An Jiu stood between the two, using her sword to support herself, when she heard Chu Dingjiang exclaim, "Yin Sha!"
She turned her gaze and saw that within a distance of two zhang, the mist had unknowingly dissipated. Behind the figure clad in red was a backdrop of swirling fog, deep and shallow, as if the person had stepped out of an ink-wash painting.
Just as cold, just as aloof, yet those delicate and refined features were entirely different from Mister Mo.
For some reason, An Jiu suddenly felt relieved. Subconsciously, she didn’t want Mei Ru Yan’s deep affection to be in vain. Perhaps for Mei Ru Yan, Mister Mo being alive was a good thing, but for An Jiu—an outsider—that love held more meaning than Mister Mo’s life itself.
"How about we use her for a bet?" The man addressed as Yin Sha looked at An Jiu, his words laced with amusement.
Chu Dingjiang’s figure flashed, and in an instant, he was by An Jiu’s side. "Compared to the previous generation, you truly disgrace the title of 'Yin Sha.'"
Yin Sha was a title, one that hadn’t existed for long—only two generations. The first Yin Sha was Mister Mo, and this man was the second.
Chu Dingjiang had never met Mister Mo, but the arrogance of Yin Sha, one who looked down upon the world, was known to all. That man seemed to stand above the clouds, preferring to crush his targets with overwhelming force, even if their Internal Energy surpassed his own.
"Old friend, we’ve known each other for more than a day or two. For you to say such words that show you don’t understand me at all—it truly breaks my heart!" The man chuckled, unfazed by Chu Dingjiang’s words. "Dispel your Protective Qi Aura and endure the sound of my xiao for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Otherwise, the Gu planted in her body will devour her flesh and blood."
As he smiled, his eyes seemed to hold a pool of water, the corners tinged with a faint crimson, giving rise to an eerie, bewitching aura. "See, I understand you well. I know you value this girl greatly."
A tearing pain shot through An Jiu’s arm as two small snakes flicked their tongues and coiled around her limb, following the path of her agony.
Qiu Yunxiao was not present at this moment. An Jiu didn’t recognize these snakes, but she could vaguely guess that they were highly interested in the Gu inside her body.
Chu Dingjiang remained silent, yet the mist that had previously been unable to approach him now slowly crept up from behind, making him appear as if he, too, was leaning against the boundless fog, much like Yin Sha.
"Be careful." Yin Sha raised the xiao to his lips.
A mournful melody began, beautiful at first, yet laced with a sharp, piercing tone that remained at a high pitch. The sound made An Jiu’s head feel as if it were splitting, her ears stinging in pain. The two small snakes coiled tightly around her, writhing in apparent agony.
Suddenly, Chu Dingjiang pulled her into his embrace, his warm hands covering her ears as a gentle, sun-like energy swiftly enveloped her entire body.
The sharp, high-pitched sound vanished, leaving only the melody of the xiao.
Freed from the interference of the xiao’s music, the snakes gradually relaxed, their attention quickly drawn back to the Gu inside An Jiu.
When the pain spread to her neck, the snakes’ eyes flashed red, and they viciously bit into the raised veins on either side of her throat. Moments later, they abruptly jerked back.Snakes usually swallow their prey whole, not bite off chunks of flesh. It might not be able to tear out whatever was inside. An Jiu thought that since this Gu had been moving up her arm, it was likely heading either to her brain or heart—either way, it would be even more troublesome later. The small snake hadn’t bitten earlier, so she didn’t know exactly where the Gu was. Now was the perfect opportunity! With that thought, she drew her dagger and swiftly sliced off the two pieces of flesh.
Blood sprayed out like rain, splattering all over Chu Dingjiang’s face.
The neck was crisscrossed with vital veins, one of the body’s most fragile areas. An Jiu’s two cuts were practically a gamble with her life.
“What are you doing?!” Chu Dingjiang was startled and immediately pressed several acupoints to temporarily stop the bleeding. Distracted, the sound of his flute suddenly turned sharp, like a blade drilling into the ears. A trickle of blood slowly seeped from his ear.
Seeing this, An Jiu urgently said, “The Gu is gone!”
Chu Dingjiang could only hear the piercing, high-pitched sound now, but he could guess what An Jiu meant. His True Energy surged violently as he released her. His sword, unsheathed at some unknown moment, flashed like an arrow released from its bow. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Yin Sha.
The gale wind was fierce, whipping Yin Sha’s black hair and red robes wildly. The tip of the sword was still an inch from his forehead, but as it inched closer, the Protective Energy split his brow, and a drop of blood slid down the bridge of his nose.
The red at the corners of Yin Sha’s eyes spread wider and wider, eventually blooming like peach blossoms.
He retreated hastily, the thick mist behind him surging forward until his entire figure seemed to dissolve into the fog.
Chu Dingjiang’s target suddenly vanished. He immediately sheathed his sword, but when he turned back, An Jiu was nowhere to be seen.
Though Yin Sha’s martial arts were mediocre and he lacked the overwhelming killing intent of the previous generation’s Yin Sha, the fact that he could repeatedly escape Chu Dingjiang’s grasp meant he had some skill—at the very least, his evasion techniques were unmatched in the martial world, with no one surpassing him.
“A Jiu?” Chu Dingjiang called out.
“I’m here.”
Chu Dingjiang’s ears were ringing, but he still heard her. They had been less than ten feet apart. Following the sound, he found her.
“Let’s go quickly,” An Jiu said, her face pale, one hand pressed to her neck and the other reaching for his.
A cold glint flashed—Chu Dingjiang’s sword had already pierced the chest of the “An Jiu” before him!
The “An Jiu” let out a bitter laugh. “What a ruthless man!”
Faced with the face of the woman he loved, he could still strike so decisively and mercilessly!
As the body collapsed, another voice called out to him, “Chu Dingjiang.”
The voice came from below, sounding weak, but the tone was unmistakably An Jiu’s.
Chu Dingjiang crouched down and felt the Dragon Subduing Bow in An Jiu’s grip.
An Jiu lay on the ground. Hearing someone impersonate her, she had mustered her strength to draw the bow, ready to shoot the impostor by sound alone. She hadn’t expected Chu Dingjiang to see through the deception himself.
Chu Dingjiang took out the wound medicine and bandaged her neck before lifting her onto his back.
An Jiu didn’t refuse. Resting her chin on his broad shoulder, she closed her eyes to steady herself. The familiar warmth seeped through their clothes as she murmured, “How did you know it wasn’t me?”
Since the impostor had dared to mimic her, they must have been skilled in disguise and imitation.
“Not even slightly similar.” Chu Dingjiang listed the reasons one by one. “First, her every movement carried a subtle grace—you don’t have that. Second, her chest was noticeably fuller than yours. And third, you’ve lost so much blood. When I held you earlier, I could already feel how weak you were. There’s no way you’d be in such good condition.”Once An Jiu lost too much blood, she would become weaker than those with Inner Force. Those people didn't know An Jiu practiced pure External Cultivation, and this major flaw naturally emerged in their imitation.
"There's one more crucial point," Chu Dingjiang said. "She took the initiative to hold my hand. You wouldn't do that."
The surrounding mist gradually dissipated.
An Jiu felt a gentle breeze and opened her eyes. "The array is broken?"
"When I saw Yin Sha appear and the mist retreat, I guessed he was the eye of this array," Chu Dingjiang said, looking around. The others were in sorry states—only seven of the original ten remained.
With Chu Dingjiang and the Raging Crossbow, this array couldn't hold them. Yin Sha's appearance was merely to delay Chu Dingjiang, allowing the important people or items in the manor to withdraw.
"Rest briefly where you are, then follow me to fight our way out," Chu Dingjiang ordered.
"Yes!" the group responded in unison.
Though this signaled their retreat, no one was excited—they all knew an even greater confrontation likely awaited them outside. (To be continued...)
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