Hidden Shadow – CH 355

Chapter Three-Hundred-Fifty-Five: A Lifetime of Protection

The first snow covered Bianjing.

The sky was hazy, and as soon as the city gates opened, two riders and two tigers entered the city, galloping all the way to the Hua residence.

Mei Yanran was already waiting at the gate with an umbrella. Seeing the newcomers, she hurried forward a few steps. “Finally back.”

The rider on the back was almost completely obscured by a large camel-colored robe. He dismounted, pulled back his hood, revealing a thin face, “Aunt…”

“Come with me quickly.” Before he could finish speaking, Mei Yanran pulled him inside, saying as they walked, “Fourteenth has been unconscious for many days. Without you, we can only use items beneficial to her mental strength to keep her alive, but her body is growing thinner day by day.”

“Let me catch my breath, let me catch my breath.” Mo Sigui was practically dragged into the room while running.

Da Jiu happily darted in, snuggled up to An Jiu’s bedside, and nudged her with his big head. Seeing that she did not react at all, he looked at Mo Sigui in confusion.

“You must be tired from your journey.” Chu Dingjiang rose to offer him a seat.

Under normal circumstances, Mo Sigui would have certainly teased him, but seeing An Jiu lying on the bed, barely recognizable, he said nothing more. After calming his breathing, he began to take her pulse.

The room was quiet; even the sound of Da Jiu’s tail lightly swishing across the floor was crystal clear.

After what seemed like an eternity, Mo Sigui slowly exhaled.

Chu Dingjiang hoped every day that Mo Sigui would return with an answer, but now that it was finally here, he was somewhat reluctant to know.

“How is she?” Mei Yanran asked.

Mo Sigui said, “On the way here, I tried every method imaginable. Mental energy is ethereal and cannot be replenished by ordinary medicine. However, the heart is connected to all the orifices, which is the best way to nourish mental energy.”

“I’ve been feeding her that pill every day, but it has not worked,” Chu Dingjiang said.

Mo Sigui knew what medicine he was referring to. “It has some effect, but it is negligible! Gu Jinghong’s blood is full of medicine. It was not originally intended for long-term healing, so how can it be effective?”

Sui Yuntong exclaimed in surprise, “Does this mean we need to find someone with high mental strength to raise a ‘medicine person’?”

“Medicine people are best raised from the womb. We do not have that time. The best method is to use blood as a medicinal guide.” Mo Sigui had been thinking about how to treat mental trauma all the way, considering many solutions, waiting to personally examine the patient before deciding on a method. “But this blood…”

“Use mine,” Chu Dingjiang said without hesitation.

Mo Sigui shook his head. “Your mental power is at its peak, and your physique is exceptionally strong. You certainly seem like the perfect candidate, but your mental power differs from Ah Jiu’s, so the effect might not be very noticeable.”

“Where can we find someone like that in such a short time? We cannot just sit here and wait for her to die.” Mei Yanran watched An Jiu’s aura weaken day by day, her heart filled with anxiety. “My mental power is not high, but I do not know if it is similar to hers.”

Mo Sigui looked at Chu Dingjiang and said, “There’s one right here.”

A name suddenly popped into Chu Dingjiang’s mind: “Wei Yuzhi.”

“Yes!” Mo Sigui said. “His mental power is not only similar to Ah Jiu’s, but it is also more concentrated and solid. If we can receive nourishment from his heart’s blood, Ah Jiu’s condition may recover.”

“We have to capture Wei Yuzhi alive?” Mei Yanran frowned. Wei Yuzhi was elusive. How could he be so easy to capture?

Chu Dingjiang pondered, “What are the chances of success if we exchange Gu Jinghong’s heart’s blood?”

Mo Sigui replied without hesitation, “Less than ten percent. Ah Jiu’s and Wei Yuzhi’s kind of mental power is a double-edged sword. It hurts others and themselves. I’ve heard Wei Yuzhi has always been in poor health, often vomiting blood. Although I have not personally examined him, I can roughly guess that his lifespan is not long. If we take a few more drops of his heart’s blood, he probably will not live for many more years.”

Wei Yuzhi still had ambitions; he was not the kind of blindly loyal person willing to sacrifice his life for his master.

Chu Dingjiang was silent for a moment, then said, “I will go find him.”

Wei Yuzhi would not leave any contact information. The only way was to have Zhu Pianxian use the merchant guild to spread the news and lure him out.

The winter night in Bianjing was exceptionally cold. Chu Dingjiang sat on the rooftop carrying a jar of wine, the fierce wind unable to dispel the gloom in his heart.

Mo Sigui, having washed up, was about to rest for a while when the light inside flickered, and a strong smell of wine filled the air. Without turning around, Mo Sigui knew Chu Dingjiang was right behind him.

“It’s rare that Lord Chu wants to chat with me,” Mo Sigui said, sitting down and pouring two cups of tea. “However, I’ve given up drinking.”

“I have some worries,” Chu Dingjiang said, sitting down opposite him.

Mo Sigui raised an eyebrow, watching him with interest. In Mo Sigui’s memory, Chu Dingjiang was an extremely reserved person, someone who would never want to confide in anyone.

Chu Dingjiang was puzzled. “Ah Jiu has been taking pills made from Gu Jinghong’s heart’s blood without any concern, but the thought of using Wei Yuzhi’s blood makes me uneasy. Are there any hidden dangers in using Wei Yuzhi’s blood?”

Mo Sigui was somewhat surprised by Chu Dingjiang’s keen perception; even without a full understanding of the interaction of mental forces, he could sense something amiss. “This kind of mental force is too aggressive; it is always a double-edged sword. I can use medicine to restrain it somewhat, but ultimately it depends on whether Ah Jiu can bring it under her control.”

Chu Dingjiang had never fought Wei Yuzhi. “How strong is he?”

“He can kill without lifting a finger, simply through imagination,” Mo Sigui thought for a moment. “That might not be entirely accurate, but it is roughly like…”

“This.” Chu Dingjiang slowly frowned. “Ah Jiu’s current condition, with almost all her mental power gone, how can she suppress Wei Yuzhi’s power?”

“Wei Yuzhi’s heart’s blood contains his will, so it is best to make him willing.” Mo Sigui lit a cigarette, squinting as he exhaled smoke. “If that is not possible, we will have to use drugs to forcibly guide him, which will inevitably be dangerous, but there’s no better way right now.”

Chu Dingjiang asked, “How confident are you that you can suppress him?”

Mo Sigui replied, “Mental power outside the body weakens, so I am about 80-90% confident.”

The smoke was like gauze, and Chu Dingjiang saw the undisguised melancholy between Mo Sigui’s brows. Looking closer, he realized that Mo Sigui had changed drastically compared to before. He still had those captivating peach blossom eyes, but his appearance had diminished considerably. He was no longer the dashing young man he once was. His carefree demeanor was no longer languid but rather carried a deep weariness.

Judging from her appearance alone, Mo Sigui was not as handsome as before, but he was even more attractive.

Mo Sigui noticed Chu Dingjiang’s gaze and glared at him, saying, “What kind of look is that? Do not fall in love with me.”

“Finally, you are showing some maturity.” His tone held a hint of pride, like a father watching his son grow up.

Mo Sigui took a drag of his cigarette, the smoke billowing from his mouth and nose as he spoke. “Ah Jiu said you are her uncle, but I think that assessment is too biased. Tell me honestly, which grave did you crawl out of?”

Chu Dingjiang remained silent.

Mo Sigui continued, “Before, Ah Jiu risked having her meridians crippled by Elder Zhi so that I could leave Mei Mansion. Back then, I thought that girl was really stupid! Now I know she’s not stupid at all; she’s used her meridians to protect me for life!”