Hidden Shadow

In his emotional outburst, the Madman's True Energy scattered chaotically, and An Jiu felt something familiar...

That’s right! It was the same as the hidden archery master in the Transformation Realm from the ancient temple!

Appearances could deceive, but everyone’s mental strength had subtle differences. The Madman suddenly halted his movements, "You’re not Mei Shisi! Where is she?"

"Since she’s not Mei Shisi, just kill her," the black-clad man said indifferently.

"Cui Yichen! You grabbed the wrong person! Where is Mei Shisi?" the Madman roared, his invisible True Energy rampaging wildly, snapping trees around them like twigs.

Cui Yichen! The name flashed through An Jiu’s mind. Lou Xiaowu had mentioned him inside the Stupa Tower—he was from the Cui family. To think he was colluding with those who ambushed the trial! Did this mean the Cui family had betrayed the Crane Control Army?

Cui Yichen’s gaze sharpened, a murderous aura erupting from him. Earlier, when he spoke of silencing them, he had been calm. But now, true killing intent surged—because the Madman had shouted his name.

An Jiu’s thoughts raced. The situation was clear: if they confirmed she was useless, she would be killed immediately. Against these two masters, even with all her experience, she stood no chance.

Immediately, An Jiu focused her body, letting a cold, ruthless killing intent consume everything.

Cui Yichen’s movements slowed, disbelief coloring his voice, "Transformation Realm!"

For someone in the Transformation Realm to conceal themselves from a Ninth-Order Martial Master like him wasn’t difficult, so Cui Yichen didn’t doubt it. But the Madman was stunned!

He was at the third tier of the Transformation Realm, nearing the second, held back only by a sliver of mental strength. Yet this little girl before him had effortlessly hidden her true level from him—meaning her mental strength far surpassed his!

A storm of shock and disbelief raged in the Madman’s heart, driving him further into madness. He had trained in martial arts since the age of six, obsessing over the path of strength for forty years—yet he couldn’t even compare to a teenage girl! In that instant, it felt as if all his efforts had been rendered meaningless.

He would never guess that An Jiu’s advantage came from her dual souls, allowing her to deceive him so easily. On a fair comparison, the outcome might have been different.

"I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it!" The Madman swung a palm strike toward her.

Seeing the ferocious attack, An Jiu immediately lunged at Cui Yichen, gripping his sleeve tightly and letting his momentum carry her away. Upon landing, she released her hold, rolling several times before steadying herself.

Cui Yichen gritted his teeth. In his haste to escape, he hadn’t been able to deal with her—wasting a perfect opportunity!

No matter what, Mei Shisi had to die today. If his identity was exposed, not only him but the entire Cui family would be doomed!

The thought flashed through his mind, and Cui Yichen sneered, "Madman, you’ve trained day and night for decades, yet you can’t even handle a little girl. And you still dream of reaching the pinnacle? Keep dreaming!"

Such blatant provocation would be easily dismissed by any rational person, but Cui Yichen knew these words would enrage the Madman.

The Madman was a martial fanatic. His talent in martial arts was extraordinary—he had nearly reached the second tier of the Transformation Realm in his prime. But beyond that, he was utterly simple-minded. He couldn’t control his emotions like a normal person, couldn’t take care of himself, and had lived in isolation for decades, hiding away to train. Over time, his mental state had deteriorated.

The situation had taken a sharp turn—one An Jiu hadn’t anticipated!The Madman was like an enraged beast, his crimson eyes filled only with destruction. An Jiu could empathize—she had once been in such a state herself, so she knew all too well that in this situation, there was absolutely no hope of reasoning with him.

Escape? She had no lightness skill—she’d probably be smashed into pulp within ten meters! She still had her longbow, but without any Inner Force, even an ordinary arrow would be far less lethal than before, let alone the Startling String technique.

As An Jiu pondered, she had already started sprinting toward Cui Yichen.

The Madman had clearly lost all reason. As long as she got close, even if Cui Yichen wanted to kill her, he’d have to prioritize fleeing first.

“Trying the same trick again?!” Cui Yichen had already gathered Inner Force in his palm, but when he caught sight of the Madman swinging a strike his way, he had no choice but to abandon his attack.

An Jiu’s heart sank. The Madman was already upon her, and she thought she was doomed—yet, at the last moment, his strike hesitated.

Seizing the opportunity, An Jiu immediately closed the distance to Cui Yichen.

Cui Yichen had been certain An Jiu would die under the Madman’s palm, so this sudden turn of events left him utterly baffled.

In an instant, he spotted the bow in An Jiu’s hand and realized—the Madman had shown mercy because of this Weapon that had been with him for over a decade.

An Jiu also understood why she had narrowly escaped death and was grateful she hadn’t discarded the bow while fleeing.

Staying close to Cui Yichen was still a terrible plan—after all, he was the one most eager to silence her. As a skilled fighter, if he decided to act, she wouldn’t escape.

Fortunately, the Madman didn’t disappoint. His attacks came wave after wave, relentless.

An Jiu pushed her body to its limits, but even if her Meridians hadn’t been ruined, she stood no chance against this Madman. Worse, Mei Jiu was frozen in terror, forcing An Jiu to expend extra Mental strength resisting her subconscious control over their body. It was like running for her life with lead weights strapped to her limbs—for the first time since her rebirth, she felt death looming.

While dodging, An Jiu seized every chance to trigger the Rope Crossbow strapped to her arm. Though it did little real damage, it at least diverted the Madman’s attention, if only slightly.

That minuscule distraction bought her a sliver of survival.

An Jiu turned and dashed into the woods, using the Rope Crossbow Lou Xiaowu had given her to latch onto a tree trunk. With a forceful swing, she vaulted nearly twenty meters in the blink of an eye.

As she sprinted, she untied the thin cord, then swiftly fired another bolt toward a nearby branch. A thought struck her—as she loosened the rope, she pulled it taut and tied it to another tree.

The nearly transparent, highly resilient cords were hard to spot at night. If she could set up dozens or even hundreds of them as obstacles, they’d be quite effective. Sadly, though the tool was useful, two of the cords in the Rope Crossbow had been replacements An Jiu added herself.

This was the best she could manage in such a short time.

“Mei Jiu, I’m doing everything I can to survive, but the odds are slim. If we die here, don’t blame me.”

Only now, understanding Mei Jiu’s fear and hesitation, did An Jiu feel regret for recklessly destroying their Meridians. For the first time, guilt softened her tone toward Mei Jiu, making her unusually patient and gentle.

The wind howled in her ears, her vision swayed, and her mind emptied—only her body kept running forward.

After what felt like half a cup of tea’s time, An Jiu suddenly realized—no one seemed to be chasing her anymore.She didn't dare slow her pace, but inwardly she was astonished. With their level of Internal Energy, catching up to someone like her who was merely running on foot should have been effortless for those two. (To be continued...)