It was nearly noon when the yamen runners carried away the corpse of the proprietor of Xu’s shop. Shen Qingya stood in the shadows of the dye house, twining the blood-stained silver needle between her fingertips.
A faint green powder remained on the tip of the needle. When she held it closer, a pungent, acrid smell of saltpeter hit her nose.
"It is the 'Green Snake Powder,' specially crafted by the Directorate of Armament," Xiao Heng said, appearing behind her. Fine droplets of blood speckled his dark cloak. "One scratch and it seals the throat. It is made exclusively for death squads."
Chapter 91