The pursuing officers, seeing it wasn’t a case of murder, immediately relaxed. Only after the physician took Wei Yuzhi inside did one of them grab hold of her.
An Jiu was thinking of quickly following them in—if he was still breathing, she’d quietly finish him off with another stab. Leaving such a scourge alive meant even sleeping with her eyes open might not save her from his schemes.
Just as she was anxiously trying to rush inside, an officer unexpectedly seized her.
When the men got a clear look at her face, they all froze.
The officer who had grabbed her recoiled as if burned and quickly withdrew his hand, reassuring her, “Don’t worry, miss. This is the most renowned medical hall in Bianjing—your brother will surely be saved.”
An Jiu’s heart sank, cursing her own poor judgment. But in the midst of galloping at full speed, this medical hall’s sign had been the most conspicuous—she really couldn’t be blamed.
Seeing her expression darken, the officer explained, “Miss, you charged through the city gates on horseback. Please give us an account of what happened so we can report back.”
An Jiu replied, “Oh, I’m from the Mei household. While out with my brother, we were attacked by bandits. He was stabbed protecting me. In my panic, I rushed into the city.”
That was all she said, but the listeners’ imaginations ran wild. A young lady as stunning as this must have caught someone’s eye, leading to foul intentions—her brother had fought back… As for her barging into the city without a word, everyone agreed that a sheltered young lady who could ride, remain composed after her brother was stabbed, and even bring him back for treatment was already remarkable. They couldn’t demand more.
The officer’s protective instincts flared. “Miss, first tell me about the attack, then go report it to the authorities as soon as possible.”
“We were at Jade Chain Mountain when three burly men blocked our path. Their attire looked like that of outlaws. They fled after seeing bloodshed.”
“Hmph! Outlaws? More like cowards!” the officer reassured her. “Don’t worry, miss. The authorities will catch the culprits soon. Go on inside—your brother is blessed. He’ll pull through!”
With that, he waved the others off. “You all go back. I’ll accompany Mei Niangzi to report this shortly.”
“Thank you.” An Jiu turned briskly and entered.
Bianjing’s top medical hall lived up to its name. By the time she stepped inside, the gray-haired physician had already removed the sword and was meticulously cleaning the wound.
Now, if she tried to sneak in another stab, it’d be far too obvious. The officers outside hadn’t gone far yet. If she didn’t want to end up in prison or hunted by both sides, she’d have to endure for now.
Nearly an hour later, the wound was treated.
The elderly physician stood, exhaling in relief. Noticing An Jiu’s grim expression, he comforted her, “Fortunately, the blade was thin and narrow—half an inch from a fatal strike. Your brother is truly blessed.”
How modest. An Jiu sneered inwardly but said aloud, “Thank you, Doctor.”
Her expression remained stormy, so the physician assumed she was still worried about her brother. After offering a few more words of comfort, he left.
“Wait.” An Jiu stopped the apothecary’s apprentice carrying a tray. “This weapon belongs to the attackers. I’ll need it when reporting to the authorities—leave it here.”
The apprentice had intended to hand it over to the officer outside anyway. Hearing her request, he saw no issue and set it down.
An Jiu lowered her voice. “Stop pretending to be asleep.”People with high mental strength are definitely not so easily rendered unconscious. Sometimes, even in excruciating pain, their thoughts remain crystal clear. The dosage of anesthetic given by the physician was unlikely to knock Wei Yuzhi out.
“How many times is this that you’ve taken me hostage?” Wei Yuzhi’s voice was weak.
An Jiu leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, giving him a cold smile. “You’ve escaped every single time. You’re lucky!”
“Not luck.” A faint smile appeared on Wei Yuzhi’s face, as if everything was within his expectations. “I’m just good at seizing the sliver of hope in desperate situations.”
If he hadn’t anticipated that An Jiu only had one way into the city, Wei Yuzhi wasn’t foolish enough to get this close to such a dangerous person. It wasn’t as if he’d just met An Jiu today.
“What’s your goal, risking your life like this?” An Jiu couldn’t guess, but Wei Yuzhi wouldn’t gamble with his life just for fun!
“Of course, it’s what I came here to obtain,” Wei Yuzhi replied.
“You won’t get it.” A deep voice sounded from above, accompanied by a sudden surge of rich mental strength, powerful as a thousand weights, turning Wei Yuzhi’s already pale face even whiter, veins bulging on his forehead.
A figure in black robes descended from the roof and landed beside An Jiu.
An Jiu sensed that Chu Dingjiang’s cultivation had advanced again. He could now freely conceal or release his aura, to the point where even she couldn’t detect it.
“Let’s go.” Chu Dingjiang reached out and pulled An Jiu into his arms.
An Jiu asked, “Not killing him?”
Chu Dingjiang’s gaze lingered on Wei Yuzhi’s face. “Take care of yourself.”
Without waiting for An Jiu’s opinion, he whisked her away.
The weather was gloomy, the outside light already dim as night. Only when they reached a deserted spot did An Jiu break free. “Why didn’t you kill him?!”
“A Jiu, do you think Wei Yuzhi is doing well in the Liao Kingdom?” Chu Dingjiang asked.
An Jiu had a vague sense that he seemed somewhat disheartened.
“He’s served his master for so many years. Now that his master is about to ascend the throne, he should be a key minister. With a new emperor’s ascension, the internal situation in Liao is bound to be unstable. At such a time, if his master truly valued him, he wouldn’t have sent him here,” Chu Dingjiang explained.
An Jiu wasn’t convinced. “The new Liao emperor can’t survive without Gu Jinghong’s heart blood. Something this important—wouldn’t he send a trusted subordinate to handle it?”
“When you took Wei Yuzhi hostage in such a dangerous way, how did his subordinates react?” Chu Dingjiang reminded her.
At that moment, the opportunity had been fleeting, and An Jiu hadn’t had time to consider every detail. The reason she’d acted so boldly was her intuition that the people around wouldn’t kill her for Wei Yuzhi’s sake. In many dangerous situations, An Jiu relied 70% on analysis, 20% on intuition honed from long missions, and 10% on luck.
Now, thinking back calmly, her actions at the time had seemed less like taking a hostage and more like trying to kill Wei Yuzhi. Yet those people still hadn’t attacked her—clearly, they weren’t his trusted subordinates.
If he was on a mission but didn’t bring his trusted aides, it must have been his master’s arrangement...
So even if she had killed Wei Yuzhi then, those people would have spared her to obtain Gu Jinghong’s heart blood.
An Jiu’s expression turned grave and serious. “I’ve gotten stupid.”
It must be Mei Jiu’s influence! An Jiu thought resentfully."You are astute," Chu Dingjiang said with a reassuring smile. "Keeping Wei Yuzhi around has its advantages. Those in power have witnessed his terrifying intellect. Once their grand ambitions are achieved, there’s only one outcome—when the birds are gone, the bow is put away. Do you think Wei Yuzhi would resign himself to death?"
An Jiu’s intuition told him, "Most likely not."
Back in the pavilion, though An Jiu hadn’t fully grasped Wei Yuzhi’s metaphor, the way he looked at the vortex tree held no trace of self-pity. Instead, there was an unyielding defiance in his gaze. (To be continued...)
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