National grievances and personal vendettas—only death could end them.
This was Lou Mingyue’s conviction.
The rain ceased, and dawn broke. Morning mist lingered in the mountains, with a faint orange glow seeping from the east, while the verdant trees glistened with moisture.
Since Gu Jinghong and An Jiu had yet to enter Chu Dingjiang’s range of mental strength detection, he decided not to wait any longer and signaled the group to set off.
After their conversation the previous night, everyone agreed that Chu Dingjiang was relatively easy to get along with. Though they couldn’t chat and laugh as if on a leisurely outing, the atmosphere along the journey had lightened considerably, making the trek feel less arduous.
Two hours later.
An Jiu and Gu Jinghong arrived at the spot where the group had camped the night before.
Gu Jinghong’s method of travel was nothing short of brutal. Whenever they encountered an official road, he spurred his horse into a gallop, only slowing down when the path turned rugged. By the time they reached this location, they had been traveling nonstop for six hours, with only one brief rest lasting less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
An Jiu’s entire body had been jolted numb, devoid of sensation. Her stomach churned violently, bile rising in her throat, but she forced it back down with sheer willpower.
“It just rained here, making the path difficult. Let’s rest for half an hour,” Gu Jinghong said, slowing his pace.
The two chose to rest by a stream.
The moment An Jiu dismounted, the scenery around her still seemed to sway up and down. Dizzy and disoriented, she leaned against a tree to steady herself.
“Let me see if I can transfer some inner force to you,” Gu Jinghong said, pressing his palm against her back and channeling true energy to probe her meridians.
After a moment, he withdrew his hand, his tone betraying rare surprise. “Your meridians are destroyed?”
“Ha!” His reaction gave An Jiu a perverse sense of satisfaction. She scoffed, “Utterly ruined. Even Elder Qi, who’s reputed to revive the dead and regenerate flesh, was at a loss.”
Gu Jinghong fell into deep thought.
Every member of the Dragon Martial Guard possessed extraordinary skills, with martial arts prowess no lower than the sixth rank. When he had selected An Jiu, he’d known her inner force was weak, but her comprehension of martial arts was exceptional. Her innate potential was also promising—with diligent training, she could have achieved notable progress within three to five years. But now…
“Since that’s the case, dwelling on it is pointless. If you survive this mission, my decision regarding you won’t change,” Gu Jinghong said, his tone back to its usual calm as he sat on a rock by the stream. “Rest now.”
After steadying herself, An Jiu sat down about three meters away from him, drinking water and eating dry rations. Once finished, she had no energy left for anything else and simply lay on the rock to rest briefly.
The sky was clear, a deep blue like a placid lake, bringing a sense of tranquility to her heart.
Exhausted, An Jiu unknowingly drifted into sleep.
An indeterminate amount of time later, she heard someone call, “Xuan Ren!”
Her eyes snapped open to meet a pair of clear, narrow eyes reflecting her own image.
“Let’s go,” Gu Jinghong said.
An Jiu scrambled up, vigorously rubbing her face before walking to the tree to untie her horse’s reins.
As she mounted, she instinctively glanced at the sun and paused. “How long was I asleep?”
“Two hours.” Gu Jinghong had indeed been surprised to learn that An Jiu’s meridians were completely destroyed, leaving her without a shred of inner force. Beyond that, however, her performance had earned his admiration. Raised as a delicate young lady for over a decade, her physique was far from robust. Yet without the support of inner force, she had kept up with this grueling pace purely through sheer willpower. For someone like her, he didn’t mind showing a little leniency.
The uniforms provided by the Crane Control Institute were made of some unknown material. Despite the relentless riding, An Jiu’s thighs hadn’t been rubbed raw, though they were swollen and ached the moment she remounted.Fortunately, they encountered two rainstorms along the way, allowing her a few extra hours of rest. On the eleventh day, they finally reached their destination.
This was a covert outpost of the Crane Control Army—just two thatched huts that appeared to be temporary shelters for hunters during mountain expeditions, devoid of any proper living amenities.
"This time, we're taking out one of Misty Villa's covert outposts," Gu Jinghong briefly outlined the mission.
Sun Dixian exclaimed in surprise, "It's really Misty Villa?"
"What do you think?" Gu Jinghong replied indifferently. "We'll provide a map. As for the enemy's numbers and battle plans, you'll have to figure those out yourselves. Complete the mission within five days—no other requirements."
Chu Dingjiang distributed the maps to everyone, perfectly playing the role of a willing subordinate.
"Well then—" Gu Jinghong began, only to be interrupted by Chu Dingjiang. "We'll start the mission tomorrow morning."
Gu Jinghong looked at him and nodded in agreement.
After receiving the maps, everyone found a corner to eat rations or rest.
Chu Dingjiang glanced at An Jiu before walking outside.
An Jiu leaned against the wall for a short rest before getting up and stepping out.
Thud!
The moment she stepped out, she heard a sound.
Following the noise, she spotted a figure in black emerging from behind a thick tree trunk about twenty zhang away in the woods. He leaned casually against the tree with his arms crossed, tilting his head to watch her. He wasn’t wearing his mantle—his close-fitting outfit accentuated his powerful, well-built frame. A half-mask covered his face, revealing tanned skin, sharp brows, piercing eyes, and a strong, straight nose.
Dappled sunlight cast deep, enigmatic shadows across his features.
As An Jiu approached, he tossed a small vial toward her.
"What is it?" She caught it deftly and opened the lid.
"Poison," Chu Dingjiang said seriously.
The corner of An Jiu’s lips curled slightly as she poured out a pill and swallowed it before handing the vial back.
"Keep it. You look so weak, one vial probably wouldn’t even be enough for you," he mocked before explaining, "This medicine boosts stamina—beneficial for martial artists, harmless if used correctly. But don’t take too much at once. After today’s dose, wait three days before taking another, unless you’re severely injured. There are only two pills left anyway."
An Jiu knew she was comparatively weak—his assessment was accurate.
The pill dissolved into a warm current sliding down her throat, spreading warmth through her abdomen before flowing into her limbs. A soothing comfort washed over her, instantly easing her aches. Recognizing its value, she pocketed it without hesitation.
"Thanks." Unsure how else to express gratitude, she paused before adding, "Will there be consequences for contradicting Gu Jinghong earlier?"
Gu Jinghong had clearly intended to start the trial immediately, but Chu Dingjiang had interrupted and postponed it by a night.
"What can he do to me?" Chu Dingjiang’s martial arts surpassed Gu Jinghong’s—here, he could say and do as he pleased without restraint. But back at headquarters, things might be different...
An Jiu sensed an unusual shift in the surrounding energy. Her gaze flickered as she glanced past Chu Dingjiang toward the tree canopy behind him.
"Let’s head back," Chu Dingjiang said, evidently having noticed it as well.
An Jiu nodded and turned to leave.
Chu Dingjiang watched her return to the hut before looking back at the slender figure standing atop a horizontal branch behind him. With a faint smile, he asked, "Something on your mind, Master Gu?""You make no attempt to conceal, so I came to take a look." Chu Dingjiang acted openly and aboveboard, while Gu Jinghong observed with righteous scrutiny. "You just gave her the Reviving Pills like that. May I ask, Lord Chu, what is your relationship with this woman?"
It wasn’t that Gu Jinghong enjoyed prying into others' private affairs, but Chu Dingjiang’s actions were far too suspicious!
Reviving Pills could enhance Internal Energy, repair bodily injuries, and were even said to have the power to revive the dead. Thus, anyone who practiced Martial Arts would fight tooth and nail for them. Each commander of the Crane Control Army branches received two pills upon appointment, while deputy commanders only got one—and they had to wait another ten years for the next allocation. How could such a thing be casually given away?
Selecting members for the Dragon Martial Guard required impeccable backgrounds—he had to be cautious.
"Just two Reviving Pills. Others may treasure them, but to me, they’re like candy—nothing wrong with using them to coax a little girl," Chu Dingjiang said.
"Is she your lover?" Gu Jinghong’s finely arched brows furrowed slightly. If she was his lover, then his blatant lack of concealment was deliberate—to stop him from recruiting Mei Shisi into the Dragon Martial Guard?
Chu Dingjiang flipped onto a tree branch, lying down with his eyes closed. "You can think that if you like."
The crux of the matter was—he hadn’t even figured out his own thoughts yet!
Chu Dingjiang had never placed much importance on such things, but Reviving Pills were indeed rare. He was always a man of purpose, so what had driven him to casually give two pills to An Jiu this time? He didn’t consider himself a man of such lofty virtue.
Gu Jinghong used Mind Reading but gleaned no useful information. He had heard of Chu Dingjiang—the youngest Transformation Realm Master, whose official career had its ups and downs. In the short time since taking over as commander of the Divine Martial Division, he had already amassed a large following. Beyond that, Gu Jinghong knew nothing about Chu Dingjiang personally. But since Chu Dingjiang had repeatedly extended aid, he felt it necessary to ensure someone would assist Mei Shisi during the trials.
Truthfully, if the Emperor hadn’t urgently needed personnel and the pool of candidates wasn’t so limited, why would Gu Jinghong have fixated on someone without Inner Force? He had spent a year searching before finally finding Mei Shisi to fill the vacancy. He trusted his own judgment and was a persistent man—he would never haphazardly replace someone unless absolutely forced to. (To be continued...)
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