Hidden Shadow – CH 207

Chapter Two-Hundred-Seven: Returning to Familiar Places

Three days later… An Jiu put the jade pendant back, inquired at the horse market, bought a horse, and headed straight for Mei Mansion.

Two people followed behind her. An Jiu recognized them as the two from earlier; they were probably there for protection, so she did not deliberately avoid them.

The head of the Mei family gave her this jade pendant when he died, mentioning “Loyalty and Righteousness Pavilion.” It seemed the pavilion held some secret related to the pendant, but An Jiu had no idea where the Mei family’s Loyalty and Righteousness Pavilion was. This time, she did not go with the expectation of uncovering the secret; she simply wanted to take a look.

Mei Mansion was not far from the outskirts of the capital. At this time, the red plum blossoms were as fiery as flames, seemingly watered by blood, blooming dazzlingly red against the white snow.

Usually at this time of year, many people from the capital would come to admire the plum blossoms. Since the Mei family’s massacre, it was no longer as bustling as it once was. However, there were always a few fearless people everywhere.

An Jiu saw several figures in the woods from afar, all dressed as scholars.

The clatter of hooves grew closer. The group noticed An Jiu and emerged curiously from the plum grove, as if curious to see who else dared to venture here besides themselves.

For some reason, An Jiu suddenly thought of many members of the Mei family: the Shepherd Qingming, the fox-eyed Headmaster Zhao who could never see clearly, and the Mei family patriarch lying in a pool of blood…

“Young brother, you’ve come to admire the plum blossoms too?” one of the scholars called out from afar.

An Jiu seemed not to hear, spurring his horse forward like a gust of wind, kicking up snow as he galloped past the group.

The plum blossom grove was covered in snow, but the houses were dilapidated and crumbling, bearing the marks of fire everywhere, though the original layout remained intact.

An Jiu dismounted and wandered around the ruins. Apart from the destroyed houses, the rest had plaques, but none were inscribed with words of loyalty and righteousness.

Could it be on the island where the two old ladies lived?

An Jiu led his horse to the lakeside. Gazing at the misty, rippling water, she recalled her initial visit to the two old ladies. What seemed tedious and repetitive then now held a certain charm.

Back then, she and Mei Jiu were one entity. Two tigers could not share one mountain, and she harbored the thought of eliminating Mei Jiu. But ultimately, she lacked the will and motivation to live… Otherwise, she would not have so easily destroyed her meridians. If her meridians had not been destroyed, perhaps she would have had a better chance of survival when facing the madman…

That girl might have been foolish, utterly out of touch with reality. Yet, she stubbornly clung to life, like a fragile blade of grass growing on a cliff’s edge.

Looking back, An Jiu felt she owed Mei Jiu a great deal.

“Mei Jiu,” she murmured, snapping back to reality. She noticed her face was covered in water droplets. She raised her hand and wiped it vigorously, staring in disbelief at the water stains on her fingers.

After a moment of stunned silence, she carefully brought her fingers to her lips and licked them.

Salty—it really was tears!

An Jiu was not using her mental energy. Still immersed in her astonishment, she did not notice anyone behind her until the group had closed to within twenty chi.

When they were about seven or eight chi away, one of them said, “Young brother, you are truly bold! We’ve heard that Mei Mansion’s architecture is exquisite, and the Mei family is very mysterious. We’ve long wanted to come and see for ourselves and have been lingering outside. But…”

His words trailed off as he saw An Jiu turn around, her eyes slightly red through the mist. Her face was streaked with tears.

The group immediately guessed she was a survivor of the Mei family and quickly bowed in apology. “We have been very rude; please forgive us.”

After a pause, one of them said, “The deceased is gone; young brother, please accept our condolences.”

“This is not a place for you,” An Jiu said coldly.

She had not even used her mental energy yet, but the sheer murderous aura emanating from her long history of killing made the group tremble. They quickly apologized and left.

The two men sent to protect An Jiu, hidden in the shadows, also sensed the menacing aura and immediately tensed, their impression of her changing considerably.

Without much effort, they drove away the uninvited guests. An Jiu tied her horse to a willow tree by the river and rode along the lake.

The Loyal and Righteous Pavilion…where exactly was it?

An Jiu thought of the Lou family’s “Loyal and Righteous Pavilion,” built in the most conspicuous spot in the entire village, overlooking everything else, but otherwise unremarkable. Was the Mei family’s Loyal and Righteous Pavilion similar?

She looked around, her gaze finally settling on a cliff.

That was the clan school’s dining hall, the first place in the entire village to greet the rising sun.

An Jiu was not in a hurry, so she slowly climbed the mountain, found a torch in the clan school, lit it, and entered the cave leading to the dining hall.

A lone figure walked through the pitch-black cave. Even the slightest sound was amplified many times over. A biting wind howled through the cave, occasionally producing a sharp whistling sound. The firelight flickered and shone, creating an eerie and terrifying atmosphere.

An Jiu carefully observed her surroundings. Although the paths were complex, most showed no signs of human passage.

She reached the empty dining hall, where a bright, nearly midday sun shone blindingly.

An Jiu sat down by the window overlooking the cliff, looking down.

From this vantage point, she noticed something unusual. The cliff face was uneven, with many protruding boulders bearing stone tablets. These were not easily seen from below. An Jiu carefully examined the closest tablet, which was covered in dense inscriptions. The characters were difficult to decipher, but the first character, “忠” (loyalty), was clearly visible. The other tablets began with “正” (righteousness), “守” (guard), and “义” (justice).

An Jiu pondered. Could this be the Loyalty and Righteousness Pavilion? After observing for a while, An Jiu wandered around the hall. Its layout was simple, and she quickly finished exploring without finding anything unusual.

An Jiu surmised that there must be a path leading to the stone tablets, likely one of the many branching paths within the cave.

At the time, the Mei family suspected an internal traitor. If the Mei family’s lifeblood truly resided in the Loyalty and Righteousness Pavilion, why would the Mei family head so easily entrust the jade pendant to someone so new to the mansion? Unless he was certain that even if she obtained the pendant and discovered the location of the Loyalty and Righteousness Pavilion, she would not be able to reach it.

Therefore, An Jiu temporarily put aside her thoughts, quietly sitting in the dining hall watching the sunrise and sunset, nibbling on the dry rations she carried when hungry.

She could survive like this for one or two months to assassinate her target; a mere day or two was nothing. Even so, it opened the eyes of those secretly following her. They were experienced assassins, but they had never seen someone sit in one place for two days without going to the toilet!

She returned to the city on the morning of the third day.

The city was already bustling with activity; red ribbons hung from the trees lining the imperial road, and the entire street was decorated with a festive atmosphere.

An Jiu found a good spot to wait for the Hua family’s wedding procession.

As the sunlight shifted, more and more people gathered on the street.

An Jiu faintly heard the sounds of music and celebration, and people around her craned their necks to look.