Hidden Shadow – CH 038

Chapter Thirty-Eight: A Dark and Windy Night

Mei Jiu had originally planned to take the sleeping incense and light it later that night, but she overlooked one thing: in the Mei household, these small tasks were all done by the maids. So, she did not touch the incense until she drifted off to sleep on the soft couch.

After Mei Jiu fell asleep, An Jiu tried to move her body, feeling very heavy. Although she possessed a stronger mental strength than most, her body was no longer the one accustomed to sleeping pills.

An Jiu got out of bed and stretched her limbs, feeling the heaviness lessen slightly, so she did not turn off the sleeping incense.

It would not be harmful for this body to become accustomed to sleeping pills.

The human body had its limits, but mental strength was limitless. For example, if someone were to have a finger cut off, some people would faint from the pain, while others could endure it without uttering a sound. This was one manifestation of the strength of one’s mental strength.

Similarly, when inhaling the sleeping incense, An Jiu’s mental strength could withstand it, allowing her to consciously issue commands to her body, while Mei Jiu, due to her weaker mental strength, fell into a deep sleep as her body temporarily hibernated.

A fragrant aroma filled the air.

An Jiu casually picked up a book and sat down on the couch to read.

As the incense ash in the incense burner accumulated, An Jiu felt her body becoming increasingly out of control. Fortunately, the sleeping incense was merely a sleep aid, containing very few medicinal ingredients. After a while, she could still manage to control her movements.

As darkness fell, to prevent Mei Jiu from waking, she took a stick of sleeping incense from the cabinet, lit it, placed it under the bed, and lay down on the couch.

The door creaked open.

The room was unlit. Yao-Ye saw that Mei Jiu was still asleep in the dim light and softly called out, “Young Lady, it’s time to get up.”

“Mm,” An Jiu responded.

Yao-Ye lit a lamp with a tinderbox, adjusting the wick with a copper wire as she said, “I do not know when An-Xue will come to fetch us. I’ve had dinner prepared; please eat first, My Lady.”

“Alright,” An Jiu tried to soften her voice, mimicking Mei Jiu’s soft, gentle tone.

But as it turned out, her acting was truly terrible.

There were many types of assassins. Those skilled in disguise and performance mostly engage in close-quarters combat. An Jiu, however, had a severe tendency towards violence. Close combat could easily trigger excessive excitement in her, leading to a loss of mental control. Therefore, the organization almost always assigns her sniping missions.

“Is my young lady feeling unwell?” Yao-Ye put down the copper wire and walked to the bedside, looking at her with concern.

An Jiu remained silent for a long while before uttering a single word, “No.” Yao-Ye found it somewhat strange but did not ask further. “This servant will have dinner prepared.”

An Jiu sat on the edge of the bed, not moving, pondering how to handle the situation if Mei Yanran came.

Just as she finished thinking, she heard a maid’s voice outside the door, “Greetings, Lady Yanran.”

“No need for formalities,” Mei Yanran said indifferently, stepping into the room.

Mei Yanran parted the curtains of the inner room and saw a solitary figure in the lamplight. The slender figure she saw was no different from usual but inexplicably evoked an intense loneliness, as if she were the only person left in the world.

Mei Yanran felt a pang of heartache. “Jiu’er.”

She looked up, the lamplight flickering in her calm gaze.

An Jiu held Mei Yanran in deep respect, a filial affection a junior holds for an elder. Meeting her gaze, Mei Yanran felt a strange difference, a mixture of love and guilt…

Looking again, it was just an ordinary exchange of glances.

“Do not worry, the Dark Arts are managed by the Grand Madam. You were chosen this time only at Elder Zhi’s request; you will not be treated like the others.” Mei Yanran sat down beside her. “I’ve asked someone to take good care of you; there will be no danger. Just be brave and go.”

“Mm,” An Jiu replied.

Even the wisest person, once they place complete trust in someone, would inevitably become somewhat negligent in their observation and thinking.

Mei Yanran did not suspect An Jiu’s taciturnity, assuming it was due to fear. Therefore, during their meal together, she broke the rule of “no talking while eating or sleeping,” offering many comforting words.

An Jiu did not mind Mei Yanran’s endless nagging. After she finished speaking, she obediently replied, “I remember.”

Mei Yanran was about to give a few more instructions when she suddenly stopped.

A masked black-clad woman descended from the roof beam. Mei Yanran glanced at her, then stood up and said, “It’s you.”

The black-clad woman nodded and looked at An Jiu. “Let’s go.”

“Do not be afraid, my child. She will take care of you,” Mei Yanran said.

The black-clad woman frowned, somewhat disapproving. “I really do not know what’s gotten into you, spoiling her so much. You should know that in Mei Mansion, spoiling is tantamount to drowning.”

“I know.” Mei Yanran’s voice was barely audible.

An Jiu got up to leave, but after taking a step, she turned back and hugged her again.

Mei Yanran was stunned. Another hug like that.

Mei Jiu would cry in her arms when she was wronged, but she would not usually do this. The last time “Mei Jiu” hugged her like this, calmly and firmly saying, “We will be alright.” These were all very small things, but thinking back on them now, Mei Yanran found them somewhat unbelievable.

An Jiu followed behind the black-clad woman. Once they left Yuwei Residence, the subtle ripples in her heart subsided.

The black-clad woman possessed light-footed skills; even on ordinary, steady travel, she was incredibly fast. An Jiu, dragging her weak body, which was intoxicated by sleeping incense, struggled to keep up.

“I thought she’d spoiled you.” The black-clad woman suddenly slowed her pace, turning back to scrutinize An Jiu. “You are quite capable of enduring hardship.”

An Jiu remained silent.

The black-clad woman did not seem to care, leading her into a forest. They walked for a long time along winding paths before finally emerging from the woods.

The night was dark and windy—perfect for murder.

Ahead, the darkness was thick. With An Jiu’s eyesight, she could see rolling hills, and a carriage was parked at the foot of a nearby slope. The black-clad woman shoved An Jiu inside without any gentleness and left immediately.

The carriage was dark, but An Jiu could vaguely make out four people, presumably the second branch of the family.

Mei Rujian was still recovering from his injuries and could not attend, but everyone else had arrived.

The carriage slowly began to move. Mei Tingjun, Mei Tingyuan, and Mei Tingchun were very excited, constantly peering out the window like children still exploring the mysterious.

“Sister, do you think we will be allowed to kill someone today?” Mei Tingyuan asked Mei Tingzhu in a low voice.

Mei Tingzhu gently scolded, “Just calm down. You will find out when we get there.”

The two boys, Mei Tingjun and Mei Tingchun, remained silent, but inwardly they were quite pleased. The Dark Academy did not always specifically request people; most of the time, it was voluntary. The Dark Academy would conduct an assessment to determine if someone was qualified before selecting them.

In other words, those that the Dark Academy specifically requested were all outstanding.

Mei Tingyuan remained quiet for a while, then could not resist the urge to scare An Jiu, who was leaning motionless against the carriage door. “Hey, Fourteenth Young Lady, do you not know what we are going to do tonight?” she thought.

An Jiu ignored the little girl’s provocation.

A cold female voice came from outside the carriage: “Silence.”

Mei Tingyuan pursed her lips, ultimately deciding not to speak.

The carriage, somehow, moved smoothly and quietly, making everyone feel sleepy. After an unknown amount of time, the carriage suddenly stopped.

The door opened, and a sharp, cold wind rushed in, causing everyone except An Jiu to shiver.

“Get out,” the person outside said.

An Jiu, being closest to the door, jumped down first, followed by the others.

As soon as they landed, they looked around.

“A graveyard!” Mei Tingyuan exclaimed softly.