“Brother Lin, care for a drink?” Bai Lengqiu stood at the door holding two wine jars. She had changed out of her purple clothes into a moon-white wide-sleeved robe, her black hair loose, looking breathtakingly beautiful.
“My apologies,” Chu Dingjiang stepped aside slightly, allowing her to see An Jiu. “This escort job is somewhat special. I can’t leave.”
The implication was that he was escorting a person on this trip.
“If the young brother doesn’t mind, why not join us for a few cups? The moonlight is beautiful,” Bai Lengqiu’s manner was nothing like her cold name suggested.
An Jiu, unlike Chu Dingjiang, wasn’t skilled at pretense. If the woman was probing, An Jiu might reveal something, so she shrank into the shadows, indicating refusal, leaving Chu Dingjiang to handle the situation.
“He’s somewhat reclusive and doesn’t like to be around strangers,” Chu Dingjiang explained.
Bai Lengqiu smiled, unfazed. “Then I won’t insist. We can drink together when we reach Hangzhou.”
“Thank you for understanding,” Chu Dingjiang bowed.
“I should be thanking you,” Bai Lengqiu bid farewell and headed towards the deck with her wine jars.
Chu Dingjiang watched her leave before closing the door.
If this woman was indeed Yelü Hangwu, her boldness was astounding—not only not hiding in Song territory but directly and boldly probing him! Initially confident in his instincts, he now felt some doubt after their three encounters.
Chu Dingjiang’s eyes darkened slightly. He decided that if he couldn’t confirm her identity, he would kill her to eliminate any potential threat.
He held a “better safe than sorry” attitude towards Yelü Hangwu. Some strategists enjoyed the thrill of mental sparring, but he cared only about the goal, not the process.
“The madman went to the bow,” An Jiu frowned.
She was very wary of the madman and had been watching him closely. Strangely, he hadn’t seemed to notice her.
Chu Dingjiang said, “Let’s go take a look.”
An Jiu was curious too. If the madman’s spiritual power matched hers, he would have noticed her already, so it made no difference whether she went or not.
They left the room, with Chu Dingjiang guiding An Jiu silently to the mast area.
People were still moving about on the ship.
Bai Lengqiu sat on the deck at the bow, the wine jar open. The madman crouched opposite her, clutching a wine jar and crying pitifully, “Little Chenzi is dead.”
An Jiu remembered that when she first captured the fake Cui Yichen, the madman had been ready to kill him. Now he was wailing, which didn’t seem fake. Chu Dingjiang was right—the madman wasn’t just obsessed with martial arts; he truly seemed insane.
Seeing this scene, Chu Dingjiang’s heart skipped a beat. He quietly put his arm around An Jiu’s waist and led her away. He was now almost certain this woman was Yelü Hangwu.
Chu Dingjiang whispered, “This woman has been probing us relentlessly, and now she’s openly recognizing the madman without fear of exposure. Either she’s underestimating our strength or she intends to kill us.”
Yelü Hangwu, capable of throwing the Crane Control Army into chaos, was no ordinary person. Upon discovering him and An Jiu, she must have become suspicious but, like him, couldn’t be certain. She too would likely choose to err on the side of caution.
Chu Dingjiang had been playing along because the enemy had too many people, and there were many innocents on board. It was best not to act on the ship, but if forced, he would have no choice.
“It seems a battle is unavoidable,” Chu Dingjiang looked at An Jiu. “We can still escape now.”
Though he said this, An Jiu saw the fighting spirit in his eyes. After a brief reflection, she said, “Let’s fight.”