Hidden Shadow – CH 098
by MTL TranslationChapter Ninety-Eight: Half-Baked Product (2)
Shadow rushed over, his voice urgent. “Sixth Brother, the pursuers this time are incredibly strong, all at the eighth rank.”
Mei Zhengjing’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Battle situation.”
Shadow said, “Four of my men ambushed them at the forest exit, but they were forced to retreat after less than three moves. The others held them off to cover my return and report.”
The difference in strength between the eighth and fifth ranks was obvious. Without his rich combat experience, Shadows of Mei Mansion probably would not have even been able to delay them. Those three would likely never return.
“Almost there.” Mei Zhengjing carried the Second Old Madam on his back, running frantically, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his voice slightly breathless.
Mei Tingyuan asked worriedly, “Uncle, are you alright?”
“Yes.” Mei Zhengjing did not waste any words. He was carrying his own mother on his back; he could not abandon her. He had to do it, even if he could not!
“Three more are coming, forty zhang away!” An Jiu said, turning and firing two crossbow bolts. The two crossbow bolts, tearing through the north wind, forced the three eighth-level experts to a halt.
An Jiu was surprised, then understood. “These people are also Half-Baked; their strength is slowly waning. We need to find a way to buy time and deplete their internal energy.”
Mei Zhengjing said, “Into the cave!”
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He leaped onto a ten-foot-high rock wall, slipped behind a crooked pine tree, and followed.
An Jiu was running at the back, and without any lightness skill, her chances of climbing up were slim. Sensing that the three experts behind her were catching up, she released several crossbow bolts.
Two of them dodged, one of them leaping onto the rock wall, his hand outstretched like a claw, aiming straight for An Jiu’s throat.
An Jiu neither dodged nor resisted. As the man’s hand touched her neck, she simultaneously thrust her dagger towards his abdomen.
The man noticed her movement, recoiled, and raised his hand to slash at her wrist.
The dagger cut through iron like mud, grazing the black-clad man’s thigh as it fell, instantly drawing blood. An Jiu’s eyes darted around, and without hesitation, she leaped off the cliff, rolled on the ground, quickly picked up the dagger, and ran downstream.
The black-clad man on the cliff gave chase, grabbing An Jiu’s fur coat and tearing it to shreds; the fur scattered like fine snowflakes in the wind. The remaining two men, seeing someone pursuing An Jiu, quickly scaled the cliff to chase after Mei Zhengjing and the others.
The man was about to attack again when An Jiu’s spiritual power suddenly erupted, suppressing him for a moment. The dagger was pressed against his throat. The man was startled, finding his movements sluggish and unable to dodge; he could only raise his hand to block.
The blade sliced through, and four fingers fell off, crimson blood splattering on the cliff face.
The black-clad man was shocked and enraged, his powerful inner strength instantly gathering. Just as he was about to attack again, his movements suddenly froze. The skin exposed beyond the mask charred black at a visible speed; blood spurted from his eyes, sizzling and emitting wisps of white smoke as he touched the rock wall. In an instant, the black-clad man appeared as if he had been burned alive—a charred corpse!
It was Mo Sigui’s “Spring Breeze Know No Words”!
“Ah—” Mei Jiu screamed.
An Jiu was horrified and resolved to be more careful next time she spoke to Mo Sigui.
Feeling that no one was within a hundred feet, An Jiu found a secluded spot to rest. She tried her best to conceal her aura while thinking. She had no internal energy, and Mei Jiu would be nervous in close combat, so she could only rely on her mental strength advantage. But mental attacks could only slow down an eighth-level expert; if she were attacked by two at once, she certainly would not be so lucky!
An Jiu’s two successful attacks, though seemingly simple, were extremely dangerous.
Considering her relatively weak current strength, she decided it was best to avoid close combat unless absolutely necessary. The best course of action was to acquire a good bow, hide, and return to her old profession as a sniper.
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According to Mo Sigui, their attack could last about an hour, and they had not even had the time it takes to drink two cups of tea yet. There was still plenty of time. Simply hiding and finding a bow were about the same level of danger; one required movement, the other did not.
“Stop crying!” An Jiu said. “Let’s go back to Yuwei Residence now.”
“Go back?” Mei Jiu exclaimed in shock. “Going back is like throwing yourself to the wolves!”
According to her, it would definitely mean finding a safe place to hide.
“You think hiding will make things alright?” An Jiu possessed strong mental power, allowing her to conceal herself effectively. Ordinary people could not detect her, but the madman who had been searching for her was a master of the Transcendent Realm and could sense her presence.
Yuwei Residence was not far; a shortcut would take only a short time.
However, An Jiu did not act immediately. She rested against the rock wall for a while, feeling her strength slowly recovering, and then began to check her equipment, confirming how much she still had that could be used. After checking everything, An Jiu felt a little heavy-hearted. There were still three arrows on her crossbow, a bundle of black silk rope, a dagger, and a half-used bottle of poison.
The black silk rope was as thin as a hair, semi-transparent, and extremely resilient. Mei Jiu loved embroidery, and the patterns embroidered with this black silk floated on the silk like a shadow, not only beautiful but also requiring exceptional embroidery skill. Unfortunately, besides creating minor obstacles for opponents, An Jiu could not think of any other use for it. She did not know where the enemies might be, so there was no ambush to be had. Simply put… this bundle of black silk was practically useless.
The remaining two items were things An Jiu insisted on carrying day and night.
“I have to find a weapon.” An Jiu put away the items, made sure no one was around, and then got up to leave.
At this moment, An Jiu’s mental power played a crucial role. She could detect people from a hundred feet away. There was not enough time to set up an ambush, but she could easily avoid them.
Returning to Yuwei Residence without any obstacles, Mei Jiu retrieved a bow and arrows and a soft sword from her bedroom, and also stuffed all the wound medicine and other items from the cupboard into a small bundle.
Back in her own room, Mei Jiu felt a sense of security, her tense mood temporarily easing, when suddenly she remembered, “Oh no, Yao-Ye and the others are still in the banquet hall.”
“Those people broke in from outside. Yao-Ye was sitting in the courtyard,” An Jiu said bluntly. “She’s long dead.”
“Then…then…” Mei Jiu’s voice tightened, “What about my sister? We escaped from Bianjing together. If it were not for her help along the way, I would have been captured and taken back long ago. If I abandon her now and try to escape on my own, would I even be human?”
“You’ve already escaped. Now you are thinking of being a good person?” An Jiu retorted without any emotion.
“I thought hiding would be safe, but what you just said clearly means that hiding could also be dangerous!” Mei Jiu paused, as if making a huge decision. “I am going back to find her.”
“No!” An Jiu had already decided to destroy herself, but she did not intend to destroy Mei Jiu. “Your mother risked her life to protect you, just so you could squander it?”
“My mother would never want me to become a coward!” Mei Jiu’s trembling voice held a tragic grandeur. “If I am going to live, I want to live cleanly and with a clear conscience.”
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