Detoxification

"Since they were after you..."

"If I lost my chastity today, I'd still kill them first, then come after you for revenge!"

Shen Qingzhu viciously bit the tip of her tongue, using pain to claw back a shred of clarity.

Her eyes were likewise fixed on Lu Yuan with bitter hatred.

"Crazy idiot woman."

Lu Yuan cursed under his breath.

He had already explained everything clearly to her.

Yet this woman still insisted on dumping a chamber pot over his head.

It was truly revolting.

"Enough, stop howling."

"I can help you deal with it. Use the bucket..."

Seeing Shen Qingzhu looking as though the drug's effects were about to burn her apart,

Lu Yuan spoke up. He was afraid this woman would cling to him afterward.

But before Lu Yuan could finish,

"If you dare stab me, I'll kill you first!"

Shen Qingzhu shrieked.

She looked ready to perish together with him.

"Holy hell, this woman's words were way too fierce."

Lu Yuan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Then he pointed at the wooden bucket in the corner. "What I meant was, there's ice water in that bucket. It can suppress the drug inside your body."

When Lu Yuan had been eating, he had caught sight of Bao Tianbao's little move.

So he had kept his guard up.

Just in case, he had deliberately slipped the waiter several copper coins and had him prepare a large bucket of cold water freshly drawn from the well.

It was late autumn, and the well water was icy enough to pierce the bones.

Hearing Lu Yuan's words,

"You... next time you speak, don't leave people hanging like that."

Shen Qingzhu finally quieted down, though she showed no intention of apologizing.

Lu Yuan knew that arguing with this foolish woman now would simply be wasting his life.

"Take off your outer clothes. Leave only your close-fitting undergarments, then get in and soak. After that, circulate your internal energy to fight the aphrodisiac's effects."

Lu Yuan gestured.

Yet those words made Shen Qingzhu bristle again.

A flash of shame and anger passed through her hazy eyes. "Bastard, why do I have to take off my clothes?"

"The drug has to leave through sweat and pores. If you keep your clothes on while circulating your internal energy, your body temperature will rise, which will instead speed up the medicine entering your blood. Then I really won't be able to do anything."

Lu Yuan's face had gone completely blank.

"If you dare deceive me, or dare peek, I'll hack you into eight pieces!"

After hearing this, Shen Qingzhu stared fixedly into Lu Yuan's eyes.

Since this fellow had not taken advantage of her vulnerability just now, she only hesitated for an instant

before choosing to trust him.

She was about to lose control of the drug's effects.

"Splash."

Shen Qingzhu leaped into the wooden bucket.

The bone-chilling well water submerged her delicate body.

It also cleared away much of the desire raging within her.

At that moment, Shen Qingzhu sat cross-legged and began circulating her internal energy.

Before long, wisps of white vapor

rose into the air.

That was a sign that the drug's effects were being forced out of her body.

However, the aphrodisiac was simply too overbearing. Coupled with the stimulation of the ice water, Shen Qingzhu's strength drained away at an extreme rate.

In less than the time it took to burn an incense stick, the speed at which she emitted white vapor slowed, and her entire body sank into a groggy state.

"Bastard... is something... wrong...?"

Shen Qingzhu's voice grew incomparably weak, and her eyelids kept drooping.

"If you fall asleep, you won't be able to circulate your internal energy, and you won't be able to expel the drug. By then, you'll tear off the rest of your clothes, jump out of the bucket, and cling to me."

"Ah, bastard, I'll kill you!"

"Don't, don't, don't. I have another method, but it hurts a little. You'll have to endure it."

"Stop dragging this out. I'm not afraid of pain."

Shen Qingzhu spoke instinctively.

Slap!!!

A crisp, resounding slap suddenly exploded through the silent room.

Lu Yuan showed no mercy, directly swinging his palm across Shen Qingzhu's exquisitely beautiful face.

Once that slap landed, Lu Yuan felt much more refreshed all over.

"Ah!!!"

Shen Qingzhu cried out, and her eyes instantly became much clearer.

She clutched her pretty face and stared at Lu Yuan, utterly stunned.

"I asked you beforehand. You said you weren't afraid of pain."

Lu Yuan spread his hands innocently.

Seeing the murderous look in Shen Qingzhu's eyes,

Lu Yuan shook out his slightly numb hand and softly asked, "Do... do we continue?"

Feeling the burning pain on her cheek

and the brief clarity that had returned, Shen Qingzhu gritted her pearly teeth and nodded in humiliation.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Soon afterward, a series of crisp smacking sounds rang out from the room.

Along with Shen Qingzhu's uncontrollable cries.

And upon hearing the sounds coming from Lu Yuan's room,

the room next door seemed to be stirred as well, and its noises immediately grew even more intimate and suggestive.

Early the next morning.

Bao Tianbao and Bao Dibao squatted outside the room.

Whispering among themselves.

"Brother, those sounds were really loud last night! Lu Yuan got lucky."

Remembering Shen Qingzhu's appearance, Bao Dibao could not help licking his lips.

"If you were given the chance, would you dare? Lu Yuan is a starving ghost among lechers, daring even to touch a female prisoner. He's finished this time."

Bao Tianbao chuckled.

The two chatted enthusiastically.

Shi Yun's door opened.

He yawned as he fastened the sash around his waist.

As for the female prisoner called A Xiu, she had already vanished without a trace.

"Brother Shi..."

The two hurriedly went forward and greeted him fawningly.

"Go get the record book, and call the innkeeper over while you're at it."

Shi Yun gestured.

This time, with both witness and physical evidence nailed down, he wanted to see how Lu Yuan could turn the tables.

Very soon, the innkeeper was brought over.

Bang bang bang!!!

Shi Yun also pounded on Lu Yuan's door.

"Lu, the sun's already up. Get your ass out here and report in."

The door slowly opened.

Lu Yuan lazily stretched. "Oh? So many people. Are you treating me to breakfast?"

"Breakfast? I think you're about to eat prison food." Bao Tianbao and Bao Dibao rubbed their hands together, staring at Lu Yuan's lower body.

Shi Yun sneered. "Brother Lu certainly had a good time yesterday. You've truly learned the essence of escorting female prisoners!"

Lu Yuan spread his hands. "I did sleep rather well last night, though my hand hurts a little. But Brother Shi, I don't quite understand what you mean..."

As he spoke, Lu Yuan even shook his hand.

Those words drew a sound of pearly teeth grinding from inside the room.

Seeing Lu Yuan still playing dumb, Shi Yun's face immediately darkened, and he shouted sternly, "Lu Yuan, behave yourself and confess your crimes at once!"

"Crimes?"

"As an escorting constable, you dared violate a female convict on the road. You should be punished for violating a prisoner. Do you admit your guilt?"

"Shi Yun, you can eat whatever you please, but you can't speak nonsense. Fabricating facts out of thin air and slandering a fellow county office worker is the crime of defamation under the law. If this ends up in court, I'm afraid you won't be able to keep that uniform of yours."

"Quite a few people at the inn heard what was going on in your room yesterday. The innkeeper and the Bao brothers can testify. You still want to deny it?"

Just as Shi Yun was about to summon the Bao brothers and seize Lu Yuan,

Creak!!!

The door behind Lu Yuan was pushed open again.

Shen Qingzhu walked out of the room.

Her originally cold and breathtakingly beautiful face was now swollen high on both sides.