Chapter 561: Chapter 512, Potion_1
The day after figuring out how Prince Ba transmitted messages, Daohua got up early and had Xiaoliu return to Ningmen Prefecture. By noon, he saw him carrying quite a few things over.
Xiao Yeyang picked up a transparent conical cup upon seeing this: “Aren’t these the items you asked me to have the Glass Factory make? Why are you moving them here?”
Daohua directed Xiaoliu to take the items to the pharmacy: “You’ll know soon enough.”
Gu Jian’s lips pinched together as he stood by; ever since he had taken on an apprentice, half of his pharmacy no longer belonged to him. That morning it was even worse, with the little apprentice commandeering more of his space to place a long table inside.
At the moment, watching the apprentice continuously bring more items into the pharmacy, he felt that in the future, there might be no place for him in the pharmacy.
Iron stands, alcohol burners, measuring cylinders, rubber suction bulbs, distillation bottles, burettes, mortars, wide-mouth bottles, and other glassware were all arranged by Daohua on the table, one by one.
“All right, you guys can go out. Once I’ve got the things ready, I’ll tell you,” she said.
With that, she pushed Xiao Yeyang towards the door.
Xiao Yeyang, driven out, looked at the tightly shut door and exchanged a look with Gu Jian: “Master Gu, do you know what Daohua is up to?”
Gu Jian huffed: “I’m not the roundworm in her belly; how would I know?” With that, he walked away with his hands behind his back.
Xiao Yeyang fell silent, glancing at the pharmacy before returning to his room. Now that he had cracked Uncle Prince Ba’s message-delivering method, it was time to put it to good use, striving to accumulate more merit. Today was the eighth day of the first lunar month, and it was time for Yan Wenkai and the others to go out on their official duties.
Daohua fiddled in the pharmacy for more than two days. On the morning of the eleventh of the first lunar month, she finally emerged and sprang over to Xiao Yeyang, handing him a slip of paper.
“There’s a secret of mine on this slip of paper; figure it out,” she said.
Xiao Yeyang glanced at the delighted Daohua, took the slip, and upon opening it, found nothing written on it: “Are you sure you didn’t give me the wrong slip?”
Daohua shook her head: “How could I be mistaken? Quickly break the code, let me see what you’re capable of.”
Xiao Yeyang frowned: “But there’s nothing written on it.”
Daohua flashed a mysterious smile: “You haven’t even checked, how do you know I haven’t written anything?”
Xiao Yeyang looked at Daohua and began to study the slip of paper.
Old Grandmother Gu and Gu Jian sat to one side watching, both with curiosity written across their faces.
Seeing Daohua looking smug and Xiao Yeyang’s furrowed brows, Gu Jian couldn’t hold back and finally stood up and walked over to Xiao Yeyang: “Let me have a look.”
Xiao Yeyang handed the slip to Gu Jian.
Gu Jian flipped the blank piece of paper in his hand, casting a doubtful look at his apprentice; surely, the girl wasn’t just toying with the young man?
Suddenly, Xiao Yeyang called over De Fu: “Go, bring a candle here.”
Shortly, De Fu came with a candle.
Xiao Yeyang quickly toasted the slip over the candle flame.
Upon seeing this, Daohua revealed a smile: “Not bad, you even know about this.”
Xiao Yeyang looked at Daohua somberly: “It’s not strange that I know this, but it is rather peculiar that you do.”
Daohua’s expression stiffened, realizing she had let her pride get the better of her.
“Ahem~”
Daohua stiffly retorted, “Is it not allowed for me to be knowledgeable and talented?”
Xiao Yeyang didn’t press further. Seeing that no marks appeared on the paper after toasting it by the fire, he wondered, “You didn’t use any chemical reagent to write on it?”
Daohua promptly asked, “What, has someone already used a reagent to write secret messages on paper?”
At that comment, both Xiao Yeyang and Gu Jian understood what Daohua was insinuating.
Xiao Yeyang: “Of course they have. I’ve seen records related to it in the library of the Imperial Palace. However, this method isn’t widespread, mainly because the reagents are hard to come by.” He then looked toward Daohua.
“You’re not going to tell me that what you’ve been up to in the pharmacy these last few days is developing such a reagent, are you?”
The invention had failed to amaze the ancients, leaving Daohua somewhat disappointed. She pouted and went to the pharmacy, soon emerging with two glass bottles in hand.
Xiao Yeyang and Gu Jian’s eyes flashed as they looked at the colorless, transparent liquid inside the glass bottles.
Daohua opened one of them, dipped a pre-prepared cotton swab into the liquid, and began brushing it onto a piece of paper. In no time, a line of text appeared on the blank sheet.
“Xiao Yeyang is a dumb pig!”
Defu, quick with his mouth, read the words on the paper and immediately shrank back, retreating with his neck retracted.
With a chilly gaze, Xiao Yeyang watched Defu leave. Once he was out of sight, he picked up the paper and peered closely at it, “Hey, is the writing getting blurry?”
Daohua said, “In a little while, the writing will disappear completely.”
Xiao Yeyang’s eyes lit up, “This would be great for passing messages.” The Jinling Guard’s very purpose was to gather and transmit intelligence, and this would be perfect for that.
Daohua smiled, “Exactly. Although Prince’s methods of message transmission are secretive, if there’s frequent messaging, corresponding each character to find the message can be incredibly time-consuming.”
“With my special ink, it’ll be much less of a hassle, and absolutely secure. Unless someone has the matching reagent to reveal the writing, even a deity couldn’t detect the transmitted message.”
Gu Jian suddenly spoke up, “Why are the characters on the paper so small?”
Daohua immediately lit up with a smile, “Master has keen eyesight to notice that so quickly.” After saying this, she pulled out a gold fountain pen as if offering a treasured possession, “I wrote with this.”
Gu Jian took the pen and examined it, “You really know how to live lavishly, using gold for a pen.”
Daohua smiled, “Isn’t it quite top-notch and classy?”
Gu Jian glanced at her sideways and took the paper, writing a sentence with the pen. He then mimicked Daohua by dipping it in the liquid and applying it to the paper.
Eagerly peering over, Daohua asked, “What did you write? Let me see.”
“Yan Yiyi is also a dumb pig!”
As the writing appeared, Daohua’s smile froze on her face, and she looked at her master with an expression that was hard to describe.
Gu Jian, however, was quite amused, “This pen isn’t bad at all. I will keep it.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yeyang became anxious, “Master Gu, can you let me have the pen first? I’ll have someone make an exact replica for you.”
Gu Jian deftly tucked the pen into his robe and curtly replied with a decisive shake of his head, “No.” With that, he walked back to sit down with Granny Gu.
Xiao Yeyang wanted to argue further, but Daohua pulled him back.
“I have more. I had the goldsmith make a few extras. I’ll give you one later.”
At her words, Xiao Yeyang immediately brightened up with a smile, “Good.”
Pointing at the two bottles of clear liquid, Daohua said, “This bottle is for writing, and this one is for revealing the writing. Make sure not to mix them up.”
Xiao Yeyang asked, “Are you making these for me?”
Daohua gave him a sidelong glance, “Isn’t that obvious? I have no use for them myself.”
Xiao Yeyang’s smile deepened even more.
Daohua added, “You’ll need to use this sparingly. The materials for making it are somewhat hard to find.”
Xiao Yeyang responded, “Tell me what materials are needed, and I’ll get them.” Just as he was about to gather the bottles, Gu Jian spoke up again, “Leave some of that ink for me.”
Xiao Yeyang was slightly unwilling, “Master Gu, what do you need it for?”
Gu Jian glared at him, “Can’t I use it for research?”
Xiao Yeyang: “…Alright, I’ll leave you some.”
Seeing him act stingy, Gu Jian was somewhat speechless and glared at his disciple as well, clearly annoyed. Females were outwardly generous—having received a good item, they didn’t think to offer it to their own master first.
Daohua innocently blinked her eyes.
Source: NovelFull.com, updated on N𝘰vgo.co