National grudges and personal vendettas persist until death.
This was Lou Mingyue’s thought.
The rain stopped as dawn broke. Morning mist lingered in the mountains, with a faint orange light seeping through the east. The foliage glistened with dew.
Gu Jinghong and An Jiu were still beyond Chu Dingjiang’s spiritual sensing range. Without waiting further, he signaled the group to depart.
Based on last night’s conversation, everyone agreed that Chu Dingjiang was more approachable. Though they couldn’t chat and laugh as if on an outing, the atmosphere on the journey was much lighter, making the trek seem less arduous.
Two hours later.
An Jiu and Gu Jinghong arrived at the spot where the others had stayed the night before.
Gu Jinghong’s travel method was quite “aggressive.” On official roads, they galloped at full speed; on rugged paths, they slowed down. By now, they had been traveling for six consecutive hours with only one brief rest lasting less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
An Jiu’s body was numb from the constant jolting. Her stomach churned, and she forcefully suppressed the sour, bitter taste rising in her throat.
“It rained recently, making the road difficult. Let’s rest here for half an hour,” Gu Jinghong slowed their pace.
The two chose to rest by a stream.
As soon as An Jiu dismounted, she felt the scenery still swaying. Dizzy and disoriented, she had to lean against a tree to stand.
“Let me see if I can transfer some inner energy to you,” Gu Jinghong placed his palm on her back, using his qi to examine her meridians.
After a moment, he withdrew his hand, his tone revealing a rare hint of surprise, “Your meridians are destroyed?”
“Ha!” His reaction gave An Jiu a sense of satisfaction. She sneered, “Completely ruined. Even Elder Qi, who claims to be able to revive the dead and regrow flesh on bare bones, was at a loss.”
Gu Jinghong fell into deep thought.
Each member of the Dragon Guard possessed extraordinary skills, with martial arts no lower than the sixth level. When he had chosen An Jiu, he knew her inner power was weak, but her comprehension of martial arts was exceptional. Her innate conditions were also good. With intensive training, she could have achieved minor accomplishments in three to five years. But now…
“Since that’s the case, there’s no use dwelling on it. If you survive this time, I still won’t change my decision,” Gu Jinghong sat on a rock by the stream, his tone back to normal. “Rest now.”
An Jiu composed herself before sitting down about ten paces away from him to drink water and eat dried rations. After eating, she had no energy left and lay directly on the rock to rest.
The sky was clear, as blue as a calm lake, bringing tranquility to one’s heart.
An Jiu was exhausted and unknowingly fell asleep.
Sometime later, she heard someone call, “Xuanren!”
Her eyes snapped open, meeting a pair of clear, narrow eyes reflecting her image.
“Let’s go,” Gu Jinghong said.
An Jiu got up, rubbing her face vigorously before going to untie the horse.
Mounting the horse, she instinctively glanced at the sun and paused, asking, “How long did I sleep?”
“An hour,” Gu Jinghong replied. He had indeed been surprised when he learned that An Jiu’s meridians were destroyed, leaving her without a trace of inner power. Apart from that, An Jiu’s performance had impressed him. She had been raised as a young lady for over a decade, her physique not particularly robust. Without the support of inner power, she could not keep up with this marching speed purely through willpower. For such a person, he didn’t mind being a little more lenient.
The clothing provided by Konghe Academy was made of some unknown material. Despite the long ride, An Jiu’s legs weren’t chafed, though they were swollen, causing discomfort as soon as she mounted.
Fortunately, they encountered two rainstorms along the way, allowing her several extra hours of rest. On the eleventh day, they finally reached their destination.
This was one of Konghejun’s secret locations, with only two thatched huts. It looked like a temporary resting place for hunters entering the mountains, with no living utensils.
“This time, we’re to take down one of Piaomiao Manor’s secret points,” Gu Jinghong briefly explained the mission.
Sun Dixian exclaimed in surprise, “Is it Piaomiao Manor?”
“What do you think?” Gu Jinghong’s tone was calm. “We’ll provide a map. As for how many people they have and the battle plan, that’s for you to figure out. Complete the mission within five days. No other requirements.”
Chu Dingjiang distributed the maps to everyone, appearing every bit as a willing subordinate.
“Then…”
Gu Jinghong’s words were cut off by Chu Dingjiang, “Let’s start executing the mission tomorrow morning.”
Gu Jinghong looked at him, then nodded in agreement.
After receiving the maps, everyone found a corner to eat dried rations or rest.
Chu Dingjiang glanced at An Jiu, then walked out.
An Jiu rested against the wall for a moment before getting up and going outside.
Thud!
Just as An Jiu stepped out, she heard a sound.
Following the noise, she found a black-clad figure emerging from behind a thick tree trunk about twenty paces away. He leaned casually against the tree, arms folded, his head turned to watch her. Without his cloak, his fitted attire outlined his muscular, powerful frame. Half his face was covered by a mask, revealing tanned skin, sword-like eyebrows, and bright eyes above a straight, prominent nose.
Dappled sunlight cast intricate shadows across his features, making his eyes appear deep and mysterious.
As An Jiu approached, he tossed a small bottle to her.
“What is it?” An Jiu caught it deftly and opened the lid.
“Poison,” Chu Dingjiang said seriously.
An Jiu’s lips curved slightly as she took out a pill and swallowed it, then tried to return the bottle.
“Keep it. Looking at how weak you are, I doubt even a whole bottle would be enough,” Chu Dingjiang mocked her before explaining, “This medicine can enhance physical strength. It’s beneficial and harmless for martial artists, but you shouldn’t take too many at once. You’ve taken one today; unless you’re severely injured, wait three days before taking another. There are only two pills left anyway.”
An Jiu agreed that she appeared weak in comparison, acknowledging the accuracy of Chu Dingjiang’s assessment.
As the pill dissolved, a warm current flowed down her throat, creating a comforting heat in her abdomen before spreading to her limbs. Her whole body felt refreshed, and the soreness was instantly relieved. Recognizing its value, she pocketed the bottle without hesitation.
“Thank you,” An Jiu said, unsure how else to express her gratitude. After a pause, she added, “Won’t you get in trouble for going against Gu Jinghong’s wishes earlier?”
Gu Jinghong had intended to start the trial immediately, but Chu Dingjiang had interrupted, postponing it by a night.
“What can he do to me?” Chu Dingjiang’s martial arts surpassed Gu Jinghong’s. Here, he could say and do as he pleased, unconstrained by Gu Jinghong. But once they returned…
An Jiu sensed a change in the surrounding atmosphere. Her gaze flickered, glancing at the treetops behind Chu Dingjiang.
“Go back,” Chu Dingjiang said, clearly having noticed as well.
An Jiu nodded and turned to leave.
Chu Dingjiang watched her enter the hut, then turned to face the slender figure standing straight on a branch behind him. He smiled, “Does Lord Gu need something?”
“Since you made no effort to conceal it, I came to see,” Chu Dingjiang had acted openly, so Gu Jinghong observed openly. “You just gave her the Rebirth Pill. May I ask, Lord Chu, what is your relationship with this woman?”
Gu Jinghong wasn’t one to pry into others’ private affairs, but Chu Dingjiang’s actions were too suspicious.
The Rebirth Pill could enhance one’s power, repair bodily injuries, and was said to even have the ability to revive the dead. Thus, all martial artists coveted it. When Konghejun’s commanders took office, they received two pills, while vice commanders only got one, with the next allocation coming after ten years. How could such a precious item be casually given away?
To be chosen for the Dragon Guard, one’s background had to be spotless. He had to be cautious.
“It’s just two Rebirth Pills. Others may see them as treasures, but to me, they’re like candy. What’s wrong with using them to coax a young girl?” Chu Dingjiang said.
“Is she your lover?” Gu Jinghong’s fine eyebrows furrowed slightly. Was it because she was his lover that he deliberately acted so openly, just to prevent him from bringing Mei Shisi into the Dragon Guard?
Chu Dingjiang flipped onto the tree branch, lying down to rest with closed eyes. “You can think that if you like.”
The key to this matter was—he hadn’t yet figured out what he thought himself!
Chu Dingjiang had never placed much importance on such things, but the Rebirth Pill was indeed rare. He usually acted with a clear purpose, so what had prompted him to give two Rebirth Pills to An Jiu so easily? He didn’t consider himself that noble.
Even using his mind-reading technique, Gu Jinghong couldn’t glean any useful information. He had heard of Chu Dingjiang—the youngest master of the Huajing realm, with an up-and-down official career, who had quickly gained a large following after becoming the Divine Martial Commander. Beyond that, Gu Jinghong knew nothing about Chu Dingjiang personally. However since Chu Dingjiang had repeatedly offered assistance, Gu Jinghong felt it necessary to have someone help Mei Shisi during the trial period.
If it weren’t for the Emperor’s urgent need for people and the scarcity of suitable candidates, why would Gu Jinghong insist on someone without inner power? He had spent a year searching before finally finding Mei Shisi to fill the vacancy. He was confident in his judgment and was also a persistent person. Unless necessary, he would never arbitrarily replace someone.