The infant, having only recently opened his eyes, might not even be able to see yet. However, the little one seemed curious about An Jiu, his bright eyes fixed on her hand.
“He likes it,” An Jiu grinned.
Mei Jiu hadn’t had high hopes for An Jiu in this regard, but seeing her happy, she gladly accepted the gift on her son’s behalf.
As it was past noon but not yet dinner time, the two sat down to chat over tea. Mei Jiu, gently patting her child, asked, “An Jiu, what do you think of my second brother?”
An Jiu, still watching the baby, casually replied, “He’s alright.”
“He used to be a bit wild, but I think he’s good at heart. He doesn’t go to those disreputable places anymore. His marriage to Mei Ruhuo was due to circumstances, and the Hua family didn’t allow her name in the family registry,” Mei Jiu leaned in, whispering, “We’re both girls without family backing. Before, even if the Hua family didn’t put us in the registry, they didn’t stand up for us either. I only had the chance to have a child and be included in the registry after the change in dynasty…”
An Jiu felt increasingly uneasy as she listened. “What are you getting at?”
Mei Jiu coughed lightly, embarrassed. “If you think Hua Er is decent, how about we become sisters-in-law?”
“Is this your idea or Hua Rongjian’s?” An Jiu asked.
“It’s my own, though I did ask Hua Er. He likes you very much,” Mei Jiu, knowing An Jiu well, quickly explained upon seeing her displeasure, “I’m just asking. If you’re not interested, forget it. I… just think that Mr. Chu isn’t a good man. If you want a normal life, I’m afraid you can’t have it with him, unless he’s willing to take office.”
Mei Jiu knew that Chu Dingjiang was a key figure in helping the current emperor usurp the throne. In these times when the country desperately needed talent, if he were to take office and willingly submit to the emperor’s control, all would be well. If not, he faced certain death. Even if temporary safety could be secured, once the empire stabilized and the emperor had time to deal with him, he would show no mercy.
“Can you imagine me at home, applying makeup, managing household affairs, having and raising children?” An Jiu, touched by Mei Jiu’s deep concern, elaborated, “I can’t. Even if I were with Hua Rongjian, that’s all he could offer me. The freedom I want is here.” She pointed to Mei Jiu’s heart.
When the heart is at peace, there is freedom, regardless of one’s lifestyle.
“I’m slowly finding myself again. Don’t worry about me,” An Jiu smiled.
Mei Jiu had never seen An Jiu like this before, her smile exuding tranquility, no longer as volatile as before. Thinking carefully, she realized she couldn’t imagine An Jiu as a traditional wife and mother either.
The Hua family, being a great clan, even if forced by circumstances not to marry into noble families, would still need to find a virtuous woman from a scholarly background for Hua Rongjian, not someone like An Jiu.
Mei Jiu resolved never to bring up this topic again.
After dinner, An Jiu left the Hua residence. She took a quick tour of Zhu Pianpian’s store, changed into dark clothes, and headed to the Bounty List as night fell.
The familiar wall came into view. In the most conspicuous spot, a black warrant was posted. Though it bore no name, it clearly described An Jiu.
Targets on the black warrants were extremely dangerous individuals. Without ninth-tier strength, no one would dare to take on such a bounty. Despite her warrant being up for half a year, no one had dared to claim it.
As the night watchman passed, black-clad figures swarmed out of the shadows to snatch at the warrants.
An Jiu watched from atop the wall. Only after the scramble ended and the Bounty List’s verifier came to confirm did she leap down.
The man, seeing her arrive leisurely, said, “The other warrants have been confirmed. There’s still one left on the list.”
He was curious – could this small, seemingly frail person be here to claim the black warrant?
The departing assassins all paused.
An Jiu unfastened a human-faced pendant from her waist and tossed it to him.
Seeing the pendant, the man’s attitude immediately became respectful. “What would you like the Bounty List to do?”
Human-faced pendants were rare, and after centuries of changing hands, many had been lost. Now, only the manager still possessed such an item.
An Jiu said nothing, tore down the black warrant, tucked it into her clothes, and turned to leave.
Exchanging a human-faced pendant for a black warrant seemed a poor trade. In the Bounty List’s history, someone had used such a pendant to enlist the organization’s help in usurping the throne. Many families in the current Konghe Army had origins as Bounty List assassins.
With the appearance of a Bounty List pendant, many became restless. If they could snatch it, endless wealth and glory would be theirs, far better than competing for bounties!
The man, sensing the change in atmosphere, clutched the pendant tightly.
The tension in the air was palpable, like a sword about to fall.
Suddenly, the rustle of clothes broke the silence, particularly clear in the night.
Judging by the sound, there were at least a hundred people.
Dozens of masked figures in dark clothes arrived first, forming a semicircle in front of the Bounty List wall, protecting the one holding the human-faced pendant.
Soon, a large group of masked individuals arrived.
The surrounding assassins, realizing they had no chance of obtaining the pendant, quickly departed to avoid learning too many secrets and risking elimination by the Bounty List.
The pendant holder, seeing a figure in a dark robe and wide-brimmed hat emerge from the shadows of a side wall, immediately knelt on one knee, offering the pendant with both hands. “Manager.”
Many of those present were puzzled. The new Bounty List manager only had fifth-tier martial arts skills and relied on the human-faced pendant and vast wealth to command the entire organization. He rarely appeared in person. How had he received news of the pendant’s appearance so quickly and rushed here?
Hua Rongjian reached out and took the pendant, placing it in his robes.
“Why such a grand display, Manager?” an old voice asked from nearby.
Hua Rongjian’s gaze, hidden in the shadow of his hat, darkened. His voice, altered to sound shrill, was ominous, “To reclaim what rightfully belongs to me, of course.”
Many elders were dissatisfied with his takeover of the Bounty List. If not for the constraint of the human-faced pendant, they would have rebelled long ago, unwilling to tolerate a fifth-tier martial artist as manager. This was an unprecedented humiliation for an organization that prided itself on martial prowess and assassination.
“Playing such childish games right under our noses, hmph,” the elder scoffed. “Do you think the Bounty List has fallen so far as to become a toy for a mere child?”
Hua Rongjian coldly replied, “I can step down at any time. However, without my financial resources and connections, the current Bounty List would be nothing more than a rat’s nest. So, elder, you’d best think carefully before you speak.”
He knew that if these old fogies truly wanted to oust him, it would take no effort at all. Their delay in acting was not only due to the constraint of the human-faced pendant but also because of all he had brought to restore the Bounty List to its former glory. Until they had squeezed every last bit of value from him, they wouldn’t cast him aside.