Chapter 53: Search and Arrest
Chen Ming quickly saw the person lying inside the room and said in surprise, “Why is it you?”
The one lying on the ground was dressed in a loose gray robe, appearing as a man.
At first, he didn’t recognize her, but upon seeing her face, he realized it was Zhong Shuyu.
She was badly injured, clutching her shoulder with one hand, blood pooling on the floor. Her face was pale as paper, and her breath weak.
Only when he arrived did her lips move slightly before her eyelids closed and she passed out.
“Was she being hunted down by an enemy?”
Chen Ming hesitated for two seconds, then called in Chunxiang and Xiaxiang, instructing them to carry her onto the bed and clean up the bloodstains.
He closed the door, circled around outside the house, and wiped away the traces she had left and the drops of blood.
Following her trail all the way beyond the courtyard wall, he cleaned up thoroughly before returning to the courtyard.
The entire process was done without alerting anyone.
Chen Ming pushed open the door and entered the room, asking Chunxiang, “How is she?”
Chunxiang’s face was a bit pale, but she remained relatively calm and replied softly, “Young Master, there’s a wound on her shoulder that’s turned black. I’m afraid she’s been poisoned. We need a doctor.”
He shook his head and said, “That’s not a good idea. If she could go to a doctor, she would’ve gone to a clinic herself instead of coming to me. Do this: run to the pharmacy and find my brother. Just tell him I have an urgent matter. Don’t mention the injury. Understand?”
“Understood.”
Chunxiang quickly left.
Chen Ming then told Xiaxiang to keep watch outside. If anyone suspicious came knocking, she was to notify him immediately.
…
In less than half an hour, Chen Rui rushed home. “Ah Ming, what happened at home?”
Chen Ming pulled him into the house and pointed at the person on the bed. “This is a friend of mine. She’s been poisoned. See if you can treat her.”
Chen Rui saw a strange young woman lying on the bed. Though puzzled, he didn’t ask much. He stepped forward to inspect the wound — a sword injury on the shoulder, with the surrounding flesh black and purple, severely swollen.
The girl was sweating profusely. Her forehead burned to the touch.
As the saying goes, medicine and pharmacy are not separate fields. He managed the pharmacy and had been around various medicinal herbs since childhood. He’d also read a few medical books and could treat minor ailments.
With a grave expression, he said, “This is a potent poison. If she didn’t have an unusually strong constitution, she wouldn’t have lasted this long. I’m not fully confident, but I’ll try.”
Chen Ming said, “Go ahead. Whether she recovers depends on her own fate.”
Chen Rui said no more, rolled up his sleeves, and took out a small knife.
He opened the wound to drain the poisonous blood, then fetched a detoxifying pill, crushed it, and applied it to the wound before bandaging it.
Next, he took out a bottle and said, “Have her drink this. If the fever subsides before morning, she’ll be fine.”
“Alright.”
…
“Young Master, a group of Six Doors officers are outside. They say they’re here to arrest a major criminal and want to search the place…”
Just as the room was cleaned up and all the bloodied clothes and bedding were stuffed into the stove and burned, Xiaxiang came running over to report.
The Six Doors?
Chen Ming was surprised.
He had thought she was being hunted by some personal enemy.
He didn’t expect to attract the Six Doors.
He hesitated for two seconds before making a decision. “Take her to the secret room.”
He had already chosen to help her — handing her over now wouldn’t clear him of suspicion.
He knew well how the Six Doors operated. In their eagerness for merit, they would use any means necessary. If someone like Wang Mingyang showed up — a hound on a mission — he would definitely not be spared. They would drag him down by any means.
“Yes.”
Chunxiang and Xiaxiang quickly pushed the bed aside, lifted a stone slab, and revealed the entrance to a basement.
The two of them carried Zhong Shuyu down into the basement.
After that, they returned, replaced the slab, and pushed the bed back to its original position.
Just as they finished, someone barged in from outside — two black-clad officers, followed by seven or eight constables.
Chen Ming’s heart skipped a beat when he saw one of them.
It was Zhuang Xiaotian!
However, Zhuang Xiaotian did not look at him and wore an expression of official impartiality.
Naturally, Chen Ming didn’t step forward to acknowledge him either.