"Deputy Commander!" Mei Tingjun roared. "You only needed to stop her from running out of the courtyard—why let her escape?!"
Gu Jinghong ignored his anger and words, stating simply, "Begin."
Bang! Mei Tingjun hurled his dagger to the ground and turned to chase after Mei Tingyuan. Last time, he had gambled on it being just a family test, unlikely to endanger lives, which was why he hadn't intervened when Mei Tingyuan was in danger. But now, standing before him was the Deputy Commander of the Crane Control Army's Divine Strategy Division—a killer who slaughtered men like mowing grass!
Gu Jinghong's figure blurred as he appeared instantly before Mei Tingjun. A flash of cold steel later, the onlookers only realized what had happened when they saw the longsword embedded in Mei Tingjun's chest.
Mei Tingjun stared in disbelief at the blood gushing down the blade. The pain was so intense it numbed him—everything had happened too fast for him to even scream.
"You won't die immediately, but keep struggling and that might change." Gu Jinghong paced back to the stone platform and motioned to Mei Tingchun. "Proceed."
Mei Tingchun trembled violently, nearly collapsing as he bent to pick up the dagger.
Don’t run. Don’t give up...
Gritting his teeth, Mei Tingchun gripped the hilt with both hands, shut his eyes, and stabbed down hard.
The sensation of the blade piercing flesh was sickeningly vivid. Disgusted, Mei Tingchun let go and stumbled backward, covering his face as he crumpled against the wall, sobbing.
The strike had gone horribly off-mark, landing in the abdomen. Gu Jinghong offered no critique. Noticing Mei Rujian’s hollow stare and ashen lips, he knew even the slightest loud noise might shatter the boy’s nerves. Deciding against forcing him to practice, Gu Jinghong silently withdrew the dagger and dissected the corpse, explaining the body’s vulnerable points to the two who still appeared composed.
Mei Tingzhu pressed her lips tightly together, fighting nausea. Despite the room’s chill, beads of sweat had formed at her temples.
An Jiu’s forehead was also slick with sweat, but unlike Mei Tingzhu, hers came from suppressing the primal agitation in her soul. As a sniper, she had operated from a distance for so long that the visceral brutality of this scene now ignited a desperate urge to destroy something.
Behind them, two black-clad men carried Mei Tingjun away for treatment.
The lesson lasted no longer than two cups of tea, yet to each participant, it felt like decades in hell.
The corpse used for practice had clearly died recently, its blood volume no different from a living person’s. Crimson liquid cascaded off the stone platform, pooling in uneven brick depressions.
The room reeked of a nauseating metallic sweetness.
Gu Jinghong wiped his hands with a handkerchief, eyeing the naked female corpse on the adjacent platform with regret. "Female cadavers are rare. What a waste."
Though the Crane Control Army was ruthless, it had principles. The corpses used for training were invariably those of heinous criminals. Male convicts fitting this description were easy to find, but female ones were scarce.
"Rest for three days. Use the time to reflect on whether you’re suited to become shadow operatives." Gu Jinghong’s voice was like clear water rinsing away filth, his tone detached. "Though, it seems you have no choice."
His words, delivered with usual calm, carried an undertone of pity—or perhaps self-pity.
"Attendants," Gu Jinghong called softly. "Escort them out."
A black-clad figure opened the door. Mei Tingchun scrambled up using the wall for support and staggered out in haste.An Jiu stared at Gu Jinghong, as if trying to see his expression through the Ghost Mask.
Gu Jinghong clasped his hands behind his back once more. His clear gaze met hers through the mask's openings, seemingly waiting for her to speak.
An Jiu needed a master to teach her martial arts, but she didn’t want to seek out anyone from the Mei Clan. This Gu Jinghong appeared exceptionally skilled. As an instructor sent by the Crane Control Army, it was his duty to guide them—but learning from him would likely mean joining the Crane Control Army!
She might as well seek out Elder Zhi instead.
After a moment’s consideration, An Jiu turned and left.
Outside the mortuary, the crisp air filled her lungs, easing her restlessness.
Mei Tingjun had been taken away to an unknown location. Mei Tingchun lay sprawled in the snow, sobbing as if she had narrowly escaped death. Mei Tingyuan crouched beneath a carriage, retching. Mei Rujian was carried onto a carriage by two black-clad men.
Mei Tingzhu, usually composed, now leaned against the carriage shaft, gasping for breath. Puffs of white mist escaped her lips, her pale blue dress making her delicate face appear almost translucent.
A single lesson had left them utterly defeated.
An Jiu hesitated over whether she should feign fear—but what did fear even feel like?
A poor performance would only arouse suspicion. After some thought, she simply closed her eyes and collapsed into the snow.
Fainting solved everything.
She felt someone lift her and place her inside the carriage. The scent of Mei Tingyuan’s powder reassured her, and she lay there more at ease.
Inside the mortuary.
Gu Jinghong stood motionless as an ancient pine on the rooftop, observing the Mei Clan members from afar.
A shadowy figure landed beside him. "Deputy Commander, who do you plan to recommend for marriage into the Hua Clan?"
"Mei Tingzhu or Mei Ru Xue would suffice," Gu Jinghong replied.
The shadow paused. "Those two have talent. They could join the Crane Control Army. Why not recommend Mei Tingyuan?"
Gu Jinghong said, "The Emperor’s intent is to plant a spy in the Hua Clan. Hua Rongtian is an exceptional man. Even if a woman remains unmoved at first, prolonged exposure may stir emotions. Mei Tingyuan is ruled by sentiment—she’s the first to exclude. Even the other two may not be ideal."
"Then the Deputy Commander’s suggestion is…?" the shadow asked.
Gu Jinghong replied, "Petition the Emperor to select a suitable Wei Yue shadow unit member of marriageable age to replace a Mei Clan woman and marry into the Hua Clan."
The Crane Control Army was divided into four branches: Yu Lin, Shen Wu, Shen Ce, and Wei Yue.
Among the Twenty-Eight Mansions, Wei Yue Yan was the fifth northern constellation, located at the tail of the Black Tortoise. Its appearance in battle foretold danger for the rear guard. The Wei Yue branch of the Crane Control Army served as the rear guard—sacrificing themselves without hesitation to ensure mission success.
"Understood. I will relay the message immediately." The shadow vanished.
Snow began to fall once more.
Gu Jinghong reached up and removed his mask. His dark hair cascaded loose, dancing in the wind and snow.
Beneath the mask, his face remained covered by black cloth. His gaze darkened as he stared at the mask in his hand before clenching it tightly.
The next morning, the world was blanketed in silver.
When Mei Jiu awoke in her own room, she sighed in relief—but then the memory of last night’s corpses resurfaced, and her heart sank. She had escaped once, but could she escape forever?
"An Jiu. If Elder Zhi vouched for us, why must we still attend Shadow Academy?" Mei Jiu asked anxiously.
"..."
"I want to endure, but I’m truly afraid."
"..."
"I don’t know how my mother is now—whether she’s in danger, whether she’s scared."
"..."
"I miss her so much."
"..."
"An Jiu, what do you do when you miss your mother?""Killing people," An Jiu finally gave a concise and affirmative answer.
Mei Jiu wiped her tears. "Why kill people?"
"It makes me happy." Just as many people shop to cheer themselves up when they're in a bad mood, An Jiu used this method to dispel loneliness.
"Isn't it terrifying? So much blood, and they look at you with hatred when they die..." Mei Jiu shuddered at her own words.
An Jiu had never seen a gaze filled with hatred—those people died without even realizing they were dead.
"Madam, you're awake?" Yao Ye closed the door and approached the bed, lifting the curtain. "You didn't go to Elder Zhi yesterday. You can't skip again today."
"Mm." After last night's events, Mei Jiu suddenly felt that going to Elder Zhi wasn't so frightening after all.
Seeing her without a trace of fear, Yao Ye couldn't help but smile. Yan Niangzi's efforts hadn't been in vain.
After washing up, Mei Jiu ate a bowl of porridge and headed to the Hall of Eternal Wisdom.
Upon arrival, a servant led Mei Jiu to a room in the hall before withdrawing.
Mei Jiu glanced around. The room was spacious and empty, devoid of any furniture. On the opposite wall hung a calligraphy piece—a bold, powerful character for "Buddha" that nearly filled the entire space. The side walls were adorned with various crossbows.
"Gu Jinghong's lessons are quite interesting, aren't they?" Elder Zhi entered with a chuckle.
Mei Jiu bowed respectfully. "Elder."
Elder Zhi frowned slightly, sensing the difference between the current Mei Jiu and the one who had shot the arrow that night. "What do you think of Gu Jinghong's teaching?"
Mei Jiu had fainted as soon as she entered the room last night. How would she know who Gu Jinghong was or what he had taught?
"An Jiu, you took over for me last night, didn't you?" Mei Jiu asked inwardly.
"Mm," An Jiu replied.
Summoning her courage, Mei Jiu answered Elder Zhi, "It was... very good."
"Very good?" Elder Zhi gave a strange smile. "Gu Jinghong has been responsible for training newcomers in the Crane Control Army since he was a teenager. Not a single person he's trained has dared to say it was 'good.'"
Mei Jiu's heart raced, and she nervously clutched the hem of her clothes.
Noticing this small gesture, Elder Zhi felt displeased. Where had the arrogance and decisiveness from the test gone? And where had the aura she exuded while shooting the arrow come from?
Elder Zhi felt he had no right to call himself wise—he couldn't make sense of this at all!
"Gu Jinghong will be responsible for your training for six months. The first three months will be lessons, and the last three will involve missions. Your martial arts are lacking, so I've assigned Qian Shan to protect you." Elder Zhi slowly walked toward the wall, effortlessly retrieving a small crossbow hanging high up and handing it to her. "I designed this three years ago. It's lightweight and convenient, suitable for close-range ambushes. Give it a try."
Mei Jiu took it but couldn't make heads or tails of it.
An Jiu, however, quite liked it and took control of Mei Jiu's hands to fiddle with the crossbow. Those familiar with bows usually have some understanding of crossbows—they're a type of cold weapon between a bow and a gun.
The part called the trigger on a gun corresponds to the "suspension blade" on a crossbow, while the gun's sight is called the "aiming hill" on a crossbow. This crossbow was rectangular, with a concealed suspension blade and no aiming hill—it was a wrist-mounted arrow.
After some exploration, An Jiu loaded the bolt, raised her hand, and pressed the suspension blade.
With a whoosh, the bolt embedded itself into the opposite wall.
Feeling Mei Jiu's tension, An Jiu took full control of the body. "Not bad.""Hmph!" Elder Zhi admired her decisiveness but pretended to be displeased. "Such shallow knowledge. Crossbows are rigid mechanisms with limited range and power, but bows are different."
As he spoke, he took a bow from the wall and plucked its string. "The highest realm of Archery is called 'Startling String.' Do you know what 'Startling String' means?"
An Jiu shook her head. (To be continued...)
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