The two left the city and rode swiftly toward the docks.
This time, there wasn’t much information on their target, so they had to arrive early and investigate personally.
Misty Villa profited from trading lives—many of the people they killed didn’t deserve death. Over the years, countless violent cases had turned into unsolved mysteries. So, setting aside its ties to the Liao Kingdom, the imperial court had long dreamed of wiping out this den of assassins.
Once, an official petitioned to dispatch troops to besiege Misty Villa. The troops were sent, but upon arrival, they found only an empty shell—a mere decoy, its occupants long gone after receiving advance warning. The siege became a joke.
The true location of Misty Villa was deeply hidden. In the jianghu, those who wished to do business with Misty Villa would go to a manor near Zhending Prefecture in Hebei West Circuit. The court had secretly sent people to capture them several times, but every contact from Misty Villa turned out to be a death warrior. Once surrounded, they would do everything possible to kill themselves, leaving no room for negotiation.
The Crane Control Army was the last line of defense for the Great Song. Unless absolutely necessary, they could not leave the capital in large numbers. They had rarely received missions related to Misty Villa before, so despite gathering scattered intelligence over the past two years, they still hadn’t uncovered its full scope.
In recent months, mounting evidence suggested Misty Villa was a front for Liao Kingdom spies. The Emperor deemed this malignant tumor must be excised, and thus the mission fell to the Crane Control Army. With little time given, the covert commander had no choice but to order simultaneous raids on Misty Villa’s decoy sites, searching for ways to trace back to the main stronghold.
This method proved effective—within half a month, they learned Misty Villa was near Yangzhou in Huainan East Circuit. But Misty Villa reacted swiftly, and the Crane Control Army still couldn’t pinpoint its exact location.
From Bianjing to Yangzhou, the fastest route was by water.
Bianjing lay along the middle stretch of the Grand Canal. The section from Bianjing to Jiangnan was called the Bian River.
Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu arrived at the official docks to find a boat heading south.
The river was crowded with masts and bustling vessels. Over a dozen large ships and numerous smaller boats were moored at the docks. Workers unloaded cargo from two of the larger ships.
The south was prosperous, with abundant grain yields. In wartime, this stretch of the canal could transport vast supplies from the south, so the Great Song had prioritized maintaining order along the waterways since its founding. Private docks required imperial approval.
There were three private docks near Bianjing, but all were small, mostly handling cargo with few passenger services. Thus, Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu came to this official dock.
After securing a boat, Chu Dingjiang took An Jiu to a nearby market to buy supplies.
“The boat sets sail in an hour. The boatman said they don’t provide food.” Chu Dingjiang pulled out two large cloth bags from his robe and began stuffing them with whatever edible goods he found in the market.
An Jiu silently followed behind, dragging the bags.
After a full round of shopping, Chu Dingjiang walked back carrying two enormous sacks, drawing curious glances from passersby.
An Jiu stayed quiet the whole way, only speaking up once they boarded the boat. “Are you sure you used to be a noble young master?”
Chu Dingjiang paused. “Are you saying I should’ve made you carry the bags instead, since a noble young master like me shouldn’t dirty his hands?”"No, I just thought that earlier look suited your temperament perfectly." An Jiu felt her explanation wasn't clear enough, so she added another jab. "About this noble son business—you weren't just daydreaming, were you?"
Chu Dingjiang laughed heartily. "Nobility lies in the heart, dignity in the bones. Others can't imitate that."
Even setting aside the 2,200-year gap, the ideological chasm between An Jiu and him remained wider than the Milky Way. So when she heard his profound words now, An Jiu genuinely thought Chu Dingjiang had an excellent sense of humor.
Unaware that her sense of humor was so uniquely peculiar, Chu Dingjiang saw her grinning as if delighted and smugly concluded his charm hadn't faded over the years.
Feeling pleased, he sorted out some ingredients that needed cooking, then hoisted a cloth bag. "I'll take these to the boatwoman. You rest for a while."
"Alright."
An Jiu packed the remaining items and stacked them in a corner before stepping out to survey the ship's layout.
The vessel was large, primarily for passengers. The lower deck held scattered cargo and communal bunks for budget travelers, while the middle section featured cabins of varying sizes.
An Jiu and Chu Dingjiang occupied the smallest cabin in the farthest corner of the midsection. Originally, the ship had been fully booked when Chu Dingjiang arranged passage. He'd paid a hefty sum to have this cabin vacated, forcing them to share tight quarters.
An Jiu didn't mind. Field missions were inherently rough, and this wasn't their first time sharing a room—no need for prudishness.
After a quick inspection, she encountered a group while returning. Two burly men flanked a woman in deep purple robes and a veiled hat, its translucent gauze half-concealing her face. The fluttering veil occasionally revealed an exquisite chin and crimson lips. The four escorts stood nearly as tall as Chu Dingjiang, yet the woman at their center wasn't much shorter.
The narrow passage forced them to sidle past each other. As An Jiu brushed shoulders with the woman, she caught a faint medicinal fragrance.
The woman's extraordinary bearing made An Jiu look twice.
Noticing the attention, the woman glanced down briefly, her gaze sweeping over An Jiu through the thin veil.
Though half a head shorter and lacking imposing presence, An Jiu's unshakable composure created an illusion of indomitable stability.
Their brief visual exchange left impressions—mutually intrigued by each other's distinctiveness.
Shortly after An Jiu returned, Chu Dingjiang came back.
"There's a remarkable woman aboard," An Jiu remarked.
Sitting opposite her and pouring water, he raised an eyebrow. "What, someone more remarkable than you?"
An Jiu nodded.
Chu took a sip of tea. "Do tell."
With An Jiu's exceptional mental strength, her instincts about unusual people or events were never wrong—Chu never doubted that.
Yet after long contemplation, she solemnly concluded, "She's truly extraordinary."
"..."
Seeing his exasperated look, An Jiu admitted her vagueness and elaborated, "I sensed her mental strength around ranks eight or nine, but the pressure she unconsciously exuded far exceeded that level."
"Let's keep an eye out then," Chu Dingjiang said.He sat down on the bed, crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and prepared to practice his cultivation. "If you feel bored, you can look around, but be back before dinner."
An Jiu sat for a while before getting up and going out. After all, they would be on the ship for several days, so she needed to familiarize herself with the surroundings.
The lower deck was simple, divided by wooden planks into one large space with a communal sleeping area for sixty or seventy people. Those without money, regardless of gender or age, had to sleep together. However, ordinary women rarely traveled far, and if they did, they were always accompanied by male family members.
Since their belongings were stored there, even though the space was stuffy, everyone stayed inside.
An Jiu glanced around—most of them were dressed decently, likely merchants on business. (To be continued...)
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