Hidden Shadow – CH 076

Chapter Seventy-Six: A Fight (2)

An Jiu slowly raised her eyes to look at him.

Their eyes met, and Hua Rongjian froze. Her gaze, still cold yet subtly menacing, seemed somewhat out of place on her delicate, yet undeniably beautiful, face.

The bamboo on the brocade screen rustled. She wore a light blue silk dress spread out on the couch, a white brocade jacket with a red plum blossom embroidered on the collar, her long neck and fair skin slightly exposed, her dark hair half-tied up, and her delicate face radiant.

Hua Rongjian coughed lightly. “I… I am telling you, if you push me too far, I do not care about gender!”

“Sure?” An Jiu’s lips curled into a smirk, the soft snort of laughter from her nose sharper than any harsh word.

Hua Rongjian’s anger, which had just subsided, flared up again. He lunged forward, grabbed An Jiu by the collar, and lifted her.

However, once the thought crossed his mind, he hesitated to strike. He’d done countless disgraceful things outside, but he’d never laid a hand on a woman.

He had his reservations, but the person opposite him showed no mercy. A fist swung, landing a solid blow to his cheek.

A man who hits a woman was shameless; a man who gets hit by a woman was a coward! Hua Rongjian was utterly enraged, forgetting why he’d come in. He grabbed An Jiu’s collar with one hand and pinned her right hand down with the other.

An Jiu’s left hand held a dagger drawn, about to touch his ribs, when she suddenly stopped, gripping the hilt and striking heavily.

Hua Rongjian grunted, releasing An Jiu’s collar and grabbing her other hand.

“Young Lady!” Yao-Ye, holding a vase, wanted to help, but the two were locked in a fierce struggle on the couch, and she could not find a way to attack.

She simply put down the vase and went to pull them apart.

Hua Rongjian initially tried to restrain An Jiu on the defensive, but An Jiu, never one to be at a disadvantage, naturally struggled to break free! In this tug-of-war, neither side yielded an inch, yet both maintained a degree of composure. Neither side used their full strength.

The moonlight outside was bright. Mo Sigui, considering the late hour, bought only a jug of wine, offered a simple libation to Qiu Ningyu by the river, and then returned to the tavern.

He stepped into the lobby, sensing the strange atmosphere. He faintly heard a commotion on the second floor and grabbed a waiter. “What happened?”

“It’s Second Young Master Hua getting into a fight! I heard it is a young woman inside! Oh, what a tragedy. I do not know how that young woman offended Second Young Master Hua.” The waiter, realizing he should not gossip, changed the subject with a smile. “Young master, do not worry. Encounters with disturbances are normal; it will not affect you.”

Mo Sigui nodded. “Do you know which room Young Lady Mei is in?”

“Young Lady Mei…” The waiter hesitated. Suddenly, his face showed surprise. “You are Master Mei?”

“Yes.” Seeing his reaction, Mo Sigui had a bad feeling.

“You’d better go see her quickly!” The waiter slapped his forehead. “She’s in the Emerald Bamboo private room. I completely forgot! That’s Young Lady Mei! I was just saying the woman who fought with Second Young Master Hua…”

Before the waiter could finish, Mo Sigui, startled, rushed upstairs.

Many people in the private rooms on the second floor, hesitant to approach due to the guards at the door and Hua Rongjian’s status, opened their doors and peered outside.

The guards at the door, sweating profusely, clung to Mo Sigui like a lifeline. “My Lord, they’ve been fighting inside for a while, but My Young Lady will not let us in.” Since An Jiu had returned alive from the trials, these guards instinctively assumed she was skilled in martial arts. Even though Hua Rongjian was a man, he was still an ordinary person without internal energy and could not possibly gain the upper hand. They were worried their mistress might accidentally kill Hua’s son!

Mo Sigui kicked open the door and strode inside.

The room was a mess. Mo Sigui saw An Jiu pinning a man in a blue brocade robe against the wall, one leg against his abdomen, her right hand pressing down on his neck, and her left hand gripping the man’s hand. The man was not idle either; he had one hand around An Jiu’s neck while his other hand was wrestling with her.

The two were still, their faces flushed with anger, while Yao-Ye was busy tying Hua Rongjian’s feet, having torn off cloth from a cushion on the couch.

“Tsk tsk!” Mo Sigui strolled over, observing their disheveled state and slowly flicking his fan. “Truly an eye-opener.” A faint fragrance wafted with Mo Sigui’s fanning, and An Jiu, Hua Rongjian, and Yao-Ye gradually felt as if all their strength had been drained, collapsing to their knees.

An Jiu had some resistance to this type of drug and was still able to move.

Mo Sigui snapped his fan shut. “Lord Hua, forgive me.”

His drug could render someone powerless without causing them to faint.

Hua Rongjian asked, “Who are you?”

“I am Fourteenth’s cousin,” Mo Sigui said. “I will give you the antidote. You can leave on your own. Today’s matter will be temporarily put on hold. Is that alright?”

Hua Rongjian glanced at his torn clothes and readily agreed, “Alright.”

Mo Sigui took out a handkerchief and waved it near his nose.

After a moment, Hua Rongjian felt he could move again. He quickly glanced at An Jiu, whose face was dark with anger, bowed to Mo Sigui, and strode out.

Hua Rongjian’s gang of lackies were already waiting outside. When they saw him emerge in disheveled clothes, they immediately started making a ruckus. One of them said, “I told you Rongjian could do it! Come on, a bet’s a bet; pay up!”

“Did you place the bet for me?!” Hua Rongjian covered his bruised face. “I put in a lot of effort!”

“Yes, yours is on my side…”

The door opened a crack, and An Jiu heard the laughter coming from the corridor. Her face darkened even more.

Mo Sigui turned and closed the window, tapping the table with his folding fan, and sneered, “Wow, the girl’s grown up; she’s really impressive!”

For an experienced assassin to engage in such a low-level fight was truly shameful!

An Jiu turned her face away, remaining silent.

Mo Sigui looked around, picked up a seemingly intact stool, and sat down, leaning lazily against the table, curiously inquiring, “When did you and Second Young Master Hua start this feud?”

He sighed inwardly; if her meridians had not been completely destroyed this time, An Jiu would not have needed to fight like this.

“No enmity…” An Jiu hesitated, unable to recall why they had fought.

“It’s Second Young Master Hua who’s gone too far, repeatedly harassing our lady!” Yao-Ye said indignantly.

“No way?” Mo Sigui said. “Hua Rongjian is a dissolute philanderer. He keeps over a hundred courtesans at home and frequents brothels, yet he does not like having wives or concubines and therefore never touches respectable women.”

Yao-Ye asked in surprise, “He said he wants to marry a wife; could it be true?”