Clear footsteps approached. If the other party was trained, with keen senses, they’d surely notice if she fled.
An Jiu thought to quietly circle a patch of waist-high grass. Just as she was about to crouch, a warm hand suddenly grabbed her ankle. Startled, An Jiu swung her hand down to strike.
“Spare me, noble lady,” the person lying on the ground pleaded urgently in a low voice.
An Jiu’s movement didn’t falter, her hand chops landing mercilessly on the back of his neck.
The man’s eyes rolled back as he lost consciousness.
Seeing his fine clothes, like those of a young noble, An Jiu grew suspicious and turned him over.
In the dim light, a handsome face was revealed. High-bridged nose, defined features beginning to show angles, all framed by blue satin robes that seemed to glow in the darkness.
The light hadn’t changed, yet An Jiu felt everything seemed much brighter.
Footsteps drew closer from ahead. Firelight stopped not far from the grass, and a youth spoke tearfully, “If we can’t find the young master, I might as well die too.”
“A grown man can’t just vanish into thin air,” another young man chuckled. “Maybe a female ghost took him for some fun?”
An Jiu stared at the face before her, realizing this must be the “young master” they were talking about.
“Please look for him, sirs,” the youth sobbed.
“He couldn’t have gone inside, could he?” another young man said.
The group hesitated for a moment before the previous young man spoke, “We’ve come this far, what’s the harm in going in? With talismans on us, no ghost would dare come near! We can’t lose this bet today.” He paused before asking, “Are you sure your young master went in?”
The youth insisted, “This lowly one saw with his own eyes!”
“Then let’s go!”
Having made up their minds, the group of six or seven people held up lanterns and ventured deeper.
This area had fewer graves than inside, and fewer will-o’-wisps too.
“Ah!”
“What are you yelling for!”
As the group moved further away, their voices continued to carry back.
An Jiu carefully examined the young man on the ground. He appeared to be around twenty, with a tall, slender build. In a few years, he’d surely be a heartbreaker.
Since she’d already knocked him out, she might as well search him. After rummaging for a while, An Jiu found a jade pendant, a silk handkerchief embroidered with bamboo, an exquisite jewel-encrusted dagger, and a folding fan.
An Jiu unsheathed the dagger and held it against the young man’s clothes, considering. She pulled at his collar and slashed downward. The satin parted effortlessly under the blade; An Jiu felt no resistance at all.
She had thought such an ornate item might not be very useful, but it turned out to be incredibly sharp. She sheathed the dagger and tucked it into her clothes, then pocketed everything else before continuing on her way without a backward glance.
After wandering for a while, An Jiu estimated enough time had passed and headed west, intending to return to the burial ground entrance.
An Jiu calculated that the carriage ride had taken about one and a half shichen. By the time the dagger-finding game ended, it would be around the Zi hour. She could wait near the entrance for someone to “rescue” her.
She was still getting used to ancient timekeeping methods, gleaned from Mei Jiu’s memories. It felt strange, but since there was likely no going back—nor did she want to—she’d have to adapt.
“Sister, how could you attack Big Brother!” Mei Tingyuan shouted angrily.
An Jiu stopped abruptly, quietly moving behind the nearest grave.
About ten zhang away, An Jiu saw Mei Tingzhu facing off against Mei Tingjun, Mei Tingchun, and Mei Tingyuan. They seemed to have already fought, all looking somewhat disheveled.
The situation was tense, and no one noticed An Jiu’s approach.
What perfect timing! An Jiu crouched down, eagerly waiting for the drama to unfold.