"Cousin, you may blame me for being heartless." Mei Zhengjing's expression turned grave. "When you fled and remained outside for over a decade, the Mei Clan spared you and your daughter not only because Mei Shisi showed genuine talent in Archery, but also out of familial bonds—we never resort to extremes unless absolutely necessary. If I disregarded kinship ties, I should have killed Mei Shisi today! We deposed Elder Zhi to reclaim the Secret Records, yet Chu Dingjiang failed to honor his promise! The Mei Clan has its dignity too! Aside from kicking us when we're down, what has Mei Shisi ever done for the family?"
Shedding his usual casual demeanor, Mei Zhengjing said coldly, "Mei Shisi grew up outside—she feels no allegiance to the Mei Clan, and I don't blame her. You fled to escape the abyss, and I've let bygones be bygones. Cousin, by what right do you question me or the Mei Clan?"
Mei Yanran pressed her lips together. Indeed, she had no standing to question.
Back then, she hadn't initially planned to flee the Mei Clan. But when her husband met an unnatural death and she discovered she was pregnant, her first thought was to prevent her child from sinking into that quagmire! Later, when Elder Qi took her pulse and declared the child's future talent would rival Mei Zhengjing's, those words cemented her resolve to escape. Mei Zhengjing was exceptionally gifted, but as a male and the next clan head, he wouldn't be forced to fake his death young and live forever in darkness, surviving by killing. But Mei Jiu was different—she might not only be trained as an assassin but could also become the emperor's cauldron!
Originally, that path was meant for Mei Yanran, but she schemed to have her stepsister take her place. For this, her stepmother loathed her intensely, sparing neither her husband nor her daughter.
The thought made Mei Yanran's heart ache unbearably, so once she saw the situation clearly, she left resolutely.
"Debts incurred must be repaid, sooner or later." Mei Yanran's eyes reddened, her voice choked. "Why? I merely refused to submit to fate and struggled a little—can't I bear the consequences alone? Why must my daughter suffer retribution? Had my sister not tried to harm me, I wouldn't have thought to drag her down."
Others could harm her, yet she wasn't even entitled to resist?
Mei Zhengjing's anger gradually subsided. "We of the Mei Clan, young and strong, must pretend to die and live forever in darkness serving the royal family, all because of this inescapable place. Before I succeeded as clan head, I thought my elder brother cowardly, but now I know otherwise. The Mei Clan has declined to this state. I might as well reveal this secret: the blood of the four great families carries a poison. With a special Medicine to activate it, we lose consciousness and become mindless killers."
Mei Yanran's heart skipped a beat. "Can't it be cured? Si Gui—"
"No. Every generation of Mei Clan's Miracle Doctors has spent their lives researching a cure, only to find it ultimately impossible. This poison has become part of our blood, inherited through generations—it can never be fully purged." Mei Zhengjing recalled his conversation with his brother that night in the "Loyalty and Righteousness" Pavilion. The revelation had left him speechless with shock.
After a long silence, Mei Yanran finally recovered. "Is the 'Control Crane Secret Records' related to this?"Mei Zhengjing said, "Yes, the Crane Control Secret Records contain methods to activate the toxins within us, as well as the genealogies of the four great families and their specialized martial arts."
In other words, obtaining the Crane Control Secret Records would force the four great families into submission, with coercive measures available for those who resisted!
If this fell into the hands of the current Emperor, the fate of the four families might not change drastically—they would likely continue serving the imperial family as before while seeking opportunities to steal the records. The problem was that the current Emperor had usurped the throne and probably knew nothing about the Crane Control Secret Records . The high-ranking eunuch who knew many secrets had fled during the palace's fall, and there were reports of Liao people appearing in the palace that day, seemingly searching for the records.
If the Liao people got their hands on it, the consequences would be dire.
Thud!
A book fell from the rafters, landing right on the table beside Mei Zhengjing.
A figure clad in black leaped down immediately after and took a seat next to Mei Yanran.
Mei Zhengjing was startled at first, but when his gaze fell upon the book, his heart surged with wild joy. "The Secret Records!"
The cover bore the seal-script characters Crane Control Secret Records written neatly in bold strokes.
"Don’t celebrate too soon," Chu Dingjiang said gravely. "There are three copies of the Secret Records, each stored in different locations. I retrieved this one first, but when I went for the others, they were already gone."
Mei Zhengjing’s elation was doused like a bucket of ice water, leaving him momentarily stunned.
"Fortunately, there’s only one true set of records, just divided into three parts. The one I have contains most of the Mei and Lou family lineages." Despite his words, Chu Dingjiang’s tone remained tense. "From now on, you either live in hiding or continue searching for the remaining records."
Mei Zhengjing flipped through the book—the method to activate the toxins wasn’t in this volume. If it fell into the wrong hands, those of the Mei family who had remained hidden would be relatively safe, but those like Mei Zhengjing, who were publicly known, would be in grave danger.
Chu Dingjiang saw through his thoughts instantly. "The Crane Control Army has long been infiltrated by the Liao people. It’s hard to say how much intelligence they’ve gathered. If Gu Jinghong passes on everything he knows to the Liao, destroying this record would be pointless."
Mei Zhengjing was well aware of the infamous top-ranked assassin on the Crane Control List. He couldn’t hide his shock. "Even he is a Liao spy!"
Chu Dingjiang didn’t respond, but his silence was confirmation.
After Mei Yanran arrived, he had followed her. The Mei family and An Jiu were already enemies, and the moment Mei Zhengjing swallowed his pride to plead with him, this outcome was inevitable. Mei Yanran didn’t know the details and had always believed Chu Dingjiang stood between them, insisting on settling scores with the Mei family. In her eyes, An Jiu was the victim—even if the Mei family harbored resentment, it shouldn’t be directed at her. She had neither contributed to the family nor harmed its interests.
Who could have imagined things would reach such an impasse?
Mei Zhengjing could guess Chu Dingjiang’s motives to some extent. The Mei blood also flowed in the Mei Shisi he protected. If the records weren’t recovered, An Jiu would also be in danger.
This volume of the Secret Records didn’t contain specifics—only the genealogies of the Mei and Lou families. No matter how clever Chu Dingjiang was, he couldn’t deduce the rest from this alone.Mei Zhengjing's Inner Force surged, and the original Secret Records crumbled into dust. "I've destroyed Elder Zhi, and Mr. Chu has given me the Secret Records. We're even now."
"I have no objections," Chu Dingjiang stood up.
Mei Yanran's gaze paused slightly.
Mei Zhengjing also sensed something amiss—Chu Dingjiang was definitely not this magnanimous! (To be continued...)
PS: There's one more update coming after midnight. You can check it tomorrow. Good night, everyone.
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