Hidden Shadow – CH 157

Chapter One-Hundred-Fifty-Seven: Kill Her

The two quietly retreated into their room, preparing for battle.

The ship had only just left Bianjing. If the other party were truly Yelu Huangwu, she would not cause trouble near Bianjing; she would at least go to a secluded place.

Chu Dingjiang also needed to carefully consider the situation.

Because she was not the only one who wanted to eliminate him. Could someone have set a trap here, waiting for him to fall into it?

The missions carried out by the Konghe Army were all classified. If he became a wanted criminal pursued by the government, the Konghe Army would not only refuse to help clear his name but would also question the Shadow’s abilities. Exposing his identity and mission was a capital offense. If this woman were a fake Yelu Huangwu, and Chu Dingjiang had deliberately assassinated her, thus becoming a wanted criminal, the consequences would be predictable.

An Jiu finished packing and asked, “What do you plan to do?”

An Jiu said “fight” purely because she believed in Chu Dingjiang’s abilities. She did not have a perfect battle plan in mind. She was very interested to know where his confidence came from, given that his internal energy was restricted, to face so many experts.

“When I healed you last time, I discovered you can absorb my internal energy and true qi.” Chu Dingjiang glanced at the Dragon-Subduing Bow. “Our target is Yelu Huangwu; there’s no need for a direct confrontation. Try using the Startling the String.”

“I can use the Startling the String?” An Jiu asked in surprise, then understood why Chu Dingjiang, despite his high mental power, still said he needed hers. “You’ve always known I had this use, have you not?”

Since she’d been exposed, Chu Dingjiang did not argue. “Yes, I secretly tested it with my true qi when we were in contact, but I was not careful enough to avoid being discovered until I confirmed it when I healed you last time.”

“I can try,” An Jiu said.

Seeing her unexpected reaction, Chu Dingjiang could not help but ask, “You think I lied to you?”

“It’s a fact. Do I need to think it?” An Jiu felt a little uncomfortable, but she quickly suppressed it. “At least I know why you value me.”

Chu Dingjiang’s heart sank. “I did not keep you around to use you.”

“That’s not important,” An Jiu said calmly. “Whether you use someone specifically or incidentally, is it still not using them?”

This feeling was not pure to begin with; explaining it verbally would only make it seem like a cover-up. Chu Dingjiang simply stopped talking about it.

“I specifically looked into the ‘Startling the String’ technique. At its peak, it can be used without even seeing the target.” Seeing her attentive expression, Chu Dingjiang continued, “With sufficient mental strength, one can discern subtle differences between individuals. The ‘Startling the String’ can penetrate layers of obstacles to reach its target. Besides being able to distinguish the mental strength of a madman, can you identify other people?”

An Jiu thought for a moment and said, “You.” The two had one thing in common: they were both at the Transcendent Realm.

“First, check how many people are on this ship.”

Everyone’s mental strength was different; Chu Dingjiang could only try to guide her, not teach her a precise method.

An Jiu closed her eyes and examined for a moment, receiving an answer that even she found hard to believe: “Sixty-one. Fifty-five of them know martial arts.”

The ship had sixty or seventy people living in the lower deck alone—that was what she saw with her own eyes. Adding the cabins and the original crew, it was more than a hundred.

“It seems I can only identify people with varying levels of mental power or internal energy,” An Jiu said.

Even among those who did not know martial arts, there were those with high mental power, and she could identify them.

“I am the exact opposite of you,” Chu Dingjiang said. “I can sense everyone, even what they are doing. I can roughly judge whether someone knows martial arts by their heartbeat and breathing, but I cannot directly pinpoint these people with my mental power.”

Chu Dingjiang was used to having a comprehensive view, not overlooking any detail. It was very detailed but also quite mentally taxing. While An Jiu could not sense everyone, she could easily filter out dangerous individuals. This was largely due to An Jiu’s skill in sniping; the target was always the clearest in her eyes.

Both mental powers were at the pinnacle, but Chu Dingjiang’s concentrated attack power was far inferior to An Jiu’s. This was the main reason why An Jiu could easily unleash her powerful spiritual attacks, while others could not.

Since they were so different, Chu Dingjiang had to change his approach. “You said the woman in purple is different from the others. Can you identify her among these sixty-one people?”

An Jiu tried. “Yes.”

Chu Dingjiang was delighted. “Excellent!”

“I am puzzled. How come the Madman has not noticed me?” This was strange; An Jiu did not know the reason and could not rest easy. “After I assassinated Li Ting and fled, the Madman was able to block my way, which means he can also recognize me.”

The Madman was still hung up on his archery duel with An Jiu. If he found her, he would definitely rush over.

Chu Dingjiang said, “If you are certain that’s the Madman, I can only think of two possibilities: one, someone gave the Madman orders not to act rashly; two, he does not remember you.”

An Jiu thought he made a lot of sense.

The Madman usually sought out experts everywhere, always choosing those with high internal strength. An Jiu was the only exception. He was still resentful about losing to An Jiu at the Ancient Temple. If they met again, he would not give up easily. The best explanation was that he had forgotten about it. But given the madman’s “obedience” earlier, the possibility that he was obeying Yelu Huangwu could not be ruled out.

Chu Dingjiang said, “We only have one chance. If we fail, we must leave immediately.”

An Jiu agreed.

Ever since An Jiu used the Dragon-Subduing Bow to unleash a mental energy attack, she discovered that even with a draw of only a few inches, the Dragon-Subduing Bow was several times more powerful than an ordinary one. Therefore, she planned to use it again this time.

“Wait for the right opportunity,” Chu Dingjiang said softly.

Whether the madman had amnesia or something else, his skills remained. As long as he was near Yelu Huangwu, the chances of a successful sneak attack would decrease, and a failure would hinder their retreat.

After discussing their battle plan, the two waited inside.

The moonlight was bright.

The river breeze carried a faint, fishy smell of water plants.

At the bow of the boat, Yelu Huangwu sat cross-legged on the floor, her long ivory-white dress spread out on the deck, her long hair cascading like a waterfall, her skin as white as snow, her lips red and stained with crimson rouge—clean yet alluring. Beside her sat a basin of clean water, a clean cloth draped over its edge.

The madman sat opposite her, clutching a wine jar. His robes were tattered, his gray hair disheveled and haphazardly tied back with a black cloth strip. He sat quietly, letting Yelu Huangwu scrape away his unkempt beard with a sharp dagger.

With each movement, the beard fluttered in the wind, revealing a handsome face.

Yelu Huangwu put down the dagger, dampened a cloth, and began to wipe the madman’s face. He squinted, like a cat receiving affection, looking quite content.

“Why did you listen to Lu Danzhi?” Yelu Huangwu asked.

The madman smiled and said, “He’s my uncle.”

“He’s lying to you.” Yelu Huangwu’s tone turned cold.

The madman looked somewhat lost, pouting with a wronged expression. “But he knows I have a birthmark on my butt.”

“Your surname is Cui, his surname is Lu. How could he be your uncle? He lied to me first, revealing this secret, and then he lied to you.” Yelu Huangwu threw the towel into the basin, splashing water everywhere. “You do not believe me anymore?”