Mo Sigui swiftly inserted silver needles into a dozen acupoints with his slender fingers, first protecting the vital areas, then found a secluded spot to begin analyzing the toxicity.
Based on his body's reaction to the medicine, he could roughly determine the type of poison. As for the exact medical formula, he would need to draw blood and test it through various methods.
After most of the day had passed, Mo Sigui collapsed exhausted into a pile of dry grass. Watching the golden sun about to set, he suddenly thought of An Jiu—how she had once endured the risk of meridian damage to forcefully shoot the Startling String, all to keep her promise to him. Recalling the moment she had leapt to his rescue that day, and then remembering how he had chosen to help Elder Qi in his dilemma...
He didn’t regret it. If given the choice again, he would still make the same decision. Yet, his heart felt unsettled.
Setting aside his teacher-like, father-like bond with Elder Qi, for most of his life, he had been the one bestowing favors upon others. This was the first time he felt deeply indebted to someone.
The mountains were shrouded in heavy mist.
In the small courtyard, a lamp flickered to life. An Jiu sat on the threshold, watching Chu Dingjiang light the fire and cook. His culinary skills were limited, but everything he made tasted decent—at least enough to satisfy someone like An Jiu, who had no discernment when it came to food.
The faint crackling of the firewood filled the stove, casting an orange glow that softened the cold edges of Chu Dingjiang’s mask. "Where do you plan to go after your injuries heal?"
Before An Jiu could answer, he added, "Just so you know, I won’t be responsible for protecting you."
“‘Protection’ hasn’t been part of my life for over a decade,” An Jiu thought silently. In the end, had Mei Jiu been protecting her? She smiled bitterly at the irony—a seasoned killer like her, yet at critical moments, it was always the fragile ones who shielded her.
Once, it had been her mother. Then, Mei Jiu.
"I’m joining the Crane Control Army," An Jiu declared. She had decided to search for Mei Yanran. After all, she couldn’t bear to live forever indebted to Mei Jiu’s great kindness.
"A word of caution: your meridians are destroyed. Pure External Cultivation will put you at a disadvantage," Chu Dingjiang stated bluntly.
"Mm." She had brought this upon herself. There was no point in complaining.
Back then, she had been so desperate to separate from Mei Jiu. Mei Jiu had felt like shackles, constantly restraining and tormenting her—every second together had been agony. Yet now that they were finally apart, she felt an emptiness in her heart.
Death had come so suddenly, without the slightest warning.
"What’s on your mind?" Chu Dingjiang had somehow sat down beside her at some point, lightly tapping the ground with a fire poker.
An Jiu startled. Her mental strength was formidable, her alertness razor-sharp. Yet just now, she had spaced out—something that had never happened before!
"Nothing," An Jiu replied.
"I’ll be returning to the Crane Control Bureau the evening after tomorrow to report," Chu Dingjiang said, pulling a token from his robe and pressing it into her hand. "This is the Divine Martial Decree. Take it to the Kaifeng Prefecture office, and someone will escort you into the Crane Control Institute."
"Thanks."
In the twilight, her delicate features and pale skin stood out. Her pitch-black eyes stared at him without hesitation.Chu Dingjiang turned his face away. "The Crane Control Institute isn't any easier than field missions. Typically, trainees are divided into groups of ten, each trained by a master. Every half month, we draw lots for combat matches. At first, it's just simple sparring—stopping at the touch, determining victory—and groups are reshuffled after two months. After that, all matches are to the death. The survivors earn the right to choose between the Feather Forest, Divine Martial, Divine Strategy, or Wei Yue divisions."
"You said you didn't want to protect me. I thought that meant you wouldn't care about me at all."
Yet here he was, saying these things.
"Oh, then you misunderstood." Chu Dingjiang didn't consider himself a good person. But as a man, having just seen every inch of a girl's body, he couldn't simply abandon her without a second thought. He truly had little energy to spare, but for something this trivial, he might as well help. "A sincere suggestion—don't join the Feather Forest."
"Why?" An Jiu was puzzled.
Chu Dingjiang leaned closer, smiling. "The Emperor follows the Daoist path and believes dual cultivation can enhance his spiritual practice—especially with women skilled in martial arts. The Crane Control Imperial Guard is responsible for His Majesty's round-the-clock personal protection... so... the women in the Feather Forest also have this duty."
An Jiu nodded. "Understood."
Such a shocking secret didn't elicit even the slightest reaction from her. Chu Dingjiang was curious—what could possibly break her composure?
"How high-ranking is the Divine Martial Commander of the Crane Control Army?" An Jiu asked.
"Fourth-grade military official." Chu Dingjiang casually sketched a simple diagram on the ground with a fire poker. "The Crane Control Army's administrative office is called the Crane Control Bureau. The highest authority is the Dark Commander-in-Chief, a second-grade official. Below him are two deputies, second-grade adjutant, called Dark Vice Commanders. Further down are four Dark Commanders, third-grade, and beneath them, eight Dark Commander Adjutants, third-grade adjutant. These are the core of the Crane Control Bureau..."
The Crane Control Army is divided into four branches: Feather Forest, Divine Martial, Divine Strategy, and Wei Yue. Their leadership titles are similar to the Bureau's, simply prefixed with their respective branch names. They hold command authority but lack deployment or decision-making power, nor do they enjoy the privileges of ordinary military officials. Thus, as a fourth-grade official, Chu Dingjiang's status was neither particularly low nor high.
"There's also a Surveillance Office, with two Crane Control Surveillance Censors overseeing the Feather Forest Decree, Divine Martial Decree, Divine Strategy Decree, and Wei Yue Decree," Chu Dingjiang added.
An Jiu suddenly understood. "So you were originally from the Surveillance Office."
A transfer from the Surveillance Office was like releasing a hawk among cranes—who wouldn't tread carefully, fearing an unexpected peck to the eye? Given this, it was remarkable that Chu Dingjiang had managed to forge alliances among such a group of outsiders.
"Correct."
"Where have you been demoted to now?" An Jiu asked.
"Divine Martial Commander, fifth-grade," Chu Dingjiang replied indifferently.
A two-rank demotion—lower even than that Divine Strategy Vice Commander. Thinking of that man, An Jiu's mind flashed with that fleeting glimpse of him, followed by his past words. She frowned. "Who is the Divine Strategy Vice Commander?"
"Gu Jinghong?" The Divine Strategy Army had two vice commanders, but since Gu Jinghong had once led Mei Shi's group briefly, Chu Dingjiang guessed An Jiu meant him. "Not familiar, but he's an efficient operator."Chu Dingjiang truly admired Gu Jinghong. For himself to become the Commander of the Divine Martial Army, sixty percent relied on strategy, twenty percent on luck, and another twenty percent on actual ability. Yet Gu Jinghong had risen entirely through meritorious achievements in missions, standing out among the many in the Crane Control Army and steadily climbing to his current position step by step.
Chu Dingjiang sighed with emotion, "A steady and solid approach is good, but not everyone is a martial arts prodigy. Life is but a few short decades—if one wishes to accomplish something great, there’s truly not a moment to waste."
"Assassinate those old men in the Crane Control Bureau." To repay Chu Dingjiang for saving her life, An Jiu earnestly offered this suggestion. (To be continued...)
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