The Funiu Mountain Range stretches over 800 li, forming the watershed between the Huai and Han rivers. This time, the Konghejun trial was set in Baiyun Mountain, deep within the Funiu Range, about 700 li from Kaifeng. Though mostly connected by official roads, the terrain near the mountains was treacherous. Even riding fast horses without rest would take six to seven days.
On a fine day with smooth roads, a person could only ride for three hours straight before tiring. Yet the Konghejun soldiers had to march urgently for four hours continuously. By the time they reached the relay station, even their horses were foaming at the mouth.
An Jiu’s body was still too weak. She forced herself to reach the station through sheer willpower, collapsing into bed without eating.
Though sleeping heavily, An Jiu remained somewhat alert. She sensed someone enter but couldn’t even lift her eyelids to see who it was.
The person sat by her bed. An Jiu caught a strong scent of ginseng.
“Open your mouth,” Chu Dingjiang said softly.
An Jiu’s tightly pressed lips parted.
The characteristic bitterness of ginseng spread across her mouth. Chu Dingjiang fed her slowly, making it easy for her to swallow.
After drinking a small bowl of ginseng soup, An Jiu fell into a deep sleep.
When she awoke, she saw someone standing by the window. As she was about to call out “Chu Dingjiang,” she heard a gentle voice: “You seem quite familiar with Lord Chu?”
It was Gu Jinghong.
An Jiu sat up on the bed, rubbing her temples with a frown. “What do you mean, Vice Commander?”
“You’re under my command now. I need to understand the situation clearly. Don’t worry, I won’t disclose this,” Gu Jinghong saw through the wariness and unease behind her question.
An Jiu stared into his clear eyes, enunciating each word: “Did I ask you to choose me as your subordinate? If you think my secrets make me unsuitable for the Dragon Guard, you’re welcome to discard me.”
Most people would be angered by such prickly words, but Gu Jinghong smiled. “Fragile child.”
When An Jiu didn’t know how to respond or wanted to protect herself, she would use this questioning or aggressive tone. Gu Jinghong saw through her facade the truth underneath in an instant.
“How terrifying!” This was An Jiu’s current assessment of him. She remembered Lou Mingyue saying that mind-reading and mind-bewitching arts were closely related. It seemed Gu Jinghong was not only skilled in mind-bewitching but also surpassed Xu Zhi of Konghe Academy in mind-reading.
Indeed, one must understand the human heart to bewitch it.
“You’ve slept for a day and a night. The others have gone ahead. Can you travel now?” Gu Jinghong gently changed the subject.
An Jiu stood up, realizing an important issue. “I haven’t eaten yet.”
Gu Jinghong left without a word. A quarter-hour later, he returned with a bowl of noodles, sparsely topped with a few vegetable leaves and no trace of oil.
With no table in the room, he placed the bowl in An Jiu’s hands. “Eat.”
An Jiu stared at the bowl, hesitating for a moment before picking up the chopsticks and shoveling the noodles into her mouth.
After a few bites, she asked with a strange expression, “Did you make this?”
Gu Jinghong stood by the window, his back to her. Hearing her question, he turned his head. “Hmm?”
Sunlight filtered through his black cloak, outlining the delicate profile of his face.
An Jiu said, “Nothing. The taste is… unique.”
Gu Jinghong chuckled softly. “That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”
An Jiu quickly finished the bowl of noodles, frowning as she said, “That’s because you’re self-aware.”
She suddenly thought to herself that Chu Dingjiang’s cooking tasted much better.
“Rest for half an hour, then we’ll depart,” Gu Jinghong said as he walked out of the room.
He stood in the courtyard, tilting his head to gaze at the morning light, closing his eyes to enjoy this moment of tranquility.
They were now approaching the Funiu Mountains. The sun had just parted the thin morning mist, its spring rays particularly warm. All around, the scenery was full of life, a sight to gladden the heart and refresh the spirit.
An Jiu got up to stretch, feeling even more sore all over, but no longer as heavy.
From experience, she knew she couldn’t stop for long periods of rest now. Otherwise, it would take ten to fifteen days to recover, and she’d be sore again the next time she moved. If she could grit her teeth and push through this period, things would gradually improve.
Half an hour later, the two mounted their horses and set off for Baiyun Mountain right on schedule.
The Funiu Mountain Range was known for its frequent rain. Morning dew and evening showers were common in the mountains. Chu Dingjiang, leading the group, encountered a sudden downpour and led everyone to seek shelter in a cave.
As the group entered the cave, a delicate female voice complained, “We’re soaked through! Why did it have to rain now of all times?”
Among the group, besides An Jiu and Lou Mingyue, there was another woman named Sun Dixian. Her martial arts had only reached the fourth level, yet she had survived the previous trial while many at the fifth and sixth levels had perished.
Often, the level of martial arts skill wasn’t the absolute determining factor between life and death.
Sun Dixian hurriedly wiped her clothes. Looking up, she saw Chu Dingjiang in his black cloak tying up the horses outside the cave. The torrential rain was blocked by his energy barrier, forming a circle of white mist around him. As he approached, his imposing presence was like a great mountain. Even though his face was obscured, Sun Dixian’s heart couldn’t help but flutter.
Chu Dingjiang entered the cave without a drop of water on him.
Sun Dixian, after a moment’s hesitation, approached him. “My Lord, how much longer until we arrive?”
Her boldness had a reason. The relay stations they had passed were small, and despite Chu Dingjiang’s extraordinary martial arts, he couldn’t avoid everyone’s gaze while feeding An Jiu ginseng soup. Through this incident, Sun Dixian felt that this seemingly cold and stern Lord Chu was gentler and kinder than Lord Gu.
No one answered.
Just as the others thought Sun Dixian was about to embarrass herself, Chu Dingjiang finally spoke. “Seven days.”
Early spring wasn’t like midsummer; the vegetation wasn’t lush enough to hold the soil. With such heavy rain, if it continued for long, there might be mudslides. Moreover, the mountain paths would become muddy and difficult to traverse. Even seven days was an optimistic estimate.
“That long? Wasn’t it supposed to be only six or seven days in total?” Sun Dixian knew why, of course. She just wanted to talk to Chu Dingjiang.
Chu Dingjiang didn’t dislike ambitious women; in fact, he admired them. But he looked down on clumsy attempts to engage him in conversation for no apparent reason, like now.
Despite his disdain, he still gave the girl some face. He turned around, seeming to sweep his gaze over everyone, and said, “The mountain paths are difficult. Rest while you can, or the coming days will be even more challenging.”