Hidden Shadow – CH 030

Chapter Thirty: A Glimpse of Beauty

At midnight.

A peaceful scene unfolded in Mei Mansion.

In the clan school’s dining hall, built halfway up the mountain, the lights were dim. Inside the large hall, more than ten masked black-clad men sat quietly by the windows.

Ten masked men and women who had appeared in the ancestral hall stood like statues on either side of the entrance.

The patriarch, the five elders, and Mei Zhengjing arrived one after another. The hall was filled with people, yet only the sound of the wind between the cliffs and the rushing water below could be heard.

The patriarch broke the silence. “You all bear the honor of the family on your shoulders. Your blood must be used to quench thirst on the battlefield. You can only advance; retreat is absolutely forbidden!”

“Yes!” everyone answered in unison.

Mei Zhengjing lowered his eyes, watching the intertwined figures on the ground in silence. Only after the patriarch finished speaking and allowed everyone to move around freely did he pick out a masked man who was leaving.

“Big Brother,” Mei Zhengjing called softly.

The man stopped and glanced at him slightly.

Mei Zhengjing was about to say something more when he was interrupted, “You’ve mistaken me for someone else.” His voice was clear and bright, like the gentle moonlight; just hearing it evoked the image of a “gentleman of jade,” and for a moment, even the eerie ghost mask on his face seemed to soften.

“Excuse me.” Mei Zhengjing’s elder brother was nearly forty years old; it could not possibly be this voice.

The man seemed to see through his confusion and said, “He had something to do; I will take his place.”

“Thank you.” Mei Zhengjing was filled with disappointment.

Today, the Mei family sent another group of people into the Konghe Army. These masked men and women were sent to meet them. Mei Zhengjing’s elder brother already held an important position in the Konghe Army, and he was leading them this time.

“Ten years have passed since we last met. If we miss this opportunity, who knows when we will see each other again?” Mei Zhengjing sighed.

The masked man paused again, turning back to ask, “I heard Elder Zhi has taken on a disciple?”

Mei Zhengjing looked up, meeting a pair of exceptionally clear eyes. His words trailed off slightly before he finally said, “Yes.”

The masked man nodded his thanks and slowly walked away.

Moonlight bathed him, outlining his tall, powerful figure.

Mei Zhengjing looked at him and could not help but recall a saying, “A gentleman is like a horse, elegant as an orchid, pure as a lotus, steadfast as bamboo, and resolute as a plum blossom.”

“Gu Jinghong.” Elder Qi appeared beside him at some point.

“Gu? That’s an unfamiliar surname.” Mei Zhengjing showed slight surprise, then quickly regained his composure. “However, ‘A Glance of Startling Beauty’ truly is a name that suits the man.”

Mei Zhengjing meant that there was no family with the surname Gu among those who controlled the Konghe Army.

“Have you met my second brother?” Mei Zhengjing asked.

A trace of sadness flashed across Elder Qi’s face as he sighed, “It’s better not to meet than to meet, yet the longing lingers.” Elder Qi’s greatest regret in life was passing on his medical and poison skills to his son. Even though his son had not inherited half of his true abilities, he still could not escape the fate of joining the Konghe Army.

“It’s better to see him,” Mei Zhengjing said, his mood also slightly somber.

Mei Zhengjing was the youngest legitimate son of the “Zheng” generation. His father had already passed away when he was born, and his eldest brother was like a father to him. He and his elder brother shared a deep bond, and after ten years apart, even with his self-comforting nature, he could not help but feel sorrow.

“Sigui’s meeting you is a blessing from his past life.” Mei Zhengjing suddenly changed the subject.

Elder Qi finally smiled. “It’s fate.”

Mo Sigui possessed extraordinary talent in medicine, and Elder Qi greatly admired his talent, secretly raising him like his own child. Their relationship was like that of father and son, making the matter of including Mo Sigui in the Mei family genealogy a major concern for Elder Qi. Over the years, Elder Zhi had seen through every excuse he’d come up with. If it were not for the Fourteenth Young Lady, Mo Sigui would likely have been another regret for him.

The moon gradually sank in the west, entering the darkest period before dawn.

Dark figures flashed through the plum blossoms, returning to the houses on the cliff.

From the houses on the cliff, they could see the sun rising slowly over the opposite cliff—that was its purpose.

Everyone stood by the window, waiting; perhaps this was the last time they would see the sun in their lives.

The clouds parted, and the sun appeared.

It was another ordinary morning in the Mei Mansion.

Mei Jiu had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep, hearing strange noises, even the low murmur of people.

She had encountered too many inexplicable things during this time, and even now, she still felt like she was in a dream. She did not want to face it, only fantasizing that perhaps one morning she would wake up and find herself still in her courtyard in Yangzhou, spending her days embroidering, reading, and waiting to be married, instead of having to trek through mountains and rivers to the clan school halfway up the mountain at the crack of dawn.

There was no class taught by Headmaster Zhao today, so everyone gathered in the classroom to study. Most people were catching up on sleep at their desks, with only a few quietly reciting their lessons.

Mei Ruyan, with faint dark circles under her eyes, approached Mei Jiu with her book, begging her to explain the obscure and difficult sentences.

She stayed in the classroom for an hour, then went to Lu Qingming’s place.

Lu Qingming did not lecture on Zen; instead, he urged everyone to practice martial arts.

Everyone lined up in the courtyard, practicing the same set of martial arts techniques. Only Mei Jiu stood awkwardly to the side, wanting to mimic them but too embarrassed to do so. She was used to walking with delicate, graceful steps; she’d never seen a woman’s limbs spread so freely! But remaining still would only make her look more awkward.

Mei Jiu suddenly envied Mei Ruyan. That master only had her as a disciple; even if she did not know anything, she certainly would not be as humiliated as she was now!

Lu Qingming frowned, watching for a long time before finally approaching with a book. “This is basic martial arts. Take it and read it while herding sheep. Familiarize yourself with it for a day or two, then I will teach you.”

“Thank you, Teacher.” Mei Jiu took the book, bowed, and ran out as if fleeing.

Mei Tingyuan scoffed.

Lu Qingming turned and glared at her. “You will run around the mountain all day until you are barely breathing!”

Mei Tingyuan quickly composed herself and replied, “Yes!”

Mei Jiu had previously said that she would let An Jiu use her body while she herded sheep, and she kept her word. An Jiu did not refuse and directly took control of the body.

She discovered that she was becoming increasingly attuned to this body. What had initially required so much effort to resist Mei Jiu’s consciousness, while not yet allowing for complete control, had made significant progress.

An Jiu herded the sheep to the south slope, climbed a crooked tree, and leaned against a branch to read the martial arts book Lu Qingming had given her.

She was very interested in Eastern martial arts, practicing the movements in her mind as she read.

Just as she was engrossed in reading, a hand suddenly snatched the book away. She instinctively threw a punch.

The person grabbed her wrist.

Even though it was just a light grip, it felt like an iron clamp, impossible to break free. An Jiu had never encountered such a strange situation before and could not help but frown. Looking up, an upside-down ghostly mask came into view.

“I mean no harm,” he said.

An Jiu believed that if this man intended to kill, she would already be a corpse, but he did not seem to be playing a prank.

But if there was no malice, could there be good intentions? An Jiu did not believe it.

“Does not seem to have practiced martial arts,” the masked man said, looking at her fingers.

As soon as he finished speaking, An Jiu suddenly swung her hand. She had intended to use a grappling technique she had just read about to strangle him, but her mind raced, and she quickly removed his mask.

The masked man had already confirmed that An Jiu had not practiced martial arts, but he had not expected her attack to be so swift, and the strength in her hand was definitely not something an ordinary woman could possess.

The mask was tied behind his head, attached to his hairband. He felt a sharp pain in his scalp, followed by a cool breeze on his face, his black hair suddenly spreading out, with strands of hair falling out.