Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 83

Xiao Xiao was terrified, but still calmly said, "Young Master Wei, didn't you say I'm one of our own? Am I not allowed to see the military secrets here?"

“Of course, it’s fine if we’re on the same side.” Wei Qi slowly walked in. “However, Junior Sister, only you know which side you’re on.”

Xiao Xiao looked at him and asked, "Then which side is Young Master Wei on?"

Wei Qi smiled and said, "Junior Sister, what do you mean by that?"

Xiao Xiao spoke up, "Sending people to the East China Sea to poison the island without authorization, framing them, and implicating allies in a disgraceful act—can they really be considered one of our own?"

Wei Qi said, "Junior Sister, you are mistaken. The commander here is Lian Zhao. I am merely a guest. How could I possibly issue such an order?"

Xiao Xiao chuckled. "That's right, the commander here is Lian Zhao. But I really find it strange..." she said. "I asked those who poisoned the food whose orders they were following. Actually, it was a completely unnecessary and ridiculous question. Because the only one who could give the order is Lian Zhao. But those people didn't find it strange at all, and they answered me seriously: 'Young Master Lian'... as if they had two masters..."

Wei Qi's smile faded. "Junior Sister, based on this alone, you're convinced it was me?"

She chuckled softly, arms crossed, leaning against the table. "No, I wasn't sure until I knew Sect Master Shennong was on the ship." Her fingers secretly slipped inside her clothes, groping for the only two gleaming silver hairs. She glanced at Wei Qi as she spoke, trying to distract him, "You keep saying I'm your junior sister, but you poisoned the spring, and I'll be implicated too. If the East Sea doesn't surrender, won't I die an unexplained death?"

Wei Qi sighed and said, "Junior Sister is incredibly clever, which makes Senior Brother quite uneasy. It seems that Junior Sister is angry with me, so she deliberately came here to expose me out of spite."

Xiao Xiao had already taken the two snow-white gems into her palm, and she smiled brightly, "Yes."

As soon as she finished speaking, she threw the silver needles in her hand at Wei Qi. Xiao Xiao had never learned how to use hidden weapons, so this throw was purely random. But when Wei Qi recognized the needles at a glance, he quickly dodged them.

Seizing an opening, Xiao Xiao leaped out the door and ran as fast as she could.

She had just run onto the deck when Wei Qi chased after her. He caught up with Xiao Xiao in a few steps and captured her.

Sensing something amiss, I sidestepped.

Wei Qi switched from capturing to striking, and attacked Xiao Xiao's shoulder with a palm strike.

Xiao Xiao staggered back several steps, trying to deflect the attack. But Wei Qi's palm strike was fierce and there was no way to avoid it.

Xiao Xiao was terrified. She had lied to Wei Qi earlier, saying she possessed internal energy, so now that he wanted to capture her, he was naturally using all his strength. Heavens above, how could she, Zuo Xiao Xiao, possibly survive this blow?!

Seeing the palm strike approaching, Xiao Xiao simply closed her eyes.

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept by. Xiao Xiao felt someone pull her up. She opened her eyes, and the person was Lian Zhao.

Lian Zhao frowned slightly, then struck out with his palm, forcefully blocking Wei Qi's attack.

Wei Qi did not use the "Nether Thunder Palm," and his palm strike was not particularly strong. This change, in fact, forced him to retreat a few steps.

Lian Zhao withdrew his stance and said, "Young Master Wei, I have already said it. Have some self-respect."

Wei Qi stopped and said, "Young Master Lian, it is my junior sister who needs to show some self-respect."

Lian Zhao turned his head and looked at Xiao Xiao.

A hint of confusion flickered in her small expression. Now that he had saved her, should she be happy or resigned? Could she still hold onto hope that he would forgive her?

Soon, she began to laugh at herself. How could this be? She was a disciple of the Ghost Master, and that was a knot that could never be untied.

"Junior Sister, hand over the formation diagram of the ship array!" Wei Qi stepped forward and said.

These words changed Lian Zhao's expression; a pain pierced his heart, indescribable.

"You...you came here just to steal the array diagram?" His voice trembled slightly, his tone desolate and powerless.

A sudden, dull ache shot through her small chest. Indeed, deceiving him was incredibly difficult… But call her selfish, call her heartless, it was the only method she, as a bad person, could think of…

She gritted her teeth, shoved Lian Zhao away, and laughed, "Are you stupid? You must have been sold out; you'd even be counting the money for the seller."

A flood of memories rushed back, leaving Lian Zhao bewildered. He could no longer discern which of her words were true and which were false. Was everything today still a deception on her part? ...But, having come under imperial orders to subdue the East Sea, did he have the right to blame her?

He tried to calm himself down, but he couldn't ease the pain.

For a whole month… he couldn't sleep at all unless he was completely exhausted from cultivating his inner strength. After receiving the order to conquer the East Sea, he kept asking himself what he would do if he met her. He even had a despicable thought: his target for revenge was the "Ghost Master," not her. As long as she could leave the "Ghost Master" and cooperate with the court, all grudges could be resolved. But… he forgot that on the day she revealed her identity and left the Lian family, she had already given him the answer. She chose to be the "Ghost Master's" disciple, not his, Lian Zhao's, wife…

Xiao Xiao took a few steps back, took out the flare gun from her bosom, and yanked off the stopper. A loud whistle, accompanied by smoke and fire, shot into the sky.

Lian Zhao glanced at the fire in the sky, then spoke, using all his strength, uttering four words: "You can't leave..."

...

Nine Deaths and One Life [Part 2]

Lian Zhao glanced at the fire in the sky, then spoke, using all his strength, uttering four words: "You can't leave..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the archers around him swarmed around him.

"Surrender and I will not harm you in the slightest," Lian Zhao said.

Xiao Xiao glanced around at the chilling array of arrows, each one coated with deadly poison; a hit from one meant certain death. She swallowed hard; now, there was no turning back.

"What can mere bows and arrows do to me!" Little Xiao said, mustering his courage and showing no fear.

Upon hearing this, Wei Qi smiled faintly, "Junior Sister, you are not a disciple of the East Sea Sect, so why are you so loyal to them? The East Sea is a group of pirates and outlaws who commit many injustices. It is their own fault that they are now being besieged by the imperial court. If you steal this formation diagram today, you will be aiding and abetting evil, acting as an accomplice to a tyrant. Junior Sister is so intelligent, you should be able to distinguish right from wrong, right? ... What the East Sea can give you, the imperial court can also give you. As long as you cooperate with us, wealth and glory will be within your grasp."

“Young Master Wei, let me be honest with you.” Xiao Xiao smiled and said, “I know nothing about the ‘Nine Emperors’ Divine Artifacts.’ So, do you still want to cooperate with me?”

Wei Qi laughed, "Junior Sister may not know, but Master certainly does."

Xiao Xiao then understood many things. Very few people in the world knew that the Ghost Master was dead, but Lian Zhao and Wei Qi clearly believed that the Ghost Master was still alive. Their goal was not to find clues about the "Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts" from her, but to find her master.

Her master… no matter how many atrocities he committed or how many people he hurt, a master is still a master. She could do any bad thing, but even with a knife to her throat and a thousand arrows piercing her heart, she would never betray her master!

Xiao Xiao glanced at Wei Qi, then at Lian Zhao, and then, with a helpless smile, said, "I'm not Miss Shen from Jiyu Manor... I can't do something like putting righteousness before family."

Hearing this, Lian Zhao was somewhat bewildered. "Sacrificing family for the greater good"—back at Jiyu Manor, he had only thought of such actions as acting for the greater good, a matter of utmost reason and righteousness. He had rarely considered what the person who sacrificed family for the greater good was truly thinking. But now, her words made his heart ache…

“Junior Sister, you’re refusing a polite offer and asking for trouble.” Wei Qi shook his head. “We’re fellow disciples, and I don’t want to make things difficult for you. However, I can’t guarantee what the imperial court will do…”

Xiao Xiao sighed and said, "That's right, the imperial court won't let me go... However, this array diagram in my hand can save my life, can't it?"

Wei Qi laughed and clapped his hands. "Good! Junior Sister truly lives up to her reputation as a disciple of the 'Ghost Master.' Within Hero's Fortress, she turned the tide and saved lives; within the Jade Mountain Manor, she entered the underground palace and destroyed the 'Longevity Gu'; and now, on the East Sea, she stole the array diagram and reversed the tide... Excellent! In the world today, there is no one else with Junior Sister's courage and boldness! I truly admire her..."

Xiao Xiao listened, feeling only helplessness. Could she say that it wasn't due to her courage or boldness, but simply... bad luck...?

After Wei Qi finished speaking, his smile vanished. "It seems that I absolutely cannot show any mercy when dealing with you!"

Wei Qi made a move instantly, attacking Xiao Xiao.

Archers surrounded them, leaving Xiao Xiao nowhere to hide. At this point, she couldn't possibly hope for Lian Zhao's help. It seemed she had no choice but to fight! Xiao Xiao ducked, dodging Wei Qi's attack, and then seized the opportunity to wrap her arms around his wrist.

Wei Qi was caught off guard by her move and his palm strike was blocked. He was slightly surprised, but immediately attacked Xiao Xiao's left leg.

She loosened her grip slightly and took a few steps back.

Without hesitation, Wei Qi regrouped and charged forward.

Lian Zhao stood to the side, watching quietly, but his mind was far from calm. He knew Xiao Xiao's martial arts all too well; although her movements were fast, her strength was insufficient, and even if she attacked, she couldn't injure her opponent. Her moves were varied, but none were skillful, and her weaknesses would soon be exposed... She had no internal energy and couldn't possibly be Wei Qi's match.

His hands clenched unconsciously… Even if he caught her, what then? Could he bring himself to torture her? …He personally led the campaign against the East Sea, wasn't it all for one purpose… to let her go…

Thinking this, he was about to step forward to block Wei Qi's attack. Suddenly, a knife broke into the battle, separating Xiao Xiao and Wei Qi, and then plunged fiercely into the deck.

"Uncle-Master!" Xiao Xiao looked up, overjoyed.

Wen Su stood on the ship's railing, a single sword in his hand, his expression cold.

"Did you get the formation diagram?" Wen Su asked.

Xiao Xiao nodded vigorously, took out the drawn map from her bosom, the ink lines showing clearly through the rice paper, "Got it!"

Seeing this opening, Wei Qi attacked without hesitation, striking Xiao Xiao's chest with a palm.

Seeing this, Wen Su leaped down, pulled Xiao Xiao aside, and avoided the attack. He then kicked up a knife from the deck and attacked the archer beside him.

The blades were sharp, and as the archers dodged, a gap appeared in the encirclement. Wen Su didn't linger in the fight; he pulled Xiao Xiao up and leaped through the gap onto the ship's side.

Below the ship, small boats from the East China Sea were already prepared. Earlier, Wen Su had led several disciples skilled in swimming to break in, and now those people were fighting with the soldiers, creating a chaotic scene.

Xiao Xiao knew that all she had to do was jump onto a boat to escape and end it all. However, there was one last thing she hadn't done… Xiao Xiao calculated that falling into the sea here would be absolutely unwise. She wasn't a good swimmer and had no chance of escaping the convoy. But if she didn't jump into the sea now, she might never have another chance…

At this moment, Wei Qi spoke up and shouted, "Release the arrows!"

The archers were waiting for Lian Zhao's orders, but the situation was urgent and there was no time to hesitate. In an instant, arrows flew from the bowstrings and shot towards the two men on the ship's side.

Wen Su swung his sword, deflecting the arrows, and then pulled Xiao Xiao onto the small boat.

Wei Qi frowned, then jumped down and boarded the small boat.

Without hesitation, Wen Su swung his sword. Wei Qi easily dodged, then gathered his strength and unleashed a palm strike. On the small boat, with nowhere to hide, Wen Su had no choice but to take the blow head-on.

The next instant, Wen Su's body trembled and he took a step back.

“Nether Thunder Palm…” Wen Su frowned, his breathing slightly unsteady.

Wei Qi smiled and continued his attack.

At this moment, the archers on the warships boarded the ship's side, ready to shoot, but Lian Zhao shouted, "I'll do it."

He took a bow and arrow, nocked three arrows, and drew the bow.

On the small boat, Wen Su and Wei Qi were still locked in combat, with Xiao Xiao caught in the middle, dodging left and right. He stared quietly at the three men, then moved the arrow slightly away, closed his eyes, and let go.

Three long arrows pierced the air and flew swiftly towards us.

Upon hearing the sound of the arrow whistling through the air, Wei Qi immediately leaped up to dodge it. Wen Su, on the other hand, was just losing his strength and hadn't yet gained any new strength. Seeing the long arrow approaching, he had no choice but to draw his sword and deflect two of them, but the third one was impossible to avoid.

Just as Wen Su was about to raise his palm to capsize the boat, he heard a small shout: "Watch out!"

He never expected that at that moment, Xiao Xiao would leap over and shield him from the arrow.

Xiao Xiao herself hadn't expected her reaction to be so quick. The arrow struck her chest, causing a dull pain. She looked up at Lian Zhao on the ship's side, then swayed and fell into the sea.

"Xiao Xiao!" Wen Su reached out and grabbed Xiao Xiao. The small boat couldn't withstand the sudden movement and capsized.

Lian Zhao stood frozen on the ship's railing. Impossible…it couldn't have hit him…he clearly hadn't aimed…

Seeing this, Wei Qi shouted, "Go into the water and search for people!"

Just as the soldiers were about to enter the water, the sea breeze suddenly picked up, and the once calm sea became turbulent. Several small boats could not withstand the tide and rocked violently.

"Young Master, the tide is rising." A soldier stepped forward and said to Lian Zhao, "Searching for people in the water might be..."

Ignoring them all, Lian Zhao leaped off the gunwale and onto the small boat. Looking at the increasingly rough sea, he could barely breathe.

“Young Master Lian…” Wei Qi said with a sneer, “Given our swimming skills, I’m afraid we won’t find anything…”

Lian Zhao stood motionless at the bow of the ship, letting the sea wind howl and ruffle his clothes.

After a long silence, he spoke in a hoarse voice, "Reorganize the troops... and resume the search after the tide recedes..."