Hidden Shadow – CH 131

Chapter One-Hundred-Thirty-One: Confession

The wind rustled through the grass.

The six people possessed superb lightness skills, being able to leap across the grass with ease. They stopped nearby, floating lightly on the leaves, their breathing soft and even, as if about to merge with the vegetation.

An Jiu felt that the martial arts of these six people were definitely beyond the level she had sensed.

After standing there for a while, one of the young men said softly, “Senior Brother, no one’s here.”

“I clearly sensed a mental force just now. The master said that Fourteenth Young Lady’s mental force was extraordinary, reaching the Transcendent Realm, making it easy for her to conceal her aura,” the man said in a deep voice. “They must be nearby. Search carefully.”

An Jiu’s spine tightened. If she were discovered, her strength was absolutely insufficient to fight six people alone. What would she do then? Surrender or fight to the death…?

Now they were very close. If she could investigate again, she could probably see their true strength, but to avoid exposure, An Jiu dared not try easily.

Five people dispersed to search the surrounding area, leaving only one person behind.

An Jiu did not move. She could not see who it was, but based on the routines of their missions, she guessed it was the young man’s Senior Brother.

The man stood a foot behind An Jiu; she could even feel his soft breathing and the mental energy he used to probe around.

This stalemate lasted for a full quarter of an hour, until the other five returned one after another.

One said, “No trace found.”

Another said, “We found collapsed grass on the slope; someone must have walked through.”

“What’s the news over there?” the senior brother asked.

“The Master has trapped them with an array, but one of them is an eighth-level expert. They will probably escape tonight. Should we continue searching or go to support them?”

“Search! The Master said finding her would be very useful.”

“Ha, what great use?” the young man chuckled. “It’s said the Master fell in love at first sight and insists on marrying her. We are looking for the future wife of the second master.” An Jiu was conflicted. In her impulsiveness, she had allowed Elder Zhi to destroy her meridians; her hope of regaining internal energy was slim. If she could make good use of her mental energy, it might be a good way out. Like her, Wei Yuzhi possessed powerful mental strength but lacked martial arts skills. Did he know how to control and utilize his mental strength? She had learned the “Mental Strength Startling the String” technique left by Elder Zhi, knowing that mental strength was not useless but rather highly useful, though she currently only had a superficial understanding and could only use a small portion, wasting her powerful mental strength.

But Wei Yuzhi was unfathomably cunning, and An Jiu could not discern the truth in his words. Was it worth the risk of dealing with a tiger?

“I’ve found you. Come out,” the Senior Brother suddenly said.

An Jiu’s heart skipped a beat. She had been distracted, which might have caused her aura to leak out. She did not know if he was bluffing or serious.

After hesitating for a moment, An Jiu decided to remain hidden. Since he did not intend to harm her, even if she were discovered and exposed, it would not matter. Going out now and falling into a trap would be a regrettable mistake.

She knew her own limitations best. She was not stupid, but when facing a wise person, she was bound to be the one tricked. Therefore, she always preferred to undertake perilous missions alone rather than have too much contact with cunning individuals.

Even a near-death experience offered a sliver of hope.

The mountain wind blew; the only sound was the rustling of blades of grass, making the silence even more profound.

After a moment, the leader gently landed on the ground, tapping the scabbard against it.

Seeing this, the others followed suit, searching the surroundings.

The vibrations were right beside their ears. An Jiu’s muscles tensed, her killing intent exploding instantly. She locked her gaze on the person in front of her, suddenly leaping up and grabbing him, a dagger pressed against his neck.

The attack came too fast. Those around had barely recovered from An Jiu’s oppressive aura when they saw their Senior Brother firmly subdued.

“Back off a li, or stay and collect his corpse,” An Jiu said coldly.

“Back off,” the Senior Brother replied.

He thought to himself that his martial arts were eight levels higher than hers, and he had been caught off guard by her mental power, causing a momentary slowness in his movements. Given the chance, even alone, capturing her would not be difficult.

The other five people shared the same thought, so after glancing at An Jiu a few times, they quickly left without hesitation.

The man said, “Miss Mei, we mean no harm. The Master instructed us to take you back to discuss important matters…”

An Jiu did not tell him to shut up, nor did she reply, but her mental pressure remained undiminished.

As he descended the mountain, cold sweat dripped from his brow.

An Jiu’s mental power far exceeded his expectations, even surpassing Wei Yuzhi’s. At first, he could still speak, but as time passed, he gradually succumbed to the pressure, his mind reeling. His mental power was at the seventh level!

After descending the mountain, An Jiu went straight into the forest, where there were more creatures, and it was easier to hide.

The chill of the forest helped the hostages regain some clarity.

An Jiu released her mental power to check the location of the other five people, discovering they had indeed retreated more than a li away. Her gaze darkened slightly, and she increased the pressure of the dagger against the man’s neck.

A murderous intent arose, and she suddenly remembered Mei Jiu’s kindness and Lou Mingyue’s moral principles.

But she hesitated for only two breaths before the dagger fell heavily.

The man had just noticed An Jiu’s mental power relax slightly and was preparing to counterattack when she struck without warning! The dagger’s sharpness severed his protective qi, and in the blink of an eye, he was transformed from a living person into a corpse.

One of the experts from Piaomiao Mountain mansion had vanished so easily.

An Jiu released her grip, and the corpse fell to the ground.

In the past, she would have acted under such circumstances without the slightest hesitation or unease, but this time, she felt a vague sense of unease. The other party wanted to capture her alive, not necessarily kill her. Being captured might be dangerous, or it might not; she was simply avoiding risk when she had a choice.

Killing this person might bring even greater trouble and unnecessary hatred, but in her past life, she was a fugitive. The crimes she committed meant death if caught, thus forging a belief through numerous brushes with death—her future depended on whether she could survive now!

At such times, her vision was only focused on the present, oblivious to anything beyond.

She calmly wiped the blood from the dagger onto his clothes, her heart churning.

“You actually killed him!”

“What if they were not bad people?”

“An Jiu, do not kill, alright? Let’s hide…”

“I killed someone, I killed someone, waah…” Mei Jiu’s voice rang out chaotically in her ears, disturbing An Jiu’s peace and agitation. She staggered, hurriedly leaving, and haphazardly crawled into a tree hollow, shrinking into herself, her fingers gripping the dagger, trembling slightly.

She rubbed her head, burying it between her legs:

“Mei Jiu, you are dead. But does your cowardice still remain in your body?”

After a moment of quiet solitude, she cleared her mind of agitation and used her mental power to probe the outside world. She discovered that more than twenty people had appeared about a li away, moving at great speed, heading in one direction. Among them was a rather familiar aura.

It was Chu Dingjiang!

Normally, her mental power could only detect people and their skill levels, but for some reason, she could distinguish his aura!

This must be the Konghe Army discovering that someone had been killed and the trial participants were trapped, so they came to their rescue.

An Jiu thought for a moment, then took a step and followed.

Those people used their lightness skills, which An Jiu could not catch up with. But using her mental power to determine their location, she would not lose them.

After chasing for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, she suddenly realized that Chu Dingjiang had abruptly changed direction and was heading in her direction.

For a fleeting moment, An Jiu felt a warmth in her heart.

Chu Dingjiang moved with incredible speed; in a short time, she caught sight of a dark figure as swift as a leopard. He landed silently, like a phantom.

He was still cloaked in black, his entire figure shrouded in it, like a monument.

“Come here,” he said.

An Jiu hesitated for a moment, then walked over.

Chu Dingjiang reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, then leaped into the air.

An Jiu could only see his sharply defined jawline behind the ghost-face mask.

The wind whistled past her ears. Chu Dingjiang lowered his eyes slightly. “You have not seen me for a few hours, and I’ve changed?”

She was clearly pleased, but her words were anything but pleasant. “You are using us as bait?”

Chu Dingjiang could not help but flick her forehead. “What are you talking about? Do you think I am that kind of person? Besides, this time I am just a follower; what right do I have to make any decisions?”

If it was not him, then it was Gu Jinghong.

“That sounds so sour,” An Jiu said.

Chu Dingjiang chuckled softly.

Hearing his laughter, An Jiu’s discomfort eased slightly, and she felt an urge to confide in him. Although she was withdrawn, she frequently saw a psychologist and was not averse to revealing some of her inner thoughts. However, now did not seem like a good time.

“What do you want to say?” Chu Dingjiang sensed her emotions.

“I killed someone.” An Jiu did not mince words, stating directly, “I’ve killed many innocent people before, never feeling remorse, but this time, killing someone who should not have died, I feel surprisingly conflicted.”

“That’s a good sign. It shows you understand emotions.” Chu Dingjiang had immediately noticed that An Jiu was not an ordinary girl. “Although being too emotional in our line of work is not always a good thing, what’s the point of living numbly without any emotions?”

An Jiu fell into thought.

He said, “For us, even heartache is something to be happy about.”

An Jiu nodded, affirming Chu Dingjiang’s status as a kind and understanding uncle. She was a little curious. “You still feel heartache?”

“Yes, I am a loyal and righteous man,” Chu Dingjiang solemnly defined himself.

An Jiu somewhat agreed with his loyalty and righteousness, but hearing him say it himself, her image of a kind and understanding uncle crumbled.

Chu Dingjiang, holding An Jiu’s hand, moved swiftly past amidst the shadows of the trees.

A moment later, the two caught up with the main group.

Gu Jinghong’s gaze swept over them, and he reminded them, “Wei Yuzhi is here.”