Mei Tingchun suddenly snatched the dagger from Mei Jiu’s hand and began stabbing the corpse furiously, as if this could instantly increase his strength. Blood sprayed everywhere, filling the room with a metallic stench. The entire stone platform was stained beyond recognition. No one dodged; all allowed the blood to splatter on them.
Mei Jiu stared at this gruesome scene in shock before finally fainting.
An Jiu, not wanting to lie in the pool of blood, took control of the body and stood up.
Sensing Gu Jingfeng’s gaze, she lowered her head and leaned against the wall, silently suppressing the blood that was boiling from the violent scene.
Gu Jingfeng shifted his gaze to the blood-covered Mei Tingchun.
People like Mei Tingzhu, calm and self-controlled, were suitable for carrying out missions. Mei Tingchun’s cowardice stemmed from his desire to survive. His emotional outbursts were strong, and when faced with life-or-death situations, he would likely act beyond his abilities, as he did now. If he could survive the trial period without breaking down, he should be assigned to Dangerous Moon.
Among Mei Tingjun, Mei Tingxu, and Mei Rujian, Gu Jingfeng favored Mei Tingxu and Mei Rujian. He remembered how Mei Tingxu had fled in terror upon first seeing a corpse, and Mei Rujian had nearly lost his nerve. Yet they had managed to do this much the second time, which was unexpected. Mei Tingjun, on the other hand, had good martial arts skills and was relatively calm, but unfortunately, he had already formed a sense of right and wrong. The Crane Control Army, while not entirely ruthless, often received tasks that couldn’t be judged by morality. In his current state, he wasn’t suitable for the Crane Control Army.
As for Mei Ruxue…
Gu Jingfeng turned to look. In the flickering lamplight, half of her snow-white face was stained with dark red blood, like plum blossoms on snow. She leaned against the wall with her body slightly bent, her expression hidden by the shadow cast on her eyes, making it difficult to discern her emotions. But she appeared calm, clearly no longer afraid.
Gu Jingfeng felt he hadn’t fully understood her yet.
Outside, the north wind howled, and snow began to fall silently in the night, growing heavier. The dark, mountain-like forests were quickly covered in a layer of white.
Two hours passed. When everyone came out, the roof tiles were already thickly covered in snow.
A gust of cold wind carrying snow particles struck their faces, stinging slightly. They stood dazed for a while before snapping out of the brutal scene they had just witnessed.
Mei Tingchun, shivering, plunged his hands into the snow and rubbed vigorously, eventually burying his entire body in it.
The others also cleaned the blood from their skin in this manner.
Mei Tingjun was the cleanest. He stared at his hands in disbelief, unable to comprehend how he had committed such cruel acts in the mortuary!
The Mei family’s dark guards waiting nearby didn’t rush them. Only after they had each vented their emotions did someone say, “Young masters and ladies, it’s getting late. Please return.”
They silently boarded the carriage.
Cramped in the small space, the smell of blood intensified. Mei Tingxu suddenly threw open the window and vomited violently.
When they were first selected for the Dark Academy, they had been excited and proud. Now, they couldn’t even cry. Today’s events brought only cruelty and despair, from which no one could escape.
Hindered by the heavy snow, they didn’t return to the manor until near dawn.
Everyone rushed back to their quarters, washed off the blood, and fell into bed.
Deep sleep was plagued by nightmares.
By evening, the family head sent someone to summon them to the council hall to distribute various medicines obtained from Elder Qi.
For this trial, each family would send five people. Mei Rujian was spared due to his recently healed leg injury, which made him unsuitable for intense physical activity. Upon hearing this decision, Mei Tingchun wished he had been the one whose leg An Jiu had broken!
“You must come back alive,” the family head’s gaze swept over them, finally resting on Mei Tingjun.
Although Mei Tingjun lacked confidence, he still forced himself to say, “Father, don’t worry.”
The family head looked at his two daughters, sighed heavily, and turned his back.
Mei Tingxu choked out, “Father, we will come back alive.”
Elder Qi pulled two small vials from his pocket and handed them to Mei Tingchun. “These two vials contain an antidote that can counter seventy percent of all poisons. Some families excel in using poison. Take these, just in case.”
As Mei Tingchun was registered under Elder Qi’s name, the elder naturally wanted to provide extra care. Others didn’t dare object, especially since they had also received many medicines, just not this universal antidote.
Elder Zhi frowned as he handed Mei Jiu a three-foot-long bow and a quiver of arrows. “This is my proudest creation. With your abilities, you should be able to draw this bow.”
“Thank you, Elder,” Mei Jiu accepted the bow and arrows, but her mouth turned bitter. Elder Zhi’s words were meant for An Jiu to hear.
Seeing Mei Jiu’s gentle and quiet demeanor, Elder Zhi hesitated for a moment before advising, “You only have one life. Use it wisely. Taking a step back doesn’t necessarily mean losing, and fighting for a moment doesn’t always lead to victory.”
Mei Jiu suddenly understood. “Thank you for your guidance, Elder.”
“Old bastard!” An Jiu was deeply displeased.
This trial was a matter of life and death, and Mei Jiu was full of enthusiasm. If Elder Zhi hadn’t given this reminder, Mei Jiu might have disappeared from this body forever!
Elder Zhi certainly hadn’t overlooked this point, but he was unwilling to take unnecessary risks. If something went wrong, where would he find another ready-made archery successor? For him, it was best to eliminate the weaker soul in this body. If that wasn’t possible, it didn’t matter whether there were two souls or two mental forces, as long as the stronger mental force remained.
After preparations were complete, they all had dinner together.
The overly abundant dishes on the table made them feel as if it were their last meal, but to have strength for the life-and-death struggle ahead, they had to eat their fill even if the food tasted like sawdust.
As soon as Mei Jiu sat down at the table, An Jiu took control of the body and began to eat heartily.
Seeing her enjoy the food, the others unconsciously developed more appetite. Mei Tingchun even added two more large bowls of rice at the end.
Before darkness fell, they boarded the carriage.
“The four major families will be there. The Li family excels in swordsmanship, the Lou family is known for their internal energy, the Cui family’s palm techniques are unparalleled, and our Mei family specializes in fist techniques. I wonder how many more families there are and where the trial will take place,” Mei Tingchun muttered nervously, unable to stop talking.
Mei Tingjun turned to An Jiu and said, “Stay with us.”
This time, even Mei Tingxu, who disliked Mei Jiu the most, didn’t object. They might quarrel among themselves, but facing enemies required unity, especially when everyone’s survival was at stake.
An Jiu nodded.
The four of them silently sighed in relief.
An Jiu’s abilities were a mystery. Mei Tingzhu wanted to use this opportunity to find out more. “Fourteenth Sister, what level are you?”
An Jiu sensed the bean-sized light in her dantian and thought to herself that such a tiny spark probably didn’t even qualify for a level.
Seeing that she didn’t answer, Mei Tingjun said, “Tingzhu and I are both just a hair’s breadth away from the sixth level. Tingxu has just broken through to the fourth level, and Tingchun is at the fourth level.”
“I have almost no internal energy,” An Jiu said.
The others were surprised. Mei Tingxu snorted coldly, “If you don’t want to say, then don’t. No one’s holding a knife to your throat! Always putting on an act, it’s annoying!”
“Tingxu!” Mei Tingjun reprimanded him.
Mei Tingxu pouted and turned away, no longer participating in the conversation.
“Do you have no internal energy? How did you subdue Rujian then?” Mei Tingjun questioned.
Mei Rujian was at least at the fourth level. How could someone without internal energy drag him out the window in the blink of an eye?
“None,” An Jiu’s answer was brief and indisputable.
After a moment of silence, Mei Tingzhu asked, “So you only have hand-to-hand combat skills?”
An Jiu closed her eyes and leaned against the carriage wall, letting out a soft “Mm” from her nose as a response. If she hadn’t arrived in this place where even ten-year-olds had internal energy, she would have been more cautious and probably wouldn’t have bothered to answer them at all.
“You’ve met your match!” Mei Tingxu mocked Mei Tingzhu, then turned to Mei Tingjun with concern. “Big Brother, how’s your injury?”
The last time Mei Tingxu had rushed out of the mortuary, he hadn’t run far but had crouched in the corridor to vomit, overhearing the conversation inside clearly. Mei Tingjun had been wounded by the Deputy Envoy for speaking up for him, so Mei Tingxu immediately forgave him for abandoning her in the graveyard. However, his resentment towards Mei Tingzhu’s indifference grew stronger.
Mei Tingjun sighed, “It’s not serious.”
Mei Tingxu angrily said, “It’s so unfair! Why does Mei Rujian get to skip this because of his leg injury, while you have to fight while wounded!”
Gu Jingfeng’s swordsmanship was extraordinary. That sword strike wasn’t deep, the cut was extremely small and avoided vital areas. The bleeding had been stopped immediately at the mortuary, and after returning to the manor, Elder Qi had personally treated it. Apart from severe pain when moving his arm, it wouldn’t endanger his life.
Mei Tingchun was deeply worried: one without internal energy, two at the fourth level, one injured, and only Mei Tingzhu in normal condition! Indeed, as the Deputy Envoy of Shen Ce had said, their situation was far from optimistic!
The carriage fell silent, all five leaning against the walls with their eyes closed. However, the only one truly at peace was probably An Jiu.
Two and a half hours later, the carriage slowly came to a stop.
Mei Tingjun and the others immediately opened their eyes.
“Please wait in the carriage. You’ll disembark when it’s time,” the dark guard reminded them.
Mei Tingxu couldn’t resist opening the window slightly. Through the narrow gap, she vaguely saw a sea of darkness outside, seemingly all carriages!
“So many!” Mei Tingxu whispered.
Mei Tingchun also leaned over to look, then drew in a sharp breath. “There must be at least thirty or forty!”
Mei Tingjun also took a few glances, and seeing that no one was getting out of their carriages, he said, “Let’s try to get some sleep while we still have time. Once the trial begins, we probably won’t have a chance to rest.”
Mei Tingzhu opened his eyes and looked at An Jiu. The other three followed his gaze and found that she was breathing evenly and steadily, apparently asleep!
“Let’s sleep,” Mei Tingjun said.
They all leaned back and closed their eyes to rest.
About half an hour later, the sound of an eagle’s cry suddenly rang out.
An Jiu’s ears twitched slightly, hearing rustling sounds.
People were gradually getting out of their carriages. The Mei family’s dark guard said, “Cover your faces and get out of the carriage, everyone.”
The five of them pulled out black masks from their robes, covering their entire heads, then pulled up the large hoods of their black cloaks for an extra layer of concealment.
An Jiu, sitting by the carriage door, was the first to get out.
The biting cold wind carrying snow hit their faces. An Jiu tightly wrapped her cloak around herself and began to observe her surroundings.
This was a clearing in a dense forest. The trees were bare, with only skeletal branches remaining, allowing for decent visibility. The snowy ground in the night reflected a grayish-blue-white light. Everyone was dressed in identical dark clothing, standing out starkly against the snow. An Jiu estimated that there were about eighty people.
With each family sending five people, it meant that over 160 families were participating in today’s trial.
An Jiu had only heard Mei Yanran mention the four most powerful families in the Crane Control Army, but she hadn’t expected there to be so many.
Everyone formed a circle around the clearing, and a black figure descended like an eagle in the center.
“Everyone, today’s trial will take place in an abandoned temple in the dense forest,” the figure spoke coldly and calmly as if nothing could shake him. “The Crane Control Army guards the area around the temple. Anyone who goes beyond the boundary will be killed without mercy. There are twelve boxes containing fragments of the Heavenly Book hidden in the pagoda forest of the temple. These are your targets. The trial will last for two days and four nights. There’s a small amount of food in the temple, which you can take if you have the ability.”
Before he finished speaking, there was a slight commotion among the crowd.
The figure continued coldly, “The rules are simple. You can act alone or form teams to seize the fragments, but in the end, only an individual who obtains a Heavenly Book fragment will be counted. During the trial, all means are acceptable, and life and death are not taken into account.”
Mei Tingchun was on the verge of a breakdown. Among the eighty-plus people present, who wasn’t the cream of the crop from their family? There were only twelve fragments of the Heavenly Book in total. With their group of five’s abilities, it would be a miracle if they could snatch even one fragment, let alone five!
“Lone wolves who fail to obtain a fragment but survive will not be punished. However, those who form teams and fail to obtain a fragment will be given a lethal poison,” the figure continued. “To prevent some of you from slacking off, I’ve cut thirty-six copies of the map into pieces. Each person will hold a fragment of the map.”
Twelve maps were replicated three times, making thirty-six copies. Each map was cut into two or three pieces, enough for all present to receive a piece. This way, to form a complete map, one would have to steal at least one person’s map fragment!
Someone nearby muttered, “How cruel! If you don’t team up, you can only fight alone. If you do team up, you’re more likely to get a complete route, and the lucky ones might even get two complete maps. But the rule states that only individuals who obtain the Heavenly Book fragment will be counted, and those who team up but fail to obtain one are still doomed…”
So if they teamed up, even with two complete maps, they would ultimately have to either turn on each other or steal maps from others.
Moreover, even after obtaining a Heavenly Book fragment, they would have to guard against others trying to steal it!
“Aren’t they deliberately making us kill each other?” Mei Tingxu was at a loss.
Initially, all families had decided to act as a team, but with these rules, everyone began to hesitate.
Killing others was always preferable to killing one’s flesh and blood!
“What’s the benefit of obtaining a Heavenly Book fragment?” someone called out.
Indeed, if there were no benefits to obtaining a Heavenly Book fragment after all this life-and-death struggle, wouldn’t it be better for everyone to act alone and then just wait out the time in the old temple to survive?
The figure explained, “The Heavenly Book fragments are martial arts manuals! Those at the fourth level and above can practice them, helping you break through to the next level with ease. The boxes containing the Heavenly Book fragments are made of thousand-year-old ice crystals, which can calm the mind and refine spiritual and internal energy. Additionally, you’ll gain direct entry into the Crane Control Army without having to suffer through the Crane Control Academy.”
The crowd fell silent. The temptation was indeed great!
“Those who have made up their minds can now come over and register whether they are teaming up or acting alone!” The man in black at the center spoke with a serious tone, but his words were provocatively enticing, “Hurry up! Those who get the map first can enter. Perhaps you can find the fragments of the Heavenly Book without a map.”
Although they knew it was a lure, some people couldn’t resist the temptation. In groups of two or three, they went over to register, indicating whether they would act alone or in teams.
Seeing more and more people walking away, Mei Tingshun anxiously asked, “What should we do?”