The complexities of the situation made the identity of those behind this ambush equally enigmatic.
They arrived near the broken plank road. The snowstorm had intensified, making it hard to keep one’s eyes open. Through the dense snowfall, two forces could be seen locked in combat on the plank road. The ground was covered in blood-stained “mud”, with fresh blood splattering about. Flecks of red dotted the wind-blown snow, while blue-tinged arrows occasionally flew from the opposite side.
The Commander set An Jiu down and removed the cloth from her nose, neutralizing the anesthetic.
In the biting cold wind, the drug’s effects wore off quickly.
An Jiu opened her eyes to find her wrists gripped by a strong hand.
“How are you feeling?” the Commander asked gravely.
An Jiu twisted her wrist, a silver needle from her fingertips stabbing toward his hand. The Commander released her, only to grab her again. In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged several moves.
Ultimately, An Jiu’s lack of inner power put her at a disadvantage, and she was restrained.
“See? In the blink of an eye, a life could be lost,” the Commander said.
An Jiu remained unmoved. Even if the world ended in the blink of an eye, what of it?
The Commander continued, “The situation is urgent. Bringing you here by force was necessary. If you help me this once, I’ll grant any request within my power.”
An Jiu was silent for a moment, glancing at the opposite side before slowly speaking. “Why ask for my help? Anyone here has better martial arts than me.”
The Commander paused, realizing An Jiu responded better to a soft approach than force. The more he pressured her, the more she resisted. He softened his tone, “Archery isn’t the Shenwu Army’s strong suit. The heavy snow and wind make it impossible for us to aim. We’ve heard you can hit targets in these conditions.”
Setting aside accuracy, ordinary arrows lacked the strength to pierce the mountain winds. They’d lose most of their power before reaching halfway, rendering them harmless even if they hit their target.
An Jiu’s bow and arrows, crafted by Elder Zhi, possessed far greater power than ordinary weapons. Combined with her precise calculations, she could achieve 90% accuracy. Even so, that wasn’t enough to overcome a Transcendent State expert.
“Even if my aim is true, I lack inner power,” An Jiu said.
“You can temporarily use mine,” the Commander replied. “I’ll channel my inner power into you.”
An Jiu weighed the pros and cons. She hadn’t expected the situation to be this dire, but it was clear the Crane Control Army was at a disadvantage. The root cause was the opposing Transcendent archer. Helping the Commander might not guarantee his favor, but if the Crane Control Army was annihilated here, she wouldn’t escape unscathed either. Moreover, she was intrigued by the Jingxian technique and welcomed the chance to experience inner power-infused arrows…
“I’ll do my best,” An Jiu agreed after brief consideration.
The Commander secretly sighed in relief. Their earlier confrontation in the tower had shown the vast difference in their abilities, yet she had dared to resist, preferring death to help him. Now she agreed so easily.
He had simply used the wrong approach before.
The Commander released her, still wary she might flee.
An Jiu unslung her bow and quiver, saying to him, “Let’s try it.”
“Alright,” the Commander placed his hand on her right shoulder blade.
She felt an endless stream of warmth flow into her body, initially invigorating. But as the energy grew stronger, her blood and meridians felt ready to burst.
The Commander explained, “Your spiritual energy can handle at least second-level Transcendent State inner power, but your body’s meridians are untrained. It might cause them to rupture. Tell me immediately if you feel unwell.”
An Jiu snorted derisively. Earlier, this man had tempted her with the offer of an eighth-grade expert’s full inner power. If she had greedily accepted, wouldn’t she be dead from ruptured meridians by now?
The Commander understood her meaning and calmly explained, “A deal requires mutual agreement. Had you truly accepted earlier, I would have honored my promise. But it would have been your choice, and any consequences would not have been my responsibility.”
How shameless to explain so seriously while trying to cover up his deception! An Jiu thought to herself.
Feeling her meridians filled with inner power, An Jiu immediately focused her mind. She nocked an arrow and drew her bow, attempting to use her spiritual energy to force all the inner power into her fingers holding the arrow.
An Jiu regulated her breathing, seemingly melding into the night’s endless snowfall.