Old Madam pondered for a moment. "Lao Liu, take them away, but don't leave Plum Blossom Village."
The main forces of Mei Shi were concentrated around Plum Blossom Village. If they ventured out and got attacked, it would be disastrous. The safest option was to find a relatively secure place nearby to hide temporarily.
Although Old Madam believed it unlikely these assailants could wipe out Mei Shi in one fell swoop, she didn't dare take chances. No matter what, she had to ensure the safety of Mei Shi's descendants.
Old Madam's face was shrouded in darkness. "They are Mei family's death warriors, tasked with protecting you."
The Shadow Guards lowered themselves further, acknowledging the order.
"Good." At critical moments, Mei Zhengjing proved reliable.
Old Madam's gloved hand suddenly emerged from her mantle, grabbing Mo Sigui and lifting him away.
"Ah! Ah!" Mo Sigui yelped. "My hair's all messed up!"
Old Madam chuckled darkly. "Don't worry about your hair now. Whether that head of yours stays attached is still in question!"
With Mo Sigui under suspicion of being a spy, Old Madam naturally couldn't leave him with the rest of Mei Shi's people.
An Jiu paused but didn't follow.
"Follow me!" Mei Zhengjing, who usually wandered around Plum Blossom Village, knew the terrain like the back of his hand. Without much thought, he already had a safe location in mind.
Beneath the cliff of the Clan School's dining hall were numerous caves—some within the mountain, others extending underground. The paths inside were complex, like a maze, with multiple exits.
Most of the attacking forces were being held back by Mei Shi's elders and the shadow unit. Mei Zhengjing's group encountered almost no resistance in the forest.
By the time they emerged from the woods, An Jiu felt like she was floating on clouds. With her formidable mental strength, she could still control her legs, but she knew this body had reached its limit. Any faster, and her ligaments would snap.
"Shi Si, is someone following us?" Mei Tingzhu sensed movement but couldn't be sure.
"Yes! Four of them, less than a hundred zhang to the right rear." These pursuers had just entered An Jiu's mental detection range.
Mei Zhengjing ordered the shadow unit, "Hold them off!"
"Yes!" Though puzzled, the four obeyed without question—orders were absolute.
Most of Mei Shi's shadow unit were around fifth rank. It was unclear how long they could hold out.
Following the river, they ran until nearing the cliff. An Jiu's legs began to feel like lead.
"They're going to break..." Mei Jiu felt an overwhelming sensation of her body tearing apart, making her whimper in fear.
This time, An Jiu didn't ignore Mei Jiu's words. Slowing down, she asked, "Better now?"
After a pause, Mei Jiu sniffled, "Mhm."
An Jiu scoffed. "You've seen life and death plenty, yet you're still this cowardly. Truly, a pig remains a pig—even in human skin, it can't bridge the gap with humans!"
Used to the taunts and overwhelmed by exhaustion and pain, Mei Jiu didn't respond.
An Jiu's ears twitched at footsteps behind them. She glanced back.
It was one of the shadow unit members sent to intercept the pursuers. Of the four who went, only one returned.An Jiu's heart sank slightly. Although Mei Shi's shadow unit was only at the fifth rank, they were highly experienced in actual combat. Even someone like her, who lacked Inner Force, could kill one or two "half-finished products." Yet they had lost three members in such a short time!
What was going on? (To be continued...)
PS: This late and short chapter is bound to be met with disdain... but given my recent poor track record, I decided to post it anyway. Track records are like a woman's bust—while ample curves are ideal, for those lacking in that department, preserving what little they have is better than nothing... Even a tiny steamed bun is better than nothing at all...
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