"You probably saw most of what happened that day, didn't you?"
Lu Danzhi called Cui Yichen his nephew, yet seemed utterly shocked upon seeing his face, as if he didn't recognize him at all.
"Mm." Chu Dingjiang replied, "I might be able to make an educated guess about this matter."
An Jiu nodded.
Chu Dingjiang pondered for a moment. "Decades ago, the Cui family was just an ordinary minor clan in the Crane Control Army. Then they produced a martial arts prodigy, Cui Huling, and the Cui family's power began to grow. For a time, they even replaced the Li family among the four great families. Cui Huling's sons didn't produce any talents, but among his grandsons emerged Cui Yichen—someone to carry on the legacy. Unfortunately, Cui Yichen became completely obsessed with martial arts and neglected worldly affairs, leading to the Cui family's gradual decline."
"Obsessed with martial arts?" An Jiu couldn't see any trace of "obsession" in that scheming face of Cui Yichen's. If anything, it was the Madman who seemed more fitting of the description...
A hint of amusement flickered in Chu Dingjiang's eyes. "I thought the same as you—I suspect Cui Yichen has gone mad."
"So, the Cui family didn't betray the country?" An Jiu vaguely understood—this was another conspiracy, just like those targeting Lou Shi and Mei Shi.
"Right. Whether it was destroying the Mei and Lou families or framing the Cui family for treason, the target was always the members of these families within the Crane Control Army." Chu Dingjiang was deeply intrigued by the mastermind behind this—their ruthlessness surpassed even his own in his prime.
If, as others speculated, the mastermind was Yelü Huangwu of the Liao Kingdom, then this young woman was truly formidable. To possess such cunning and cruelty at such a young age...
The shadow units of the Crane Controlling Families weren't wiped out. Eventually, both The Emperor and the families realized it was all a setup and a misunderstanding. But The Emperor's initial handling of the situation had already laid bare his distrust and disregard for these families.
An irreparable deadlock had formed between The Emperor and the Crane Controlling Families. The ruler's suspicion bred disloyalty among his subjects, and this once-sharp blade had now dulled.
The root cause of this situation was The Emperor's sheer incompetence. He had been born the Crown Prince—that wasn't his fault. But once he ascended the throne, even if he lacked the ability to wield power effectively, the least he could do was not act recklessly! He was like a man squatting over a latrine without relieving himself, all the while suspecting others of coveting his spot. If Chu Dingjiang were a hothead, he would have long since emulated Jing Ke's assassination attempt on Qin.
"The Cui family had likely been infiltrated by the Liao Kingdom long ago—it's no longer the same Cui family. The Emperor ordered all shadow operatives from the Cui family imprisoned, and several died under torture." Chu Dingjiang scoffed. "If he was going to go that far, he should have doubled down—executed the entire Cui family to convince the other families they truly had rebelled. But instead, he released them."
Could the Cui family remain calm after innocent members died under torture? And when the other families saw The Emperor acting without regard for right or wrong, trampling them underfoot as he pleased, their loyalty could only fray further.
Chu Dingjiang was certain the Liao Kingdom's next target would be the Crane Control Institute.
Was it really just a coincidence that Wei Yuzhi was captured and taken there?
Chu Dingjiang certainly didn't believe so. Unable to confirm his suspicions, he decided to seize the initiative and steer events toward his desired outcome—taking Wei Yuzhi out of the Crane Control Institute and killing him.
Unfortunately, before he could act, Wei Yuzhi managed to slip away on his own.In Chu Dingjiang's original plan, he only intended to accomplish a significant feat that could directly reach the emperor's ears. This feat didn’t necessarily have to be attacking Misty Villa, but when the opportunity arose, he seized it.
On the other hand, it was also to protect An Jiu.
Wei Yuzhi possessed formidable mental strength. Simply by standing within the Crane Control Institute, he could discern the number of people inside and their distribution. If Misty Villa’s next target truly was the Crane Control Institute, An Jiu, who had captured him, might very well be treated as a spy and eliminated.
An Jiu had also considered this point, which was why she grew irritable upon hearing that Wei Yuzhi had escaped. Upon careful reflection now, it indeed seemed necessary to personally strike Misty Villa.
After reviewing the materials, the two returned to their quarters to prepare for departure.
Before leaving, An Jiu dropped by the neighboring residence.
Chu Dingjiang waited outside. Shortly after she entered, Mo Sigui’s roar echoed out, "Do you plan to eat all of that?!"
"..."
Mo Sigui rummaged through jars and bottles, picking out a dozen or so and placing them on the table. "Here, that’s all. I’m a physician who heals and saves lives, not some Poison King."
"Only one bottle of Jade Touch Garment?" An Jiu picked up a small jade gourd.
Mo Sigui fanned himself, his hair fluttering. "Jade Touch Garment is expensive. Some of its ingredients are hard to come by, and even the container is costly. I treat wealth like dirt, so wealth treats me the same. Where would I get the money for these things?"
An Jiu ignored his rambling, inquired about the toxicity and usage of all the Poison Pills, and pocketed them. "Goodbye."
"Hey, got any last words?" Mo Sigui taunted her.
An Jiu actually pondered seriously before replying, "In your obsession with the way of medicine, don’t forget humanity."
Mo Sigui opened his mouth, choked for a moment, and spat out two words, "Get lost!"
He couldn’t understand why everyone who held any place in his heart felt the need to lecture him like this. Elder Qi had at least only said, "Do not betray the word 'love'," but An Jiu had gone straight to "Don’t forget humanity." Did he, Mo Sigui, really seem that much of a monster?!
An Jiu turned to leave. At the door, she noticed a small basket with two tiger cubs huddled inside, their damp eyes staring at her uneasily.
"Did you raid a tiger’s den?" An Jiu turned back to Mo Sigui. "What for?"
Mo Sigui had suffered greatly while searching for An Jiu after the tracking butterfly died. He had long wanted to use tigers and wolves as ingredients for his tracking incense, but he didn’t feel like explaining it to her in detail.
He clicked his tongue, sighing with melancholy and resignation. "I’m lonely!"
An Jiu reached out and ruffled the cubs’ heads before opening the door to leave.
Mo Sigui hurried over to smooth their fur back into place, grumbling, "Hands that just handled Poison Pills..."
These tigers needed to be fed a specially formulated poison for a year. During that time, they couldn’t be exposed to any other medicinal substances.
Dawn.
The city gates had just opened. Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu queued to exit slowly.
An Jiu wore a human skin mask, still appearing as that ordinary-looking young man, dressed in clean and decent clothing. Chu Dingjiang also wore a mask, his face obscured by a thick beard, his burly frame clad in a coarse close-fitting outfit. A longsword wrapped in thick deerskin was strapped to his back, giving him the unmistakable air of a heroic outlaw.The imperial court had certain restrictions on carrying swords and knives, so officials would take a closer look at people like Chu Dingjiang. As long as they weren't wanted criminals, they would usually turn a blind eye and let them pass. (To be continued...)
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