On the western side of the mass graves, six women clad in black stood like tombstones in the night wind.
One of them broke the silence, "Time's up."
Their figures flashed, leaving only afterimages in an instant.
One of the black-clad women entered the mass graves and blew a whistle that sounded like an eagle's cry. Soon, an identical whistle echoed from a certain direction, and the woman immediately sprinted toward it.
Before long, she spotted An Jiu crouching in the grass.
"Did you retrieve the dagger?" the black-clad woman landed in front of An Jiu.
Hearing their signal, An Jiu realized her movements might have been monitored all along. She pulled out the dagger she had taken from the young man, "Is this the one?"
The woman glanced at it and nodded, "Since you've found it, it belongs to you now."
An Jiu was puzzled—this dagger had been obtained by sheer chance! Could it have been arranged by Old Madam? Or perhaps the young man had stumbled upon it in the graves by coincidence, only for her to seize it...
The second scenario seemed too much of a coincidence, yet the first also seemed unlikely. With just four daggers causing such chaos among a group of untrained children, there was hardly any need for additional schemes.
An Jiu carefully recalled her two encounters with the young man. Though there were many suspicious points, they didn't seem related to Mei Shi.
"Come with me back to Plum Blossom Village first," the black-clad woman said.
Recognizing her as the one Mei Yanran had entrusted, An Jiu complied silently and followed her out of the burial ground.
At the foot of the slope stood over a dozen horses. The woman asked, "Can you ride?"
"Yes," An Jiu replied. She had learned on the farm, and the only unladylike skill Mei Yanran had taught Mei Jiu was horseback riding.
An Jiu chose a sturdy black stallion. The woman gave her an extra glance before spurring her horse ahead.
Riding through the dark tested one's skill. An Jiu's ability was average, but her sharp vision kept her from falling behind.
Half an hour passed, and the light grew dimmer.
A few large raindrops fell at first, then the downpour intensified, drenching them in an instant.
The wilderness was bitterly cold. Mei Jiu woke shivering, her vision jolting, "Where are we?"
An Jiu replied emotionlessly, "Use your eyes."
Mei Jiu felt wronged—the rain was so thick she couldn't see beyond two zhang, only that they were in the wild!
Rainwater streamed down her face, blurring her vision. Mei Jiu raised a hand to wipe it away.
The sudden clash of their two consciousnesses destabilized their body. With one hand now controlled by Mei Jiu and off the reins, An Jiu leaned sharply to the left. In the split second she hesitated to suppress Mei Jiu's consciousness, she was flung off!
The horse was galloping at full speed. Her body, like a kite with its string cut, slammed into a tree trunk as thick as a bowl. A dull thud exploded in her mind like thunder.
An Jiu felt her soul nearly leave her body, followed by complete numbness.
Mei Jiu blacked out, but An Jiu remained conscious, coughing up blood.
"Whoa—" The black-clad woman's heart lurched as she reined in her horse and turned back.
"Fourteen Lady!" She dismounted and rushed to An Jiu's side, examining her urgently. "This is bad!"
She quickly removed her outer robe to cover An Jiu and fired a signal flare.
A piercing shriek tore through the rainy night, exploding loudly overhead.
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a rider emerged from the curtain of rain at full speed. A man's voice called out, "What happened?"An Jiu heard the woman in black say, "Fourteen Lady fell from her horse and hit a tree. Her internal organs are definitely injured, but I can't confirm if her spine is damaged. I don't dare move her."
Someone approached and pressed cold fingers against her wrist.
After a moment, they asked, "Can you still move?"
An Jiu steadied herself, forcing herself to sit up. She spat out a mouthful of blood and rasped, "Spine's not broken."
The person paused in surprise. "Hold on a little longer. I'll take you to Elder Qi by carriage."
"Mm." An Jiu closed her eyes.
The black-clad woman saw her deathly pale face, yet not a trace of pain showed in her expression. After a brief silence, she turned and left.
Rustling sounds nearby made An Jiu open her eyes slightly. She saw the woman in black crouching beside her, and an inexplicable feeling rose in her heart—one that made her let go of all wariness, allowing her to sink into deep sleep.
If An Jiu had any dreams, her past one was to buy a farm. Now, it was to kill Mei Jiu. As an assassin, she had suffered injuries far worse than this, but never had she felt so utterly humiliated!
Mei Jiu kept setting new lows for stupidity—this was beyond endurance!
An Jiu was certain this was heaven's punishment for all the lives she had taken.
Amid the pouring rain, An Jiu's blood mingled with the water, forming a faint trickle in the darkness.
The rain fell intermittently for three days, and the temperature plummeted, carrying the first hints of early winter.
On the second day after the Shadow Academy trial participants returned, those in the Mei family who needed to know had already received the news: Mei Tingzhu and Mei Tingjun had fought to a stalemate, Mei Tingyuan had been ambushed and wounded in the right arm by a shadow unit, and only Mei Tingchun had emerged unscathed. Yet none of the four had obtained the dagger. The only one who had—against all expectations—was the least favored Mei Shisi.
What heartening news for Elder Zhi! But then, this very capable individual had fallen from her horse on the way back and remained unconscious to this day!
With such an unreliable outcome, the elders concluded that the Mei clan's future looked bleak.
...
The Jade Serenity Residence was dimly lit.
Mei Jiu felt as though she had slept for a very long time. When she woke, her mouth and throat were painfully dry.
"Ah!" She tried to sit up, but the slightest movement sent sharp pain shooting through her, twisting her face into a grimace.
"Young Mistress is awake!" Yao Ye exclaimed in delight, pulling aside the bed curtains. "Don't move, Young Mistress. Whatever you need, this servant will help you."
"Water." Mei Jiu's throat was parched, and even that single word hurt terribly.
Yao Ye poured a cup of water and fed it to her slowly with a spoon. "Does Young Mistress feel better now?"
"Mm, much better." Mei Jiu replied.
Yao Ye wrung out a cloth to wipe her face and sighed. "How did you fall from your horse, Young Mistress?"
Mei Jiu recalled the incident, guilt washing over her. The moment she had woken, she had been disoriented, only sensing the swaying motion—she hadn't realized she was riding a horse...
"An Jiu," Mei Jiu called softly in her mind.
There was no response. She thought An Jiu must be furious.
"Young Mistress?" Yao Ye was startled when she didn't react.
"I'm fine," Mei Jiu answered distractedly.
"That's good." Yao Ye tucked the blankets around her. "Yan Niangzi stayed by your side for two days and nights before Elder Zhi finally persuaded her to rest. This servant will send someone to inform her."
At the mention of Mei Yanran, Mei Jiu snapped out of her self-pity. "Is Mother alright?"How could she be fine? Mei Jiu was Mei Yanran's very lifeblood. This time, she had been unconscious for three full days, leaving Mei Yanran on tenterhooks throughout, wishing she could take her daughter's place.
"It's all my fault," Mei Jiu murmured.
Yao Ye comforted her, "Don't say that, young mistress. What mother in this world doesn't ache for her daughter? Your enrollment in Shadow Academy was unavoidable. Yan Niangzi couldn't stop it and is suffering inside. You must take good care of yourself outside, train hard—only then can you ease Yan Niangzi's worries somewhat."
Mei Jiu froze.
She had always thought obedience was the way to show respect and filial piety to her mother. She was accustomed to her mother's protection but had never considered what she herself could do.
Seeing that her words had sunk in, Yao Ye said no more. "This servant will prepare your evening meal. There are maids waiting outside the tent—just call if you need anything."
"Alright," Mei Jiu murmured.
She pondered for a long time until suddenly, her mind cleared. Yet when she calmed herself, she noticed a subtle difference in her body—the heavy feeling in her heart that had persisted since discovering An Jiu's presence was gone!
What about An Jiu... (to be continued)
PS: Sleeves encountered some matters today that delayed typing. Seeing everyone's enthusiasm, I've decided to stay up late for another update, though it may take quite a while—everyone can check tomorrow. Many thanks for your support, and for the golden eggs and jade bi rewards. Sleeves has no way to repay except to add more chapters after these two days pass as thanks. Again, thank you all for your care.
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