Arrow in the dark hits Bulls Eye

Despite feeling she might be being used right now, Jiushu is not willing to leave MoQiu's family. In these few days, she has recognized beyond doubt she needs some kind of show of force to do any task reliably, and Uncle Fa fit into that niche perfectly. She entered the space in the gap between cooking and setting up dinner to enter space.

Rapeseed is ready for harvest. Jiushu harvested the plant.

Immediately following harvest, fireworks burst all over the place. Imaginary sparkles of course.

Congratulations on reaching level ten.

The skill appraise has been unlocked.

You never need to be in doubt about the value of an object, or ripeness of a crop from now on.

That is nice, Jiushu decided. Is the Angel listening when she is grumbling in her space? She better needs to curtail her language from now on.

The dinner was quite nice, given Aunt Fa is a good cook, they are tired from their ordeals in the day. They even had a fully set table, with dishes laid out rather than just sitting and eating rice balls from leaves. They had their dinner lazily, and just as usual, MoQiu is the first watch, uncle Fa second.

This time around, Jiushu took Xiao Xing and entered the second tent. She entered the space along with xiao xing. Today, Xiao Xing is trying to look around, so she let him. She has not finished reviewing changes. Her little brother immediately rushed out of the hut. He looked around curiously, before coming back to Jiushu to hold her hand. Jiushu smiled down at him.

"Xiao Xing, this is where your home is now, okay?' Jiushu told him.

Her little brother looked around curiously, then removed the jade gourd at his waist.

He walked to the window, laboriously standing on tips of his toes, put his jade gourd on top of the bangle. A lightning rumble could be heard in the distance.

Taoist Mo Zhen Xing is trying to combine his space with yours. Allow? [ Yes ] [ No ]

Jiushu stated in shock at the words. She already thought she integrated the Taoist space into her own space. Did she not? She touched the question with her hand. What in the world does this mean? The explanation expanded.

'A comprehensive space integration gives users complete control over each other's space. There is nothing you can do with your space that the other party could not. You can now store and retrieve any intangible elements in the Taoist space using any relevant Taoist spell made by any Taoist. The spells created by Taoist Mo Zhen Xing will be tied to both his and your magic, allowing them to be active till death of both parties. When one of the space owners perishes, the other gains complete control of both the blessings.'

This .. this is a last will and testament. Why is her little brother … ? …

Jiushu felt her heart squeeze with sadness for a moment, before she understood why Xiao Xing did this. He did not want to part from her. As long as they are connected with this space, all he has to do is enter the space, and he will have access to Jiushu. The others are but side effects in the eyes of her brother. Jiushu accepted. She has been thinking of what to do if there's a dangerous situation where she has to act, but she could not find a safe enough place for Xiao Xing.

She hit yes decisively. The fist size jade blended into her bangle, before a small ring sprouted besides the bangle. Whenever Jiushu enters the space, the bangle she is wearing is stopped at the window, standing upright, as if it's a joystick. When Jiushu wants to go out, she puts her hand through the bangle, and imagines herself going out. When she is inside this space, she never has the jade bangle on her hand.

She looked at the bangle, and put her hand through it.

She imagined herself outside.

She waited for a moment.

Xiao Xing is still in space. She could vaguely feel him. He is at the window, trying to put his hand through the small ring. It's too small.

"A'Xing, put your fingers through it if your hand doesn't fit." Jiushu said at her bangle.

Seems Xiao Xing heard her.

He tried putting his fingers through the ring. Finally, the ring fit on his right hand thumb.

Her little brother smiled at her victoriously, showing off the ring on his hand.

"Well done. Our house's A'Xing is the smartest kid in the world." Jiushu praised him.

Then he touched the ring, and entered the space before Jiushu could.

Jiushu followed him and entered the space.

The bangle and thumb ring both are set on the window sill in a perfect position, standing vertical. Just the sight of the big bangle, followed by a small thumb ring sent a warm feeling to Jiushu's heart. She may be floating around like a duck weed, but she is not without family.

Xiao Xing hugged her thigh and looked at the same bangle and thumb ring in the window sill, then smiled happily at Jiushu. Her heart melted at the sight. She bent down and kissed xiao Xing's forehead, picking him up at the same time. The boy moved without any resistance.

She took him out of the hut, where the sky is starry, weather is balmy and set their cot underneath the stars. She laid down plenty of straw to make sure there's enough downy ness, then laid all the blankets she owned on top of the straw. She settled down on the makeshift bed, patted down the space besides her. Xiao Xing is all too happy to settle into her arms.

"Do you know the story of the monkey king?" Jiushu asked.

Then she started telling the story of Journey to the west, oh so very slowly, adding a lot of embellishments. It will last for quite a few days, she is sure. Soon, Xiao Xing is asleep. Jiushu intended to get up and do a few chores After Xiao Xing slept. Only, she fell asleep along with him. It is only in the morning she awoke. She finished her morning ablutions and came out, only to find MoQiu sleeping with a foot of her.

She did not wish to wake him up. Uncle Fa must be still on the watch. Jiushu came out from the tent, only to face Aunt Fa. She swore internally. Damned MoQiu. Even if he knows she sleeps within the space, why must he choose her tent to sleep in? Their sleeping together is far too innocuous, it's more like sleeping in two different rooms. However, how is she to explain it to Aunt Fa? Worse yet, it looks like she has been up for a while. Has she already checked on MoQiu? In that case, should she come clean about her ability or not? …

After a chaotic thought process for an entire hour, Jiushu decided on not making clear unless she is forced to answer.

Aunt and Uncle Fa both are intelligent individuals. They must have figured out plenty about her, but still they did not ask. What does this mean? She has no idea what it means in the ancient world, but in the modern world, there is only one thing this behavior implies.

Plausible deniability.

They were both honorable individuals, but that does not mean they will be inflexible even when they met with outright malice. In such cases, it is better they know less information than more. If nothing else, the ambiguity of 'I guess so' will lend to doubts. Wait.. isn't this a worst case scenario? Why are Aunt and Uncle Fa so sure they need the cover of plausible deniability? They have set up their death twice over..

Is there something they are not telling her?

Did MoQiu give them another report on the sly?

….

..

.

No, Jiushu did not think so. Just by being transmigrators, it lent to a certain closeness between MoQiu and her. Add to that, she is an existence he absolutely needs, with space and all. He is more likely to give her a report on the side rather than Aunt and Uncle Fa. Then what is it?

…

..

.

Jiushu kept up with the stirring of congee. It's a perfect task to do while thinking a thousand other thoughts. Aunt Fa prepared a vegetable dish, and even the leftover rabbit meat is made into a mildly sweet meat dish. Xiao Xing got out at some point, he watched Jiushu stirring the porridge, snuggling up to uncle Fa and MoQiu.

The strangling marks have faded, but xiao xing still could not eat solid food. He could only eat porridge. As sad as that sounded. Jiushu coaxed him into eating by promising him honey if he finished all of his porridge. It dawned on her suddenly.

Uncle and Aunt Fa are behaving like losing their lives is but a matter of time. They did not expect themselves to survive long. Thus pushing MoQiu on to her, despite thinking both of them a little young. Thus letting MoQiu and herself deal with every major matter, despite them being way too inexperienced. This is why they are insisting on meeting that Xi'an contact. If the contact is bust, then Uncle and Aunt Fa die without giving any clues about MoQiu or Jiushu. If the contact is good, then they set for their new life.

As much as they are preparing for their imminent death, it has a sense of way too much fatalism, even for a peasant in the feudal community. Just why are they so sure that they will die? After all, they possess no great powers. Ability to read and process tax books fast? It's useful, but they have plenty of talented people who can do as much without blessing. Ability to see far? This is the era of martial arts, Jiushu did not think a master could compete with Uncle Fa and always lose. There is more to this, she is sure. For a moment, Jiushu wondered if running from the capital was the beginning and end of crimes on their heads. Their posture is such that they have committed treason…

Or..

Maybe she is thinking much too rationally. Since she has encountered something as magical and nonsensical as transmigration, she ought to think in the magical and nonsensical terms, probably. Now, if it's utter nonsense, and there is a twist to the story, what could be the twist? ..

One.. Uncle and Aunt Fa are not getting help from rebellion, but they run the rebellion.

Two.. Aunt Fa's family did not just loot the imperial library, they looted the imperial treasury as well? ..

Three … Uncle Fa did not just run, but he killed all of his battalion of demons and looted their power?

Four ... MoQiu is the hidden son of the emperor? No.. that's probably not it. Even if it's the ancient days Jiushu is sure incest is never a thing from very early on. Since uncle and aunt Fa clearly knew she's a princess, they would never have called daughter-in-law if that were the case.

Five … Aunt and Uncle Fa possess great powers, but are pretending their powers are minor blessings.

Six … they are organizing a military rebellion, thus, the time to gather has come?...

Seven … they would kill her and take her power? .. no, that's not it. They have far too many opportunities to do that. Moreover, her power is the kind which works best if they imprison her rather than kill.

Hmmm….

Anything else she's missing?

Now, let's start from the first.. How is she going to verify that? Simple..

'Local Taxi driver is better than GPS' …

It's a proverb often told to tourists trying to get to places in her province. Perhaps she should use that. The little anecdotes will reveal great holes in reasoning. Thus she skipped over to Aunt Fa.

"Auntie… Do you think I should buy new clothes?" she asked naively, playing with her clothes.

Aunt Fa looked at her clothes critically.

"Actually, I think you should. Perhaps we can stop by in the next town and see if there's fabric we can buy." Aunt Fa answered.

"Hmm.. I wonder what color I should buy? What did you wear when you were young?" Jiushu asked conversationally.

"Silk, mostly. Some cotton." Aunt Fa answered noncommittally.

"I bet the fabrics you had then are the best.. I wonder what fabrics we can buy if we are in the imperial capital?" …

The conversation flowed. Jiushu picked one topic after another, exclaiming over this or that.. Commenting on this flower or that flower in between.. And directed conversations to jade pendants.

"The one that's given to me by MoQiu is amazing. You know, the one that looks like a fish hook… I would never guess it's a storage pendant. Your family is sure great to have such a treasure. " Jiushu said.

She watched Aunt Fa closely. There's a mild pursing of the lips, and her eyes crinkled. She neither accepted the praise, nor rejected it. That pendant did not belong to her at all. It's Uncle Fa who answered this time.

"It belonged to a dear friend." Uncle Fa answered.

"Oh… ! That's some friend you have there Uncle. Tell me about him. He sounds like a great person." Jiushu told him.

Uncle Fa's eyes misted up. Sure enough, there's a story here.

"Mo Jin Xuan. Fifth king and duke of Shenzhen. He believed Angels chose the blessed in their place to improve the lives of people. He liked his family, he loved simple pleasures of life. Fishing in the sea.. Eating with family.. Drinking with his friends. He died protecting all that is worth being protected."

He sounded like a great man.

A happy go lucky man, who died unjustly.

Jiushu has never been much for understanding powerplays, however, she did receive modern education. Shenzhen sounds like a really backwards place in this time and day, but even in these times, the trade that comes in through Shenzhen is amazing both in quantity and diversity. Whoever's sitting in Shenzhen has one big needle pointed right at the heart of the empire that serves life blood. They could poke and bleed out any artery as they wish. In an organization, only the loyal can go to the higher positions, not the capable and meritorious.

On top of that, Fisher man?

Is Uncle Fa kidding with her? He may bluff the others, but she has seen the fishing space represented by the sea. If that is what it is at its bottom most line, Jiushu dreaded to imagine what it could be at the top of its power.

That is not called a fisherman, it's called Ruler of the Sea.

The current power hungry monarch, leave that kind of powerful brother to his own means? Not happening, even in the understanding of Jiushu, who only ever seen two palace dramas.

With this .. she understood. Uncle Fa escaped right from the midst of power struggle. He is within the top five of the organization, if not the current number one.

They are not going to Xi'an to meet a contact and settle down in another remote area.

They are going there to revive the rebellion.