Hidden Shadow – CH 070

Chapter Seventy: Accompanying You to Bianjing

The topic shifted abruptly, but fortunately, Mo Sigui was a quick-witted person. “As soon as my true energy touched her, she immediately dodged, so I could not probe her condition. But the fact that she reacted means she’s still conscious. Perhaps she’s deliberately avoiding me?”

“Hmm.” An Jiu thought Mo Sigui’s words made sense.

“Based on my interactions with Fourteenth, she’s completely different from you,” Mo Sigui said. “She’s kind and gentle by nature. She might be able to cope with ordinary setbacks, but killing is something not everyone can do.”

He intended to be sarcastic, but An Jiu did not detect anything amiss. “I think so too.”

Mo Sigui’s punch missed its mark, and he lost interest. “Have you considered that if you disappeared, Fourteenth probably would not survive more than two days in the Mei family? You might as well see it through, or rather, let nature take its course.”

According to Elder Qi’s suggestion, letting nature take its course meant An Jiu would be the victor sooner or later.

She murmured to herself, “As long as I live, I cannot avoid killing. The more people I kill, the further I get from the peace my heart seeks.”

Though unwilling to admit it, she was indeed a madwoman. The more she killed, the colder her heart became, yet the more her blood boiled. There was a time when she could not control her killing intent, wanting to strangle any living thing she saw, even herself.

In the snow, she exhaled mist, murmuring these words softly, the words dissipating in the wind. Yet, Mo Sigui perceived a hollow and pale life, without hope or despair, living in a daze, then killing.

Mo Sigui patted her shoulder. “Do not be afraid; Cousin will take you to experience the beauty of this world.”

An Jiu was slightly taken aback. “I am not the Fourteenth Young Lady.”

“Ha, I was not talking to her either.” Mo Sigui fanned himself hard with his folding fan for a while, unable to dispel the pity he felt for An Jiu. He himself wondered how such a fierce and unlikable girl could inspire pity?

An Jiu pursed her lips. She had not expected that her first time voluntarily revealing her true feelings would be to the person she hated most!

And this shameless physician actually pitied her for her ruthless killing?

“Ahem, go ask Elder Zhi. After my second cousin’s funeral, we will go to Bianjing together,” Mo Sigui said. “There are many fun places there.”

“A trade. I will find a way to get you out, and you kill me.” An Jiu saw through his intentions at a glance.

The Mei family’s rules. No one in the Mei family was allowed to enter or leave Mei Mansion at will. Since arriving here, Mo Sigui had rarely had the opportunity to go out. Although he enjoyed his secluded life, he occasionally missed the prosperity of Bianjing.

Mo Sigui gritted his teeth, thinking to himself: stubborn, sharp-tongued, cold-faced and wicked, utterly ignorant!

Having thoroughly vented his frustrations in his mind, he finally spoke. “Alright, deal.”

“Since that’s the case,” An Jiu said casually as she walked towards Elder Zhi, “if you cannot kill me, I will take your life.”

“Hey!” Mo Sigui had never intended to actually agree to her request. Hearing her say that, he hurriedly chased after her. “A physician saves lives. It’s bad luck if someone dies before I’ve even completed my apprenticeship! How about we wait a few years until I am fully trained?”

An Jiu stopped and turned around. “Then let me know when you’ve completed your apprenticeship, and I will go ask Elder Zhi for help.”

Mo Sigui persisted, trying to persuade her. “Bianjing is full of talented people, and there are several Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries nearby. We can go and take a look; they understand the soul better than physicians.”

Seeing that An Jiu was somewhat tempted, he quickly added fuel to the fire. “Besides, your stay in the mortal realm is a rare opportunity. Do you not want to go and see it? There’s no fighting and killing outside; it’s completely different from Mei Mansion.”

He used his inner strength to scan the surroundings, making sure no one was around, then lowered his voice and said, “I know you are tired of fighting. Lady Yan felt the same way back then. If you could escape Mei Mansion as Lady Yan did, would you not be able to enjoy a peaceful and prosperous era?”

An Jiu’s choice to self-destruct had many reasons, and what Mo Sigui said was only one of them. However, one sentence in particular resonated with An Jiu: he said there was no fighting and killing outside. An Jiu’s previous life was also relatively peaceful, without large-scale wars, but she had not had the opportunity to experience it. Although she was still following the old path, she was not a wanted criminal, and she had a family to rely on. She could relax and go out for a stroll—an opportunity she’d never had before.

She made a concession. “Fine. But you still have to do your best to destroy me. I promise I will not kill you even if I fail. Besides, I am just a soul, not a human life.”

“I did not expect you to be so talkative,” Mo Sigui said helplessly, looking at her. “But what kind of talk is this?”

Who spoke of destroying oneself as effortlessly as discussing everyday matters?

Meeting An Jiu’s calm gaze, Mo Sigui waved his folding fan haphazardly. “Fine, fine, I will do as you say.”

Having reached an agreement, they headed towards Yongzhi Hall together.

One had exhausted his inner strength; the other had almost none. In the blinding light of the snow, the two trudged forward, one step deep, the other shallow.

The snow on the shooting range in front of Yongzhi Hall was smooth, leaving two long trails of footprints where they had walked.

Mo Sigui chattered incessantly along the way, but suddenly fell silent upon entering Yongzhi Hall.

The large courtyard was deserted. The two wandered around for a while, and Mo Sigui muttered under his breath, “I dislike Elder Zhi’s residence the most; it’s so big but lacks any human warmth.”

“Fourteenth,” Elder Zhi’s voice suddenly came from the main hall. “Come in.”

An Jiu entered the house, and Mo Sigui followed eagerly inside.

There were no chairs in the main hall, only about ten futons. Elder Zhi knelt on the futon at the head of the table, his body hunched over. “Sit down.”

Mo Sigui loved watching a spectacle, so he obediently knelt with An Jiu.

“How did the trial go?” Elder Zhi asked.

“Not bad,” An Jiu replied.

Elder Zhi nodded, quite pleased. “I roughly understand what happened from Third. I heard you overpowered a Transcendent Realm archer.”

An Jiu said, “It was all luck.”

“Not arrogant or impatient, good,” Elder Zhi praised.

Later, Mei Tingzhu and An Jiu separated. Only the members of the Konghe Army were present when An Jiu fired the arrow; Elder Zhi was unaware of this; otherwise, he would never have remained so calm.

“Why have you come to see me?” Elder Zhi asked.

An Jiu replied, “I am going to Bianjing.”

Elder Zhi’s gaze swept over Mo Sigui. “What for?”

“To take a look,” An Jiu said matter-of-factly.

Mo Sigui was secretly anxious. This did not sound like a request at all. Would Elder Zhi take his anger out on him?

“Very well. There are many hidden matters in this trial, and the major families will need time to investigate. We will send you juniors away from Mei Mansion as a precaution.” Elder Zhi’s quick agreement completely surprised Mo Sigui.

Although they did not fully understand Elder Zhi’s meaning, they sensed a chilling undercurrent.