A flash of inspiration crossed Cui Jiuyang's mind, as though he had remembered something.
He put down the White Porcelain Bottle and picked up the Celadon Porcelain Bottle again. As he carefully sniffed it once more, his expression gradually grew grave.
Then he looked at the sleeping Zhang Yuanbao, his gaze cold.
He reached out and gently propped Zhang Yuanbao up from the table, resting his back against the Grand Master's Chair. The front of Zhang Yuanbao's loose sleeping robe fell open to either side, revealing his fair chest.
Cui Jiuyang lifted the oil lamp from the table and held it close to Zhang Yuanbao's chest, examining him carefully.
His eyes were instantly drawn to a faintly bluish patch beneath Zhang Yuanbao's ribs.
"Hm? What's this bluish patch?" Cui Jiuyang extended a finger and gently pressed it. It felt slick beneath his fingertip, as though a layer of some oily substance had been smeared over it.
He withdrew his finger and held it beneath his nose for a careful sniff, utterly unconcerned whether smelling something from a man's body was a little strange.
Sure enough, the oil clinging to his fingertip smelled exactly like the contents of the Celadon Porcelain Bottle!
Clearly, Zhang Yuanbao had been using the bronze mirror to apply the contents of the Celadon Porcelain Bottle to this bluish patch on his chest.
Cui Jiuyang's expression darkened further. He tore off a sheet of the rough paper Zhang Yuanbao normally used for studying and copying texts from the table, then poured some long-cold tea from the nearby teapot to wet it.
Then he took the wet paper and vigorously scrubbed the bluish patch beneath Zhang Yuanbao's ribs.
The autumn night was already chilly, and the water in the teapot was cold enough to bite into the bones.