An Jiu had personally experienced the potency of Mo Sigui's Poison Pills. Carrying a few bottles was far more effective than lugging around numerous Hidden Weapons, and his healing Medicine was nothing short of miraculous.
"Miraculous Doctor Mo," Sun Dixian knocked on the door.
Mo Sigui was busy sorting Medicine and didn’t even look up. "What is it?"
Sun Dixian smiled and was about to step inside when she heard him say, "Stop right there. Say whatever you have to say from the doorway."
Sun Dixian let out an awkward chuckle. "Miracle Doctor, I was hoping to ask for a bottle of protective Medicine."
"No," Mo Sigui replied flatly.
"This mission is perilous—a life-or-death situation, unlike any ordinary task. Please grant me a bottle! If I survive, I’ll repay you however you wish, even if it means serving you like a beast of burden!" Sun Dixian refused to give up. For the sake of increasing her chances of survival, she couldn’t back down easily.
Mo Sigui paused his work. "If I were willing to give it, I would’ve done so already—no need for your pointless chatter. Likewise, since I’ve said no, leave promptly and stop being a nuisance."
Under normal circumstances, Mo Sigui might have teased Sun Dixian a bit before handing her the Medicine, but not now. The supply of Medicine here was limited, and it wasn’t convenient to go out and purchase more. What little he had was barely enough—aside from the portion he’d set aside for An Jiu, another portion was reserved for Lou Mingyue. Even if there were leftovers, he couldn’t afford to give any to Sun Dixian. Too many people were eyeing his stock, and if they all came begging, refusing them would only earn him more enemies.
There was also a more important reason—he was in a foul mood and had no patience for dealing with people.
Sun Dixian bit her lip, lingered at the door for a moment, and finally left.
Seeing her get rejected, the others abandoned any hope of obtaining Medicine. Rather than pleading with others, they decided to focus on training harder before the impending battle, retreating behind closed doors to cultivate.
Though An Jiu had received plenty of Medicine, she didn’t slack off in her training in the slightest.
The Tendon Severing Palm consisted of eighty-one forms, divided into nine levels. An Jiu had reached the third level. The first three levels were foundational, and even after mastering them, she didn’t feel any significant difference from before. They didn’t seem particularly useful in combat either. Once she had smoothly executed the first three levels, she began attempting the fourth.
Meridians were pathways that circulated qi and blood, connecting the internal organs to the body’s surface and regulating bodily functions. In The way of medicine, acupuncture was used to unblock Meridians and treat illnesses. Similarly, external force could also damage Meridians, disrupting an enemy’s qi and blood flow—and the Tendon Severing Palm was the most brutal method of doing so.
An Jiu mimicked a few forms from the manual. Once she had them down, she applied force. With one strike, a faint, needle-like pain shot through her arm. The discomfort was negligible to her, but fearing she might be veering off course, she stopped.
She opened the door just as Mo Sigui approached, carrying a bundle.
An Jiu leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, waiting for him.
Mo Sigui trudged inside without a word and set the bundle on the table. "Take these to her for me."
An Jiu knew exactly who "her" was. "I promised Lou Mingyue I wouldn’t meddle in your affairs. Deliver it yourself."
Mo Sigui snapped. "Ungrateful wretch! After I slaved under your tyranny for three days, you won’t even do this one thing for me? You heartless bastard!"
An Jiu stared at him silently, unmoved.“Sigh!” Mo Sigui sighed. “I know her. She’s strong-willed and decisive—no matter how many times I personally deliver these, she’ll throw them out. But if we approach it more subtly, give her an excuse… for the sake of survival, she won’t refuse.”
“I’m also a decisive person,” An Jiu emphasized seriously.
“Then change a little,” Mo Sigui pushed the bundle forward, pleading. “Besides, this isn’t meddling—it’s just me asking you for a favor. A friend’s request. You wouldn’t be so heartless as to refuse, would you?”
An Jiu pondered for a moment, then nodded. “That makes sense.”
Mo Sigui brightened but couldn’t resist asking, “Do you know how to be subtle?”
“No,” An Jiu replied.
“Why not use the roundabout way you usually scold people for something else?” Mo Sigui muttered under his breath before instructing, “Just say these are things I gave you, and you’re sharing half with her as thanks for her usual care. If she refuses, tell her this mission is life-or-death, that Lou Shi’s vengeance remains unfulfilled, and having more means to survive can only help. If she still refuses, move her with your own tragic past—say you share her suffering, understand her pain, and hope to survive and seek vengeance together.”
“You’ve really schemed this through,” An Jiu remarked, then added, “Also, I don’t want revenge.”
“It’s painstaking effort!” Mo Sigui had long given up on her word choices and could only pat her shoulder weakly. “You can do it. I believe in you.”
An Jiu shook her head firmly. “Such words shouldn’t be spoken carelessly.”
“Fine, just say the first two lines, alright? If she refuses, leave the things and come back.” Mo Sigui shoved the bundle into her arms and pushed her out the door. “Go on, hurry!”
An Jiu carried the bundle and turned her head. “Wait here. I have questions for you later.”
“No problem.” Mo Sigui flicked open his folding fan and waved it leisurely.
An Jiu strode to Lou Mingyue’s door and knocked several times.
Mo Sigui immediately slipped back into his room.
“Come in. The door’s unlatched,” Lou Mingyue said.
An Jiu pushed the door open and entered.
Lou Mingyue’s figure was shrouded in darkness, her face indistinct, but An Jiu could sense her sorrow—her silhouette stood alone, as if she were the last person left in the world.
How similar Lou Mingyue was now to her past self!
An Jiu’s heart trembled. She suddenly realized how much she herself had changed.
“Did he send you?” Lou Mingyue’s voice was hoarse.
“I asked him for a lot of things.” An Jiu placed the bundle on the table. “You’ve taken care of me often at the Crane Control Institute. I’m sharing half with you as thanks.”
“Mm.” Lou Mingyue never stepped out of the shadows. “Thank you.”
With her goal achieved, An Jiu had nothing more to say.
Only after An Jiu left did Lou Mingyue approach the table.
Pale fingers untied the bundle. Staring at the assortment of bottles and jars, she wept silently. Now at the ninth rank, her hearing was several times sharper than before—at this distance, she had caught every word exchanged between Mo Sigui and An Jiu.
Mo Sigui’s presence had peeled away Lou Mingyue’s hardened shell, leaving her vulnerable and soft at times. She longed to rely on him, yet feared bringing him harm.With such emotions swirling within her, she longed to draw near yet couldn't. Lou Mingyue's face was pale, her pitch-black eyes filled with bone-deep hatred—all because of that Yelü Huangwu!
Lou Mingyue swore that one day she would personally kill this woman!
An Jiu returned to the room, and Mo Sigui immediately rushed over. Seeing she no longer carried the bundle, he asked, "Did you accept it?"
"Mm." An Jiu responded gloomily.
Mo Sigui grinned, closing his folding fan and lightly tapping it against his palm as he said cheerfully, "Little Jiu. You truly didn't disappoint me!"
He swept his robe aside and sat down, pouring tea as he spoke, "What did you want to ask me?"
An Jiu gathered her thoughts and pulled out the manual, placing it before him. "When I reached the fourth layer, I noticed a stinging pain in my arms. Is this normal?"
"Perfectly normal." Mo Sigui pushed a teacup toward her. "If you keep practicing like this, one day you'll be completely paralyzed."
An Jiu frowned. "What do you mean?"
"The Tendon Severing Palm is inherently violent—a martial art that kills a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of your own." Mo Sigui flipped to the manual's title page, rapping the table to draw An Jiu's attention. "But predecessors long ago found solutions to most of its problems: tempering one's body. That's why each layer requires medicinal baths to strengthen the body, and every three layers, the body must be reforged again. I originally thought it would take you at least a year or two to reach the second layer. Who knew you'd progress so swiftly?"
An Jiu also read the passage on the title page. "I never took any strengthening medicinal baths. Why didn't I feel any stinging when practicing the second and third layers?"
Mo Sigui crossed his legs smugly. "Do you think this Miracle Doctor idles around for nothing? The body I reforged for you is thousands of times better than others'. If not for your poor foundation, you wouldn't have any issues even practicing the fourth layer now."
"Understood," An Jiu said.
Given Mo Sigui's confidence in the way of medicine, he wouldn't endlessly nag about things within his control. But this time, An Jiu's progress had exceeded his expectations. To prevent similar dangers in the future, he added, "Actually, the Tendon Severing Palm's flaws haven't been completely eliminated. Using your own force to damage an opponent's meridians will inevitably rebound on you. While tempering the body can reduce this harm, there's no truly indestructible body in this world. Even if you reach the pinnacle, each use of this palm will still injure you. I didn't warn you because such injuries are nothing in my hands—I can restore you to your original state quickly after you're hurt."
Mo Sigui owed An Jiu a life debt. Since he intended to repay it, he wouldn't abandon her. Telling her this would only make her hesitant, so he'd kept it to himself.
"Ah!" Mo Sigui suddenly brightened as a thought struck him. "You could try practicing the Plum Fist. It can help you resolve the rebound issue from the Tendon Severing Palm."
"Plum Fist?" An Jiu knew this was the Mei family's ancestral fist technique, rumored to be capable of "hitting through the mountain," but beyond that, she knew little. "The Mei descendants don't seem to use fists anymore.""Because Plum Fist is inherently an External Cultivation technique, in an era where Inner Force prevails, External Cultivation becomes much more difficult. So the Mei Clan gradually began shifting to Inner Force cultivation, yet they never abandoned their ancestral methods. All Mei Clan disciples cultivate both internally and externally. Even if their Inner Force is crippled, they still retain combat capability. This is the true reason for the Mei Clan's strength." The more Mo Sigui thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, his tone growing increasingly excited. "By practicing Plum Fist, you'll learn how to skillfully channel your strength—to harm your enemy without injuring yourself."
"Do you know Plum Fist?" An Jiu asked.
"Plum Fist isn't taught to outsiders. My mother once secretly taught me a little, but she was only allowed to marry out because her Martial Arts were poor and she wasn't very bright." Mo Sigui wore a helpless expression. "What she learned was just superficial, and by the time it reached me, only fragments remained."
Mo Sigui had never put his heart into Martial Arts training. Moreover, he looked down on his mother's amateurish skills. Learning a few moves half-heartedly was merely to humor her. "When we return to Bianjing, you should seek out Mei Zhengjing."
An Jiu said, "Alright."
"One more thing!" Mo Sigui tapped the tattered book on the table with his folding fan. "This is a Martial Arts manual! You can't just casually pull it out like that!" (To be continued...)
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