Hidden Shadow – CH 148

Chapter One-Hundred-Forty-Eight: Seeing Through It All

Chu Dingjiang was overjoyed.

Only with An Jiu could he let down his guard and disguise. She was ruthless, her attacks deadly; she repaid kindness with kindness and revenge with revenge; her cunning was so shallow it was easy to see right through her; she spoke bluntly and without pretense…

Chu Dingjiang believed that falling in love required many reasons, but wanting to sleep with someone only required impulse.

He had both reasons and impulses for An Jiu.

Chu Dingjiang was not yet twenty when his reputation as the “Heartless Young Master” spread far and wide; he was twenty-six when he protected his family amidst countless corpses; he died at thirty-five. Bearing a bad name, rejected by all nations, he fled for nine years, believing he would eventually find a chance to rise again. Unfortunately, the opportunity never arrived. He could no longer endure the life of a fugitive, and finally, he walked openly and honorably through the homeland of Zhao. Everything that followed was as expected: the first to assassinate him were none other than the very clansmen he had protected at all costs.

His death also cemented the Hua family’s reputation for upholding justice even at the cost of their own family.

Those nine years transformed him from a refined young gentleman into a rough and tough man. In his prime, full of youthful vigor and ambition, his mind was filled with calculation and righteousness, devoid of any sentimentality. However, when he was rejected by the world and forced to wander the mountains alone, his memories filled only with the cold, brutal clash of swords, the unbearable loneliness was piercing and unforgettable.

In the Konghe Army, he seemed to rediscover his most impetuous youth, but he always felt his actions were no longer as decisive as before, until An Jiu suddenly appeared.

It seemed that as long as she was there, she could fill the void of courage in him, making him fearless.

An Jiu’s significance to Chu Dingjiang was not merely that of a woman but a part of him, his strongest and most vulnerable part.

…

A gentle night breeze was blowing.

The two of them crouched on the wall in the dark alley all night.

When there was any movement at the Li residence, Chu Dingjiang returned to the Konghe Courtyard.

This time, An Jiu brought an ordinary bow and arrows. She lay in ambush in the alleyway where Li Ting had taken a shortcut.

The weather was overcast, a bit windy, and humid. An Jiu glanced down at the way the weeds on the wall were bent by the wind, judging the strength of the breeze.

As evening approached, a light drizzle began to fall. The twilight, shrouded in a thin mist, revealed the faint glow of lanterns. An Jiu guessed that Li Ting probably would not be riding back to the mansion today, but she still waited in her spot for a while.

At roughly the same time as yesterday, An Jiu faintly heard the crisp sound of horses’ hooves on the stone slabs.

She drew her bow and waited quietly.

Soon, two riders came galloping in.

Li Ting was wearing a straw raincoat. His speed was much faster than yesterday.

Rain dripped slowly down An Jiu’s nose. In her eyes, Li Ting’s every movement was slow yet clear. Seeing his graying hair and the crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes, An Jiu suddenly recalled the way he had scolded his daughter with a smile in his eyes…

For a moment, she hesitated, but still released her grip.

Whoosh!

The arrow grazed the back of Li Ting’s neck, blood gushing out, instantly staining the stone slab crimson.

“My Lord!” A guard leaped to catch Li Ting as he fell from his horse, shouting for help. “Help! Someone’s trying to assassinate me!”

An Jiu frowned.

She had missed!

Although it hit, she clearly saw that the arrow was not fatal.

The sound of hurried footsteps approached from not far away. The attackers were mostly first or second-tier guards, some even lacking internal energy. But there were quite a few of them. To avoid escalating the situation, she could not go and finish him off.

An Jiu decisively turned and left.

She hurried back to the Konghe Academy.

She concealed herself, hiding in her residence. The moment of assassinating Li Ting kept replaying in her mind’s eye.

An Jiu sat in a chair, her hands outstretched. In the darkness, only blurry shadows could be seen. This time, there were no excuses. It was not Mei Jiu’s fault; it was her own heart that had encountered an obstacle, and this obstacle was the most fatal to an assassin.

Today it was just a slip-up, but tomorrow it could cost her her life.

“A slip-up?” Chu Dingjiang gently landed in front of her.

An Jiu did not speak.

“Could not bear it?” Chu Dingjiang grasped her outstretched hands and pulled her into his embrace.

Held in such a way, An Jiu stiffened for a moment, but the warmth seemed to soothe her tense nerves, gradually relaxing her.

“Do you know why the Konghe Bureau ordered you to assassinate Li Ting?” Chu Dingjiang gently stroked her back. “Li Ting is Prince Jing’s man. This is not just a simple faction within the court; Prince Jing has colluded with the Liao Kingdom. The evidence is conclusive, but he wields considerable power in court and cannot be easily touched. In recent years, the Liao Kingdom has planted many spies, including the infamous Piaomiao Mountain mansion. If Prince Jing is forced to rebel and collude with the Liao Kingdom from within, war will break out everywhere. How many families will be torn apart? How many men will die on the battlefield? The Konghe Bureau is not the only one they’re assassinating at the same time.” Chu Dingjiang lived in an era where life was cheap, war was commonplace, and the horrors of war were incomparable to assassinating a few people within the Konghe Bureau.

“It’s up to you whether to prioritize the greater good or personal feelings.” Chu Dingjiang patted her. “But Li Ting must be killed. If you cannot decide for now, I will go in your place.”

“You are quite righteous,” she said. His reminder made An Jiu suddenly realize she was not doing anything illegal; the Konghe Army was a shadowy force protecting the Song Dynasty.

“Not righteousness, but personal feelings,” Chu Dingjiang mocked. “I think if you continue like this, you will soon become the first person in the Konghe Academy to have twenty points deducted!”

An Jiu pushed him away. “I will go myself.” She had already alerted the enemy, and with only two days left, the second assassination attempt might be even more difficult. But she was responsible for this situation; who could she blame?

An Jiu carried the Dragon-Subduing Bow. She discovered that although the bow was heavy, the mental energy released from it was more powerful than ordinary arrows and useful in an emergency. She had just attempted an assassination; the enemy probably did not expect her to come again that very night, which might actually be a good opportunity.

Chu Dingjiang helped her put on a raincoat. He did not object but watched her leave.

An Jiu braved the rain to reach the Li residence. Using her mental power, she surveyed her surroundings. Normally, the guards of the Li residence would take turns on duty, but today they were all stationed around the bedroom.

An Jiu reflected on her actions again. If she had successfully ambushed them in the alley, only one person would have died, but now several more might.

Putting these thoughts aside, An Jiu began to observe the distribution of the guards.

Two hours later, the rooftop was almost empty, but her lightness skill was insufficient to remain silent. Her mental power could conceal her aura, but not her movements.

She felt her pocket; thankfully, she had the sleeping potion Mo Sigui had given her.

Silently resolving her plan, she scaled the wall and entered the residence. Hidden in the shadows, she poured the powder Mo Sigui had given her into her hand, spread her fingers, and drew the bowstring.

The sleeping potion was unlikely to work in such an open space; she wanted to try using a dart to carry it through.