Hidden Shadow – CH 168

Chapter One-Hundred-Sixty-Eight: The Wind Rises in Yangzhou (2)

The assassin easily left the city with the severed head, even whistling.

He found a thick willow tree, pulled a box from a crevice, and opened it, releasing wisps of cool air. He placed the head in the box and carried it away.

An Jiu locked onto his mental power, following him at a distance of fifty chi.

He circled outside the city several times, and as dawn approached, he led a horse out of the woods near the east gate, mounted it, and galloped north.

An Jiu did not know any light-footed skills, making it very difficult to keep up. Fortunately, her mental power was strong, allowing her to keep track for up to five li, but she still suddenly lost sight of the man.

An Jiu continued forward and saw buildings shrouded in twilight in the distance—the town and the dock.

It seemed there was indeed something wrong with the dock! An Jiu tried again to use her mental power to search, but still could not find any trace of the man.

However, besides her mental strength, she was also extremely sensitive to the smell of blood. Just as she was about to reach the dock, she immediately turned back.

If Chu Dingjiang’s guess was correct, then this dock was an assassin’s lair. Even with her past life’s combat power, An Jiu would not act rashly, especially since she was currently relying on luck even to defeat a ninth-rank assassin.

When the city gates opened, An Jiu returned to the vicinity of the Yu Mansion.

She sensed Chu Dingjiang’s aura rapidly approaching. Turning around, she encountered him landing from the rooftop.

“Follow me,” Chu Dingjiang said.

An Jiu followed him into the Yu Mansion, through the garden path, to a two-story building.

The door opened wide, and An Jiu saw Zhu Pianxian and a richly dressed young man greeting her at the entrance.

Zhu Pianxian being alive was not unexpected for An Jiu.

“Brother Chu,” the richly dressed young man bowed, then asked, “And this is…?”

“Her name is Ah Jiu,” Chu Dingjiang said.

“Miss Ah Jiu, it is a pleasure to meet you,” he said with a slight smile. “My name is Yu Pianfei.” Yu Pianfei lived up to his name, a refined gentleman like warm jade, slender with a fair complexion. His features were not particularly striking, but together they gave him a gentle and scholarly air.

“This is my elder sister,” Yu Pianfei said.

An Jiu, out of politeness, replied, “You two are quite special.”

Chu Dingjiang silently thought, “Please do not ask why.”

“What do you mean?” Yu Pianfei clearly had not expected An Jiu to be so honest, so he asked politely.

An Jiu said, “Her individual features are quite good, but together they are just so-so. Your individual features are not particularly striking, but together they are passable.”

Chu Dingjiang pursed his lips, secretly pleased. Coughing twice, he smoothed things over, saying, “Ah Jiu is not very good with words. Brother Yu, please do not take offense.”

“I usually prefer straightforward people, how could I mind?” Yu Pianfei’s expression remained unchanged, revealing not a trace of emotion. “Please come in, both of you.”

Zhu Pianxian glared fiercely at An Jiu, only to meet her cold gaze, and involuntarily shrank back, hiding behind Yu Pianfei.

After the four were seated, Chu Dingjiang said, “Ah Jiu, I am cooperating with Brother Yu. How did it go with your tracking of the assassins from Piaomiao Mountain mansion?”

An Jiu was surprised. Was Yu Pianfei crazy? Someone betrayed his sister, and he could still turn around and cooperate with the instigator?

Judging from Yu Pianfei’s appearance, he was not stupid. In this situation, either Chu Dingjiang was too good at deception, or he had ill intentions, or the two were scheming against each other—it all depended on who was more cunning. An Jiu dared not say anything else, but just considering the scheming aspect, she had great confidence in Chu.

In a flash, An Jiu replied, “I followed him to the north of the city, where the assassin’s aura stopped. I followed the scent of blood to the dock, but did not venture any further before returning.”

“Then it seems this person is hiding in the dock,” Chu Dingjiang said, not mentioning the Piaomiao Mountain mansion.

“Hmph!” Zhu Pianxian snorted coldly, her face showing clear disdain for Chu Dingjiang.

Yu Pianfei seemed oblivious. “Brother Chu, what’s your plan? That dock belongs to the Feng family; it is inconvenient for our Yu family to interfere.”

“That will not trouble your esteemed household.” Chu Dingjiang’s face was hardened by countless trials. Even though the parties involved knew about his betrayal of Zhu Pianxian, he could still naturally present himself as their friend. “Does your household need to ship goods soon? Why not use the Feng family’s dock? That way, Ah Jiu and I can blend in and find that assassin.”

“That’s easy.” Yu Pianfei looked at Zhu Pianxian. “Sister, why not arrange a shipment to go through the Feng family’s dock recently?”

“What’s it to me?!” Zhu Pianxian almost jumped out of her chair. “Let me tell you, Yu Pianfei, I’ve known your little schemes since I was born. Do not think you can use this opportunity to trick me back into the Yu family! I do not interfere in the Yu family’s business.”

On the surface, Zhu Pianxian was a still-attractive woman, and Yu Pianfei was a young man; however, in reality, the siblings were twins. Being humiliated in front of outsiders, Yu Pianfei was not angry, but simply sighed helplessly, “This is a matter of life and death!”

“Then you should be even more considerate. I am just a woman, and my husband died young…” Zhu Pianxian looked at Yu Pianfei, her eyes filled with sorrow, quickly welling up with tears. “Who can I rely on now? My family, of course! Your sister is already in such a miserable state, and even my own brother is plotting against her. The world is going to the dogs; people’s hearts are no longer pure. What is there for me, a drifting duckweed, to cling to? Back then…”

“Alright, alright, I will handle this,” Yu Pianfei quickly interrupted her. He knew his sister too well, afraid she would reveal all the secrets of the Yu family.

Zhu Pianxian calmly wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, took a sip of tea, and said, “It’s settled then.”

Chu Dingjiang ignored this, carefully discussing the specific countermeasures with Yu Pianfei.

An Jiu stared at Zhu Pianxian, curious about how her tears could come and go so easily.

Seeing that An Jiu’s murderous aura had vanished, Zhu Pianxian grew bolder and hissed, “What are you looking at?!”

An Jiu frowned, her gaze turning slightly cold.

Zhu Pianxian quickly turned her face away, moving closer to Yu Pianfei as if that would offer her protection.

After Chu Dingjiang and Yu Pianfei finished their discussion, An Jiu suddenly said, “Have Miss Zhu come with us. She can lure out the assassins. I will protect her.”

Yu Pianfei remained silent, seemingly genuinely considering An Jiu’s suggestion.

Thinking of her younger brother’s temperament and her own actions, Zhu Pianxian’s eyes welled up with tears again. She said plaintively, “Brother, you would not really put your sister in danger, would you?”

Before Yu Pianfei could respond, An Jiu added, “Never mind, I have other ways to find someone.”

Zhu Pianxian turned her head, tears still in her eyes, and saw An Jiu’s slightly curved lips, shining eyes, and a face that screamed, “Mischief succeeded!” Her gaze instantly turned to indignation!

Yu Pianfei saw this but remained silent.

“Nonsense,” Chu Dingjiang said lightly, seemingly lost in thought. He clasped his hands in farewell and left with An Jiu.

The two left the Yu residence and found a quiet place to eat.

Willows swayed gently, and an old woman had set up a wonton stall on a corner of the riverbank. The two ate bowl after bowl, watching the passing pleasure boats in the breeze and among the weeping willows.

Chu Dingjiang ate eight bowls of soup before finally stopping. “Why did you deliberately suggest having Zhu Pianxian go along?”

As a master of intrigue, Chu Dingjiang had already considered dozens of dark possibilities.

An Jiu swallowed the last wonton. “I wanted to see if she could truly control her tears.”

Chu Dingjiang paused. “And then?”

An Jiu said, “And then, just as expected!”

Chu Dingjiang sighed. “I mean, what’s the reason you wanted to make sure she can control her tears?”

An Jiu hesitated for a moment, then asked cautiously, “Because it is interesting. Will my doing this affect your plot?”

“…” Chu Dingjiang corrected, “It’s a scheme!”

An Jiu’s expression turned serious because she had not received an answer yet.

Chu Dingjiang sighed, “It will not have any impact.”

An Jiu’s brows relaxed slightly. “How did you persuade Yu Pianfei to join you in your evil deeds?”

“Not joining in…”

An Jiu pondered for a moment, “…to collude?”

“That’s still joining in,” Chu Dingjiang changed the subject, saying, “He’s ambitious and has schemes, so I can lure him with benefits.”

An Jiu was not stupid. With Chu Dingjiang’s prompting, she realized Yu Pianfei’s plans were related to Piaomiao Mountain mansion. “He’s quite ambitious.”

While the Yu family was powerful in Yangzhou, they were far inferior to the Piaomiao Mountain mansion. Yu Pianfei’s ambitions seemed insatiable.

Chu Dingjiang seemed to see through her thoughts. “He has courage and determination. A man like him either soars to great heights or is utterly destroyed. He’s not a pure gambler; since he dared to make such a move, he must have some calculations in mind.”

“Are you not afraid he will retaliate?” An Jiu asked.

“If he wants, let him come,” Chu Dingjiang said loudly. “That brother who drinks sweet water, what do you say?” Chu Dingjiang’s words exposed the Yu Clan’s hidden guards. He dared to say these things to Yu Pianfei, but the deterrent effect was vastly different.

The man, exposed, did not panic. He glanced in their direction and hurriedly left.

Chu Dingjiang ignored him, smiling at the unique woman hidden behind an ordinary mask. Sometimes her thoughts were remarkably simple, yet she was exceptionally intelligent in her judgment and actions. He could not help but marvel at the wonders of fate. Simple people often thought less, while intelligent people inevitably had many schemes. An Jiu was a unique individual who suited his taste perfectly.

“Let’s go; I have some arrangements,” Chu Dingjiang said.

The two paid and left.

On the way, Chu Dingjiang bought a lot of pine nuts. Then he found a secret location of the Konghe Army and retrieved a letter from there.

“When did you contact anyone outside?” An Jiu could not believe Chu Dingjiang had done such a thing right under her nose.

“It was all arranged before I left Bianjing,” Chu Dingjiang said, handing the letter to An Jiu after reading it.

An Jiu took it, her gaze showed surprise upon seeing its contents.

Chu Dingjiang, peeling pine nuts, said, “There were too many things to arrange; I could not explain them all to you, but I did not intentionally hide anything from you.”