An Jiu packed her equipment, finally slinging the Dragon Subduing Bow across her back. She bent down to pat Da Jiu's head and said to the apothecary's apprentice, "Take care of him for me for a few days."
"Shi Si, where are you going?" Li Qingzhi asked.
"Shi Si, you can't go." Sui Yunzhu blocked her path. "The commander said you're injured and ordered me to stop you. I know I can't defeat you, but if you insist on leaving, you'll have to step over my corpse!"
Caught between duty and gratitude, Sui Yunzhu always felt he owed An Jiu his life. Now he was using his life to threaten her, though he lacked real conviction.
An Jiu frowned, her killing intent seeming to burst from her eyes as she focused her mental strength to a single point, releasing it like an arrowhead in an instant.
Sui Yunzhu's face paled. A buzzing filled his mind, offering no resistance as a sharp pain shot through the back of his neck, plunging his vision into darkness.
The onlookers gasped. They had always known An Jiu lacked Inner Force, yet her strength was undeniable. But none had anticipated such terrifying power. Just now, they had only sensed a wisp of killing intent from her—almost no trace of her mental strength. Yet judging by Sui Yunzhu's reaction, he had clearly suffered a mental attack. There was only one explanation: she could control her mental strength at will.
"Who else wants to stop me?" An Jiu turned to Li Qingzhi, knowing he and Sui Yunzhu were always in league.
Just as Li Qingzhi stepped forward, Ling Ziyue blocked him. "One person can't stop the chaos in Bianjing, but she can definitely protect herself. Don't bother—you won't even get the chance to become a corpse."
If their strengths had been close, An Jiu might have resorted to lethal moves to avoid entanglement. But against Sui Yunzhu and Li Qingzhi, it wasn’t necessary.
Li Qingzhi hesitated. "No. A man of honor keeps his word. I was ordered to stop Mei Shisi—how can I go back on that? Whether I succeed or not is another matter, but I must try!"
Ahem! Sheng Changying emerged, supported by Zhu Pianxian. Having overheard their conversation inside, he had pieced together the situation.
"You're going to stop me too?" An Jiu raised an eyebrow at him.
"Are you mocking him on purpose?!" Zhu Pianxian glared at An Jiu. She knew full well Sheng Changying had no martial arts, yet she still said such things!
"Don’t waste words, you brainless busty woman," An Jiu said flatly.
Zhu Pianxian was about to roll up her sleeves and fight when she suddenly felt an arm wrap around her waist—Sheng Changying had pulled her back! She froze, her face flushing crimson.
Sheng Changying's pale face also bore an unusual flush, but he remained composed. "I only came out to remind you of one thing. Everyone's mental strength is different. Take Chu Dingjiang, for example—his is dense and solid, perfect for laying traps. Those caught in his mental net struggle in vain, causing him no harm. But your strength lies in its explosiveness and sharpness. Stop trying to use it to ensnare prey—it's not worth the cost."
An Jiu was startled. Sheng Changying spoke as if he had witnessed her injury firsthand!
"How did you know?" she couldn’t help asking.
"A guess." Sheng Changying smiled faintly. "At your level, you wouldn’t have been injured unless you used the wrong method."
"Stop smiling at her!" Zhu Pianxian covered his face with her hands.Sheng Changying wasn’t the kind of man considered exceptionally handsome. Even his upturned fox-like eyes seemed a bit odd at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they carried a certain charm—not necessarily due to any particular aura, but because of his earnestness. Even when he appeared lazy or half-asleep, one never got the impression that his mind was elsewhere. No matter what he did, Sheng Changying always seemed utterly focused and sincere.
As the saying goes, a man’s greatest appeal lies in his earnestness.
"Thank you," An Jiu said sincerely.
Sheng Changying continued, "You’ve seen Wei Yuzhi use his mental strength to manipulate objects, haven’t you? You can do the same. When the time is right, you might as well try."
An Jiu’s heart stirred. "Is my mental strength the same type as his?"
"Yes. When it reaches a certain level, mental strength alone can kill. But people like you are also highly vulnerable—if you lose control while concentrating your power, you might end up harming yourself instead. Wei Yuzhi’s frail health is likely related to this." Sheng Changying reached up and took Zhu Pianxian’s hand, which had been covering his face, gently pulling it down but not letting go. "I didn’t tell you at the Crane Control Institute because I was afraid you’d end up injuring yourself through constant practice, just like Wei Yuzhi."
Injuries caused by mental strength were terrifyingly difficult to heal. Even a medical genius like Mo Sigui would have to exhaust all his ingenuity and require a long period of recuperation.
If their mental strength was the same, then Wei Yuzhi had plenty of opportunities to fight back when she kidnapped him multiple times. So why hadn’t he acted?
An Jiu couldn’t make sense of it. "Did Wei Yuzhi not know about this?"
"Even if he did, what could he do? He’s responsible for Misty Villa and inevitably has to move around outside. How else could he protect himself or command respect without honing his martial arts?" Zhu Pianxian snapped impatiently. "A schemer like him would never entrust his life entirely to others. If you’re leaving, hurry up—Changying needs to rest!"
Having learned most of what she needed, An Jiu had no intention of lingering. She shot Zhu Pianxian a glance and tossed a parting remark as she turned to leave: "Such fine cabbage, all wasted on a pig."
"Who’s the pig?! Explain yourself!" Zhu Pianxian nearly exploded with rage. She really shouldn’t have engaged with that venom-tongued creature!
"Clearly, she meant I’m the pig," Sheng Changying said softly, squeezing her hand. "I have nothing to offer. Being with me is a disservice to you."
If anyone else had said this, Zhu Pianxian would’ve recognized it as mere flattery. But Sheng Changying’s expression showed no trace of jest—he genuinely seemed to believe An Jiu’s words referred to him and truly felt unworthy of her.
Sheng Changying had that kind of power—everything he said felt utterly sincere.
Tears welled up in Zhu Pianxian’s eyes, her anger forgotten. "Don’t say that," she murmured.
With just a few words, he had not only saved her pride but also melted her heart.
Li Qingzhi, witnessing the scene, roughly understood An Jiu’s implication. Sheng Changying’s impeccable reputation at the Crane Control Institute—so flawless he had no enemies—wasn’t solely due to his diligence. Just as this thought crossed his mind, he suddenly remembered—wasn’t he supposed to be blocking Mei Shisi?!
The night-shrouded capital of Bianjing was solemn, yet thick with killing intent.
Rain drizzled sporadically as An Jiu darted through pitch-black alleys. Even the usually bustling night market lay dormant in darkness, not a soul in sight.
The entire city seemed trapped in a deep nightmare—even the Second Prince’s residence stood without a single lamp lit.
Had they failed? Or succeeded?An Jiu wandered around the Second Prince's residence, catching the heavy scent of blood. Corpses littered the ground, but not a single living soul could be seen.
She used her Mental strength to search the premises, hoping to find someone alive to question—it would have saved a lot of trouble. Unfortunately, everyone was dead. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly sensed a group of people rapidly approaching. Unable to tell whether they were friend or foe, she paused, then swiftly climbed onto the corridor to conceal herself. (To be continued...)
PS: Ugh, I sent an update notice around eleven saying it would be late, but then forgot to hit publish from the drafts. My memory is really failing me. Sigh, I’ll take a nap first, then go back to the writing dungeon later.
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