Be Gentle, Immortal Master

My first thought was that Zhong Yilan had done it. My second thought was that I must've been too caught up in my own conflict with her to think that way. She had been a long-time admirer of Xie Lun, and there was no way she would poison her crush just for the sake of our bet. Besides, even if she wanted to, she so rarely visited Xie Lun's hall that there wasn't much of a chance for her to—

An alarm rang in my mind at that thought. Could it be the pastries that Qi Lian mentioned earlier?

I didn't realize Xie Lun was watching my expression the whole time until he spoke. "You look like you agree that I'm dying, Yun Qing-er," he observed. "It can't really be that serious?"

"It's only slightly puzzling. Sorry that I was lost in my thoughts," I smiled apologetically. "Have you … touched or smelled anything out of the ordinary in the past a couple of days, or eaten anything different from usual?" I chose my words carefully to avoid showing my suspicions before I could confirm them.

"I haven't left the hall recently, and we follow a simple diet here," Xie Lun replied. "Nothing was new except the candied hawthorns from last week and some pastries from Zhong Yilan yesterday."

"Your symptoms would've shown earlier if it were the hawthorns," I said. "Would you mind if I take a look at those pastries?"

Qi Lian chuckled. "I should've just offered them to you earlier. I'll go fetch some right now."

"Save yours and bring mine," Xie Lun called as Qi Lian rushed out the hall, "they are on the entry table in my room."

The detail in their conversation alerted me. "Everyone got a separate box of those?" I asked.

Xie Lun nodded. "Mine was the largest. I suppose it was Zhong Yilan's way to make me feel 'special'."

Or her way to separate the poisoned ones from the rest … I winced at the thought and prayed silently that I was wrong. If it really was Zhong Yilan, how could I forgive myself for bringing this onto Xie Lun?

Qi Lian returned quickly with a beautiful wooden box. As soon as he opened it, the sweet scent of red beans and dates filled my nostrils, so strong and tempting that I could barely resist. I took out a piece and broke off a small morsel, carefully dabbing it onto the tip of my tongue and swirling it over my palate.

There was the taste of sugar, honey, beans, fruit, lard … The flavor matched the smell, but it was so potent and overwhelming that I couldn't quite grasp its entire depth. I took another bite. Under the two men's confused glare, I pinched my nose and chewed.

There it was, the bitterness of jimsonweed.

A chill climbed up my spine. The amount of jimsonweed in that small bite was inconsequential, but if Xie Lun were to eat this whole box within a few days, he could die. What was Zhong Yilan thinking?

"S-Senior Yun …" Qi Lian wasn't the type to hold back his curiosity for long, and I must've startled him enough with my weird behavior that he started addressing me formally. "Why are you … pinching your nose?"

I ignored his question for the moment. "Bring me a piece from your box, please," I said. Then I turned to Xie Lun, "How many of these did you have yesterday?"

"Only one. It's a bit too rich for the season."

I realized Zhong Yilan's plan then. She added extra sugar and lard so that Xie Lun wouldn't be able to eat more than a piece or two a day, and he would be just finishing the box by the time of the tournament. The effect of jimsonweed wouldn't be lethal, but it'd make him feel unwell enough to quit the tournament.

Such deep thoughts, and such vicious intentions.

Qi Lian brought me his box and watched wordlessly as I pinched my nose again and tried one of his pieces. No hint of jimsonweed, as I expected.

"You might want to stay clear of these, Senior Xie," I reached my conclusion. "Your share contains jimsonweed seeds. It's a deliriant in small quantities and can cause mild discomforts like yours, but lethal in excess and can lead to long-term damages if you finish this box." I sighed at both of their disbelieving stares. "Zhong Yilan put a lot of effort into this … The rich flavors covered up the taste of jimsonweed so well that I couldn't notice it at first. But when you pinch your nose, it blocks out all flavors except basic sweet, salty, and bitter. That was how I was able to tell."

"You mean … there's poison in this?" Qi Lian asked, still in shock. "Zhong Yilan wants to poison Senior Xie? Why?"

I lowered my head. "I'm sorry … I think I'm the one to blame for this."

Xie Lun listened quietly to my explanation of the real reason for my challenge invitation for him, whereas Qi Lian interrupted me a few times in furious exclamations and swears. When I finished recounting the gist of the story, Xie Lun spoke at last. "It's not your fault at all, Yun Qing-er. People like her won't discriminate once someone gets in their way. All they care about is how to remove the obstacles as quickly and easily as possible."

His calmness only made me feel more guilty. "I could've handled it differently," I said. "I thought … I thought Zhong Yilan wouldn't have the audacity to take action against you. I should've been more careful."

Qi Lian gritted his teeth. "I'm in no position to speak for Senior Xie … but I agree that it's not your fault, Yun Qing-er. Zhong Yilan is the one to blame, and we'll send this box to her master as proof. Don't worry, she'll be expelled before the tournament and all your trouble will be solved."

To my own surprise, I shook my head. It was one thing that Zhong Yilan held grudges against me and wanted to make my life difficult, but a whole different thing if she started to involve others. Especially when the consequences were so dire. An unprecedented tinge of rage rose in me. She had crossed my bottom line, and I wouldn't let her think I was so weak that I couldn't even stand up for my friends.

"The problem started with me," I said, "and I should be the one to solve it. I will make Zhong Yilan admit her fault and beg for your forgiveness.. Right away."