Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 80

“Wen Su, a wise man knows when to yield. The current situation is not something you can resolve by yourself,” Lian Zhao said. “I advise you to submit to the court and avoid this conflict.”

Wen Su laughed, "Lian Zhao, I'm not you. I don't have your magnanimity to turn enemies into friends..."

As Wen Su spoke, his gaze swept lightly over Wei Qi beside him.

Lian Zhao's eyes flickered slightly, but then returned to their cold intensity. "Take him down!"

Upon receiving the order, the surrounding soldiers immediately unleashed a volley of arrows. Wen Su leaped into the air, soaring over the barrage of arrows, and plunged into the water.

Lian Zhao frowned, leaped onto the gunwale, and fired an arrow. The arrow flew like water, splashing several feet high. As the splash subsided, Lian Zhao sighed softly.

“He still got away…” Wei Qi took a few steps forward and said.

"It's alright." Lian Zhao jumped off the ship's side and handed the bow in his hand to the soldier beside him.

At this moment, a small boat sailed by, and the soldier on board knelt down on one knee and said, "Young master, the East Sea warships have been defeated!"

Lian Zhao nodded. "No need to pursue. Reorganize the troops."

"Yes, sir." The soldier replied and turned to relay the order.

"Young Master Lian, why don't you press your advantage?" Wei Qi asked.

Lian Zhao glanced at him and said somewhat coldly, "The majority of the people on the seventy-two islands of the East China Sea are ordinary civilians. They can be subdued simply by surrounding them. There is no need to waste military resources."

Wei Qi nodded. "Young Master Lian is exceptionally intelligent and resourceful; I admire him."

Lian Zhao ignored him and went straight back to his cabin.

Wei Qi's eyes held a hidden cold glint as he turned to look at the sea and smiled faintly.

The defeated East Sea warships were already in complete chaos, hastily retreating. Many disciples, injured and poisoned after falling into the water, were frantically scrambling to climb onto the warships. At such a moment, no one would care whether those boarding were friends or enemies.

...

The Nine Palaces Mystery Formation [Part 2]

After half a day of fighting, the 72 islands were in complete chaos.

After the defeat in the East Sea, the island lord discussed with several branch leaders how to break the formation. They discussed it until dark but still couldn't reach a conclusion.

Xiao Xiao was the most recent disciple to join the sect, so she wasn't allowed to fight and could only look after the wounded. Most of the wounded were poisoned and died before they could receive treatment. Inside the hall, cries of agony and sobbing filled the air, a truly tragic scene.

Around 1 AM, Xiao Xiao finally got to rest and, together with several female disciples, guarded their dead and wounded fellow disciples.

"How vicious..." one of the female disciples sobbed, "I never expected the Lian family, the Divine Arrows, to resort to poison. They are truly despicable..."

Ye Li sighed and said, "The Lian family are soldiers of the imperial court. When it comes to military campaigns, they don't care about the rules of the martial world. Poisoning is just a piece of cake..."

"The imperial court's lackeys are truly shameless!" one of the disciples said indignantly.

"We have fought against the South China Sea for so many years and have never been defeated. How could we lose to the imperial court today!" one of the disciples said indignantly.

"Nonsense! We haven't lost! The island lord and the other guild leaders are already discussing countermeasures. Perhaps they'll find a way to break the formation tomorrow!"

Upon hearing this, the female disciples all agreed.

Ye Li sighed again, resting her chin on her hand, and said, "Don't be silly... The ship formation set up by the young master of the Lian family is one of the Nine Palaces Formations, which is ever-changing and not so easy to break..."

"Senior Sister Ye... why are you boosting the morale of others while diminishing your own?" someone complained.

Ye Li immediately stopped, saying, "Of course, with the martial arts skills of all the island lords, what is the imperial court!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately agreed.

Xiao Xiao sat to one side, listening to their conversation. The Nine Palaces Formation? Never heard of it before! What martial arts practitioners would know about these military strategies and formations? It seems the East Sea is destined to lose this time…

"Hmph, no matter what the court does, we will not surrender!"

Everyone expressed their determination.

Suddenly, someone spoke up: "However, not all of us East Sea disciples have backbone..."

The conversation suddenly fell silent.

Xiao Xiao noticed the unusual silence and looked up. She saw that everyone was looking at her.

"Uh..." Xiao Xiao cleared her throat, "I won't surrender either."

The crowd turned away disdainfully, ignoring her completely.

She sighed helplessly and remained silent.

The female disciples continued to discuss the despicable and shameless nature of the imperial court and the ruthlessness of the Lian family.

Xiao Xiao turned her head, looking at the wounded in the main hall. In half a day's battle, the East Sea had lost over a hundred disciples, with countless others injured. But the most terrifying thing wasn't the Nine Palaces Formation on the sea, but the potent poison coated on the Lian family's arrows. "Sealing the throat upon contact with blood," even if no vital organs were injured, as long as the skin was pierced, the poison could enter the bloodstream and kill a person in less than an hour. In the martial world, using poison was a despicable tactic, a trick only used by evil and heretical sects.

But Xiao Xiao clearly remembered that when her master talked about this potent poison, he said with a smile: "It's not unusual to poison arrows when marching into battle, and it's not considered despicable."

Xiao Xiao felt disheartened and disagreed.

The master said: "In the battles of the martial world, you're betting your own life. But in war between two nations, you're gambling with the lives of all people... Victory is acceptable, but defeat is not. This is the way of war!"

That was the first time Xiao Xiao saw the sharpness in her master's eyes, cold as ice, making people feel awe.

But soon, his master's eyes returned to their usual warm and gentle gaze. He smiled and said, "Therefore, not fighting is the best thing..."

Xiao Xiao couldn't help but feel melancholy. For Lian Zhao, the battle in the East China Sea was now a must-win. Therefore, he was willing to use any means necessary. She recalled the time when she first met him; even as an enemy, he wouldn't kill. He often said, "Leave it to the authorities." Back then, she always thought this approach was both outdated and laughable. But now, she understood. All indecisiveness, procrastination, or womanly compassion are two sides of the same coin: within the reach of the law, it is the duty of the government. But if the law doesn't extend, once the imperial decree is issued, there is absolutely no mercy on the battlefield.

She shouldn't forget that the man holding the cat, smiling gently, still carried the blood of a warrior...

"The Lian family's archery skills are legendary, hitting the bullseye from a hundred paces away. They kill the enemy and defeat the barbarians, never missing a shot..." Xiao Xiao murmured, reciting these words.

Suddenly, the surroundings fell silent. All eyes were once again focused on Xiaoxiao.

Xiao Xiao froze. Seriously? They heard such a soft sound?!

"Zuo Xiaoxiao! What did you say?!" A female disciple stood up and shouted angrily.

Xiao Xiao immediately stood up, "I...I'll go get some water!"

She ran out of the lobby as if fleeing, and just as she breathed a sigh of relief, she heard someone calling her name.

"Zuo Xiaoxiao." Ye Li caught up with her in a few steps. "Wait for me, I'll go with you."

Xiao Xiao suddenly felt a warmth in her heart. Ever since she exposed Ye Li, for some reason, their relationship had actually become closer. She smiled and nodded, waiting for her to come up.

At this moment, Ye Li took out three leather water bags from her bosom and said, "Help me fetch water."

Slightly exasperated, she took the water pouch. "So much?"

Ye Li sighed, took a step, and looked at the sky. "We still think we have too little for the journey! In another day, it will be the new moon. When the tide comes in, we can take a boat from the southern cape and leave."

"What about the imperial court's encirclement?"

"If we go around from the south, we should be able to avoid it."

Xiao Xiao was a little puzzled. If it was possible to bypass it, why didn't the East Sea do it? She only wondered for a moment before she understood. The south…that was the South Sea territory. Enemies meeting are bound to be hostile…but…

"Senior Sister Ye, what should we do if we encounter disciples from the South China Sea?" Xiao Xiao asked.

Ye Li chuckled, "Just like you, beg for mercy! Besides, I'm not a disciple of the East Sea, what am I afraid of!"

Xiao Xiao smiled too, "Senior Sister Ye, how long have you been in the East China Sea?"

Ye Li thought for a moment and said, "I came here when I was seven years old."

Xiao Xiao was shocked, "Seven years old?!"

Ye Li nodded, "The East Sea is such a treacherous place, everyone's suspicious to death. I started learning at seven, so I'm practically a senior now. But I still have to be on guard all the time, I can't let my guard down for even a second. Tsk..."

Xiao Xiao thought for a moment and said, "Senior sister, have you ever thought about staying in the East China Sea forever?"

Ye Li walked leisurely, saying, "When I was first brought here, the head of the brothel told me that if I liked Donghai, I wouldn't have to go back to Qufang. It was entirely voluntary, and I wouldn't force anyone." She paused, "However! After looking around, Qufang is still the best... Do you know why the imperial court is attacking Donghai?"

Xiao Xiao began, "The East China Sea has formed its own faction, disrupting coastal defenses..."

"Ha, this is such a small matter, how could it be the Lian family's place to get involved?" Ye Li stopped. "Smuggling salt, selling weapons, encircling the sea, smuggling and robbing, what haven't we done? Back when the East Sea was under the command of Shenxiao, we were still relatively restrained, but now... sigh, let's not talk about this."

After listening, Xiao Xiao felt a little melancholy.

"Senior sister, you seem to know everything," she said, praising.

"That's right!" Ye Li laughed. "I'm not bragging, but on these seventy-two islands of the East Sea, there are 1,763 disciples who have entered the sect, and I know every single one of them. On the main island, there are 509 disciples, and I know the background of every single one of them! Hehe!"

"Wow..." Xiao Xiao exclaimed in surprise.

Ye Li said smugly, "That's how Qu Fang makes a living! You don't know, there are quite a few disciples who would pay fifty coins without batting an eye just to find out what their sweetheart likes to eat! Hey, what do you want to know? I'll give you a discount!"

Xiao Xiao laughed, "Senior sister, do you know my net worth?"

"You?" Ye Li looked troubled. "You've only been here a short time... But I do know that you're Master Wen Su's niece. Ah... I clearly remember that Master Wen Su was an orphan who was adopted by the island lord when he was young and taken under his tutelage. He shouldn't have any brothers or sisters, so where did you come from? Could my information be wrong?" Ye Li pondered.

Hearing this, Xiao Xiao was also a little confused. An orphan? ...No wonder, her master and uncle had been separated for many years and had gone to different sects, so it was not surprising that others would see her as an orphan.

"Tsk, I was supposed to send messages back to the music workshop by carrier pigeon every month to exchange information. Now I'm so out of touch..." Ye Li complained, "How hateful!"

She smiled slightly, without saying anything.

The two chatted as they walked and soon arrived at the water source. This was the only fresh spring on the main island of the 72 islands in the East China Sea, and the entire island's drinking water came from here.

Xiao Xiao was holding a water bag and was about to squat down when she saw several East Sea disciples fetching water nearby.

"Hey senior brothers, you've come to fetch water too..." Xiao Xiao greeted them.

The men looked somewhat surprised, nodded at Xiaoxiao, and said nothing.

Suddenly, Ye Li grabbed Xiao Xiao and pulled her back several steps, shouting, "There's a spy!"

Xiao Xiao was greatly alarmed. She saw the men brandish their weapons and attack the two of them.

Ye Li grabbed Xiao Xiao and turned to run away.

Ye Li's shouts attracted several guarding disciples, but the East Sea disciples were exhausted from a day of fighting and were no match for her. They were defeated in just a few moves.

Meanwhile, Ye Li had already taken Xiao Xiao to a secluded corner and was hiding there safely.

She was panting slightly when she whispered, "Senior sister, how do you know they're spies?"

Ye Li patted her chest, took a breath, and said, "I told you long ago, there isn't a single disciple in the seventy-two islands of the East Sea that I don't know..."

A small sense of relief. Suddenly, something else occurred to me. In this morning's battle, the East China Sea forces were defeated, and some people mingled with the defeated army and entered the East China Sea... And these people were fetching water from the only spring on the island...

Thinking of this, Xiao Xiao timidly asked, "Senior sister, could they have poisoned it?"