Chu Dingjiang placed another item on the table.

Mo Sigui quickly pocketed it, expecting Chu Dingjiang to ask if he could cure the ailment. If so, he planned to use this opportunity to gather more medicinal herbs.

“Does it hurt?” Chu Dingjiang asked softly.

Mo Sigui jumped back, covering his face, and staring at Chu Dingjiang in bewilderment. After a moment, he realized Chu wasn’t asking about his bruises but about An Jiu. He sighed, “When internal organs and flesh are torn apart, do you think it’s painful? Don’t worry though, she has a high pain tolerance. She even endured the excruciating process of body reconstruction, so this pain is nothing in comparison.”

“It’s easy for a doctor to talk when he’s not feeling the pain,” Chu Dingjiang remarked coolly. “Let me kindly remind you to be careful. One day, you might not only feel back pain but also end up with broken bones.” With that, he vanished from the room.

Mo Sigui grimaced, the movement tugging at his facial wounds, causing him to hiss in pain.

…

The convoy rested at a relay station for three hours before departing before dawn. Initially, they traveled slowly due to several members’ severe injuries. As they healed, the pace quickened.

As they left Yangzhou far behind, the group gradually realized they had narrowly escaped death. They had survived and managed to destroy the Piaomiao Mountain Villa with just over twenty people! They felt this feat would be unmatched in their lifetimes.

The survivors now looked at Chu Dingjiang with awe and admiration, even the usually independent Lou Mingyue. This battle had made her acutely aware of her limitations. Without Chu Dingjiang, they would have all perished.

An Jiu, who had already gained attention for her blind shooting at Mount Funiu, left an even more unforgettable impression this time.

Before entering Bianjing, Gu Jinghong and Chu Dingjiang received a secret summons from the Emperor. Upon entering the city, they parted ways with the group, leaving Sheng Changying to lead the rest back to Kongheyuan.

Sheng Changying was reliable and wouldn’t make mistakes with such a simple task. However, he was feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

Mo Sigui’s medicine was effective; the bruises on Sheng Changying’s face from being pinched had vanished. Yet whenever he saw Zhu Pianpian, his face felt hot and painful.

“Lord Sheng,” Zhu Pianpian, after observing for several days, decided to win his favor. She approached with a bowl of bird’s nest soup, her smile sickeningly sweet. “I just prepared this. Would you like to try it?”

She scooped up a spoonful, blew on it gently, and offered to feed him.

Sheng Changying’s fair face turned crimson, sweat beading on his forehead as if he’d just bathed. “Miss Zhu…”

Zhu Pianpian seized the opportunity to push the spoon into his mouth.

Sheng Changying swallowed hastily, choking on the sweetness and coughing repeatedly.

Zhu Pianpian quickly set down the bowl and spoon, moving to pat his back.

Now even Sheng Changying’s ears and neck were red, his narrow eyes misting over, resembling a freshly boiled shrimp.

“Luzi!” A plain-looking middle-aged man burst in, freezing at the scene before him.

The newcomer was Xu Zhi. Sheng Changying had rarely traveled far in recent years, so upon hearing of his return, Xu Zhi had rushed over. He was surprised to find a strange woman with a married woman’s hairstyle in the room.

Xu Zhi stood dumbfounded for a moment, waiting for Sheng Changying to catch his breath before approaching with a delighted expression. “Oh my, is this your wife, Luzi? I mean, Changying, you’ve done well! Your first trip in over a decade, and you’ve brought back a wife!”

“It’s not…”

“Sister-in-law, I grew up with Changying. My surname is Xu, and I’m a few years older. Changying usually calls me ‘elder brother,'” Xu Zhi said, rummaging through his pockets. “I came in a hurry and didn’t prepare properly, but I can’t forgo a meeting gift for our first encounter. Here’s a little trinket I acquired from the West. Please enjoy it, sister-in-law.”

Zhu Pianpian intended to explain but was tempted by the weight of the pouch. She hesitated, unsure whether to accept it.

Mistaking her hesitation for shyness, Xu Zhi pressed the pouch into her hands. “Don’t be modest, sister-in-law.”

“She’s…”

“Luzi, you’re so inconsiderate!” Xu Zhi interrupted, displeased. “How could you not tell me in advance that you brought back a wife?”

“I…”

“What ‘I’? Hurry up and introduce us properly. We’re family now,” Xu Zhi said, rubbing his hands together, more excited than if he were getting married himself.

Zhu Pianpian gasped when she saw the contents of the pouch. “Such a large quantity of premium jade seeds!”

While jade seeds weren’t rare, ordinary ones weren’t valuable. However, this pouch was worth a fortune!

Despite her greed, Zhu Pianpian remembered she wasn’t related to Sheng Changying. Reluctantly, she returned the pouch, her heart aching. “I… I couldn’t possibly accept this…”

“I’m glad you like it, sister-in-law,” Xu Zhi said. “Given my friendship with Luzi, this is nothing.”

Sheng Changying had finally calmed down. Seeing the two chatting happily while ignoring him, he sighed and began working on official documents. Work had piled up during his absence, and his substitutes likely hadn’t handled a single case.

As Xu Zhi talked, he kicked Sheng Changying’s chair leg. Getting no response, he turned to find Sheng writing furiously.

While the room bustled with activity, outside, the looming dark clouds finally unleashed a heavy snowfall.

An Jiu sat in the darkness near a brazier, lost in thought.

The path to finding Mei Yanran was so close, yet she pretended not to see it.

Their successful raid on Piaomiao Mountain Villa would surely grant them easy entry into the Konghe Army.

She was about to take this step but still lacked information about Mei Yanran.

The Konghe Army wasn’t large, but everyone’s whereabouts were secretive. Without being the army’s commander, it was difficult to know each member’s situation. Even Chu Dingjiang, a former high-ranking officer, knew little. An Jiu, having experience in assassin organizations, understood the challenges of finding someone inside.

An Jiu’s condition had improved, rekindling her hope for life. She needed to find a way to quickly extract Mei Yanran…

Perhaps she should ask Gu Jinghong! It was worth the risk.

Having made her decision, An Jiu stood and left.

Gu Jinghong’s quarters bordered the gardens where the academy scholars rested, not shrouded in darkness.

The wind and snow were fierce. From afar, An Jiu saw a solitary figure leaning against the eaves. His ink-black hair danced in the wind and snow, half his face covered by a demon mask. He clutched a wine jar, drinking deeply. Even in this unrestrained pose, he maintained the grace of a crane poised for flight.

The lantern hanging from the corner of the building swayed, its bells jingling urgently.

In An Jiu’s memory, Gu Jinghong had always been calm and gentle, but beneath this facade seemed to lurk an overwhelming ferocity.