Hidden Shadow – CH 167

Chapter One-Hundred-Sixty-Seven: The Wind Rises in Yangzhou (1)

“You may leave. Do not speak of this matter,” Cao Rui said.

“Yes,” the maid bowed.

Cao Rui gazed silently at the lush courtyard, lost in thought. In recent years, her mistress had caused quite a bit of trouble outside, and the Yu family had always taken the initiative to cover for her. She had never asked the Yu family to intervene, but this time, it seemed things had reached a point she could no longer bear.

Zhu Pianxian was too important to the Yu family; with her around, there was a constant flow of wealth.

This time, she absolutely had to seize the opportunity to keep her…

…

After Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu left, they did not go far, but instead lurked nearby.

An Jiu took out a paper package and tossed it to Chu Dingjiang.

He caught it. “What is this?”

An Jiu’s attention was entirely focused on the Yu family, as if she had not heard him at all.

Chu Dingjiang opened the package and saw the peeled spiced pine nuts inside. His smile deepened. Peeling nuts was one of Chu Dingjiang’s many hobbies. He did not particularly enjoy them; it was just a distraction in his spare time. Life in the Konghe Army was exceptionally monotonous, and almost everyone had some peculiar little quirk.

After eating a few pine nuts, their unique aroma filling his mouth, Chu Dingjiang narrowed his eyes. “The messenger from Piaomiao Mountain mansion was that hunchbacked swill collector. I followed him all the way, but lost him after we got to town.”

Given Chu Dingjiang’s strength, even with some of his internal energy sealed, it was highly unlikely he would lose track of someone.

“That town and the dock are a bit strange,” An Jiu said immediately. “I’ve thought about it carefully for several days, and I think the dock might be using some special method to make it impossible for us to distinguish each person’s mental power and skill.”

Chu Dingjiang’s mental power was different from An Jiu’s; he could not distinguish these things anyway, so any trickery at the dock would not affect him much. However, after An Jiu mentioned it, he carefully observed it when he entered again.

“Arrays seem to achieve this effect. We all forgot that Wei Yuzhi is an expert; there’s a high possibility that an array has been set up at the dock. Perhaps…”

Perhaps the Piaomiao Mountain mansion’s lair was that dock!

Anyone hearing the name “Piaomiao Mountain mansion” would first think of a mansion built on a mountain, but who said it had to be named that way?

Right now, it was just suspicion; there was no certainty that the dock was related to the Piaomiao Mountain mansion. Only by guarding against the assassins who would come to kill Zhu Pianxian could they confirm…

An Jiu suddenly thought, “We can only return to report after completing the mission, right?”

“Yes,” Chu Dingjiang said.

“You said the deal with Zhu Pianxian was all a lie?” An Jiu asked. Chu Dingjiang turned around. “Once the month is up, regardless of whether the mission is completed or not, the other party will have to return to report.”

“They will not wait a month?” An Jiu asked confidently.

Chu Dingjiang paused, popped a few pine nuts into his mouth, and smiled slightly. “You guessed right.”

An Jiu frowned. She used to never consider the safety of those around her to complete her missions, but for some reason, hearing that Chu Dingjiang was going to sacrifice Zhu Pianxian made her feel a little uncomfortable. She clearly did not like that Zhu swindler.

However, this slight feeling vanished in an instant.

The two took turns keeping watch.

The Yu Mansion was too large, not as easy to ambush as Cui Linglong. Even if the assassins from Piaomiao Mountain Mansion followed, they would need to observe for some time before making their move.

To prevent the people from Piaomiao Mountain Mansion from recognizing An Jiu’s disguised appearance, only Chu Dingjiang entered the Yu Mansion the next day to discuss matters with Zhu Pianxian, and then stayed there, preparing to coordinate with An Jiu from the inside.

Both Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu possessed Transcendental mental power, making it easy for them to conceal their auras. Before leaving, Chu Dingjiang repeatedly instructed An Jiu not to act, but only to follow.

Chu Dingjiang was unaware that An Jiu’s strength lay in “obeying orders.” If she were told to kill a target with one shot, she would absolutely not use two.

While Chu Dingjiang’s stay at the Yu Mansion seemed comfortable and relaxed, it was ultimately in the open, making concealment preferable.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

Autumn winds began to blow in Yangzhou, the city filled with the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms. A bright, full moon hung in the sky, its light as white as frost, veiling the houses as if in a white gauze.

Hidden in the shadows, An Jiu had been keeping a close eye on a ninth-tier expert nearby.

This person had suddenly appeared seven days ago, only loitering around the outskirts of the Yu Mansion; he was undoubtedly an assassin from the Piaomiao Mountain mansion. For the past few days, this person had only quietly infiltrated the mansion around midnight. Tonight, he suddenly moved near dawn! An Jiu knew the man might be planning to act today, so she waited until he entered the mansion before quietly approaching the courtyard wall.

The Yu mansion remained quiet.

Below the Transcendent Realm was the Ninth Rank. This man was likely a top assassin from the Piaomiao Mountain mansion. He had infiltrated the Yu mansion multiple times, moving freely and effortlessly, thoroughly familiarizing himself with its layout. A ninth-rank perfection expert with extensive experience, he could roam the martial world with impunity. Transcendent Realm experts were few and far between, and their mental power was even rarer. Not to mention the Yu mansion itself, there were few in the entire world whose strength matched his.

He never dreamed that two Transcendent Realm mental power experts were lurking in the shadows today, so he launched his attack casually as usual.

No movement came from within the Yu mansion.

Shortly afterward, the man emerged swiftly.

In the moonlight, An Jiu clearly saw that he was carrying a bundle, and a heavy stench of blood filled the air.

An Jiu followed him.