Chapter Thirty-Six
Mei Jiu answered vaguely, "Mei Jiu."
Mo Sigui continued, "Have you been feeling down lately? Have you encountered anything that frightened you?"
Images of being hunted flashed through Mei Jiu's mind, and the three of them saw fear flicker across her face.
Mo Sigui was secretly pleased—the Dream Locking Technique was starting to take effect!
An Jiu hadn't been hypnotized, but Mei Jiu had already fallen into a deep trance. At this rate, the truth would likely come out.
The Dream Locking Technique was essentially a form of hypnosis, requiring the practitioner to guide the subject's imagination through words.
An Jiu spoke slowly, her voice resonating from within Mei Jiu's soul, far more potent than Mo Sigui's whispered temptations. "Don't run. Don't be afraid. You're in Plum Blossom Village now. You're safe. Mother is here too."
Mei Jiu could no longer hear Mo Sigui's voice. Her memories followed An Jiu's words back to the front of the Mei Clan ancestral hall. "You stepped out of the ancestral hall, and when you opened your eyes, you saw Mo Sigui leering at you, about to assault you!"
Seeing Mei Jiu's breathing grow rapid and her expression increasingly terrified, Mo Sigui thought he was succeeding and redoubled his efforts to guide her.
"Pervert!" Mei Jiu shrieked, her eyes snapping open to meet Mo Sigui's face. She screamed in terror, staggering to her feet and stumbling toward the door.
Mei Ru Yan reacted swiftly, rising to steady her. Not daring to raise her voice, she whispered urgently, "Sister!"
But Mei Jiu struggled violently. "Let go of me! Let go!"
"Mother is here," Mei Yanran stepped forward, gently patting her back. "Mother is here."
Mei Jiu calmed down and turned to see Mei Yanran. She immediately threw herself into her arms, sobbing, "Mother, Cousin tried to assault me!"
Mei Yanran soothed her softly, but her eyes darkened.
Truly, she had lifted a rock only to drop it on her own foot!
Mo Sigui's mouth hung open. There was no way to defend himself now. He had assumed Mei Jiu had gone mad before arriving in Plum Blossom Village, so her most terrifying memory should have been the cause of her breakdown. How had things gone so wrong? Where had he misstepped?
"Jiu'er is frightened. You should leave now," Mei Yanran said coolly, glancing at Mo Sigui.
Even with his thick skin, he didn't dare stay. "I'll come another day to apologize to Cousin."
He fled without delay.
An Jiu was somewhat disappointed.
At first, she hadn't understood the "Dream Locking Technique," but it had sounded promising. Given how dire their situation already was, how much worse could it get? At worst, her soul might scatter! She had wanted to quickly change the predicament of sharing a body with Mei Jiu, which was why she allowed Mei Jiu to undergo the technique. Who knew it would be so unreliable?
An Jiu was thoroughly displeased, completely forgetting who had disrupted the "Dream Locking Technique."
After this commotion, Mei Yanran and Mei Ru Yan became even more convinced that Mei Jiu had suffered severe trauma recently.
Mei Yanran had no choice but to request leave from the Clan School on Mei Jiu's behalf again. Mei Ru Yan rested for two more days before resuming her studies.
In just two days, strands of white had appeared at Mei Yanran's temples.
She racked her brains but couldn't think of a way to help Mei Jiu avoid training with Old Madam. Escape was impossible—ten years ago, she had secretly prepared for two years just to barely manage it. Now, she herself was under semi-house arrest and couldn't even leave, let alone take Mei Jiu with her. Feigning madness was also out of the question—the Mei residence had Elder Qi, the Miracle Doctor who could raise the dead and heal the mortally wounded. How could they deceive him?
By the third day, Mei Jiu returned to the Clan School.That morning happened to be Zhao Shanchang's lecture. Mei Jiu thoroughly enjoyed listening, as even the driest classics became fascinating under his narration.
Throughout the Teaching House, only Mei Jiu and Mei Ru Yan were paying attention. Unfortunately, Zhao Shanchang's vision extended no farther than three feet, so he couldn’t tell who was distracted and who was focused. He simply sat at the front, lecturing with great relish.
Half an hour later, during a short break, Mei Ru Yan approached Mei Jiu with a scroll in hand, seeking guidance.
"Did Mister Mo trouble you again yesterday?" Mei Jiu asked.
Mei Ru Yan had initially been resentful but had since come to understand. "That wasn’t trouble—it was just pushing me to study harder."
Compared to her days as a kitchen maid in a brothel, where she was beaten with sticks to force her into endless labor, Mister Mo’s harshness was meant to make her stronger.
Far from resenting him, Mei Ru Yan now threw herself into learning with even greater effort.
Mei Jiu didn’t press further. She took the scroll and lowered her head, asking which parts Mei Ru Yan didn’t understand.
"No matter how much you study, you’ll still be useless!" Mei Tingyuan sneered. "There are only four days left until the end of the month. You’d better focus on avoiding a beating instead!"
Mei Jiu didn’t want to stir trouble, and Mei Ru Yan had no time to waste on bickering.
Many were watching the scene unfold. When neither of them responded, Mei Tingyuan felt humiliated. In a fit of anger, she grabbed a random book and hurled it at them.
Mei Ru Yan raised her hand and caught the book effortlessly, smiling sweetly. "Thank you, Seventh Sister, for the gift."
Mei Tingyuan was stunned. She had thrown it with half her Inner Force, yet someone had caught it so steadily!
"Silence." Zhao Shanchang groped his way in from the doorway, his sightless eyes sweeping symbolically across the room.
It wasn’t yet time for the next lecture. Though puzzled, everyone returned to their seats and quieted down. Mei Tingyuan shot Mei Ru Yan a glare before turning away to her own seat.
Zhao Shanchang didn’t sit down. "Today, the Shadow Academy is here to select candidates."
The students reacted differently—some excited, some frowning, others uneasy.
Zhao Shanchang didn’t elaborate. "Everyone, assemble in the courtyard."
"So soon?" Mei Ru Yan couldn’t help but feel nervous. Catching Mei Tingyuan’s thrown book had made her realize the gap between them. Though she had managed it, her entire arm had gone numb, and now her palm ached as if the bones were splitting.
Mei Yanran had told them about the Shadow Academy.
The Clan School taught a wide range of subjects, including Martial Arts, but the Shadow Academy taught only one thing—killing.
"Just a few days of hard training won’t make up for a lifetime of Martial Arts practice," Mei Ru Yan murmured under her breath.
Mei Jiu was at a loss. She was even worse off than Mei Ru Yan—her punches looked more like dancing. How could she possibly kill? At least there was An Jiu…
The thought filled her with shame. Just days ago, she had even considered getting rid of An Jiu. Now, she had the audacity to rely on her protection? When had she become so despicable?
With mixed emotions, the students gathered in the courtyard.
Zhao Shanchang was the last to emerge, squinting for a moment as if confirming everyone was in place. Then he pulled a silk scroll from his sleeve and buried his face in it, studying it for a long while.
"A few of you have been specifically requested by the Shadow Academy. After the names are called, the rest may choose whether to stay or leave. Those who wish to join the Shadow Academy, remain in the courtyard. The others may return to the Teaching House." He cleared his throat and handed the scroll to his attendant, muttering, "The writing is too small."The page boy took the silk paper and silently rolled his eyes—couldn't even see it, yet stared for so long!
After glancing over it, the page boy read aloud, "Mei Tingjun, Mei Tingzhu, Mei Tingchun, Mei Ru Xue, Mei Rujian."
Everyone paused for a moment before realizing—Mei Ru Xue was that timid newcomer, Mei Shisi.
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