As far as the eye could see, tombstones stretched into the depths of night. Occasional will-o’-wisps flickered in the distance, their ethereal blue light unable to penetrate the inky darkness.
Overgrown with weeds, most graves lacked headstones. Some mounds had collapsed, marking this as an unconsecrated burial ground.
Mei Tingyuan shuddered, suddenly subdued.
“What fine weather we have today,” a raspy voice suddenly came from nowhere. “Hehe.”
Before the group could pinpoint its source, a hunched figure appeared two zhang away. She spoke, “This chaotic burial ground dates back to the Tang Dynasty, spanning three low hills. I’ve hidden four daggers within. You have one shichen to retrieve them and exit to pass the test. There are no rules. Anyone can take all four daggers. If you’re capable, you may also steal from those who’ve already found them. Lives are expendable; you may kill your opponents.”
How casually she spoke! These were blood relatives who grew up together!
Even the two confident boys felt a chill. Upon reflection, they realized four daggers were enough for the four members of the Second Branch. Working together, they could all pass. As for Mei Shisi, why should they care?
This was the unanimous thought of the four from the Second Branch.
After this realization, Mei Tingyuan suddenly became excited. No need to wait until the month’s end! Since lives didn’t matter, what if she crippled Mei Shisi? This was far more satisfying than the restrained competition planned for later!
An Jiu lowered her head, frowning slightly. Wasn’t she just brought along to build courage? Why did it feel targeted at her?
At the Old Madam’s signal, the black-clad woman who drove the carriage earlier produced five envelopes from her robes, distributing one to each person. “The envelopes contain maps. Please proceed.”
Mei Tingjun and Mei Tingchun were eager to begin. Seeing the black-clad woman clear the way, they rushed in excitedly, showing no fear.
Mei Tingzhu followed. Mei Tingyuan understood the situation clearly but still felt uneasy seeing the distant will-o’-wisps. After a moment’s hesitation, she gritted her teeth and hurried after Mei Tingzhu.
Only then did An Jiu start moving, following behind them.
The Old Madam narrowed her eyes, chuckling softly. Her dry voice sounded especially eerie in this gloomy place. “Care to guess if the Fourteenth Miss will pass?”
“This servant cannot guess,” the black-clad woman glanced at the Old Madam. “Were those two martial arts masters killed by her?”
The Old Madam replied with interest, “We shall see.”
“Your treatment of her… what if…” the black-clad woman didn’t understand. Aside from whether the Second Branch would harm Mei Shisi, there were wolves in the burial ground. If she truly perished here, would Elder Zhi let it go?
“If she’s truly useless, so be it. I’ll find him a better disciple,” the Old Madam’s bony fingers caressed her cane, amused. “Besides, didn’t Yanran ask you to watch over her? Haha.”
Assassins and battlefield soldiers are fundamentally the same. Generals may stand atop mountains of bones, yet retain love and hate. Assassins are similar, yet different. On the battlefield, equally matched forces openly fight. Assassins work in shadows, potentially killing defenseless women and children. The Old Madam had killed many. Though her heart had hardened to iron, she still experienced emotions, albeit unlike ordinary people.
“This servant is at fault!” The black-clad woman knelt on one knee.
The Old Madam’s moods were unpredictable, as the black-clad woman knew well. One moment she might be laughing, the next you could be dead.
“I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll spare you punishment,” the Old Madam tapped her cane twice before turning to leave.
The autumn wind whistled by, chilling the black-clad woman’s spine.
Meanwhile, the group of youngsters ventured deeper into the burial ground. Silence enveloped them, broken only by occasional will-o’-wisps flaring up, casting an eerie glow over nearby graves.
Fear gradually crept in. By the time Mei Tingyuan thought to look for Mei Shisi, she had vanished.
“Hey, Mei Shisi is gone,” Mei Tingyuan said in a low voice.
“Did we lose her?” Mei Tingchun asked.
Mei Tingzhu replied, “She headed north from the start, never intending to follow us.”
Mei Tingjun surveyed the vast graveyard, “She’s probably afraid of Seventh Sister. After all, we’re family. If something happened, how could we face Aunt later?”
As the eldest and the heir apparent, Mei Tingjun’s words carried weight among his peers. If Mei Zhengjing couldn’t serve as family head, Mei Tingjun would likely become the next Mei family leader.
“Should we look for her?” Mei Tingchun rather liked the pretty girl.
“Go yourself if you want!” Mei Tingyuan glared at him.
“Let’s go, finding the daggers are more important,” Mei Tingjun ultimately dismissed the idea after paying lip service.
They gathered some dry grass to light, huddling together to examine the map. Only then did they realize they held pieces of a divided map! Judging by the shape, it could be cut into at least six parts.
“Mei Shisi’s envelope must have two map pieces, while ours only marks one dagger location. She has three,” Mei Tingzhu said.
Their four maps only showed one dagger but a complete path. This was meant to pit them against each other.
They exchanged glances, realizing they had no choice but to find her.
“Let’s find her first! We haven’t been separated long, she shouldn’t have gone far,” Mei Tingjun decided quickly.
The others agreed, immediately turning north to search for An Jiu.
Under the cloudy sky, they could barely make out the path. For better or worse, the abundance of bones here meant plenty of will-o’-wisps.
An Jiu walked north alone. Seeing will-o’-wisps ahead, she quickly opened the envelope and studied the map in the faint light.
Three daggers, but only one complete route. The other two were truncated.
It was obvious the map had been cut, testing both An Jiu and the four children of the Second Branch.
An Jiu smirked, tucking the map into her clothes before quickening her pace.
She had no intention of finding the daggers. Mei Jiu, that coward, would be lucky not to die of fright here. Finding daggers would only invite unnecessary trouble. Besides, by hiding, she could stir up chaos in the Second Branch. Why not enjoy the show?
An Jiu had a strong sense of direction in the dark. After walking for a while, she turned east.
Keeping track of time mentally, An Jiu decided to jog around the graveyard for exercise since she had nothing better to do.
Mei Jiu’s body was too weak. After running for about two-quarters of an hour, An Jiu slowed down. In a place like this, she needed strength to fight off wolves or the martial arts-trained children if encountered, so overexertion was unwise.
An Jiu’s ears twitched, and she suddenly halted.