“You may leave now. Do not speak of this matter,” Cao Rui instructed.
“Yes, my lady,” the maid acknowledged, bowing slightly before departing.
Cao Rui gazed silently at the lush garden courtyard, lost in thought. In recent years, her master had caused numerous troubles outside, which the Jade Mansion had always covered up. She had never asked the Jade Mansion to intervene, but this time, it seemed the situation had escalated beyond her ability to manage.
Zhu Pianpian was too valuable to the Jade Mansion. With her presence, wealth flowed endlessly.
This time, they must seize the opportunity to keep her here…
After Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu left, they didn’t go far, instead lurking nearby.
An Jiu pulled out a paper package and tossed it to Chu Dingjiang.
“What’s this?” he asked as he caught it.
An Jiu, focused intently on the Jade Mansion, seemed not to hear his question.
Chu Dingjiang opened the package to find shelled five-spice pine nuts. A smile spread across his face. Shelling nuts was one of Chu Dingjiang’s many hobbies—not because he particularly enjoyed eating them, but as a simple pastime. Life in the Crane-Controlling Army was exceedingly dull, and nearly everyone developed peculiar habits to cope.
He popped a few pine nuts into his mouth, savoring their unique aroma. “The messenger from Misty Mountain Manor was that hunchback who collects swill. I followed him to town, but somehow lost him there.”
For someone of Chu Dingjiang’s caliber, it was highly unusual to lose track of a target, even with part of his inner power sealed.
“That town and the dock are both rather strange,” An Jiu remarked immediately. “I’ve been pondering it for days, and I suspect the dock employs some special method to prevent us from distinguishing individuals’ spiritual energy and martial power.”
Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu’s spiritual powers differed; he couldn’t normally differentiate these energies, so any tricks at the dock wouldn’t affect him much. However, after An Jiu mentioned it, he paid closer attention to subsequent visits. “A formation array might achieve such an effect. We forgot that Wei Yuzhi is an expert in this field. The dock likely has an array in place. Perhaps…”
Perhaps Misty Mountain Manor’s headquarters was at that very dock!
When hearing the name “Misty Mountain Manor,” one naturally imagines a manor atop a misty mountain. But who decreed it must be named so literally?
For now, it was merely a suspicion. They couldn’t be certain the dock was connected to Misty Mountain Manor. Only by capturing the assassins sent to kill Zhu Pianpian could they confirm…
A thought suddenly struck An Jiu. “We can only return to report after completing the mission, right?”
“Mm,” Chu Dingjiang nodded.
“So your talk of making a deal with Zhu Pianpian was all deception?” An Jiu asked.
Chu Dingjiang turned to her. “When the one-month deadline arrives, they’ll return to report regardless of whether the mission is complete.”
“You won’t wait a month,” An Jiu stated confidently.
Chu Dingjiang paused, tossing a few more pine nuts into his mouth. A faint smile played on his lips. “You’ve guessed correctly.”
An Jiu frowned. In the past, she would never have considered the safety of those around her when completing a mission. Yet somehow, hearing that Chu Dingjiang planned to sacrifice Zhu Pianpian left her feeling slightly uncomfortable, despite her dislike for the swindler.
However, this fleeting sentiment vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
The two took turns keeping watch.
The Jade Mansion’s expansive grounds made ambushes far more challenging than at the Emerald Pavilion. Even if Misty Mountain Manor’s assassins had followed them, they would need time to observe before striking.
To prevent Misty Mountain Manor’s agents from recognizing An Jiu’s disguise, only Chu Dingjiang entered the Jade Mansion the next day to discuss matters with Zhu Pianpian. He took the opportunity to stay within the mansion, planning to coordinate with An Jiu from the inside.
Both Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu possessed transcendent spiritual power, making it easy for them to conceal their presence. Before leaving, Chu Dingjiang repeatedly cautioned An Jiu not to engage, but merely to track their targets.
Chu Dingjiang didn’t realize that An Jiu’s greatest strength was “following orders.” If told to eliminate a target with one shot, she would never use two.
While Chu Dingjiang’s stay at the Jade Mansion seemed comfortable and relaxed, being in plain sight put him at a disadvantage compared to hiding.
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
Autumn winds began to stir in Yangzhou, filling the city with the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms. A bright, full moon hung in the sky, its frosty light draping the rooftops in what seemed like a layer of white gauze.
Hidden in the shadows, An Jiu had been monitoring a nearby ninth-level expert.
This individual had appeared suddenly seven days ago, prowling only the outskirts of the Jade Mansion. Undoubtedly an assassin from Misty Mountain Manor. In previous days, he had stealthily entered the compound around midnight, but tonight, he suddenly made his move as dawn approached!
Realizing the assassin might strike today, An Jiu silently approached the compound wall after he entered.
The Jade Mansion remained eerily quiet.
Below the transcendent realm came the ninth level. This man was likely Misty Mountain Manor’s top assassin, having effortlessly infiltrated the Jade Mansion multiple times to familiarize himself with the layout. At the peak of the ninth level, with extensive experience, he could move freely through the jianghu. Transcendent experts were rare, and those with transcendent spiritual power even rarer. Not just the Jade Mansion, but few in the entire world could match his strength.
He never dreamed that two individuals with transcendent spiritual power lay in wait. Thus, he launched his attack as casually as ever.
The Jade Mansion remained silent.
Soon after, the man swiftly exited.
In the moonlight, An Jiu saw him carrying a bundle, the heavy scent of blood wafting from it.
An Jiu followed in pursuit.