Hidden Shadow – CH 326

Chapter Three-Hundred-Twenty-Six: I am a Mushroom

Seeing Lou Xiaowu’s earnestness, Ling Ziyue could not bear to remind her that there was another person in the room.

An Jiu lay on the bed, pretending not to exist.

“As the head of the family, you’ve done very well,” Ling Ziyue encouraged her.

Lou Xiaowu pulled the blanket down further, resting her chin on her hand, and said, “Do not comfort me. I know I have not done well. If it were not for Aunt, Second Sister would not have entrusted the family to me. But I am trying.”

Lou Xiaowu leaned closer to him and whispered, “I’ve made many kinds of weapons. As long as the imperial army uses these weapons, it will definitely help in crushing the Liao Kingdom!”

There was an old saying: those with nothing to lose were fearless. If the imperial court could not stand tall and lacked ruthlessness on the battlefield, the country could only be manipulated by others. With the people’s hearts weakened, even the most powerful weapons were like a child wielding a sturdy bow—ultimately just decorations.

Having guarded the border for so many years, Ling Ziyue understood this deeply. But looking at Lou Xiaowu’s warm, sunny smile, he swallowed the words he was about to say, instead saying, “Well, then you must do your best!”

An Jiu sensed the encouragement and helplessness in Ling Ziyue’s tone. Considering the state of the entire Song Dynasty, a small flame quietly ignited in her heart—was it anger, or perhaps—hope?

She could accurately kill her targets, yet she was also wanted worldwide, living a life of constant hiding. She was the most formidable sniper and also a vulnerable person living in the shadows. Therefore, she understood better than anyone the thrill of being an arbiter and the stifling struggle of living in the dirtiest corners.

Perhaps, from this moment on, she had finally found the meaning of life!

An Jiu’s mental strength was injured, much weaker than usual, but her eyes shone with an unprecedented brightness.

It turned out that life was more exciting only through constant pursuit. What she had always wanted deep down was not simply to retire and herd sheep! She wanted to change, to change her current situation. To live a more carefree and unrestrained life.

In the past, whenever An Jiu hovered on the brink of life and death, she always longed for a peaceful life. But now, with a tranquil life laid out before her, she did not feel the ecstatic joy she had imagined, nor did she feel any satisfaction. She even doubted her own greed, wondering if she could never erase the ingrained dependence on killing deep within her blood and soul. Therefore, she felt conflicted and lost.

However, only today did An Jiu finally understand—without breaking the shackles of her heart, even if she obtained the shepherding life she desired, it would only be shepherding sheep in chains. Like a prisoner laboring, there would be no enjoyment, so where would joy come from?

“I do not want to be a rat, and my country cannot be a rat either…” An Jiu’s murmur grew louder and louder, finally bursting into unrestrained laughter. “I am not a rat! Hahaha! I am not a rat!”

One must all live under the bright sunlight, towards hope, towards the future. Marching forward with triumphant songs!

So this was the life she had always longed for.

An Jiu’s laughter echoed through the plum blossoms.

Lou Xiaowu and Ling Ziyue exchanged bewildered glances.

Sui Yuntong rushed in carrying a freshly prepared meal, his face pale. “Fourteenth has had another attack?”

Just then, An Jiu appeared in the doorway. Leaning against the doorframe, she looked at him with a broad smile. “I’ve decided! I do not want to be a rat, nor will I be a shepherd rat!”

“Oh no!” Lou Xiaowu nervously grabbed Ling Ziyue’s sleeve, whispering, “Fourteenth’s condition seems worse. Before, her attacks were just minor tantrums, but this time she actually thinks she’s a rat! A shepherd rat at that!”

The three of them stared intently at An Jiu.

An eerie silence fell over the room.

“Not from the same world, they really do not understand me,” An Jiu thought. If Chu Dingjiang were here, he would understand what she was saying. He would also understand how happy and excited she was at this moment.

An Jiu did not explain, waved her hand, and hummed a little tune as she went out.

“Fourteenth, where are you going?” Sui Yuntong asked hurriedly.

“I am going out to get some sun.” Such a beautiful and memorable day deserved to be bathed in the bright sunlight.

Sui Yuntong did not dare stop her, watching her go out, then turned to the other two and said, “She knows it is raining outside, right?”

“Perhaps she forgot?” Ling Ziyue noticed a difference in her demeanor compared to her usual madness.

“It’s over.” Lou Xiaowu was on the verge of tears, worriedly saying, “Fourteenth thinks she’s a shepherd’s rat, from a different world than us. She wants to go out in the sun on a rainy day, and to make matters worse, she sang!”

“What should we do?” Sui Yuntong was completely convinced that An Jiu had gone mad again.

Ling Ziyue remained cautious, offering a reliable suggestion, “We cannot forcefully subdue her, so let’s focus on gentle methods. Xiaowu seems the most harmless; try approaching and comforting her. If things get bad, prioritize your own safety.”

Sui Yuntong thought about it carefully. An Jiu had not hurt anyone since her madness and sometimes even recognized them, so he agreed with this approach.

Lou Xiaowu gritted her teeth, got up without hesitation, wrapped herself in the blanket, and moved outside.

After An Jiu went outside, she saw misty rain and realized it had been raining during the battle. She had been so excited that she had forgotten. Regretful, but not in a bad mood, she simply squatted in the thatched hut in front of the house to watch the rain. From there, she could overlook most of the island; all the scenery was half-hidden behind the mist, appearing and disappearing like a traditional Chinese ink painting.

Lou Xiaowu heard An Jiu humming something she could not understand and was worried that she would not be able to communicate since she did not understand rat language. With a nervous heart, she squatted down beside An Jiu, nervously preparing her words.

An Jiu knew Lou Xiaowu had arrived. After waiting for a while without hearing her speak, she turned around and looked at her suspiciously.

Lou Xiaowu quickly introduced herself. “I…I am a mushroom.”

An Jiu was taken aback. Seeing her adorable appearance, she felt both curious and wanted to tease her. “Why can mushrooms talk?”

Lou Xiaowu was secretly pleased; it seemed there was no language barrier. At the same time, she racked her brains to come up with a lie. As a researcher, she always pursued the truth and was a good, honest girl; she was completely clueless about making up stories. “This…this…I am actually a mushroom spirit. I absorb the mental energy of heaven and earth, the essence of the sun and moon here…so…and then…and then…and then…and then…and then…” Lou Xiaowu’s little face turned bright red.

The thatched hut was not far from the pharmacy. The two people inside, hearing her words, could not help but facepalm.

“Anyway, do not be afraid; I am a good person!” Lou Xiaowu solemnly assured her, her expression serious, as if she were about to swear an oath to the heavens if An Jiu said she did not believe her.

“Are you a mushroom or a person?” An Jiu suppressed a laugh and continued to tease her.

Lou Xiaowu immediately deflated, her head drooping. “You figured it out. I am actually human, but I am a good person.”

An Jiu nodded. “What is it? Tell me.”

“Do you not want to be a rat? Do you want to be human?” Lou Xiaowu’s face was full of worry, but she still seemed innocent when she asked this question.

An Jiu raised an eyebrow, her expression neither confirming nor denying.

Lou Xiaowu did not think twice, taking it as a yes. “Then do you want to be friends with someone?”

Seeing An Jiu’s lack of answer, she tempted her. “I have candy!”

After fumbling around for a while, she pulled out a piece of candy and handed it to An Jiu.

Inside the house, Sui Yuntong muttered with a wry smile, “This child is quite strategic.”

Ling Ziyue stood by the window, watching the two girls in the thatched hut with a smile. Putting everything else aside, this scene was so pure that it could not be more innocent. Having seen so much killing and treachery, Ling Ziyue found what he was seeing at this moment exceptionally precious.

An Jiu picked up a candy, remembering Lou Xiaowu saying that eating candy would improve her mood. She did not mind making herself happier, so she smiled and popped it into her mouth.

Lou Xiaowu was now convinced An Jiu was having an episode. An Jiu would never smile so much when she was normal. She seemed very easygoing and friendly now, but something felt off. She could not help but miss the cold-faced, barbed person she knew.

Perhaps because her conversation with Ling Ziyue had touched a raw nerve, Lou Xiaowu was now particularly sensitive and vulnerable.

Overcome by grief, she suddenly could not keep up the act anymore. She hugged An Jiu tightly and burst into tears. “Fourteenth, please do not give up on treatment! Xiaowu does not have many relatives or friends left in this world. Second Sister risked her life for revenge; Auntie will spend the rest of her life bearing the burden of the family’s survival. Xiaowu has no one to talk to! You have to take your medicine and get better soon, waaaaah…”