Upon returning to Yuweiresidence, Mei Jiu grew restless. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how impulsive she had been. However, words once spoken can’t be taken back. She could only wait for An Jiu to wake up before discussing it further.
Yao Ye noticed Mei Jiu’s unease and tried to inquire indirectly several times, but to no avail. She decided not to press further.
After dinner, An Jiu woke up to see a spring orchid on the embroidery frame. Mei Jiu’s slender fingers were fluttering like butterflies, creating a breathtaking sight.
This scene momentarily bewildered An Jiu. “How did we get back?”
Mei Jiu paused her work. “Because…”
Realizing she was damned if she did and damned if she didn’t, Mei Jiu steeled herself and said, “We both fell unconscious, but for some reason, the antidote only revived me. I… told them everything. I didn’t want to die…”
After listening, An Jiu replied coolly, “I knew you were an idiot.”
An Jiu was certain that Elder Zhi would keep the strong and discard the weak. She thought she had leverage to bargain with, believing that revealing the truth would be more beneficial to her.
“Elder Zhi wanted to keep you. If I hadn’t revealed the truth, I would have been doomed. Now that Elder Qi knows about this, I might still have a chance to survive,” Mei Jiu’s hands trembled slightly as she held the silk thread. “I considered ending it all earlier, but now I want to live.”
She knew she was weak, and An Jiu was better suited for survival in the Mei family. “My life was given by my mother. She sacrificed everything for me. I don’t want to give it up easily.”
She not only wanted to live but also to become stronger.
An Jiu remained silent, realizing that even a fool could be forced to act. Perhaps due to her strong spiritual power, the longer she stayed in Mei Jiu’s body, the more control she gained. Given time, she would surely be more compatible with this body than Mei Jiu.
If An Jiu could leave, she wouldn’t necessarily need to take Mei Jiu’s body. But she had a vague feeling that she had no other choice.
The two had shared the same body for a long time. Apart from Mei Jiu’s initial resistance and fear, they had coexisted quite harmoniously. Mei Jiu was compassionate. Upon learning of An Jiu’s dark past, she willingly allowed her to reside in her body, never considering the deeper implications. However, after Mei Yanran’s departure, Mei Jiu’s attitude changed when faced with life-threatening situations.
An Jiu realized that this was both an opportunity and a challenge. The real battle for control between her and Mei Jiu was just beginning.
A shadow silently landed in the courtyard.
Yao Ye, upon seeing this, turned and gently knocked on the door to alert Mei Jiu. “My lady, someone from the Dark Academy has arrived.”
Mei Jiu snapped back to reality, realizing her hands had become stiff from the cold.
“All right,” she said, rising to straighten her clothes before retreating to the inner chamber to change.
Yao Ye entered to assist. “My lady, you’ve been sitting still all afternoon. You must be frozen.”
Mei Jiu smiled and shook her head, changing the subject. “What has Fifteenth Sister been up to lately?”
While helping her put on a padded jacket, Yao Ye replied, “Master Mo is quite strict. Fifteenth Sister is constantly covered in new and old injuries, but she seems to enjoy it.”
“I’ll have a word with her tomorrow,” Mei Jiu said, finally able to assume the role of an elder sister. Then, with a hint of admiration, she added, “She’s tougher than I am.”
They were girls of similar age. Why could Mei Ruhuo endure what she couldn’t?
Yao Ye noticed the change in Mei Jiu’s demeanor and felt happy. “My lady can smile from her heart now. I’m relieved. My parents once received great kindness from Lady Yan. When I came here, they earnestly instructed me to take good care of you.”
“You still have a family?” Mei Jiu had never heard her mention this before.
Yao Ye said, “Not just me, Danyue does too.”
“At your age, shouldn’t you have been betrothed already?” Mei Jiu asked.
“Lady Yan’s kindness is so great that even if my entire family came to serve you, we couldn’t repay a fraction of it. I’ve decided to never marry and serve you for life. Danyue feels the same,” Yao Ye said as she helped Mei Jiu put on a fur coat.
In truth, Yao Ye had been engaged. Her fiancé was a childhood sweetheart who worked as a manager in a merchant house in Bianjing. It was considered a good match for her. They had planned to marry next spring, but the engagement was put on hold when Yao Ye entered the Mei household.
When Yao Ye first entered the household, she still held some hope, so when her fiancé said he would wait two years for her, she didn’t refuse. Now, it seemed unlikely to happen. She thought she should find time to tell him not to wait any longer.
Yao Ye composed herself and, seeing that Mei Jiu wanted to say more, urged her, “My lady, let’s go. Don’t keep the shadow waiting.”
Mei Jiu swallowed her words, silently wrapped her fur coat around herself, and left with the shadow. Mu Qianshan followed at a distance.
The gathering place was still the mortuary.
As Mei Jiu stepped through the gates again, she silently told herself that no matter what she saw or encountered, she couldn’t faint again. Without her mother, she had to learn to survive on her own.
“We meet again,” came Gu Jingfeng’s elegant voice in the room with the corpses. “This time, we’ve barely managed to get two bodies. You can’t waste them like last time. I won’t say more. Let’s begin.”
Mei Tingzhu was the first to take the dagger, stabbing down hard. Her lips trembled imperceptibly, but she was much calmer than the first time.
The dagger was passed from hand to hand. Even Mei Tingxu, who had fled last time, gritted his teeth and completed the task. They had no way out now. No one’s life was more important than their own. Even if it were a living person, they would have to fight. How much easier was it with just a corpse?
The blood-stained dagger soon reached Mei Jiu’s hands. She was already terrified, her face pale, hands shaking as she gripped the dagger. The sound of her chattering teeth was unusually clear in the silent room.
Everyone looked at her with confusion.
Gu Jingfeng was also puzzled. She had been clean and efficient last time, while others had improved. Why was she struggling now?
“Are you unwell?” Gu Jingfeng could only come up with this weak excuse.
Mei Jiu seemed not to hear. She held the dagger with both hands, her eyes unfocused in the direction of the corpse, unable even to turn and flee.
The sticky blood flowed from the blade handle onto her fair fingers. She came to her senses, gripping the dagger tightly and taking two steps forward before stopping abruptly.
Mei Jiu was desperate to take this step, but others might not have the patience to wait for her to overcome her fear.
“The rest of you, continue. Use these two corpses to practice,” Gu Jingfeng said, then added, “It’s not mandatory. If you’re unwilling to practice, you can leave now.”
Mei Tingxu’s face lit up with joy, but Mei Tingchun felt something was off. Could Gu Jingfeng, such a cold-hearted person, suddenly become kind? He didn’t believe it. “Will we be training like this again tomorrow?”
“No,” Gu Jingfeng didn’t hide it. “Tomorrow will be actual combat.”
“What are the rules?” Mei Tingjun’s heart suddenly tightened.
Gu Jingfeng paused, his voice seemingly tinged with amusement, “You are the hunters, and at the same time, the prey.”
“Our opponents won’t be the Crane Control Army, will they?” Mei Tingchun’s voice suddenly rose, sounding off-key. If it were the Crane Control Army, how could they possibly survive?
“Your opponents are the offspring of other families,” Gu Jingfeng’s clear gaze swept over everyone. “However, you’d better take it seriously. As far as I know, each major family is sending five people, and your strength is far from reassuring.”
“The Deputy Envoy has only taught us for a few days,” Mei Tingchun mumbled.
Gu Jingfeng hadn’t missed this. “You’ve all been trained in martial arts since childhood. Killing is just something you need to get used to. I hope you can still stand before me alive after tomorrow’s trial.”