The surrounding guards were tense, their poised stance making An Jiu certain that any sudden move on her part would result in immediate death.
The woman on horseback couldn't help but look back repeatedly.
Hua Rongtian lowered his gaze at this tear-streaked woman, his suspicions deepening. Yet, as she was someone personally assigned by The Emperor for marriage, he could only bury his doubts. After escaping danger, he realized how reckless it had been to impulsively reveal her identity. If this woman was truly loyal to The Emperor, then soon His Majesty would know the Hua Clan had secretly extended its reach into the Crane Control Army.
He, Hua Rongtian, had never made such a foolish mistake in his life.
This time... would he have to personally silence his own wife?
Watching the group ride away, An Jiu murmured, "Even after rebirth, she's still so stupid it's terrifying..."
Only Mei Jiu would rush out to block arrows just because someone called her "husband."
Only three people knew An Jiu's name—Mo Sigui, Chu Dingjiang, and Mei Jiu. In fact, "An Jiu" was just Mei Jiu's phonetic translation of the name. What other stranger would weep so desperately upon seeing her and call out her name?
Having experienced rebirth herself, An Jiu easily guessed what had happened.
Back then, Hua Rongtian had come to Mei Shi to discuss marriage, though nothing came of it. Now seeing Mei Jiu married to him, An Jiu almost believed in the concept of "fate." However, times had changed—this wasn't the Hua Clan actively seeking alliance with Mei Shi, but being forced into it. Whether this fate was good or bad remained uncertain.
Given Mei Jiu's foolishly kind nature, An Jiu believed it would be a good match.
Amidst the bloodstained streets, she turned away with a smile.
By the time she returned to the Crane Control Army, Mo Sigui had already arrived.
The treatment of a Miracle Doctor was indeed different. Upon arrival, Mo Sigui was greeted by a special escort and assigned a private residence without needing to draw lots. The house was clean and serene, furnished with high-quality furniture, meticulous in both craftsmanship and material. It had everything—bedroom, study, medicine room—and even came with two personal maids.
Mo Sigui had many eccentricities, and he particularly disliked having people he didn't approve of hovering around him, so he dismissed the two maids.
Zhu Pianxian, after fighting for two days and nights in the Octagonal Tower, was carried to Mo Sigui's residence covered in blood.
"Miraculous Doctor Mo," Zhu Pianxian weakly tugged at Mo Sigui's sleeve, sobbing, "Will... will I live?"
Mo Sigui took a sip of tea, leisurely flipping through the last medical text left by Elder Qi without even glancing at her. "Once you've rested enough, go wash up and change. Don't dirty my place."
Zhu Pianxian pouted, climbed off the couch, and rubbed her bruised face indignantly. "I swear I'll get revenge on Chu Dingjiang!"
Mo Sigui finally looked up, suddenly finding Zhu Pianxian quite agreeable. "There's a jar of Jade Beauty Cream on the shelf. Use it, and your face will heal in three days. Also, if you don't mind, stay and help me."
"Miraculous Doctor Mo, you're truly kind!" Knowing Mo Sigui had grievances with Chu Dingjiang, Zhu Pianxian added resentfully, "Unlike that Chu Dingjiang—utterly heartless!"
"Tch." Mo Sigui frowned. "Don't compare me to that scum."
"My apologies," Zhu Pianxian said."Who's the scumbag?" A voice drifted down eerily from the rafters.
Mo Sigui and Zhu Pianxian looked up to see An Jiu crouched on a beam.
Zhu Pianxian thought, This is bad—she's Chu Dingjiang's woman! She stood up and grabbed the jade beauty cream. "Since the Miracle Doctor has guests, this humble one shall take her leave."
"Feel free to stay anywhere except my bedroom," Mo Sigui said.
"Many thanks, Miracle Doctor." Zhu Pianxian tucked away the medicine bottle and swept out with such vigor that no one would guess she was at death's door.
Mo Sigui turned to An Jiu. "Perfect timing. The medicine for reforging your body has been ready for a while. When do you want to start?"
The change of topic worked—An Jiu didn't press about the scumbag. "Any time is fine."
"Good. After dinner then," Mo Sigui said. "Shall we eat out tonight? I hear the restaurants here are excellent."
"Sure." An Jiu never objected to good food.
Mo Sigui waved a hand. "Let me finish this scroll first."
An Jiu nodded and leapt lightly down from the beam to play with the two tiger cubs.
Unable to practice Tendon Severing Palm or use her mental strength for now, she'd been bored after submitting her report at the Lamp Lighting Tower.
By dusk, Mo Sigui finally finished the medical text.
Truthfully, memorizing the entire scroll shouldn't have taken this long. But this was the last remaining volume of Elder Qi's handwritten medical texts—he'd burned the others without hesitation, only to feel a pang of regret afterward.
Hesitating briefly before the brazier, he decided to keep this one.
While the world saw Elder Qi's manuscripts as rare treasures, to Mo Sigui they were simply keepsakes. Though Elder Qi's life's work represented the pinnacle of the way of medicine in their era—and remained invaluable to Mo Sigui—he never intended to merely inherit his master's legacy. He aimed to stand on Elder Qi's foundation and reach even greater heights.
Putting away the text, Mo Sigui went with An Jiu for dinner.
The Crane Control Army compound had teahouses and restaurants, eliminating any need to go outside.
As lanterns lit up the streets, crowds moved about—but unlike the outside world, despite the numbers, there wasn't a hint of noise. Even An Jiu's footsteps (lacking inner force) stood out conspicuously. The eerie atmosphere made one wonder if they'd stumbled into the underworld.
Over dinner, Mo Sigui remarked, "The Crane Control Army has a library accessible with your token. You should study breathing techniques. Even if you can't achieve complete breath control like inner cultivators, at least you wouldn't draw so much attention!"
"How do you know all this?" An Jiu found it strange. She knew nothing about this place, and Mo Sigui had just arrived—how was he so well-informed?
Mo Sigui produced a small booklet. "The receptionist gave me this. It explains everything clearly. Didn't you get one?"
An Jiu shook her head.
"Huh?" Realizing the special treatment, Mo Sigui frowned. "I hate owing favors without even realizing it!"
"Mo Sigui." An Jiu took the booklet to examine. "Do you know that flaunting unearned advantages is utterly shameless behavior?"
"Tch."
"Do you know that flaunting them before those who didn't get any is suicidal behavior?"
"Tch tch."
...
After the meal, they returned to their quarters.An Jiu was pacing around the room to aid digestion while watching Mo Sigui prepare herbal medicine. The pungent smell alone indicated the potency of the remedy.
"Mo Sigui," An Jiu said softly, standing opposite him. "I saw Mei Jiu."
Mo Sigui's hand trembled as he looked up in shock. "What did you say?"
OpenNovel