(Making up for yesterday's second update)
"Good," Mei Yanran said.
Daughters of Mei Shi could only marry outside the clan with the emperor's personal permission, so very few were ever allowed to wed.
Apart from marriage, Mei Shi also kept some children within the family to maintain its lineage—this was also permitted.
Mei Yanran possessed exceptional martial talent. As a child, she didn’t know better and failed to conceal it. But as she grew older and learned the clan’s secrets, she began hiding her true strength. With calculated cunning, she provoked her stepsister through challenges, pushing her to train harder and surpass her in every way, while Mei Yanran herself emphasized her talent for leadership.
Later, things went as Mei Yanran had hoped. She was kept in the estate to take in a husband and assist the clan leader in managing family affairs, while her stepsister was sent to the Crane Control Army.
From then on, her stepmother harbored hatred for Mei Yanran. In revenge, she plotted to kill Mei Yanran’s husband, who had been married to her for less than half a year. After sending off her late husband, Mei Yanran discovered she was already one month pregnant.
The main branch of the family had few children, and Mei Jiu’s fate as a member of the shadow unit was almost sealed before she was even born. When Mei Jiu was just over a year old, Old Madam proposed to the clan leader that she help Mei Yanran raise the child.
Mei Yanran had been kept in the family for her outstanding leadership skills—she couldn’t stay home like an ordinary woman to care for her husband and child. Thus, she had no grounds to refuse Old Madam’s request.
Old Madam wouldn’t take Mei Jiu’s life, but would she turn her into a fool? Would she raise her to forget her own mother? Would she push her to train diligently, ensuring she couldn’t escape being sent to the Crane Control Army in the future? Mei Yanran didn’t know, but she was certain Old Madam had no good intentions. So for two years, she planned carefully, then fled Mei Shi with her young daughter, hiding for a full decade.
The hardships of those ten years were indescribable, but Mei Yanran believed it was worth it.
"Jiu'er, no matter what has happened to you during this time, you must never display any martial talent," Mei Yanran said, her gaze returning to its usual calm. "Your mother will make sure you marry like any other girl."
No one knows a daughter like her mother. Mei Yanran understood Mei Jiu’s abilities and temperament perfectly. So when she heard that Mei Jiu had shot and killed two martial arts masters, her first reaction was disbelief. But Mei Jiu’s actions in the following days left her no choice but to accept it.
She knew her daughter was stubborn—if there were things she didn’t want to share, no amount of questioning would make her speak.
Mei Jiu was already in tears. She wanted to tell her mother about An Jiu, but she didn’t dare, remembering An Jiu’s threats.
"Don’t be afraid, my child," Mei Yanran said, rising to embrace her.
The warmth of her arms brought a fleeting moment of peace to both souls.
In the void, An Jiu’s ears still echoed Mei Yanran’s words—that firmness suddenly made her hear another voice:
"An, we’re going home soon, back to China. Look, I’ve got passports. You’ll meet your grandmother soon."
"She’s a wonderful person. She’ll love you dearly."
"An, leave. Now. Right away. Please!"
"Promise me, promise me..."
...
Back then, her mother had seemed so desperate, masking despair with hope. Later, when An Jiu could travel the world, the first place she went was China.
There, she found no family at all.She had lived in the alleys of Jiangnan for a while, where the gentleness of the south had once granted her a brief peace.
In her past life, these experiences had been erased from An Jiu’s memory. All she remembered was the thrill of hitting her target—only killing made her feel alive. Even at the end of her life, she never recalled the pitiful woman who had fought desperately to take her away from danger. Yet, for some reason, those memories now surfaced vividly before her eyes.
An Jiu had violent tendencies. After losing her home, she had spiraled into a state of mental collapse, becoming extremely volatile. The slightest frustration could set her off. It was precisely at that time that someone taught her to vent her emotions through killing.
So whenever she couldn’t get her hands on a gun, she would grow restless and anxious. If she went too long without killing, the swelling, maddening emotions inside her would find no release.
But now, An Jiu could feel Mei Jiu’s tears pouring out.
Mei Jiu’s crying made her uncomfortable, yet that violent agitation drained away like water through an open sluice.
So it turned out that some emotions… didn’t require violence or bloodshed to find relief…
Through her blurry tears, Mei Jiu looked up at Mei Yanran. “If I marry away, what will happen to you, Mother?”
Mei Yanran took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears. “I still have my uses to the family. In the future, I’ll assist the family head in managing Mei Shi. When I grow old, I’ll become an elder like Elder Qi and the others.”
“Can women become elders too?” Mei Jiu asked in confusion.
Mei Yanran’s eyes dimmed slightly, but she nodded firmly. “Yes. Our Mei Shi is different from other families—women can also become elders. But what I’ve told you today must never be repeated to another soul.”
“But what about A Shun—”
Mei Yanran cut her off. “No. If you speak of this, you’ll bring harm upon yourself—and worse, upon me and Mei Ru Yan. I know what I’m doing.”
Having been at odds with Old Madam for so many years, Mei Yanran understood her temperament well. If Old Madam had taken a liking to Mei Ru Yan but couldn’t bring her under control, she would undoubtedly destroy her. Mei Yanran might appear delicate and sentimental, but her heart was not soft. Aside from Mei Jiu, no one could make her sacrifice anything. She wouldn’t risk confronting Old Madam for Mei Ru Yan’s sake.
Mei Jiu took her words to heart and obediently nodded in agreement.
An Jiu’s emotions settled as she carefully considered Mei Yanran’s words. If acting like this cowardly version of Mei Jiu was the way to avoid repeating the mistakes of her past life, then she would bide her time for now. It was a good opportunity to figure out how to seize control of the body.
An Jiu had never heard of two souls sharing one body, let alone how to perform a soul takeover. Among the many methods she had tried on Mei Jiu, the most effective one was breaking her spirit, making her will crumble.
Today was proof of that. When Mei Jiu’s will faltered, An Jiu could easily take control of the body.
Mei Yanran brought Mei Jiu back to Jade Serenity Residence and summoned Mei Ru Yan to join them for dinner.
Dusk fell.
In the Hall of Eternal Wisdom, Elder Zhi, clad in black robes, sat cross-legged on a divan, idly arranging a chessboard before him.
A shadowy figure appeared at the door. “This subordinate is incompetent—I was injured by Yan Niangzi.”
Elder Zhi’s hand paused. His frost-white brows lifted slightly. “Mei Yanran was able to wound you?”
“Yes. At the time, I was concealed in a tree, but when Yan Niangzi shot her hidden needles, I couldn’t evade them.” The shadow’s voice was weak."Heh heh heh." Elder Zhi's laughter was as dry as a night owl's cry. "It seems Yan Niangzi's skills have only improved during her years in hiding. No wonder she could evade the Net of Heaven and Earth for a full decade. Such intellect, such martial talent—truly unmatched among her generation."
Elder Zhi was pleased. If Mei Yanran was a genius, then it was no surprise that Mei Shisi possessed extraordinary martial aptitude. However...
"The hidden weapon was poisoned. Go find Elder Qi for the antidote," he dismissed the shadow and sank into contemplation.
The lamplight flickered as a gust of wind dimmed its glow.
When the light brightened again, Elder Zhi had already vanished from the room.
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