Chu Dingjiang shook his head slightly. "From what I've observed, the Second Prince has a stubborn temperament. If I were to serve as his advisor, he might not readily follow my counsel. So I prefer to remain in the shadows, offering guidance at critical moments."
Becoming the Second Prince's subordinate would mean deferring to him in all matters without overstepping. If the prince made a wrong decision, Chu Dingjiang wouldn't be able to effectively stop him. Even with countless strategies, it would be difficult to turn the tide every time. In comparison, maintaining an air of mystery was far better.
People tend to doubt the unknown, but they also fear it. By rescuing the Second Prince at his most desperate moment and gradually establishing his importance in the prince's eyes, Chu Dingjiang's approach was much more secure than joining the prince's retinue from the outset.
An Jiu, however, remained unaware of his plans. "If you do this, wouldn't it make it all the easier for him to discard you like a bow once the birds are gone after he ascends the throne?"
"You used the right idiom," Chu Dingjiang chuckled in admiration. "That's quite an achievement!"
He paused before continuing, "Don't worry, I have my own arrangements. If all goes well, we might even herd sheep together in the future."
An Jiu studied his face—youthful in appearance yet weathered in his gaze—and felt a softness in her heart. "What can I do for you?"
"Take good care of yourself," Chu Dingjiang replied.
Having lived through countless battles of the Warring States period, witnessing kingdoms rise and fall amid the flames of war, Chu Dingjiang had never underestimated the dangers of internal power struggles. For a strategist, the risks could be even greater than plotting against foreign states. Even with the experience of two lifetimes, he couldn't guarantee a safe and complete retreat in the end.
"A Jiu, following me is bound to be fraught with danger..."
An Jiu cut him off. "Even without you, my life wouldn't be much better. Go ahead with your work—I have my own matters to attend to."
Her words were blunt, but Chu Dingjiang was used to it. He simply smiled. "As long as you live well, nothing else matters."
"That's not necessarily true," An Jiu said, looking at him. "You've never promised me you'd definitely survive, and neither can I make that promise."
In the past, snipers who could rival An Jiu's skills were exceedingly rare. Standing at the pinnacle for so long, even while being hunted by nations, she had always believed she would survive. Yet in the end, she died—not in some grand, perilous mission, but in an ordinary one.
In life, the hardest thing to predict is death.
Even in the most mundane of professions, one could never be sure when illness or death might strike unexpectedly.
Chu Dingjiang smiled helplessly but didn't offer a promise in return. Instead, he pulled her into an embrace and sighed softly. "A Jiu, I've missed you."
The longing An Jiu had just suppressed surged back instantly. Yet, for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to say it as naturally as he had.
Her lips parted briefly before pressing tightly together again.
They stood beneath the tree, holding each other for a long while before Chu Dingjiang finally released her. Taking her hand, he led her to a small boat. "See what I've brought you."
On the boat were two baskets—one containing a dressed suckling pig and the other filled with chestnuts.
Da Jiu had already been crouching at the dock, drooling as it stared unblinkingly at the baskets. When it noticed Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu approaching, its tail swept back and forth across the ground, stirring the Dream Blossoms it touched and releasing more mist.
Chu Dingjiang glanced sideways and saw An Jiu equally fixated on the suckling pig. Amused, he picked up the baskets. "Let's go—time for a barbecue."Ignored, Sheng Changying stood amidst the Dream Blossom flowers with a branch in hand, his cheeks slightly flushed as he gazed at the vast, misty lake. He thought to himself how bold Chu Dingjiang was, and An Jiu was no less daring—the two could embrace so openly in broad daylight, truly making one... envious.
As night fell, the mist in Plum Blossom Village grew even thicker.
A man in a loose green robe stood by the lakeshore, staring at the distant water. Behind him stood seven or eight figures clad in black. These men were not all burly giants but varied in height and build, appearing uneven in stature. Yet the murderous aura they exuded was enough to send chills down one's spine. Just standing there silently, they gave off a suffocating sense of facing death itself.
"Master Wei, what should we do?" one of the black-clad men broke the silence.
After a long pause, Wei Yuzhi finally spoke slowly, "Wait."
The man frowned. "Please enlighten us, Master."
"Each of you is a master among masters, yet even if you all attacked together, you might not be a match for that man." Wei Yuzhi's dark eyes were like an ancient, unrippled well. "Do you not realize how much effort I've spent concealing your auras?"
"Could it be... a Transformation Realm Master?" The man's tone suddenly turned grave.
"Yes. Right now, in the Great Song, aside from one eunuch in the palace, no one can rival him." Wei Yuzhi's hands, hidden in his sleeves, twitched slightly. "Unless the Ghost Tigers risk their lives to besiege him together."
If it truly was a Transformation Realm Master, Wei Yuzhi wasn't exaggerating. The Ghost Tiger shed his impatience and spoke earnestly, "But the heart blood of the Medicine man has been in someone else's hands for many days now. If we don't act soon, I fear—"
"I've already found a way to leak the secret of the heart blood to the Great Song Emperor. To reclaim the blood this time, we'll need his help." Wei Yuzhi's fingers stilled in his sleeves as he clasped his hands together, his gaze growing colder and darker. "I've heard that the Transformation Realm Master is also a high-ranking officer in the Crane Control Army." (To be continued...)
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