An Jiu’s gaze sharpened as she gripped Zhu Pianpian’s wrist.

Though Zhu Pianpian was skilled, the sudden spiritual pressure overwhelmed her, causing a momentary mental blank. An Jiu seized this chance to counter.

Chu Dingjiang watched through a window crack, amusement flickering in his eyes. Unexpectedly, An Jiu released her grip, then playfully pinched Zhu Pianpian’s cheeks, kneading them for a while before reluctantly letting go.

As the spiritual pressure lifted, Zhu Pianpian yelped and covered her face.

She had noticed An Jiu’s seemingly innocent smile earlier and dared to pinch her cheeks, wondering if she wore a human skin mask. Who knew this girl’s demeanor would change so quickly?

“I’m Ajiu,” An Jiu said, gazing at her.

Chu Dingjiang nearly fell off his horse. Since when did this fellow introduce herself to others?

Lou Mingyue opened her eyes. Feeling a kinship with An Jiu due to their similar experiences, she had hoped to befriend her. Yet An Jiu had never shown her any goodwill.

Lou Mingyue scrutinized Zhu Pianpian, wondering what made her special to An Jiu.

An Jiu leaned forward, placing Zhu Pianpian’s hand on her face.

Chu Dingjiang frowned, pondering for a while before dismounting and entering Mo Sigui’s carriage.

As he boarded, several colored smoke trails appeared but halted five inches from him, unable to approach.

Two tiger cubs pounced, gnawing his clothes with their milk teeth. They rolled around the carriage floor, growling fiercely.

Mo Sigui glared at him resentfully. “Why are you here?”

“Don’t you think Ajiu has been acting strangely lately?” Chu Dingjiang asked directly.

Mo Sigui snorted, “Was she ever normal?”

Chu Dingjiang’s expression darkened.

“Fine, fine. She’s normal. No one’s more normal than her!” Mo Sigui relented, wary of Chu Dingjiang’s vicious punches that left lasting marks, especially on the face.

“While I don’t approve of your character, I can’t deny your medical skills,” Chu Dingjiang stated.

You ruffian who’d fight over sweet potatoes, how dare you judge my character! Mo Sigui fumed internally.

However, the latter half of Chu Dingjiang’s statement tickled his pride more than mere flattery would have.

“Ahem,” Mo Sigui cleared his throat. “What’s wrong with her?”

“She lost control once during this mission. I thought it was just her potential unleashed under extreme circumstances. But observing her these past few days, I suspect she might be…” Chu Dingjiang chose his words carefully, “mentally unstable. I want to confirm.”

Recently, An Jiu had become fond of smiling, occasionally revealing a naivety that seemed foreign to Chu Dingjiang.

“How is she unstable?” Mo Sigui inquired.

“She’s very different from before. Her personality seems gentler, and she smiles often.”

“I’ll take a look.” Mo Sigui sprang up upon hearing Chu Dingjiang’s description.

Since Mei Jiu’s disappearance, Mo Sigui had planned to spend his life making amends, though a weight always pressed on his heart. His emotions were few and faint; he couldn’t claim familial affection for Mei Jiu. He simply couldn’t accept owing someone his life.

If Mei Jiu had somehow revived, it would have eased his conscience greatly.

Mo Sigui leaped from the carriage, swiftly unfurling his fan to hide his still-bruised face as he boarded An Jiu’s carriage.

“Oh?” Mo Sigui noticed an unfamiliar woman.

Recognizing his face and fan, Zhu Pianpian exclaimed delightedly, “Divine Physician Mo!”

Mo Sigui didn’t recall meeting her.

Zhu Pianpian bowed respectfully. “Though you may not know me, I’ve long admired your reputation. It’s my great fortune to meet you today!”

As an information broker, she was well-acquainted with Mo Sigui’s appearance and attire. Few men possessed such amorous peach blossom eyes and carried an ice dragon brain fan.

“The pleasure is mine,” Mo Sigui smiled, sitting cross-legged. He turned to An Jiu, “Ajiu, I’m here for a follow-up examination.”

An Jiu extended her hand.

Mo Sigui grasped her wrist, focusing as he took her pulse.

Threads of true qi seeped into An Jiu’s body through her blood vessels. Mo Sigui’s meridians belonged to the wind attribute, outside the five elements. Small amounts of his true qi wouldn’t trigger rejection from any elemental meridians, making him more suitable for this technique than Elder Qi.

Mo Sigui’s brow furrowed gradually. After careful examination, he found no trace of dual spiritual forces, though An Jiu’s body did show some abnormalities.

Mo Sigui released her hand. “I’ll administer acupuncture when we stop next.”

“Why acupuncture?” An Jiu asked.

Though many parts of An Jiu’s body showed signs of breakdown that wasn’t present during previous examinations, Mo Sigui merely said, “Your arms are injured and need proper care.”

An Jiu nodded.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhu Pianpian asked, “Divine Physician, rumors say you’ve sworn never to marry because of the Qiu family’s daughter. Is this true?”

Lou Mingyue stiffened imperceptibly.

“Yes,” Mo Sigui affirmed. Though he’d never actually said such things, he naturally wanted to express his devotion in front of the person in question. “In this life, I’ll have only one wife – Ning Yu.”

“Such profound love, ah!” Zhu Pianpian sighed wistfully. Why did other men seem so good while her late husband was so worthless? On their wedding night, he’d died suddenly in a brothel, caught in the act with a prostitute. The scandal had shocked all of Yangzhou.

Donning widow’s weeds had felt liberating to Zhu Pianpian. She’d worn plain clothes ever since, letting others assume she was a faithful widow still mourning her husband. Little did they know how happy she truly was.

By evening, the convoy reached a relay station.

Mo Sigui immediately went to prepare medicinal soup for An Jiu.

An Jiu and Chu Dingjiang sat on a dead tree behind the station, pale winter sunlight falling upon them.

“Ajiu,” Chu Dingjiang asked, “why do you like Zhu Pianpian? Isn’t Lou Mingyue quite good too?”

An Jiu squinted at the horizon, pondering before answering, “Zhu Pianpian is like the sun and a rabbit. Lou Mingyue is like the moon, a bat, and a mouse.”

“Oh?” Chu Dingjiang found this an unusual way to describe people. How could Lou Mingyue, who seemed superior to Zhu Pianpian in every aspect, be likened to a mouse?

An Jiu picked at the dead tree bark, murmuring, “I’m a mouse too.”

Chu Dingjiang mulled this over. Comparing Zhu Pianpian to the sun could mean bright and warm while likening Lou Mingyue to the moon might suggest cold and desolate. But what about the rabbit and mouse comparisons?

“Doing things that can’t see the light of day, living in darkness. Lou Mingyue and I are the same, but I don’t like it,” An Jiu turned to look at him. “Zhu Pianpian is different. She’s like a cunning rabbit – crafty, but I don’t sense danger from her.”