Hidden Shadow – CH 192

Chapter One-Hundred-Ninety-Two: The Rabbit and the Mouse

An Jiu’s gaze sharpened, and she gripped Zhu Pianxian’s wrist.

Zhu Pianxian was a skilled fighter, but her mental energy was subjected to overwhelming pressure, causing a momentary blankness in her mind, which allowed An Jiu to counterattack.

Chu Dingjiang saw this scene through the crack in the window, a smile appearing in his eyes. However, to his surprise, An Jiu immediately released her grip, instead reaching out to pinch Zhu Pianxian’s cheek, seemingly enjoying it immensely, pinching and kneading it for a while before reluctantly letting go.

As the mental pressure dissipated, Zhu Pianxian let out a yelp and covered her face.

She had just seen An Jiu’s silly smile, her eyes sparkling as if she were innocent, which was why she dared to pinch her cheek to see if she was wearing a mask. Who knew this girl would change her expression so quickly!

“I am Ah Jiu,” An Jiu said, looking at her.

Chu Dingjiang nearly fell off his horse. When did this girl start introducing herself to others?! Lou Mingyue opened her eyes. She felt a similar aura to An Jiu; even their past experiences were alike, so she harbored a desire to befriend her. She treated An Jiu differently from others, but from beginning to end, An Jiu never showed her any kindness.

Lou Mingyue looked at Zhu Pianxian, wanting to examine this woman closely, wondering what it was about her that made An Jiu so eager to befriend her!

An Jiu leaned in and pulled her hand to her face.

Chu Dingjiang frowned, pondered for a long time, then dismounted and boarded Mo Sigui’s carriage.

As soon as he boarded, a few whooshing sounds filled the air, and various kinds of smoke billowed, yet remained frozen within five cun of Chu Dingjiang, unable to get close.

Two little tigers pounced, tearing at his clothes with their tiny teeth, their round bodies rolling around on the carriage floor, emitting fierce growls.

Mo Sigui stared at him with a bitter, resentful expression. “What are you doing here?”

“Do you not think Ah Jiu’s been acting a bit strange lately?” Chu Dingjiang cut to the chase, stating his purpose directly.

Mo Sigui snorted. “Has she ever been normal?”

Chu Dingjiang’s face darkened.

“Fine, fine, she’s normal. There’s no one more normal than her in the whole world!” Mo Sigui was a little intimidated by him. This guy was vicious; not only were the wounds from his beatings slow to heal, but he also specifically targeted the face.

“While I do not approve of your character, I do not deny that your medical skills are indeed very strong,” Chu Dingjiang said.

What right did a scoundrel like him, who would fight over sweet potatoes, have to approve of his character?! Mo Sigui was furious.

But the latter part of Chu Dingjiang’s sentence really hit a nerve. For some reason, this sentence sounded more pleasant than pure flattery.

“Ahem.” Mo Sigui cleared his throat. “What’s wrong with her?”

“She lost control once during this mission. I thought she was forced into a corner and unleashed her potential, so I did not pay much attention. But from my observations these past few days, I feel like she…” Chu Dingjiang carefully considered his words, “…is somewhat mentally unstable. I want to confirm.”

These past few days, An Jiu had suddenly become more cheerful, and the occasional displays of innocence felt somewhat unfamiliar to Chu Dingjiang.

“How is she unstable?” Mo Sigui asked.

“She’s become very different from before. Her personality seems much gentler, and she laughs a lot.”

“I will go check on her.” Hearing Chu Dingjiang’s description, Mo Sigui jumped up.

Since Mei Jiu disappeared, although he planned to spend his life making amends, a heavy weight always weighed on his heart. His emotions were few and indifferent; he did not feel any familial affection for Mei Jiu. He simply could not accept that he owed someone his life.

If…if Mei Jiu were resurrected, he would feel much better.

Mo Sigui jumped off the carriage, quickly unfolding his folding fan to cover his face, which still bore slight bruises. He leaped onto An Jiu’s carriage.

“Eh?” Mo Sigui noticed a strange woman.

Zhu Pianxian recognized his face and the folding fan in his hand and exclaimed in surprise, “Divine Physician Mo!”

Mo Sigui did not remember knowing this woman.

Zhu Pianxian curtsied. “Divine Physician may not recognize me, but I have long admired your name. To be able to see your esteemed presence today is truly my great honor!”

She was in the business of information trading, so she was very familiar with Mo Sigui’s appearance and attire. There were not many people with such captivating, alluring eyes who held an ice dragon brain fan.

“Honorable,” Mo Sigui smiled, sat cross-legged, and turned to An Jiu, saying, “Ah Jiu, I will examine you again.”

An Jiu extended her hand.

Mo Sigui grasped her pulse, lowering his eyes to take it intently.

Strands of true qi seeped into An Jiu’s body through her blood vessels. Mo Sigui’s meridians belonged to the wind element, outside the five elements; a small amount of true qi would not cause any rejection from her meridians. Compared to Elder Qi, he was more suitable to perform this technique.

Mo Sigui’s brows furrowed. After a careful examination, he did not detect two mental forces, but An Jiu’s body was indeed somewhat abnormal.

Mo Sigui released her hand. “I will administer acupuncture for you when we stop midway.”

“Why acupuncture?” An Jiu asked.

Many parts of An Jiu’s body showed signs of collapse, which were not apparent when he took her pulse earlier. Mo Sigui did not elaborate, only saying, “Your arms are injured and need proper care.”

An Jiu nodded.

Zhu Pianxian seized the opportunity to ask, “Divine physician, there are rumors that you swore to remain unmarried for life for the sake of the Qiu family’s daughter. Is that true?”

Lou Mingyue stiffened almost imperceptibly.

“Hmm.” Mo Sigui had never actually said such words before, but in front of her, he naturally wanted to express his deep affection. “I have only one wife in this life, Ningyu.”

“Truly, his love is as deep as the sea, alas!” Zhu Pianxian sighed with melancholy. Why did all the other men seem so good, while her dead husband was so awful? He had died suddenly in a brothel while they were still newlyweds, naked and engaged in sexual intercourse with a courtesan. The scene at the time of his death had shocked the entire city of Yangzhou.

Zhu Pianxian put on the white mourning clothes and felt a sudden sense of relief. That was why she had worn white clothes for so many years. Others thought she was a virtuous widow, always thinking of her husband, but heaven knew how happy she truly was.

In the evening, the caravan arrived at the post station.

Mo Sigui immediately went to prepare medicine for An Jiu.

An Jiu and Chu Dingjiang sat on a withered tree behind the post station, the pale winter sunlight falling on them.

“Ah Jiu,” Chu Dingjiang asked, “Why do you like Zhu Pianxian? Is Lou Mingyue not quite good, too?”

An Jiu squinted at the horizon, thought for a moment, and said, “Zhu Pianxian is like the sun and also like a rabbit, while Lou Mingyue is like the moon, a bat, and also like a mouse.”

“Hmm?” This was the first time Chu Dingjiang had described someone like that, and Lou Mingyue, who seemed superior to Zhu Pianxian in every way, was described as a mouse?

An Jiu picked at the bark of a withered tree and murmured, “I am a mouse, too.”

Chu Dingjiang thought and thought. Saying Zhu Pianxian was like the sun could be interpreted as bright and warm, saying Lou Mingyue was like the moon could be interpreted as cold and desolate, but how to explain the rabbit and mouse?

“Doing things that cannot be seen in the light, living in the shadows. Lou Mingyue and I are the same, but I do not like it.” An Jiu tilted her head to look at him. “Zhu Pianxian is different. She’s like a cunning rabbit, very cunning, but I do not sense any danger from her.”