A woman appeared, dressed in a long, trailing purple gown embroidered with butterflies near the hem. Her hair hung low, adorned with a jade hairpin, and a faint orchid design marked her brow.
The woman’s skin was smooth and delicate like warm jade, her lips naturally red, her eyebrows like distant, shaded mountains, and her eyes like deep, flowing autumn water; every glance and smile was captivating.
The woman also noticed Chu Canyuan and turned to perform a curtsy, speaking as she did so.
"Zhi Yu greets the Young Master."
Chu Canyuan carefully observed the woman before him, thinking to himself: "Zhi Yu? Isn't she the Courtesan Queen of the Drunken Dream Pavilion?"
"Her appearance and temperament are indeed extraordinary, but..."
Just as Zhi Yu was about to leave, Chu Canyuan spoke up and asked.
"Miss Zhi Yu, have you experienced symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, or chest tightness these past few days?"
Zhi Yu was slightly surprised by the question and quickly walked to Chu Canyuan's side.
"How does the Young Master know?"
Chu Canyuan tensed up, finding it unbelievable: "The God Devouring Incense again? Why is Miss Zhi Yu also affected by the God Devouring Incense?"
"Does Miss Zhi Yu know about the God Devouring Incense?"
Zhi Yu gently shook her head, then seemed to recall something and spoke: "However... I did switch to a different type of incense in recent years."
"Could Miss Zhi Yu take me to see your private room?"
Zhi Yu looked at Chu Canyuan hesitantly, then gritted her teeth and replied: "Alright, Young Master, please follow me."
The two walked to the end of the floor. Zhi Yu pushed open the door and said softly, "Young Master, please come in."
Stepping inside, a scent of Angelica dahurica filled the air. Chu Canyuan’s eyes immediately fixed on the incense box on the table.
Chu Canyuan opened the incense box and brought the edge close to his nose, sniffing carefully.
"Indeed, there is a faint scent of bamboo."
"The scent of Angelica dahurica is too strong; it covers up the bamboo scent."
He then brought the incense box close to Zhi Yu's delicate nose. Zhi Yu inhaled deeply a few times, suddenly realizing: "There really is a scent of bamboo; you truly wouldn't notice it without smelling carefully."
Chu Canyuan pulled the incense box back and said solemnly.
"If inhaled excessively, the Divine Soul will be severely affected."
"However, the box contains mostly Angelica dahurica powder. Even if you change it daily, there isn't much space to store the God Devouring Incense, so Miss Zhi Yu has not inhaled too much yet."
"Miss Zhi Yu should switch to a different incense."
Zhi Yu quickly nodded upon hearing this. Chu Canyuan put away the incense box and spoke.
"Please tell me, Miss Zhi Yu, who asked you to switch to this incense."
Zhi Yu recalled for a moment and spoke somewhat uncertainly: "I remember it was Young Master Xu..."
"Young Master Xu said this incense has the effect of calming the mind and soothing the soul, and that he went to great lengths to obtain it."
Chu Canyuan was slightly shocked upon hearing this: "Xu Pian? How could he..."
"Was he also deceived, or was this his intention..."
"Miss Zhi Yu, I will be taking this incense box with me for now."
Zhi Yu called out anxiously: "Didn't the Young Master say this incense ruins the Divine Soul? Aren't you afraid..."
Chu Canyuan paused, then smiled faintly: "It's nothing..."
"Young Master... may I ask your esteemed name..."
"My surname is Chu, my given name is Canyuan."
Returning to his own room, Chu Canyuan sat at the table, carefully examining the God Devouring Incense inside the box.
"This incense hasn't burned up completely. I must find a way to counter its toxicity as soon as possible."
Chu Canyuan took a pinch of the God Devouring Incense powder and placed it on the table, then quickly went downstairs back to the private room where Guan Yi was listening to music.
"What's wrong...? Hey! Why are you carrying me?"
Before Guan Yi could finish speaking, Chu Canyuan had already circulated his Spiritual Power and carried Guan Yi to his own room.
"Chu Canyuan! What are you doing? You're so handsome, could it be you have a preference for men?!"
"Little Young Master, please discard your filthy thoughts and quickly check if this is the incense."
Guan Yi looked at the God Devouring Incense powder on the table. The fear he initially felt towards Chu Canyuan instantly turned into wide-eyed shock.
"This is exactly the incense. Where did you find it?"
Chu Canyuan said in a deep voice: "In Miss Zhi Yu's room."
"Oh, Miss Zhi Yu... Miss Zhi Yu's room?"
"How come you went to Miss Zhi Yu's room alone while carrying me?"
Guan Yi exclaimed upon hearing Chu Canyuan's answer.
"Xu Pian gave it to her. Miss Zhi Yu's current discomfort is very likely caused by the influence of the God Devouring Incense."
Chu Canyuan's statement immediately calmed Guan Yi down.
Guan Yi spoke hesitantly: "Xu Pian?... Perhaps Xu Pian didn't know this incense was an evil substance."
Chu Canyuan remained silent and did not reply.
"Is Miss Zhi Yu's Divine Soul severely damaged?"
"It's not too bad. Miss Zhi Yu inhaled a very small amount, it can still be cured. Little Young Master should worry more about yourself."
Guan Yi took out the Snow Cliff Dew and said unhurriedly: "I only have two and a half years left anyway, so there's not much to worry about."
"All I need to do now is figure out the relationship between Guan Bu and the Poison Demon Sect, and then let my elder brother take the position of Young City Lord, and I will die without regret."
His fingers lightly tapped the Glazed Bottle, the crisp clicking sound seeming to express his helplessness and pain.
"Let's go, this incense..."
"Leave this incense with me, Little Young Master."
Guan Yi stood up and walked to the door: "Fine. Since you want to keep it, you must have your reasons. I won't ask further."
"As for Xu Pian... rest assured, if he is truly colluding with Guan Bu and the Poison Demon Sect, I will not show leniency."
Then Guan Yi staggered out of the room.
The toxicity of the God Devouring Incense was indeed potent, but it posed no threat to Chu Canyuan, who had been testing poisons since childhood and already possessed a body immune to a hundred poisons.
Chu Canyuan lit a portion of the God Devouring Incense and then inhaled it sharply into his nose.
"Heart feels like being cut by a knife; requires Ice-Cool Breath to alleviate."
"Soul feels like it's vanishing; requires Stabilizing Maple Lotus to calm."
"Body is weak and powerless; requires Wild Mustard Seed to consolidate."
Feeling the effects the God Devouring Incense had on his body, Chu Canyuan wrote down all the Medicinal herbs that could be used on a piece of paper.
"Miss Qing Yu?"
Hearing Chu Canyuan call out, Qing Yu soon arrived at his room.
"What are the Young Master's orders?"
"Help me deliver this letter to Miss Zhi Yu's room, and say it was sent by Chu Canyuan."
Qing Yu was somewhat surprised, not knowing when the Young Master had established contact with Zhi Yu Jie Jie.
Taking the Letter Paper, Qing Yu quickly headed towards Zhi Yu's room.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Qing Yu knocked on Zhi Yu's door and called out curiously: "Zhi Yu Jie Jie, there is a letter here for you."
A lazy voice came from inside the room: "Just leave it by the door."
"It's from Young Master Chu Canyuan."
"Wait for me a moment!"
Hearing the name Chu Canyuan, Zhi Yu immediately became alert, quickly opened the door, and took the Letter Paper.
"Thank you, Qing Yu Mei Mei, for taking the trouble to deliver this."
Qing Yu looked at Zhi Yu with some suspicion.
"It's nothing, nothing. Then, Zhi Yu Jie Jie, I'll be going now."
After Qing Yu left, Zhi Yu sat back on her bed and read the Letter Paper.
"Ice-Cool Breath, Stabilizing Maple Lotus, Wild Mustard Seed. Find several more stalks of these three types of Medicinal herbs, refine them into pills, and take them for half a year, and the illness will be cured."