An Jiu's gaze sharpened as she swiftly seized Zhu Pianxian's wrist in return.
Though Zhu Pianxian was a skilled fighter in her own right, the overwhelming mental strength pressing down on her left her mind blank for a split second—just long enough for An Jiu to turn the tables.
Through the window slit, Chu Dingjiang witnessed the scene, amusement flickering in his eyes. But what he didn’t expect was An Jiu suddenly letting go, only to reach out and pinch Zhu Pianxian’s cheeks instead. She kneaded and squeezed them with apparent fascination, only reluctantly releasing them after a long moment.
The moment the mental pressure lifted, Zhu Pianxian yelped and clutched her face.
She had initially thought An Jiu looked silly when she smiled, her bright eyes giving off an air of innocence. That was why she had dared to pinch An Jiu’s cheeks—to check if she was wearing a human skin mask. Who knew this girl could switch expressions in the blink of an eye!
"I'm A Jiu," An Jiu said, staring at her.
Chu Dingjiang nearly fell off his horse. Since when did this brute ever introduce herself to others unprompted?
Lou Mingyue, who had been resting with her eyes closed, now opened them. She had always felt a kinship with An Jiu—their auras were similar, and their experiences mirrored each other. That was why she had harbored a desire to befriend her, treating An Jiu with a degree of favor she rarely showed others. Yet, from beginning to end, An Jiu had never extended any goodwill toward her.
Lou Mingyue turned her gaze to Zhu Pianxian, scrutinizing her closely—what was it about this woman that made An Jiu act this way?
An Jiu leaned forward, grabbed Zhu Pianxian’s hand, and pressed it against her own face.
Chu Dingjiang frowned, lost in thought for a long moment before dismounting and boarding Mo Sigui’s carriage.
The moment he stepped inside, several streaks of colored smoke shot toward him, only to freeze inches away from his body, unable to advance.
Two tiger cubs pounced on him, gnawing at the hem of his robe with their tiny milk teeth. Their round little bodies rolled clumsily across the carriage floor, growling in their best attempt at ferocity.
Mo Sigui glared at him with deep resentment. "What are you doing here?"
"Don’t you think A Jiu has been acting strangely lately?" Chu Dingjiang cut straight to the point.
Mo Sigui snorted through his nose. "Has she ever acted normally?"
Chu Dingjiang’s expression darkened.
"Fine, fine, she’s normal. The most normal person in the world!" Mo Sigui was a little afraid of him—this man fought dirty, leaving bruises that took forever to fade, and he always aimed for the face.
"While I don’t approve of your character, I won’t deny that your medical skills are exceptional," Chu Dingjiang said.
You thuggish ruffian who starts fights over sweet potatoes—what right do you have to approve of my character?! Mo Sigui fumed inwardly.
But the latter half of Chu Dingjiang’s statement struck a chord with him. For some reason, those words felt more satisfying than outright flattery.
Ahem. Mo Sigui cleared his throat. "What’s wrong with her?"
"During the last mission, she lost control once. At the time, I thought it was just her potential erupting under extreme pressure, so I didn’t pay it much mind. But after observing her these past few days, I feel like she’s..." Chu Dingjiang paused, searching for the right words. "Mentally unstable. I want to confirm it."
Lately, An Jiu had started smiling more, and the occasional glimpses of innocence she displayed made Chu Dingjiang feel oddly unfamiliar with her.
"How is she unstable?" Mo Sigui asked.
"She’s become very different from before—her personality seems gentler, and she smiles often."
"I’ll take a look." Hearing Chu Dingjiang’s description, Mo Sigui sprang up in an instant.Since Mei Jiu's disappearance, though he had resolved to spend his lifetime making amends, a heavy stone always weighed on his heart. His emotions were few and faint, and he felt no familial bond with Mei Jiu. He simply couldn't accept owing someone his life.
If—if Mei Jiu could be revived, his heart would feel much lighter.
Mo Sigui leaped off the carriage and flicked open his folding fan to cover the remaining bruises on his face. With a light leap, he boarded An Jiu's carriage.
"Hmm?" Mo Sigui noticed an unfamiliar woman.
Zhu Pianxian took in his appearance and the fan in his hand, exclaiming joyfully, "Miraculous Doctor Mo!"
Mo Sigui didn't recall knowing this woman.
Zhu Pianxian curtsied gracefully. "The Miracle Doctor may not know this humble one, but I have long heard of your great reputation. To witness your brilliance today is truly the fortune of three lifetimes!"
As someone who traded in information, she was well acquainted with Mo Sigui's appearance and attire. Few men possessed such charming peach-blossom eyes and carried an Ice Dragon Brain fan.
"Honored," Mo Sigui smiled, sitting cross-legged before turning to An Jiu. "A Jiu, I'm here for your follow-up examination."
An Jiu extended her hand.
Mo Sigui took her pulse, lowering his eyes in concentration.
Threads of True Energy seeped through her veins into An Jiu's body. Mo Sigui's meridians were of the wind attribute, existing outside the five elements, so a small amount of True Energy wouldn't trigger rejection from any meridian type. Compared to Elder Qi, he was far more suited for this technique.
Mo Sigui's brows gradually furrowed. After careful probing, he found no trace of two mental strengths, though An Jiu's body did show some abnormalities.
Releasing her wrist, he said, "I'll perform acupuncture when we stop midway."
"Why acupuncture?" An Jiu asked.
Many parts of An Jiu's body showed signs of impending collapse—something absent during his previous examination—but Mo Sigui offered no details. "Your arms were injured and need proper recuperation," he simply said.
An Jiu nodded.
Zhu Pianxian seized the opportunity to ask, "Miracle Doctor, rumors say you vowed never to marry again for the sake of the Qiu family's daughter. Is this true?"
Lou Mingyue stiffened almost imperceptibly.
"Indeed," Mo Sigui replied. Though he'd never actually made such a vow, in front of the person in question, he naturally seized the chance to emphasize his devotion. "In this life, I have only one wife—Ning Yu."
"Such profound love, ah!" Zhu Pianxian sighed wistfully. Why did other men seem so much better while her dead husband had been so lacking? During their newlywed days, he'd suddenly died in a brothel—stark naked and mid-intercourse with a courtesan. The scandal had shaken the entire Yangzhou City back then.
Donning mourning robes, Zhu Pianxian had felt an instant liberation. For years, she'd worn plain white clothes, leading others to believe she was a chaste widow eternally mourning her husband. Little did they know how relieved she truly was.
By dusk, the convoy reached a post station.
Mo Sigui immediately went to prepare An Jiu's medicine.
An Jiu and Chu Dingjiang sat on a withered tree behind the station, pale winter sunlight casting over them.
"A Jiu," Chu Dingjiang asked, "why do you like Zhu Pianxian? Isn't Lou Mingyue quite good too?"
An Jiu squinted at the horizon, pondering before answering, "Zhu Pianxian is like the sun and also a rabbit. Lou Mingyue is like the moon, a bat, and also a mouse."
"Oh?" Chu Dingjiang had never heard such descriptions before. Moreover, Lou Mingyue—who seemed superior to Zhu Pianxian in every aspect—was compared to a mouse?An Jiu clutched the withered tree bark, murmuring, "I'm also a rat."
Chu Dingjiang pondered for a while. Saying Zhu Pianxian resembled the sun could be interpreted as brightness and warmth, while describing Lou Mingyue as the moon might signify cold desolation. But how to explain rabbits and rats?
"Doing things that shun the light, living in darkness. Lou Mingyue and I are the same, but I don't like it." An Jiu tilted her head to look at him. "Zhu Pianxian is different. She's like a cunning rabbit, very sly, but I sense no danger from her." (To be continued...)
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