An Jiu remained on high alert throughout the entire night. During that time, she had Mo Sigui examine Chu Dingjiang's injuries. Only after confirming there was no life-threatening danger did she settle back into her vigil.
Mo Sigui also spent the night sprawled in the tent, leaving at dawn with his two tigers to eat. An Jiu merely nibbled on some dry rations inside the tent.
The sun dipped westward.
The afternoon light streamed through the open tent flap, casting a glow on the ground. Chu Dingjiang exhaled deeply and opened his eyes, immediately spotting An Jiu sitting beside the bed with her bow in her arms. A smile unconsciously touched his eyes as he reached out to stroke her hair. "Tired?"
Chu Dingjiang thought to himself that An Jiu was, after all, a woman who needed affection.
Unfortunately, she ruined the moment by shaking her head bluntly. "Someone infiltrated the camp last night."
Hearing this, Chu Dingjiang had no choice but to set aside his tender thoughts for the time being. "What happened?"
An Jiu replied, "I don’t know their purpose. What unsettles me most is that I couldn’t gauge their strength or even accurately track their movements."
After a moment of contemplation, Chu Dingjiang said, "Perhaps that person is like you—possessing only Mental Strength but no Martial Arts."
An Jiu’s eyelids twitched as she recalled the sensation of facing Wei Yuzhi in the past. "True."
"However, according to intelligence reports, Wei Yuzhi has gone missing. The last time he used his Mental Strength, he suffered backlash. He shouldn’t have recovered so quickly." Chu Dingjiang spoke at length, his mouth dry, yet the young woman beside him didn’t offer him a cup of water. Resigned, he got up and poured himself one, downing it in one go before continuing, "Cases like yours aren’t rare, but I’ve never heard of anyone whose Mental Strength rivals yours."
"Could it be a Liao spy?" An Jiu asked.
Chu Dingjiang shook his head. "The Liao are wolves at heart, eager to use every possible means to attack the Song. If they had such a talent, they would’ve deployed them long ago—they wouldn’t wait until now!"
"Then…" An Jiu had considered this possibility too, but she couldn’t think of any other explanation.
"Take these Liao Raiders, for instance. Most aren’t genuine Liao Raiders but Martial Arts masters lured by the bounty on Ling Ziyue’s head." Chu Dingjiang quickly pieced together a theory. "Perhaps the talent has always existed but wasn’t under Liao’s command. Now, something here has drawn that person in, so they’ve agreed to work for the Liao."
"Still targeting Ling Ziyue?" Though the intruder had lingered near the general’s tent last night, An Jiu faintly sensed they weren’t after Ling Ziyue.
Chu Dingjiang chuckled. "Do you really think I’m omniscient? The other party merely showed up—I haven’t even seen them. Any speculation right now is just guesswork."
Hearing this, An Jiu stopped dwelling on the matter and instead asked, "How’s your recovery?"
Chu Dingjiang’s gaze fell on the Dragon Subduing Bow in her arms. "When I once treated your injuries, I sensed an absorbing force in your Meridians. I didn’t expect this bow to amplify it. Fortunately, I left some restraints in my body—otherwise, this would’ve been truly perilous."
An Jiu peeled away the black cloth covering the bow, revealing its dark surface. "This bow is indeed unusual. It feels lighter and lighter. I wonder if it’s related to your Inner Force."
The once pitch-black bow now gleamed coldly under the blazing sun, and when held against the light, a faint red glow shimmered within, as if forged in raging flames.Chu Dingjiang reached out to pick up the Dragon Subduing Bow when hurried footsteps interrupted him.
“A Jiu!” Mo Sigui burst in, followed closely by his two tigers.
Panting, he said, “I’ve figured out why that person came last night! After lunch, I took Da Jiu and Xiao Yue for a walk around the camp, but when I returned, the apothecary’s apprentice and the medicine chest were gone.”
Gu Jinghong’s blood! An Jiu instantly understood his meaning.
“They must still be in the camp. Go inform Ling Jiangjun immediately,” An Jiu urged.
Even with mental strength as formidable as hers, the limitations of a physical body were a disadvantage compared to an Inner Cultivator. Though martial arts masters were scarce in the military camp, everyone was highly alert. In broad daylight, a lone intruder might slip in and out, but it would be impossible to move freely while carrying another person.
Mo Sigui replied, “I’ve already sent Xiao Wu to tell him—just that someone infiltrated the camp to steal my medicine chest and abduct my apprentice. As for the rest, it’s better not to let too many people know.”
A common man’s possession of a treasure becomes his crime. The heart blood of a medicine man was extremely precious, and rumors had long exaggerated its powers, claiming it could revive the dead, regenerate flesh, and even allow one to ascend to immortality with enough consumption! Mo Sigui knew these claims were impossible, but others did not.
If the emperor learned of this, he would likely try to seize it for himself.
Mo Sigui hadn’t accepted Gu Jinghong’s blood out of greed. Raising a medicine man was an inhumane practice, and the powerful would go to great lengths to conceal it. Moreover, if word of such a valuable resource spread, it would incite a frenzy. Years of effort and resources would be wasted—so even if the original owner lost the heart blood, they could only swallow their anger and send people to steal it back in secret.
Though Mo Sigui didn’t spell it out, Chu Dingjiang pieced it together from their exchange. “You’re probably in for some trouble from now on.”
“This time, you’ll have to protect me,” Mo Sigui said, tilting his chin up. “If it weren’t for treating your Da Jiu, I wouldn’t have ended up in someone’s sights.”
Chu Dingjiang knew Mo Sigui’s willingness to take risks wasn’t purely out of friendship—mostly, it was driven by his curiosity about the medicinal properties. But he didn’t call him out. “Fine.” (To be continued…)
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