"Yes!" the group responded in unison.
Gu Jinghong swiftly laid out the covert operation plan.
Though Chu Dingjiang had roused their fighting spirit, it was only temporary. After all, this mission was practically a suicide mission for them. Once the initial fervor settled, fear crept back into their hearts. Fortunately, Gu Jinghong's plan gave them a bit more confidence.
Moreover, Chu Dingjiang would be leading the team this time. To those who had interacted with him before, he was like an unshakable mountain—a pillar of strength. Even though they were still risking their lives, they inexplicably felt more at ease.
After understanding the situation, Mo Sigui quietly packed his belongings and volunteered to join.
As a key protected figure of the Crane Control Institute, both Gu Jinghong and Chu Dingjiang immediately rejected his request.
Mo Sigui then requested permission to gather medicinal herbs, intending to prepare more medicine to support the mission.
Gu Jinghong didn’t object and assigned two elite guards from their hidden outpost to escort him.
The dim light of an oil lamp flickered in the room.
An Jiu laid out all her hidden weapons one by one, coating them with poison.
"A Jiu." Chu Dingjiang descended silently from the rafters, landing steadily beside her.
An Jiu sensed a change in his aura compared to a few days ago. Without hesitation, she swung her sword at him.
The blade stopped three inches from his black mantle, blocked by an invisible force. Visible cracks spread across the sword, and as she withdrew it, two fragments clattered onto the table.
"Your internal energy has recovered," An Jiu remarked. His Body Shielding Qi was even more formidable than when she first met him—clearly, he hadn’t just returned to his former state but had grown stronger.
Chu Dingjiang feigned surprise, "Hmm? Did I never mention that I deliberately sealed my own energy?"
"No," An Jiu replied flatly.
His voice carried amusement, "Ah, my mistake. I must have forgotten."
This was no forgetfulness—it was deliberate! An Jiu tossed aside the broken sword and picked up a dagger, wiping it with a cloth before applying poison. Calmly, she said, "No need to blame yourself. At your age, forgetfulness is common—understandable. But since you once saved my life, I feel obligated to warn you: with symptoms like yours, you should guard against dementia."
Chu Dingjiang didn’t know what "dementia" meant, but he grasped the gist. Instead of taking offense, he nodded in agreement. "A fair point. That’s why I should marry and father children while I’m still sharp—pass down my brilliance to future generations."
An Jiu ignored him, switching to polishing her wrist-mounted arrows.
Chu Dingjiang coughed awkwardly. "So… when are you free? Should we set a date?"
An Jiu was absorbed in her task and only processed his words after a long pause. She set down the arrow and turned to him. "I’m busy. No time."
"Then we’ll discuss it when you’re free," he said, deliberately misinterpreting her refusal.
By the time An Jiu registered his movement, only a blur remained in her vision.
She blinked, then silently resumed her work. After a while, she suddenly paused, her delicate brows slowly furrowing. A thought crossed her mind: Was I just flirted with?
The more she pondered, the more certain she became.
"This is…" An Jiu murmured, staring at the cloth in her hand. "A bit regrettable."
Such an interesting moment—what had she been thinking to miss it entirely?"By the way." Chu Dingjiang reappeared before her, extending a hand from his mantle to place a bundle of feathered arrows in front of her. "These arrowheads have been specially forged—like your dagger, they can pierce through Body Shielding Qi. Keep them for dealing with eighth or ninth-rank experts, or even those in the Transformation Realm. Misty Villa's assassins use Medicine to enhance their Internal Energy. Last time the Medicine had flaws, but this time might be different."
An Jiu ignored the items and instead asked him, "How many people do you think will return alive?"
Chu Dingjiang paused briefly before answering slowly, "If only two can survive, it will definitely be you and me. Where I am, you will be."
Before An Jiu could respond, he left.
An Jiu stared blankly at the spot where he had stood.
Chu Dingjiang was actually fleeing.
Though he had spoken those words with calm composure, his heart was in turmoil. It wasn't embarrassment—after all these years, he was no greenhorn in matters between men and women—but his emotions were complex. In the past, women had merely been tools for procreation and carnal desires, insignificant in his eyes. Now, even the idea of continuing his lineage held little weight. What exactly he felt for An Jiu, he couldn't quite define.
Back when Chu Dingjiang was still a descendant of the Hua Clan, he would never have dreamed he'd one day treat a woman this way.
The wind was cold, the moon bright, and the frost gleamed like silver.
Chu Dingjiang exhaled and vanished into the darkness.
Nine days later, conflict erupted between the Yu Clan and Misty Villa.
The trigger was Misty Villa's failed assassination attempt on Zhu Pianxian. According to their agreement, they had to pay out a hefty compensation. Chu Dingjiang then secretly arranged for this sum to be deposited in batches into the Yu Clan's banking house.
The Misty Villa overseer in charge of the mission, considering Zhu Pianxian's ties to the Yu Clan and their recent suspicious activities, speculated that Yu Pianfei was trying to force Zhu Pianxian back into the Yu Clan. Thus, he saw this as a ploy to kill two birds with one stone—earning double the compensation while coercing Zhu Pianxian to return.
While Misty Villa prided itself on honoring its contracts and could stomach mission failures, being played for fools was intolerable!
Too ashamed to report this humiliation to his superiors, the overseer resolved to handle it himself before seeking punishment. He ordered the assassination of both Yu Pianfei and Zhu Pianxian, dispatching over a dozen killers.
The Yu Clan, entrenched in Yangzhou for years, was no pushover. These assassins couldn't immediately overpower them, but the relentless pursuit made Yu Pianfei's life miserable. He knew this was Chu Dingjiang's retaliation for his earlier scheme—a warning and a way to force the Yu Clan out of neutrality, compelling them to ally against Misty Villa.
With retreat cut off, Yu Pianfei wasn't one to cower indefinitely. He threw caution to the wind and launched counterattacks against Misty Villa's assassins.
This was unprecedented! The martial world was instantly abuzz with the news.
Just as Misty Villa's attention was diverted, trouble erupted in Bianjing—the Crane Control Army raided four of their covert bases.
The villa's leadership suspected the Yu Clan might also be part of the Crane Controlling Families. Were the Crane Control Army sacrificing the Yu Clan to wipe out their Bianjing operations, or using this as a diversion to weaken their forces before striking the main villa? Uncertain, the leaders immediately dispatched messenger pigeons to seek advice from Wei Yuzhi, whose whereabouts remained unknown.At the same time, Chu Dingjiang led twenty-six men in stealthily infiltrating the northern side of Misty Villa. This location was the farthest from the docks, preventing them from being easily caught in a pincer attack.
Yet, even so, this battle was the most lopsided in terms of strength.
In this battle, every man was prepared to die.
In this battle, the goal was slaughter.
In this battle, the greatest victory was to escape unscathed. (To be continued...)
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