Chapter Sixty-Seven
Gu Jinghong smiled and said no more.
He found An Jiu’s behavior odd, but he didn’t truly suspect her of being a traitor.
“Deputy Envoy, who do you think might be the mastermind behind this?” Mei Tingzhu asked.
Gu Jinghong remained silent for a long while before answering, “There are too many suspects. Even within the Crane Control Army alone, many wish to eliminate the Divine Martial Army’s Commander-in-Chief.”
“Why?” Mei Tingzhu frowned. “With so many people working together, it shouldn’t be difficult to remove the Commander, right?”
“Do you know how high the Commander-in-Chief of the Divine Martial Army ranks within the Crane Control Army?” Gu Jinghong always carried an air of gentle warmth, even when discussing murder.
The hierarchy within the Crane Control Army was classified. Even the four great families couldn’t name every position, though they were aware of some key officials. “Isn’t he the highest-ranking officer in the Divine Martial Army?”
“Yes,” Gu Jinghong said. “The Divine Martial Army has always been under the control of the Cui family. This new Commander-in-Chief comes from the Crane Control Institute and has no family background. There are two obvious possibilities: either the Cui family orchestrated this ambush to eliminate him, or the Commander is the Emperor’s man, ordered to ‘steal from within’ and weaken the great families.”
Mei Tingzhu was momentarily stunned. “I didn’t expect you to be so direct.”
“We’re all men with our lives hanging by a thread. What’s there to hide?” Gu Jinghong replied.
Mei Tingzhu glanced at him. The light illuminated the delicate profile hidden beneath his mask. Gu Jinghong’s lashes lowered slightly, his eyes reflecting a cold gleam of snow, making him appear extraordinarily serene. Mei Tingzhu found it strange—even in ordinary times, men as kind and gentle as him were rare. At this moment, it was impossible to imagine what thoughts ran through his mind when he wielded his sword to kill.
“I’ve never heard of a ‘Gu’ family within the Crane Control Army,” Mei Tingzhu remarked.
Gu Jinghong acted as though he hadn’t heard.
Before dawn, the world was exceptionally still.
Upon returning to Plum Blossom Village, the group dispersed to their respective residences, while Gu Jinghong went to pay his respects to the Mei family’s head.
The morning light gilded the thick clouds with a golden edge. At Jade Serenity Residence, crimson plum blossoms bloomed defiantly in the snow.
“Young Mistress?” Yao Ye stood beneath the corridor, staring at An Jiu in shock.
Her mantle was tattered, revealing the form-fitting black clothes beneath and the crossbows strapped to her arms and legs. In the morning light, her entire body faintly glowed with a dark red hue.
An Jiu tore off her mask, her face smeared with black and red, looking utterly disheveled.
“Young Mistress!” Yao Ye rushed down to support her, her eyes reddening. “Please come inside first. This servant will prepare a bath for you.”
“Mm.” An Jiu strode into the main hall.
Yao Ye instructed the other maids to heat water while she brought a basin of clean water to wipe An Jiu’s hands and face.
“This servant thought you wouldn’t return for another two days.” Yao Ye recalled that past trials had always lasted at least two days. “Heaven has eyes after all. For Young Mistress to return safely is the only way to honor Madam Yan’s love for her daughter.”
As Yao Ye chattered on, An Jiu watched her undo the protective wrappings on her hands, her mind briefly adrift.
The experiences of these past hours had made her feel as though she had returned to her past life. For a fleeting moment, she had forgotten Mei Jiu, forgotten the Mei family, forgotten everything that had happened in Plum Blossom Village, and relived the loneliness of being the only one left in the world…
“Sister! Sister!” Rapid footsteps sounded outside.
Yao Ye paused and turned to open the door.Mei Ru Yan hurried in and, upon seeing An Jiu covered in blood, immediately embraced her, choking back sobs. "You're finally back!"
After crying for a while, Mei Ru Yan noticed An Jiu remained unresponsive and released her to study her face. "Sister, you must be terrified."
"Since you left, Shishi Niang hasn't slept at all," Yao Ye said as she knelt down to continue wiping An Jiu's hands.
An Jiu glanced at Mei Ru Yan and indeed saw faint shadows under her eyes. "Go rest," she said stiffly, her tone unlike Mei Jiu's usual gentleness. Yao Ye paused and looked up at her.
"Everyone, leave," An Jiu ordered.
Mei Ru Yan softly called out "Sister," but seeing no change in her resolve, she relented. "Rest well, Sister. I'll visit again after my lessons."
Yao Ye set down the cloth and withdrew with a bow.
An Jiu sat quietly for a moment, wiping her face haphazardly with the cloth. Outside, Yao Ye asked if she wished to bathe.
An Jiu agreed.
In the steamy bathhouse, she removed the sticky black robes and submerged herself in the pool, blood dispersing in the water.
Yao Ye was horrified. "Are you injured, my lady?"
How could she not be? But her wounds were minor—most of the blood belonged to others, perhaps even Mei Tingjun's.
"Minor injuries," An Jiu replied.
"Even small wounds shouldn't be neglected. With so much blood mixing, it could infect..." Yao Ye trailed off, increasingly unsettled by the cold, detached aura radiating from Fourteen Lady—nothing like someone recovering from shock.
"Leave," An Jiu said. She didn’t mind being watched, but she wasn’t accustomed to company while bathing.
Yao Ye retreated.
An Jiu leaned back against the pool’s edge, closing her eyes as scenes of "Startling String" replayed in her mind, interspersed with Mei Tingyuan’s hysterical sobs and Mei Yanran’s gentle smile.
Startled, she submerged entirely, the warm water enveloping her as she curled into herself, knees hugged to her chest—safe and warm, like in the womb.
By the time she finished bathing, dawn had broken.
Still wide awake, An Jiu returned to her chamber, draped a fur robe over her shoulders, and stood by the window to watch the snow.
Yao Ye entered several times, each time finding An Jiu motionless in the same position, so still she might have been part of the room’s furnishings. Were it not for the faint mist of her breath and the occasional blink, Yao Ye might have checked for a pulse.
After nearly an hour, Yao Ye finally spoke. "My lady, shall we serve breakfast?"
An Jiu stretched her limbs and stood.
Yao Ye quickly pulled out the stool beneath the table.
An Jiu sat and ate in silence.
Jade Serenity Residence had grown oppressively quiet without Mei Jiu. An Jiu had reverted to her most "normal" state—one that mirrored the usual atmosphere of Mei Shi.
"Stop hiding," An Jiu thought as she ate. "Mei Jiu, I’ve decided to leave."
Earlier, while sitting by the window, she had reflected deeply. Reliving her past life had suddenly filled her with weariness—an inexplicable, overwhelming emotion. Beyond that, the only thing that could move her in this world was Mei Yanran’s selfless love for Mei Jiu. She refused to destroy it for the sake of her own meaningless existence.
"Elder Qi said that in the same body, the stronger the mental strength, the easier it is to destroy," An Jiu murmured, swallowing the last spoonful of porridge before tightening her cloak and stepping out.
"Where are you going, my lady?" Yao Ye asked."I'm looking for Elder Qi," An Jiu said.
Having lived this life again, she was fortunate enough to experience "Startling String" and to meet Mei Yanran. That was enough. (To be continued...)
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