“Grandmother!” Mei Yanran knelt, pulling Mei Jiu with her. “An Jiu’er, quickly kowtow to your great-grandmother.”
Mei Jiu had never seen her mother so distraught, or rather, so afraid. Without delay, she obeyed and kowtowed.
An Jiu had never knelt before anyone. Moreover, the old woman’s pervasive cold aura put An Jiu on high alert. This was the aura of someone who had killed many.
An Jiu tried to control her body but, after a moment’s hesitation, gave up and allowed Mei Jiu to perform this humiliating act.
The Old Madam ignored Mei Jiu’s gesture and looked only at Mei Yanran. “You were born clever. Surely you can guess my purpose for coming today.”
“Grandmother!” Though fearful, Mei Yanran’s voice held no hesitation. “I’ll pay any price if you spare An Jiu’er.”
Mei Jiu suddenly raised her head, calling out anxiously, “Mother.”
The Old Madam’s lips twitched slightly. After a long silence, she suddenly cackled, “Clearly afraid, yet you dare to resist! Yan’er, you’ve always appeared timid, but in truth, you’re the boldest in the entire Mei family!”
“Grandmother, An Jiu’er doesn’t know martial arts,” Mei Yanran pleaded, feigning weakness. “I beg you to spare her.”
“Foolish child.” The Old Madam’s voice suddenly softened, sounding like an ordinary elderly woman, which seemed bizarre in this context. “You’ve tried so hard to make her weak. In this world, the frail are like duckweed in the wind. Without you, her future wouldn’t be any better than if she came with me.”
“Once hands are stained with blood, the heart can never be at peace,” Mei Yanran said. She had killed before, more than once. “I never dare show my true face outside and always sleep with one eye open. I don’t want An Jiu’er to live such a life.”
“Hahaha!” The Old Madam laughed as if she’d heard the funniest joke, her voice growing hoarser. “You’re clever, but your memory fails you! Or perhaps… you don’t truly understand your daughter?”
She referred to Mei Jiu’s killing of the martial arts instructor. Mei Jiu’s hands were already stained with blood.
“It’s different!” Mei Yanran argued. “Killing for survival and killing for a living are completely different!”
“We all kill to survive!” The Old Madam’s aura suddenly turned fierce. “If the heart is unbreakable, one can find peace even under the blade. If the heart wavers, fear can arise even in tranquility. I speak at length today for the sake of our family ties. Since you as her mother can’t teach her to be fearless, from tomorrow on, this old woman will teach her!”
Since the Old Madam had come personally, there was no turning back. The sudden turn of events exceeded Mei Yanran’s expectations. Having given up struggling, she only wanted to understand the reason. “Why has the clan suddenly made this decision?”
“The court’s situation is unfavorable. The clan has decided to send another group to the Crane Control Academy in two years,” the Old Madam revealed without hesitation. She turned slightly, seeming to focus on Mei Jiu. “An innocent child entering that place means certain death. Elder Zhi sent me here out of sincere hope. I won’t force you; make your own decision.”
Elder Zhi had spent his life pursuing the pinnacle of archery. If he truly held hope for Mei Jiu, he wouldn’t have allowed her training to be interrupted by sending her to the Crane Control Academy, even if it meant only a few more years of training instead of certain death in two years.
The Old Madam’s meaning was clear: Elder Zhi recognized Mei Jiu’s talent in archery but felt she was too weak-willed. He had asked the Old Madam to help train Mei Jiu’s mental fortitude.
“I understand,” Mei Yanran quickly regained her composure and pleaded earnestly. “Please grant An Jiu’er a few more days to prepare, Grandmother.”
“Spoiled!” The Old Madam rebuked, already leaping ghost-like onto the roof beam.
Mei Yanran collapsed to the ground as if all strength had left her body.
Mei Jiu supported her, anxious and worried. “Mother, what’s wrong?”
The ignorant are fearless. Mei Jiu had only seen the Old Madam’s eerie appearance and hadn’t experienced her cruelty. She was only shaken by the intangible aura, her fear far less than Mei Yanran’s.
After a long while, Mei Yanran spoke hoarsely, “It’s nothing.”
Yet as she spoke, her eyes suddenly filled with tears, falling without warning. She covered her face, wiping away the tears forcefully, and let out a slow breath.
“Mother,” Mei Jiu helped her up.
“An Jiu’er, your mother is useless,” Mei Yanran murmured.
When she fled Meihua Village with Mei Jiu, they faced relentless pursuit. They had hidden in deep mountains for a year, living a life of hardship. Then they settled in Yangzhou, not far from Bianjing. Due to the pursuit, she could only live in seclusion, with few job options. Yet with her wit and her own two hands, she had carved out a worry-free life for Mei Jiu in the margins of society. Though life was bitter then, she felt full of strength. Now, she truly felt despair.
Mei Jiu poured a cup of water and handed it to her. “Mother, don’t say such things. I know how hard it’s been for you to raise me alone.”
Mei Yanran took a few sips, easing the dryness in her throat. “The Old Madam is my grandmother and once taught me as well.”
“Then…” Mei Jiu wasn’t sure if she should ask.
“You want to know why I fear her so much?” Mei Yanran set down the cup and adjusted her hair. “She was born to the Lou family and married your great-grandfather at fourteen. She bore three sons. Just three months after her third child was born, your great-grandfather entered the Crane Control Army. It coincided with the Taizong Emperor’s secret plan to usurp the throne. When Taizong ascended, your great-grandfather disappeared, and the entire Mei clan fell into crisis.”
At that time, only Mei Zhongyuan held a key position in the Crane Control Army. With his death, the number of lower-ranking Mei clan members dying mysteriously increased dramatically. The Lou matriarch left her infant son behind and joined the Crane Control Army alone, turning the tide and propping up the falling house.
“It took her seven years to reach the position of ‘Shadow Deputy Commander,'” Mei Yanran softened her tone, fearing to frighten Mei Jiu. “Above this position, there was only the emperor and the ‘Shadow Commander.’ In the Crane Control Army, promotions were based on completed missions and kill counts. Imagine how many she must have killed in those seven years to reach a leadership position.”
Promotion was never easy anywhere. How many people must she have killed, how many brilliant missions must she have completed, to stand out among so many cold-blooded assassins in those seven years?
“With her in power, the Mei clan avoided extinction,” Mei Yanran continued.
For twelve years, the Lou matriarch controlled the Crane Control Army, promoting many Mei and Lou clan members.
Logically, reaching such heights in the Crane Control Army meant knowing too many secrets to ever leave alive. Yet she managed it. She devised a plan, setting fire to the Loyalty Tower, trapping herself inside to fake her death.
“She could harm others and herself equally. The fire burned half her skin, yet she still returned alive to Meihua Village.”
This was an extraordinarily fierce old woman.
Mei Yanran’s words stirred An Jiu’s violent side. Her blood boiled with excitement, eager to test the limits of her capacity for killing!