Lou Xiaowu's gun could only hold ten bullets in its magazine and couldn't fire continuously. With limited ammunition, no one could guarantee every shot would hit like An Jiu could. The "giant birds" in the sky were increasing, and relying on just one person was impossible.
The others had already gripped their sword hilts, ready to join the fight the moment anyone landed.
Strangely, however, the later arriving "giant birds" circled above after seeing their comrades shot down.
After a few breaths, a white powder mixed with scattered raindrops began falling from the sky, quickly enveloping the entire island.
An Jiu placed an antitoxin pill in her mouth and pulled up her face covering.
The island might lack many things, but antitoxin pills were abundant. Although these pills could counteract most deadly poisons, they had little effect against this particular knockout drug. Sheng Changying was the first to collapse.
Frowning, An Jiu grabbed him by the collar and threw him onto Da Jiu's back. "Take him somewhere safe!"
Da Jiu shared a certain mental connection with An Jiu and roughly understood her meaning. Carrying Sheng Changying, it dashed into the forest.
It ran all the way to where the grass seeds were buried, dug through dead leaves and soil beside them, dragged Sheng Changying into the hole, and carefully buried him again.
Sheng Changying struggled desperately but was rendered immobile by a single swat from Da Jiu's paw.
After Da Jiu left, Sheng Changying strained to lift his head, finally shaking off enough loose soil to expose his nose and mouth, barely allowing him to breathe.
Night fell, thick with mist. The fine strands of rain resembled a curtain, shimmering with golden light under the lanterns, creating an illusion of golden brocade before one's eyes.
An Jiu drew her Dragon Subduing Bow, nocking an arrow as her mental strength surged outward like a tide, locking onto the positions of the Crane Control Army above.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Arrows continuously pierced through the fog—but not from An Jiu. The Crane Control Army above had struck first, unleashing a rain of arrows.
An Jiu released her fingers. The arrowhead tore through the mist like a gale, like thunder, with unstoppable momentum. It collided midair with another arrow, splitting it cleanly in half without losing speed, before embedding itself in a Crane Control Army member riding a "giant bird."
Below, An Jiu immediately dodged aside after firing her shot to avoid the incoming arrow rain.
Inside the house, several people watched as crossbow bolts thudded into the ground outside. Li Qingzhi remarked, "It seems they'll be landing soon."
Amid the arrow rain and mist, Da Jiu huddled wide-eyed in a fake mountain cave, its ears twitching. An arrow landed right in front of it, startling it into shrinking back further.
"These arrows can usually only be fired ten times in succession. Even if they carry spare arrows, there must be a reloading period," An Jiu said. Having spent time in the Crane Control Army, she was intimately familiar with their weapons. Just by looking at the arrows, she knew exactly what kind of crossbow they were using. "We should take this chance to secure a more defensible position."
The Crane Control Army rarely engaged in such large-scale operations. This time, they were determined to obtain the heart blood. At this rate, a large contingent would land on the island within minutes. If they didn't surrender, their only option was to seize an advantageous position first.
"The Master has a secret medicine storage. Let's head there first!" An Jiu suggested.
Others might not know about Mo Sigui's medicine storage, but An Jiu did. It wasn't in some hidden chamber but in a small mountain pavilion beside a waterfall.
"That's the place!" Sui Yunzhu agreed.
Just then, the arrow rain outside indeed began to slow slightly.Only An Jiu could confirm the route amidst the confusion. The group supported each other as they rushed out, following her lead toward the medicine storage.
As she ran, An Jiu used her mental strength to scan the surroundings for any enemies. They avoided confrontations and soon heard the sound of flowing water.
It was a small waterfall, no wider than three feet. The water wasn’t rapid, and the clear stream tumbled into the pool below, splashing white foam.
Li Qingzhi’s tall frame swayed unsteadily. An Jiu swiftly caught him and hoisted him onto her back.
Being carried by such a petite woman was hard for Li Qingzhi to accept, and he instinctively struggled.
“Stop moving!” An Jiu snapped coldly. “Save me some energy!”
Sui Yunzhu’s face was also pale. “Qingzhi, life and death are at stake. Don’t fuss over trivialities!”
Li Qingzhi resigned himself and pressed his lips together, letting An Jiu carry him up the mountainside.
Ling Ziyue, who was ahead, kicked open the door. The apothecary’s apprentice hiding inside paled but relaxed upon recognizing them.
“What’s wrong with that medicine?” The apprentice was the only one here with any knowledge of medicine; the others were clueless.
If it were just an ordinary sedative, the antitoxin pill should have blocked it. But if it wasn’t a sedative, why hadn’t she felt anything? Her body resisted sedatives but wasn’t immune to all poisons.
“I… I don’t know.” The apprentice had already noticed the changes outside and had crawled out from a corner to search for medicine.
Frequently forced by Mo Sigui to test medicines himself, he had developed some resistance and showed no immediate symptoms. “But I smell traces of Dream Blossom in it. This medicine might be breaking down the Dream Blossom, dispersing the mist!”
“Wouldn’t that make the Crane Control Army just as incapacitated?” Lou Xiaowu lay on the couch, drowsy.
Before the apprentice could answer, a series of deafening booms erupted outside, shaking the mountainside house. Dust rained from the beams.
Lou Xiaowu suddenly laughed, coughing from the dust. “Our… cough … firecrackers sound amazing.”
An Jiu had guessed that once the Crane Control Army landed, they would immediately target Mo Sigui’s pharmacy and residence. So, she had Lou Xiaowu bury specially modified Thunderclap bombs around the area, functioning like landmines.
The apprentice took a moment to recover from the noise. “Once the Dream Blossom is destroyed, the poison will dissipate quickly.”
He dragged out a box from the corner, pulling out various bottles and jars. After frowning at them for a while, he said, “Master must have medicine here to counteract your poisoning, but… I can’t identify it.”
Mo Sigui never labeled his medicines, relying solely on his sense of smell to distinguish formulas.
“I’m not poisoned. Could Gu Jinghong’s heart blood be working?” An Jiu pulled out a medicine bottle. “Either way, taking this is better than waiting to die.”
She distributed a pill to each of them.
Lou Xiaowu popped the pill into her mouth and swallowed.
Ling Ziyue held the tiny pill with a wry smile before taking it. Just two hours earlier, he had refused this very medicine. Now, with only a handful of fighters left on the island, every person counted for survival.
After consuming the pills, they sat cross-legged to circulate their energy. After about half a cup of tea’s time, their complexions improved slightly. Seeing this, An Jiu felt somewhat relieved.The rain outside grew heavier, pounding against the wooden cabin with a dull thud.
When An Jiu fully released her mental strength, it could nearly cover the entire island. She knew clearly that dozens of Crane Control Army elites had already landed on the island.
Back then, they had once defeated Misty Villa with fewer than ten people, but she had to admit—without Chu Dingjiang, the outcome would have been entirely different.
An Jiu leaned against the doorframe, silent, her fingers continuously stroking the Tang Sword at her thigh.
If they could detoxify quickly, they could fight their way to the northern ferry and escape by boat. Though whether they could truly leave remained uncertain...
The heavy rain outside seemed to embolden the Crane Control Army, swiftly dispersing the mist until only a hazy veil of moisture remained. An Jiu suddenly remembered that Da Jiu had taken Sheng Changying into hiding and still hadn’t returned. The thought of being hunted down again ignited a surge of frustration in her. Her fingers, which had been caressing the hilt, paused abruptly and tightened.
She draped her mantle over her shoulders. "Rest and recover your energy here. I’ll be back soon."
This place was easy to defend and hard to attack, and with the potent poisons Mo Sigui had concocted, along with Sui Yunzhu and the others' combat experience, An Jiu wasn’t worried.
"Where are you going?" The apothecary's apprentice, seeing that everyone else was meditating and only he was awake, fretted—if enemies attacked now, wouldn’t they be wiped out?
"Don’t worry. The Crane Control Army is regrouping for now. No one will come for a while." An Jiu closed the door behind her and opened the umbrella specially crafted by Lou Xiaowu, descending the mountain at a steady pace.
Raindrops struck the umbrella with muffled thumps.
An Jiu’s gaze was calm but laced with killing intent. She was a hunter—how could she be reduced to a panicked prey? If she remained this passive, how was this any different from her past life?
Her advantage lay in her formidable mental strength, which allowed her to conceal her movements effortlessly. It was just as suited for assassination as it was for escape!
Since there was no way out, why not stop and fight back?
Five hundred paces ahead, three Crane Control Army soldiers were approaching—two fifth-rank and one seventh-rank.
Beneath her face covering, An Jiu’s lips pressed into a thin line. She stood motionless, waiting for the three to draw near.
After the recent explosion, the Crane Control Army had suffered heavy losses. The main force was recuperating, so they had dispatched several small search parties—this trio was one of them.
They likely knew there were six or seven people on the island, none of particularly high martial arts rank, so most of their vigilance was directed toward landmines and poisons.
An Jiu stood on a horizontal branch, umbrella in hand, looking down as the three passed beneath the tree.
Their footsteps were light, barely making a sound even on the damp, rotting leaves.
The water droplets gathering and sliding off An Jiu’s umbrella fell more rapidly than elsewhere. The three were alert—noticing the unusual patter of rain on the leaves, they immediately looked up. But they were still slower than An Jiu.
As a string of droplets cascaded from the umbrella’s edge, An Jiu snapped it shut and leaped down. With one hand, she drew the Tang Sword from her side; with the other, she pressed a button on the umbrella’s handle, triggering its hidden weapon.
Two clusters of silver needles, fine as ox hair, embedded themselves in the seventh-rank expert’s thigh. He staggered, then collapsed to his knees.Everything seemed to slow down. The string of raindrops falling from the umbrella had yet to hit the ground when An Jiu's sword tip already reached the neck of one fifth-level martial arts master. A thin red line instantly appeared on that pale neck, yet her blade didn't pause. Swirling around, she blocked another master's sword, suddenly released her grip—the Tang Sword fell—while her figure flashed past like wind beneath the opponent's armpit. Her rough black-gloved hand seized the man's throat and crushed with terrible force, pulverizing the cartilage within.
Plop.
The string of water droplets from the umbrella finally landed on dead leaves, mingling with spilled blood.
Three kills, in but an instant.
The sweet metallic scent of blood mixed with dampness spread through the air. Breathing in this fragrance, An Jiu suddenly felt exhilarated. (To be continued...)
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