After a moment’s thought, the Old Madam instructed, “Number Six, take them and leave, but don’t go beyond Mei Hua Village.”
The Mei clan’s main forces were near Mei Hua Village. If they fled too far and encountered an ambush, it could be disastrous. The safest option was to find a relatively secure nearby location to hide temporarily.
Although the Old Madam believed it unlikely these attackers could destroy the Mei clan in one fell swoop, she dared not be overconfident. Above all, she had to ensure the safety of the Mei descendants.
The Old Madam’s face was hidden in darkness as she said, “These are Mei family death guards, responsible for your protection.”
The shadow guards bowed even lower, accepting the order.
“Good,” Mei Zhengjing proved reliable in this critical moment.
Suddenly, the Old Madam’s hand, clad in a black glove, emerged from her cloak and grabbed Mo Sigui, lifting him as she walked away.
“Ah! Ah!” Mo Sigui cried out, “My hair is all messed up!”
The Old Madam chuckled softly, “You’d better worry less about your hair and more about whether your head will remain on your shoulders!”
With Mo Sigui under suspicion of being a traitor, the Old Madam naturally couldn’t leave him with the other Mei clan members.
An Jiu hesitated for a moment, not following them.
“Follow me!” Mei Zhengjing, who often wandered around Mei Hua Village, knew the terrain like the back of his hand. Without much thought, he had already decided on a safe location.
Below the cliff where the clan school’s dining hall stood were numerous caves. Some extended into the mountain, while others stretched underground, forming a complex maze-like network with multiple exits.
Most of the attacking force was being held off by the Mei clan elders and shadow guards, allowing Mei Zhengjing’s group to move through the forest almost unimpeded.
As they emerged from the forest, An Jiu felt as if she were floating on clouds. Her powerful mental strength still allowed her to control her legs, but she knew this body had reached its limit. She couldn’t accelerate any further without risking tearing her tendons!
“Fourteen, is someone pursuing us?” Mei Tingzhu sensed movement but couldn’t be certain.
“Yes! Four of them, less than a hundred zhang to our right rear.” These pursuers had just entered the range of An Jiu’s mental perception.
Mei Zhengjing ordered the shadow guards, “Hold them off!”
“Yes, sir!” Although four of them were puzzled, they unquestioningly obeyed Mei Zhengjing’s command.
Most of the Mei clan’s shadow guards were around the fifth rank. It was uncertain how long they could hold out.
They continued running along the river. As they approached the cliff, An Jiu’s legs began to feel like lead.
“It’s going to break…” Mei Jiu felt a terrifying sensation as if her entire body was about to shatter, frightening her into quiet sobs.
This time, An Jiu didn’t ignore Mei Jiu’s words. She slowed her pace and asked, “Are you feeling any better?”
After a moment, Mei Jiu choked out, “Mm-hmm.”
An Jiu snorted, “For someone who’s supposedly accustomed to life-and-death situations, you’re still such a coward. I guess a pig is still a pig, even in human skin – you can’t bridge the gap with humans!”
Used to being mocked, and currently enduring physical exhaustion and pain, Mei Jiu didn’t respond.
An Jiu’s ears twitched as she heard footsteps behind them. She turned to look.
It was one of the shadow guards who had gone to confront the pursuers a quarter of an hour ago. Four had left, but only one returned.
An Jiu’s heart sank. Although the Mei clan’s shadow guards were only at the fifth rank, they had extensive combat experience. Even she, without internal energy, could kill one or two of these “prototypes.” Yet they had lost three men in such a short time!
What was going on?