The wind rustled through the grass as six highly skilled individuals moved silently, their lightness skills allowing them to practically float on leaves. They barely disturbed the vegetation, their breathing so soft they seemed to merge with the foliage.
An Jiu sensed these six possessed abilities far beyond what she initially perceived. After a moment, a young man among them whispered, “Senior brother, no one’s here.”
“We felt a powerful spiritual energy earlier,” the leader replied in a low voice. “The master said Mei Shisi’s spiritual power is exceptional, reaching a transcendent level. Concealing her presence would be effortless for her. She must be nearby. Search carefully.”
An Jiu’s back tensed. If discovered, she stood no chance against six opponents. Should she surrender or fight to the death?
The group was now close enough that An Jiu could likely discern their true abilities if she dared to probe, but she refrained to avoid detection.
Five of them spread out to search, while one remained behind. An Jiu didn’t move, unable to see who it was, but guessed it was the young man’s senior brother based on typical mission protocols.
He stood just a foot behind An Jiu. She could feel his gentle breathing and the spiritual energy he used to scan the area. This tense situation persisted for two full quarters of an hour before the other five gradually returned.
One reported, “No trace found.”
Another said, “Discovered flattened grass on the slope, likely from someone passing through.”
The senior brother asked, “What news from the other side?”
“The master trapped them with an array, but there’s an eighth-rank expert among them. They’ll likely break free by tonight. Should we continue searching or go support them?”
“Keep searching. The master says finding her is crucial.”
The young man chuckled, “Ha! What’s so important? I heard the master is smitten and wants to marry her. We’re looking for the future second mistress of the manor!”
An Jiu felt conflicted. She had rashly allowed Elder Zhi to destroy her meridians, leaving little hope of regaining her inner power. If she could properly utilize her spiritual energy, it might be a viable alternative. Wei Yuzhi, like her, possessed strong spiritual power but lacked martial arts skills. Could he teach her to control and use spiritual energy? She had learned the Spirit Shock technique from Elder Zhi and knew spiritual energy wasn’t useless—quite the opposite. But her current understanding was limited, wasting her powerful spiritual abilities.
However, Wei Yuzhi’s true intentions were unfathomable. An Jiu couldn’t discern truth from lies in his words. Was it worth the risk to deal with such a cunning individual?
“I’ve found you. Come out,” the senior brother suddenly said.
An Jiu’s heart raced. She had been distracted, possibly allowing her presence to leak. She wasn’t sure if he was bluffing or truly detected her.
After a moment’s hesitation, An Jiu decided to remain hidden. If they truly meant her no harm, being discovered wouldn’t be dire. But revealing herself now could be disastrous if it was a trap.
She knew her limitations. While not unintelligent, she was no match for truly cunning opponents in a battle of wits. That’s why she preferred solo missions, even if they were near-suicidal, over dealing with shrewd individuals.
At least suicide missions offered a slim chance of survival.
The mountain breeze rustled the grass, emphasizing the silence.
After a brief pause, the leader lightly touched down and tapped the ground with his scabbard. The others followed suit, searching the area.
The vibrations reached An Jiu’s ears. Her muscles tensed as she suddenly leaped up, grabbing the man and pressing a dagger to his throat. Her killing intent exploded outward, locking onto her target.
The attack came so swiftly that the others had barely recovered from An Jiu’s imposing aura before seeing their leader firmly in her grasp.
“Back off a mile, or he dies,” An Jiu said coldly.
“Retreat,” the senior brother ordered.
He reasoned that his martial arts surpassed hers by eight full ranks. He had merely been caught off guard by her spiritual energy, slowing his reactions momentarily. Given the chance, even alone, he could easily capture her.
The other five shared similar thoughts. After a glance at An Jiu, they swiftly departed without hesitation.
The man said, “Miss Mei, we mean no harm. The master sent us to invite you back for an important discussion…”
An Jiu neither silenced him nor responded, maintaining her spiritual pressure unwaveringly.
As they descended the mountain, cold sweat beaded on his nose.
An Jiu’s spiritual power far exceeded his expectations, even more terrifying than Wei Yuzhi’s. Initially, he managed to speak, but as time passed, he struggled to resist the pressure, his mind growing increasingly foggy. And he was a seventh-rank spiritual power user!
Reaching the bottom, An Jiu headed straight for the woods, where abundant life forms made concealment easier.
The forest’s chill slightly revived the captive.
An Jiu extended her spiritual sense to locate the other five, confirming they had indeed retreated over a mile away. Her gaze darkened as she pressed the dagger more firmly against the man’s throat.
As her killing intent rose, she suddenly recalled Mei Jiu’s kindness and Lou Mingyue’s principles.
But after only a moment’s hesitation, her dagger plunged mercilessly.
The man had just noticed An Jiu’s spiritual pressure relaxing slightly and was preparing to counterattack when she struck without warning! The dagger’s sharpness cut through his protective true qi, instantly transforming him from a living person into a corpse.
Just like that, one of Piaomiao Manor’s experts vanished.
An Jiu released her grip, letting the body fall.
In the past, she wouldn’t have hesitated or felt uneasy about killing in such a situation. But this time, she felt a vague discomfort. The enemy intended to capture her alive, not necessarily kill her. While capture posed potential dangers, it wasn’t a guaranteed death sentence. She had simply chosen to avoid the risk when given a choice.
Killing this man might invite greater trouble and unnecessary enmity. But in her previous life as a fugitive, facing death for her crimes if caught, she had developed a mindset forged through numerous brushes with death: whether there’s a future depends on surviving the present!
In such moments, her focus narrowed to the immediate, blind to long-term consequences.
She calmly wiped the blood from her dagger on his clothes, but her mind was in turmoil.
“How could you kill him?!”
“What if they weren’t bad people?”
“An Jiu, please don’t kill. Let’s just hide…”
“I killed someone, I killed someone, wah…”
Mei Jiu’s voice chaotically echoed in her ears, agitating An Jiu. She stumbled away, hastily crawling into a tree hollow and curling up, her hand trembling as it gripped the dagger.
She rubbed her head, burying it between her knees:
Mei Jiu, you’re dead. But does your cowardice still linger in this body?
After sitting quietly for a while to calm her troubled mind, she used her spiritual sense to check the surroundings. She discovered that over twenty people had appeared a mile away, moving swiftly in one direction. Among them was a familiar presence.
It was Chu Dingjiang!
Normally, her spiritual sense could only detect people and their power levels, but for some reason, she could distinctly identify his aura!
This was likely the Crane Control Army coming to rescue the trapped trial participants after discovering someone had been killed.
An Jiu considered for a moment before following them.
The group moved with lightness skills, making it impossible for An Jiu to keep up physically. But she used her spiritual sense to track their position, ensuring she wouldn’t lose them.
After about an hour of pursuit, she suddenly noticed Chu Dingjiang change direction, heading towards her.
For a brief moment, An Jiu felt a warmth in her heart.
Chu Dingjiang moved incredibly fast. In no time, she saw a black figure swift as a panther, landing silently like a specter.
He still wore his black cloak, enveloping his entire form like a monolith.
“Come here,” he said.
An Jiu hesitated briefly before approaching.
Chu Dingjiang wrapped an arm around her waist and leaped into the air.
An Jiu looked up, able to see only his well-defined jaw beneath the demon mask.
As the wind whistled past their ears, Chu Dingjiang glanced down. “It’s only been a few hours. Have I changed so much?”
Though inwardly pleased, her words came out less than agreeable: “Did you use us as bait?”
Chu Dingjiang couldn’t resist flicking her forehead. “What are you saying? Am I that kind of person? Besides, I’m just a follower this time. I don’t have the authority to make such decisions.”
If not him, then it must have been Gu Jingxiong.
“That sounds rather bitter,” An Jiu remarked.
Chu Dingjiang chuckled softly.
Hearing his laughter, An Jiu’s discomfort eased slightly. She felt an urge to confide in him. Though generally antisocial, her frequent visits to psychologists had made her less averse to sharing some inner thoughts. However, this didn’t seem like the best time.
“What do you want to say?” Chu Dingjiang sensed her mood.
“I killed someone,” An Jiu said bluntly, without beating around the bush. “I’ve killed many innocent people before without feeling guilty, but this time I killed someone who shouldn’t have died, and I feel conflicted.”
“That’s a good sign. It shows you’re developing emotions,” Chu Dingjiang had seen from the start that An Jiu was no ordinary girl. “Although in our line of work, too much emotion isn’t necessarily good, living completely numb isn’t much of a life either.”
An Jiu pondered this.
He continued, “For people like us, being able to feel heartache is something to cherish.”
An Jiu nodded, solidifying Chu Dingjiang’s status as a wise confidant in her mind. She asked curiously, “Do you still feel heartache?”
“I do. I’m a righteous man who values loyalty and affection,” Chu Dingjiang stated seriously.
While An Jiu somewhat agreed with his claim of being loyal and affectionate, hearing him say it so directly shattered his image as a wise confidant.
Carrying An Jiu, Chu Dingjiang sped through the trees.
Soon, they caught up with the main group.
Gu Jingxiong’s gaze swept over them as he warned, “Wei Yuzhi is here.”