“Yes, sir!” The shadow guard stepped aside.
An Jiu donned her outer robe and veil but didn’t rush to leave. “What happened to the Lou clan?”
Seeing her composed demeanor without any affectation, Chu Dingjiang grew more appreciative and replied, “Someone unleashed a plague curse on the Lou clan. Within just five days, everyone in the Lou estate was infected. Only those who sought help from the Mei clan were cured by Elder Qi.”
“How terrifying!” Mei Jiu exclaimed anxiously.
An Jiu also found this plague curse frightening. This was in winter when the toxin’s potency was lower. If it had been summer, it might have emptied the entire estate in one night.
An Jiu nodded. “Goodbye.”
Goodbye? Chu Dingjiang’s lips curved into a smile. This was an interesting way to put it. “Goodbye.”
An Jiu followed the shadow guard out of the courtyard.
Horses were already waiting by the side gate. An Jiu mounted and rode off into the snow, seemingly vanishing into the distance.
After half a day’s journey, as they approached a valley entrance, the crisp scent of plum blossoms could be detected from horseback.
While still quite far away, they saw a rider galloping towards them from the valley. When they were about a hundred paces away, An Jiu recognized the person as Mu Qianshan and slowed her pace.
“My lady!” Mu Qianshan dismounted and knelt on one knee, his breath forming misty clouds as he spoke, “This subordinate has failed you.”
As a shadow guard, he had allowed the person under his protection to be taken away right under his nose without fighting to the death to prevent it. He had failed in his duty.
“Now that you’ve been delivered, I’ll take my leave,” the Crane Control Army shadow guard said.
“Thank you. Please go ahead,” An Jiu replied.
The man turned his horse around and rode away.
An Jiu looked down at Mu Qianshan from her horse, not inclined to engage with him.
Mu Qianshan untied a bundle from his back and presented it with both hands. “My lady, Elder Zhi has a message. He asks that you pose as a member of the Lou family and leave with them. This is what Elder Zhi prepared for you.”
“You abandoned me just to return and inform Elder Zhi?” An Jiu asked coldly.
Mu Qianshan lowered his head and explained, “Before we left for Bianjing, the Elder instructed me that if we encountered an enemy I couldn’t defeat, I should prioritize returning alive to report. When I rushed back, the Yulin Commander and Shence Commander of the Crane Control Army had personally come to escort Elder Zhi back to the capital. Elder Zhi left a letter saying he had placed something in the ancestral hall. I retrieved it and immediately set out to find you, my lady.”
An Jiu dismounted and took the item from his hands. “Did Elder Zhi anticipate that my life wouldn’t be in danger?”
“This subordinate believes so!” Mu Qianshan was well aware of Elder Zhi’s ability to foresee events.
An Jiu unwrapped the bundle to reveal a purple sandalwood box. She casually opened it to find a book inside. The brownish cover bore a single character: “Chan” (Zen). Flipping through the pages, she discovered it was a guide on using mental power.
An Jiu closed the book, discarded the wooden box, and unceremoniously tucked the book into her robes. “Why should I leave with the Lou clan?”
Mu Qianshan explained, “This subordinate heard the elders say that these people want to eliminate the Crane Control Army by targeting the four great clans first. The Mei clan is no longer safe, and the Lou clan’s bloodline is down to just two people, nearly wiped out.”
This mysterious force aimed to deal with the entire Crane Control Army. Their swift action showed urgency, so they likely wouldn’t have time to worry about a few who slipped through the net.
“Alright, I’ll go with them,” An Jiu decided quickly. This time, she didn’t consult Mei Jiu, who was a cowardly ostrich. If given the choice, she would undoubtedly opt to hide in the Mei estate without a second thought.
“You may rise,” An Jiu stared directly into his eyes. “Will you come with me?”
Mu Qianshan had never seen a young lady with such a gaze – cold, solemn, and focused as if she could see into one’s soul. She didn’t ask, “Will you come with me to the Lou clan?” but rather, “Will you come with me?” She never saw herself as someone who needed care, nor did she rely on his protection.
An Jiu wasn’t intentionally exerting mental pressure, but her probing stare carried a certain weight. Mu Qianshan finally lowered his head to avoid her gaze. “This subordinate will not go.”
The cold wind howled as Mu Qianshan quickly organized his thoughts to explain. He failed to notice the movement beside him, and when he looked up again, An Jiu had already ridden far away.
He immediately mounted his horse and caught up. “My lady, this subordinate must wait for Elder Zhi’s return at the Mei estate. The clan elders have already discussed this with the Lou clan, and they are willing to help.”
“There’s no need to explain this to me,” An Jiu glanced at him. “You have no connection to me. Just carry out Elder Zhi’s instructions.”
Mu Qianshan thought she was speaking out of anger, but looking at her profile, her eyes reflecting the white snow seemed calm and cold. He couldn’t discern what she was thinking at all.
While he was still pondering, this was the first time Mu Qianshan had caught An Jiu’s attention.
The highly intelligent are often suspicious and don’t easily trust others. For Elder Zhi to trust Mu Qianshan so much spoke volumes about his loyalty. Therefore, his adherence to Elder Zhi’s orders was understandable, and An Jiu wouldn’t hold it against him. However, An Jiu also felt that this person had nothing to do with her.
Back at the Mei estate, Yaoye was already waiting in the Yuwei Residence. She quickly helped An Jiu change her clothes. “This servant cannot accompany you, my lady. Please be careful in all things.”
“Mm,” An Jiu responded coolly.
Mei Jiu had already begun to whimper softly. Knowing that Yaoye couldn’t hear her, she still muttered, “Yaoye, take care too. If there’s a chance, quickly return to Bianjing and marry your childhood sweetheart…”
Her endless chatter gave An Jiu a headache. “Enough! Use that ornamental pig brain of yours to think about what you should be thinking about!”
Mei Jiu often worried about this and that but never concerned herself with what she should. This infuriated An Jiu – what kind of mentality was this?
Mei Jiu, seemingly submissive, replied, “I can’t figure those things out even if I think about them.”
An Jiu coldly retorted, “You don’t need to explain. I know you’re an idiot. And here I thought you’d improved recently!”
Mei Jiu didn’t respond for a while. When Mu Qianshan urged them to meet with the Lou clan in the guest quarters, Mei Jiu finally asked pitifully, “Can I say goodbye to my sister?”
“No,” An Jiu replied. She admired Mei Ruyan’s strength but didn’t want to interact with her.
“She’s my only sister,” Mei Jiu said softly.
An Jiu laughed coldly, dismissing her words like a gentle breeze, not taking them to heart at all.
Smoke curled from the brazier, and outside the window, plum blossoms bloomed splendidly in the snow, a picture of serenity.
In contrast, the equally calm Lou estate seemed lifeless.
In a warm chamber with a burning stove, Mo Sigui was administering acupuncture to a half-naked woman.
Sweat beaded on his fair forehead as Lou Xiaowu nervously gripped the bed curtain, not daring to make a sound that might disturb him.
Lou Mingyue was already critically ill, almost beyond saving.
Mo Sigui was infusing his true energy into the silver needles, using them to guide the medicine on the needles into her meridians and bloodstream. This was his first time forcibly dividing his true energy into over ten streams, making the process extremely taxing.