The Second Elderly Madam, already suffering from heart problems, felt on the brink of death in this harrowing environment.
Mei Zhengjing’s heart clenched tightly. During his period of uncertainty about the future, it was the Second Elderly Madam’s affection that had given him some lingering attachment to this family. Now, he had to watch helplessly as she died before his eyes…
Suddenly, regret welled up in his heart. If he had put all his effort into protecting the Mei estate instead of idling away his days, could this situation have been avoided? Even if his efforts couldn’t change much, at least he wouldn’t feel such bitter remorse now.
“Mei Fourteen, if you come out, I’ll spare the others!” the madman shouted from outside.
Mei Zhengjing shook his head at An Jiu, signaling her not to go out. If these people truly wanted to kill them, it would be easy – they could simply use poison smoke. The madman’s singular focus on challenging An Jiu to an archery contest was the only reason they were still alive.
“Release it. Drop a large package down there,” the madman’s voice came from outside again, seemingly responding to someone’s suggestion to use drugs.
Not poison smoke, but sleeping gas!
“Hold your breath,” Mei Zhengjing said softly.
Everyone took a deep breath and held it, except for An Jiu. She could resist a certain amount of sedatives, so she waited until the smoke had been released for a while before holding her breath.
Soon, the rolling dense smoke carried a faint scent of sweet apricot, inducing a sense of mental relaxation and joy. An Jiu’s heart jolted, and she immediately stopped breathing.
Though unfamiliar with medicines, especially Chinese herbs, she realized this sweet apricot-scented sedative seemed gentle. However, its ability to affect her emotions in an instant was not to be underestimated.
The smoke didn’t linger long. Soon, the sound of clashing weapons erupted outside, accompanied by an urgent whistle – one An Jiu remembered hearing in the graveyard.
“The Old Madam has arrived! Follow me and fight our way out!” A hint of joy tinged Mei Zhengjing’s voice.
This joy transformed into hope, infecting everyone present.
“A Yuan, A Zhu, stay behind me with your grandmother,” Mei Zhengjing instructed before leading the charge, sword in hand.
The others followed suit, rushing out one by one. An Jiu tore off her cumbersome skirt, gripped her dagger tightly, and exited the secret passage last.
They emerged onto an open-air martial arts practice platform. Stone walls rose half a zhang high, with the secret passage door hidden in an inconspicuous corner of the stone platform’s side.
The battle was already raging. Burning bonfires had spread to nearby pavilions, and the north wind fanned the flames. Within moments, the surroundings became an ocean of fire.
As the last to emerge, An Jiu initially went unnoticed. “Are we leaving?” she asked Mei Jiu.
“Everyone is fighting desperately,” Mei Jiu’s voice trembled, but she gritted her teeth and said, “We shouldn’t leave, An Jiu. I trust you.”
“Damn it!” An Jiu cursed under her breath. They were surrounded by experts skilled in both internal and external martial arts. How could she, with her damaged meridians, be confident?
In the chaos of battle, there was no time for hesitation. After a moment’s indecision, a black-clad assailant swung his sword at them.
The attack came so swiftly that An Jiu had no time to dodge. She could only parry with her dagger. As the blades met, there was neither the expected force nor sound. Surprisingly, An Jiu’s small dagger cleanly sliced through the attacker’s sword!
The black-clad man was stunned by this unexpected outcome. An Jiu seized the opportunity and lunged forward.
“Foolish!” The man sneered, not bothering to dodge. He summoned his internal energy to form an invisible protective barrier similar to the one Chu Dingjiang possessed.
An Jiu channeled all her strength into a strike aimed at the man’s throat. Despite his energy barrier, he instinctively flinched. An Jiu grabbed his collar, transferring all her momentum onto him as she pounced.
In the blink of an eye, her dagger pierced through the energy barrier and into his throat!
The man’s eyes widened in disbelief, unable to comprehend how the dagger had torn through his energy barrier.
An Jiu quickly rolled away as he fell.
Feeling the stiffness in her limbs, An Jiu knew it was Mei Jiu’s doing. “Relax, don’t try to control the body,” she said.
Mei Jiu was anxious. She didn’t want to hinder An Jiu in combat, but seeing the sword coming at them, her instincts overpowered her consciousness and reflexively tried to dodge.
An Jiu said no more. Looking around, she saw that every black-clad attacker seemed capable of using an energy barrier – an ability not typically possessed by low-level martial artists.
Nearby, a group of black-clad men surrounded Mei Zhengjing and the others. Mei Tingzhu and Mei Tingyuan were carrying the Second Elderly Madam behind them, unable to fight at full capacity. Mei Zhengjing alone struggled to fend off so many 8th and 9th-rank experts, retreating step by step after just a few exchanges.
Fortunately, the transcendent expert known as the “madman” wasn’t participating in the killing. Instead, he caught hold of Mei Rujian, asking frantically, “Are you Mei Fourteen? Are you?”
“Don’t tell him!” Mei Tingzhu shouted.
If Mei Rujian said no, the madman would surely kill him. Overwhelmed by fear, Mei Rujian’s remaining consciousness told him to heed Mei Tingzhu’s advice.
Unable to get an answer, the madman began torturing Mei Rujian, ignoring everyone else.
“Use your fists!” The Old Madam’s voice, imbued with inner power, suddenly reached everyone’s ears.
The Mei family excelled in fist techniques, but rarely used them as bare hands were at a disadvantage against blades. However, they never abandoned the practice of Mei Boxing because of its little-known strength – the ability to strike from a distance.
Mei Zhengjing didn’t discard his sword. Instead, he used one hand to wield the long sword defensively while gathering inner power in the other.
In contrast, the Old Madam left a trail of blood wherever she went, showing no hesitation. The front of her walking stick now sported a curved blade, giving it the appearance of a large scythe. Coupled with her black cloak, she resembled the Grim Reaper incarnate.
An Jiu, struck by an idea, used all her strength to move towards the Old Madam.
Most of the black-clad men were focused on attacking Elder Zhao, Mei Zhengjing, and the Mei family’s secret guards. Only two attempted to block An Jiu’s path.
The Old Madam caught sight of her from the corner of her eye, surprised that the girl had managed to fight her way through without relying on any internal energy.
“External cultivation?” the Old Madam mused, swinging her blade to dispatch An Jiu’s opponents. “Come with me.”
An Jiu had planned to force her way into the Old Madam’s protective circle, hoping that as a member of the Mei family, she wouldn’t stand idly by. The Old Madam’s active assistance was an unexpected boon.
An Jiu followed the Old Madam as they cut a path to Mei Zhengjing. Glancing at the unconscious Second Elderly Madam, An Jiu snorted coldly, “A burden!”
Despite her words, she still helped.
“Their strength is not genuine!” Mei Zhengjing exclaimed. The fact that he could handle so many 8th and 9th-rank experts was extraordinary – normally impossible for someone of his skill level.
With the Old Madam’s assistance, he found some respite and had time to think. “Old Madam, it’s strange that all our opponents are young 8th and 9th-rank experts!”