Hidden Shadow – CH 010

Chapter Ten: Because It’s Too Small

The patriarch spoke, “You may each choose a weapon that suits your taste.”

An Jiu withdrew her gaze and stepped inside.

Mei Ruyan had just taken a step when she kicked a corner of the wooden shelf, causing several weapons to clatter to the ground. Startled, she quickly knelt to apologize.

“It’s alright; continue,” the patriarch said.

Mei Ruyan breathed a slight sigh of relief, becoming even more cautious. After a while, her eyes finally adjusted to the dim light, and her movements loosened up a bit.

Mo Sigui’s movements were usually extremely slow and elegant. Only a few experts could clearly sense that he had suddenly released the shackles on his seven orifices. They all looked at Elder Qi, exchanging knowing smiles.

Mo Sigui was the first to choose a weapon—a folding fan. A single apricot blossom was painted on the fan, with the inscription “A branch of red apricot extends beyond the wall,” signed Yan Wudao.

He could not discern the difference between this fan and an ordinary folding fan; he only felt the poem was excellent. “Red apricot blossoms over the wall¹“—a beautiful metaphor!

Elder Qi’s cheek twitched, while Elder Xian chuckled, “This lad truly suits my temperament. If it were not for his lack of talent, I would have gladly taken him under my wing.”

Mei Ruyan looked around for a while, then stopped in front of several musical instruments. “Pipa, guqin—can these even be considered weapons?”

That was true. In places like the Xingxiang Brothel, a den of iniquity, which man did not indulge in decadent music and live a life of debauchery? Mei Ruyan was very interested in the Jiao Wei Qin, but having just left the brothel, she was quite averse to such arts.

Just as she was about to look away, she heard the head of the family say, “Choose according to your intuition; do not think about anything else.”

Mei Ruyan froze, standing before the Jiao Wei Qin for a long time before finally reaching out to pick it up.

Both had already chosen, but An Jiu, who had acted first, had not yet found a satisfactory piece. In An Jiu’s heart, no weapon could compare to a sniper rifle. If she could not have a sniper rifle, a bundle of explosives would do!

Compared to cold weapons, An Jiu clearly preferred firearms.

The hunched elder who had been watching her appeared before her, holding a longbow horizontally in front of her. His cloudy eyes seemed to gleam with a sharp light. “How about this?”

“A bow?” An Jiu flicked the bowstring with her finger, commenting, “Too weak.”

The elder shoved the bow into her hands, disdainfully saying, “With your thin arms and legs, you are lucky if you can even draw it! Here, take it, do not complain!”

An Jiu touched the bow, which was taller than her, and followed the elder out.

She was destined not to find a weapon that suited her best here, and besides, doubts were growing in her mind: she knew from Mei Jiu’s memories that this year was the seventh year of the Qingyuan era of the Great Song Dynasty, not the Southern Song Dynasty? Should women at this time not be virtuous and obedient ladies? It was one thing for a large family to teach women music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but why make them practice swordsmanship?

An Jiu remembered the story of “Mu Guiying taking command” but could not recall whether it happened in the Southern or Northern Song Dynasty. Could it be that the Song Dynasty was not as feudal as people imagined?

After leaving the armory, the patriarch and the elders took their seats.

“Elder Xian, what do you think of Fifteenth Young Lady?” the patriarch asked, turning his head.

Elder Xian nodded slightly.

“As for…Fourteenth Young Lady?” The patriarch’s gaze swept around the room, finally settling on the elder with whom An Jiu had spoken the most. “Elder Zhi, are you interested?”

Elder Zhi chuckled. “Yes, I will take her.”

“Excuse me, may I ask why?” An Jiu asked.

Elder Zhi pointed his withered, twig-like finger to his heart. “A heart as still as water.” From the moment they entered the room, Elder Zhi had been observing Mei Ruyan and An Jiu’s behavior. Mei Ruyan’s eyes were bright and lively, revealing a deep contemplation and calculation in her mind. An Jiu, on the other hand, appeared to have everything under control, but in reality, she lacked the strength to back up such confidence. There were three possibilities: either she was foolish, or she was completely indifferent, or her heart was as still as a secluded valley.

An Jiu’s behavior clearly did not indicate foolishness, and Elder Zhi did not believe a young girl could be indifferent to such worldly matters, so he guessed it was the last one.

Since Elder Zhi insisted, the patriarch no longer questioned it. “In that case, you may go to the pine spring to bathe. The apprenticeship ceremony will be held early tomorrow morning.”

“Yes.” The three bowed solemnly and then withdrew.

The patriarch dismissed the servants, leaving only himself and the five elders in the room.

Elder Xian spoke first, “Third Uncle, you have not taken on any disciples in seven years; why are you here today…?”

Elder Ming continued, “Yes, not only is Fourteenth Young Lady illiterate, but her steps are unsteady, her physical foundation is poor, and she’s not cut out for martial arts. All she has is a beautiful face. Someone like her, who meets the criteria for being released to marry out, being forced to stay is probably…” Elder Zhi pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve and unfolded it—it was the very paper An Jiu had just written!

Everyone present was a master, yet no one noticed when he had taken it!

“The handwriting is ugly, but the strokes are decisive, with a sharp strength hidden within the softness.” Elder Zhi squinted at the light shining through the paper, completely unlike his playful demeanor earlier. “Did you all notice that when entering the armory from the main hall, even Sigui paused, but she did not have any adjustment period? Heaven has blessed her with excellent eyesight.”

Elder Zhi truly deserved the title “wise” and was certainly no ordinary person. He passed the imperial examination at the age of fourteen with top honors. Because of his talent in both literature and martial arts and his handsome appearance, he received imperial favor and remained in the capital as an official. At seventeen, when the Mei family faced a crisis, he resigned his promising career and returned home. As the head of the family, he single-handedly helped the Mei family rise again. At forty, he relinquished his position as head of the family and began traveling extensively. Ten years later, he returned to Meihua Lane and became an elder of the Mei family.

His life had some regrets, but was generally quite smooth.

“Alas! Due to my state of mind, my archery has gradually become peaceful, lacking killing intent. I am afraid I have no hope for it in this lifetime. I only hope that I can see true archery in my lifetime!” Elder Zhi placed his lifelong hope in the Fourteenth Young Lady, whom everyone else had little faith in.

Outside, sunlight filtered through the maple-lined path.

Mo Sigui blocked An Jiu’s path. “Should you not explain what happened earlier?”

Mei Ruyan did not want to get involved, so she said, “Cousin and sister, please talk first. I will go take a bath.”

“Alright,” Mo Sigui said politely.

Mei Ruyan’s eyes crinkled as she left with Wen-Bi, clutching her Jiao Wei Qin in high spirits. Wen-Cui also discreetly stepped back two paces.

“Explain what?” An Jiu asked.

Mo Sigui smiled at her, still not angry. “You grabbed my flesh.”

“Ah, you do not want to grab mine back, do you?” An Jiu said.

Mo Sigui grinned mischievously, swiftly unfolding a folding fan that seemed to reveal a hint of eroticism. “The place my cousin grabbed is really embarrassing, but I like it.”

An Jiu’s lips twitched; her eyes lowered to his crotch. “Hehe, if you like it, that’s good. I originally wanted to grab the handle, but it was too small, and my hand slipped away, and I grabbed somewhere else.”