The old man was also a seasoned expert, just one step away from the Transformation Realm. Though suppressed in mental strength and somewhat restricted in movement, every counterattack he made was fueled with full Inner Force.
After a few exchanges, both were wounded.
An Jiu suffered internal injuries with no external wounds, while the old man was covered in deep gashes from sharp blades, his clothes torn to shreds, looking utterly disheveled.
Her mental strength enveloped the entire dark alley, concealing their presence to prevent anyone from discovering them.
After a brief adjustment of her breathing, she launched another assault with her twin blades.
Most experts would first seek their opponent’s weak point before striking, but An Jiu was different—she always found her opportunities in the midst of battle.
Clang!
The strike An Jiu aimed at the old man’s throat was blocked, but her other blade thrust toward his abdomen.
A chill crept over the old man’s stomach, his eyes flashing sharply as he suddenly clamped down on the blade with two fingers.
An Jiu’s expression remained unchanged. Instead of struggling against his grip, she twisted her wrist, turning the blade from vertical to horizontal. With a sharp snap, the sword broke—but not before slicing his fingers to the bone.
Dropping the broken blade, An Jiu drew another from her back and drove it deep into his ribs. The entire sequence took less than a single breath.
The old man channeled his energy and violently repelled her.
An Jiu’s body flew like a kite with its string cut, but instead of crashing into the wall as the old man expected, she discarded her sword, braced her hands against the wall, and kicked off—launching herself back at him.
Landing four zhang away, she steadied herself almost instantly and lunged forward without pause. Her right hand drew another longsword from her back while her left flicked out a soft sword from her waist. Seizing the brief moment the old man spent pulling out the embedded blade and clutching his wound, she unleashed another fierce assault.
The old man hastily retreated two steps, raising his cane to block the incoming strikes. His withered fingers, tipped with long nails, suddenly darkened to a blackish-purple as he clawed straight for her throat.
An Jiu wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but his arm seemed to have grown much longer.
She immediately retracted her sword stance, leaning her upper body back to evade, while her leg snapped up to kick his lower abdomen.
The old man withdrew his hand like lightning, seizing her ankle and yanking her backward.
With her other foot unable to find purchase, An Jiu used her right-hand sword to brace against the ground and swung her free leg to kick his arm.
The old man let out a sinister cackle, suddenly sprinting forward while dragging her along.
The sword screeched against the stone pavement, sparks flying.
The old man’s long nails pierced An Jiu’s ankle, and she frowned, pressing her lips tightly together as she quickly assessed the situation.
Those nails were clearly poisoned. If she didn’t break free soon, the venom would take effect, leaving her with no chance of survival! Yet the opportunity was fleeting. Resolute, she abandoned her only support—the sword—and as she fell, she triggered the hidden dart launcher on her forearm.
At such close range, the dart embedded itself in the old man’s arm in an instant, cutting off his laughter abruptly.
At the same time, An Jiu arched her back as much as possible, her shoulder slamming heavily into the ground with a dull thud. The impact sent a violent tremor through her organs, and a metallic taste flooded her mouth—she felt as if her heart might spill out if she opened it.
Ignoring everything else, she reached for the Antitoxin pill stored in the pouch at her thigh and swallowed it immediately.
The old man seemed particularly protective of his left arm. The moment it was wounded, he roared in fury, his frenzied Inner Force causing the high walls on either side to collapse with a deafening crash.The Antitoxin pill dissolved into a fragrant liquid that slid down her throat, bringing An Jiu a brief sense of relief. She looked up to see the old man charging toward her.
Her foot was still numb, but as the killing intent closed in, she yanked out the Dragon Subduing Bow, channeling her Mental strength into her fingertips.
The bow could only open a few inches now, and the arrows it fired might lack power, but for a short-range Startling String attack infused with Mental strength, it was enough.
Closer!
An Jiu released her fingers, and the bowstring hummed softly.
In an instant, the wind in the alley surged violently, whipping the old man’s clothes and hair wildly. Gritting her teeth, An Jiu drew her dagger, pushed off with one foot, and lunged forward like a sharp arrowhead right after the Startling String.
The Startling String struck first—a deafening buzz filled the old man’s mind, leaving it blank for a split second.
By the time he regained his senses, he looked down to see a pair of pale hands driving a dagger deep into his heart.
"Ah—!" The old man let out a long howl, gripping An Jiu’s shoulders with a deathly hold. Knowing he had no hope of survival, he unleashed all his Inner Force in a final, desperate attempt to drag her down with him.
An Jiu twisted the dagger, carving out a bloody hole, then flicked the blade like a bolt of lightning across his throat.
The surging Inner Force abruptly ceased. An Jiu spat out a mouthful of blood, pried the old man’s fingers from her shoulders, and shoved him away. With a cold expression, she stabbed his dantian several more times before staggering to her feet, slinging the Dragon Subduing Bow onto her back and leaving.
The deafening crash of a collapsing wall startled the drinkers in Pan Tower and the patrolling soldiers.
By the time they arrived, all they found was a wrecked alley and a still-warm corpse sprawled on the ground, a gaping hole in its chest gushing blood.
The constables examined the body—a gaunt figure with wide, staring eyes, as if frozen in terror or confusion. The weapon that had carved the bloody hole in his chest was unclear—perhaps a sword or dagger. His fingernails were sharp, coated in flesh and blackish-purple, making it hard to tell if it was poison or claws. Most leaned toward the latter.
The old man’s face was fierce, his body radiating lingering malice—clearly no virtuous man. So while many gathered to gawk, only a handful muttered about the killer’s brutality.
Amid the noisy alley, An Jiu suppressed her aura, enduring the excruciating pain as she hurried back to the Crane Control Institute.
As she reached the imperial road, she suddenly sensed an eighth-rank cultivator approaching rapidly from behind. She spun and fired a hidden dart from her sleeve.
The figure dodged, then caught sight of the Dragon Subduing Bow on her back. "It’s me!"
Lou Mingyue.
Once she steadied herself, An Jiu saw that Lou Mingyue was also battered, fresh from a fierce battle.
"Hurry!" Lou Mingyue urged. "When I went back to look for you, a ninth-rank blocked me. I barely escaped."
"Mm." An Jiu nodded. The sharp pain in her ankle confirmed that sensation had fully returned. Compared to the agony of Reforging her body, this pain was negligible.
She wrapped the wound with a cloth strip and followed Lou Mingyue at a brisk pace.
Lou Mingyue was also severely injured, unable to muster her Inner Force, so their progress was slow.
From the imperial road to the Crane Control Institute, the journey took them nearly the time it took to drink two cups of tea.
Mo Sigui had just swiped a basket of premium Medicine from the pharmacy when the thick scent of blood hit him. In a place like the Crane Control Institute, the smell of blood was common, so he paid it no mind at first. But as he walked toward his quarters, he noticed the trail of blood and quickened his steps.
Entering the courtyard, he was met with an overwhelming stench of blood in the darkness.
Mo Sigui tossed the Medicine basket aside and followed the scent into his room.
"You're back," An Jiu rasped, her voice hoarse.Mo Sigui fumbled for the flint to light the lamp and saw two bloodied figures sitting back-to-back on the ground.
Lou Mingyue had been injured by sword energy, suffering not only flesh wounds but also internal damage to her organs. An Jiu, on the other hand, mostly had internal injuries, with more than half the blood on her body belonging to the old man.
"She's unconscious. Help her first," An Jiu said.
Mo Sigui grabbed both their wrists. "You're underestimating me too much!"
After checking their pulses for a while, he stood up and rummaged through a pile of bottles and jars in the corner, pulling out one container. He poured out two pills and shoved one into each of their mouths. Then he picked up Lou Mingyue and placed her on the bed. "You go lie down on the couch," he said to An Jiu.
An Jiu silently got up and lay down.
This was the difference between love and non-love. In a man's eyes, even if his lover was stronger than ten men combined, she was still a woman who needed his care. But when it came to friends, the distinction between a tough woman and a man wasn't that significant in his eyes.
An Jiu naturally couldn't grasp the "mystery" behind this. Fortunately, she harbored no resentment, simply thinking that the two had a deep bond and that Mo Sigui taking care of Lou Mingyue was perfectly normal.
Mo Sigui bustled about, preparing the necessary items.
"I'll handle it myself," An Jiu said, opening her eyes.
"Fine." Mo Sigui set the items down and explained, "The poison in your body is temporarily suppressed by the Antitoxin pill. I'll come back in the time it takes to drink two cups of tea to drain the poison. As for your injured organs, they just need a few days of rest to heal. You practice External Cultivation, so as long as it's a physical injury, I can restore you perfectly. Ning Yu's wounds, if not treated properly, might cause her to lose cultivation levels."
An Jiu undid her collar and said impassively, "With the time spent on nonsense, you could've done a lot of things."
"..."
Mo Sigui returned to the bedside. First, he used his Inner Force to help Lou Mingyue repair her dantian and stabilize her qi sea. Then he cut open her clothes, cleaned the wounds, and stitched up the larger gashes.
After finishing everything, he returned to An Jiu to drain the poison.
Finally, he prepared two medicinal baths and stuffed both women into them.
"I'm exhausted!" Mo Sigui leaned against the table, panting as he fanned himself. "You two are such losers—you went out for less than a night and ended up like this. Forget being assassins; just go home and weave cloth, cook, and raise kids."
Lou Mingyue was still unconscious, so these words were naturally directed at An Jiu.
An Jiu stayed silent for a while, pondering the deeper meaning behind his words. Finally, she said sincerely, "Regarding your opinion, I'll convey it to her truthfully when she wakes up."
"Shut up!" Mo Sigui snapped his folding fan shut nervously. "Don't you dare!"
An Jiu nodded cooperatively.
"What did I do to deserve this?" Mo Sigui sighed. "When I was young, I once thought that since Ning Yu was so mischievous, I should study medicine well. Damn it, do you think the heavens misunderstood me? What I meant was minor scrapes! Not this!"
An Jiu found his reasoning bizarre. "Why didn't you think of mastering Martial Arts to protect her so she wouldn't get hurt?"
"Even if it's just an excuse..." Mo Sigui lowered his eyes, slowly opening and closing his folding fan repeatedly. "It's because I understood her that I chose this excuse. Since childhood, she insisted on fighting her own battles, even if she got hurt. If I interfered, she'd get mad at me.""She's always had a strong-willed nature since childhood." Mo Sigui looked at Lou Mingyue, his peach blossom eyes resembling a clear pool with gentle ripples. "Strong-willed people bear heavier burdens. A Jiu, if you ever meet a man who captures your heart, take my advice—allow yourself to be vulnerable when the time comes."
An Jiu gave a muffled "mm" in response, pursed her lips, and submerged herself in the water. (To be continued...)
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