Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 65

The bride stumbled and fell forward, but her bridesmaids immediately helped her up. Although the bride regained her balance, her bridal veil fell to the ground.

Exclamations of admiration immediately arose from the crowd.

The boy glanced at it only once, then shook his head with disdain, "Nothing special."

In that instant, before he turned to leave, the bride looked up and smiled gently.

Before that, he had never imagined that such a captivating smile could exist in the world. Like a ray of moonlight suddenly illuminating a dark, desolate lake, the surface shimmered and sparkled in an instant. At that moment, his heart trembled slightly, and that tremor slowly spread, creating ripples.

The bride smiled shyly and glanced at the groom sitting on horseback.

The groom smiled and nodded slightly.

The bride picked up her veil and put it back on.

However, just when everyone thought the commotion had subsided, someone suddenly spoke up: "Wait a minute."

The groom, looking puzzled, turned around and saw a young man slowly squeeze through the crowd and walk into the wedding procession.

The boy was no more than eighteen or nineteen years old, dressed in a light blue cloth robe, his hair loosely tied up, giving him the air of a down-and-out wanderer. His skin was slightly dark, but his features were handsome, and his posture was upright, suggesting he was a martial arts practitioner.

The groom cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Young man, today is a joyous occasion at Jiyu Manor. If you have anything to attend to, could you please wait a moment..."

The boy looked up, smiled, and still had a slight disdain in his eyes.

“I want to change your bride,” he said calmly.

These words caused an uproar.

The groom frowned. "Young man, do you know what you're saying?"

The boy untied the wooden box from his back, placed it upright in front of him, and casually rested his right hand on it. "I want to exchange it for your bride," he said with a smile, repeating it.

The groom, slightly annoyed, dismounted and said, "It seems you're deliberately trying to cause trouble."

As soon as the groom spoke, the servants on both sides surrounded him with sticks.

The boy was still smiling as he reached out and opened the wooden box. Inside lay a short knife. He picked it up and gently drew it from its sheath. The movement was so tender, as if he were handling a peerless beauty.

"Nightfly, straight spine and straight blade, one foot and two inches long, one inch wide, and one-tenth of an inch thick on the spine. The blade pattern is like a cricket's wings..." The young man swung his knife, and the sound of the blade cutting through the air was heard, with a slight buzzing sound, "The sound is crisp and clear, and it is sharp enough to cut jade."

After the boy finished speaking, he spun around and swung his knife. The stone egret sculpture in front of "Qixiang Tower" had one of its wings severed.

Exclamations of admiration rose from the crowd.

The young man smiled and sheathed his sword, saying to the groom, "I am Qi Han, and I wish to exchange my sword for your bride."

“Qi…” The groom frowned slightly, “Qi family weapons?”

The boy put the knife back in its case, held it in his hands, and quietly looked at the groom.

"Young Master..." The servants on either side looked troubled as they spoke.

The groom looked hesitant.

"Qi family weapons are priceless..." someone whispered in the crowd.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "Nonsense, of course we should choose the weapon! A real man has no shortage of wives! These Qi family weapons are not something you can get easily!"

"Yeah yeah!"

Shouts erupted all around, and among the onlookers were many martial arts practitioners; who wouldn't covet that knife?

The boy's expression was smug. "How was it?" he asked, looking at the groom.

The groom turned his head, glanced at the bride, and looked troubled.

"So fussy, not like a man at all!" someone jeered. "Mrs. Qi, if I take that woman and give her to you, wouldn't that knife belong to me?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Han turned around and said, "Okay."

Upon hearing this, the crowd burst into laughter.

"Young Master." A gentle female voice came from the side. A carriage stopped, and a woman who looked to be around forty years old got out. "Between divine weapons and courtesans, why hesitate?"

“Mother…” The groom frowned, slightly dissatisfied.

“Young Master Qi, my Jiyu Manor is not a member of the martial arts world, nor does it wish to get involved in its conflicts. If you like this young lady, my Jiyu Manor will naturally be happy to help you find happiness.” The woman stepped forward and said, “I will accept this knife as a way of making friends with the Qi family.”

The boy smiled and tossed the wooden box in his hand. The box landed steadily in the woman's hands. The boy turned around, took the bride's hand, and walked away.

"Yan'er!" the groom called after taking a few steps.

"Young Master..." the woman began, speaking in a commanding tone.

The groom stopped, his eyes filled with resentment like sharp blades, piercing the boy's back.

The boy was completely unaware. He pulled his bride through the crowd and disappeared at the end of the cobblestone path.

...

After walking for about a quarter of an hour, the two turned into a deserted alley. The young man stopped and turned to look at the bride he had acquired.

"Hmph, I thought it would be so difficult to snatch a bride, but it turns out it's not that hard." He smiled and said, "I ruined your marriage, so hate me if you want, don't hold back."

The bride's head was covered by a veil, so her expression was not visible.

The boy hesitated for a moment, then reached out his hand. Unconsciously, his hand trembled slightly. He took a quiet breath, then lifted the red veil.

He never expected that the woman beneath the bridal veil would be smiling. Her smile was so bright, radiant as a flower, and gentle as water.

"Young Master Qi..." she said with a smile, bowing.

Her voice was soft and gentle, like a light rain and a gentle breeze, quietly seeping into his heart. He couldn't describe how he felt at that moment. But then, he smiled contemptuously.

"As expected of the top courtesan in the brothel, so many men would spend a fortune for that smile..." he began.

She smiled and said, "Now that you have changed my marriage, my smile will belong only to you."

He paused for a moment, then laughed. "What a beautiful line, 'belonging only to me.'" He gently lifted her chin and chuckled, "What man could refuse that?"

She smiled quietly, without answering.

He let go and said, "Alright, since that's the case, from now on, wherever I go, you go too." He reached into his pocket, took out a string of copper coins, and threw them to her, "Go change out of those clothes."

She took the string of copper coins, held them carefully in her palm, and nodded, "Yes, young master."

“Qi Han,” he began, “…Don’t call me that kind of brothel-like tone.”

She smiled and nodded obediently, "Qi Han."

...

Before meeting her, he never believed that such a beauty existed in the world. Even without makeup, jewelry, or fine clothes, her radiance remained undiminished. She simply followed him quietly, yet she drew the attention of passersby, causing them to stop and turn their heads.

He turned around, frowning, and looked at her.

She wore a light gray dress, her long, jet-black hair simply styled in a bun, adorned with a jade hairpin. This jade hairpin was probably the most precious item she owned. Made of fine Hetian jade, its white, delicate texture and warm, elegant feel perfectly complemented her jewelry.

Seeing him stop, she stopped as well and smiled slightly.

He walked up to her, looked at the hairpin, and said, "The money I gave you isn't enough to buy this hairpin..."

She smiled faintly, reached out and touched the hairpin, and said, "This was a gift from a patron, and I cherish it very much, so..."

He frowned.

Upon seeing this, she pulled out the hairpin, turned around, and threw it far away.

"What are you doing?" he asked, puzzled.

She turned around and said, "Everything I own belongs to you. If you don't like it, I naturally can't keep it."

At that moment, her smile was as innocent as a child's, her silky hair gently brushing against his cheek in the breeze. Indeed, no man could resist.

He lowered his eyes, remained silent, and turned away.

At that moment, a group of burly men jumped out from all sides and surrounded them. The surrounding pedestrians had already fled, leaving only them on the chaotic street.

"Qi Han, the head of the Qi family?" one of the men called out.

Qi Han stood with his arms crossed, relaxed, his tone still carrying his usual disdain, "Yes."

"Fine, hand over the Nine Emperor Divine Artifacts, and I'll spare your life!"

Qi Han raised an eyebrow and smiled, then waved his hand. Several men immediately fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

"Snow-quenched silver light!" someone recognized the hidden weapons on those people and exclaimed in surprise.

Taking advantage of the moment, Qi Han leaped forward and knocked down several more men.

The men then realized what was happening and began to fight back.

Seeing this, Yan Ji walked to the side and quietly observed.

Although the men outnumbered them, their martial arts skills were far from satisfactory, and they were already defeated in just one exchange. Qi Han's expression was contemptuous. He gathered his strength, leaped back a few steps, and looked at the men who were either lying on the ground groaning or with broken legs and arms.

"If you're going to do something, then do it. Stop talking nonsense. Remember that next time?" Qi Han chuckled, his tone mocking with a youthful slyness.

Before he could finish speaking, a sudden gust of wind struck. He nimbly dodged, but the vendor's stall behind him instantly collapsed and vanished.

"Nether Thunder Palm?!"

A hint of panic flashed across his face. "When did the Divine Firmament Sect become so secretive?!"

"If you're going to do something, then do it. Stop talking nonsense..." someone said slowly, repeating his words.

Qi Han looked up and saw a man strolling towards her. He stood in the middle of the road, looked down, and glanced at the injured person on the ground.

"...Our disciples are ignorant of etiquette, Young Hero Qi is right to teach them a lesson..." the man said calmly, then looked up at Qi Han.

The man was no more than twenty years old, with handsome features and an otherworldly air. He wore a dark robe, seemingly the attire of a Taoist cultivator. However, the black robe was imbued with a chilling aura, which clung to his brows, revealing a cold indifference that sent shivers down one's spine.

"Who are you?" Qi Han asked warily.

The man clasped his hands in a fist salute, his smile seemingly faint, and said, "My name is Han Qing."

"The Ghost Master Han Qing?!" Qi Han was startled.

Han Qing nodded slightly and said, "Since Young Hero Qi knows my name, could you please reconsider what my disciple said earlier?"

"You Shenxiao Sect are cultivators, yet you also covet the world?" Qi Han put his right hand behind his back, twirling several gleaming silver gems between his fingers. He was secretly gathering his strength, extremely cautious, but his words were still relentlessly provocative.

Han Qing looked at him, and then slowly lowered her head.

At that moment, Qi Han waved his hand and unleashed all of the "Snow-Refined Silver Light".

Han Qing smiled calmly, drew his sword, and knocked the silver needles away one by one. With a flick of his wrist, he twirled the sword, its gleam dazzling the eye. This action was clearly a mockery.