Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 6

Xiao Xiao raised her eyes, looking at Shi Le'er walking ahead of her. Only three steps away, one palm strike was all it took; she didn't believe Shi Le'er wouldn't die. Xiao Xiao surveyed her surroundings; further ahead was a grove of trees beside the road. She would escape into the woods then. She figured they wouldn't abandon the caravan to chase her. If they couldn't catch her now, the world would be wide open, and she could roam freely later. Hehe, she, Zuo Xiao Xiao, was new to the martial world and had never killed anyone before. That was a major taboo in the martial world. The weather was nice today, so she might as well break it.

Xiao Xiao raised her hand, a wicked smile on her face. She was about to strike when she stopped. She had no internal energy; a single blow probably wouldn't solve the problem. A weapon? Hmm! That makes sense! She immediately looked around. Smash it with a stone? No, that would be too obvious, easily detected… A knife? Those bodyguards all carry them close to their bodies; that wouldn't be good… Then… Xiao Xiao suddenly saw something.

She chuckled silently, patiently waiting for the caravan to reach the woods.

With lightning speed, she leaped forward, pulled up the dart flag, closed her eyes, and thrust it straight at Shi Le'er.

For a moment, no one could react.

Just as Xiao Xiao thought her wicked plan was about to succeed, a sudden force pressed down on her flagpole. She looked closely and saw that the flagpole was densely covered with short arrows, blocking her attack.

She was startled, knowing something was wrong.

"There's an ambush!" Li Zhenghai shouted.

Before he could finish speaking, another volley of short arrows came hurtling towards the group.

Xiao Xiao immediately raised the dart flag, waving it left and right to deflect the arrows.

"Repeating crossbows, everyone be careful!" Li Zhenghai shouted, brandishing his long sword.

At this moment, a group of men in black rushed out of the forest and attacked without saying a word.

Little Xiao was on the verge of tears but had no choice but to continue waving the dart flag and grit her teeth to face the challenge.

“Xiao Jiang.” Shi Le’er spoke calmly from the side.

Upon receiving the order, Yue Huaijiang immediately drew his sword. A sharp sword wind swept through silently. His movements were extremely fast and his moves were light and agile. Xiaoxiao could only see the gleaming silver light of the longsword, but could not discern the moves. The "Seventeen Forms of the Storm Sword" emphasizes the word "speed" above all else. And that speed was astonishing.

Seeing that the men in black were gradually losing ground, suddenly, more short arrows shot out from the forest, heading straight for them.

Xiao Xiao immediately covered her head and squatted down, closing her eyes tightly.

Suddenly, a figure appeared from behind and, in a flash, blocked the short arrows.

"Brother Lian?" Shi Le'er exclaimed excitedly.

Xiao Xiao stood up and looked at the person who had come. The newcomer was none other than Lian Zhao, the young master of the Lian family, known for their divine archery skills.

Soon after, the men in black realized they were outmatched and hastily retreated.

Shi Le'er immediately became attached to Lian Zhao.

"Brother Lian, come save Le'er! Le'er is so happy~" Shi Le'er said shyly, taking Lian Zhao's hand.

Lian Zhao smiled and said, "It's good that you're alright."

Xiao Xiao broke out in a cold sweat. Shi Le'er's behavior was such a stark contrast... Suddenly, she remembered something and decided to slip away while no one was watching! If anyone investigated her for trying to kill Shi Le'er later, she wouldn't have enough lives to live!

She shivered, tiptoed, and moved.

"Miss Zuo!" Li Zhenghai's deep and resonant voice stopped his small steps.

Xiao Xiao turned her head, tears welling in her eyes, and asked, "What is it, hero?"

Li Zhenghai strode up to her, laughing as he patted her shoulder. "Miss Zuo, this is the third time already!"

"Huh?" Xiao Xiao asked, puzzled.

"If it weren't for the young lady waving her flag and blocking the first volley of crossbow bolts, we probably would have been ambushed. This is the third time the young lady has come to our rescue, isn't it?!" Li Zhenghai laughed.

Xiao Xiao was stunned and couldn't speak for a long time.

"I've decided to befriend this young lady! From now on, your affairs will be the affairs of my Xingfeng Escort Agency!" Li Zhenghai said earnestly.

Xiao Xiao was even more stunned.

The group of bodyguards all echoed in agreement.

Shi Le'er narrowed her eyes, released Lian Zhao's hand, walked to Xiao Xiao's side, and smiled, "Thank you, sister, for saving Le'er's life." She pointed to the dart flag on the side, with several short arrows still nailed to the flagpole.

Xiao Xiao immediately took a step back, not because Shi Le'er's humility and politeness made her feel flattered, but because the deep coldness in her eyes made Xiao Xiao's heart pound with fear.

Shi Le'er smiled, then turned around and took Lian Zhao's arm. "Uncle Li, Brother Lian is going the same way as us~ Why don't we walk together~"

Although Li Zhenghai was somewhat reluctant, he did not object.

The group continued on their journey, while Xiao Xiao remained helpless.

After traveling for about an hour, another caravan appeared ahead. Four caravans, twenty guards, and the banner still bore the name "Xingfeng" (meaning "Flying Wind"). Leading them was a woman of about twenty years old, dressed in a dark black dress, which accentuated her icy gaze. A long whip hung at her waist, its shaft jet black, but its tip a deep crimson.

She sighed softly. The Qi family's famous weapon: Crimson Ink. Why was it that all she encountered along the way were Qi family weapons?

Upon seeing them, the woman in black dismounted, stepped forward, and bowed with clasped hands. "Chief Escort Li."

Li Zhenghai also dismounted, "Miss Xia."

The woman then walked up to Shi Le'er, bowed, and said, "Xia Yun greets the City Lord."

Shi Le'er nodded. "Xia, is everything settled?"

Xia Yun nodded and waved her hand. Immediately, someone ran to the side and led out a carriage.

Xiao Xiao was stunned when she saw the carriage. The two horses pulling it were both pure white, adorned with gold foil on their foreheads. The carriage itself had four pillars made of white marble, and the walls and shafts were made of ebony. The curtains and reins were embroidered with gold thread. This extravagant luxury perfectly complemented the jewels adorning Shi Le'er's entire body…

Shi Le'er nodded in satisfaction and said, "Hmm, it would be even better if it were decorated with agate. However, time is limited, so never mind."

Agate?! A small fist clenched, tears welling in her eyes. Rich people really do talk differently...

Shi Le'er spoke again, "Uncle Li, we're almost at Hero's Fortress territory. Those bandits probably won't dare to cause trouble. Le'er will take her leave now."

Li Zhenghai nodded. "Okay. Le'er, be careful on the road."

"Okay." Shi Le'er nodded, looking at Lian Zhao, "Brother Lian, you're also going to Hero's Fortress, let's go together~"

Lian Zhao glanced at the pomp and circumstance, pondered for a while, and finally, unable to resist Shi Le'er's repeated requests, nodded.

Shi Le'er pulled him into the carriage. Upon seeing this, Yue Huaijiang and Xia Yun bid farewell to Li Zhenghai, mounted their horses, and followed him.

With the situation unclear, Xiaoxiao could only stand there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do.

Just then, Shi Le'er poked her head out of the carriage, "Little sister, come quick!"

Xiao Xiao was startled and had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow.

...

An eye-opener

Xiao Xiao sat in the carriage and realized that she was truly destined to be poor. The carriage was magnificent, with fine white fox fur carpets inside, as soft as light clouds. But Xiao Xiao felt as if she were sitting on needles and needles; not an inch of her body was comfortable.

She glanced up at Shi Le'er. Shi Le'er was engrossed in pestering Lian Zhao.

She sighed softly. The world is going to the dogs; people's hearts are no longer what they used to be. This Shi Le'er is only a few years old, yet he already knows how to cling to rich… no, powerful young masters. What kind of world is this?

well……

Suddenly, Xiao Xiao had a sudden thought. That's right! How could she not have thought of that! Seducing a powerful and influential man, and then using that to wreak havoc on the world—wasn't that the fastest shortcut?! Think of Mei Xi, Da Ji, Bao Si…weren't they all like that? She, Zuo Xiao Xiao, had neither superior martial arts skills nor a wealthy family background; how easy would it be to be a bad person? Perhaps… She looked up and glanced at Lian Zhao. Uh, although he was powerful and influential, Shi Le'er couldn't afford to offend him.

Hmm. Although there isn't a suitable candidate right now, there are so many young heroes in the martial arts world; there's bound to be an opportunity...

Thinking of this, she straightened her hair and smiled.

Shi Le'er saw her smile and gave a soft hum.

Just then, Xia Yun's voice rang out from outside the carriage. "Lord, we can see Hero's Fortress now."

Shi Le'er stood up and lifted the carriage curtain. Not far ahead was a town. It was bustling with activity, with carriages and people coming and going. A stone archway stood at the city gate, with the three characters "Hero's Fortress" carved in relief, strong and majestic.

Xiao Xiao stared at the archway. Five bays, six pillars, eleven stories—such grandeur! Truly befitting one of the three great families of the land. Hero's Fortress erected the archway to honor its virtue, while Taiping City piled gold and silver to display its wealth. Compared to that, she was indeed very poor…

Shi Le'er glanced at the archway with a hint of disdain, then lowered the curtain. She muttered under her breath, "Seeking fame and fortune."

Xiao Xiao was somewhat surprised upon hearing this. Hero's Fortress and Taiping City had been on friendly terms for generations, but Shi Le'er's words clearly indicated considerable dissatisfaction. There must be something fishy going on... Hmm, it's best not to ask...

Crossing the main street of the city, one arrives at the Hero's Fortress. The vermilion gate is over ten feet high, flanked by red-lacquered pillars and stone lion-shaped carvings, exuding an extraordinary grandeur. Unlike the couplets displayed at the entrances of ordinary homes, it adds to the air of martial dominance.

Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, someone stepped forward, cupped his hands, and asked, "Are you all friends here to attend the Fair of Rare Goods? Do you have invitations?"

A Rare Goods Fair? Xiao Xiao was quite surprised. Hero's Fortress held a Rare Goods Fair once a year. Ostensibly, it was a gathering of rare and exotic treasures from various sects for mutual appreciation, but in reality, it was merely a pilgrimage event for martial arts practitioners to pay homage to the foremost martial arts institution. Even so, the Rare Goods Fair was still highly regarded by martial arts enthusiasts. At the fair, there were rare jewels, lost martial arts manuals, extinct rare birds... As long as both parties agreed, buying and selling were free. Whether it was a monetary transaction or a martial arts duel was entirely up to the seller.

However, Master had said that Hero's Fortress did this for only one purpose: to confirm its standing in the martial arts world and to assess the strength of various factions. As the saying goes, wealth shouldn't be flaunted, but at the Rare Goods Fair, there's always an inevitable competition of wealth. And the discussions on martial arts principles are naturally equally intense. In this way, Hero's Fortress can roughly gauge the strength of each faction. Otherwise, why would Hero's Fortress bother spending huge sums of money to organize the Rare Goods Fair every year? Of course, the various factions in the martial arts world could choose not to attend… but they would have to consider whether they could afford to offend Hero's Fortress.

After hearing all this, Xiao Xiao felt that Hero's Fortress was utterly despicable. But her master added, "That's how the martial world is. Everyone has their own agenda, everyone gets what they need. He got a priceless treasure, so he got unparalleled martial arts. If you don't have something to exchange, never set foot in the martial world. Otherwise, you'll only have to risk your life..."

Xiao Xiao was lost in thought when Shi Le'er lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage, walking to the door. As expected, her jewel-adorned appearance stunned the guards at the door. She waved, and Yue Huaijiang immediately stepped forward and handed over the invitation.

The guards took the invitation, opened it, and their expressions changed. "So it's the Lord of Taiping City. Please come in."

Shi Le'er walked in with her head held high, hands behind her back, seemingly oblivious to everyone else.

Xiao Xiao followed behind, sighing. Looks like the holiday is quite big…

Just as everyone was about to enter, they suddenly heard children singing behind them.

"Peaceful City is not peaceful, heroes have perished in Hero's Fortress. At Baicaoling, the ancestral home of Shennong, ghosts cry every night until dawn."

Several five- or six-year-old children gathered at the entrance of Hero's Fortress, singing and dancing. The nursery rhyme was extremely satirical, but the children were innocent and naive, and probably didn't know what it meant.

Xiao Xiao couldn't help but laugh; it was indeed a children's song that hit the nail on the head. The old lord of Taiping City had passed away, and the successor was a girl who hadn't even reached marriageable age, so its power was far less than before. As for Hero's Fortress, since the previous lord passed away two years ago, his sons had been scheming against each other, and the position of fortress lord hadn't been decided yet. As for the Shennong family, it was rumored that they had a fierce battle five years ago, and since then, the Shennong family had closed their doors and stopped practicing medicine.

Although this is common knowledge, no one has dared to mention it in front of these three great families. I really don't know who taught these children to sing this song.

Upon hearing this, Shi Le'er was naturally displeased. She raised an eyebrow and turned around, saying, "Is this how Hero's Fortress treats its guests?"

The guards at the gate immediately apologized and went forward to drive the children away.

"Go away, go away! Whose child is this? Go home right now!"

The children laughed and scattered, but didn't leave. They kept singing nursery rhymes.

"A dignified Hero's Fortress, yet it tolerates the ridicule of a mere child. It truly broadens my horizons," Shi Le'er said with an innocent sneer.

Upon hearing this, the guards also became anxious. They drew their swords and threatened the children.

“Drawing a sword on a child? Ah, Hero's Fortress is indeed different.” Shi Le’er continued to mock.

Xiao Xiao was speechless. Shi Le'er was indeed not someone to be trifled with. Looking at the guards' disheveled state, tsk tsk, poor things.

"Don't block the way."

A clear male voice came from behind them.

Turning her head slightly, she saw a handsome young man. He appeared to be around twenty years old, with a hint of masculinity in his brows, yet his eyes held a slightly frivolous air. He wore a royal blue silk robe, clearly a wealthy young master. And judging from his tone, he seemed to have deep ties to Hero's Fortress. Her small eyes lit up instantly. Indeed, there were many talented young men among them!