Hidden Shadow – CH 210

Chapter Two-Hundred-Ten: Ghostly Shadow

“I saw Mei Jiu,” An Jiu repeated.

Mo Sigui paused for a moment before slowly saying, “Do you know what I was thinking just now?”

An Jiu shook her head.

“I was thinking that my initial decision to pursue medicine was a mistake,” Mo Sigui sighed. “I should have cultivated Taoism. Life and death are mysterious and difficult for physicians to comprehend, are they not?”

Mo Sigui planned to dedicate his life to studying how to preserve life. He knew how difficult it was, but some people defied the laws of life and death; the dead would suddenly come back to life for some unknown reason, making him suddenly feel that his pursuit was like a joke.

“What do you want to understand life and death for?” An Jiu sat down beside him. “I always thought you were pursuing control over life and death.”

Mo Sigui thought for a moment, sighed, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, and poured himself some water. “I feel much better now that you say that. How is she now?”

“She married Hua Rongtian,” An Jiu said.

“Cough!” Mo Sigui choked on the water he had swallowed. “Married…married to whom?”

An Jiu asked doubtfully, “Hua Rongtian, is that strange?”

“So, she’s been resurrected in the body of the Emperor’s woman?” Mo Sigui thought An Jiu did not know this, so he started from the beginning. “The Emperor’s betrothed Lady Mei is dead. Hua Rongjian said that it seems a woman who served the Emperor is being used as a substitute, and that woman is also a member of the Mei clan.”

“Hmm.” An Jiu indeed did not recognize that face.

Looking at her calm expression, Mo Sigui could not help but say, “I say, can you be a little surprised? Look at your calm face!”

“What’s there to be surprised about?” An Jiu said.

Mo Sigui glared at her and said, “Mei Jiu suddenly came back to life; is that not strange? The Emperor bestowed a woman he’d slept with upon the Hua family as their eldest daughter-in-law; is that not going too far? The Emperor and the Hua family are already irreconcilable enemies; is that not terrifying?”

“I am somewhat concerned about the relationship between the Emperor and the Hua family,” An Jiu pondered. Given the tense relationship between the Emperor and the Hua family, Mei Jiu probably would not have a good life after marrying into the family. “It seems the saying ‘good people are rewarded’ is a lie.”

An Jiu initially thought Mei Jiu’s resurrection was a blessing, but it seemed her life was not so good after all!

“The way the Emperor is handling things, the Hua family will rebel even if they do not want to,” Mo Sigui muttered to himself.

An Jiu knew that a woman’s chastity was very important here, but she did not understand. “This place is very strange.”

“How so?” Mo Sigui looked completely bewildered.

An Jiu rested her chin on her hand. “Why can a man have so many prostitutes in his life, but a woman can only have one?”

“That’s not prostitution!” Mo Sigui would not be surprised by anything she said, but no matter how many times, he could not understand her twisted logic.

Huh? Besides the inappropriate word choice, something else seemed off…

“That’s mating?” An Jiu asked.

“…”

Seeing his displeasure, An Jiu explained, “I’ve heard that only on a spiritual level can love between men and women be elevated. As far as I know, those people do not even know what their partner looks like before marriage; their initial purpose is to continue the family line. Ah. You are right, so the word ‘mating’ is indeed more appropriate…”

“I never said that.” Mo Sigui was too lazy to argue with her, so he said, “Stop talking nonsense. Let’s talk about serious matters. Are you planning to go see Mei Jiu?”

“What for?” An Jiu asked, puzzled.

“…”

Mo Sigui took a large gulp of tea and continued preparing the medicine. “I have nothing to say to you. Whether you go to see her or not is none of my business. Anyway, it is a good thing Mei Jiu is alive; I will not have to feel guilty for the rest of my life.”

“Her survival is God’s arrangement, not because of you, but she died for you,” An Jiu earnestly warned him. “You still have to feel guilty.”

“An Da Jiu, do not talk to me again,” Mo Sigui said weakly.

An Jiu looked at him silently for a long time, finally blurting out, “You have a really strange temper.”

Mo Sigui took a deep breath, then buried his head in his work on the medicine.

After a while.

“Let’s begin.” Mo Sigui pointed to the bed.

An Jiu silently stripped off her clothes and lay down on it.

Mo Sigui had been thinking of giving An Jiu a strong drug, but at the last minute, he could not bring himself to do it. This time, the medicine had been adjusted a lot; it might be more painful, but it would be beneficial for An Jiu.

An Jiu lay on the couch, hearing the tinkling sounds outside. She asked, “You have bells here, too?”

Mo Sigui paused slightly. “Yes, quite a few. They wanted to remove them, but I did not allow it.”

“Why?” An Jiu looked at his profile, which was not in shadow.

“I do not know. I’ve always felt more compassion for the dead.” Mo Sigui pointed to her chest. “They’ve grown; congratulations.”

An Jiu scoffed. “I do not even know when I will die. What’s so great about growing a chest?”

“We were just getting along, and you are already ruining the mood.” Mo Sigui angrily smeared medicine on her body with bamboo strips.

Soon, An Jiu was wrapped up like a dumpling and thrown into boiling hot medicine.

Pain gradually enveloped her.

Outside, the night was desolate; the clear or dull sounds of bells carried on the wind.

On a vast, boundless snowfield, a group of people braved the snow, which was already above their thighs. Four burly men carried a sedan chair high on their backs, the occasional coughs emanating from within drowned out by the wind and snow.

The leader, wrapped in a fox fur coat, revealed only two cold, deep eyes.

“Master, the ghost is almost here,” one of the burly men said.

“Hmm,” replied the woman, the one actually wearing the fox fur coat. “Stop and wait.”

The burly man, receiving the order, turned and shouted, “Rest for a moment!” The entire group stopped.

After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, these people were practically covered in snow, when finally a figure rushed towards them.

The person was dressed in white, draped in a snow fox fur coat, and wore a white mask, almost blending into the snow.

The woman standing beside the female leader had a deep bluish-purple face, as if frostbitten. She squinted at the “ghost” for a long time, and when the ghost was within five zhang, she suddenly cried out, “Kill him!”

Those around were caught off guard, stunned for a moment, as the ghost’s sword was already close to the female leader. The female leader’s beautiful eyes were icy cold, reflecting the chilling glint of the sword.

The sword tip was only three cun from her forehead when, at that critical moment, a hidden weapon suddenly shot out from the sedan chair, exploding through the snow with the force of thunder and striking the sword tip!

The ghostly figure was thrown backward by the force, staggering across the snow. His fox fur hat was blown off by the gust of wind, revealing a head of gray hair.

The female leader’s eyes widened, finally showing shock. “You dare! You actually took your heart’s blood without permission!”

The person inside the sedan chair coughed several times, whether from hearing the news or from the exertion of internal energy.

“Do not kill him! I will make him wish he were dead!” the female leader said coldly.