Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 22

A bowstring, originally an instrument used to draw a bow, is not particularly rare. But when it came from Lian Zhao's hands, it was a different story. The Lian family's bone bowstring, crafted from ivory, was carved with a flying arrow piercing through clouds. It had always been a token passed down only within the family, reserved for direct descendants of the Lian family.

Xiao Xiao stared at the bone frame, speechless.

"This is a token of the Lian family. I dare not say about the martial arts world, but if any government officials see this buckle, they will not make things difficult for you." As he spoke, he placed the bone buckle into Xiao Xiao's hand.

Xiao Xiao felt the bone scepter in her hand was incredibly heavy. Why wasn't he suspicious at all? The feathered arrow she was holding, the hole in her clothes, and all the other clues—weren't they enough to make him suspicious? Yet he not only protected her but also gave her the Lian family's token… Such generosity was enough to crush a person.

"What's wrong?" Lian Zhao asked with a smile when he saw her lost in thought.

She glanced up at him, then changed the subject, "Uh, I'm hungry."

Lian Zhao was taken aback. "I had completely forgotten about this... Sorry, let's go get something to eat."

She nodded slightly and went out.

As Xiaoxiao walked along the corridor, something suddenly occurred to her. Come to think of it, she had fled in a hurry last night. She knew nothing about what happened after she left the secret room. If Lian Zhao truly didn't suspect her, asking him would undoubtedly be the best option.

"By the way, what exactly happened last night? Why was it so noisy?" she asked casually.

Lian Zhao's expression immediately turned serious. "Last night, three people broke into the forbidden crystal chamber of Hero's Fortress. The Three Heroes gathered the martial arts practitioners in the fortress to pursue and eliminate them."

She nodded slightly. "So, what you meant yesterday when you told me you were going out to run errands was this."

Lian Zhao nodded, "Half of it. San Ying didn't expect those people to actually show up last night."

"Oh. Who on earth is so bold as to do this?" Xiao Xiao continued to ask.

“One of them was the notorious bandit Yin Xiao, whose lightness skill allowed him to escape. Another person slipped into the fortress under the cover of darkness, but we don’t know who he is. However, he was hit by one of my arrows, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find him,” Lian Zhao said. “The last person is Mo Yun. He came out of the forbidden area last night with a wooden box. He also killed many disciples, and now we suspect that he is the mastermind behind everything.”

"Mo Yun?" Xiao Xiao was shocked. In the chaos, Mo Yun hadn't run away? He even showed up brazenly? Good heavens, there's a limit to how much he fears death! Oh no, if he exposes her, she's doomed!

Lian Zhao didn't notice Xiao Xiao's expression and continued, "But according to Mo Yun, it was Lady Xi who sent a maid to invite him to the back garden. However, Lady Xi vehemently denied it."

"Is it that complicated?" Xiao Xiao replied. "However, I've heard that Madam Xi and Mo Yun have always had a grudge, so we can't really trust what she says, can we?"

“I don’t know the details of this affair either,” Lian Zhao said, looking at her. “However, everything happened after Mo Yun arrived at Hero’s Fortress, and the weapon used to kill was made by the Qi family. Not only that, but last night, palm prints of the ‘Nether Thunder Palm’ were found in the tunnel. The ‘Nether Thunder Palm’ is a unique skill of the Divine Firmament Sect, and years ago, Qi Han traded weapons for the first three moves of the ‘Nether Thunder Palm.’ Finally, there’s the ‘Ghost Master’… The ‘Ghost Master’ and the Qi family have always had a close personal relationship. All of this makes Mo Yun the most suspicious.” He finished speaking and smiled. “But in any case, these matters are ultimately Hero’s Fortress’s internal affairs. The Three Heroes have already ordered an investigation, and there should be an answer soon.”

Xiao Xiao nodded slightly. Indeed, Lian Zhao had never been interested in the affairs of Hero's Fortress, and he only made a brief appearance at the Rare Goods Fair without actually participating. His only target was the "Ghost Master"... However, judging from the current situation, the chances of the "Ghost Master" being behind this were extremely slim. Sigh, this matter was already complicated enough, and now it's dragged into Lady Xi and Mo Yun's personal feud, making things even more chaotic.

However… Xiao Xiao frowned. Qi Han, the last descendant of the Qi family, possessed the secret manual for the first three forms of the “Nether Thunder Palm.” And the “Ghost Master” had a connection with the Qi family. The “Ghost Master’s” deeds were never mentioned in Master’s account book. Could it be that Master’s death was related to the “Ghost Master”? If it was that world-renowned “Ghost Master,” it wasn’t impossible for him to kill Master with a single palm strike.

She was lost in thought when Yue Huaijiang suddenly appeared from the side and pulled her up.

"Finally found you!" Yue Huaijiang said happily. "Ah, Young Master Lian, I'm sorry." He greeted Lian Zhao, then took Xiao Xiao and left.

Xiao Xiao was dragged along without knowing what was going on, and when she came to her senses, they had already arrived in front of Shi Le'er's house.

Xiao Xiao felt a sense of foreboding. She had long forgotten about Shi Le'er and wondered what new tricks this girl had up her sleeve.

Shi Le'er was in the room, deep in thought with a serious expression.

"Le'er, I've brought Xiaoxiao with me," Yue Huaijiang said.

Shi Le'er looked up and said, "Little Miss, you're really amazing. You've already changed your room in just a few days."

He gave a few dry laughs, neither confirming nor denying.

Shi Le'er stood up from the table and said, "I need to ask my sister for a favor..." As she was speaking, she caught a glimpse of the hole in Xiao Xiao's left shoulder.

Shi Le'er's eyes changed, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly. "So, it was you who set fire to the east wing yesterday."

Xiao Xiao was terrified and quickly shook her head, "I'm innocent! How could I have such a guts?!"

Shi Le'er glared at her and walked to her side. "Then where did you get this 'Fine Embroidered Silk' on you?"

Xiao Xiao froze. The tear in her clothes did indeed reveal the delicate white embroidered silk beneath. She immediately covered the hole with her hand, her face filled with terror. Oh no… Now, she had no choice but to confess and downplay her crime. Xiao Xiao knelt down abruptly, tears welling in her eyes, and said, “Lord, please forgive me. I was just greedy. I’ve suffered hardship since childhood, barely having enough to eat. When I saw that treasure, I had evil thoughts…”

"Not even enough to eat?" Shi Le'er sneered. "I used to believe it. But now you're the betrothed young mistress of the Lian family, the Divine Arrow. Do you think Lian Zhao would mistreat you? You've got some nerve, causing trouble in Hero's Fortress."

The little girl looked at her pitifully, "Lord... I won't do it again next time..."

Shi Le'er twirled a strand of hair with her finger. "Fine. Anyway, I don't have much of a relationship with Hero's Fortress or that Lord of the Sables. But..."

Xiao Xiao nodded immediately and said, "Whatever the city lord commands, Xiao Xiao will go through fire and water, devoting herself to the utmost, even unto death..."

"Alright, alright." Shi Le'er looked at her. "I just asked you to list all the Qi family weapons in the fortress."

"Huh?" Xiao Xiao asked, puzzled.

“In recent days, all the dead have died from Qi family weapons. As long as we find the weapons, we can find out where the murderer is. Only you, sister, can do that, right?” Shi Le’er said.

Xiao Xiao suddenly realized, "The city lord is wise!"

Shi Le'er smiled and sat down at the table again. "I really don't know what deep hatred Madam Xi has for Mo Yun that she would resort to such despicable means to frame him."

"Hey, Lord City, how do you know it's a frame-up?" Xiao Xiao asked.

Shi Le'er smiled and said, "I don't know. I just don't want Madam tide to have her way."

"Huh?" Xiao Xiao was taken aback.

“Whatever she did, it was all just to ensure her son's position as lord of the fortress. If the real culprit isn't found within three days, even the Three Heroes can't protect him. In that case, wouldn't I be forced to marry Wei Wenxi no matter what? What a joke!” Shi Le’er replied.

Xiao Xiao was quite surprised. Could it really be true? The situation is so chaotic right now, everyone is panicking because of the murderer. Yet Shi Le'er is still only concerned with that childhood engagement? It's fine if Mo Yun isn't the murderer now, but what if he is? Wouldn't that be aiding and abetting evil? ...Just as Master said, what do justice and fairness matter? No matter what, everyone only thinks about protecting their own interests.

"In short, we must find enough evidence to prove Mo Yun's innocence. I'll leave this to you and Xiao Jiang. Don't let me down, little sister." Shi Le'er's eyes gleamed, her tone chilling.

"Yes!" Xiao Xiao answered without hesitation.

Yue Huaijiang patted Xiaoxiao's shoulder, "Let's not delay, let's go see the body first."

"A corpse?!" Xiao Xiao's eyes widened.

Shi Le'er frowned and said coldly, "Is there a problem?"

"No..." Xiao Xiao said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Change your clothes and go right away!" Shi Le'er said with a smile.

Xiao Xiao nodded helplessly and did as instructed.

With many disciples dying in Hero's Fortress in recent days, unused rooms in the south wing were converted into temporary storage for corpses. The disciples guarding the gate recognized them as people from Taiping City and did not stop them from entering.

It was just a bare room with four walls, filled with hard bedding, and the corpses were neatly arranged. The weather was still cold in March, so there was no stench of decay. However, the room was dark and chilling, and the burning incense added to the eeriness.

Xiao Xiao reluctantly went inside. Yue Huaijiang, holding a steamed bun, mumbled between bites, "The coroner came last night..." He glanced at Xiao Xiao, then took out another steamed bun, "Want one?"

Xiao Xiao looked at the room full of corpses, her lips twitching as she said, "No need... thank you..."

Yue Huaijiang walked up to a corpse. "The coroner has confirmed that the wounds on this body were indeed caused by 'Minyan'. Although Le'er wants us to find evidence, I think that Young Master Mo Yun is probably in grave danger."

"No way, he's the second young master of Hero's Fortress, surely San Ying wouldn't treat him like this?" Xiao Xiao said.

"It's hard to say." Yue Huaijiang took a bite of his steamed bun. "There are witnesses and physical evidence. Hero's Fortress has always been known for its fairness in the martial arts world. I'm afraid... Besides, that Young Master Mo Yun is currently under house arrest. How could he possibly escape? Tsk, I think Le'er should just give up on that idea and obediently marry Young Master Wenxi..."

House arrest?! Xiao Xiao was stunned. Good heavens, according to the usual pattern, the next step would be severe torture. Then, Mo Yun would definitely reveal the affair between Yin Xiao and her—wow, then she'd be finished. Right now, she absolutely had to find evidence to prove his innocence!

Thinking of this, Xiaoxiao immediately ran to the corpse and examined it carefully. The wound was extremely fine, with blood clotted under the skin; it was indeed the work of a Qi family weapon. And such a wound should have been caused by a sword or similar weapon. The only Qi family weapons in Hero's Fortress were the "Fei" and "Minyan"... Sigh, wasn't this completely clueless?

She sighed and continued looking at another corpse.

“That’s not it,” Yue Huaijiang said.

Xiao Xiao paused, looking down at the corpse. She racked her brains before remembering the person. On the first day of the Fair of Strange Goods, the ghost matchmaker had caused trouble; this was none other than the unfortunate hero Yu Feixiong, who had been dragged down to the underworld to become a son-in-law. Tsk, this Hero's Fortress is really something, so many days have passed, and they still won't let him rest in peace. Looks like they've been too busy… Xiao Xiao clasped her hands together and bowed. Suddenly, she noticed the wound on Yu Feixiong's neck. Although it wasn't caused by a Qi family weapon, it was still extremely fine, penetrating deep into the bone. Yu Feixiong had died from the "Red Thread of Yama"…

Could it be that they were all wrong, and the real murderer did not use a sword?

Xiao Xiao immediately went to the other corpses. Sure enough, the wounds on the first disciple to die, and the disciple whose limbs had been severed, were all similar. The wounds of the disciple killed later by "Min Yan," while also extremely thin, showed a clear difference in width at both ends. The real murder weapon was likely a rope, and an extremely thin one at that…

Inside Hero's Fortress, the fine ropes forged by the Qi family? ... After pondering for a while, Xiao Xiao suddenly realized, "Yisha"?

"Xiao Jiang, I understand," Xiao Xiao immediately said. "The murderer didn't use a sword or knife, but a fine rope called 'Yisha'!"

“'Yisha'? Wow, I’ve never even heard of it.” Yue Huaijiang walked over.

Xiao Xiao then described the differences in the wounds in detail. Upon listening, Yue Huaijiang immediately frowned and said, "Since the wounds are different, there's no reason the coroner wouldn't be able to tell. Unless…"

“Unless someone is deliberately hiding it,” Xiao Xiao said.

“That’s right. The murderer is probably someone from Hero’s Fortress, and someone who holds power!” Yue Huaijiang clapped his hands and said.

"Yes, yes!" Xiao Xiao was overjoyed.

"However, are you sure that 'Yisha' thing is inside Hero's Fortress?" Yue Huaijiang asked.

"I..." Xiao Xiao was about to describe the situation inside the crystal room, but she immediately stopped herself. She almost blurted out something inadvertently. "I don't know either..." she quickly changed her words.

“‘Yisha’ is indeed inside Hero’s Fortress.” At that moment, a voice came from the doorway.

Turning her head slightly, she saw Wei Ying.

Wei Ying walked in, stared at Xiao Xiao, and said, "What you just said was the truth?"

She nodded slightly.

Looking at the corpses, Wei Ying said, "I must find the real culprit." With that, he quickly left.

Yue Huaijiang crossed his arms and walked over to Xiaoxiao.

“Wow. I never expected that while Lady Xi sees Mo Yun as a thorn in her side, Young Master Wenxi is so eager to exonerate his second brother. Truly, brotherly love runs deep.” He sighed and continued, “However… even if it’s proven that Mo Yun wasn’t the one who killed him earlier, what about last night? So many eyes saw him come out of the crystal chamber, and besides, those disciples did indeed die under the influence of ‘Mianyan’…”

She lowered her head slightly. Indeed, even if it could be proven that Mo Yun wasn't responsible for what happened earlier, how could she explain what happened in the crystal chamber? Mechanisms, secret passages, the man in black… how could she possibly explain all of this? Besides, how could she possibly say it?!

Protecting one's own interests is the most urgent task.

If they can't escape Mo Yun's guilt, then, as bad guys, they have one more trick up their sleeve: kill him to silence him.

A name

After examining the body, Xiao Xiao and Yue Huaijiang left the morgue. Yue Huaijiang went to find the coroner, while Xiao Xiao went back to her room to rest.

This time, Xiaoxiao returned to her own room. The room, which had been a mess, was now clean and tidy. Xiaoxiao walked a few steps to the bedside, where her sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument) lay peacefully. She reached out, hugged the sanxian to her chest, sat on the edge of the bed, and quietly thought.

Even a novice villain like her knows to kill to cover it up, so how could the real murderer not know? The coroner is probably in grave danger. Who is it, what is their motive for doing this? However, one thing is certain: the real murderer is likely not a top-tier expert. This timidity, just as Yin Xiao said, suggests, makes them a nobody?

Wait a minute, what does all this have to do with her? Xiao Xiao frowned, indignant. She was just passing through, so why would someone want to set a trap for her? Why was she the target of the man in black in the tunnel? Although she was determined to do bad things, she hadn't succeeded yet. Surely she shouldn't have made an enemy of him?

Xiao Xiao's head ached from thinking, so she lay down on the bed. "Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts," "Ghost Master," "Nether Thunder Palm"... Why did she feel that this involved something big?

If it's a big deal, just how big is it?

The thought of "big" suddenly brought back memories of her childhood. Back then, she and her master wandered the world, sometimes stopping briefly in villages. Unlike the other children in the village, she couldn't afford to attend a private school, and her master taught her to read and write. As a result, she became a target of bullying.

She still remembers when she was seven years old, a few boys threw mud all over her, and she cried her face raw.