Chapter Ninety-Eight
A shadow unit member rushed over, his voice urgent, "Sixth Master, the pursuers this time are formidable—all at the eighth rank."
Mei Zhengjing's eyes narrowed slightly. "Report the situation."
The shadow unit member replied, "Four of us ambushed them at the forest exit, but within three moves, we were forced into retreat. The others are holding them off to cover my return."
The disparity between the eighth and fifth ranks was self-evident. If not for their extensive combat experience, the Mei Manor shadow unit wouldn’t even have been able to delay them. Those three were likely never coming back.
"They’re almost here." Mei Zhengjing sprinted with Second Madam on his back, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his breathing growing slightly labored.
Mei Tingyuan asked worriedly, "Uncle, can you keep going?"
"Mn." Mei Zhengjing wasted no words. The person on his back was his own mother—he couldn’t abandon her. Even if he couldn’t, he had to!
"Three pursuers, forty zhang away!" An Jiu spoke while turning and firing two crossbow bolts.
The bolts tore through the northern wind, forcing the three eighth-rank experts to momentarily halt.
An Jiu was surprised but quickly understood. "These people are also incomplete—their strength is gradually waning. We need to stall and drain their Inner Force."
Mei Zhengjing ordered, "Into the cave!"
He leaped onto a ten-foot-high rock wall and ducked behind a crooked pine tree, disappearing from sight.
An Jiu, at the rear and lacking qinggong, had little chance of climbing up. Sensing the three experts closing in, she flipped her wrist and released several more bolts.
Two dodged, while one vaulted onto the rock face, his hand clawing straight for An Jiu’s throat.
An Jiu neither dodged nor resisted. As his fingers touched her neck, her dagger simultaneously thrust toward his abdomen.
The man noticed her move and recoiled, slashing at her wrist.
The dagger, sharp enough to slice through iron, grazed the black-clad man’s thigh as it fell, leaving a bloody gash. An Jiu’s eyes flickered, and without hesitation, she jumped off the rock wall, rolled on the ground, swiftly retrieved the dagger, and dashed downstream along the river.
The black-clad man on the cliff pursued, his claw tearing An Jiu’s fur cloak to shreds, the scattered fur swirling like fine snow in the wind. The other two, seeing someone chase An Jiu, quickly scaled the cliff after Mei Zhengjing’s group.
As the attacker lunged again, An Jiu’s Mental strength erupted, suppressing him for an instant. Her dagger aimed for his throat.
Shocked, the man found his movements sluggish—nowhere to evade. He raised his hand to block.
The blade flashed, severing four fingers in one clean stroke. Crimson blood splattered across the rock face.
Enraged, the black-clad man gathered his formidable Inner Force, preparing to strike again—when his body suddenly froze. The skin exposed beyond his mask blackened at a visible pace, his eyes spewing blood that sizzled against the rock, emitting wisps of white smoke. In a single breath, he resembled a corpse charred by raging flames!
It was Mo Sigui’s "Spring Breeze Cannot Understand Words"!
"Ah—!" Mei Jiu screamed.
An Jiu’s heart pounded with terror. She resolved to be extra cautious the next time she spoke to Mo Sigui.Sensing no one within a hundred yards around, An Jiu found a secluded spot to rest briefly. While doing her utmost to conceal her presence, she pondered. Without Inner Force, Mei Jiu would panic during close combat, so she could only rely on the advantage of her Mental Strength. However, Mental Strength attacks could only slow down an eighth-rank expert. If she encountered two attackers at once, she definitely wouldn’t be so lucky again!
An Jiu’s two successful strikes might have seemed simple, but they were also extremely perilous.
Considering her current strength was relatively weak, she decided it was best to avoid close combat unless absolutely necessary. The ideal solution would be to acquire a good bow, hide, and return to her old profession as a sniper.
According to Mo Sigui, their assault could last for about an hour. Less than two cups of tea’s time had passed so far, meaning there was still plenty of time. Simply hiding and searching for a bow were equally dangerous—the only difference was that one required movement while the other didn’t.
"Stop crying!" An Jiu said. "We’re going back to Jade Serenity Residence now."
"Go back?" Mei Jiu exclaimed in shock. "Wouldn’t that be like walking into a trap?"
In her mind, the safest course of action was to find a secure place and hide.
"Do you think hiding will solve everything?" An Jiu’s Mental Strength was formidable, allowing her to conceal herself effectively—most people wouldn’t detect her. But the Madman who had been relentlessly pursuing her was a Transformation Realm Master, capable of sensing her presence.
Jade Serenity Residence wasn’t far from here; taking a shortcut, they could reach it in moments.
But An Jiu didn’t act immediately. She leaned against the rock wall to rest, feeling her stamina gradually recover, then began inspecting her equipment to assess what usable items remained.
After checking, her mood grew heavy. Her wrist-mounted crossbow had only three arrows left, along with a bundle of dark silk rope, a dagger, and a half-empty vial of Poison Pill.
The dark silk rope was as fine as hair, semi-transparent, and incredibly resilient. Mei Jiu enjoyed embroidery, and patterns stitched with this silk appeared faintly floating on satin—not only beautiful but also demanding exquisite skill. Unfortunately, apart from setting minor obstacles for opponents, An Jiu couldn’t think of any other use for it at the moment. Since she had no idea where enemies might lurk, setting traps was out of the question. In short… this bundle of silk was practically useless.
The remaining two items were things An Jiu insisted on keeping with her day and night.
"We must find weapons." An Jiu packed her belongings and, confirming no one was nearby, stood up to leave.
Her Mental Strength proved invaluable now—she could detect others from over a hundred yards away. Though there wasn’t enough time to set up an ambush, she could easily avoid encounters.
Unhindered, they returned to Jade Serenity Residence. In the bedroom, An Jiu retrieved a bow and arrows, along with a flexible sword, then stuffed Wound Medicine and other items from the cabinet into a small bundle.
Back in her own room, Mei Jiu felt a sense of security, her tension easing slightly. Suddenly, she gasped. "Oh no—Yao Ye and the others are still in the banquet hall."
"Those attackers came from outside. Yao Ye was sitting in the courtyard," An Jiu stated bluntly. "He’s long dead."
"Then… then…" Mei Jiu’s voice tightened. "What about my sister? We fled the capital together. If not for her help along the way, I would’ve been captured long ago. If I abandon her now to save myself, how could I call myself human?""You've already run away, and now you think of being a good person?" An Jiu retorted without any emotion.
"I thought hiding would keep me safe, but from what you just said, it seems even hiding is dangerous!" Mei Jiu paused, as if making a great resolution, "I'm going back to find her."
"No!" An Jiu had already decided to destroy herself, but she had no intention of destroying Mei Jiu. "Your mother protected you with her life—was it just so you could squander it recklessly?"
"My mother wouldn't have wanted me to become a coward!" Mei Jiu's trembling voice carried a kind of tragic determination. "If I'm to live, I want to live cleanly and with a clear conscience." (To be continued...)
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