The guard Zhu caught the attacker’s wrist before he could raise the wax capsule. He twisted the arm behind the man’s back and pinned him against the pillar. Yan kept the cloth pressed to his forearm. Blood spotted the cuff, and his fingers stung when he flexed them.
Bai held the wooden case against his chest. A dent marked one corner, but the paper seal remained unbroken. Gu kept the display stand across the narrow passage, blocking the route to the market.
The attacker turned his head and bit through the wax anyway. He swallowed, then went slack in Zhu’s grip. Zhu lowered him carefully to the ground.
“Don’t move him yet,” Qinghe said. She knelt beside the man, checked his breathing and pulse, and looked at the wax fragment near his hand. “Fast poison.”
Zhu reached for the attacker’s wrists. “I need him in the lockup.”
“He needs treatment before questioning.”
“He tried to steal a sealed lot.”
“And you can question him after he can breathe.” Qinghe opened her travel kit. “Clear the passage. I need water and a clean cloth.”
