(Bug catching)
Looking around, the area was densely dotted with graves stretching far into the depths of the night. Occasionally, will-o'-the-wisps flickered in the distance, their eerie blue light unable to pierce the ink-black darkness.
The graves were overgrown with weeds, and most bore no tombstones. Some had even collapsed, confirming this as a mass burial ground without a doubt.
Mei Tingyuan shivered and suddenly became subdued.
“The weather is splendid today.” A hoarse voice abruptly came from nowhere, followed by a dry chuckle.
By the time everyone identified the source, a hunched figure had already landed two zhang away. She said, “This mass burial ground dates back to the Tang dynasty, covering three low hills. I’ve hidden four daggers here. You have one hour to retrieve them and leave the burial ground to pass the test. There are no rules—anyone can take all four daggers if they wish. If you have the strength, you can also seize them from those who’ve already obtained them. Lives don’t matter—you can kill if necessary.”
She spoke so casually! Yet these were all blood relatives who had grown up together!
Even the two most confident boys felt a chill in their hearts. But upon further reflection, with four daggers, the four from the second branch could easily divide them among themselves. If they worked together, no one would fail. As for Mei Shisi—what did she have to do with them?
This was the unanimous thought of the four from the second branch.
Once Mei Tingyuan realized this, she suddenly brightened. She wouldn’t even have to wait until the end of the month! Since lives didn’t matter, what could stop her from crippling Mei Shisi? This was far more satisfying than the restrained sparring at month’s end.
An Jiu lowered her head, frowning slightly. Wasn’t she just brought along to toughen up? Why did this feel targeted?
The Old Madam gave a signal, and the black-clad woman who had driven the carriage earlier took out five envelopes from her robe, handing one to each of them. “Inside are maps. You may proceed.”
Mei Tingjun and Mei Tingchun were eager to begin. Seeing the path cleared for them, they rushed in without a trace of fear.
Mei Tingzhu followed, while Mei Tingyuan, despite her earlier bravado, couldn’t help but shudder at the sight of the distant will-o'-the-wisps. After a moment’s hesitation, she gritted her teeth and hurried after Mei Tingzhu.
Only then did An Jiu move, trailing behind them.
The Old Madam narrowed her eyes and chuckled lowly, her raspy voice unnervingly eerie in such a grim place. “Care to guess whether Fourteen Lady will pass?”
“This subordinate cannot guess,” the black-clad woman replied, glancing sideways at the Old Madam. “But were those two martial arts masters truly killed by her?”
The Old Madam replied with keen interest, “We’ll see.”
“But if you treat her like this, what if…” The black-clad woman was puzzled. Regardless of whether the second branch would act against Mei Shisi, there were wolves in the burial ground. If she really died here, would Elder Zhi let it go?
“If she’s truly useless, then discard her. I’ll find him a better disciple,” the Old Madam said, her bony fingers stroking her cane with amusement. “Besides, didn’t Yanran ask you to look after her? Hah.”Assassins and soldiers on the battlefield are essentially the same—generals leave mountains of bones in their wake, yet love and hatred still remain. The same goes for assassins. However, there are differences. On the battlefield, both sides are evenly matched, fighting openly and honorably, whereas an assassin's deeds are done in the shadows. The blade might fall upon defenseless women and children. The Old Madam had killed so many people. Though her heart had long hardened like iron, she still felt joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness—only her emotions were different from ordinary people's.
"This subordinate is guilty!" The woman in black knelt on one knee.
The Old Madam's moods were unpredictable, and the woman in black had witnessed it firsthand—one moment she might be smiling, the next, you could be dead.
"Today, I'm in a good mood, so I won't punish you." The Old Madam lightly tapped her cane twice before turning to leave.
The autumn wind rustled past, sending a chill down the woman in black's spine.
Meanwhile, a group of half-grown children ventured deep into the mass graves. The surroundings were deathly silent, with only the occasional eerie glow of will-o'-the-wisps flaring up, casting a cold light over a few scattered burial mounds.
Fear gradually crept into their hearts, and by the time Mei Tingyuan thought to look for Mei Shisi, she was already gone.
"Ah, Mei Shisi is missing," Mei Tingyuan whispered.
"Could she have gotten lost?" Mei Tingchun asked.
Mei Tingzhu said, "From the start, she headed north. She never intended to follow us."
Mei Tingjun gazed at the desolate graveyard. "Is she afraid of Seventh Sister? After all, we're family. If something really happened, how would we face Auntie in the future?"
Mei Tingjun was the eldest here and the legitimate son of the family head. If Mei Zhengjing proved unfit to lead, he would likely become the next head of the Mei family. Thus, his words carried weight among his peers.
"Should we look for her?" Mei Tingchun had quite a favorable impression of that exceptionally beautiful younger sister.
"Go yourself if you want!" Mei Tingyuan glared at him.
"Let's go. Finding the dagger is more important." In the end, Mei Tingjun merely offered a perfunctory remark before dropping the matter.
The group gathered some dry grass and lit it, huddling together to examine the map. Only then did they realize they were holding a torn piece of the map! Judging by the shape, the map should have been divided into at least six parts.
"Mei Shisi's envelope had two maps, and ours only marks one dagger location, while hers has three," Mei Tingzhu said.
The map the four of them held showed only one dagger but a complete route. This was clearly meant to pit them against each other.
They exchanged glances—it seemed they had no choice but to find her!
"Let's find her first! We haven't been separated long; she shouldn't have gone far." Mei Tingjun made the decisive call.
The other three agreed, so they immediately turned north to search for An Jiu.
The sky was overcast with dark clouds, making the path barely visible. Whether by fortune or misfortune, the place was littered with bones, and will-o'-the-wisps were especially abundant.
An Jiu walked north alone. Seeing will-o'-the-wisps flickering ahead, she quickly opened the envelope and examined the map by their faint light.
Three daggers, but only one route was complete—the other two were cut off.
It was obvious at a glance that the map had been deliberately torn, a test for An Jiu and, incidentally, for the four children of the second branch.
An Jiu curled her lips, tucked the map into her robe, and quickened her pace.
She had no intention of searching for the dagger. That coward Mei Jiu would be lucky not to be scared out of her wits just by being here—actually finding the dagger would only invite unnecessary trouble. Besides, if she hid, the second branch would be thrown into chaos. What could be more entertaining than that?An Jiu had a strong sense of direction in the dark. After walking for a while, she turned eastward.
Keeping track of time in her mind, and having nothing better to do, she decided to jog around the graveyard as a way to exercise.
Mei Jiu’s body was too weak. After running for only about half an hour, An Jiu slowed her pace. If she happened to encounter a wolf or accidentally run into those Martial Arts-trained kids in a place like this, she needed to at least have the strength to fight back. Overexerting herself wasn’t an option.
An Jiu’s ears twitched slightly, and she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Clear footsteps approached. If the other party was a trained fighter with sharp senses, trying to flee would only expose her.
Thinking quickly, An Jiu quietly maneuvered around a patch of waist-high grass and was about to crouch when a warm hand suddenly grabbed her ankle. Startled, she immediately swung her hand down in a sharp strike.
"Spare me, warrior!" The person lay on the ground, whispering urgently in a hushed voice.
An Jiu didn’t hesitate—her hand chopped mercilessly against the back of his neck.
The man’s eyes rolled back, and he passed out.
An Jiu noticed he was dressed in luxurious robes, like some young noble. Suspicious, she flipped him over.
In the dim light, a handsome face was revealed—arched brows like a hanging rhinoceros horn, a straight and noble nose, and a jawline already showing sharp definition. Against the backdrop of his blue satin robe, he seemed to glow faintly in the darkness.
The light hadn’t changed, yet An Jiu felt as if her surroundings had brightened.
The footsteps ahead drew closer, and the flicker of torchlight stopped not far from the grass. A young servant’s voice, choked with tears, said, "If I can’t find the young master, I won’t live much longer either."
"A grown man can’t just vanish into thin air," another youth chuckled. "Maybe some female ghost dragged him away for a bit of fun?"
An Jiu stared at the unconscious man’s face, realizing that the "young master" they were searching for was likely him.
"Please hurry and look for him, young masters," the servant sobbed.
"Could he have gone further in?" another voice suggested.
The group hesitated for a moment before the first youth spoke again. "Well, we’re already here—might as well go in! Just keep your protective talismans close, and no ghost would dare come near. We can’t lose this bet again." He paused, then asked, "Are you sure your young master went in there?"
The servant insisted, "I saw it with my own eyes!"
"Then let’s go!"
Having made up their minds, the group of six or seven ventured deeper, lanterns in hand.
This part of the graveyard wasn’t as densely packed with tombs, and there were fewer will-o'-the-wisps floating about.
"Ah!"
"Stop screaming!"
Their voices gradually faded as they moved away.
An Jiu studied the unconscious man more carefully. He looked to be around twenty, with a tall and slender frame. In a few more years, he’d undoubtedly become another heartbreaker.
Since she’d already knocked him out, she might as well make it worth her while. She rummaged through his belongings and found a jade pendant, a silk handkerchief embroidered with bamboo, an ornate dagger studded with gemstones, and a folding fan.
An Jiu unsheathed the dagger and tested its edge by slicing through the man’s robe. The satin split cleanly in two—she hadn’t even felt any resistance!
She had assumed such a flashy weapon wouldn’t be very practical, but it turned out to be razor-sharp. She sheathed it and tucked it into her robe, then pocketed the rest of the items without a second thought before continuing on her way.
After wandering for a while longer, An Jiu estimated it was about time to head back. She turned westward, making her way toward the entrance of the mass graves.An Jiu pondered. The carriage ride had taken about three hours, and by the time the dagger-hunting game ended, it would be around midnight. She could stay near the entrance and wait for someone to come "rescue" her.
She had learned the ancient method of timekeeping from Mei Jiu's memories. Though she wasn’t quite used to it, there was likely no way back—and she didn’t want to return anyway, so she had to adapt.
"Sister, how could you raise a hand against Eldest Brother!" Mei Tingyuan scolded angrily.
An Jiu abruptly halted her steps and quietly hid behind the nearest grave mound.
About thirty meters away, she saw Mei Tingzhu standing alone against Mei Tingjun, Mei Tingchun, and Mei Tingyuan. It seemed a fight had already taken place, as the faint outlines of their figures showed signs of disarray.
The tension was palpable, and no one noticed An Jiu’s approach.
What luck—just when she was thinking about it! An Jiu crouched down, eagerly awaiting the drama to unfold. (To be continued...)
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