Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 100

“I killed the ‘Ghost Master’! He showed me mercy, but I still used a deadly move, shattering his heart meridian…” Wen Su’s voice was as cold as a blade. “You say I broke you and Lian Zhao up, but that’s only half true. Lian Zhao is an official, and he’s always by your side, hindering my plans. I wanted to get rid of him from the very beginning. On the Yangtze River, within the Jiyu Manor, I was constantly looking for an opportunity to kill him. Do you think he got those injuries in the underground palace that day? If he hadn’t been lucky, he would have died at my hands long ago. Did he never mention it to you?”

Xiao Xiao was stunned. On the Yangtze River? She suddenly remembered that when Lian Zhao was dealing with the zombies, a hidden weapon had shot out of the water, nearly killing him. And at that time, Wen Su, who had emerged from underwater, had said: "There are no survivors underwater..."

She recalled that later, they stayed overnight at Ling You's house. Lian Zhao had warned her to be careful of Wen Su. That was the only time he spoke ill of Wen Su in front of her. At the time, she didn't understand. Now, thinking back, Lian Zhao had sensed Wen Su's murderous intent from the beginning, which was why…

Later, in the underground palace of Jiyu Manor, Lian Zhao was injured, and she also suspected Wen Su, but could it be...?

Wen Su sneered, saying, "Back then, when you went to the Lian family, I lied to you when I said I'd bet with you. Even if the Lian family accepted you, I wouldn't let you stay there safely. You're really stupid to have come to the East Sea, and even tried to steal the array diagram..."

Xiao Xiao remained silent, simply staring blankly at him.

"Zuo Xiaoxiao, do you really think I'll let you go?" Wen Su laughed. "I've already committed countless murders to conquer the world. Do you think I care whether you seek revenge or not?! ...Let's settle our scores and be even... That's truly the funniest joke I've ever heard!"

Xiao Xiao had never seen him like this before. His expression was arrogant, and his tone was extremely cocky, completely unlike his usual aloof and haughty demeanor. She felt an involuntary sense of fear.

Suddenly, Wen Su's body trembled, his expression changed abruptly, and the words he was about to say were swallowed back down his throat. In just an instant, the pain swept over his body even more fiercely, reaching deep into his bones and piercing his heart. He staggered back a few steps, breathing heavily.

Xiao Xiao was puzzled, but his face was pale and bloodless, as if he had internal injuries. But he hadn't seemed to have internal injuries before…

Wen Su felt all his strength drain away, and he could no longer stand. He knelt on the ground, his consciousness fading.

Xiao Xiao was somewhat bewildered, unsure whether to go forward or run away. After hesitating for a long time, she closed her eyes, turned around, and ran away.

Wen Su looked up at her running figure and smiled sadly.

"...I'd rather you hate me..."

...

No resentment or virtue

Little Xiao ran for a while, then slowly stopped.

Her heart was still pounding. Everything she had just heard filled her with dread, but she didn't know whether to feel anger or sorrow.

How foolish! Didn't she herself say that he saved her more times than he harmed her? From her perspective, to call it hatred was far-fetched. He said his master was killed by him, but with his skills, he couldn't possibly have done that. Besides, his master died from the Netherworld Thunder Palm. When she left the East Sea, she witnessed Wen Jing using the Netherworld Thunder Palm. No matter how you look at it, the murderer should be Wen Jing… Didn't she know all of this perfectly well? As for Lian Zhao… how could she possibly tell if he was telling the truth?

If that's the case, why bother? When did she become so foolish?

Suddenly, the image of him kneeling in agony flashed before my eyes. Was he suffering from internal injuries, or had he been poisoned? ...The grudges are settled, neither owes the other anything. According to this logic, the favor should be repaid first, then the grudges settled... In any case, it would be good to go back and see him one last time...

With that thought in mind, Xiao Xiao mustered her courage and turned around.

Suddenly, there was a slight noise around her. Xiao Xiao looked up and saw that she was surrounded by five men in black.

A Japanese person?!

Could it be…? Xiao Xiao couldn't help but panic. She was unarmed; how could she possibly fight these Japanese? Besides, calling for help was inappropriate at this moment. Begging for mercy? That would be even more…

Before she could finish her thought, the men in black attacked, forcing her to fight back hastily.

The men in black were clearly aiming to capture him alive. They held back somewhat, using only close-quarters grappling techniques.

She felt a small surge of joy. Although her skills were not yet proficient, she might be considered one of the best in the martial arts world when it came to close-quarters combat. Moreover, she possessed the "Exquisite Embroidery," giving her a clear advantage.

After a dozen or so moves, the men in black realized something was wrong, retreated several steps, and widened the encirclement. One of them took something out of his pocket and threw it forcefully.

She looked up slightly and saw a large net descending from the sky, heading straight for her. Instinctively, she raised her hands, trying to block it, but the net still covered her without fail. Five men in black pulled the net around, quickly binding her tightly.

Xiao Xiao was on the verge of tears. Was she really going to be arrested like this?

Suddenly, several silver lights flashed by, and the men in black noticed them and quickly moved away.

"Refined Silver Light!" Xiao Xiao shouted out in a moment of ecstasy.

The silver figure landed gracefully, drew its soft sword, and with a few swift movements, severed the large net.

Xiao Xiao looked at the newcomer with great excitement and said, "Grandpa Yin!"

Upon hearing this, Yin Xiao angrily retorted, "I told you not to call me 'Master Yin'! Why can't you change your ways!"

In the blink of an eye, the black-clad men unleashed a barrage of hidden weapons, all aimed at Silver Owl.

Silver Owl did not dodge, but simply smiled.

Several red threads suddenly appeared, knocking the hidden weapons to the ground. A touch of red appeared unexpectedly, and the scent of sandalwood spread through the air.

"Oh, so they're Japanese ninjas..." Li Si glanced at the hidden weapons on the ground and smiled.

Seeing that the two men were exceptionally skilled, the group of men in black scattered and fled, no longer bothering them.

"Oh!" Li Si sighed and said, "I've always heard that Japanese ninjas disregard dignity and only care about saving their lives. Seeing it today, I can confirm that their reputation is well-deserved. They really escaped very quickly."

"Cowardly scoundrel." Silver Owl sneered, then turned back to look at Xiao Xiao, "Girl, are you alright?"

Xiao Xiao shook her head gratefully, "Yin... no, Brother Qi, what are you doing here?"

Silver Owl laughed, "If not here, would you still be in the East China Sea? As for you, it seems you're living quite a life. I heard from afar, 'The Three-String Heroine bravely rescues a young girl, her chivalrous spirit and courage shake the government'..."

"Hehe, bandit, you forgot to mention the key point: 'Young Master Lian, unable to let go of his old love, vows to capture his lover; the Three-String Heroine, initially seduced but ultimately abandoned, cleverly escapes'!" Li Si said with an ambiguous smile.

Xiao Xiao froze. This news spread way too fast!

"Getting back to the point, girl, who are these Japanese people, and why did they want to capture you?" Seeing her embarrassment, Yin Xiao changed the subject.

Upon being asked this, Xiao Xiao immediately felt sad. "They...they seem to be acting together with Donghai..."

"Oh! Is that so?" Li Si exclaimed in surprise. "Back then, the Seventy-Two Islands of the East China Sea were founded to fight against the pirates of Japan and Korea. I never expected that they would form an alliance today. They have truly forgotten their ancestors..."

Yin Xiao frowned and said, "The East Sea faction has declined, there's no point in saying more. We shouldn't stay here any longer, let's go back first."

"Go back? Where to?" Xiao Xiao asked, bewildered.

"You'll find out when you get there." Silver Owl smiled, turned around, and started walking.

Xiao Xiao stopped thinking about it and followed. Before leaving, she turned back and quietly looked back at the way she had come. She remembered Wen Su's incredibly sinister tone: "Zuo Xiao Xiao, do you really think I'll let you go?"

Then, I unconsciously recalled Lian Zhao's words: "Take it down."

Indeed, it's better not to know someone than to know them, right?

...

After walking for about half an hour, Xiao Xiao suddenly stopped at the back door of a brothel.

"Grandpa Yin... why do you always bring me to the brothel?" Xiao Xiao asked innocently.

Yin Xiao immediately grabbed her ear and said, "I remember the first place I took you was the winery!"

With tears in her eyes, Xiao Xiao pleaded, "Grandpa, spare my life..."

Li Si laughed and said, "Miss Zuo, you don't know this, but there are only three places in the world where news gathers: restaurants, teahouses, and brothels. There's nothing we can do about it."

"News?" Xiao Xiao suddenly realized, "Could it be..."

Just then, the back door suddenly opened, and a figure rushed out and hugged Xiaoxiao tightly.

"Xiaoxiao!!! Thank goodness, you're alright!!!"

Xiao Xiao recognized the voice and exclaimed in surprise, "Senior Sister Ye Li!"

That person was Ye Li.

Ye Li released her embrace, overwhelmed with emotion, and said, "Xiao Xiao, you have no idea! That day on the East Sea, you disappeared without a trace, and I... I was blamed for so long!!! It was so awful!!! I told you, it wasn't my fault! It was that man in black who took you away! Speaking of which, who is that man in black? There are so many sisters in Qu Fang, yet not a single one of them knows his identity. It doesn't make sense!!!"

"Ah... this..." Xiao Xiao sighed helplessly.

"Ye Li, let's go inside and talk." Yin Xiao sighed helplessly and pushed the two men away.

After everyone entered, they were immediately led into a secluded courtyard.

Xiao Xiao then learned the whole story. It turned out that after the battle in the East China Sea, Yin Xiao and Li Si hurriedly escaped and eventually encountered Ye Li and her group, who had been attacked at sea, and learned that she was missing. At that time, the situation was tense, so everyone decided to return to the shore first and make further plans.

Just then, the government was accepting refugees from the East Sea, so they mingled with the common people and landed ashore. However, a wanted notice arrived, the city gates were sealed, and they were trapped. They had no choice but to temporarily take refuge at the Qu Fang branch. For days, the Qu Fang members searched and inquired extensively, but still found no trace of her. Fearing for their safety, they devised a clever plan: to exaggerate the deeds of the "Three-String Heroine" everywhere, making it known throughout the city. Moreover, adhering to the principle of only praising her and avoiding any criticism, they transformed this "petty scoundrel" into a peerless martial arts master, unparalleled in both literary and martial arts prowess.

Silver Owl concluded, "It seems this strategy is quite effective. I saw you use your power to intimidate people back in Hero's Fortress, and this time I specially created this momentum for you, and you certainly lived up to expectations. At this rate, one day you'll even be able to intimidate the Emperor!"

Xiao Xiao could only give a helpless, silly smile.

"Hehe, it's fortunate that Wei Qi left first, otherwise, given his cunning, how could you have escaped so easily today?" Li Si said, sipping her tea.

"And another thing, that young master of the Lian family must still remember their past relationship and deliberately let Xiaoxiao off the hook!" Ye Li chimed in cheerfully.

Yin Xiao and Li Si laughed at the same time.

"Little Ye, what you said is so pleasing to the ear," Yin Xiao laughed. "Isn't it, little girl?"

Xiao Xiao couldn't laugh, and honestly said, "How could that be..."

"Why is it impossible?" Ye Li stood up and took a stack of wanted posters. "Look, these are wanted posters issued by the Lian family. They include all sorts of people, but not you."

"He thought I was dead, that's why he didn't issue an arrest warrant for me..."

"Wow, are you stupid?! Wei Qi saw you! He's an ally of Wei Qi, how could he not know if you're alive or dead!"

"He was trying to grab me..."

"He's the young master of the Lian family, ordered by the imperial court to quell the rebellion in the East Sea. If he doesn't arrest you, wouldn't that give people something to talk about? I bet even if he catches you today, he'll find some excuse to release you another day. In short, that sentence of his was clearly meant for others to hear!"

"But……"

“‘But’ my foot! I really don’t understand. Don’t you like him? If you like him, why do you have to think the worst of him? Don’t you know him better than anyone else?”

Little and silent.

Ye Li put her hands on her hips triumphantly, "Hehe, the truth is definitely what I said! Xiao Xiao, I think you should just turn yourself in! Then, surrender to the court, atone for your crimes, and you can marry into the Lian family legitimately. Everyone will be happy!"

As soon as Ye Li finished speaking, Yin Xiao smacked her on the head.

"You crazy girl, talking nonsense! No matter what, you cannot submit to the imperial court!" Yin Xiao roared.

Ye Li touched her head, feeling somewhat unwilling.

Li Si suppressed her smile and said to Xiao Xiao, "That's right. The court's stated purpose this time is to punish the pirates in the East Sea, but secretly it's for the 'Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts.' Wei Qi has probably already informed the court of your identity, so how could the court let you go so easily? Besides, if I'm not mistaken, your master probably hasn't told you anything, so how could you submit to the court? And now, even if you say you know nothing, I'm afraid you won't be able to convince anyone. You're truly in a dilemma. If Lian Zhao really intends to let you go, you should accept his offer and flee far away; that's the best course of action."

Xiao Xiao was stunned. It took her a while to react before she nodded.

Seeing the slight distress on her face, Li Si put her arm around her shoulder and gently fanned her, saying, "Miss Zuo, what I said earlier was all speculation, please don't take it to heart. The most important thing now is to leave here as soon as possible... Speaking of which, today, I and this bandit were originally going to the yamen to steal the city exit pass. Unfortunately, complications arose, and we failed. Now that things have turned out like this, it won't be easy for us to get back into the yamen..."

Upon hearing her words, Xiao Xiao's mind immediately returned to the right track.

Li Si continued, "However, Miss Zuo can do us a favor."

Xiao Xiao was puzzled. "Me? How can I help you?"