Mo Sigui reported, “We haven’t found their vital weakness yet, but part of their power is artificially inflated. They appear to be at the 9th rank, but their true strength is only at the 5th or 6th rank. The best might reach the 8th rank. Also, their internal energy seems to deplete faster than normal martial artists.”
“Heh,” the Old Madam chuckled softly. “No wonder Elder Zhi insisted on keeping you even though you’re not in the family register.”
Mo Sigui grinned, “You’re too kind.”
“However,” the Old Madam’s eyes flickered as she glanced at him, “You and Elder Qi must have been surrounded too. Your easy escape suggests two possibilities: one, you’re the traitor; two, they wanted to capture Elder Qi and didn’t have time for you.”
As they ran, the Old Madam’s blade somehow found its way to Mo Sigui’s throat. Her voice was cold, “Which is it?”
Mo Sigui’s back instantly broke out in cold sweat. Neither the current situation nor the two possibilities the Old Madam suggested boded well for him.
The group slowed to a stop, eyeing Mo Sigui with suspicion. The Old Madam’s doubts were reasonable. The sudden fire at the Medicine Hut cast the most suspicion on Mo Sigui, and his escape from the encirclement was equally suspicious.
“He’s not a traitor.” A cool voice suddenly broke the silence.
Mo Sigui turned to see the disheveled An Jiu.
“Reason?” the Old Madam asked.
“Intuition,” An Jiu replied frankly, admitting she had no evidence. Having faced death countless times, she possessed an unusually keen intuition for falsehood and danger. Usually, she kept these judgments to herself, but this time she spoke up, influenced by a hint of personal feeling.
Moonlight filtered through the forest, scattering like fragments of silver. Mo Sigui gazed at An Jiu’s pale face, deeply moved.
He never expected that in this moment of doubt, it would be someone who previously despised him who offered unwavering trust, while those he usually got along with all looked at him with suspicion.
Only the rustling of wind-blown dry branches filled the forest. No one spoke.
“He’s your responsibility now,” the Old Madam said, pushing Mo Sigui towards An Jiu. “If he makes any suspicious moves, you’ll die with him. Don’t blame me for being merciless.”
“Understood,” An Jiu agreed.
“Old Madam,” Mei Tingzhu wanted to intervene but swallowed his words when met with the Old Madam’s cold gaze.
Mo Sigui was slightly stunned, guessing the identity of this strange old woman before him.
As the group continued following the Old Madam, Mo Sigui moved closer to An Jiu and whispered, “Why does she trust you so much?”
“You’re asking me? Who should I ask?” An Jiu couldn’t fathom the Old Madam’s thoughts. But she said confidently, “However, I can tell you why you’re under suspicion.”
“Why?” Mo Sigui asked.
“Poor character!” An Jiu replied.
“I knew it,” Mo Sigui muttered, not bothering to argue. Instead, he asked, “Then why do you trust me?”
“Not only is your character poor,” An Jiu said, adjusting her breathing as she ran, “you’re also deaf!”
Hadn’t she just said it was intuition? This intuition wasn’t merely a feeling, but a compilation of many small details. While not concrete evidence, it was enough for her to make a judgment.
Mo Sigui fell silent. Regardless, An Jiu’s unconditional trust was enough to outweigh his other discomforts.
After running for a while, An Jiu noticed the Old Madam’s pace quickening, making it increasingly difficult for her to keep up.
Mei Jiu, hiding behind An Jiu, felt a chill in her heart. She found the people of Mei Manor too cold-hearted. Earlier at the martial arts platform, when Mei Tingzhu told Mei Rujian not to reveal An Jiu’s location, she thought Mei Tingzhu was trying to protect them. But when they left, Mei Tingzhu didn’t even glance at Mei Rujian. Now, with Mo Sigui under slight suspicion, almost everyone looked at him doubtfully, forgetting he was family.
Mei Jiu recalled how she had forgotten about Mei Ruyan in her panic and fear earlier and felt guilty. “An Jiu, my sister…”
“Someone’s coming. Be on guard,” the Old Madam’s stern voice cut off Mei Jiu’s inquiry.
An Jiu gripped her dagger tightly. With no internal energy left, this blade that could cut through energy barriers was her only lifeline.
“Don’t be afraid,” Mo Sigui said, taking out a small bottle from his robes and pressing it into An Jiu’s free hand. “This is ‘Spring Wind Speaks No Words.’ One drop can kill an entire village. Apply it to your weapon. Even a scratch will be fatal.”
He then produced a few antidote pills. “Potent poison is indiscriminate. Use it carefully.”
“Flamboyant, like the name you gave it,” An Jiu remarked, unable to see the connection between the poison and “Spring Wind Speaks No Words.”
Mo Sigui was about to advise her to wait before using it but saw her immediately swallow a pill and start applying the poison to her dagger.
An Jiu sensed someone approaching from behind. She paused, spun around, and delivered a kick.
Caught off guard, the attacker stumbled back several steps.
“Old Madam!” Mo Sigui called out as he ran to the front. “If we kill a few pursuers, I might be able to find their weakness.”
Without a word, the Old Madam vanished in a black blur, reappearing behind the group.
Mo Sigui clicked his tongue in amazement. It was already impressive that someone like Mei Fourteen could suddenly stop while running at high speed, but the Old Madam could instantly reverse direction. Her body control was truly monstrous!
Within half a cup of tea’s time, all the pursuers fell to the Old Madam’s blade.
She dragged a half-dead black-clad man and threw him in front of Mo Sigui. “The area is clear for now. Examine him immediately.”
Mo Sigui quickly inserted needles into several of the man’s acupoints. The bleeding from his wounds gradually stopped, but strangely, though alive, the man couldn’t move.
He then inserted needles into the Baihui and Qihai acupoints.
These were two of the body’s vital points, especially crucial for martial artists. The ease with which Mo Sigui manipulated them, as if kneading dough, sent a chill through the onlookers.
The man’s eyes began to bulge, his face contorting in extreme pain. Wisps of mist seemed to rise from his Baihui point.
Mo Sigui felt the man’s pulse, concentrating intently.
An Jiu stared at the man’s bulging eyes, soon noticing small red spots appearing in the whites. Mei Jiu trembled in fear, “Stop looking, please stop looking.”
“It seems they’ve been used as test subjects for some drug,” Mo Sigui stood up, wiping his hands with a handkerchief. “However, the drug’s effects are not yet stable.”
“A prototype?” An Jiu suggested.
Mo Sigui paused, then praised her, “Interesting way to put it. Very apt. While under the drug’s influence, they’re no different from ordinary martial artists, with no specific weak points. However, based on my experience, the drug’s effects only last about an hour. Once it wears off, their strength will rapidly deplete.”
“So their actions are limited to within an hour?” the Old Madam mused to herself.
An hour was enough time to massacre Mei Hua Village, but not enough to destroy the entire Mei clan!
“Woo—”
A strange sound came from nearby. The Old Madam responded with a whistle.
Soon, rustling sounds came from the bushes. Five black-clad figures emerged, kneeling before the Old Madam. One of them reported, “Master, Elder Zhao has led a group over. Should we go to provide support?”