Hidden Shadow – CH 048

Chapter Forty-Eight: Utter Devastation

“Deputy Envoy!” Mei Tingjun roared, “Stop her from running out of the courtyard! Why let her get out?!”

Gu Jinghong ignored his anger and words, saying, “Let’s begin.”

Bang! Mei Tingjun slammed his short sword to the ground and turned to go find Mei Tingyuan. Last time, he had taken a chance, thinking it was just a family test and would not be life-threatening, so he ignored Mei Tingyuan’s danger. But this man before him was the Deputy Envoy of the Konghe Army’s Divine Strategy Team, a killer who could kill like cutting grass!

Gu Jinghong’s figure blurred, instantly appearing before Mei Tingjun. A glint of snow flashed in his hand. When everything stopped, everyone could see that a long sword was stuck in Mei Tingjun’s chest.

Mei Tingjun stared in disbelief at the blood gushing from the blade. The wound was so painful that it was numb; the incident had happened in an instant, and he had even forgotten to cry out in pain.

“You will not die anytime soon, but if you move around again, things might get worse.” He slowly returned to the stone platform, gesturing to Mei Tingchun, “Continue.” Mei Tingchun trembled all over, nearly collapsing as he bent down to pick up the dagger.

He could not escape, he could not give up…

Mei Tingchun gritted his teeth, gripped the hilt of the sword with both hands, closed his eyes, and stabbed down hard.

The feeling of the blade piercing flesh was so clear, so disgusting! Mei Tingchun let go, staggered back a few steps, covered his face, and huddled against the wall, sobbing.

The sword went terribly astray, piercing directly into the abdomen. Gu Jinghong did not comment, but seeing Mei Rujian’s empty eyes and blue lips, he knew that even a slightly louder sound would terrify him, so he did not let him practice. He silently pulled out the dagger and dissected the corpse, explaining the vulnerable parts of the human body to the two remaining, seemingly calmer people.

Mei Tingzhu tightly pursed her lips to prevent vomiting. In the cold, damp room, beads of sweat had already formed at her temples.

An Jiu’s forehead was also covered in fine beads of sweat, but unlike Mei Tingzhu, she was struggling to suppress the restlessness emanating from her soul. Since becoming a sniper, she had only ever engaged in long-range shooting and had not experienced such a bloody scene in a long time. She now desperately wanted to destroy something.

Behind her, two black-clad men carried Mei Tingjun away for treatment.

This lesson lasted no more than two cups of tea, yet it felt like decades of torment in purgatory to everyone.

The corpse used for sword practice was clearly not long dead; its blood volume was no different from that of an ordinary person. Red liquid cascaded down the stone platform, pooling into small blood pits on the uneven stone floor.

The room was filled with a nauseating, sweet-smelling stench.

Gu Jinghong took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands, looking at the naked female corpse on another stone platform, and spoke with some regret. “A female corpse is rare; it’s going to be a waste.”

The Konghe Army was ruthless, but they had their limits. The corpses they used for practice were usually those who were utterly wicked in life. Male prisoners like this were easy to find these days, but female prisoners were not.

“Go back and rest for three days. You can think carefully about whether you are suitable to become Shadows.” Gu Jinghong’s voice was like a clear spring washing away filth. He said calmly. “However, it seems you have no choice.”

His tone was still ordinary, but An Jiu sensed a hint of pity or self-pity in his words.

“Someone,” Gu Jinghong’s voice rose slightly, “send them away.”

A black-clad man opened the door, and Mei Tingchun quickly stood up, leaning against the wall, and stumbled out.

An Jiu stared at Gu Jinghong, as if trying to see his expression through the ghost-face mask.

Gu Jinghong stood with his hands behind his back again. His clear eyes looked back at her through the gaps in the ghost-face mask, as if waiting for her to speak.

An Jiu needed to find a master to learn martial arts, but she did not want to seek out anyone from the Mei family. This Gu Jinghong seemed to possess extraordinary martial arts skills. He was originally a teacher sent by the Konghe Army, so it was only natural for him to instruct them, but… learning from him would likely mean joining the Konghe Army!

It was better to seek out Elder Zhi.

After a moment’s thought, An Jiu turned and left.

Out of the mortuary, the crisp air filled her lungs, and An Jiu’s restlessness subsided somewhat.

Mei Tingjun had been taken somewhere, Mei Tingchun was lying on the snow, crying as if he had survived a catastrophe; Mei Tingyuan was squatting under the carriage, retching; and Mei Rujian was being carried into the carriage by two black-clad men.

The usually composed Mei Tingzhu was now leaning against the carriage shaft, panting heavily, her snow-white mist spraying out, her sky-blue dress making her small face almost transparent.

One lesson, and she was completely defeated.

An Jiu hesitated about whether to pretend to be afraid, but what did fear feel like?

Pretending would not arouse suspicion, so after much thought, she simply closed her eyes and collapsed into the snow.

A moment of unconsciousness solved everything.

An Jiu felt someone lift her and put her in the carriage. Smelling the perfumed scent of Mei Tingyuan inside, she felt even more at ease.

Inside the mortuary.

Gu Jinghong stood silently on the rooftop like a pine tree, observing the situation of the Mei family members from afar.

A dark figure landed on the roof. “Whom does the Deputy Envoy intend to recommend for marriage into the Hua family?”

“Mei Tingzhu or Mei Ruxue are acceptable,” Gu Jinghong said.

The dark figure paused, then said, “These two are quite talented and could join the Konghe Army. Why not recommend Mei Tingyuan?”

Gu Jinghong said, “The Emperor’s intention is to plant spies within the Hua family. Hua Rongtian is exceptionally talented; even if a woman is not initially attracted, it’s hard to guarantee she will not develop feelings over time. Mei Tingyuan is driven by emotion, so she’s the first to be ruled out. Even those two women might not be suitable.”

“Then what does the Deputy Envoy mean…” the dark figure said.

Gu Jinghong said, “His Majesty should select a suitable woman of marriageable age, a ‘Hidden Shadow’ from the Dangerous Moon Team, to replace the Mei family’s daughter and marry into the Hua family.”

The Konghe Army was divided into four teams: Imperial Guards, Divine Warriors, Divine Strategy, and Dangerous Moon.

Among the Twenty-Eight Mansions, Wei Yue Yan¹ was the fifth mansion in the north, located at the tail of the tortoise and snake. If this constellation appeared during battle, it foretold danger for those covering the rear. The Dangerous Moon Team of the Konghe Army was the rearguard, meaning they would risk their lives to cover the rear of those carrying out the mission.

“Yes, I will immediately deliver the message.” The shadowy figure vanished.

Snow began to fall again.

Gu Jinghong raised his hand and removed his mask, his dark hair flowing freely, fluttering in the snow.

Below the mask, a black cloth still covered his face. His gaze was dark as he stared at the mask in his hand, then clenched it tightly.

The next morning, the world was covered in a blanket of snow.

When Mei Jiu woke up again, she found herself in her room and breathed a sigh of relief. But then the image of the corpse she’d seen the night before flashed through her mind, and her heart sank again. She could escape this once, but could she escape forever?

“An Jiu. You said Elder Zhi vouched for us, so why are we still going to the Dark Academy?” Mei Jiu asked anxiously.

“…”

“I want to persevere, but I am really scared.”

“…”

“I do not know how my mother is now. Has she encountered any danger? Is she scared?”

“…”

“I miss my mother so much.”

“…”

“An Jiu, what do you do when you miss your mother?”

“Kill someone.” An Jiu finally gave a simple and definite answer.

Mei Jiu wiped away her tears. “Why kill someone?”

“To make myself happy.” Like many people who bought things to cheer themselves up when they were in a bad mood, An Jiu used this method to relieve her loneliness.

“Is that not terrifying? So much blood, they’d look at you with hatred as they die…” Mei Jiu shuddered at what she had just said.

An Jiu had never seen eyes filled with hatred before. Those people did not even know they were dead when they died.

“My Young Lady, you are awake?” Yao-Ye closed the door, approached the bed, and lifted the bed curtains. “You did not go to Elder Zhi’s place yesterday, so you cannot skip it again today.”

“Yes.” After what happened last night, Mei Jiu suddenly felt that going to Elder Zhi’s place was not so scary anymore.

Seeing that she did not show any fear, Yao-Ye could not help but smile. Lady Yan’s efforts had not been in vain.

After washing up, Mei Jiu ate a bowl of porridge and then went to Yongzhi Hall.

Upon arriving, a servant led Mei Jiu to a room in Yongzhi Hall and then left.

Mei Jiu looked around. The room was spacious and empty, without any furniture. On the opposite wall hung a calligraphy scroll; the powerful character “Buddha” almost filled the entire space. Various kinds of crossbows hung on the walls on both sides.

“Gu Jinghong’s lessons are quite interesting, are they not?” Elder Zhi entered, smiling broadly.

Mei Jiu bowed respectfully. “Elder.”

Elder Zhi sensed a difference in Mei Jiu compared to the night of archery, and his brow furrowed slightly. “What did you think of Gu Jinghong’s instruction?”

Mei Jiu had fainted as soon as she entered the room last night; how could she know who Gu Jinghong was or what he was teaching?

“An Jiu, did you cover for me last night?” Mei Jiu wondered to herself.

“Yes,” An Jiu replied.

Mei Jiu then forced a response to Elder Zhi, “Very…very good.”

“Very good?” Elder Zhi smiled strangely. “When Gu Jinghong was around ten years old, he was in charge of training new recruits for the Konghe Army. None of the people he trained has dared to say ‘good.'”

Mei Jiu’s heart pounded, and she nervously clutched the hem of her clothes.

Elder Zhi saw this small movement and was displeased. Where had that arrogance and decisiveness from the test gone? Where had that imposing aura from the archery come from?

Elder Zhi felt unworthy of his title as a wise man; he simply could not understand this! “Gu Jinghong will be in charge of you for six months. The first three months will be for instruction, and the last three months will be for missions. Your martial arts are lacking, so I’ve assigned Qianshan to protect you.” Elder Zhi slowly walked to the wall, and from a distance, took down a small crossbow hanging high up and handed it to her. “I made this kind of crossbow three years ago. It’s lightweight and convenient, suitable for close-range ambushes. Give it a try.” Mei Jiu took it but could not figure out what it was all about.

An Jiu, on the other hand, quite liked it, so she controlled Mei Jiu’s hands to manipulate the crossbow. Those who played with bows generally knew a little about crossbows; it was a cold weapon somewhere between a bow and a gun.

The trigger on a gun corresponded to the sight on a crossbow, and the sight on a gun was called the aiming device on a crossbow. This crossbow was rectangular, the sight was well concealed, and it lacked an aiming device, making it a hidden arrow.

An Jiu fiddled with it for a while, then loaded an arrow and raised her hand to press the sight.

The arrow whizzed and landed on the opposite wall.

An Jiu sensed Mei Jiu’s nervousness and immediately controlled her body. “Very good.”

“Hmph!” Elder Zhi admired her decisiveness just now but feigned displeasure, saying, “Your knowledge is shallow. A crossbow is an inanimate object; its range and power are limited. A bow is different.”

As he spoke, he took a bow from the wall and plucked the bowstring. “The highest level of archery is called ‘Startling the String.’ Do you know what ‘Startling the String’ means?”

An Jiu shook her head.