Hidden Shadow – CH 080
by MTL TranslationChapter Eighty: Near Death
As the madman lost control, his true energy scattered, and An Jiu felt a sense of familiarity…
That was right! It was the master archer from the Ancient Temple who had ambushed them!
Appearances could be deceiving, but everyone’s spiritual power had subtle differences. The madman’s movements suddenly stopped. “You are not Fourteenth Young Lady! Where is she?”
“Since she’s not Fourteenth Young Lady, then kill her,” The black-clad man said calmly.
“Cui Yichen! You’ve arrested the wrong person! Where is Fourteenth Young Lady?” The madman roared, his invisible true energy surging wildly, sweeping away and snapping the surrounding trees.
Cui Yichen! The name flashed through An Jiu’s mind. Lou Xiaowu had mentioned him in the Floating Pagoda; he was a member of the Cui clan, and he was actually mixed up with the people who had ambushed the trial! Did this mean that the Cui clan had betrayed the Konghe Army?
Cui Yichen’s eyes sharpened, and his killing intent suddenly erupted. He had been calm when he said he would silence them, but now he truly harbored murderous intent because the madman had called out his name.
An Jiu’s mind raced. The situation was clear: if she proved useless, she would be killed immediately. Even with her experience, An Jiu could not handle these two experts.
An Jiu immediately controlled the body, her focused, cold killing intent instantly engulfing everything.
Cui Yichen’s movements slowed, and he exclaimed in disbelief, “Transcendent Realm!” It would not be difficult for a Transcendent Realm expert to deceive a ninth-rank martial artist like him, so Cui Yichen did not doubt it. The Madman, however, was shocked!
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He was at the third rank of the Transcendent Realm, nearing the second, but due to a slight deficiency in mental strength, he had never been able to break through the barrier. This little girl could so easily deceive him, meaning her mental strength far surpassed his!
The Madman was in turmoil, his behavior becoming even more frenzied. He had practiced martial arts since he was six, obsessed with it for forty years, yet he was no match for a teenage girl! In an instant, he felt as if all his efforts had been negated.
He never imagined that An Jiu had the advantage of possessing two souls to so easily deceive him. If they were being fair, things were complicated.
“I do not believe it! I do not believe it!” The madman raised a palm and slammed it down.
Seeing the powerful blow, An Jiu immediately leaped towards Cui Yichen, grabbing his clothes tightly and using his momentum to propel herself away. Upon landing, An Jiu released her grip, rolling several times on the ground before regaining her footing.
Cui Yichen gritted his teeth. He had been too eager to escape and had not had a chance to deal with her. He had let a good opportunity slip by!
No matter what, he had to kill Fourteenth Young Lady today! Otherwise, if his identity was exposed, not only he, but the entire Cui family, would be finished!
A thought flashed through his mind, and Cui Yichen raised a mocking voice, “Madman, you’ve practiced day and night for decades, and you cannot even handle a little woman? You want to reach the pinnacle? Dream on!”
Such a blatant provocation would be easily seen through by any normal person, but Cui Yichen knew these words would definitely enrage the madman.
The madman was a martial arts fanatic. He possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, nearly reaching the second rank of the Transcendent Realm in his prime. However, aside from this, he was extremely simplistic in all other aspects. He could not control his emotions like a normal person, was incapable of taking care of himself, and was a recluse. For decades, he secluded himself to cultivate, which eventually led to mental health issues.
The situation took a sudden and unexpected turn!
The madman was like an enraged beast, his bloodshot eyes filled with nothing but destruction. An Jiu could empathize, having experienced such a state herself. Therefore, she knew very well that in this situation, there was absolutely no hope of persuading him.
Escape? She lacked lightness skills; she’d probably be smashed into mincemeat within ten meters! She still had a longbow, but unfortunately, she had no internal energy left. Forget about the ‘Startling the String’; even ordinary arrows were far less lethal than before.
An Jiu pondered this and immediately took off running towards Cui Yichen.
The madman was clearly devoid of reason. If she approached, even if Cui Yichen wanted to kill her, he would have to escape first.
“Trying to use the same trick again?!” Cui Yichen had already gathered his inner strength in his palm, but seeing the madman’s palm strike coming from the corner of his eye, he had no choice but to abandon the attempt.
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An Jiu sensed something was wrong. Seeing the madman closing in, she thought she was doomed. But then, the madman hesitated for a moment before striking.
Opportunity knocks! An Jiu immediately seized the opportunity to get close to Cui Yichen.
Cui Yichen had fully expected An Jiu to die at the madman’s hands, but this sudden turn of events left him completely astonished.
In an instant, he saw the bow in An Jiu’s hand and immediately understood that the madman had shown mercy to the weapon that had been with him for over a decade.
An Jiu also understood why she had escaped death and was immediately grateful that she had not discarded it during her escape.
Staying close to Cui Yichen was a poor strategy, as he was primarily interested in silencing her and was also a skilled fighter; if he attacked personally, she would not be able to escape.
Fortunately, the madman did not disappoint, launching wave after wave of attacks without pause.
An Jiu pushed herself to her limits, but even if her meridians were intact, she was no match for the madman. Moreover, Mei Jiu was frozen in fear, and An Jiu had to expend mental energy to resist her subconscious control over her body. She felt like she was being carried on lead weights, escaping from the jaws of death—the first time she’d felt this way since her rebirth.
While dodging, An Jiu repeatedly pulled the trigger on the crossbow strapped to her arm; though it had no real effect, it at least diverted the madman’s attention slightly.
It was this insignificant pause that bought her a chance to escape.
An Jiu turned and ran into the forest, using the crossbow Lou Xiaowu had given her, anchoring it to a tree trunk, and with a powerful swing, leaped seven or eight zhang in the blink of an eye.
As she ran, she untied the thin ropes, then fired an arrow at a nearby branch. A thought flashed through her mind; while untying the ropes, she tightened them and tied them to another tree.
These ropes seemed transparent and extremely resilient, difficult to spot at night. Dozens or even hundreds of them, arranged as an obstacle, could be quite effective. Unfortunately, while the ropes were useful, An Jiu had to add the two bolts to the crossbow herself later.
Her actions in such a short time were already An Jiu’s limit.
“Mei Jiu, I’ve tried my best to save myself, but the hope is slim. If I die here, do not blame me.” Understanding Mei Jiu’s worry and hesitation, An Jiu realized she had made a mistake by destroying her meridians without permission. Therefore, she felt a pang of guilt and treated Mei Jiu with unprecedented gentleness and patience.
The wind whistled in her ears, her vision blurred, and her mind was blank; only her body kept running forward.
After about half a cup of tea’s time, An Jiu suddenly realized that no one seemed to be chasing her.
She dared not slow her pace, but she was amazed. With the skill of those two men, catching up with someone like her running on two legs would be effortless.
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