At the evening meal hour, Qin Yuxuan deliberately went to her father's study.

Qin Lu was leaning against a soft couch reading, his spirit appearing somewhat listless. On a nearby table, the pot of Eight-Treasure Old Duck Soup sat aside, its lid off, only a shallow layer gone, clearly barely touched.

"Father, does the soup suit your taste?" Qin Yuxuan asked softly.

Qin Lu set down his book and rubbed his brow. "Xuan'er, you've come. The soup is very good, but your father simply has no appetite. This weather feels stifling."

Qin Yuxuan observed her father's complexion carefully; it did appear somewhat pale. She stepped forward and lifted the soup pot. "Father, won’t you try a little more? Chef Zhou stewed it with great care; it’s most nourishing."

Qin Lu waved his hand. "No need. Leave it; I will drink later."

Seeing this, Qin Yuxuan did not press further. She set down the pot, exchanged a few more words of greeting with her father, then took her leave.

Returning to her own courtyard, Qin Yuxuan's mind could not settle. After pondering for half a moment, she ordered Zhiqiu to bring all the meal records from the past three months.

Under candlelight, Qin Yuxuan buried herself among the stacks of records. Like auditing accounts, she used a red brush to circle each dish her father had sent away, left untouched, or only tasted lightly, annotating the dates. Beside them she noted the names of the head chefs and assistant cooks responsible for those dishes.

Gradually, a vague pattern began to emerge: the dishes her father rejected were mostly nourishing soups and stews, and seven or eight out of ten of those were the work of that newly arrived assistant cook—Zhou Li!

A chill crawled up Qin Yuxuan's spine. She set down her brush and turned directly to Zhiqiu, who stood in attendance. "Go and fetch Steward Qin Fu at once. Tell him I have an urgent internal matter requiring his assistance."

Zhiqiu understood the gravity of the situation and hurried off.

Soon, the lean, capable Qin Fu entered with a slight bow.

"Third Miss."

"Uncle Fu," Qin Yuxuan wasted no pleasantries, pushing the meal records before him and lowering her voice to the barest whisper.

"This man, Zhou Li, an assistant cook, entered the residence about three months ago. I suspect something is amiss with him. I need you to secretly investigate several matters immediately and get to the root of it within a single day!"

A sharp glint flashed in Qin Fu's eyes. He took the ledger and quickly scanned it, his expression turning grim.

"Miss, please speak. This old servant will certainly ferret out the truth."

Qin Yuxuan gave her orders with perfect clarity:

"First, look into the date he entered the residence, his recommender, and the authenticity of his indenture papers. Second, examine the details of the soups and stews he handled, especially the step of processing the medicinal ingredients—whether anything abnormal has been added. Pay attention to the movement habits of his maimed left hand! Third, take the leftover dregs of the Eight-Treasure Soup that Father sent away yesterday and secretly have Doctor Chen examine them! Report back immediately!"

"Understood!" Qin Fu carefully stowed the ledger. "Miss, rest assured, this old servant will handle it personally."

With a flicker, he melted into the shadows and withdrew soundlessly.

Qin Yuxuan's heart remained uneasy. Although she knew this steward uncle's methods and efficiency, she could not help but worry.

* * *

A day passed quickly. By dusk, Qin Fu appeared once more in Qin Yuxuan's study, still carrying a whiff of travel-worn chill.

"Miss, it has been thoroughly investigated."

Qin Fu's voice was steady as ever, but deep within his eyes burned a fierce, murderous intent.

"What did you find?" Qin Yuxuan looked straight at him.

"First, Zhou Li—his true name is hard to verify. He entered the residence over two months ago. His recommender is a minor steward from the Outer Court called Liu Er. According to Liu Er, this man approached him on his own at the Fulai Inn, offering five taels of silver for a position as an assistant cook, claiming his hometown had been stricken by disaster and that his indenture documents were complete. This old servant inspected the papers—they are forgeries! The listed Pinggu County does not even exist! Second, this old servant secretly observed him in the Small Kitchen. When handling medicinal ingredients, he invariably uses his maimed left hand! The movements are exceptionally practiced, far beyond an ordinary person's, and he is extremely vigilant, covering up the moment anyone draws near! Third, and most important..."

Qin Fu's voice abruptly turned icy, laden with bone-chilling cold:

"Doctor Chen has already verified: the soup dregs contained a lethal poison—Bone-Corroding Wither-and-Bloom Powder! This poison is a secret formula from the Southern Borderlands, colorless and odorless, undetectable with a silver needle. The victim loses appetite, becomes listless, and their internal organs gradually deteriorate until they become so emaciated that nothing but skin and bones remains—then they die! Doctor Chen declares that once this poison triggers the wither-and-bloom transformation, not even the immortals can save them!"

Qin Yuxuan shot to her feet, her fingertips icy. A bone-piercing chill swept through her body, instantly replaced by a towering fury!

"Good! What a fine Bone-Corroding Wither-and-Bloom Powder! What a fine Zhou Li! He dares plot against my father's life, seeking to destroy the very foundation of the Qin family! Uncle Fu!"

"This old servant is here!" A sharp light blazed in Qin Fu's eyes.

"Arrest him immediately! I want him alive! I want to know who is behind this! Mobilize the reliable household guards, seal off the Small Kitchen and Zhou Li's quarters—under no circumstances let him escape!"

"As you command!" Qin Fu acknowledged, and with a flicker vanished beyond the doorway.

Qin Yuxuan drew a deep breath and turned to Zhiqiu. "Fetch my cloak. We shall wait outside the Small Kitchen! For now, let Father remain undisturbed."

* * *

Twilight fell, and cooking smoke curled from the Small Kitchen in the midst of preparing the evening meal. Zhou Li had his back to the door, meticulously handling several medicinal ingredients. His movements seemed ordinary, yet carried an unusual concentration.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid footsteps came from outside, accompanied by the low shouts of household guards.

Zhou Li's movements froze abruptly, his ear twitching almost imperceptibly. Without any visible reaction, he put down the ingredients, his maimed left hand secretly withdrawing into his sleeve. His right hand picked up a clean cloth, slowly and methodically wiping his hands while he half-turned, the corner of his eye warily scanning the doorway.

The curtain was abruptly yanked open!

Qin Fu burst in first! Behind him poured several elite guards armed with clubs and ropes, instantly filling the small kitchen to bursting and sealing off every possible escape route.

"Zhou Li! Surrender yourself!"

Qin Fu's voice held not a trace of warmth.

At this, the habitual humble smile on Zhou Li's face vanished completely, replaced by a sinister ruthlessness. He knew he had been exposed!

"Hmph!"

He let out a short, sharp snort, his eyes brimming with a vicious glare, and gave no reply.

Just as Qin Fu closed in, his maimed left hand, which had stayed hidden in his sleeve, suddenly lashed out!

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The faint sound of splitting air! Several cold points of light shot toward the faces of Qin Fu at the fore and the two guards beside him!

"Careful!"

Qin Fu barked, his form flickering half a pace sideways. At the same moment, the sleeve of his right arm swept forward with the force of an iron board!

Clink! Clink! Clink!

The poisoned needles, struck by the internal force-laden gust of his sleeve, were precisely knocked away, embedding into a nearby wooden pillar, their tails still quivering with a faint hum.

"Seize him!"

Three guards immediately surged forward, swinging their clubs to block Zhou Li's avenues of evasion.

A flash of panic crossed Zhou Li's eyes—he clearly had not expected Qin Fu's martial skill to be so high as to neutralize his hidden weapons so easily. With a strange cry, he shrank back, knocking over the chopping board behind him, sending pots, pans, and bowls crashing and clattering to the floor. His right hand snatched up a heavy chopping blade used for cutting meat and, heedless of anything, swept it horizontally at the charging guards!

The blade howled through the air, carrying a desperado's savage ferocity.

Clang!

One guard parried with an iron staff, sparks flying, his hand numbed by the recoil.

Seizing this split-second opening, Qin Fu closed in, his hand like an eagle's talon instantly locking onto Zhou Li's right wrist, the one wielding the blade!

Crack!

A crisp, teeth-grating snap!

Zhou Li let out a piercing howl—his wrist bone had been crushed by Qin Fu's raw grip! The heavy chopping blade clattered to the floor.

Without a pause, Qin Fu's other hand struck rapidly at several major acupoints on Zhou Li's chest and abdomen. Zhou Li convulsed violently, as though all his bones had been pulled out, and collapsed limply, leaving only a venomous glare fixed on Qin Fu and Qin Yuxuan, who had just stepped into the kitchen.

"Bind him tightly! Dislocate his jaw, search him thoroughly! Every suspicious item, especially anything on that left hand of his—not an inch is to be overlooked!"

Qin Fu commanded coldly.

The guards immediately pounced like wolves and tigers, trussing Zhou Li up like a dumpling, skillfully dislocating his jaw to prevent him from biting his tongue or swallowing poison.

Qin Yuxuan stood at the doorway, looking coldly at Zhou Li on the ground. Not a ripple of emotion stirred in her eyes—only icy, murderous intent. The evening wind flapped her cloak with a snapping sound.