Hidden Shadow – CH 274

Chapter Two-Hundred-Seventy-Four: I Once Loved You

“You’re threatening me!” Gao Dazhuang’s face darkened.

An Jiu swallowed the pastry in her mouth and said calmly, “This is none of your business, right, Lord Gao? How could it threaten you?”

“Arrogant.” Gao Dazhuang snorted, pulling a purse from his robes and tossing it to her. “Consider yourself lucky; Grandpa has not had time to destroy them yet.”

An Jiu untied the purse, confirming that the shape and taste of the pills matched Mei Yanran’s description. “Thank you.”

“Hmph!” Gao Dazhuang lay back on the bed, waving his hand weakly. “Get out.”

An Jiu hid the purse in a hidden pocket on her inner thigh, stood up, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, “Why did you withhold the poison?”

Gao Dazhuang grunted twice but did not answer.

An Jiu waited a while, seeing that he had no intention of speaking, knowing that further questioning would be futile, and quietly slipped away from Gushe Palace.

It was noon when she left the palace; the sky was overcast, and a light drizzle was falling.

An Jiu noticed four eighth-level martial artists following her subtly. Without stopping, she concealed her presence and headed west, avoiding pedestrians.

Passing through a narrow alley, the four suddenly accelerated, flanking her from four directions.

An Jiu knew her location had been exposed, so she stopped hiding and quickly ran towards terrain more advantageous to her. She did not know if the approaching figures were friend or foe, and in such poor visibility, she was too vulnerable.

Upon reaching the riverbank, four figures suddenly appeared, blocking An Jiu’s path back.

An Jiu turned around, her back to the wide river.

Judging from their positions, they were clearly enemies. An Jiu assumed a ready-to-retaliate stance.

“Do not be nervous; our master invites you to be a guest,” one of them said.

An Jiu sensed more than ten martial artists approaching. At that speed, An Jiu had no chance of escaping these four. Her only option was to jump into the water and swim away.

An Jiu had once swum over twenty kilometers in the dead of winter, carrying heavy loads. This mere ten-zhang-wide river was naturally no problem, but once she entered the water, the Gu poison she had obtained from Gao Dazhuang could very well be destroyed.

What should she do?

This question flashed through her mind, but her feet seemed rooted to the spot, remaining like a statue.

“How did you find me?” An Jiu believed that none of these people could surpass her in mental strength. If she chose not to escape, she desperately wanted to understand where her hidden weakness lay.

The four men were clearly taken aback, not expecting her to ask such a question at this crucial moment.

“The young lady will know when she sees my master,” one of them said.

“Let’s go.” An Jiu took a step forward, while the four men nervously took a half-step back.

Just then, reinforcements arrived. The four men rushed forward. One pulled out a rope. “To prevent the young lady from escaping, we must bind her.” An Jiu stretched out her hands to be bound, then negotiated, “It’s broad daylight, and walking like this is quite inconvenient for me. I request a carriage.”

“Alright.” Among the group that arrived shortly after, one who seemed to be the leader gestured for someone to search her.

A young man obeyed, patting her body lightly in front and behind, quickly pulling out six swords hidden on her person, as well as various poisons from her pockets.

The group retraced their steps. Soon, someone arrived in a carriage, seemingly prepared beforehand.

An Jiu obediently boarded the carriage.

The search results pleased An Jiu. At least one specially made umbrella had not been taken as a weapon, nor had the poisons. The things she most wanted to keep had been preserved.

An Jiu placed her hands folded on her lap, thankful she had hidden the poisons beforehand.

She waited patiently for a while, then, taking advantage of a carriage wheel getting stuck in a muddy ditch, she took out a Gu poison pill and crushed it. Inside was a tiny, rice-grain-sized object. She tucked it into the collar of her inner garment, then picked up a tiny fragment of the outer skin and rubbed it on the sleeve.

Anyway, Mo Sigui only needed to study the ingredients, and she needed the complete pill to cast the Gu.

Besides, Gao Dazhuang had given her four Gu poison pills; this was just a precaution. If she were lucky, three intact pills might survive.

She was willing to protect this medicine at all costs, partly for Mei Yanran and partly due to her personality and habits. This trip was solely for this medicine; it was the purpose of the mission, so she had to complete it no matter what!

Judging from the sound of the wheels along the way, they had left the city. An Jiu’s excellent sense of direction confirmed that they were in the northern part of the city.

The carriage slowed down on the muddy road in the suburbs, finally stopping after nearly two hours.

“Please get out, young lady,” someone outside said.

An Jiu jumped out of the carriage.

A lush, verdant landscape stretched before them, trees flourishing and vibrant, with a farmhouse nestled among them. A light drizzle, like mist or fog, swirled around the trees, lending it an ethereal quality.

An Jiu followed them through the woods and into the courtyard.

The courtyard floor was paved with pebbles, arranged in the shape of crabapple blossoms. The farmhouse was quite spacious, with flowers and trees interspersed among a wooden pavilion. Inside, a slender man in a blue robe was brewing tea.

“Master, the person has been brought.” The guide knelt on one knee beneath the pavilion.

“Come in.” The man’s voice was clear and refined.

An Jiu recognized him; it was Wei Yuzhi.

She was led into the pavilion and seated opposite Wei Yuzhi.

Wei Yuzhi looked up at her, offering a faint smile through the wisps of steam, his expression serene and indistinct. “Long time no see.”

An Jiu did not reply, her gaze falling on the table in front of him. Among a pile of unidentifiable teaware were bottles and jars he’d taken from her; it seemed someone had sent them beforehand.

She understood almost instantly what Wei Yuzhi was looking for—Gu Jinghong’s blood!

While An Jiu was observing, Wei Yuzhi was also subtly observing her. “I did not expect you to surrender so easily. Perhaps you are hiding something on yourself…”

“Speak plainly!” An Jiu interrupted him.

Wei Yuzhi smiled, placing a freshly brewed cup of tea in front of her, his smile unchanged. “This tea is freshly harvested this spring, worth a fortune per ounce. Dare to try some?”

“Do not try to provoke me. Even if this tea were celestial dew, I would not drink it,” An Jiu said.

Wei Yuzhi picked up his teacup and took a small sip. “This tea is most nourishing to the spirit; it is the secret to controlling external objects with one’s mental power.”

An Jiu was slightly tempted, but she quickly restrained herself.

Seeing her unmoved, Wei Yuzhi had someone bring the tea to him and drank it himself. Looking at An Jiu again, he saw not a trace of regret in her expression.

“You are indeed worth my trouble,” Wei Yuzhi said ambiguously, not continuing the topic but instead saying, “I suppose you’ve guessed my purpose. You might as well say it yourself.”

Wei Yuzhi leaned forward slightly, his slender fingers reaching to touch An Jiu’s face, but she avoided it.

“After all, I once loved you. Do not make things difficult for me.” His voice was gentle, his face kind. If it were not for their conversation, and if it were not for the dozens of menacing martial artists standing outside the pavilion, An Jiu would almost have thought he was just a weak scholar.