Trading a Few Moves

He looked up at Zhao Ruxi and asked, "Did you grind the dried lotus leaves into powder and put them in this teacup?" He held up the teacup in his hand.

"Smart," Zhao Ruxi praised. "I put it there when you weren't looking while I was washing the teacups. If this stuff were colorless, odorless, and poisonous, you would be poisoned by now."

She had taken Agility Pill, making her extremely nimble. She put lotus leaf powder in the teacup right in front of Xiao Lingyan, and Xiao Lingyan couldn't even tell.

Xiao Lingyan his spine.

He also remembered what Zhao Ruxi had told him about the original owner's fate.

Ever since he learned of his fate as cannon fodder, he had been very careful about what he ate. He tried to have people he trusted cook for him and minimize the number of people handling his food.

But sometimes it's impossible to guard against everything, after all, it's a case of good intentions versus bad intentions. If someone really wants to harm him, even if it's not easy, there are still ways to do it.

For example, his subordinates might be pawns planted by someone long ago. They seem very loyal, even risking their lives to protect him when he's in danger, but they're actually just trying to gain his trust. When it comes to the crucial moment, they might just poison him.

Every struggle for the throne is fraught with peril.

With the pill Zhao Ruxi gave him, he could discern subtle differences in his food compared to before, thus providing a real guarantee for his life.

If he can taste even the slightest difference in the food, he can stop eating. Even if he is poisoned, it will be mild and he can still be saved.

In the original story, the original owner "fell seriously ill" rather than "died instantly." This shows that even if the medicine was administered, it was a slow and long-term treatment, not a sudden death.

If the current plot continues as it is in the original book, with this Taste Discerning Pill, at least he won't fall for it.

"The little meatballs you gave me, are they supposed to increase the sensitivity of your taste buds?" he asked.

Zhao Ruxi nodded. "It's worth 80,000. I came here and earned one point for each piece of calligraphy I practiced. Later, as I improved, I gradually accumulated several tens of points. It took me two years to finally save up some points. Apart from the two cheap ones I bought, you can use all the rest."

To avoid triggering taboos, she tried to avoid mentioning the names of the pills or the system when she spoke.

Xiao Lingyan's heart was instantly warmed.

He did not doubt Zhao Ruxi's words.

Such a miraculous item is not easy to obtain. Besides, Xu Xi had no reason to lie to him.

"Is the kind of food you eat that makes you walk incredibly fast and light?" he asked.

Zhao Ruxi nodded, looking at Xiao Lingyan with some anticipation. "Do you know martial arts? Let's spar a bit, and I'll test your skills?"

After taking the Agility Pill and the Great Strength Pill, she dared not reveal it to others, so she couldn't even try them out. She had to keep it a secret, not even letting Ma Sheng wife know.

Although sometimes when she was in a bad mood, she would walk faster than usual, and her two maids, Qingfeng and Dianjiang, would notice something was wrong. But they would only assume that she had secretly practiced martial arts and would never think of anything else.

"Okay, let's give it a try." Xiao Lingyan stood up with great interest.

The royal family takes great care in the education of their princes, cultivating them in both literary and martial arts.

Old Master Cen was a man of great vision. He not only tied the Fu Family to the Second and Fifth Prince, but also specifically groomed the two princes to become military leaders.

The Second Prince lived up to expectations. Not only was he skilled in martial arts, but he also studied military strategy from a young age. At the age of fifteen, he went to the border with the Fu Family and their son, where he actually led troops and fought battles. This was what made him more impressive than any other prince.

Xiao Lingyan's original body was no less skilled in martial arts than his brother, and Xiao Ke was born with excellent martial arts skills when he transmigrated.

He knew that being a prince was the most dangerous thing, and having some martial arts skills might save his life in a critical moment. Therefore, after transmigrating, he did not slack off in his martial arts training; on the contrary, he worked even harder than before. His martial arts skills were in no way inferior to those of guards like Wang Tong.

Now that he was experiencing the magic of the Taste Discerning Pill, he became even more curious about the pills Zhao Ruxi had taken. He wanted to know which was more powerful: Zhao Ruxi's cheat-like abilities or the martial arts skills he had acquired through diligent practice.

Although there were two trees planted in the outer courtyard, the area paved with blue bricks was quite large, making it the perfect place for them to gesture.

Both of them got up and went outside, standing in the courtyard.

Zhao Ruxi said, "Attack me, and I'll see if I can dodge."

"Then be careful," Xiao Lingyan said, extending a hand towards Zhao Ruxi.

Fearing he might hurt Zhao Ruxi, he controlled his speed and force.

Seeing Zhao Ruxi easily dodge the palm strike by shifting her body to the side, he followed up with a second palm strike, accompanied by a kick. Unexpectedly, Zhao Ruxi dodged it again, and he didn't even touch the hem of Zhao Ruxi skirt.

Xiao Lingyan became excited and reminded him, "I need to speed things up." Before he finished speaking, he had already unleashed several palm strikes at such a speed that anyone watching would have seen afterimages.

Even though Zhao Ruxi dodged, he still didn't touch a single hair on Zhao Ruxi clothes.

"You can go even faster," Zhao Ruxi said.

After two rounds, her breathing remained steady, showing no signs of shortness of breath.

She had never practiced martial arts and knew nothing about techniques. But in the world of martial arts, speed is the only way to break through defenses.

After taking the Agility Pill, not only did her physical agility improve, but her eyesight and reaction speed also became much sharper than before.

Xiao Lingyan's punches and kicks may seem very skillful, powerful, and well-coordinated to others. But without martial arts skills that match or surpass his, one simply cannot escape his attacks.

However, in Zhao Ruxi's eyes, his punches and kicks were still slow, and she could easily dodge them during the gaps between his moves. Not only could she dodge them, but she could also spot the flaws in his attacks and counterattack.

Upon hearing Xiao Lingyan quickened his pace.

At first, he used two points of speed and reserved eight; later he changed to using eight points and reserving two. Now he is giving it his all.

He used all his strength, and Zhao Ruxi became somewhat flustered.

Xiao Lingyan was experienced, while Zhao Ruxi had absolutely no experience in fighting. Whether in modern or ancient times, she had never even fought a person. Now, with Xiao Lingyan attacking with all his might, she was hit twice by Xiao Lingyan in no time.

Fortunately, Xiao Lingyan hadn't used much force, so she wasn't injured. But that meant she had lost.

"Okay, stop, stop, stop," she called out.

Both of them leaped backward, exiting the attack range.

Xiao Lingyan looked her over, quite surprised. "Wow, Xu Xi, you've become a martial arts master without lifting a finger."

Zhao Ruxi was just about to ask that question.

She blinked and asked, "Where would your skill level be in the Great Jin Dynasty? A martial arts master?"