Leaving the narrow alley, An Jiu headed straight for the Imperial Road.

While in the Falcon Control Army’s vicinity, surrounded by many skilled martial artists, An Jiu had sensed something odd. Once outside their range, she confirmed that four people were indeed following her.

All four were at the seventh level of martial arts. An Jiu pondered, having just joined the Falcon Control Army and not having offended anyone, it seemed unlikely that someone would already be trying to kill her.

“Miss Mei,” a woman’s voice came from a dark alley behind her.

An Jiu stopped.

The woman continued, “Master Chu sent us four to complete your mission. He also has a message for you.”

Confirming no one else was around, An Jiu asked, “What is it?”

“Master Chu says that since your injuries haven’t fully healed, you should only take seven-day missions until he returns. We’ll complete all tasks for you,” the woman explained, adding, “I’m He Cai, squad leader of the Xuan team in the Divine Martial Army.”

The Falcon Control Army ranked its teams using the Thousand Character Classic: “Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, Yellow.” He Cai was the third-highest-ranking member of the Divine Martial Army. The others were also team leaders. Together, only someone at Chu Dijiang’s transcendent level could challenge them.

An Jiu, unaware of these details, figured He Cai must indeed be sent by Chu Dijiang since she knew about her condition.

“Thank you,” An Jiu replied.

Though she felt no abnormalities, Mo Sigui’s concern suggested it wasn’t a trivial matter. Better not to push herself.

Seeing An Jiu’s agreement, He Cai continued, “You can rest near the Imperial Road for a few days. Return to the Falcon Control Army after the mission is complete.”

“Alright,” An Jiu agreed.

He Cai watched her leave from the dark alley. Three others emerged behind her, one saying, “I can’t sense any internal energy from this woman. Why would Master Chu choose her as a partner?”

He Cai replied, “How many in this world could detect our tracking?”

“She noticed us?” the person asked, surprised.

“I suspect she was aware from the start,” He Cai glanced at the brightening sky. “Let’s prepare quickly.”

…

As dawn broke, faint light reflected off the snow, casting the world in a pale gray.

Ice crystals on roadside trees sparkled increasingly as the light grew stronger.

An Jiu found a private inn to stay in. After disguising herself, she went out to explore, visiting a teahouse to listen for news of recent weddings. Though the mission was handed over to others, she still wanted to know some details.

The teahouse gradually filled with people coming for morning tea. Due to the crowd, An Jiu had to share a table.

She approached a table with two scholars and asked, “May I sit here?”

One looked up, smiled, and said, “Please do.”

An Jiu sat down, ordering a pot of tea and some snacks.

When the food and tea arrived, she invited the two to share. Though she rarely interacted with strangers, she knew she needed to show goodwill to get information.

“We’ll take you up on that offer,” the same scholar said. “Please, help yourself too.”

He pushed his snacks toward the center.

After a while, An Jiu realized her choice might have been unwise. The two talked plenty, but only about Liao’s invasion. However, a nearby table mentioned something interesting – the Hua family was welcoming a new bride.

Unfortunately, they quickly changed topics.

When her tablemates paused, An Jiu asked, “Excuse me, I heard the Hua family is taking a new bride. Is this true?”

The friendly scholar replied, “You must be new to the capital. The Emperor arranged a marriage for the Hua family’s eldest son two months ago, to Miss Mei, the tenth daughter.”

Mei family’s tenth daughter?

An Jiu inquired, “Which Mei family?”

“Near Bianjing, which other Mei family could earn the Emperor’s favor?” the previously silent scholar answered. “Recently, the Mei family was nearly wiped out. I heard the current head offered a huge sum to the court in exchange for this marriage alliance with the Hua family.”

Mei Shi Niang… Mei Ruhan. An Jiu vaguely remembered her as Mei Ruyan’s friend. But wasn’t she dead?

An Jiu recalled Chu Dijiang saying she wasn’t among the survivors.

“Speaking of the Mei family tragedy reminds me of the Lou family,” the friendly scholar sighed. “The Lou women struggled to maintain their household, only to be wiped out by a plague. Heaven is truly blind!”

Someone from the next table interjected, “Young man, you don’t know – two from the Lou family survived, though their whereabouts are unknown.”

“Thanks to Divine Doctor Mo!” someone exclaimed.

This mention of Mo Sigui seemed to infect the entire teahouse, with everyone sharing rumors about him.

One man spoke particularly loudly, sharing information others hadn’t heard before. He quickly captured everyone’s attention. “I heard Divine Doctor Mo risked his life because he admired a Lou family woman. I saw the doctor with her on the street. She was graceful, and even through her veil, you could tell she was incredibly beautiful. Her almond-shaped eyes were like autumn pools, every glance and smile intoxicating.”

An Jiu thought Lou Mingyue didn’t have almond-shaped eyes… Could it be Lou Xiaowu? That girl was far from breathtakingly beautiful…

“The Lou family had already contracted the plague. The woman looked worried, and Mo, being chivalrous, unhesitatingly went with her…”

The man’s story went on: Mo Sigui had already made a public statement. The Lou woman, out of options, begged him to save them. Mo, skilled and righteous, risked his life to help. He accidentally saw the woman’s face and recognized her as his childhood sweetheart. His love reignited, but with the Lou family nearly extinct, the woman decided to become a Taoist nun, forsaking the mortal world…

What a touching, heroic tale! What a devoted Divine Doctor Mo!

An Jiu couldn’t bear to listen anymore. She paid for her tea and left.

However, she was slightly surprised that the man’s fabrications somewhat aligned with reality. If he hadn’t mixed up the people involved, even she might have believed it was all witnessed firsthand.

What concerned her most now was the marriage between the Hua family’s eldest son and Mei Shi Niang.

An Jiu had seen Hua Rongtian once. He reminded her of Chu Dijiang – tall, with a handsome face showing little emotion, indeed a steady man.

“Mei Ruhan…” An Jiu murmured.

Hearing news of the Mei family, An Jiu suddenly remembered something. She reached into her clothes and pulled out the jade pendant given to her by the Mei family head before his death.

It seemed there were still many mysteries surrounding the Mei family.