(First update presented, seeking subscriptions and pink votes.)
With An Jiu awake, Mei Jiu was in excellent spirits and not sleepy at all, so she stayed in the study reading.
The former owner of Jade Serenity Residence seemed to have been an avid reader. The large study was packed full, mostly with martial arts manuals and some peculiar storybooks.
Mei Jiu preferred poetry, but An Jiu insisted on studying combat techniques. Unable to resist, Mei Jiu reluctantly picked up the dry and tedious manuals. It wasn't until nearly midnight that the two began feeling drowsy.
Mei Jiu draped a fur cloak over herself and prepared to return to the bedroom when a maid announced at the door, "Young Mistress, Elder Zhi requests your presence."
The Mei Clan was a family that trained assassins, lacking the numerous formalities of other families but retaining many latent assassin habits—such as being on call at all hours, no matter the time.
Mei Jiu's temperament remained gentle, but after so many turbulent events, she no longer reacted with the same startled panic as before.
"Understood," Mei Jiu replied.
Yao Ye lit a lantern and accompanied her outside.
The winds in Plum Blossom Village were mild, not as cold as one might expect. Snowflakes swirled and drifted in the breeze, falling densely like a cascading shower, resembling the delicate fluttering of apricot blossoms in a spring breeze.
An Jiu knew this was Jiangnan. In the distant future, this region would become much warmer, and such heavy snow would no longer fall. It was also the first time she realized that cold snow could appear so gentle and beautiful.
Treading through the snow to the corridor of the Hall of Eternal Wisdom, the maid closed the umbrella. Yao Ye handed the lantern to another attendant and brushed the snowflakes from Mei Jiu's fur cloak.
"Fourteen Lady," a lifeless voice called as the gate creaked open.
Even with her newfound composure, Mei Jiu was startled. She stole a glance at the young man in black. Under the snowy glow, his face was gaunt and pale, with sharp features and narrow eyes—an ordinary appearance, yet his deeply melancholic aura left a striking impression.
"Subordinate Mu Qianshan," the young man introduced himself with a casual salute when he noticed Mei Jiu's scrutiny.
Since he referred to himself as a subordinate, Mei Jiu didn't return the gesture, merely nodding slightly.
"This subordinate will be responsible for your protection from now on," Mu Qianshan stated.
Mei Jiu was about to enter when his words made her pause. She frowned at him. "Are you Elder Zhi's subordinate?"
Truthfully, Mei Jiu disliked Mu Qianshan from the bottom of her heart—he was ghostly, making her skin crawl. Moreover, she harbored subconscious resistance toward Elder Zhi. Remembering how he had once interrogated her fiercely and sent her to Shadow Academy without explanation, she felt both fear and disgust toward the old man—an aversion she now extended to Mu Qianshan.
"Yes," Mu Qianshan replied. "Young Mistress, please enter."
Biting her lip, Mei Jiu stepped into the courtyard.
It was the same small archery range. Elder Zhi stood under the corridor, bow fully drawn, just as he had been during their last meeting.
Whoosh!
The arrow pierced through the thick curtain of snow. Mei Jiu glanced back—another bullseye.
"You can see it clearly, can't you?" Elder Zhi lowered his bow.
Mei Jiu bowed slightly. "Yes."
"Drop these maidenly mannerisms," Elder Zhi said sternly, a hint of displeasure in his tone. "Such restraint is detrimental to mastering Archery.""Yes," Mei Jiu replied obediently. But in truth, she was utterly confused about what Archery truly meant. Wasn't shooting arrows just about hitting the target accurately? Since Elder Zhi never missed, what more was he pursuing?
"Shoot an arrow for me to see," Elder Zhi placed the bow in her hands and warned, "It was Mu Qianshan who brought you back to Plum Blossom Village from the road of the mass graves. You're a good child, no matter why you're pretending to be so timid and weak. But dare to put on an act in front of me, and you'll bear the consequences! I've already tolerated you once. If you behave as before, you'll be sent straight to the Crane Control Army in a year."
Mei Jiu panicked, gripping the bow tightly. She had been practicing martial arts diligently during this time, but her movements still resembled dancing. Though she had gained some strength, it wasn't enough to harm anyone.
"An Jiu..." Mei Jiu called out anxiously.
An Jiu had been trying her best to conceal herself, but her nature was completely opposite to Mei Jiu's. She wasn't naturally good at acting, so despite her efforts to disguise herself, she still aroused suspicion.
An Jiu recalled when she was injured earlier—the woman in black had summoned a masked man, likely Mu Qianshan. At the time, she hadn't acted panicked enough, which must have given her away.
Since that was the case, An Jiu didn't plan to keep hiding. Unfortunately, she hadn't fully recovered yet, and even if she forced herself to control the body, she might not achieve the flexibility needed. Whether it was archery or shooting, both required a very subtle physical sensation.
"Don't be afraid. Just follow my instructions," An Jiu unconsciously echoed Mei Yanran's words of comfort to Mei Jiu.
Mei Jiu indeed calmed down a little.
"Face the target as if you're directly aligned with it," An Jiu said.
Watching Mei Jiu move into position.
"Are your eyes crooked?!" An Jiu snapped coldly. "Move to the right... yes, half an inch."
Mei Jiu felt extremely wronged. It was so dark, the snow was heavy, and the distance was so far—she had tried her best to align herself straight. How could she possibly measure it to the inch?
Elder Zhi had initially been displeased, but when he saw Mei Jiu slowly adjust her stance slightly, his frown eased somewhat, and his hunched back seemed to straighten a little.
In truth, standing in such a precise position wasn't necessary. If it were An Jiu, she could hit the bullseye from any angle in this courtyard. But for a beginner, standing correctly would improve accuracy as long as the movements were standard and the hands steady.
"Stand sideways, left foot forward, legs shoulder-width apart," An Jiu instructed.
Mei Jiu was used to the expansive movements of martial arts practice, so she wasn't as resistant to this stance as before.
"Raise the bow." Most of An Jiu's words were simple and straightforward, not yet rich enough to describe subtle sensations. She could only try her best. "Don't just use your arms to draw the bowstring. Feel as if your feet are rooted, your whole body is exerting force, yet also as if no part is straining. Your body should feel relaxed, letting your hands do the work."
What did it mean to exert force yet not exert force?
Mei Jiu couldn't grasp it immediately and continued using her old method to draw the bowstring. At this point, the bow was entirely suspended in the air, held only by her left hand, making it impossible to leverage any other force. She could only rely on her arms to pull. Her strength was limited, and soon she found herself trembling all over again, the bow not even halfway drawn.Mei Jiu's neck flushed red, feeling as if her fur coat weighed a thousand pounds. Just as she was about to release the arrow in despair, a sudden surge of strength enveloped her.
She abruptly felt an inexhaustible power. Someone guided her hands, effortlessly drawing the bowstring until only the arrowhead peeked slightly beyond the bow.
Elder Zhi's eyes gleamed. In that instant, he seemed to see two overlapping figures! Mei Jiu appeared inwardly restless, yet her gaze suddenly grew calm. Gradually, her presence diminished, as if she were merging with the snowy night—so quiet it was almost surreal.
Mu Qianshan and Yao Ye, influenced by this atmosphere, instinctively slowed their breathing with inner energy.
After drawing the bow, one usually couldn't release the arrow immediately; a brief pause was needed to steady the aim. Following An Jiu's guidance, Mei Jiu fixed her eyes on the bullseye.
Her dark eyes were as deep as the night.
Whoosh!
The arrow flew out smoothly.
Yao Ye observed its trajectory, thinking it might hit the mark, but doubted whether the arrowhead could penetrate the target, given the young mistress's lack of strength.
Elder Zhi thought the same. His gaze locked onto the arrow, and when the tip struck the bullseye, his eyes widened in shock.
After a few breaths of silence, Elder Zhi vanished like a ghost into the snowy curtain, reappearing near the target in the blink of an eye.
Mei Jiu was equally stunned. She clearly saw a third of the arrow embedded in the target—yet she hadn't felt any exertion.
The others were too shocked by the result to notice Mei Jiu's astonishment.
"Hahaha!" Elder Zhi burst into laughter, sprinting back like a young man, his excitement palpable. "Good, very good! I knew I hadn't misjudged you!"
Elder Zhi was so delighted he shed all seriousness. "Alright, go rest. If you have an affinity for archery, I promise in my lifetime you won't be forced into the Crane Control Army."
"Thank you, Elder!" Mei Jiu cheered.
Elder Zhi studied her closely, his mind replaying that fleeting sensation—it had felt so real, like two figures overlapping. No, more like two mental strengths merging—one overwhelmingly powerful, instantly enveloping Mei Jiu's feeble one.
Those with profound martial arts possessed an acute sensitivity to such phenomena, beyond ordinary comprehension.
Yao Ye took a long moment to recover, her face eventually lighting up with joy.
After bidding farewell to Elder Zhi and leaving the Hall of Eternal Wisdom, the mistress and maid only then noticed Mu Qianshan silently trailing behind them.
Mei Jiu frowned. In her excitement, she'd forgotten to mention this to Elder Zhi. But seeing Mu Qianshan without an umbrella, his thin clothes dusted with snow, her heart softened. Remembering how he'd saved her, she whispered, "Let's go."
The journey back was quiet.
Upon returning to Jade Serenity Residence, Mei Jiu soaked in the warm, spring-like bathhouse, then slipped into bed wearing only a thin robe, her body and mind at ease.
As Yao Ye extinguished the outer room's lamp, Mei Jiu suddenly remembered Mu Qianshan. "Has that guard been settled?"
"Miss, he's from the shadow unit. We don't need to arrange anything for him," Yao Ye replied.
"Doesn't he need a place to stay? He followed us here," Mei Jiu sat up.
Yao Ye explained, "The shadow unit must protect you at all times. Even if he had a room, he couldn't use it."
"What? He isn't staying in my bedroom, is he?" Mei Jiu exclaimed in alarm.Yao Ye smiled and said, "Don't worry, madam. Although our household doesn't strictly enforce the separation between men and women, we still have rules to maintain propriety between genders."
Mei Jiu felt somewhat relieved but still worried, "But in such cold weather, what if they freeze outside?"
Knowing her mistress's kind nature—who never made maids stand night watch outdoors—Yao Ye patiently explained, "They have inner energy to protect them from the cold. Don't trouble yourself over this, madam."
Mei Jiu remained unconvinced, having just seen Mu Qianshan's frostbitten hands. Yet she couldn't keep pestering a man with questions late at night.
Yao Ye helped tuck her in, extinguished the lamp, and retired to a small couch in the adjoining room, lying down fully dressed.
The room fell silent, but Mei Jiu couldn't sleep. "An Jiu."
"My time is precious. I won't waste it on idiots." An Jiu's words were as cutting as ever.
Noticing the weakness in her voice, Mei Jiu asked urgently, "What's wrong with you?" (To be continued...)
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