Thirty Days of Classes, part 6 (before battle)

How are classes going, Xichun?

Hmph. I'm not you, big bro. I pay attention in class.

Oh hello, Miss Daiyu!

Fuhu, she was really insistent on helping me out, even though I refused because she looked preoccupied.

... The moment I found out about the contents of his lesson plan, I simply could not allow him to do this alone.

<Looks like it's going to be another serious class...>

Ah! Apologies for the delayed greetings. Daiyu of the Lin family formally extends her greetings to the venerable Hierarch.

... Been a while since I heard that greeting around here.

Wait, what about big sis Baochai? Are you sure it's okay for a Xue family bodyguard to be here?

Ah... I am no longer employed as Miss Baochai's guard.

W-wait, don't tell me we got you f -

Everything I did that day, including accompanying you, was... under Miss Baochai's orders.

As for why she no longer needed my services, I... don't understand myself. She suddenly let me go after the trouble was over.

…….

So... what's there for you to teach me, big bro? Your last lesson plan about not making things awkward got vetoed by Zilu, so...

You could've taught me a thing or two if we were still kids, but... come on, you spent most of your time stuck in Yihongyuan before leaving Hongyuan. I don't know what you could possibly have to teach me.

Hehe... don't you worry, Xichun. This is the one thing I think I'm pretty good at.

My lesson for Xichun and Sinclair is...

In clear, neat handwriting, Hong Lu wrote "Surviving Hongyuan" on the chalkboard.

Oh, well. I don't think I need any help in that department from you.

Look, I... know you've had your share of assassination attempts, big bro. But Jia Mu - I mean, the previous Hierarch and the elders' favor sheltered you from the worst of it.

S-she's not wrong. Back when we had to fight our way through a bunch of Sweepers, weren't you also one of the handful who got assassinated?

Oh, that? I was wandering the hallways because I felt like something was off about my room.

Until Dante told us all to go back to our rooms, of course~

<…….>

<W-wait, it was my fault!?>

You do have some intuition, I'll give you that...

Looks like I'm going to have to prove myself.

Daiyu, would you mind preparing the thing?

... You have my utmost faith, but... please, do practice caution.

Some time later, Lin Daiyu appeared with four bowls splishing with tea, before sprinkling some powder into one of them.

What's that...?

That's powdered wolfsbane. I see where this is going.

You're going to teach me how to tell which of these bowls contain poison, right? You can stop now. I learned to recognize infamous poisons like wolfsbane when I was seven -

If it was something as tame as what you are suggesting, venerable Hierarch... haah... I would not have been here to accompany him.

Lin Daiyu continued her process, sprinkling wolfsbane powder into two more bowls. Hong Lu, who was watching that with an oddly contented expression, closed his eyes.

Please mix them up, Daiyu.

Okay... wait, what!?

We stared in confusion, but we could hardly tell what was going on with the speed at which Lin Daiyu swapped around the bowls. When we looked back at Hong Lu, there were three silver spoons in his hand.

Those silver spoons were custom-made at Daguanyuan's request; a must-have item for children of the four great houses, they can detect non-sulfuric poison as well.

Yeah, I know. They're actually - ugh.

Actually what...?

It's nothing.

Fuhu, in Hongyuan, where we are beset by threats of assassination from all directions...

... knowledge alone isn't enough to save you.

What the heck are you -

But Hong Lu opens his eyes before Jia Xichun can finish her sentence.

Then, he throws the silver spoons in his hands like throwing pins toward three of the bowls...

... and immediately chugs the fourth bowl, which he hadn't thrown a spoon at.

H-holy crap, are you insane!? You barely even checked them for - !

Mmm~ Xiren's nu'er tea is always delicious, even when cooled.

The three silver spoons Hong Lu had cast earlier were slowly melting away after quickly becoming tarnished black.

Do, uh... is wolfsbane poison supposed to... melt through metal...?

People like to be thorough with their poisons in Daguanyuan. Since everyone's been trained for immunity since childhood, you have to make a mixture of various poisons to have a real effect.

Haah...

Fine, I don't even wanna argue. What's your secret?

I wanna know, too. Do they sound different or something?

Hehe, I just went with my hunch.

Just a hunch? How are we supposed to learn that? We're not Heathcliff, you know?

You'll get the hang of it after a few tries~

I'll help you out. Shall we begin with two bowls?