Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 106

Ye Zhihui looked up at him and smiled, "My father sent me!"

Ye Zhihui raised her hand and pointed to the side, saying, "It was the heroine who brought me here. By the way, my father also told you to take good care of these two carriages."

The boy was slightly puzzled. He looked up and saw Xiao Xiao and her group. He recognized the people behind Xiao Xiao and immediately smiled. He walked up to them, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Brother Qi, Miss Li, it's been a long time."

Yin Xiao and Li Si returned the greeting with clasped hands.

The young man turned to look at Xiaoxiao and said, "My name is Jiang Cheng. May I ask how this lady is addressed?"

Xiao Xiao immediately clasped her hands in a fist salute, "Zuo Xiao Xiao..."

Jiang Cheng smiled and said, "You've all come from afar, you must be tired. Come in and have a drink of water." After he finished speaking, he led Ye Zhihui into the restaurant.

Just now, seeing him fight with his father, he seemed unruly and unfilial, but now seeing his gentle smile and calm tone, he didn't seem like a violent person at all. Xiao Xiao immediately followed him inside with peace of mind.

This restaurant also served as an inn, and everyone was exhausted from their journey. After a brief exchange, they settled into the guest rooms upstairs.

Xiao Xiao found it strange. Judging from their behavior along the way, Yin Xiao and Li Si definitely didn't want to stay here. But at this moment, the two seemed to be plotting something, with occasional glints of cunning in their eyes. Xiao Xiao didn't bother to investigate further. After the carriage was parked properly, she took her luggage and went upstairs to rest.

She had just reached the top of the stairs when she saw the woman from the South China Sea coming down. She couldn't avoid her, and they met face to face.

The woman from the South China Sea smiled broadly upon seeing her, "Oh, young lady, what a coincidence!"

She swallowed hard and said, "Uh..."

The woman looked her over and said, "Your injuries seem to be healed. You escaped from the East Sea so quickly. Where's Wen Su? Wasn't he with you?"

Upon hearing this name, Xiao Xiao unconsciously stopped smiling and looked somewhat bewildered.

The woman was oblivious, and chuckled to herself, "Judging by the days, he should be coming to find me by now. Hehe, where is he now?"

Xiao Xiao hugged her luggage tightly and said, "My martial uncle isn't with me..."

"Martial Uncle?" The woman was somewhat surprised. "Really? I thought you two were lovers!"

I was slightly surprised, but utterly puzzled.

The woman laughed and said, "I really can't think of any reason other than deep love for him that would make him risk his life to save me. It's alright if he's not here; he'll come looking for me sooner or later anyway."

Xiao Xiao was even more puzzled. She spoke up and asked, "Miss Luo..."

Suddenly, someone shouted, "Luo Yuanqing! You ugly hag! You dare to dream of marrying our young master Jiang! You're dreaming!"

Turning her head slightly, she saw a large group of girls standing at the door. They were of all ages, and each of them had a menacing look on their faces; it was clear at a glance that they were looking for trouble.

"Luo Yuanqing, let me tell you, Young Master Jiang will never marry you! Get back to the South China Sea as soon as possible!" The women at the door shouted loudly, creating a terrifying scene.

The woman from the South China Sea sneered and replied, "Pah! Don't think I'm like you! I don't care about him at all! If it weren't for the agreement between my master and that old man, I, Luo Yuanqing, would never do something so degrading! If you continue to speak rudely, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"Come on, come on, are you scared of me?!"

One of the women shouted. Instantly, the crowd erupted in anger, and the scene descended into chaos.

Luo Yuanqing no longer cared about Xiaoxiao and focused on arguing.

Xiao Xiao had no choice but to put aside her doubts and went upstairs somewhat dejectedly.

She had just sat down in the room when Ye Li rushed back, shouting, "Wow, Xiao Xiao, I'm telling you, you're amazing!"

Ye Li ran to Xiao Xiao's side and said, "You don't know, but the owner of this restaurant used to have a relationship with the Palace Master of the North Divine Palace of the South Sea. However, he ultimately betrayed her. At the time, he promised that his offspring would definitely be married into the South Sea. Now, the South Sea has sent people to snatch the bride. Isn't that amazing? And also, the young master of this restaurant is extremely popular. I heard that all the girls in town want to marry him. Isn't that even more amazing? The most amazing thing is that I heard the father and son who own this restaurant are always at odds. They argue every day and fight all the time. The people in town are tired of seeing it..."

Ye Li was speaking happily, but then she noticed Xiao Xiao looked troubled. She immediately stopped, patted Xiao Xiao's shoulder, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Xiao Xiao looked up at her, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Senior Sister Ye, when the imperial court besieged the East Sea, was it Uncle who saved me?"

Ye Li frowned. "You mean Wen Su... Yes, he's the one who saved you..." Ye Li thought for a moment and said, "Xiao Xiao, let me tell you the truth. Actually, when he brought you back, we were all surprised for a long time. In all my years in the East Sea, I've never seen him care about anyone so much. You were unconscious, and the doctor went to great lengths to detoxify you. His worry was definitely not fake... I don't understand either. He impersonated your martial uncle, and everything he did was obviously to gain your trust. But at that time, you didn't know anything at all. Even if he was acting, who was he acting for... Although he was treacherous and did many evil deeds, perhaps he really wasn't so bad to you..."

Xiao Xiao lowered her head upon hearing these words, a slight pain rising in her chest.

"Ah, Xiaoxiao, I didn't mean to say this to upset you. Speaking of which, I was the one who told you about him impersonating your martial uncle..." Ye Li said nervously. "Well, actually, being deceived isn't a big deal. Just think of it as being bitten by a dog. Next time you see him, just avoid him. Right?"

Xiao Xiao took a deep breath, looked up, and exclaimed, "Yes!"

Ye Li laughed and changed the subject, saying, "By the way, this town seems to have many secrets. I've been in the East China Sea for years, so I'm not very well-informed. I'll go explore the town again later; maybe I can find out some new information. Do you want to come with me?"

Xiao Xiao had calmed down and was about to agree when she suddenly heard Yin Xiao's voice, "You're not allowed to go!"

Yin Xiao strode into the room and said, "Don't blame me for not warning you, this is not a place to play. If you wander around aimlessly, you may lose your life."

Ye Li asked, puzzled, "Why?"

Yin Xiao closed the door, sighed, and said, "I can tell you without hesitation, this is the largest gathering place of the 'Breaking Wind Sect.' The owner of this restaurant is the sect leader of the 'Breaking Wind Sect'..." He glanced at the street outside the window, "...not a single person in this town is an ordinary citizen..."

Xiao Xiao and Ye Li were stunned.

Xiao Xiao also looked out the window at the street: woodcutters, vegetable farmers, merchants, peddlers, respectable women, spoiled young men, elderly people, toddlers... None of these people were ordinary people? What... what kind of dangerous place is this?

...

At that moment, a group of people was hurrying towards them from several miles outside the town.

The person leading the team was none other than Lian Zhao.

As they approached the town, he reined in his horse and signaled his retainers to stop.

After several days of tracking, he finally caught up with Ye Zhihui and her group. However, the town they entered astonished him. This town wasn't on the map. He had sent people to inquire at the nearby government offices, but everyone who mentioned the town looked blank. No one could say for sure who governed it. This place truly existed outside the law, outside the emperor's territory. Bringing his household guards in rashly might be inappropriate.

"Stand still. Do not make any moves without my order," Lian Zhao ordered.

The guards behind him responded in unison, "Yes, young master."

Lian Zhao dismounted and looked at the dark clouds gradually gathering in the sky. The air around him grew heavy, a sign of impending rain.

He spoke to the guards beside him, saying, "I will go into town first. If anything happens, use fireworks as a signal."

"Yes." The servant respectfully handed over the carved bow and quiver.

Lian Zhao took it, remained silent for a moment, and walked towards that small town.

...

The clouds in the sky grew thicker, and the wind carried dust, swirling close to the ground. Although it was midday, the sky was as dark as night.

In the woods outside the town stood a man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. He wore a moon-white robe that fluttered in the wind, the only bright spot in the dimness. He stood in the woods with his eyes closed, as if he had merged into the darkness, transcending the mundane world.

At that moment, several black-clad ninjas appeared beside him.

He opened his eyes and asked, "How is it?"

"The Lian family's army is stationed outside the town, and Lian Zhao has entered the town alone," someone stood up and replied.

“One person…” He frowned. “You should report this to the island lord immediately. I will go into the town to investigate first.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the group of men in black disappeared into the forest.

He was about to take a step when a sharp pain shot through his chest. He stopped, took a few deep breaths, and calmed himself. Now, it was the fifteenth day…

His expression held a hint of sadness, but it quickly vanished into indifference. He gently gripped the hilt of his knife and walked towards the small town.

...

Invincible Under Heaven

After midday, a sudden clap of thunder ripped through the sky. A flash of bluish-white lightning tore through the dark clouds, accompanied by a deafening roar. The rain lingered, leaving only a raging wind, swirling and skimming the ground.

Looking at the pitch-black sky, Xiao Xiao felt a sense of loneliness for some reason. Not long ago, Yin Xiao and Li Si had set off to find the owner of this restaurant, and Ye Li had followed them out of curiosity. Ye Zhihui was probably tired and had gone to her room to sleep early. She paced around the room two or three times before finally opening the door and going downstairs.

At this time, the waiters in the restaurant had already gone to bed, and the main hall was empty. Xiao Xiao wandered around for a bit and unknowingly ended up in the backyard. Then, she saw Jiang Cheng by the stables, carefully examining the two carriages.

Noticing someone approaching, Jiang Cheng turned around and smiled, "Lady Zuo."

Upon hearing this title, Xiao Xiao was startled and stammered, "I...I'm not some kind of female knight-errant..."

Jiang Cheng looked at her and smiled sincerely, "Then, Miss Zuo."

She nodded slightly.

“I heard about the young lady from Zhihui,” Jiang Cheng said. “Master entrusted everything to her with such confidence; the title of ‘heroine’ is truly well-deserved.”

She gave a slightly embarrassed laugh.

Jiang Cheng pondered for a moment and asked, "Miss, did your master mention the carriage before he left?"

"Carriages?" Xiaoxiao looked at the two carriages, puzzled. The only difference was that they were larger and longer than ordinary carriages. Was there something unusual about these two carriages?

Seeing her blank expression, Jiang Cheng smiled and said, "Don't worry about it, miss. I was just asking casually..."

As he spoke, the rain finally broke free and began to fall. He immediately changed the subject and said, "Miss Zuo, let's go inside."

Upon hearing this, Xiaoxiao stopped thinking and went inside.

Jiang Cheng glanced at the deserted hall and said, "Miss Zuo, please have a seat. I'll make you some tea."

After he finished speaking, he turned and went to the kitchen.

In the huge hall, only Xiaoxiao remained.

Then, thunder rumbled again, and rain poured down. In an instant, the cacophony of rain filled the air, making the surroundings lively.

The noise only made Xiaoxiao feel more lonely. She sat quietly, a sudden sense of déjà vu washing over her. It seemed she had once sat alone like this in the lobby of an inn…

Just then, footsteps came from the doorway.

As if by some inexplicable premonition, she put aside her thoughts and looked up. That one look up, however, made her unable to remain calm.

At the entrance of the restaurant stood a man around twenty years old. He was soaked to the bone, his dark green clothes clinging damply to his body. He looked somewhat disheveled. However, the calmness in his expression dispelled all his embarrassment and gave him an air of understated nobility.

The scenes in her small memory suddenly overlapped, as if everything had been rewound. She remembered clearly that the first time she saw him, he appeared at the inn's entrance in the same way. He carried a carved bow and a quiver on his back, and a short sword at his waist. The quiver was half gilded and half inlaid with silver, known as the "Mandarin Duck Quiver." Only the Lian family, renowned for their archery skills, was worthy of such a treasure…

At that moment, he looked up and saw her.

The noisy world suddenly fell silent. There was no sound in her ears. She heard her own voice, softly calling out, "Lian Zhao..."

Lian Zhao stared at her, his entire body stiffening. He had imagined many ways to meet her, but never this. A moment of mental turmoil left him unsure of what the right thing to do was.

The distance between them was just right; no matter who turned and ran away first, the other couldn't catch up. Yet, it was precisely this distance that left both of them frozen in place, uncomfortably.

"Young master, if you're seeking shelter from the rain, please come in and have a seat," Jiang Cheng's voice rang out calmly.

Xiao Xiao turned around abruptly and saw him holding a cup of tea, with a peaceful smile on his face, saying this.

Lian Zhao remained silent for a moment, then turned around, about to leave. But then he heard someone speak with a charming smile, "Young Master Lian, it's a rare treat to come all this way, are you leaving so soon?"

Lian Zhao frowned and saw Yin Xiao and Li Si standing leisurely on the street ahead. Both of them were soaked by the rain, but they still exuded an arrogant and domineering aura, their expressions still showing a disdain for everything.