Hidden Shadow

Chu Dingjiang was far more fastidious than An Jiu—when conditions allowed, he bathed daily, which An Jiu found excessively troublesome.

Alone and bored, she paced restlessly around the room when a crucial thought struck her—could any physician use heart blood to treat illnesses?

If only highly skilled healers were capable of such a feat, wouldn’t Mo Sigui be in grave danger?

With that in mind, she threw on her cloak and hurried after Chu Dingjiang.

Meanwhile, Chu Dingjiang had already settled in.

The room was lit by lamplight as Ling Xi spoke, "I've thought it over—I'll take the gamble."

Half her life had been spent in caution, yet what had it earned her in the end? Better to stake everything on one bold move. If she lost, death was the worst outcome; if she won, freedom and riches awaited.

"Cooperating with me, Chu, is something you can trust," Chu Dingjiang assured her.

Ling Xi took a deep breath and met his gaze. "We know very little, but there's one thing I can tell you for certain—the one looking for you isn’t Yelü Quancang. It’s Xiao Che."

"Xiao Che?" This was perplexing. Chu Dingjiang had never met this man before. Countless possibilities flashed through his mind. "Is he looking for me, or for A Jiu?"

Ling Xi’s eyes flickered slightly as she lowered her head, absently rubbing her fingers.

Chu Dingjiang pulled out a stack of Jiaozi money and placed it on the table.

Ling Xi looked up, smiled, reached for the money, counted it, then tucked it into her sleeve. "Our orders were only to keep watch on you and report your movements in detail. But I suspect Xiao Che is mostly interested in Fourteen Lady. Once, we received instructions to investigate her abilities thoroughly. I can’t give you a definitive answer, but since I’ve taken your money, it wouldn’t be right to leave you with nothing. Yelü Quancang is meticulous. Hong You and I first served the Song, then defected to him. He left us unused for so long we were practically discarded—yet suddenly, he assigned us this task. Isn’t that strange? He must have sent others to spy as well, though I don’t know who."

"A fine diversion indeed."

Recently, An Jiu had been actively recruiting, making it easy for infiltrators to slip in. By deploying these two obvious spies as decoys, Yelü Quancang made it easier for the real informants to relay genuine intelligence.

"Do you know how they communicate?" Chu Dingjiang placed the deed to the mountain villa before her.

Ling Xi eyed the deed but didn’t take it. "I don’t."

"Go," Chu Dingjiang said.

Ling Xi tensed warily, but when she saw no intention of violence from him, she slowly rose. "A hundred thousand taels of gold—was it worth it for just this much information?"

"Worth is for me to decide," Chu Dingjiang replied coolly.

Ling Xi asked no further questions and swiftly slipped out.

An Jiu, who had been waiting outside the door, stood frozen, making no move to stop her.

Hearing An Jiu’s footsteps, Chu Dingjiang turned. "Why are you here?"

"I have a bad feeling," An Jiu murmured, her pale face drained of color, her eyes filled with a fear Chu Dingjiang had never seen in her before. "He’s here."

"He?"

Having spent most of these years with An Jiu, Chu Dingjiang was certain she had never crossed paths with Xiao Che. A bold suspicion formed in his mind—Xiao Che was like them.

An Jiu suddenly felt unbearably cold. No matter how tightly she clutched her cloak, the chill wouldn’t fade.

Chu Dingjiang pulled her into an embrace."Chu Dingjiang, I'm really scared," An Jiu buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled. "I'm so content with my life now. That's why I'm afraid of going back to how things were before."

With goals, hope, and Chu Dingjiang... An Jiu felt life couldn't be more perfect.

"He must have arrived here long ago. Why didn't he show up earlier? Why now of all times..." An Jiu clung tightly to Chu Dingjiang as she spoke of that man. "He was our commander. Once a top-tier assassin himself—a born criminal with extraordinary intelligence, capable of anything. Later, after his leg was injured, he stopped taking missions and founded an organization, training many younger assassins. Seven of the world's top ten assassins were personally mentored by him. I was one of them."

In An Jiu's memories, he had never lost his temper. His voice was always gentle as he taught her how to hold a gun, how to channel the restlessness in her blood through killing. In those monotonous, lonely days, she had once been attached to him. But now, looking back, his gentleness seemed terrifying.

"He's been here for a while, hasn't he?"

The Explosive Crossbow was an extraordinary existence, out of place in this world. Xiao Che had brought it here, and An Jiu had long harbored doubts—she just hadn't dwelled on them or sought confirmation.

"Fortunately, he arrived late, giving me enough time to be with you," Chu Dingjiang said.

Had Xiao Che appeared two years earlier, there was no guarantee An Jiu wouldn't have reverted to her old ways.

"Fear not," Chu Dingjiang grasped her hand. "Whether it's a bottomless abyss or being ground to dust, I'll be with you."

An Jiu looked at their tightly clasped hands and listened to his bold, heroic words. Gradually, her unease subsided.

"Blood Fiend," Chu Dingjiang called.

"My lord!"

"Kill Old Madam Mei."

"As you command!"

Blood Fiend left to carry out the order but returned swiftly moments later. "My lord, Old Madam Mei has taken poison."

An Jiu was startled. "Why would she take poison?"

Old Madam Mei was clearly no simple woman—her will was indomitable. She would never resort to suicide unless absolutely cornered.

Chu Dingjiang entered the room where Old Madam Mei was held. A lamp had been lit inside, and shattered teacups littered the floor. She was dressed neatly, her well-maintained face now deathly pale.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, her gaze unnaturally bright. "That wretched maid actually thought... that just because you spared her, she'd be free forever... Hah... hahaha!"

Blood gushed from her mouth, staining her robes. Old Madam Mei's face, already pallid, took on a ghastly gray hue as she laughed through her tears. "She never stopped to wonder... why I didn't choose that path! Today... the one who is truly free... is me!"

No longer a drifting weed, no longer another's dog—only death could bring release. Ling Xi, you'll understand someday.

Watching Old Madam Mei breathe her last, Chu Dingjiang said, "Bury her."

As a second wife and a traitor, the Mei family would never allow her in the ancestral tomb.

Blood Fiend had someone fetch a straw mat, wrapped the body, and took it away to be buried.

"Every ruler has their own method of controlling such people. Old Madam Mei and Ling Xi were bound together. With Ling Xi's betrayal, her fate was sealed," Chu Dingjiang explained the reason for Old Madam Mei's suicide.

An Jiu said, "Yelü Quancang's method of control probably isn't poison."If both of them had been poisoned, there was no reason for one to know while the other remained completely unaware. No one had poisoned her back then, yet she was still sinking deeper into the quagmire.

"Right!" An Jiu remembered why she had chased after him. "Is it difficult to use heart blood for treatment? Can only someone like Mo Sigui do it?"

"It's said extracting the blood is very difficult." Chu Dingjiang understood her concerns. "Let's keep this quiet for now and observe how things develop. You've just undergone reforging and shouldn't be running around. Even if Yelü Quancang wants to capture Mo Sigui, his life isn't in immediate danger."

An Jiu nodded.

The night was silent and clear, with a full moon hanging high.

Mo Sigui, accompanied by his two tigers, rushed eagerly toward Lou Mingyue, his heart brimming with joy.

Yelü Huangwu was dead—the best news he'd heard in years. Lou Mingyue should no longer be stubborn and would return with him to live a peaceful, ordinary life.

"Reunion and togetherness—what a perfect night for it." Mo Sigui glanced at the bright moon above and lowered his head with a smile. "Da Jiu, how many kids do you think I should have in the future?"

Da Jiu turned his massive head, his copper-bell eyes filled with confusion.

"I definitely want a daughter. I'll raise her to be gentle and kind, not like her mother."

"Tsk, what should I say to her when we first meet?"

Mo Sigui sat atop Xiao Yue's back, his dark hair fluttering in the wind. His peach-blossom eyes shimmered, as if painting the silent night in soft hues of pink. It had been ages since he last exuded such charm.

What should he say first to make the moment more touching?

"Mingyue, I was wrong before. I didn't protect you well. Give me a chance to make it up to you for the rest of my life." Mo Sigui grinned, tapping his palm with a folding fan. "Damn, I'm smooth. Any woman would cry from that."

"Wait, our Mingyue isn't just any woman." He frowned again.

After agonizing over it the entire way, Xiao Yue and Da Jiu finally came to a stop. Mo Sigui looked up and saw the signboard of the very same inn where he had stayed while treating Lou Mingyue last time!

Mo Sigui was certain Lou Mingyue had been thinking of him, and his heart swelled with joy. He stood at the entrance, carefully straightening his clothes and smoothing his hair. Then he turned Da Jiu's face toward him, using the tiger's large eyes as a mirror.

"Utterly dashing." Whether he actually saw anything or not, he concluded with satisfaction and stepped onto the stairs.

As he neared the main door, Mo Sigui faintly sensed a murderous aura. He paused briefly, retreating quietly into a hidden corner. From his medicine box, he retrieved paper and a brush, swiftly writing a letter and sealing it in a bamboo tube. He tied it around Da Jiu's neck and patted the tiger's back.

Da Jiu turned and ran off.

Just then, a loud crash came from upstairs, followed by a muffled groan from Xiao Yue behind him.

Mo Sigui's heart clenched. He tossed a pill to Xiao Yue, vaulted over the courtyard wall, and dashed toward the room where the noise had originated.

"Miss, don't be rash! We mean no harm!"

Without hesitation, Mo Sigui kicked the door open. "Mingyue!"

His vision was met with swirling mist.

Lou Mingyue turned slowly at the sound of his voice.

The room was filled with smoke, and a dozen black-clad figures had her surrounded.

She stood by the window. Seeing Mo Sigui burst in, she flung it open, letting the wind disperse the haze. Moonlight spilled in from behind, casting a silver halo around her and outlining her graceful figure. Her expression remained obscured in the darkness."Go!"

She barely managed to utter a hoarse cry before thick black smoke erupted from her body, filling the room with the stench of scorched flesh.

Spring Breeze Cannot Understand Words!

It was the bone-corroding drug he had concocted!

Mo Sigui’s eyes nearly split open in horror. His hands trembled as he flung open his medicine chest, sending bottles and jars clattering to the floor. He dropped to his knees, frantically grabbing the antidote for Spring Breeze Cannot Understand Words .

Lou Mingyue looked down at him, tears streaming uncontrollably.

When Mo Sigui raised his head again, he saw her peerless beauty flaking away like fragments of withered butterflies, carried off by the night wind.

A tear fell to the ground—but she was already gone.

All in an instant.

The smoke drifted out the door with the wind, and the room quickly returned to silence, leaving behind only scattered remnants of bone and ash.

Mo Sigui numbly scanned the room, his gaze finally settling on the bright moon outside the window.

What had just happened?

A moment ago… had he really seen Mingyue?

His clothes had been soaked in Antitoxin Pill , and his body was impervious to most poisons—but Lou Mingyue had mustered her last ounce of strength to push open the window, clearly afraid that he wouldn’t have time to take the antidote if exposed to the dense toxic fumes.

Mo Sigui’s face was blank, devoid of any expression. Xiao Yue whimpered softly, stepping forward to nudge the pile of remains by the window, only to hesitate, afraid of accidentally crumbling them further.

He stood there, frozen, for a long time before the pain finally struck—so overwhelming that it robbed him of his voice.

He had prepared so many words, yet not a single one had been spoken.

After being apart for so long, he hadn’t even had the chance to look at her properly, hadn’t even had the chance to say he was sorry—before she vanished from his sight forever.

In the blink of an eye. Without warning.

And to die by the poison he had created?!

Cough!

A metallic tang rose in Mo Sigui’s throat, and he spat out a mouthful of heart’s blood.

The blood was crimson, but his face was deathly pale, as if he had aged a decade in an instant.

"Ha… haha! Hahahaha!" Grief so deep that no tears could fall—instead, he wanted to laugh, to mock the cruel twists of fate!

When his laughter subsided, he pointed a trembling finger at the remains and rasped, "I, Mo Sigui, can revive the dead and restore flesh to bones—but tell me, who can bring back someone who has been reduced to ashes?"

Never in his life had Mo Sigui felt hatred so bone-deep. Not just hatred for those who had driven Lou Mingyue to her death, but hatred for her —why had she been so resolute, leaving no room for reversal? So cruel, to use the poison he had made with his own hands!

A suffocating weight pressed on his chest like a mountain, threatening to crush him.

......

"Mo Sigui!" An Jiu bolted upright.

Chu Dingjiang stirred awake and sat up, patting her. "A nightmare?"

"I dreamed Mo Sigui jumped off a cliff," An Jiu said, her heart still racing. "I saw him standing at the edge and screamed as loud as I could. He turned and smiled at me, saying, A Jiu, I’m going down to take a look —then he just leaped off!"

"You were overthinking before bed."

"No!" An Jiu grabbed his arm urgently. "You don’t understand. Before, my dreams only ever showed me the past. But ever since I used Wei Yuzhi’s blood, I’ve been having all these strange dreams—and they come true ."

"It might not necessarily mean he’ll jump. Maybe it’s just a warning that he’ll be in danger," Chu Dingjiang reassured her. "Tomorrow, I’ll take you to find him."

An Jiu lay back down but tossed and turned, unable to sleep another wink.Chu Dingjiang couldn't sleep either, so he asked her, "What did you dream about when you saw Xiao Che?"

"That dream was chaotic, with some scenes from the past and others I'd never seen before. But what I remember most clearly is a phrase he once said to me."

"What did he say?"

"'You are the most perfect weapon I've ever seen. With you, I can destroy everything, so I'll never let you slip from my grasp.'"

Chu Dingjiang felt that this "perfect weapon" wasn't actually referring to a real weapon. After all, no matter how strong a person might be, they couldn't possibly destroy everything. Moreover, from An Jiu's simple description, this person was a genius, and geniuses usually had arrogance—he wouldn't truly entrust such ambitions to someone else.

Most likely, this person had a sense of dependence on An Jiu.

"What are you thinking about?" An Jiu asked.

Chu Dingjiang joked, "I'm wondering if you've become clairvoyant."

But An Jiu was serious. "You'd have to ask Wei Yuzhi about that."

Chu Dingjiang laughed and pulled her closer. "Sleep now. I'll only feel at ease letting you go out once you've recovered your strength." (To be continued...)