When we left my mom's home, she personally walked us downstairs.
I watched her closely the whole way, afraid she might say something to An Ning.
Luckily, she didn't.
Wouldn't it have been awkward if she had?
I had always thought of An Ning as a younger sister.
This visit to my mom's had lifted my spirits quite a bit.
At least my relationship with her had grown much closer. She no longer rejected me the way she had before.
I wouldn't bother her too often either. After all, I brought misfortune to my family.
I would be perfectly content just keeping in touch now and then.
Back at the Seventh Master's home, I couldn't sleep for a while, so I sat in my room reading.
I reviewed The Classic of the Hidden Talisman once again.
By the time I finished, it was already past midnight, and I was about to lie down and rest.
I had just slipped under the covers when a sudden, urgent knocking came from downstairs.
The knocking struck me as strange.
Who would come looking for the Seventh Master in the middle of the night?
I quickly got dressed again and prepared to answer the door.
Coming out of my room, I concealed my knife.
The Seventh Master and Song Xiaotian also came out, each holding a knife.
These were unusual times. We had to stay on guard.
"Seventh Master, who's here to see you...?"
"I don't know."
The Seventh Master shook his head. "Let's open the door and see. If it's a woman, stab her first."
The three of us hung our knives at our waists, went to the front entrance, and opened the door.
The instant it opened, we all darted aside to guard against a sudden attack.
But there was no woman