Hanging upside down from a branch, his jet-black hair cascaded like silk. An Jiu glimpsed his jade-white forehead and picturesque eyebrows, while the lower half of his face remained concealed by a black mask.
His narrow eyes seemed to dance with amusement, clearly reflecting her image within them.
Seizing the opportunity, An Jiu leaped down from the tree, retreating three zhang away.
When she first struck, she had intended to kill with a single blow, as was her habit. However, she quickly realized she was no match for this man. Since he showed no hostility, provoking him would be unwise. Thus, she changed her aim to remove his mask instead.
Initially, An Jiu had no interest in his true appearance. Yet, his eyes were so strikingly beautiful that she now genuinely wanted to tear away the rest of that mask.
The man followed suit, jumping down from the tree. He bent to retrieve the fallen mask from the grass, his long hair sliding off his shoulders without a tangle.
An Jiu thought to herself, “Truly, nature’s way is the healthiest.”
“As expected of someone Elder Zhi has chosen. You learn simply by watching,” he said, carefully examining An Jiu from the shade of the tree. His clear voice was gentle. “I believe we’ll meet again soon.”
His words lingered in the air, but the man had already vanished.
Even with her exceptional eyesight, An Jiu only caught a fleeting shadow disappearing into the bamboo grove.
“That… was the one we saw in the ancestral hall…” Mei Jiu had just recovered from her shock.
An Jiu didn’t respond. She returned to the tree and picked up the book on basic martial arts.
An Jiu didn’t know the man’s identity or intentions, but this brief encounter left her astounded. He had said, “You learn simply by watching,” which meant he must have been observing her for some time without her noticing! She hadn’t even sensed his approach!
On one hand, she hadn’t fully synchronized with this body yet. On the other hand, it proved that the martial arts here were far more advanced than what she had practiced before. Even her former self might not have been able to contend with that masked man.
This meant that all her skills offered no advantage here. Even with her extensive experience in killing, she could probably only handle someone like Mei Tingyan. Worse still, she didn’t even have full control over her current body!
Considering this, her situation was far from optimistic!
The only consolation was that she had some foundational skills and seemed to have an aptitude for these martial arts.
After this reflection, An Jiu looked at the basic martial arts manual with new eyes. She needed to learn—no matter where she was, only with sufficient ability could she choose her future path.
An Jiu opened the manual and began to seriously imitate the illustrated forms. Just as she started, she heard footsteps and immediately stopped.
Mei Tingyan, still being punished, didn’t dare to stop and cause trouble. She merely snorted coldly at An Jiu before quickly running off.
An Jiu resumed her practice.
Mei Jiu could sense An Jiu’s determination and didn’t interfere. She thought that it wouldn’t be possible to achieve much in such a short time anyway, so it didn’t violate her mother’s instructions.
However, events unfolded far beyond Mei Jiu’s expectations! By early evening, An Jiu could smoothly perform the entire set of movements from beginning to end.
Mei Jiu couldn’t judge the quality of An Jiu’s form, but she could feel the strength in her limbs. It was clear this wasn’t mere posturing. Mei Jiu was at a loss for words.
As evening fell, An Jiu herded the sheep back into their pen and returned control of the body to Mei Jiu.
“Fourteenth Miss,” Lu Qingming stood outside the sheep pen.
Mei Jiu bowed, “Master.”
“Have you gained any insights?” Lu Qingming asked.
When An Jiu was reading the book, Mei Jiu couldn’t help but see it too. The movements were simple, and with her good memory, she could mimic them now if asked. But she knew it wasn’t the same. She had used this body for over a decade but had never been able to summon the strength An Jiu displayed while practicing.
“I can imitate the movements, but I haven’t gained any real insights,” Mei Jiu answered honestly.
Such limited progress in a short time was understandable. Lu Qingming nodded, “Very well, show me what you can do.”
With only Lu Qingming present, Mei Jiu steeled herself, determined to give it her best shot.
Lu Qingming appreciated Mei Jiu’s attitude. He understood Mei Yanran’s intentions, knowing that Mei Jiu had been raised as a typical young lady. While she might not strictly adhere to the three obediences and four virtues like other women outside, she was at least an elegant and refined lady.
It was commendable that this girl could set aside her deeply ingrained upbringing.
With these thoughts, Lu Qingming nodded, signaling her to begin.
Mei Jiu recalled the movements she had seen earlier: stepping forward, raising her arms, turning her body, punching…
In the glow of the setting sun, the young girl’s beautiful features were highlighted. Her every move was graceful, like a celestial crane dancing—breathtakingly beautiful.
Lu Qingming’s eyes widened in shock. The more he watched, the more his weathered face contorted in disbelief.
This was truly eye-opening!
In all his years, he had never seen anyone transform robust martial arts into such a boneless dance!
It was an absolute desecration of these martial arts!
“Stop right now!” Lu Qingming shouted angrily.
Startled, Mei Jiu stumbled and quickly ceased her movements, looking at him anxiously.
Seeing her frightened like a scared rabbit, Lu Qingming grew even more displeased. He took several deep breaths to control his emotions and tried to speak calmly, “Your memory is good, and it looks pretty, but you must understand that martial arts are meant for fighting! What you’re doing wouldn’t even tickle an opponent!”
“Yes, the student understands,” Mei Jiu’s eyes welled with tears.
Lu Qingming sighed helplessly, “Go back and think carefully about what I’ve said. I’ll teach you again tomorrow.”
“Yes,” Mei Jiu bowed and took her leave.
Watching Mei Jiu walk away like a delicate willow in the wind, Lu Qingming sighed again. Being able to mimic the entire set of movements in less than two hours showed she had an excellent memory. However, he would have preferred if her punches had some power, even if she could only manage one or two moves.
“What a sin, what a sin. I’ve broken my vow of patience again today,” Lu Qingming decided to go back and copy the scriptures as penance.
Mei Jiu reached the foot of the mountain where Mei Ruyan was already waiting.
From a distance, Mei Jiu noticed a bruise on the corner of her sister’s eye and her blood-red hands. She hurried over, asking, “What happened to you?”
“Sister,” Mei Ruyan’s voice sounded tired. She raised her hand slightly, her smile as usual, “I hurt myself while practicing the zither.”
Mei Ruyan had long, beautiful hands—white as jade, slender fingers neither too thin nor bony, like the hands of a Buddha statue holding a flower. Now, the tips of her fingers were covered in blood blisters, a jarring sight.
These blisters weren’t from accidental cuts but from excessive zither practice. Mei Jiu looked at her sister with concern, “And your face? Master Mo looks like an immortal, surely he wouldn’t hit you?”
“Him?” Mei Ruyan’s expression turned odd at the mention of Master Mo. “He wouldn’t deign to move those precious hands of his! If he wants to discipline me, all he needs to do is open his mouth. Why would he need to raise a hand?”
“Why don’t you change teachers then? Master Qingming is very good. Perhaps you could speak with Headmaster Zhao, and we could study together in the future,” Mei Jiu suggested.
Mei Ruyan was at a loss for words. She turned her face away and said softly, “He’s just irritatingly arrogant, but not particularly bad. It’s my lack of understanding that’s the problem.”