An Jiu’s hiding spot was halfway up the mountain. Though it appeared close to the Ethereal Villa, the actual distance was deceptive – conservatively estimated at six or seven li away.
With no trace of Lou Mingyue for now, she decided to rest on the mountain and observe the situation.
In the valley below stood a modest compound with gray tiles and dark walls, half-hidden among trees. The courtyard wasn’t particularly large, with a main building of three rooms wide and side wings on both sides. The right-wing included a stable. From her vantage point, An Jiu could see two people moving about in the courtyard.
An Jiu surmised that the hidden outpost wasn’t heavily staffed, probably only ten or so people.
There were thirteen trainees currently. With forces seemingly evenly matched, there shouldn’t be any major problems… Though she had little confidence in the Crane-Controlling Army.
In truth, this shadow army had indeed declined.
When the Crane-Controlling Army was first established, the shadows weren’t particularly strong individually, but their fighting spirit and killing intent were unmatched, making them an incredibly formidable force. They could silently overthrow a country or covertly support a prince’s usurpation. However, as successive monarchs grew weaker and increasingly worried about this dark blade being used by those with ill intentions, they sought to completely overhaul the force, bringing it entirely under their control. As a result, the current Crane-Controlling Army’s strength paled in comparison to its former glory.
In trying to dull a sharp sword to prevent self-harm, perhaps it could no longer harm enemies either.
During the previous emperor’s reign, the Crane-Controlling Army’s strength was barely passable. Under the current emperor, it had become a farce.
In the past, the Dragon Guard was the most formidable unit within the Crane-Controlling Army. A single Dragon Guard could charge into enemy lines alone and behead their general. When the emperor personally led troops into battle and the Great Song army fell into an ambush, nine Dragon Guards ensured the emperor’s safe retreat. Now, however, the Dragon Guard merely served as the emperor’s vessel in his pursuit of immortality.
But how many Dragon Guards were there in total? Only twenty! Most were men, and the few women were over twenty-five, their bodies hardened by martial arts training. How could the emperor desire such women? When the number of “vessels” ran short, members of the Crane-Controlling Yulin Army were added to fill the ranks.
These secrets were unknown to outsiders, and An Jiu was no exception. She had only witnessed recent events and concluded that the Crane-Controlling Army’s strength was unremarkable.
If not for this belief, she wouldn’t have rashly entered the Crane-Controlling Institute.
An Jiu ate some dried rations and began pulling grass to camouflage herself. Her survival and disguise skills in the wilderness far surpassed those of ordinary shadows. After finishing, she moved to an even more concealed location.
Two hours later, An Jiu extended her spiritual sense to probe again.
This time, she finally detected the presence of six people, less than five li away. Her heart eased slightly.
The six slowly ascended the mountain.
An Jiu didn’t plan to meet them. She thought she could assist from the sidelines when they began their assault, which would count as participation.
However, instead of finding a suitable spot to observe the enemy, the six wandered about the mountain. This immediately raised An Jiu’s suspicions!
She promptly withdrew her probe and focused all her energy on concealing herself.
As night fell, faint voices could be heard. An Jiu listened intently.
“Senior brother, we’ve practically turned this entire mountain upside down without finding a single person!” a young voice complained.
Another replied, “Following the master’s instructions won’t be wrong.”
The young man grumbled angrily, “The Mei family is part of the Crane-Controlling Army after all! Who knows what the master is planning? Isn’t this like inviting wolves into our house?”
“The master has set a trap. If he says we can catch them, we certainly will. Stop wasting your breath and keep searching!”
An Jiu’s palms suddenly grew cold with sweat. These people were trying to capture her! Most believed spiritual power could discern events thousands of li away, but An Jiu knew it could only detect numbers and strength. Wei Yuzhi also knew this and had deliberately sent six people to deceive her…
But what about the dozen or so Crane-Controlling Army members? Surely they couldn’t have been silently annihilated in such a short time!
As chaotic questions flashed through her mind, An Jiu tightly gripped her dagger hilt. The cool jade stone gradually calmed her turbulent thoughts.
The voices drew ever closer.