An Jiu was wondering which country the enemy state was when Mei Jiu whispered, "The Liao Kingdom and Western Xia."
An Jiu raised an eyebrow. This timid rabbit hadn't fainted from fear—how rare.
Mei Jiu recalled what she had read in books, and An Jiu also gained the relevant information.
In the early Song Dynasty, Emperor Taizong had mobilized the entire nation's strength to personally lead two campaigns against the Liao Kingdom in an attempt to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, but both ended in failure. By Emperor Zhenzong's reign, the Liao Kingdom launched a massive invasion against the Song. Emperor Zhenzong personally led the defense, resulting in a stalemate. The two sides then established the Chanyuan Treaty, declaring themselves brotherly nations.
The Song Dynasty was required to pay annual tributes to the Liao Kingdom, recognize the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun as Liao territory, and engage in mutual trade. The Chanyuan Treaty was merely a euphemism—in essence, it was the Song submitting to the Liao. Yet, the Song hadn't actually lost that war. Under such circumstances, signing such a treaty only revealed the weakness of those in power.
Since then, the Liao and Song had indeed remained at peace for decades. The Song had increased its military investments, but only in quantity!
The Liao Kingdom was powerful, and its ambition to march south and annex the Song was highly plausible.
As for Western Xia, it had always nominally submitted to the Song. However, apart from sending some gold and silver annually, it had virtually no real ties to the Song. The so-called vassal-lord relationship was merely for show, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they harbored rebellious intentions.
Chu Dingjiang didn’t miss the subtle shifts in her expression, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he reached up and pulled off his mask.
Half of his face was covered by a black Ghost Mask, while the exposed half was sharply defined, as if chiseled by a blade, with sun-tanned skin. He didn’t resemble an assassin lurking in the shadows but rather a general who had fought countless battles.
"Rest here tonight. I’ll arrange for someone to escort you back to Plum Blossom Village tomorrow," Chu Dingjiang said, setting down his teacup without rushing to discuss recruitment.
"Alright." An Jiu stood to see him off.
Her demeanor wasn’t just ordinary courtesy but carried the respect of a subordinate toward a superior. A flicker of doubt crossed Chu Dingjiang’s mind before he smiled faintly.
Watching him leave, An Jiu closed the door.
"Will Mei Shi be in danger?" Mei Jiu asked worriedly.
"The Cui family has betrayed the Crane Control Army, so the four great families are definitely at risk," An Jiu replied.
Without obtaining the Secret Records, one wouldn’t know all the Crane Controlling Families. However, anyone involved with the Crane Control Army knew of the four great families. The Cui family’s betrayal meant the four families were now exposed to the enemy.
"What should we do?" Mei Jiu felt both fear and a faint glimmer of hope. Without Mei Shi, could she escape the bloodshed? But then she thought of her mother, and that hope instantly turned to ashes. Without Mei Shi, if she truly joined the Crane Control Army, she would lose her backing.
The problem Mei Jiu worried about wasn’t even a concern in An Jiu’s eyes. She hadn’t even considered that angle—what did it matter to be alone? She could survive regardless. Right now, she was more preoccupied with Cui Yichen’s pursuit. "You have the energy to worry about others, but not yourself?"
An Jiu turned and entered the inner chamber, sitting on the chair beside the bed.
At the mention of Cui Yichen, Mei Jiu grew even more uncertain.
Silence stretched between them for half an hour.
Mei Jiu was exhausted to the point of collapse, but An Jiu’s control kept her from moving. The thick, soft bed was right in front of her. After hesitating, she asked, "Can I lie down? I can’t hold on anymore."Both souls could feel the exhaustion in their body. An Jiu wasn't accustomed to sleeping soundly in someone else's territory and had originally planned to sit in a chair all night, but she felt guilty toward Mei Jiu and didn't insist.
An Jiu relaxed her mental strength and relinquished control of the body to Mei Jiu.
Currently, An Jiu held absolute dominance. She could suppress Mei Jiu's subconscious control over the body and could release it just as easily, while Mei Jiu was left completely passive. An Jiu didn't know what level her mental strength had reached, only that it had grown increasingly powerful during the process of suppressing Mei Jiu, and her perception had also sharpened.
If this trend continued, the result would likely be as Elder Qi had said—the stronger mental strength would devour the weaker. And she had already lost the will to fight over it.
Mei Jiu, finding she could move again, removed her damp outer robe and shivered her way under the covers.
Only when her entire body had warmed up could she begin to think clearly. "I feel like something's off about you," she said.
Receiving no response from An Jiu, she continued, "You never used to consider my feelings before."
An Jiu remained silent. She suspected Mei Jiu didn't yet understand what the destruction of her meridians truly meant—otherwise, she wouldn't be so calm.
Mei Jiu had never explicitly stated her desire to join the Crane Control Army, but her past thoughts and hesitations had hinted at it.
After the trial, Mei Jiu's avoidance had led An Jiu to believe she had given up. Yet, upon waking, she still harbored such thoughts.
Though An Jiu told herself that Mei Jiu had forfeited her chance to choose, whenever Mei Jiu thought of Mei Yanran, she couldn't suppress the guilt that arose in her heart.
Suddenly, An Jiu rolled out of bed. Mei Jiu thought they were under attack again, but instead, An Jiu opened the window and stood there quietly, letting the wind blow over her.
Outside, snow fell heavily. Across the courtyard, a window stood wide open, a figure silhouetted against the light, his robust frame outlined by the glow.
The courtyard was crisscrossed with light and shadow, allowing An Jiu to clearly see the half-Ghost Mask covering his face.
He leaned against the window frame with his arms crossed, spotting An Jiu but offering no greeting, merely staring silently at the whitening ground in the courtyard, lost in thought.
It was Chu Dingjiang.
An Jiu found him rather intriguing. In the Crane Control Army, promotions were based on the number of missions completed. For someone as young as Chu Dingjiang, even working nonstop throughout the year wouldn't normally secure his current position. Yet, he had been fortunate enough to seize the right opportunity.
An unqualified person suddenly rising to lead the Divine Martial Army would inevitably face severe ostracism and isolation. The recent trial's failure had only worsened his predicament.
An Jiu wondered what he was thinking at this very moment.
Reality was always harsher than imagination.
Unprepared for such a large-scale attack on the Crane Control Army, Chu Dingjiang had brought many of his followers on this mission. Most had perished in the ancient temple, and the few survivors were insignificant compared to the opposition he now faced.
No one could imagine the isolation he endured, fighting alone against immense pressure from both within and without.
The night deepened, the lanterns on the corridor swaying in the wind as the snow grew denser.
On the road north.
Lou Xiaowu and her companions were in dire straits.
They had been pursued the moment they left Bianjing. The guards had sacrificed themselves to cover Lou Xiaowu and Mo Sigui's escape, and by now, nearly all had fallen.“Just four or five more miles. A gallop will get us there in no time.” Lou Xiaowu seemed to be comforting herself.
She whipped the horse fiercely, urging it onward. “Giddy up!”
The horse, stung by the lash, bolted through the wind and snow.
Mo Sigui tugged his mantle lower and cracked his whip to keep up.
In a short while, the two caught sight of the towering gate of Lou Manor.
“Thank goodness we only faced one ambush. If there had been a second, we might not have made it,” Mo Sigui finally let out a sigh of relief.
Lou Xiaowu also shuddered at the thought. “Indeed.”
The manor, built into the mountainside, stood with its massive gates looming in the ink-black night. No lanterns were lit at the entrance, giving it a lifeless appearance.
As the horses continued their sprint, Lou Xiaowu blew a sharp whistle.
By the time they halted beneath the gate, the heavy doors slowly creaked open, revealing a woman’s face peering out.
She appeared to be around thirty, her complexion as pale as paper, yet her eyelids were flushed red, and her cheeks bore an unnatural rosy hue, making her look like a freshly painted mask—utterly eerie.
“Ling Gu!” Lou Xiaowu gasped. “Even you’ve been infected!”
“Young Mistress,” Ling Gu withdrew her head, her voice pained from behind the gate. “You must leave quickly. The entire manor has fallen ill.”
“Ling Gu, I’ve brought Miraculous Doctor Mo! Do you remember him? Mo Ran, the young miracle doctor who once saved me! He’s Elder Qi of Mei Shi’s disciple!” Lou Xiaowu dismounted and moved toward the gate.
Mo Sigui grabbed her and handed her a medicinal pill. “Take this before going in.”
Without hesitation, Lou Xiaowu took the pill and swallowed it.
“Is it really the young Miracle Doctor?” Ling Gu covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, leaning out again to scrutinize the young man beside Lou Xiaowu. When she faintly recognized his familiar features, she grew excited. “Forgive my rudeness, Miracle Doctor. Please, come in quickly.”
“No need for formalities.” Mo Sigui swallowed a pill himself and donned the face covering commonly used by physicians.
Once inside, Mo Sigui first checked Ling Gu’s pulse. “Not too bad. The poisoning isn’t deep yet.”
He gave her a pill and then used silver needles to seal her heart meridian.
In less than half a cup of tea’s time, Ling Gu’s face gradually turned sallow. Mo Sigui channeled his Inner Force into his palm to expel the toxins from her body.
Ling Gu vomited several mouthfuls of black blood and fainted.
“Is the poison gone?” Lou Xiaowu grabbed Mo Sigui excitedly.
“Yes, a few days of rest will suffice.” Seeing her joy, Mo Sigui couldn’t bear to dampen her spirits, but he had to emphasize the truth. “As I’ve said before, this poison isn’t hard to cure. The real challenge is that its initial symptoms mimic a common cold, making it easy to overlook. By the time it’s noticed, the poison has already spread. Once it reaches the heart meridian, no medicine can save the victim.”
Lou Xiaowu glared at him. “I was trying hard not to think about it, and here you are, reminding me!”
Mo Sigui hoisted Ling Gu onto his back, his teasing now seeming callous. “My reputation matters more. If some can’t be saved, don’t blame my skills.”
A shadow flickered across Lou Xiaowu’s face, but it quickly brightened again. “That year, you left in such a hurry. Later, my aunt tried every means to find you. We heard you’d gone to Plum Blossom Village, but fearing The Emperor’s suspicion, we couldn’t associate too closely with Mei Shi. We never got the chance to thank you. Who knew we’d meet again! Now we owe you another enormous favor. I have several elder sisters, all exceptionally beautiful. I’ll arrange for one to marry you.”
“Empty words. Since when do you have a say in your sisters’ marriages?” Mo Sigui snorted.Lou Xiaowu said, "Of course, it's not my place to decide, but since you saved Lou Shi, you're our great benefactor. Our Lou family values loyalty above all. As long as you make a request, we would never refuse."
"What about you?" Mo Sigui couldn't resist teasing her.
Lou Xiaowu ran in front of him, blocking his path, and stared into his eyes earnestly. "If you wanted to marry me, I would agree a hundred times over. You saved me and then Lou Shi. When I went to find you, I had already decided—as long as I live, I would repay you as your servant, working like an ox or horse, let alone anything else."
Seeing how serious she was, Mo Sigui felt like he had stumbled into a major predicament and quickly changed the subject. "Don't keep calling me 'benefactor'—it's a bit awkward. Wouldn't it be better to call me Mo Sigui, Brother Mo, or Mo Ran?"
"Then I'll call you Brother Mo," Lou Xiaowu stepped aside and walked alongside him. "Brother Mo, you haven't had your coming-of-age ceremony yet, have you? When will you start using your courtesy name? When Fourteen Lady mentioned it, I didn't realize you were Brother Mo Ran."
"I'm the last remaining descendant of the Mo family. Elder Qi said I should shoulder the family responsibilities early, so two years ago, he gave me a courtesy name and held the coming-of-age ceremony for me." Mo Sigui thought of Elder Qi's subtle guidance and felt grateful for his deep concern. From the beginning, Elder Qi had never intended for him to jump into the fiery pit that was Mei Shi. Unfortunately, he was so engrossed in the way of medicine that he only thought about how joining Mei Shi's family register would allow him to become Elder Qi's disciple and study medicine legitimately.
"When did Fourteen Lady mention me to you?" Mo Sigui asked.
He thought gleefully that although Mei Shisi claimed to dislike him, she had actually been thinking about him.
Lou Xiaowu answered honestly, "During the trial, a few members of Mei Shi happened to cross paths with us. While we were chatting, she asked if I knew Mo Sigui and said that I was a lot like you."
"You and me? What did she say about me?" Mo Sigui was eager to hear.
Lou Xiaowu hesitated before replying timidly, "She said we were alike... in being annoying." (To be continued...)
PS: Here's one chapter for now. After lunch, I'll see if I can squeeze out another one.
Note
Spent the morning with aunts and relatives, then messed with the internet all afternoon. Had urgent matters in the evening too, sigh. So, taking leave again... and at this time... (To be continued...)
OpenNovel