Chu Dingjiang felt at ease. Only when he was with An Jiu could he let down all his defenses and pretenses. She struck with lethal moves when angered, repaid kindness with kindness, and hatred with hatred. Her thoughts were transparent, and she spoke bluntly without concealment.
Chu Dingjiang believed that falling in love required many reasons, but wanting to sleep with someone only needed impulse. With An Jiu, he had both reasons and impulses.
Chu Dingjiang gained the reputation of the “Heartless Young Master” before he was 20. At 26, he protected his family by treading on countless corpses. He died at 35. Carrying an evil reputation and being rejected by all countries, he fled for nine years, hoping to find a chance for a comeback. Unfortunately, before that opportunity arrived, he could no longer endure living like a scurrying rat. Finally, he openly visited his homeland in the State of Zhao. What followed was within expectations – the first to attempt his assassination were the very clan members he had protected at all costs.
His death also cemented the Hua clan’s reputation for righteously executing their kin.
During those nine years, he transformed from a refined young gentleman into a rough man. In his prime, full of vigor, his mind was occupied with schemes and lofty ideals, never dwelling on romance. However, when he became an outcast, wandering alone in the wilderness with only memories of cold blade flashes, that inescapable loneliness pierced his heart, unforgettable for life.
In the Crane Control Army, he seemed to recapture his most passionate moments from the past. Yet he always felt his actions were no longer as decisive as before until An Jiu suddenly appeared.
At some point, it seemed that as long as she was present, she could fill the void in his courage, making him fearless.
An Jiu’s significance to Chu Dingjiang was not merely as a woman but as a part of himself – his strongest yet most vulnerable part.
…
The night breeze whispered.
The two of them crouched on a wall in a dark alley all night.
When there was movement at Li’s mansion, Chu Dingjiang returned to the Crane Control compound.
This time, An Jiu brought an ordinary bow and arrows. She lay in ambush in the small alley Li Ting used as a shortcut.
Today the weather was gloomy with some wind and high humidity. An Jiu lowered her gaze, observing how the wild grass on the wall bent in the wind, judging its strength.
In the evening, a drizzle began to fall. In the twilight, shrouded in thin clouds and mist, points of lantern light shone through. An Jiu guessed Li Ting probably wouldn’t ride back to the mansion today, but she still waited in place for a while.
Around the same time as yesterday, An Jiu faintly heard the crisp sound of hooves on stone slabs.
She drew her bow and waited silently.
Soon, two riders galloped into view.
Li Ting wore a straw rain cape. His speed was much faster than yesterday.
Raindrops slowly dripped from the tip of An Jiu’s nose. In her eyes, Li Ting’s every move was slow and clear. Seeing his graying hair and crow’s feet, An Jiu suddenly remembered how he had reprimanded his daughter with a smile in his eyes…
There was a moment of hesitation, but she still released her fingers.
Whoosh!
The arrow grazed past the back of Li Ting’s neck, fresh blood gushing out, instantly staining the stone slabs red.
“My Lord!” The guard caught Li Ting as he fell from his horse, shouting for help. “Help! There’s an assassin!”
An Jiu frowned.
She had missed it!
Although she hit him, she could see clearly that this arrow wasn’t fatal.
Chaotic footsteps approached from nearby, mostly guards of the first or second tier, some even without internal energy. But their numbers were substantial. To avoid escalating the situation, she couldn’t go in to finish the job.
An Jiu decisively turned and left.
She hurried back to the Crane Control compound.
Concealing her presence, she hid in her quarters. The moment of Li Ting’s assassination kept replaying before her eyes.
An Jiu sat in a chair, spreading her hands. In the darkness, only vague shadows were visible. This time she couldn’t make excuses. It wasn’t Mei Jiu’s fault, but her own heart encountering an obstacle – the most fatal flaw for an assassin.
Today was just a miss; in the future, it could cost her life.
“Missed?” Chu Dingjiang lightly landed before her.
An Jiu remained silent.
“Couldn’t bring yourself to do it?” Chu Dingjiang grasped her outstretched hands, pulling her into his embrace.
Being held like this, An Jiu’s body stiffened for a moment. However, the warmth seemed to soothe her taut nerves, gradually relaxing her.
“Do you know why the Crane Control wants you to assassinate Li Ting?” Chu Dingjiang gently stroked her back. “Li Ting is Prince Jing’s man. This isn’t just simple court factionalism. Prince Jing has colluded with the Liao State, the evidence is conclusive, but he has considerable power in court and can’t be easily moved against. In recent years, Liao has planted many sleeper agents, including the renowned Misty Mountain Villa in the jianghu. If Prince Jing is pushed to rebellion and cooperates with Liao from within, war could break out. How many families would be torn apart then? How many men would die on the battlefield? Li Ting isn’t the only official the Crane Control is assassinating at this time.”
Chu Dingjiang was born in an era where human life was as cheap as grass, and war was commonplace. The horrors of that time far surpassed assassinating a few people in the Crane Control.
“It’s up to you to weigh the greater good against personal feelings,” Chu Dingjiang patted her. “But Li Ting must die. If you can’t bring yourself to do it right now, I’ll go in your place.”
“You’re quite righteous,” An Jiu suddenly realized she wasn’t doing anything illegal; the Crane Control was a shadow army protecting the Great Song.
“It’s not righteousness, but self-interest,” Chu Dingjiang mocked her. “If you keep this up, you’ll soon become the first person in the Crane Control to lose twenty points!”
An Jiu pushed him away. “I’ll go myself.”
Having already alerted them, with only two days left, the second assassination attempt might be more difficult. But she had created this situation herself; who else could she blame?
An Jiu shouldered the Subduing Dragon Bow. She found that although this bow was heavy, the spiritual force released by its bowstring was much stronger than ordinary bows and arrows. It could be useful in emergencies. She had just attempted an assassination, and the target might not expect another attempt so soon, perhaps making this a good opportunity.
Chu Dingjiang helped her put on a straw rain cape.
He didn’t object but watched her leave.
An Jiu arrived at Li’s mansion in the rain, using her spiritual force to scout the surroundings. Usually, Li’s guards would rotate shifts, but tonight they were all guarding around the bedchamber.
An Jiu reflected on herself again. If she had succeeded in the ambush in the dark alley, only one person would have needed to die. Now, several might have to die.
Pushing aside these thoughts, An Jiu began observing the guards’ distribution.
Two hours later, the rooftop was almost vacant, but her lightness skill wasn’t good enough to move silently. Her spiritual force could conceal her presence, but not the sound of her movements.
She felt her pocket – fortunately, she still had the sleeping drug from Mo Sigui.
After silently formulating a plan, she climbed over the wall into the compound. Hiding in the shadows, she poured Mo Sigui’s powder into her hand, spreading her five fingers to draw the bowstring.
The sleeping drug would be hard to use effectively in such an open space. She wondered if she could carry it over with the bow’s spiritual force.