Exiting the narrow alley, An Jiu headed straight for the imperial road.
Earlier in the Crane Control Army, surrounded by numerous martial arts experts, An Jiu had vaguely sensed something amiss. Only after leaving the Crane Control Army's vicinity did she confirm that four people were indeed following her.
All four were seventh-rank practitioners. After careful consideration, An Jiu couldn't think of anyone she might have offended since joining the Crane Control Army—it seemed unlikely someone would want to kill her right from the start.
"Miss Mei," a woman's voice called from a dark alley behind her.
An Jiu paused.
The woman continued, "Lord Chu sent the four of us to assist you with your mission. He also has a message for you."
Confirming no one else was nearby, An Jiu asked, "What is it?"
"Lord Chu said your injuries haven't fully healed. Until his return, you should only accept missions lasting seven days or less. All tasks will be completed by us on your behalf." The woman added, "I'm He Cai, squad leader of the Mystic Team in the Divine Martial Army."
Within the Crane Control Army, teams were ranked using phrases from the Thousand Character Classic: "Heaven, Earth, Mystic, Yellow." This made He Cai the third-ranking figure in the Divine Martial Army, with the others being leaders of their respective teams. Together, unless facing someone like Chu Dingjiang in the Transformation Realm, few could challenge them.
Unaware of these details, An Jiu simply thought that since He Cai knew her situation, she must indeed be sent by Chu Dingjiang.
"Thank you," An Jiu replied.
Though she currently felt no abnormalities in her condition, Mo Sigui's concern suggested it wasn't trivial. It was better not to push herself.
Seeing her agreement, He Cai continued, "You may rest somewhere near the imperial road for a few days and return to the Crane Control Army after the mission concludes."
"Alright," An Jiu agreed.
From the dark alley, He Cai watched her leave. Three others emerged behind her. One remarked, "I can't sense a trace of Inner Force in that woman. Why would Lord Chu choose her as his partner?"
He Cai replied, "How many people in this world could detect our tracking?"
"She noticed?" the man asked, surprised.
"I suspect she knew from the beginning." He Cai glanced at the faintly brightening horizon. "Let's prepare quickly."
...
The eastern sky lightened slightly, casting a weak glow on the snow, painting the world in a vast expanse of pale gray.
Trees lining the road glittered with ice crystals, growing more dazzling as the light intensified.
An Jiu found a private inn to stay in. After disguising herself, she went out to wander, stopping at a teahouse to see if she could overhear any recent wedding news. Though the task had been delegated, she still wanted some basic information.
The teahouse gradually filled with patrons, the main hall bustling with early morning tea drinkers. With limited seating, An Jiu had to share a table.
Surveying the room, she approached two scholars and asked, "May I sit here?"
One looked up and smiled. "Please."
An Jiu sat and ordered a pot of tea with some snacks.
When the food arrived, she said to the two, "Let's eat together."
Unaccustomed to interacting with strangers, she nonetheless understood that showing goodwill was key to getting information.
"Then we won't stand on ceremony," the same scholar replied. "Feel free, young brother."
He pushed his tea and snacks toward the center.After sitting for a while, An Jiu felt her choice might have been unwise. These two men did talk a lot, but their entire discussion revolved around the Liao Kingdom's border invasion. However, the adjacent table mentioned something else—the Hua Clan taking in a new bride.
Unfortunately, they only spoke a few words before changing the topic.
Waiting until the two men at her table paused, An Jiu asked, "May I ask, is it true that the Hua Clan is taking in a new bride?"
The amiable scholar replied, "Young brother, you must be new to the capital, right? The Emperor bestowed a marriage upon the Hua Clan's eldest son two months ago—to Mei Shi Niang of the Mei Clan."
Mei Shi Niang?
An Jiu asked, "Which Mei Clan?"
"What other Mei Clan near Bianjing would warrant the Emperor's decree?" the other man, who hadn't spoken to An Jiu before, interjected. "Not long ago, the Mei Clan was nearly wiped out in a massacre! I heard the current head of the Mei Clan offered a vast sum to the court in exchange for this marriage alliance with the Hua Clan."
Mei Shi Niang... Mei Ruhan. An Jiu vaguely remembered her—she had been close with Mei Ru Yan. But wasn't she already dead?
An Jiu clearly recalled Chu Dingjiang mentioning that she wasn't among the survivors.
"Speaking of the Mei Clan tragedy, I'm reminded of the Lou Clan," the kind scholar sighed. "The Lou Clan was upheld by a group of women—no easy feat. Who would have thought they'd be wiped out by plague? Heaven has no eyes!"
Someone from the next table chimed in, "Young man, you're mistaken. There are still two survivors from the Lou Clan, though their whereabouts are unknown."
"That's all thanks to Miraculous Doctor Mo!" another exclaimed.
The mention of Mo Sigui spread through the teahouse like wildfire, and soon everyone was sharing rumors about him.
One voice stood out, recounting a story no one had heard before, quickly capturing the crowd's attention. "I heard Miraculous Doctor Mo risked his life because he was smitten with a Lou Clan woman. I personally witnessed the doctor walking with one of them on the street—a woman with a graceful figure. Even through her veil, one could glimpse her breathtaking beauty. Those almond eyes, like autumn waters, every glance and smile utterly enchanting."
An Jiu thought to herself—Lou Mingyue didn't have almond eyes... Could it be Lou Xiaowu? That girl was years—no, decades—away from being called "breathtakingly beautiful."
"At the time, the Lou Clan was already stricken with plague. The woman was grief-stricken, but Miraculous Doctor Mo, with his chivalrous heart, fearlessly followed her back..."
The man's story went something like this: Mo Sigui, already renowned, was sought out by a desperate Lou Clan woman pleading for his help. With his miraculous skills and righteous heart, he braved death to save the Lou Clan. Later, he glimpsed the woman's face and recognized her as his childhood sweetheart, rekindling his love. But with the Lou Clan nearly extinct, the woman, disillusioned with the mortal world, chose to become a nun...
What a moving tale! What a devoted Miraculous Doctor Mo!
An Jiu couldn't bear to listen any longer. Paying for her tea, she stood to leave.
Still, she was slightly surprised—the man's fabrication had some accidental alignment with the truth. Had he not mistaken the person, even she might have believed he'd witnessed it all firsthand.
But what concerned her most now wasn't this gossip, but the news about the Hua Clan's eldest son marrying Mei Shi Niang.
An Jiu had once met Hua Rongtian. That man reminded her of Chu Dingjiang—tall, with strikingly handsome features and an air of quiet composure. He was indeed a steady, dependable man."Mei Ruhan..." An Jiu murmured.
Upon hearing news of Mei Shi, An Jiu suddenly remembered something. She reached into her bosom and took out the jade pendant given by the Mei family head before his death.
It seemed there were still many mysteries surrounding Mei Shi.
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