Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 3

"Sister..." Shi Le'er lowered her voice and said, "You're not a good person, are you?"

Xiao Xiao almost choked on the steamed bun in her mouth.

"At first, they wanted to rob me, and then, the ambush was just a series of unfortunate events..." Shi Le'er looked at Xiao Xiao and said, word by word, "As for the subsequent act of helping me out of a sense of justice, I'm afraid it was just a case of the wicked eating the wicked, right?"

Xiao Xiao choked immediately, patting her chest in pain.

"Sister, don't panic. Even now, I won't tell Uncle Li the truth." Shi Le'er stood up and patted her small shoulder. "Actually, you saw it too, right? There was nothing in those caravans. Do you know why?"

Xiao Xiao finally caught her breath, opened her eyes wide, looked at Shi Le'er, and said firmly, "Miss, please... I don't want to know..."

Shi Le'er raised an eyebrow, "Don't you want to know?"

Xiao Xiao nodded earnestly. Her master had said that in this world, some things, once known, could lead to certain death. Therefore, ignorance is better than knowledge. If someone asked you if you wanted to know, you must say no.

Shi Le'er smiled and said, "You're quite a smart person."

Xiao Xiao sniffed, "Miss...no, heroine, please spare me. I was just confused for a moment. From now on, I will definitely repent and be a good person, never refraining from doing good because it is small, nor doing evil because it is small..."

Shi Le'er interrupted her impatiently, saying, "Who said I was going to deal with you?"

Xiao Xiao wiped away her tears, held the noodles, and looked at Shi Le'er with a mournful expression.

“Now that you’ve seen what’s in the caravan, you’re in the same boat. From now on, wherever we go, you’ll go too, understand?” Shi Le’er threatened with a smile.

Xiao Xiao nodded immediately, "I know, I know. I'll do whatever you say!"

Shi Le'er smiled smugly, "You eat slowly, I'm going to sleep now, don't wander off."

Xiao Xiao nodded even more earnestly.

Shi Le'er got up and walked away, Xiao Xiao on the verge of tears.

Why am I so unlucky? She chewed on the steamed bun in her hand. She hadn't checked the almanac before going out today; it was probably an inauspicious day for everything... It was truly a miserable day.

"Miss Zuo." Just as Xiao Xiao was feeling down, Li Zhenghai walked over from the side and placed a few small dishes on her table. "Are you hungry? Eat more."

Xiao Xiao looked up at Li Zhenghai with gratitude. Although they were complete strangers, Xiao Xiao knew that Li Zhenghai was a good person. While his strong sense of justice wasn't perfect, he was definitely reliable.

Li Zhenghai smiled, nodded, and turned to leave.

Xiao Xiao then realized that she was the only one left in the inn's lobby. The flickering candlelight only amplified her loneliness and desolation. She stopped chewing, lowered her head, and remained silent.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. The waiter rushed out of the kitchen and opened the door.

"Waiter, are there any rooms available?" A clear male voice came from the doorway.

"Yes, sir, please come in," the waiter greeted.

Xiao Xiao, biting into her steamed bun, turned her head and saw a man who looked to be around twenty years old walk in through the door. He wore a plain dark blue cloth robe, nothing particularly striking. Judging from his gait, he was clearly trained in martial arts. Xiao Xiao squinted and carefully examined him. He had delicate features and a handsome demeanor; if it weren't for his simple clothes, he would certainly be considered a refined gentleman. However, a refined gentleman probably wouldn't carry so many weapons like him.

He carried a crimson carved bow and a quiver on his back, and a short knife at his waist.

When Xiao Xiao saw the quiver, she was stunned. Half of it was gilded and the other half was inlaid with silver. The quiver was divided into two sides, gold and silver, with intricate and exquisite patterns.

"The Mandarin Duck Arrow Box..." she murmured, "...the Lian family of divine arrows?!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but in the empty lobby, it was loud enough to be heard clearly.

The man paused, slowly turned around, and looked at Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao immediately picked up the noodles and ate them with gusto.

The man smiled slightly, nodded at her as a greeting, and then turned and followed the waiter upstairs.

Xiao Xiao stuffed her mouth full of noodles, her face filled with regret. "I was too quick to speak! Didn't I already offend enough people?" she thought angrily as she chewed the noodles, cursing herself inwardly. Speaking of the Lian family, the "Divine Archers," as the name suggests, they were naturally renowned for their archery skills. There was a saying in the martial arts world: "The Lian family, the Divine Archers, can hit a target from a hundred paces away. They kill enemies and defeat barbarians without ever missing a shot." Three generations of the Lian family had served as officials, highly valued by the imperial court, all thanks to their unparalleled archery skills. But because of this, they were despised by their fellow martial artists. The imperial court and the martial arts world always had their share of conflicts. In any case, the Lian family wasn't considered part of the martial arts world, but the "Divine Archers" still held a place in it. The "Mandarin Duck Arrow Box" was one of the Lian family's symbols; a man carrying such an arrow box was likely a young master of the Lian family.

Xiao Xiao couldn't help but sigh. Look at Shi Le'er, no one knows her background, yet she's adorned head to toe with jewels, as if afraid people won't know she's rich. And this young master of the Lian family, clearly of noble birth, is dressed in plain clothes. Alas, this world…

She sighed softly, taking a big bite of the steamed bun in her hand. Oh well, in the end, she was the poorest person...

After finishing her meal alone, Xiaoxiao returned to her room. The Xingfeng Escort Agency, being wealthy and powerful, had booked the best rooms in the inn. Xiaoxiao hugged her pillow, rolled around on the bed, and felt instantly happy. After a day of hiking, a full meal, and a soft bed to sleep in, she should have been exhausted, but Xiaoxiao was surprisingly energetic and not sleepy at all. She stared wide-eyed at the ceiling above the bed.

An hour later, she got up and opened the window. The caravan was parked downstairs, with several bodyguards standing guard beside it. Xiao Xiao frowned, climbed onto the windowsill, and quickly leaped onto the roof.

Standing on the rooftop, the early spring night breeze was slightly chilly. She put her hands on her hips and laughed silently. If they forbade her to leave, she really wouldn't leave? What a joke!

She tiptoed lightly, taking quick steps. Hmm~ Now is the perfect time to be a thief. Why not wander around town and see if there's anything she can steal? With that thought, she shaded her eyes with her hand and looked around.

"Girl, you can't sleep either?"

Suddenly, she heard voices behind her. Startled, Xiao Xiao turned around.

It was a person wearing a feather mask; judging from the voice, it was a man. He was dressed in silver, the hem of his robes fluttering in the wind like moonlight.

“Silver... Silver Owl!!!” Xiao Xiao exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh? Miss, you know my name?" The man stood up, his voice tinged with amusement.

"Uh, Yin..." Xiao Xiao was about to call him "Hero," but instinctively felt that Yin Xiao was involved in robbery and plunder, which might be inappropriate, so she changed her tune, "Master Yin... Your name is legendary, everyone knows you. The moonlight is lovely tonight, are you also here for a stroll? Well then, I won't disturb you any longer, farewell..."

With a slight bow, I prepared to slip away.

"girl."

In the blink of an eye, Yin Xiao circled around to Xiao Xiao's side and blocked her way.

“Since we’ve met by chance, and the moonlight is just right, why don’t we have a chat?” Silver Owl said, putting his hands behind his back.

Xiao Xiao froze. Yin Xiao's lightness skill was among the best in the martial arts world, completely different from her half-baked abilities. If they really ran, she definitely wouldn't be able to escape. As for martial arts, Yin Xiao was, after all, a notorious thief, and one that the government had repeatedly failed to catch. His reputation was well-deserved, and she figured she was no match for him.

Xiao Xiao was on the verge of tears. How could she be so unlucky? She just casually climbed a rooftop and bumped into this darn guy. Heaven is jealous of talent…

"What...what do we have to talk about?" Xiao Xiao swallowed hard, looking flustered.

“Of course we talked,” Yin Xiao said, pacing a few steps. “Miss, you’ve been traveling with the Xingfeng Escort Agency, so you must know a lot of information. For example, which of these four carriages is…”

"I don't know." Xiao Xiao interrupted him before he could finish, immediately disclaiming any involvement. "Really, really, I have absolutely no idea..."

"Don't know?" Yin Xiao's tone was unfriendly.

"Grandpa Yin... I really don't know..." Little Xiao said pitifully, "I'm not related to them at all, why would they tell me? I was just passing by... I don't know anything, sir, please let me go~"

Yin Xiao looked Xiao Xiao up and down. "So, young lady, you're not from the Xingfeng Escort Agency?"

"No, no. I'm a disciple of the 'Breaking Wind Style,' I was just passing by," Xiao Xiao said earnestly.

Yin Xiao paced a few more steps. "That girl probably doesn't know what kind of shipment Xingfeng Escort Agency is escorting this time either?"

"Of course I don't know," Xiaoxiao said firmly. After thinking for a moment, she added, "And I absolutely don't want to know!"

Yin Xiao was taken aback. "You're quite interesting. A treasure that everyone in the world covets, and you don't even want to know about it."

Xiao Xiao covered her ears, "I really don't want to."

Yin Xiao immediately laughed, "Hahaha... What a 'Breaking Wind Style' disciple! It seems you won't tell the truth unless you suffer a bit."

After he finished speaking, he made a move to seize the small child's throat.

Xiao Xiao frantically dodged, screaming like a pig being slaughtered, "Robbers!!! Help!!! Indecent assault..." She sensed something was wrong, paused, and then... "Murder!!!"

Xiao Xiao's shout not only alerted the bodyguards on night watch, but also prompted several households in the town to light up their lamps.

Yin Xiao had thought that dealing with this little girl would be a piece of cake, but she narrowly avoided him. He was displeased. "It seems I underestimated the disciples of the 'Breaking Wind Style'." Yin Xiao reached out and drew a soft sword from his waist, unleashing a killing move.

The little girl was terrified. "No, sir!!! Spare me..."

Before she could even utter the word "fate," her foot slipped into the air. The roof tiles shattered layer by layer, and her entire leg became stuck in the rubble.

Xiao Xiao was stunned. Who built this house?! The next instant, Yin Xiao swung his sword, aiming to slash at her left shoulder. Xiao Xiao instinctively stepped back, but unexpectedly, her entire body sank down...

"Ah—" Xiao Xiao screamed, landing on her back. She scrambled to her feet, covered in dirt and wincing in pain. Looking up, she saw the young master of the Lian family, the master archer.

Perhaps he had heard Xiaoxiao's shouts earlier, for he stood by the bed, halfway through putting on his clothes, and stared at Xiaoxiao with a somewhat dazed expression.

"Hero!" Little Xiao immediately crawled to his side, rubbing her back and crying with tears streaming down her face, "Hero, help me..."

...

Speak out of turn

"Hero!" Little Xiao immediately crawled to his side, rubbing her back and crying with tears streaming down her face, "Hero, help me..."

...

The young master of the Lian family was still puzzled when he saw Yin Xiao leap in. The soft sword in his hand was still pointed directly at Xiao Xiao.

"Help!" Xiao Xiao cried out in alarm, her eyes closed.

The young master of the Lian family reached out and picked up the carved bow from the bedside table, using it to parry the soft sword.

"Mind your own business!" Silver Owl roared, his sword flashing as he aimed for the opponent's throat.

Young Master Lian pushed the carved bow upwards, leaned back, and easily dodged it.

The two immediately began to fight.

Little Xiaoxiao huddled in the corner of the bed, covering her head, watching the battle.

The Lian family, renowned for their archery, naturally possesses exceptional archery skills. However, close combat seems to be out of their depth. Before today, Xiao Xiao, and probably everyone in the martial world, thought so. But as Xiao Xiao watched, she was dumbfounded. It was clearly a carved bow, yet the methods of its use were far beyond Xiao Xiao's comprehension. The pushing, entangling, sticking, and thrusting techniques were clearly transformed swordsmanship.

My master once said that top-tier masters are never bound by the weapon they wield. I never imagined that this young master of the Lian family would possess such skill at such a young age.

After a few moves, Silver Owl also vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

"The Lian family of divine archers?" He stopped attacking and asked.

The young master of the Lian family smiled slightly, "Silver Owl?"

The two remained silent, a faint killing intent spreading outwards, sending chills down Xiao Xiao's spine.

Suddenly, the door was kicked open, and a group of bodyguards from Xingfeng Escort Agency entered.

"Miss Zuo, are you alright?" Li Zhenghai rushed into the house and asked. Then, he saw Yin Xiao. "Yin Xiao?!"

Silver Owl turned around instantly and attacked Li Zhenghai.

Li Zhenghai, who was accustomed to using a long sword, naturally found himself unable to maneuver effectively in the cramped room and was initially at a disadvantage. The two continued their fight in front of the door, leaving the remaining bodyguards unable to enter and only able to watch from the sidelines.

The young master of the Lian family frowned, picked up his sword, and joined the battle.

Xiao Xiao was completely dumbfounded. She hadn't expected that the renowned head镖师 (chief镖师) of the Xingfeng Escort Agency and the young master of the Lian family, known for their divine archery, could only manage a draw against this Silver Owl. It seemed that if Li Zhenghai hadn't intervened, the Lian family's young master would have been at a disadvantage after ten more moves. The martial world was truly treacherous. Tears welled in Xiao Xiao's eyes; if she hadn't fallen, she probably would have truly become a victim of Silver Owl's sword.

Xiao Xiao looked at Yin Xiao and sighed. Sure enough, this was a real villain. His martial arts were sharp and domineering, his personality insidious and unpredictable, and... he had the audacity to kill at the drop of a hat. Indeed, she was still very, very far from being a truly evil person...