Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 63

Everyone fell silent, surprised by this unexpected turn of events.

"Young lady, what do you mean by those words?" Ba Jitian asked.

Zhao Yan raised her eyes, hesitated for a long time, and choked out, "Master Shen... those girls were all killed by Master Shen..." Her tearful appearance was pitiful, and her voice was extremely sad, enough to break the heart of the listener, "Master Shen has been colluding with Ling You all along, cruelly killing girls... This servant deserves to die. When I saw that Master Shen was determined to revive my mother, I had selfish thoughts and lied..."

When Xiaoxiao heard these words, she was not only surprised, but she also felt a chill in her heart as she looked at Zhao Yan.

Zhao Yan continued, "My mother passed away... I was heartbroken. Master Shen then advised me to steal the 'Gu-attracting Incense' from his son to avenge the theft of my wife... I made a mistake and did it..."

"Yan'er..." Madam Xi took a few steps forward, shocked, and asked, "Yan'er, is what you said true?"

Zhao Yan nodded with tears in her eyes, then looked at Shen Yuan, "Miss Shen also knows..."

So everyone looked at Shen Yuan.

“You…” Shen Yuan was stunned on the spot.

“Miss Shen, is this true?” Madam tide stepped forward and asked.

“Yuan’er…” The old lady of Jiyu Manor also stepped forward and spoke in a trembling voice.

Shen Yuan looked at everyone, unable to respond.

Xiao Xiao gasped. This was incredible… It was supposed to be a frame-up, but it was all true. And Zhao Yan even made Shen Yuan a witness… How ruthless…

Shen Yuan looked at Shen Chen. Shen Chen shook his head slightly, looking extremely pained.

“Miss Shen…why don’t you tell the truth? You clearly know…” Zhao Yan cried.

All eyes were on Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan's voice trembled, "Yes..."

These words caused an uproar among the crowd.

Shen Chen's expression turned ferocious and terrifying. He looked at Shen Yuan, then turned his head and stared intently at Zhao Yan. Then, he suddenly stood up and pounced on her.

"Father!" Shen Yuan exclaimed.

Zhao Yan did not move aside, seemingly stunned on the spot.

In that instant, several people rushed forward to try and stop him. In the ensuing chaos, Shen Chen was suddenly stabbed. He staggered backward, his eyes wide open, and collapsed.

"Father—" Shen Yuan cried out.

The old lady of Jiyu Manor immediately fainted.

"Sacrificing family for the greater good..." Xiao Xiao finally understood how cruel this phrase truly was. She looked up at Lian Zhao beside her. His eyes were completely cold, his expression filled with helplessness and anger.

Shen Yuan stood up, pointed at Wei Qi, and said, "Everyone, my father has done many unjust things, but he is the mastermind behind it all!"

Wei Qi spoke coldly, "Miss Shen, I know you are grieving the loss of your father. However, I came to Jiyu Manor to rescue someone, and I have never met Yanji before, so how could I be the mastermind?" He turned to Zhao Yan, "Miss Zhao, I am extremely grateful for your exposure of the culprit. I never expected that I would also be deceived by him!"

Zhao Yan nodded, tears welling in her eyes.

"No, you have to believe me. It was he who instructed Ling You and my father..." Shen Yuan cried out.

However, at this moment, everyone was filled with doubt, and no one dared to believe it easily.

Just then, a servant ran in, nervously saying, "Sir...soldiers, there are many soldiers outside..."

Unaware of what was going on, everyone left their rooms and arrived at the main gate of the villa.

Outside the manor, a large group of soldiers had indeed gathered. Leading them was a woman, around thirty-four or thirty-five years old. She was beautiful, with phoenix eyes that held a commanding presence, and a domineering air about her. Dressed in military attire, she exuded a striking and imposing aura. She carried a longbow on her back, stood on her horse, and upon seeing the group emerge, spoke loudly: "Gentlemen, I am a retainer of the Lian family, the Divine Archer, ordered to assist the local county government in investigating the disappearance of a young girl. We have received a secret report stating that Jiyu Manor is involved in this matter. Those involved are requested to return to the yamen with me for questioning. This is a matter for the government; I urge my fellow martial arts practitioners not to interfere."

This turn of events was completely unexpected. However, the girls' disappearance had already been reported to the authorities. Since those girls were not members of the martial arts world, such matters were naturally handled by the government.

Xiao Xiao stood at the entrance of Jiyu Manor. Suddenly, she remembered hearing someone say that the current emperor intended to summon the Shenxiao Sect back to court... Could the government's intervention be related to this?

At this moment, Lian Zhao stepped forward and asked with slight surprise, "Aunt?"

I was slightly startled. Right, this woman just said she was a "guardian of the Lian family, the Divine Arrow Clan"... Seriously?! She even brought up the Lian family, the Divine Arrow Clan?!

At that moment, the woman dismounted and smiled slightly. The soldiers behind her sheathed their weapons and saluted, saying, "Young Master."

Xiao Xiao was stunned for a moment... At that time, she and Lian Zhao were only a few steps apart, but those few steps felt like they could never be crossed...

...

March is drawing to a close [Part 2]

A busy day. As night fell, Jiyu Manor finally quieted down.

After dinner, Xiao Xiao strolled slowly along the corridor. The events of the past few days had left her weary. Whether it was the Jiyu Manor, the Shenxiao Sect, or the Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts… she had never intended to get involved. She was merely a passerby, and she had no interest in the drama of vying for supremacy and unifying the world. As for twisting the truth, framing others… that was beyond her control; she had no choice but to observe. And now, the only thing that concerned her was… the Lian family of the Divine Arrow.

My master once said that in the world of martial arts, no one is completely clean.

No matter how good Lian Zhao is, he will always be the young master of the Lian family, the Divine Arrow Sect. If the Divine Firmament Sect returns to the capital, the Lian family, as officials appointed by the court, will naturally not be their enemy. And he, even if he deeply resents everything before him today, may become an ally of the Divine Firmament Sect in the future due to imperial decree.

Xiao Xiao felt increasingly helpless the more she thought about it. Indeed, the Lian family of Divine Arrows had never interfered in the affairs of the martial world. Why, then, had they allowed Lian Zhao to participate in the Hero's Fortress's Rare Goods Fair this time? ...Upon careful consideration, all of this seemed intricately connected. Was the phrase "Nine Emperors appear, the world is unified" the source of everything?

Master, did you foresee this situation, which is why you chose to leave the Shenxiao Sect and live in seclusion in the city?

So, can the various things she is experiencing today also be described as "the cycle of nature"?

Xiao Xiao looked up and sighed, "Master... just how much do you owe?"

She was about to complain a few more times when she heard a cheerful female voice ring out from not far away, "Is this the girl you mentioned in your letter?"

Xiao Xiao suddenly turned her head and saw the woman who had been riding a horse with arrows on her back walking towards her with a smile, while Lian Zhao walked beside her with a helpless expression.

The woman walked up to Xiaoxiao and examined her closely. "Tsk, such a thin and frail body..."

“Aunt…” Lian Zhao interrupted somewhat awkwardly.

The woman raised an eyebrow and said, "What's wrong? Can't I even have my aunt say something?" She then looked at Xiaoxiao, "So thin and weak, I'm afraid she can't even draw a bow with a stone's weight. How can she be a daughter-in-law of the Lian family?"

Lian Zhao looked at Xiao Xiao, his face full of apology, "Auntie, please don't say anymore..."

Xiao Xiao subconsciously took a few steps back, swallowed hard, and remained silent.

Suddenly, the woman raised her leg and kicked at Xiaoxiao's waist.

Xiao Xiao was terrified and hurriedly dodged. The woman, however, didn't stop and pressed closer. Xiao Xiao was on the verge of tears, dodging left and right. In her dodges, she caught a glimpse of Lian Zhao standing not far away, watching them with eyes full of worry.

Xiao Xiao felt relieved. That's right, even if he didn't care about anything she did, what about the Lian family? How could the prestigious Lian family, known for its divine archery, tolerate a woman of unknown origin like her?

Whether it was a lie until the end of the month or his sincerity, what she truly needed was a reason to give up. And the Lian family's social standing was that reason.

Just as she was thinking this, the woman suddenly stopped her moves.

"Good, your footwork is skillful, and your grappling techniques are quite impressive." The woman smiled and said, "My name is Lian Ying. As you can see, I am that boy's aunt. You can call me aunt as he does."

She turned to Lian Zhao and said, "Being thin isn't a big problem; you can just eat more in the future. I've already handed over the matter here to the local government. Tomorrow, you'll come home with me..." She turned to look at Xiao Xiao and smiled, "...Marriage is a serious matter, and it's up to our parents to decide. We should also let my elder brother and sister-in-law meet this young lady soon."

After saying that, she patted Lian Zhao on the shoulder and walked away.

The little one stood frozen in place, mouth agape.

Lian Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and walked over, saying, "Xiao Xiao, are you alright...? It's not that I didn't want to help you, but if I didn't go along with your aunt's temper, she would definitely make things even harder for you..."

As Lian Zhao was speaking, he noticed that Xiao Xiao was still stiff, so he stopped talking. He then waved his hand in front of Xiao Xiao's eyes.

"Little one?"

Xiao Xiao stiffly raised her eyes and asked cautiously, "Uh... your aunt just said..."

Lian Zhao smiled and said, "You're too thin, you need to eat more."

Her small lips twitched slightly. "Uh... this... I... I didn't mean that..."

Lian Zhao lowered his eyes, gently raised his hand, and pinched his earlobe. "Auntie...she has already acknowledged you..." He looked up and said, "So...let's go home..."

Upon hearing these words, a sharp pain throbbed in her heart. Going home… From childhood to adulthood, she had been a wanderer, visiting countless places, but never "home." Each time she left a place, she felt a deep sense of longing, but her master would sigh and tell her: "Where my heart finds peace, there is my home."

She comforted herself with those words for many, many years... and today, someone said to her: Go home.

She chuckled softly. Why did his words sound so agreeable? ...Oh, so that's how it is. The longer they spend together, the less she wants to let go. She finally understood the most egregious mistake she had made: to abduct a respectable young man to commit crimes... Such a wicked thing was simply impossible for her.

"I..." she began, about to answer.

Just then, an angry voice came, "She can't go anywhere."

Turning around slightly, she saw that the person who had come was none other than Wen Su.

Wen Su walked up to the two of them and said, "I have already said that I am her elder, and I will not agree to this marriage."

Lian Zhao frowned, then looked at Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao blinked, "Uh..."

Wen Su's eyes were icy, and his voice carried a chilling edge. "Xiao Xiao, get ready. We're setting off for the Shennong Family."

Xiao Xiao was a little confused, but she quickly understood. The Donghai disciple had been afflicted with the "Snake Gu," so Elder Shennong must have been willing to help him.

"The silver gleam in your wrist also needs timely treatment..." Wen Su added coldly.

Xiao Xiao then remembered that the silver light from her wrist had been removed, and she hadn't told the two people yet. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Lian Zhao say, "The Shennong family of Guangling is on the same route as Lin'an. I'll go with you, and we'll go home together after your injury is healed."

He lowered his head slightly, thought about it carefully for a long time, and then nodded.

Lian Zhao smiled and said, "Then you go back and pack. I'll go and inform my aunt."

Xiao Xiao watched him leave, then looked timidly at Wen Su, "Uncle-Master..."

Wen Su's eyes were definitely not friendly. "How many times do I have to tell you before you understand?... Fine, I'll assume he genuinely likes you, but you must remember, he is the young master of the Lian family, the Divine Arrow Clan. Even if he can tolerate you, what about the Lian family? The Lian family's ancestral hall isn't so easy to enter!"

Hearing this, Xiao Xiao didn't get angry; she just lowered her head and didn't say anything.

Wen Su frowned. "Hmph. Even if you become a concubine, are you going to follow him?"

Xiao Xiao looked up and asked, "Uncle-Master...do you have some deep-seated grudge against the Lian family?"

Wen Su paused for a moment, then replied, "The imperial court's lackeys and we, the people of the martial world, have always been irreconcilable enemies. What's so strange about that?"

Xiao Xiao smiled and said, "No, it's just that I don't think you're that kind of person, Uncle-Master."

Wen Su frowned. "What kind of person?"

Xiao Xiao said, "You don't seem like the type to gossip behind people's backs."

Wen Su was stunned when he heard this.

She chuckled softly and said, "I think you should disdain these things, hehe..."