Hidden Shadow

Chu Dingjiang fell silent for a moment. "Ning Yanli used blood feeding on those mindless assassins."

"Yelü Huangwu's heart is truly black. She might actually succeed." Wei Yuzhi had abandoned all his past efforts partly because he foresaw this situation—the endless infighting in the Liao Kingdom. Even if he stayed, he would merely be a hound under Yelü Quancang, used to consolidate imperial power, with no chance to avenge his hatred in this lifetime.

Hatred had long vanished. He had slain his enemies many years ago. Though he despised the corruption and darkness of the Song court, he understood that shadows exist wherever there is light. Yet, he still couldn't swallow his resentment.

"Ning Yanli is dead!?"

Mo Sigui stood at the doorway, a medicine basket on his back, his face filled with shock.

Chu Dingjiang turned to look at him. "Not even her corpse remained intact."

"How could she die just like that?" Mo Sigui loathed Ning Yanli, but as a fellow practitioner of The Way of Medicine, he couldn’t help feeling a pang of sympathy. The life of a medical genius had ended so abruptly, leaving him with an inexplicable heaviness in his chest.

"These two are the people you wanted." Chu Dingjiang paused before asking, "When can A Jiu undergo the second reforging?"

Mo Sigui snapped out of his thoughts. "By the timeline, she could do it now. But since she was unconscious for a while, waiting a few more days would yield better results."

"Are there any drawbacks to reforging now?" Chu Dingjiang inquired.

"Aside from slightly diminished effects, there aren’t any real harms." Mo Sigui frowned. "Why do you ask?"

"A storm is coming. Best to be prepared. I’ll discuss it with her. If she agrees, I’d like her to undergo reforging in the next few days."

Mo Sigui, a perfectionist by nature, had already sensed the looming danger and made an exception to agree.

Once Chu Dingjiang left, he dragged the two men inside.

Just days ago, he had asked Chu Dingjiang to capture these men. He hadn’t expected it to be done so quickly, nor had he imagined that Ning Yanli—the creator of the power-enhancing drug—would already be reduced to nothing. Mo Sigui couldn’t help sighing.

"Truly, the world is unpredictable!"

"With many events about to unfold, the Miracle Doctor should also prepare early," Wei Yuzhi remarked.

Mo Sigui waved dismissively. "Whatever happens, I’ll just tend to my tiny herb garden."

Wei Yuzhi said, "Second Miss Lou isn’t within that tiny herb garden of yours."

Mo Sigui froze mid-motion, then laughed. "Oh? I’d almost forgotten such a person existed!" His expression darkened as he grumbled, "She walks her single-plank bridge, I’ll take my broad road. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other. Wei Yuzhi, if you bring her up again, don’t blame me for turning hostile!"

Wei Yuzhi’s lips curled slightly. "If she’s truly insignificant, why the anger?"

With that, he turned and left, giving Mo Sigui no chance to retort.

Hatred is harmful in every way and beneficial in none. Yet for those with deep emotions, letting go is easier said than done. Wei Yuzhi understood Lou Mingyue well and admired her courage and resilience. That’s why he meddled, offering Mo Sigui a reminder—he hoped Lou Mingyue would find a good ending.

Could Mo Sigui truly sever ties as cleanly as he claimed? Wei Yuzhi didn’t believe it.

"What nonsense! Hmph! When I say it’s over, it’s over! You don’t understand me at all!" Fuming, Mo Sigui paced around the room before digging out his pipe. After just two days of quitting, he lit it up again.Exhaling smoke, his mood gradually settled.

Mo Sigui stared at the curling smoke rising from his pipe, his thoughts drifting far away.

Now, the most proactive person in Hexi County was none other than An Jiu. After months of searching along the Hebei route, she had managed to recruit quite a few people.

Though the strength fell far short of what she had envisioned, she remained tirelessly enthusiastic.

Chu Dingjiang devoted himself wholeheartedly to being her "supportive partner," establishing a camp near the city walls and quickly moving in to set up base.

An Jiu was currently leading drills on the training grounds, while Chu Dingjiang, still clad in his black robe, stood on a slope not far away, a majestic eagle perched on his shoulder.

The sky was a clear, unbroken blue, time seeming to stand still.

After a long while, a black dot appeared in the distance, growing steadily closer. Chu Dingjiang narrowed his eyes and patted the eagle on his shoulder. "Lei Che."

At the command, the eagle spread its wings and soared into the sky, circling high above before suddenly diving toward the approaching black dot. The dot panicked, darting about chaotically.

Watching the two entangled shadows draw near, Chu Dingjiang whistled.

A piercing eagle cry echoed across the sky, and the black dot plummeted straight down. Midway, it flapped its wings stiffly a few times, barely avoiding a fatal crash.

Chu Dingjiang swiftly approached and found a bloodied pigeon lying on the ground, a thin bamboo tube tied to one of its legs.

Lei Che circled back and landed on his shoulder, tilting its head to study the pigeon with apparent curiosity.

Chu Dingjiang picked up the pigeon, extracted the letter from the bamboo tube, and read it. A cold smile touched his lips, his eyes glinting frostily.

He had noticed pigeons flying out of Hexi County every few days but had held back from acting. Today, he finally let his eagle test its skills. The pigeon wasn’t dead—it could still be useful after some recovery.

Chu Dingjiang took the pigeon back to camp, carefully cleaned and bandaged it, then placed it in a cage to recuperate.

Lei Che, seemingly proud of its first successful interception, puffed out its chest and stood guard atop the cage, refusing to budge.

At noon, An Jiu returned for lunch and was greeted by this peculiar scene the moment she entered.

"What’s up with this bird?" An Jiu asked.

Lei Che turned its head sharply, fixing her with a fierce stare.

"That’s Lei Che," Chu Dingjiang said.

The eagle stood rigidly atop the cage, its entire posture radiating displeasure. Amused by its stubbornness, An Jiu walked over and glared at it. "Tiny bird, big attitude! You’d better behave, or I’ll stew you for dinner!"

Lei Che retreated uneasily a couple of steps but maintained its proud, defiant glare, as if ready to die rather than yield.

"You’re an adult—why pick on a bird?" Chu Dingjiang chuckled.

An Jiu pointed at the trembling pigeon in the cage. "And what’s this one? Have you suddenly taken a liking to docile little creatures?"

"This one is indeed docile, but it’s not mine. Just keeping it for a few days," Chu Dingjiang replied as he set out the meal.

An Jiu examined it closely. "A messenger pigeon?"

Chu Dingjiang nodded. "Lately, someone’s been using pigeons to report our movements."

"Scouting us out!" An Jiu frowned. "Someone’s after us? Who have we offended?"

Chu Dingjiang thought An Jiu’s mental state still hadn’t fully recovered. Ever since openly working for the court, she had completely shed her dark past, as if she’d always been this relentlessly optimistic.Looking at her frowning face, Chu Dingjiang couldn't bear to reveal the truth—that when she was an assassin, she hadn't just offended people; she had made mortal enemies.

He had to change the subject. "The secret letter detailed our movements very precisely, yet we hardly share any common enemies."

The answer was both obvious and elusive. Chu Dingjiang knew the letter had been sent by Old Madam Mei, who had served as both a covert agent for the late Song emperor and a spy for the Liao. The carrier pigeon had flown north—clearly delivering the message to the Liao.

But Yelü Quancang should already have his hands full. Why would he bother tracking their movements? Neither of them held significant power nor had they actively attacked the Liao. At most, they had formed a small self-defense militia in Hexi County for fun—hardly enough to alarm the Liao emperor.

"How much do you know about Old Madam Mei?" Chu Dingjiang wondered what the odds were of forcing her to talk if they captured and interrogated her.

"Probably less than you." Connecting it to the carrier pigeon, An Jiu immediately grasped his meaning. Recalling her first encounter with the old woman, she said, "Though she's shamelessly two-faced, judging by her gaze, she likely won't yield to brute force."

"Bribery?" Chu Dingjiang chuckled dryly. "No matter how much I offer, it can't compare to what a ruler can give."

This old woman was truly capable—both her masters had been emperors.

An Jiu, her mouth already stuffed with food, mumbled in disagreement, "Not necessarily. It depends on what she wants."

Chu Dingjiang paused. "Fair point."

With the late Song emperor dead, any promises he had made were now void. As for the relationship between Old Madam Mei and Yelü Quancang—that was harder to guess. Chu Dingjiang decided not to waste time speculating aimlessly.

Since Yelü Quancang's intentions were unclear, and to avoid tipping him off, Chu Dingjiang kept the pigeon, forged a new letter in the same handwriting, and replaced the original message.

After that, he took Lei Che out daily to intercept carrier pigeons and swap their contents.

With some practice, Lei Che learned to force the pigeons down without harming them, saving Chu Dingjiang a lot of trouble.

As for the Reforging, Chu Dingjiang had only mentioned it briefly. Without asking for details, An Jiu agreed and, after settling her affairs, went alone to Mo Sigui's courtyard.

Mo Sigui, a cigarette holder between his teeth, was flipping through medical texts. "Does he know you're here?"

"He told me to come," An Jiu said.

Mo Sigui stopped and looked up. "He didn't follow you?"

Reforging required stripping naked and applying Medicine all over the body. Mo Sigui would sooner die than believe Chu Dingjiang would generously allow him to handle this. "When did he say this?"

"A couple of days ago." An Jiu sat across from him, tapping the table impatiently. "You don't seem busy. Hurry up."

Mo Sigui wiped imaginary sweat from his brow. "Thank goodness I'm sharp."

He had almost fallen into An Jiu's trap! If he had carelessly gone ahead, that man would have gouged his eyes and crippled his hands!

"The herbs were prepared half a year ago. We can start anytime, but could you at least pretend to be modest?" Mo Sigui gave her a disgusted look. "You're taken now—you can't just strip in front of another man. I feel exhausted just thinking about Chu Dingjiang!"

"You're not another man," An Jiu said.Mo Sigui leaned back, blowing a series of smoke rings, his eyes lazily narrowed. "I'm a fine, upstanding gentleman who's yet to marry. You can't speak of me in such ambiguous terms."

"You've misunderstood," An Jiu explained earnestly. "What I meant was, in my eyes, you're not a man."

"Then I'd rather keep misunderstanding," Mo Sigui retorted.

An Jiu had actually meant to say, "You're not just a man in my eyes, but a friend and a doctor," but somehow, she still hadn't managed to clarify. The young lady, who prided herself on her literary prowess, naturally refused to believe the misunderstanding was her fault. "So touchy, just like Zhu Pianxian."

"I can't even be bothered to get angry with you," Mo Sigui said, holding his pipe. "Wait a bit. We'll start once Chu Dingjiang arrives."

"He doesn't know I'm here."

"Is there anything in the entire Great Song Dynasty that can escape his notice? You really don't understand your own man at all—it's agonizing to watch!" Mo Sigui exclaimed.

An Jiu tucked her hands into her sleeves and remarked coolly, "Judging by how eager you seem to step in, could it be you have feelings for him?"

"Cough!" Mo Sigui choked on his smoke. "Nonsense! Chu Dingjiang is male!"

"Male?" Chu Dingjiang had just walked in when he heard Mo Sigui gritting his teeth and speaking ill of him.

Mo Sigui rubbed his forehead. Running into these two was the most vexing thing in his life. Just looking at them made his chest tighten! For instance, he'd just said so many good things about Chu Dingjiang, yet the man hadn't heard a single word—only to show up right at this moment! Clearly, fate itself was against them being friends.

"I don't want to talk anymore! Let's begin!" Mo Sigui extinguished his pipe and stood up to fetch the medicine.

In his current irritable state, he grabbed bundles of herbs and tossed them into Chu Dingjiang's hands. "Crush these first."

An Jiu, seeing him order Chu Dingjiang around, immediately protested, "He's not a doctor. Why should he crush the herbs?"

"Tch, since when does crushing herbs require a doctor?" Mo Sigui sprawled onto the low couch, grinning at An Jiu. "You're underestimating your Chu Dingjiang. He can soar to the heavens and dive into the seas—crushing herbs is nothing to him!"

Then, with a smug look at Chu Dingjiang, he added, "Crushing herbs is the same as applying them. If you say you can't do it, Yuzhi does it quite well."

The implication was clear: if Chu Dingjiang didn't crush the herbs now, Mo Sigui would leave both tasks to Wei Yuzhi later. Mo Sigui knew full well that this was his only chance to act smug in front of Chu Dingjiang—once this moment passed, it wouldn't come again.

Chu Dingjiang said nothing, pouring the herbs into the mortar and beginning to crush them.

When had Mo Sigui ever gained the upper hand in a confrontation with Chu Dingjiang? He was tempted to grab some fruit and eat while watching, but he thought better of it—no need to invite some horrific retaliation later.

The room fell silent except for the sound of herbs being crushed.

An Jiu stepped forward. "Let me crush them for a while."

"Rest. You'll have your share of hardship soon. Crushing a few herbs is nothing to me," Chu Dingjiang said. He wasn't an External Cultivator and had never used such brutal methods to temper his body, but he knew what Reforging entailed. In a sense, it meant breaking the body down, filtering out impurities, and then reforging it anew—a process that could be described as worse than death.

Though his words were calm, An Jiu could hear the concern and worry in them, and her heart warmed with joy.

Chu Dingjiang's heart softened at the sight, and he reached out to ruffle her hair.Mo Sigui let out a light snort through his nose and turned his head away, refusing to look at them. These two seemed to exist solely to vex him.

From grinding the medicine to brewing it, the entire process took nearly two hours.

Normally, anyone who asked Chu Dingjiang to do anything would have to pay a steep price. Only when working for An Jiu would he labor without complaint. Mo Sigui, operating on the principle of "use him while you can," directed Chu Dingjiang without even lifting an eyelid.

By the time everything was ready, the moon was already high in the sky.

Only An Jiu and Chu Dingjiang remained in the room.

An Jiu hesitated for a long time before untying her sash. Logically speaking, she and Chu Dingjiang had seen each other naked many times before, so there should have been no reason for shyness. Yet the opposite was true. At this moment, the simple act of undressing felt unbearably slow, each movement adding another layer of tension to the air, making her heart tremble. It was far less straightforward than undressing in front of Mo Sigui.

The ties of her undergarments were too tight. An Jiu tugged at them twice, only to end up with a stubborn knot.

"Let me help," Chu Dingjiang said, already moving closer. His deep voice lingered near her ear, yet seemed to sink straight into her heart.

An Jiu felt all the blood and warmth in her body rush to her ears, then spread to her cheeks and neck as he undid the ties.

Piece by piece, her clothes fell to the floor until she stood completely bare. An Jiu felt awkward.

Her eyes met Chu Dingjiang's for a brief moment before she quickly looked away. Clearing her throat, she murmured, "I think I'm becoming more and more timid."

"It's not timidity," Chu Dingjiang said, his voice thick with amusement as he embraced her. "This side of you is good."

The fabric of Chu Dingjiang's clothes brushed against her skin, sending an odd tingling sensation through her body. An Jiu thought to herself that she must be ill—how else could the same fabric feel so different now?

Chu Dingjiang hadn't expected to see this side of An Jiu under these circumstances. His heart swelled with joy for the present moment, yet ached for the pain she would soon endure. His emotions were so tangled that they overshadowed any stirrings of desire.

After a while, they parted, and An Jiu lay down on the prepared platform.

Chu Dingjiang took a bamboo spatula and carefully applied the medicine. The black ointment spread inch by inch over her porcelain skin, gradually smothering the tumult of emotions in his heart, restoring calm.

Outside, the moonlight shone brightly.

Mo Sigui smoked two pipes, reminisced three times, and spaced out several times. When he turned to look, the door was still closed, and he couldn't help but pause.

"There are only two tasks! Are you planning to dawdle until dawn?" He went over and knocked on the door.

After waiting for a while with no response, he added, "What, are you planning to have a baby before coming out?!"

About another quarter-hour later, Chu Dingjiang finally opened the door and stepped out.

Mo Sigui scowled. "You were the ones in a hurry for the Reforging, yet now you're the ones dragging your feet."

Chu Dingjiang wasn't angry, merely gave him a calm look. "Those without wives wouldn't understand."

"You—you—you, stay out here!" Mo Sigui slammed the door shut with a loud clang and stomped over to An Jiu. "I don't have a wife because I don't want one! Believe me, if I said I wanted to marry, girls from all over Bianjing would line up in Hexi County!"

"But in the end, none of them would be the one you truly wish to marry." An Jiu's voice was muffled by the cloth covering her mouth, distorted further by the intense pain coursing through her body. Yet even so, her words struck deep.Mo Sigui sighed helplessly, "Can't you all just calm down? If I really lose my temper and walk away, you'll have nowhere to cry."

"We didn't mean to." Most of the time, she genuinely didn't see anything wrong with her words. But this time, "It was intentional."

Mo Sigui fell silent, glaring at her resentfully.

To distract herself, An Jiu kept talking to him. "Though I shouldn't meddle in others' affairs, I just can't stand how you clearly have feelings for her, can't forget her, yet would rather torture yourself into a wreck than go find her."

"I'm still as dashing as ever—who says I'm a wreck?" Mo Sigui tried to deflect the topic.

But An Jiu was too absorbed in her own thoughts to hear him. "You chose different paths, but hers is a dead end. If you rushed to pull her back, how wonderful that would be. Even if you couldn't, at least you could accompany her to the end, so she wouldn't be so lonely in her hatred."

She wasn't sure if she was talking about Lou Mingyue or herself. Back then, An Jiu had desperately longed for someone, something—anything—to hold onto, to give her even the slightest warmth and solace.

"You think letting go means freeing each other? You don't realize some bonds can never be severed, not even by life or death..."

"If it were before, facing the same situation, I'd have been lost and helpless. But now, if I were you, I'd cling even tighter, even if it meant trapping myself."

If only there were still "ifs," she wished she could return to her childhood—even if just to give her mother one last kiss.

"Being just a cold bystander will make you regret it—this lifetime, the next, and the next after that..."

An Jiu had promised Lou Mingyue not to interfere in their affairs. She would keep her word, but that didn't stop her from using the matter to provoke Mo Sigui every chance she got.

"Speaking like this doesn't break my promise to Lou Mingyue. I didn't interfere—I just interjected." An Jiu wanted to laugh, but the searing pain wracking her body only let out two strange "huffs." Still, she felt triumphant. "Such a brilliant idea... why... did it take me so long... to think of it? Must be... spending too much time with Uncle Chu... made me cunning too..."

An Jiu was the type who wouldn't falter in speech even if stabbed through. Listening from outside, Chu Dingjiang couldn't fathom the kind of pain she was in. His heart twisted into knots.

Extremes beget opposites—how true that was. She was so strong, so strong it made her fragile, so strong it broke his heart.

Chu Dingjiang had met many delicate, pitiable women who moved men's hearts. As a man, he too was drawn to such tenderness. But only this kind of strength—carved into bone, flowing in blood—could truly claim him.

Unable to hold back, he pushed the door open and entered.

"A Jiu."

An Jiu didn't answer for a long while, her breathing ragged.

After what felt like an eternity, she steadied her breath. "Why does it suddenly feel... unbearable?"

Just moments ago, she thought she could endure it. But hearing Chu Dingjiang's voice, the pain suddenly felt excruciating.

"Chu Dingjiang, it hurts," she said.

Afraid of making it worse, Chu Dingjiang dared not touch her. "Don't be afraid. I'm here with you."

"Mm."

Mo Sigui had been somewhat moved by An Jiu's words, but the scene before him now struck him even deeper.

Chu Dingjiang had said: Don't be afraid. I'm here with you.Where was he when Lou Mingyue was enduring the pain? Did he really choose to give up just because she was strong and rejected him?

Mo Sigui let out a long sigh, feeling somewhat lost.

This time during the Reforging, Chu Dingjiang was the one busily running around while Mo Sigui merely gave verbal instructions, spending the rest of his time lost in thought. As a result, time seemed to pass especially quickly.

Only when An Jiu was lifted out of the Medicine barrel did he suddenly realize he had gone without sleep for so long. (To be continued...)

PS: I originally planned to finish the ending in one go and post it all at once, but life is unpredictable. I locked myself in a hotel to focus on writing, only to find the Wi-Fi wasn't working and my laptop couldn't connect via ethernet. So I changed locations, but right after settling in, I came down with a high fever. Then my dual-boot computer became unstable, making it impossible to save my work. After a whole day of struggling, the screen went white and I had to send it for repairs... The misery is too much to describe. Sometimes luck equals karma—though I often have bad luck, my heart is in the right place... Still sick now, but I must finish the ending... Once I push through this, I'll be reborn.