Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 25

“Even so…” Wei Ying suddenly spoke, his voice trembling slightly, “Even so, what happened at Hero's Fortress today wasn’t his doing. Isn’t this kind of framing just letting the real culprit go unpunished…”

Zhao Yan turned around, smiling charmingly, "Zhao Yan is just a maid. Who the real culprit is is none of my business. Third Young Master, you have time to play family games, why don't you go and hunt down the real culprit, so that I don't wrongly accuse your 'Second Brother'?"

After the two men left, the people in the kitchen remained silent. Xiao Xiao felt a pang of melancholy. She had thought the two brothers could rekindle their fraternal bond, but it seemed the events of ten years ago had taken such a complicated turn. Sigh, now she could only hope they wouldn't turn on each other…

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the kitchen as a large group of disciples approached. Xiao Xiao sighed; she knew Zhao Yan wouldn't let Mo Yun off so easily. Such terrifying hatred…

She looked at the two motionless figures and whispered, "Uh, gentlemen, I'll go first, is that alright?"

The two remained silent, and no one responded.

Xiao Xiao took it as tacit approval, leaped out of the window, and ran away in a flash. Avoiding the crowd, she pretended to be nonchalant and slowly walked down the corridor.

She lowered her head, lost in thought. From what she'd just heard, Zhao Yan and Lady Xi were clearly unrelated to what had happened inside Hero's Fortress. That meant they might also be unaware of the man in black in the secret passage, and the secret passage in Master Xi Yuan's room. However, their actions had undeniably condoned the true culprit… Who was this person who could use Hero's Fortress's unique footwork, knew the fortress's terrain intimately, and even bribed the coroner?

Lost in thought, Xiao Xiao had already reached her door. To her great surprise, Lian Zhao was sitting inside, holding an arrow in his hand.

Xiao Xiao was about to avoid him, but Lian Zhao had already seen her. He stood up, took a few steps forward, and grabbed her.

"Young Master Lian, is there something you need?" Xiao Xiao asked in fear.

Lian Zhao's expression was extremely serious. "Xiao Xiao, how do you know Yin Xiao?"

Her heart skipped a beat. Yes, Lian Zhao wasn't stupid; a quick count of the arrows in the quiver would have revealed the discrepancy. She hadn't expected to be caught in this man's trap. No, giving up now was too early. Her master had said: "If you do something wrong and are caught red-handed, never rush to confess unless you're caught red-handed. Play it safe a little longer; perhaps there will be a turning point."

Her small eyes darted around, and she remembered the first time she met Lian Zhao, when she was being chased by Yin Xiao and ended up in his room. Her face immediately filled with grief and indignation as she said, "He tried to kill me..."

Lian Zhao frowned. "I know that. What exactly happened between you and him?"

Xiao Xiao was somewhat bewildered. It didn't sound like a formal interrogation. She began to feel fortunate that she hadn't immediately confessed. She steadied herself and, with tears in her eyes, said, "My father was a merchant, and our family possessed many treasures. That Silver Owl coveted those treasures, and on a dark and windy night… he… he killed my entire family to steal them. Fortunately, my master happened to pass by and saved me. Unexpectedly, he wouldn't let me go and chased me relentlessly. Young Master Lian… if it weren't for you that day, I really…" She broke down in sobs before she could finish.

Lian Zhao released his grip and comforted her, "Xiao Xiao... I didn't know you had gone through something so terrible. I didn't mean to bring it up..."

Xiao Xiao sobbed as she answered, "It's none of your business... I'm powerless to avenge them, I'm sorry to my parents in heaven..."

When Lian Zhao saw her crying so sadly, he panicked.

"Xiaoxiao, don't cry. I will naturally avenge you..." Lian Zhao reached out and wiped away her tears.

"Why...why did you suddenly bring this up?" Xiao Xiao asked, wiping away her tears.

Lian Zhao frowned. "There's an extra arrow in my quiver..." he said. "That night, I shot two. Now one has returned. I'm afraid it's Silver Owl..."

"How do you know it's Silver Owl?" Xiao Xiao asked, puzzled.

"Putting the arrow back would be tantamount to revealing our identities. The murderer wouldn't be that clumsy," Lian Zhao said seriously. "I'm afraid that Silver Owl is harboring resentment and deliberately provoking us. He's probably inside Hero's Fortress right now... He chased you before, so he must recognize you. Now that he's my enemy, I'm afraid it's even more unsafe for you to be by my side."

Xiaoxiao stared blankly at him, not knowing what to say.

"I was just acting rashly and wanted to know why he was chasing you. I was sorry." Lian Zhao's voice was full of apology.

Xiao Xiao unconsciously avoided his gaze and lowered her head. She couldn't help but wonder, what would happen if Lian Zhao found out one day that everything she had said was a lie?

Suddenly, several silver lights shot in from outside the door. Lian Zhao picked up Xiao Xiao and spun around to avoid them. The silver needles were then embedded in the ground where they had been standing.

"A silver gleam of quenched snow! It really is him!" Lian Zhao exclaimed in surprise. He put Xiao Xiao down and chased after her.

Xiao Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, patted her chest, and thought, "That was close." She looked at the gleaming silver light on the ground and scratched her head.

"You brat!"

She heard the sound, but before she could even look up, she was hit hard on the head.

"Grandpa Silver...Grandpa Silver..." Little Xiao began pitifully.

Silver Owl crouched down, pulled out the silver needles from the ground, and said with a sinister smile, "How come I don't remember killing your whole family? Huh?"

With tears welling up in her eyes, Xiaoxiao said, "Grandpa, I...I had no choice..."

Yin Xiao brandished the needle in his hand. "You brat, don't expect me to remove the needle for you!"

"No, please, Grandpa Yin..." Xiao Xiao pleaded.

"Oh my, when did you become afraid of being wronged?" A charming and pleasant voice rang out from behind Yin Xiao.

Looking up slightly, she was even more surprised. The one dressed in red, holding a sandalwood fan, was clearly the "ghost matchmaker" Li Si.

“Who said I’m afraid of being wronged?” Yin Xiao stood up and said with displeasure, “Matchmaker, stop talking nonsense.”

Li Si held up her fan, covering her mouth, "Oh, or am I talking nonsense? I clearly saw you threatening this young lady..."

"I threatened her?" Yin Xiao sneered. "I'm not bragging, but I do have feelings for her."

"Ha, what a joke! You, a robber, have feelings and sentiments?"

"Better than you. Remember, those who act as matchmakers for others often can't even get married themselves."

Seeing the two arguing so enthusiastically, Xiao Xiao didn't dare to speak. Judging from the situation, Yin Xiao and Gui Mei were friends, not enemies, and their relationship was rather superficial. However, to come in so blatantly like this, weren't they afraid of being seen... Poor Xiao Xiao, an outsider, was now making things worse and couldn't extricate herself from the situation any longer.

As I thought this, my wrist started to ache again. I sighed helplessly, "Ah...bad luck..."

A frame-up

After listening to their bickering for a while, Xiao Xiao roughly understood the purpose of their visit.

After Yin Xiao escaped that night, he was naturally pursued by the disciples of Hero's Fortress. His lightness skill was exceptional, and he barely managed to break free. There, he encountered Li Si, the matchmaker waiting outside Hero's Fortress. The two already had a prior relationship, and after exchanging a few words, they joined forces to return to the fortress. Yin Xiao naturally wanted to seek revenge on the Lady of the Vine and the man in black, while Li Si wanted to meet the person who wielded the Nether Thunder Palm.

Xiao Xiao couldn't help but sigh. The guards at Hero's Fortress are really something; these past few days they've probably only been preventing people from leaving. They don't care who just walks in! And besides, if these two are seeking revenge, why did they have to target her too?

"Let's get back to the point." Yin Xiao suddenly said seriously, "Girl, is there something you're hiding from me?"

Xiao Xiao paused for a moment, puzzled, "Me? What could I possibly be hiding from you?"

"I've been suspicious ever since you saved me through the secret passage that day. Qianzhu Xiyuan lured you to the back garden. You two should have just met by chance, so why would she want to harm you?" Yin Xiao asked, frowning slightly.

Xiao Xiao frowned and shook her head. "I don't know either..."

Li Si smiled and said, "You mentioned being a bandit before. To be able to set up a secret passage in the room, then Master Xi Yuan must be colluding with the people in Hero's Fortress. Perhaps, that accomplice has a grudge against this girl."

Yin Xiao looked at Xiao Xiao and said, "That must be the man in black... He was so eager to kill you to silence you, which means he knew you recognized him."

"You recognize them?" The little girl touched her chin, trying hard to think. "I don't recognize a single person in Hero's Fortress..."

Yin Xiao sighed, "Think it over carefully again. Who have you met and what have you done along the way? Who is determined to kill you..."

Xiao Xiao glanced at Yin Xiao and said timidly, "You..."

Yin Xiao immediately flew into a rage and smacked Xiao Xiao hard on the head. "You brat, I'll teach you to talk nonsense!"

Xiao Xiao covered her head and hurriedly apologized.

"Alright, alright," Li Si interrupted helplessly. "This isn't the place to talk. Let's not waste any more time. Let this girl think it over."

Yin Xiao then withdrew his hand and glared at Xiao Xiao. "I'll come find you again after nightfall, you brat, you better know what's good for you."

Xiao Xiao repeatedly agreed.

Li Si held her fan, a slight smile playing on her lips. She turned to leave. Just then, her eyes caught sight of the sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument) on the bed. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes. She then looked at Xiao Xiao, her smile vanishing completely.

"What are you standing there for, matchmaker?" Yin Xiao said impatiently.

Li Si snapped out of her daze and followed after him in a few steps. She smiled and said, "Bandit, you've probably messed with someone you shouldn't have."

Yin Xiao didn't quite understand. Li Si, however, said no more and used her lightness skill to leave.

Xiao Xiao was in her room, rubbing her head and smiling foolishly. She hadn't said a single wrong thing. Throughout the entire journey, the only one who had been determined to kill her was Yin Xiao.

She gradually calmed down and began to think carefully. Who had she met, what had she done along the way? Well… those who came to collect debts as soon as she descended the mountain could probably be disregarded. Then, she met Shi Le'er, eagerly intending to rob her. But she unexpectedly encountered the Xingfeng Escort Agency's caravan, and her plan failed. Subsequently, she was forced to follow the caravan. That's how she arrived at Hero's Fortress.

During this period, only Silver Owl's night raid was truly terrifying. What else was there?

Suddenly, something occurred to her, and she froze. No, not just once. There had been two other robberies before and after this one. It was already incomprehensible that such arrogant bandits would operate so brazenly not far from Hero's Fortress. Moreover, the meticulous planning of their actions clearly indicated that it had been premeditated. Could it be that the man in black inside Hero's Fortress was the same man in black from before?

Xiao Xiao continued to think hard. Which of these men in black could she recognize? The events of that day began to replay in her mind. She had been hiding behind the caravan, intending to rob it and escape quickly, but was attacked by a man in black. By a twist of fate, she had barely managed to force him back, even kicking his sword and injuring his left shoulder. If there was anyone she could recognize, it could only be this person…

A left shoulder injury? She had barely thought of this when a flood of clues came to mind.

Yin Xiao had told her: "Hmph. They only managed to injure me with a single palm strike. Yet I struck two of them with the Refined Snow Silver Light. Within three days, we'll know who the culprit is. There's also one person with a wound on his left shoulder; with careful investigation, he won't be difficult to catch."

Yue Huaijiang held her left hand and said: It's strange, everyone's left hand has been acting up lately... Last night, when Master Fang and I were chasing the man in black, his left hand was also injured.

Xiao Xiao couldn't help but gasp. She calmed herself down and continued thinking.

That day, she set fire to the east wing, which accidentally opened a secret passage. The first people to arrive at the scene were...

That's right, it's Master Fang.

In other words, he was the first to arrive that day. Seeing the situation was dire, he naturally went inside to investigate. Then, he dismissed his disciples and went into the secret passage to hunt her down?

"It can't be true!" Xiao Xiao paced anxiously. If it was Hall Master Fang, then what was his purpose? He colluded with Master Qian Xiyuan to create a secret passage leading directly to the forbidden crystal chamber. What was his aim?

The wooden box in Mo Yun's hands? No, impossible. Excavating the secret passage would take time. How could he have predicted that Mo Yun, after entering Hero's Fortress and committing numerous murders, would ultimately store the wooden box in the crystal chamber? Leaving aside Hall Master Fang, the purpose of the Slender Master was not the wooden box.

She immediately thought of another item in the crystal chamber. A single-edged halberd? Could this be the Slender Master's true target? An ordinary halberd would never need to be stored in a crystal chamber, especially with the "Shadow Kill" technique deployed... Wait, if the disciple earlier died from the "Shadow Kill" technique as she suspected, that means the "Shadow Kill" technique wasn't in the crystal chamber before that? What other secrets lie behind this?

Her little head ached from thinking. She rubbed her temples and let out a deep breath. She decided to stop thinking about it! Knowing that Master Fang was a suspect, she would just be more cautious in the future. What did the other conspiracies have to do with her?

She nodded to herself, then suddenly remembered something else. She looked down at the ground, tears welling in her eyes. Yin Xiao, oh Yin Xiao, only now does he know to cherish "Refined Silver Light"? When Lian Zhao returns and sees the silver needles gone, he'll surely know Yin Xiao was here. Then, she'll be alone in the room, unharmed—how will she explain herself?

Thinking this through, she immediately realized that "this place is not safe to stay." She peeked out the door and looked around. Seeing that no one was around, she gritted her teeth and started ransacking the room. She overturned tables and chairs, smashed dishes, and made the room, which had only been tidied up a little while ago, a complete mess again. She looked at the sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument) on the bed; for the sake of making the performance more realistic, she naturally couldn't take it. She sighed. Then, she broke through the window and escaped.

Her feet had barely touched the ground when she unconsciously turned back. Seeing this, Lian Zhao would probably be worried… but no matter how it started, the outcome was impossible. She sighed and ran off lightly.

It was still early before nightfall, and she figured she needed to find a place to hide. Although Hero's Fortress was large, hiding someone wouldn't be easy. She thought hard for a moment, and suddenly a bold idea came to her.

Xiao Xiao carefully avoided everyone's attention and arrived at the outside of the North Garden wall. Finding the dog hole, she climbed in. Xiao Xiao came out of the dog hole, patted the mud and weeds off her body, and smiled smugly.

The North Garden was deserted. Mo Yun's escape naturally caused a commotion within Hero's Fortress. Since a large number of disciples had gone to the kitchen to capture him and hadn't returned by this hour, there were only two possibilities. One, Mo Yun's martial arts were too good for those disciples to handle; two, Mo Yun had already surrendered and was now being held captive in a different location. Xiao Xiao thought the latter was more likely. Now that he knew Zhao Yan's identity, he would definitely remain in the fortress until he sent out the wooden box.

Hehe, no matter what, Beiyuan is now the safest place in Hero's Fortress.

She looked down at the plants in the garden. Sure enough, among the tangled vegetation, there were rhododendrons and yellow azaleas. The former, though withered, still had green veins in its leaves. The latter, however, already had flower buds, ready to bloom. With a touch of helplessness, she squatted down and gently touched the flower buds.

Just then, she sensed someone behind her. She jumped up abruptly, on guard. To her surprise, the person who approached was Wei Ying.

"What are you doing here?" Wei Ying's face had lost its previous radiance, and she looked slightly dejected. Although he asked, he did not insist on an answer, and his eyes fell on the grass and trees on the ground.

Xiao Xiao noticed that no one else had come besides him. Knowing that his purpose might only be to verify the truth of Zhao Yan's words, she couldn't help but feel a little desolate.

"What's your relationship with my second brother?" Wei Ying asked, then asked another question.

"Huh?" Xiao Xiao feigned innocence.

"You came here to save him before, didn't you...?" Wei Ying looked at her, "and now you've come here again, also for him?"