Hidden Shadow – CH 143

Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-Three: Fight in the Dark Alley (1)

Between her and Wei Yuzhi, whose mental strength was higher?

Hearing the footsteps getting closer, An Jiu gripped her dagger tightly, ready for a desperate fight at any moment.

The group reached the tree, and Wei Yuzhi suddenly stopped. “An intruder has come to visit.”

An Jiu’s heart skipped a beat.

She lowered her eyes and saw two figures through the branches. One was about forty years old, eight chi tall, with broad shoulders and a thick waist. His fair face had a neatly trimmed beard, braided into a small plait under his chin. This strange appearance seemed quite harmonious on him, and his rough exterior exuded a touch of refinement. The other was Wei Yuzhi, dressed in a flowing blue robe.

He was looking back at the artificial hill in the distance.

An Jiu frowned. If the person he had spotted was not her, then it was most likely Lou Mingyue! Dozens of figures surrounded them from all sides. Some rushed to protect Wei Yuzhi and Fan Yunchao, while others went to the artificial hill to capture them.

An Jiu was puzzled. Did these people also obey Wei Yuzhi’s orders? Could it be that Fan Yunchao was not a Liao spy but someone from the Piaomiao Mountain mansion? Or was the entire Piaomiao Mountain mansion loyal to the Liao Kingdom?

This must be the reason why the Konghe Army attacked the Piaomiao Mountain mansion earlier.

The artificial hill was a tiny hiding place; staying inside was tantamount to waiting for death. Lou Mingyue knew it would be difficult to escape from over twenty fourth-level experts alone, but she had to try.

When she heard Wei Yuzhi’s voice, Lou Mingyue knew she had been exposed.

She slowly emerged from the artificial hill, her killing intent instantly radiating. The mental power of an eighth-level expert suppressed the entire area. Everyone was ready to attack, but no one dared to move.

They were not in a hurry because they had reinforcements. But for Lou Mingyue, a swift victory was crucial! The eight experts could arrive in an instant. Lou Mingyue’s sword flashed from her waist, its light like a summer snowflake, swift as a gust of wind. Blood rained down where the cold blade passed, and several were killed or wounded in the blink of an eye.

“Lou Mingyue,” Wei Yuzhi’s voice was soft, tinged with a smile. “Leave her behind, regardless of whether she’s dead or alive.”

Upon hearing this, Fan Yunchao raised his hand in a killing motion. One of his men joined the battle and relayed the order to the other guards, “Kill without mercy!”

An Jiu glanced at the battle. Lou Mingyue’s swordplay was fierce; she showed no weakness against the combined attack of over twenty people. However, immediate escape was impossible.

The opponent had eight personal guards, but for some reason, they were not present. She wondered if Lou Mingyue could escape before they arrived. Should she intervene?

An Jiu hesitated for a moment, then her mental energy instantly locked onto the group of people under the tree. At the same time, she leaped down and rushed towards Wei Yuzhi.

These people were stunned by the masterful mental energy, their minds blank.

Wei Yuzhi hesitated for a moment, then immediately drew his sword to fight back. Unfortunately, An Jiu, whose body had been tempered, was far stronger than him.

His sword was still half-sheathed when her cold blade was already pressed against his neck.

“Tell them to stop,” An Jiu’s chilling voice came from behind his neck.

Fan Yunchao was the first to react. A look of surprise flashed across his face, and he immediately shouted, “Stop, all of you!”

“Back off five zhang!” An Jiu ordered.

Fan Yunchao nodded, and the crowd slowly retreated five zhang.

Lou Mingyue flew to An Jiu’s side. An Jiu suddenly raised her elbow, knocking Wei Yuzhi unconscious and tossing him to her. The two quickly retreated from the Fan residence.

Upon exiting, Lou Mingyue immediately whistled.

This was the signal to retreat.

In no time, five more figures appeared running on Pan Tower Street.

Sui Yuntong asked, “What happened?”

“We’ve been discovered,” Lou Mingyue said.

A heavy sigh escaped everyone’s lips. Was the opponent too strong, or were they too weak? They’d only just begun the observation phase, and they’d already been exposed. He could not help but suspect that An Jiu’s entry had led to their discovery, especially since Lou Mingyue had gone in alone to investigate before, and everything had gone smoothly.

Lou Mingyue turned around and, seeing that An Jiu had not followed, tossed Wei Yuzhi to Sui Yuntong. “This man is the second master of the Piaomiao Mountain mansion. You can deal with him.”

“Second Young Lady Lou!” Sui Yuntong slowed her pace.

The others also realized she was going back to find Fourteenth Young Lady. Li Qingzhi angrily said, “It’s all her fault! Leave him alone!”

Others might not know, but Sui Yuntong knew very well that Wei Yuzhi possessed a Transcendent Realm mental power; he would not be so easy to capture, at least not Lou Mingyue. Could it be…?

Sui Yuntong glanced back; the street was empty, and Lou Mingyue was nowhere to be seen.

“Let’s go back first. Although the mission went awry, capturing him is a great achievement!” Sui Yuntong knew that people with high mental strength were less likely to lose consciousness, so he tied Wei Yuzhi up tightly with ropes before feeling at ease.

Hearing this, the group did not linger and rushed back to the Konghe Academy.

…

Meanwhile, a ninth-level expert blocked An Jiu’s path.

An Jiu was not fast, so she concealed her aura, trying to take a shortcut into Pan Tower, only to be ambushed in a back alley!

In the dark, narrow alley, the two were only six or seven zhang apart. The old man blocking the alley was hunched over, leaning on a dark blue-green cane, but his eyes gleamed with a sharp light, as if he could kill his opponent in an instant.

“This old man does not like to fight with children. You’d better surrender obediently to avoid trouble for both of you,” the old man said.

“How did you find me?” An Jiu did not believe a true master of the Transcendent Realm would risk their life for someone else.

“You little brat, you’ve got some skills, but this is how I find people.” He pointed to his nose with his withered, twig-like finger. “Even if you never wear makeup, I can still tell.”

No wonder, out of eight masters, only he had chased after her.

An Jiu slowly approached, gripping the swords hidden at her sides. Her mental energy instantly locked onto the old man, and she drew her twin blades, launching an attack.

Unlike those with internal energy, she was not as agile; every step she took carried immense power, like a hurricane carrying a cold glint, unleashing a thunderous strike.

By the time the old man regained a sliver of reason from her mental energy, the twin blades were already at his throat. Without thinking, he instinctively used his cane to parry.

The weapons clashed, the immense impact creating dazzling sparks.

Not far away, the sounds of revelry and music drifted from Pan Tower. Inside, the lights were bright and peaceful, while a murderous aura surged in the dark alleyways, as if even the wind passing through was agitated, howling through the narrow passages.

An Jiu lacked internal energy, putting her at a disadvantage in this contest. She raised her leg to kick, and the old man slightly dodged.

Her kick missed, but she spun around, launching another attack with her twin blades.

This attack, imbued with a monstrous killing intent, actually made a ninth-level expert gasp for breath!

The old man was horrified. This girl was practically comparable to the legendary martial arts fanatic “Madman,” but the difference was that the Madman would find ways to force his opponent to use their ultimate move, while this girl only had “kill” in her eyes, leaving no room for retreat.