Duke Shenxiu residence, The Bamboo courtyard.
"An Incense? how inventive, I guess he has to resort to this since the traditional methods of poisoning me won't work".
"Poison!", Deming's hands shook as he looked down at the incense, "how_ why would he do that?"
"Why else, if not for money", Nie Shaoqing replied with a wry smile,
"Your master must have seen something that he shouldn't have. I suspect that his previous illness was as a result of poisoning. His symptoms may seem like pneumonia but why would it affect his legs"
"I should have known, I was too foolish", Deming replied sneering.
"Don't beat yourself up, it is easy to overlook his symptoms. I only got suspicious because of my experience in the Imperial haram, using poison isn't strange to anyone that grew up in the palace", He replied setting his empty cup down on the table.
