Once the Wei Yue assassins received a mission, they pursued their target relentlessly until death. Even if they couldn’t complete the mission, they would sacrifice their lives to leave a mark on their target.

This was Wei Yue, a unique force within the Song Dynasty court.

They weren’t necessarily martial arts experts, but they were carefully selected by the Konghe Army.

To join Wei Yue, one needed to be: first, radical and stubborn; second, ruthless; and third, have enough strength to sustain their ruthlessness, such as hatred.

Therefore, most Wei Yue assassins had tragic backgrounds or experiences and were often women. Not because women were more radical or vicious than men, but because in this world, women often faced greater hardships. Once they lost the protection of family, they were like rootless leaves, often trampled in the dust.

For this reason, they usually had no way out, making the Konghe Army’s brainwashing more effective.

This brainwashing was similar to the psychological intervention An Jiu had once undergone, erasing all hope and allowing them to fully express their most extreme and vicious sides in despair.

At this time, something related to Wei Yue was causing quite a stir in the Konghe Army.

After spending a boring half-month in the palace, Lou Mingyue voluntarily requested to join Wei Yue!

When she made this request, not only An Jiu and the others but even Gao Dazhuang were shocked into silence.

Wei Yue, to put it nicely, was a group of patriots shedding blood for the Song Dynasty. To put it bluntly, they were human sandbags meant to fill holes.

Although the Konghe Army was a hidden organization, it still had its hierarchies. For someone like Lou Mingyue, from a prestigious family and with excellent qualities, joining Wei Yue would be unthinkable.

Wei Yue members were hard to recruit and train. Each loss was irreplaceable, with demand far exceeding supply. It was unlikely her request would be rejected.

Before the official reply came, An Jiu, upon hearing the news, immediately requested to leave the palace.

This time, Gao Dazhuang only rolled his eyes a few times but didn’t truly obstruct her.

Using her token, An Jiu smoothly entered the Konghe Army’s main camp and sought out Mo Sigui.

Lanterns lit up the courtyard, with bells chiming at the corners. Mo Sigui was feeding two tigers when he saw An Jiu. He stood up, smiling, “Well, if it isn’t the esteemed member of the Dragon Guard!”

By now, the Dragon Guard’s formation was no longer a secret.

Seeing his beaming face, An Jiu uncharacteristically didn’t rebuke him. She silently picked up Dajiu, who had run to her and carefully stroked its fur.

“Hey, this isn’t right!” Mo Sigui approached and scrutinized her closely, teasing, “Shouldn’t you be jabbing at me with a few words? I feel off without being teased for so long.”

His face looked so punchable that An Jiu’s desire to be considerate instantly vanished. “Lou Mingyue wants to join Wei Yue,” she said bluntly.

Mo Sigui’s smile froze on his face.

After a long pause, he forced out a smile, his tone dropping eight octaves, “Is that so? That’s… good. She fits Wei Yue’s selection criteria perfectly.”

“I’d rather you cry. This expression is unsettling,” An Jiu said.

Mo Sigui slowly composed himself. He bent down to pick up Xiaoyue, who was rubbing against his feet and sat on the porch steps. He remained silent for a long time.

An Jiu wanted to offer some comforting words, but seeing his state, she felt any words would be too light. So she just sat quietly beside him.

Mo Sigui stared calmly at the swinging bells in the corner of the house and said hoarsely, “Have a drink with me.”

After Gu Jinghong, now it was Mo Sigui. An Jiu felt she had become everyone’s confidante. With a sense of professional duty, she nodded.

Mo Sigui had his apprentice bring two jars of wine, and they started drinking straight from the jars.

An Jiu, fearing she might make mistakes if she drank too much, didn’t drink freely.

“Drink!” Mo Sigui noticed her restraint and angrily said, “Is our friendship worth less than Gu Jinghong’s pretty face? Drink hard, or you’re not respecting me!”

An Jiu, being straightforward, tilted her head back and took several big gulps.

Mo Sigui immediately smiled and patted her shoulder, “You’re loyal, a true brother!”

“Just drinking isn’t the solution,” An Jiu grabbed the mouth of his jar. “You think I came to tell you this just to make you sad?”

Mo Sigui shook his head, smiling, “You don’t understand her. She’s been stubborn since childhood. Although she’s quieter now, she’s even more stubborn. Even the Jade Emperor couldn’t change her mind!”

He smiled casually, but An Jiu could see the bitterness in it.

After speaking, he gulped down the wine fiercely, spilling much of it and soaking his clothes without noticing. After finishing one jar, he snatched An Jiu’s.

Sometimes, when one wants to get drunk, they can’t. After two jars of wine, half drunk and half spilled, Mo Sigui’s eyes grew brighter, and his thoughts clearer than ever!

After being lost in thought for two or three hours, Mo Sigui finally sighed.

He went inside, sat at his desk for a moment, ground some ink, picked up his brush, and wrote a line.

An Jiu stood beside him and saw the forceful characters: “In life, one must return; in death, eternal longing.”

After the ink dried, Mo Sigui folded the paper and put it in an envelope. Without sealing it, he handed it to An Jiu. “Please pass this on. Tell her I’m grateful. If she’s ever injured, she can come to me. All I can do for her is keep her alive until she avenges her deep grudges.”

An Jiu had promised not to interfere in their affairs and had kept that promise until now. This was the first and last exception. She tucked away the letter and carefully looked at Mo Sigui. His calm expression showed a hint of fatigue, as if he had suddenly shed a heavy burden, yet aged in an instant.

“Are you alright?” An Jiu asked.

Mo Sigui took a medicine bottle from the shelf behind him and handed it to her. “Give this to Lord Gao. I acknowledge his kindness in letting you out to bring this news. This is a ‘revival pill’. It can’t bring back the dead, but it can keep a person hanging on to life, buying time for severely injured people to seek medical help. I’m giving him one life.”

An Jiu took the bottle and tucked it away. Before leaving, she finally shared her honest thoughts, “When paths diverge, it’s best not to force companionship. You and her, reaching this point is probably for the best. It’s better than tormenting each other endlessly.”

As an outsider, An Jiu might not fully understand why they were so entangled, but she saw them as day and night, only briefly meeting at dawn and dusk.

When An Jiu returned to the palace, the sky was already brightening.

She didn’t return to her quarters but went straight to the Crown Prince’s palace to find Lou Mingyue. She gave her Mo Sigui’s letter and relayed his words verbatim.

Lou Mingyue read the letter, her expression complex. After hearing An Jiu’s message, her eyes were misted over.

She turned her head away.

An Jiu quietly left to find Gao Dazhuang.