"Then let's prepare for battle." An Jiu took out a medicine bottle and placed it on the table. "These are medicinal pills made from that blood essence. I used them to repair my damaged meridians, but they also have great benefits for normal people. Everyone can share them."
They were besieged because of this medicine, and An Jiu was a fair and practical person. Since they were fighting together, she didn’t want to keep it all for herself.
Faced with such temptation, everyone fell silent.
After a moment, Sui Yunzhu spoke up, "I won’t take it."
During the attack on Misty Villa, if An Jiu hadn’t saved his life, he would have been dead long ago. He hadn’t had the chance to repay her kindness, and now he absolutely couldn’t take advantage of the situation to accept these pills.
"I won’t take it either," Li Qingzhi added. He, too, had been saved by An Jiu back then.
Among them, only Ling Ziyue wasn’t fully aware of the effects of the blood essence of the medicine man. To ensure fairness, Sheng Changying explained before Ling Ziyue could respond, "Legend has it that this blood can revive the dead and regenerate flesh—it’s a miracle drug."
Ling Ziyue smiled and shook his head. "If this medicine could save the Great Song, I’d snatch it even if it wasn’t given to me. But... I’ve lost all hope. This medicine probably can’t save it either. I won’t take it."
Sheng Changying chuckled. "I won’t waste such a rare medicine."
He was born with defective meridians. Unless he was reforged in the womb, even drinking all of Gu Jinghong’s blood wouldn’t help.
"I don’t need it," Lou Xiaowu said. She had never been particularly interested in boosting her combat prowess. She believed the weapons she crafted would eventually become indestructible, serving as her ultimate means of defense and offense.
The people outside were racking their brains to seize this medicine. If they knew this group was treating such an easily obtainable treasure with such indifference, they’d probably cough up blood in frustration.
An Jiu didn’t bother with false modesty. She put the medicine bottle away. "This medicine can save lives. If you don’t want it now, my offer still stands. You can come to me anytime if you need it."
Her words were sincere, and no one refused.
"If we fight, what are our chances of winning?" Li Qingzhi asked.
"Chances... we definitely have some," Sheng Changying pondered for a long moment before slowly raising a single finger.
Li Qingzhi sighed in disappointment. "Only ten percent?"
"Less than ten percent," Sui Yunzhu interpreted more accurately.
Sheng Changying nodded.
No matter how disorganized the Crane Control Army was, it was still an organization with nearly a century of history. This time, they were mobilizing to save the emperor’s life, so they would undoubtedly send out a large number of elite fighters. If not for the island’s defensive perimeter and Lou Xiaowu’s weapons, they’d be utterly crushed.
"Aren’t they coming to the island? Why not hide the medicine and let them search? When they can’t find it, they’ll assume the Miracle Doctor took it away," Li Qingzhi suggested.
Sui Yunzhu countered, "Do you think they’ll just give up if they don’t find it? We’d still be tied up and interrogated. Once they discover we’re actually deserters from the Crane Control Army, our fate will be even worse—and Lord Chu will be implicated too!"
"Almost forgot..." Li Qingzhi scratched his head.
This group didn’t just include Crane Control Army deserters—there was also a general who was supposed to be dead, as well as the current head of the Lou family! If others found out Lou Xiaowu was mingling with a bunch of rebels, everyone from the Lou family still in the Crane Control Army would suffer!
More people might die, and the Crane Control Army, already missing a major pillar, would face collapse.
"Wei Yuzhi’s scheme is truly meticulous and ruthless," Sheng Changying sighed.Sheng Changying had once served in the Crane Control Institute and was privy to countless secrets, so the name "Wei Yuzhi" was naturally familiar to him. Most of the affairs at Misty Villa were managed by Wei Yuzhi, and all strategic plans were executed by him. It could be said that Misty Villa's rapid rise to a pivotal position in the martial world of the Great Song Dynasty was largely due to his efforts.
"This man truly is a calamity," An Jiu believed Chu Dingjiang's words. If Wei Yuzhi were to return to the Liao Kingdom and clash with Yelü Huangwu, even if one side emerged victorious, the cost would be devastating.
Could a single person alter the fate of a nation? The answer was undoubtedly yes. Some possessed wisdom so profound they could turn clouds into rain with a mere gesture.
An Jiu didn’t find it particularly remarkable. The food chain was cyclical by nature—no species truly stood at its apex. No matter how formidable Wei Yuzhi was, he was still just a living being. As an assassin, An Jiu knew all too well how fragile human life could be.
Time was pressing. The group gathered briefly to draft a rough plan before dispersing to prepare.
Da Jiu caught the scent of danger and scurried to a secluded spot, frantically digging a hole to bury his grass seeds. He patted the soil carefully with his chubby paws and then marked the area with a splash of urine.
"Miss A Jiu! Those people are coming ashore!" The apothecary's apprentice came running, his face deathly pale.
An Jiu wrapped her sword around herself as she asked, "What happened? Did the Dream Blossom not take effect?"
Having endured Mo Sigui’s torment for so long and weathered many "ordeals," the young apprentice, though nearly scared out of his wits, managed to speak clearly. "Several people entered the mist and got trapped. The others realized that even with masks, they couldn’t pass through directly, so they sent men to swim underwater."
"Don’t worry. They won’t get far. Dream Blossom blooms underwater too," An Jiu reassured him.
She had observed carefully—Dream Blossom thrived near water, growing wildly along the shores but never spreading toward the island. All its stamens faced the water, some even drifting into the lake. Fish that strayed into the blossoms would become disoriented, floating drunkenly before dying. Da Jiu’s favorite pastime was fishing out these poisoned fish to eat. From this, An Jiu deduced that Dream Blossom was toxic even in water.
The apprentice relaxed slightly. "That’s good."
"Find a place to hide," An Jiu said, finishing her preparations before slinging the Dragon Subduing Bow over her shoulder.
The apprentice nodded eagerly. "I’m very good at that."
With that, he bolted like a rabbit.
An Jiu smiled faintly at his retreating figure. She had faced countless desperate situations like this before and had long learned to remain calm.
She swallowed a pill, and as it dissolved, her mind cleared. Ever since consuming Gu Jinghong’s heart blood, she felt as though she had inherited his innate clarity of perception. Though she couldn’t wield Mind Reading, Illusionary Mind Arts, or Mind Control like he could, her control over her mental strength had reached a level of effortless mastery. Gone were the days of explosive, uncontrollable bursts of power.
After being scolded by Mo Sigui several times, she had strictly followed his instructions while taking the medicine, carefully suppressing her mental strength. It felt like an eternity since she had last unleashed the Startling String with her full power!An Jiu caressed the Dragon Subduing Bow. The black bow with its faint red glow seemed to hum softly, eager to have its string drawn once more.
As the others on the island gradually gathered, An Jiu pulled herself from her thoughts.
"Let's negotiate with the Crane Control Army first!" Sheng Changying suggested.
It was a reasonable option, but the key question was who would do the negotiating. None of them could afford to have their identities exposed.
"I'll do it," Sui Yunzhu offered. "I'm just an unknown figure from the Crane Control Institute. The risk of my identity being discovered is minimal."
The others turned to An Jiu, hoping she would make the final decision. Since this matter originated with her and Mo Sigui, everyone was willing to live or die with her. Their lives were in her hands now.
At times like these, the worst thing would be for everyone to have their own conflicting agendas—a point they all clearly understood.
"Agreed," An Jiu decided without hesitation. Among them, only she, Sui Yunzhu, and Li Qingzhi were less likely to be exposed. Neither she nor Li Qingzhi were skilled at negotiation, making Sui Yunzhu the obvious choice.
Once the decision was made, Sui Yunzhu raised his voice and called out, "Who among you has the authority to speak? Step forward, if you please."
After a brief pause, a voice answered through the mist, "What do you want to say?"
"You'd best stop trying to infiltrate underwater. It's a hundred times more dangerous below than above," Sui Yunzhu said casually. He had overheard An Jiu mention that the waters around Dream Blossom were poisoned, though whether the toxicity had intensified or weakened remained unknown.
Without waiting for a response, he continued, "Beyond this obstacle, there are several more layers, all filled with toxins carefully cultivated by the Miracle Doctor. Don't say I didn't warn you!"
Silence followed from the other side.
Pretending not to know their identities or the Emperor's condition, Sui Yunzhu pressed on, "If you're here for medicine, you may wait on the opposite shore until the Miracle Doctor returns!"
After a long silence, the voice suddenly replied, "The Emperor's condition is critical. We need this medicine urgently—we cannot wait for the Miracle Doctor to return."
Sui Yunzhu frowned. It was now clear that Wei Yuzhi's mole within the Crane Control Army held a high-ranking position. Otherwise, with the Crown Prince and the Second Prince already locked in fierce competition for the throne, such sensitive information would never have been leaked.
Wei Yuzhi was playing a double game—besieging Plum Blossom Village while simultaneously stoking the flames of succession within the Song Dynasty. His schemes were far more sinister and far-reaching than they had imagined.
Ling Ziyue pressed his lips tightly together. The once-mighty Song Dynasty now felt like a fragile leaf tossed on turbulent waters, at the mercy of a single strategist's whims. All his past efforts seemed insignificant, even laughable, in the face of such overwhelming despair. The sudden, crushing sense of powerlessness consumed him, dulling his awareness of the immediate danger. Facing the Crane Control Army couldn't stir the same bloodlust in him as fighting the Liao People had.
Fighting among ourselves—what kind of farce is this? A bitter smile tugged at Ling Ziyue's lips.
"If this medicine is as crucial as you claim, why would the Miracle Doctor leave it unattended on the island?" Sui Yunzhu made one last attempt.
Meanwhile, in Bianjing.
News from Plum Blossom Village quickly reached the Crown Prince and the Second Prince. The Crown Prince struck first, accusing the Second Prince of plotting to usurp the throne and presenting a list of fabricated evidence. Though the Second Prince had indeed harbored such ambitions, he had been cautious enough to leave no clear trail. Yet now, no one cared whether the evidence was real or not.An Jiu, trapped on the island, would surely find it hard to imagine that the little scoundrel who used to daydream in class and would bury his face in women's bosoms the moment his master stepped out had once again forced the Second Prince into a corner with such thunderous tactics.
As dusk fell, in a dark alley outside the Second Prince's residence, a figure stood motionless like a monument. A man beside him bowed slightly and reported, "After two probing attempts, the Crane Control Army has temporarily stationed themselves by the lakeshore and begun inspecting the defensive gaps around the island."
The tall figure gave a slight nod. "Understood. Return for now, and report any developments immediately."
"Yes!" The man vanished into the shadows.
Chu Dingjiang raised his head, the dim moonlight illuminating his sharply defined features. He sighed, and a mist flower drifted from his lips.
Heaven was forcing him to choose once more—between the Second Prince and An Jiu...
Between the fish and the bear's paw. (To be continued...)
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