The Funiu Mountain Range stretches over eight hundred li, serving as the watershed between the Huai River and the Han River. This time, the Crane Control Army's training site was Baiyun Mountain, located deep within the Funiu Mountains, approximately seven hundred li from Kaifeng. Though most of the journey followed official roads, the terrain near the Funiu Mountains was rugged. Even with nonstop fast horses, the trip would take six or seven days.
Under fair weather and smooth roads, an ordinary person could barely endure three consecutive hours of horseback riding. Yet the Crane Control Army was required to march at a rapid pace for four hours straight. By the time they reached the relay station for rest, even the horses were foaming at the mouth.
An Jiu's body was still too weak. Relying on sheer willpower, she barely made it to the station. Without eating, she collapsed onto the bed in her room to rest.
Though drowsy, An Jiu remained somewhat alert. She sensed someone entering but couldn't even lift her eyelids to see who it was.
The person sat by the bed, and An Jiu caught the strong scent of ginseng.
"Open your mouth," Chu Dingjiang said softly.
Only then did An Jiu's tightly pressed lips part.
The distinctive bitterness of ginseng spread across her tongue. Chu Dingjiang fed her slowly, making it easy for her to swallow.
After drinking a small bowl of ginseng soup, An Jiu fell into a deep sleep.
When she awoke, she saw someone standing by the window in the room. Just as she was about to call out "Chu Dingjiang," she heard the person's gentle voice: "Are you close with Lord Chu?"
It was Gu Jinghong.
An Jiu sat up from the bed, rubbing her temples with a frown. "What does the Vice-Commander mean by this?"
"You're now under my command. I need to understand clearly. Don't worry—I won't reveal this matter." Gu Jinghong saw through the wariness and unease behind her retort.
Staring into his clear eyes, An Jiu enunciated each word: "Did I ever beg you to pick me as your subordinate? If you think my secrets make me unfit for the Dragon Martial Guard, you're free to discard me."
Most people would react with at least some irritation to such sharp words, but Gu Jinghong actually smiled. "Fragile child."
Whenever An Jiu didn't know how to respond or was protecting herself, she resorted to such defensive or aggressive tones. Gu Jinghong saw right through the surface to the truth she was hiding.
How terrifying! That was An Jiu's current assessment of him. She remembered Lou Mingyue mentioning that Mind Reading and Mind Control were closely related. Now it seemed Gu Jinghong not only mastered Mind Control but also surpassed Xu Zhi of the Crane Control Institute in Mind Reading.
Of course—one had to understand the mind before they could manipulate it.
"You've slept for a full day and night. The others have already set off. Can you move now?" Gu Jinghong smoothly shifted past the earlier question.
An Jiu stood up, suddenly realizing something important. "I haven't eaten yet."
Gu Jinghong said nothing and left. A short while later, he returned with a bowl of noodles—sparsely topped with a few vegetable leaves and utterly devoid of oil.
With no table in the room, he handed the bowl directly to An Jiu. "Eat."
An Jiu stared at the noodles in her hands, hesitating briefly before picking up her chopsticks and shoveling them into her mouth.
After a few bites, she asked with a strange expression, "Did you cook this?"
Gu Jinghong, who had been standing by the window with his back to her, turned slightly at her question. "Hm?"
Sunlight filtered through his black mantle, faintly outlining the delicate contours of his profile.
An Jiu said, "Never mind. The flavor is... unique."
Gu Jinghong chuckled. "That doesn’t sound like praise no matter how I hear it."
An Jiu wolfed down the rest of the bowl, then frowned. "That’s because you have self-awareness."Chu Dingjiang's cooking was much more delicious—this thought suddenly popped into An Jiu's mind.
"Rest for half an hour before we set off again."
Gu Jinghong stepped out of the house and stood in the courtyard, tilting his head to gaze at the morning light, closing his eyes to savor this brief moment of tranquility.
They were already near the Funiu Mountains. The sun had just broken through the morning mist, and the spring sunlight was exceptionally warm. The surroundings were vibrant with life, a sight that lifted the spirits.
An Jiu got up to stretch her limbs. The soreness in her body was more pronounced, but it no longer felt as heavy.
Based on experience, she knew she absolutely couldn't stop and rest for too long at this point. Otherwise, not only would the soreness persist for ten days to half a month, but it would return the next time she moved. As long as she gritted her teeth and pushed through this phase, it would gradually improve.
Half an hour later, the two of them mounted their horses on time and headed for Baiyun Mountain.
The Funiu Mountains were notoriously rainy, with morning dew and evening showers being common occurrences. Chu Dingjiang, leading the way, encountered a sudden downpour and guided the group to take shelter in a cave.
As they entered the cave, a delicate female voice complained, "I'm completely soaked! What kind of rain is this, coming out of nowhere!"
Aside from An Jiu and Lou Mingyue, there was another woman in the group named Sun Dixian. Her Martial Arts had only just reached the fourth level, yet many fifth- and sixth-level practitioners had died in the previous trial, while she survived.
Often, the level of one's Martial Arts wasn't the sole determinant of life and death.
Sun Dixian hurriedly wiped her clothes dry. When she looked up, she saw Chu Dingjiang, clad in a black mantle, tying the horses outside the cave. The torrential rain was blocked by his Protective Energy, forming a ring of white Mist flowers around him. As he approached, his imposing presence felt like a towering mountain. Even though his face was obscured, Sun Dixian's heart couldn't help but flutter.
Chu Dingjiang entered the cave without a single drop of water on him.
Sun Dixian was stunned for a moment before she approached and asked, "Lord Chu, how much longer until we arrive?"
Her boldness had a reason. The post stations they passed were small, and no matter how extraordinary Chu Dingjiang's Martial Arts were, it was impossible for him to avoid everyone's notice when feeding An Jiu ginseng soup. Through this incident, Sun Dixian felt that this seemingly cold and stern Lord Chu was actually gentler and kinder than Lord Gu.
No one answered.
Just as the others thought Sun Dixian was about to embarrass herself, Chu Dingjiang finally replied, "Seven days."
It was early spring now, not midsummer. The vegetation wasn't lush enough to hold the soil in place. With such heavy rain, if it continued for long, there might even be a mudslide. Moreover, the mountain paths would be muddy and difficult to traverse. Seven days was already an optimistic estimate.
"So long? I thought the whole journey was only six or seven days?" Sun Dixian knew the reason, of course. She just wanted to talk to Chu Dingjiang.
Chu Dingjiang didn't dislike ambitious women—in fact, he admired them. But he had no patience for such clumsy attempts at conversation without cause.
Disdain aside, he still gave the girl some face. He turned, as if scanning everyone with his gaze, and said, "The mountain paths are treacherous. Take this chance to rest, or the coming days will be even harder."
At least he didn't humiliate Sun Dixian.
The group acknowledged his words and sat against the cave walls, closing their eyes to rest.
Sun Dixian finally regained some sense and berated herself inwardly for losing her mind earlier. How could she have recklessly approached him like that? She must have seemed desperate. She stole a glance at Chu Dingjiang before quickly sitting down and closing her eyes to rest.Chu Dingjiang stood with his arms crossed in front of the cave entrance, his broad frame blocking nearly half of the small opening.
An hour later, Sun Dixian stole another glance and found him still maintaining the same posture, seemingly unmoved, while the sky outside had darkened completely.
Lou Mingyue rose and peered out the cave entrance—the rain was nearly stopped.
"We'll wait for Deputy Gu overnight and leave at dawn," Chu Dingjiang declared.
The torrential downpour had lasted a full hour, and with nightfall, they wouldn't cover much distance. Everyone agreed with the decision.
"Sir, what kind of trial is this for us?" a man cautiously asked in the darkness.
"Trial?" Amusement laced Chu Dingjiang's voice. "If you consider this a trial, you'll undoubtedly meet an early demise."
Chu spoke more freely with the men, his entire demeanor shifting, like an elder brother joking with them. His relaxed attitude made him approachable, and soon the young men were eagerly firing questions at him.
Chu answered what he could and deftly sidestepped the rest with humor.
Though they knew he was evading, no one minded—after all, the Crane Control Army had strict rules, and some things couldn't be spoken of carelessly. To them, Chu had principles but wasn't rigidly bound by regulations.
At first, they had only sought information to survive, but as the conversation flowed, they found themselves inspired by Chu's bold and unrestrained spirit. The youthful vigor that had slowly faded in the blood-soaked days began to rekindle.
The men chatted animatedly, with Sun Dixian occasionally chiming in. Lou Mingyue leaned alone against the cave wall, gazing silently at the rain outside, lost in thought.
"Sir, you must have been in the Crane Control Army for a long time. Are the people there really that fearsome?" Sun Dixian asked.
The group fell quiet, all eyes turning to Chu, clearly eager for his answer.
"No different from any other army," Chu replied, treating it as no secret. "In battle, a soldier who hasn't spilled blood isn't a good soldier. Our methods aren't special—it's just that, as the Great Song's hidden weapon, we often can't operate in the open."
Lou Mingyue's gaze sharpened at his words.
"Sir, hearing you say that lifts a weight off my heart," Qiu Yunxiao sighed.
He spoke from the depths of his soul—previously, he had felt like a rat, suffocating in gloom, but now his chest burned with fervor.
Chu Dingjiang said, "This trial was said to allow only two survivors, but I'll be frank with you all."
Everyone listened intently, even Lou Mingyue turning her head.
He continued, "The Crane Control Army's rule is to complete the mission at all costs. If the mission succeeds, whoever survives does so by their own skill—would the army really kill the extras? If you all work together and make it out alive, I guarantee no one will lay a finger on you."
"So Deputy Gu was lying to us..." Sun Dixian murmured.
"Not exactly," Chu said coolly. "It was also a test—to see if you could still cooperate and complete the mission even when your lives were at stake."
One man ventured, "Sir, isn't this..."
Aren't you revealing classified information? He bit back the words, afraid of angering Chu with his bluntness."Everyone has their own selfish desires and the instinct to survive. Without any reason, why should one sacrifice everything to complete a task?" Chu Dingjiang remained indifferent. "Such sacrifice is entirely unnecessary. If you were called to the battlefield to fight the enemy and defend your homeland, would you be willing to risk your lives?"
He smiled faintly. "No need to answer me. Each of you has your own measure in your hearts." (To be continued...)
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