zhang was the first to exhibit abnormalities. Though previously anxious and restless, he suddenly slumped over the table as if his soul had been whisked away while reaching for the teapot.

The others were startled at the sight and hurried over to check on Lu Zhang, only to feel something amiss, as a wave of dizziness washed over them.

Yan Shu frowned, trying to go over and check on Lu Zhang, but as she stood up, she fell forward. Fortunately, Zhu Yu reached out to catch her, barely preventing an embarrassing face-first landing. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Yan Daoxin composed himself first, carefully checking Lu Zhang’s and Yan Shu’s breathing, then felt their pulses. Once he confirmed both had suddenly fallen into a deep sleep, he breathed a sigh of relief, but his brow was still tightly furrowed.

"This doesn’t make sense!" He looked at Lu Qing and Lu Yan, "My Awakening Pills have always been very effective. Even if you’d been given a bowl of sedative before, you would still wake up. How could they fail?"

"Do you two feel anything wrong?"

Initially, Lu Yan wanted to mock Lu Zhang for being too weak after seeing him slumped over, but when Yan Daoxin addressed him, he was about to shake his head when he sensed something not quite right and stopped himself. He steadied his breath and pinched his side.

"Phew, that was close. Something is definitely off; I almost fell asleep just now." He forced his eyes open wide. "I could fight for days without sleeping on horseback. What kind of evil is at work that even after taking the Awakening Pills I can barely stay awake?"

Lu Qing slowly nodded: "This isn’t an ordinary sedative or confusing smoke. We have to try to keep ourselves from falling asleep before we can figure out the next step."

He glanced at Zhu Yu afterward. While he couldn’t openly show too much concern for Zhu Yu in front of Lu Yan, thinking Yan Shu had already fallen asleep, he was surprised to find Zhu Yu still sitting there looking quite awake when he turned his head.

Before Lu Qing could say anything, Lu Yan noticed and was already surprised. He scrutinized Zhu Yu and pointed to Yan Shu, settled by the side: "You sure know how to endure!

Among us, you and Lu Zhang are the weakest scholars; you’re even frailer than him, yet he’s passed out while you’re holding up!

Did you perhaps practice some internal martial arts in secret?"

Zhu Yu smiled, extending her hands.

Both Lu Qing and Lu Yan were taken aback.

Unbeknownst to them, she had inserted tiny silver needles into each of her ten fingertips. The needles were so small and thin that they weren’t noticeable unless you looked closely at her hands.

"Shi Xuan Acupoint?" Yan Daoxin gasped, "Did you borrow my set of golden-tailed cow hair silver needles this afternoon to stimulate your Shi Xuan acupoints tonight and stay alert?

The Shi Xuan acupoint is the most painful spot for acupuncture!"

"Indeed, otherwise how could I keep awake." Zhu Yu chuckled. She had been quite curious about acupuncture before and had dabbled a little, but time was limited, so her exploration hadn’t gone very far. She had only learned the superficial basics.

Fortunately, the Shi Xuan acupoint, the most painful one, belonged to the strange extra-meridian points, and all she had to do was prick herself, without worrying about inadvertently causing other issues.

It’s said the fingers are connected to the heart, which she had only experienced slightly when her fingers were accidentally pinched.

This time, the intense, continuous pain from the silver needles inserted in each fingertip did pierce her heart, helping her endure the waves of dizziness earlier, maintaining her alertness.

Not knowing what the Shi Xuan acupoint was, Lu Yan was curious to see Zhu Yu with needles in her fingertips, seemingly unaffected by them.

"Divine Doctor, do you have extra needles? Try poking me too! I’m afraid I can’t hold on much longer." He asked Yan Daoxin.

Yan Daoxin, seeing the needle pouch beside him, nodded and picked a needle, lifted Lu Yan’s hand, and pierced his middle fingertip.

The piercing pain made Lu Yan, a regular on the battlefield, jump up from his seat.

"Quick, quickly! Divine Doctor, pull it out! It’s too painful, I can’t handle it!" Lu Yan was in such pain that he couldn’t bring himself to remove the needle himself. "I think I can hold on without relying on such nonsense! Quickly, remove it!"

Yan Daoxin was straightforward, nodding as he extracted the needle with one swift motion.

Lu Yan held his throbbing finger, looked at Zhu Yu, and nodded: "You may not be strong physically, but I respect you like a true warrior!"

Zhu Yu found it both funny and exasperating, and upon seeing Lu Qing watching her with concern, she quietly nodded to assure him she was fine.

"I’ll go check on the rune talisman!" Yan Daoxin put away the needles, getting up to head outside.

Lu Yan was astonished, noticing Yan Daoxin step forward with steady steps, unaffected and entirely unlike the rest, prompting his surprise: "Divine Doctor isn’t afraid of sedatives or confusing smoke?"

"People who drink frequently can build tolerance, and those who indulge in food can expand their appetite.

This thing is similar to drinking and eating; with enough exposure, you develop tolerance." Yan Daoxin explained, moving steadily outside without lingering.

"Does Divine Doctor... routinely use sedatives for practice?" Lu Yan asked Lu Qing in amazement, knowing that Lu Qing was closest to Yan Daoxin.

Lu Qing laughed, shaking his head: "He wouldn’t indulge in such bizarre hobbies. It’s just that during his formulations, it’s unwise to test on others.

He’s grown accustomed to it through repeated use on himself."

As they spoke, Yan Daoxin had already opened the door, pausing slightly to call back to those inside: "Come help me, these two brothers have fainted outside."