The topic changed abruptly, but Mo Sigui was naturally quick-witted. “My qi barely touched her before she immediately retreated. I couldn’t probe her condition, but her reaction indicates she’s still conscious. Perhaps she’s deliberately avoiding contact?”
“Hmm.” An Jiu found Mo Sigui’s reasoning plausible.
“From my few interactions with Fourteen, she’s quite different from you,” Mo Sigui continued. “She’s gentle and kind-hearted by nature. While she might face ordinary challenges bravely, not everyone can handle the act of killing.”
He meant to be sarcastic, but An Jiu didn’t detect any malice. “I think so too.”
Mo Sigui’s verbal jab missed its mark, dampening his spirits. “Have you considered that if you disappeared, Fourteen wouldn’t last two days in the Mei family? You might as well see things through, or rather, let nature take its course.”
According to Elder Qi, if nature took its course, An Jiu would eventually emerge victorious.
She murmured, almost to herself, “As long as I live, I can’t avoid killing. The more I kill, the further I stray from the inner peace I seek.”
Though reluctant to admit it, she was indeed unstable. The more she killed, the colder her heart became, yet her blood boiled. There was a time when she couldn’t control her murderous impulses, wanting to strangle any living thing she saw, including herself.
Standing in the snow, she breathed out misty words that quickly dissipated in the wind. Yet Mo Sigui sensed an empty, bleak life behind them—one without hope or despair, merely existing and killing.
Mo Sigui patted her shoulder. “Don’t be afraid. Your big brother will show you the beauty of the world.”
An Jiu blinked, slightly confused. “I’m not Mei Fourteen.”
“Ha, I wasn’t talking to her either,” Mo Sigui replied, fanning himself vigorously with his folding fan, unable to shake the pity he felt for An Jiu. He wondered why he sympathized with such a fierce, unlikeable girl.
An Jiu pursed her lips, realizing she had just opened up to the person she disliked most.
And this shameless doctor sympathized with her murderous ways?
“Ahem, go ask Elder Zhi. After your second cousin’s funeral, we’ll head to Bianjing together,” Mo Sigui suggested. “There are many interesting places there.”
“A trade: I’ll find a way for you to leave, and you kill me,” An Jiu saw through his intentions immediately.
The Mei family rules strictly limited travel outside Meihua Village. Since arriving, Mo Sigui rarely had the chance to leave. Though he enjoyed this secluded life, he occasionally missed Bianjing’s bustling energy.
Mo Sigui gritted his teeth, thinking: Stubborn, foul-mouthed, cold-faced, evil-hearted, completely inconsiderate!
After venting internally, he replied, “Fine, it’s a deal.”
“In that case,” An Jiu said, heading towards Elder Zhi’s quarters, “if you can’t kill me, I’ll take your life instead.”
“Hey!” Mo Sigui had never intended to follow through, but hearing her words, he hurried after her. “Doctors save lives! If I take a life before completing my training, it’ll be bad luck. Can’t we wait a few years until I finish my apprenticeship?”
An Jiu stopped and turned. “Then let me know when you’ve finished. I’ll ask Elder Zhi then.”
Unwilling to give up, Mo Sigui persuaded, “Bianjing is full of talented people. There are also several Taoist and Buddhist temples nearby. We could visit them—they understand souls even better than doctors.”
Seeing An Jiu’s interest, he pressed on, “Besides, your time in the mortal realm is a rare opportunity. Don’t you want to experience it? The outside world isn’t all about fighting and killing like it is here in the Mei family.”
After checking that no one was around, he lowered his voice, “I know you’re tired of bloodshed. Miss Yan felt the same way. If you could escape the Mei family like she did, why not enjoy a peaceful life in this prosperous era?”
An Jiu’s choice of self-destruction had many reasons, and Mo Sigui had touched on only one. However, his words about the outside world lacking violence resonated with her. In her previous life, she had lived in relatively peaceful times but never had the chance to experience it fully. Now, though following a similar path, she wasn’t a fugitive and had a family to rely on. This was an unprecedented opportunity to explore freely.
She conceded slightly, “Alright. But you must still try to destroy me. I promise not to kill you even if you fail. Besides, I’m just a soul, not a living person.”
“I didn’t know you could be so talkative,” Mo Sigui looked at her helplessly. “But what kind of conversation is this?”
Who talks about their destruction as casually as discussing the weather?
Meeting An Jiu’s calm gaze, Mo Sigui waved his fan absently. “Fine, fine. We’ll do it your way.”
Having reached an agreement, they headed to Yongzhi Hall together.
One depleted of inner energy, the other with almost none, they trudged through the dazzling snow, leaving a trail of footprints across the even blanket of white covering the archery range in front of Yongzhi Hall.
Mo Sigui chattered incessantly along the way but fell silent upon entering Yongzhi Hall.
The vast courtyard was empty. After wandering around, Mo Sigui muttered, “I dislike Elder Zhi’s residence the most. It’s too big and lifeless.”
“Fourteen,” Elder Zhi’s voice suddenly called from the main hall. “Come in.”
An Jiu entered, with Mo Sigui eagerly following.
The main hall had no chairs, only about ten round cushions. Elder Zhi knelt on the uppermost cushion, his figure hunched. “Sit down.”
Mo Sigui, always eager for gossip, obediently knelt beside An Jiu.
“How was the trial?” Elder Zhi asked.
“It was fine,” An Jiu replied.
Elder Zhi nodded, pleased. “I heard a general account from San’er. I understand you overpowered an archer at the Transformation State?”
An Jiu said, “It was just luck.”
“Neither arrogant nor impetuous. Good,” Elder Zhi praised.
After parting with Mei Tingzhu, An Jiu’s impressive shot was witnessed only by the Konghe Army. Elder Zhi remained unaware; otherwise, he wouldn’t have reacted so calmly.
“Why have you come to see me?” Elder Zhi inquired.
An Jiu said, “I want to go to Bianjing.”
Elder Zhi’s gaze passed over Mo Sigui. “What for?”
“To see it,” An Jiu replied matter-of-factly.
Mo Sigui worried silently. This hardly sounded like a request! Would Elder Zhi lose his temper and take it out on him?
“Very well. There are many hidden aspects to this trial that the major families need time to investigate. We’ll be sending you youngsters away from Meihua Village as a precaution,” Elder Zhi agreed readily, completely surprising Mo Sigui.
Though they didn’t fully grasp Elder Zhi’s meaning, they sensed an air of unease in his words.