Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 124

Ba Jitian pondered for a moment and said, "Does the Master mean to prevent the Lian family from sending troops?"

“Yes.” Helan Qifeng nodded. “Helan has a plan, but it requires Elder Ba’s help.”

Bajitian frowned, "I have already been defeated by Shimi, how can I be of any help?"

Helan Qifeng smiled and said, "Elder Ba only needs to tell us the whereabouts of the 'Heavenly Coffin'."

"The Heavenly Coffin?" Ba Jitian frowned.

Seeing this, Helan Qifeng advised, "'The Heavenly Coffin' is a sacred object of Shennong, and I know this request is somewhat unreasonable. However, Shi Mi is determined to obtain it. If we can use it as bait, we can lure the snake out of its hole. Moreover, the struggle for the 'Heavenly Coffin' is a matter for the Shennong family, and it is inconvenient for the Lian family to mobilize the army to intervene in this matter. When the time comes, we can set up an ambush and capture Shi Mi and the others in one fell swoop. The return of Shennong will be as easy as taking something out of a bag."

Bajitian, upon hearing this, said, "Master, you misunderstand. Although the 'Heavenly Coffin' is a sacred object of Shennong, if it can be used to eliminate traitors in my sect, why would I hesitate to use it? However, the place where the 'Heavenly Coffin' is stored is riddled with traps and mechanisms, making it inaccessible to ordinary people. Even if I reveal the location, to set up an ambush, I'm afraid..."

Upon hearing this, Helan Qifeng laughed, "Elder, you're overthinking it." He reached out, pulling Yin Xiao with his left hand and Shen Yuan with his right, saying, "These two, one is Yin Xiao, a bandit who specializes in robbing and plundering, specializing in entering dangerous places, and also has the bloodline of the tomb-raiding clan 'Xiufeng.' And this one is the young lady of 'Jiyu Manor,' the head of all craftsmen in the world. All the world's traps and secret passages are child's play in front of 'Jiyu.' With these two, what is there to fear about the traps around the 'Heavenly Coffin'?"

Yin Xiao and Shen Yuan exchanged a glance, both showing a hint of embarrassment.

Bajitian glanced at the two men and smiled, “Alright. Since the shop master is so confident, I will give it a try.”

Once everyone reached a consensus, their fighting spirit immediately soared.

Xiaoxiao watched from afar, but her heart remained blank. She walked to a corner, hugged her knees, sat down, and buried her head.

"Xiaoxiao, what are you doing here?" Ye Li's voice was cheerful and lively. She patted Xiaoxiao's shoulder, held up the steamed bun in her hand, and said, "Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?"

She looked up slightly, then at her, "Senior Sister Ye Li..."

"Hmm! I waited so long for you to come back. I thought you'd been taken back. By the way, where's your benefactor?" Ye Li sat down next to Xiao Xiao and asked.

When Xiaoxiao heard this question, she buried her head back down.

Ye Li took a bite of her steamed bun, realizing she had said something wrong, and changed the subject, saying, "Xiao Xiao, I heard you really have a way with people. You actually managed to get the Shennong Sect Master to intervene and pull Uncle Wen Su back from the brink of death. Speaking of which, Uncle Wen Su's survival this time is a great blessing. The sisters from Qu Fang told me that after the imperial court besieged Donghai, Wen Jing fled, and now the seventy-two islands of Donghai are in disarray, with the northeastern islands occupied by the Japanese. Previously, the sect leader went to Donghai and rescued many surviving disciples. Now they want to regroup and revive the sect, and they are planning to elect Wen Su as the new island lord!" Ye Li turned to look at Xiao Xiao, "Isn't it strange? Wen Su is clearly Wen Jing's confidant, and he disappeared with him that day. The Donghai disciples actually want to elect him as their leader. I just can't understand it..."

"Senior brother is not a despicable person like Wen Jing!" Lin Zhi suddenly appeared out of nowhere and chimed in.

Ye Li was startled. "Wow, why are you so excited?"

Lin Zhi frowned and said, "Senior Brother has long been dissatisfied with Wen Jing's actions. Otherwise, why would he have shown mercy back then? How could I have survived to this day? Wen Jing's ruthless treatment of Senior Brother further proves that they are not of the same ilk. Now, the disciples of the East Sea are scattered, and only Senior Brother can gather everyone together and revitalize the East Sea!"

Ye Li looked at him, "Hey, how do you know it was Senior Uncle Wen Su who 'showed mercy'? Couldn't he have just accidentally missed?"

“You were once a disciple of the East Sea, and I am at least your senior. Can’t you speak with a little more respect?” Lin Zhi said, dissatisfied.

Ye Li continued eating her steamed bun, mumbling, "You said it yourself, 'Zeng'."

Lin Zhi became increasingly dissatisfied, and the two began to argue fiercely, neither willing to give in.

Xiao Xiao sensibly moved to the side. The Shennong Family, the Heavenly Coffin, the East Sea, Qufang, Xiufeng Village, Xuanling Path... everything sounded so unfamiliar and distant to her.

She turned her head and looked at the lotus pond in the courtyard, where several koi carp swam leisurely. This was a dark, underground chamber, never seeing the light of day; it was already a feat to cultivate lotus flowers here. These fish must have suffered greatly in this humble pond. ...To forget each other in the vastness of the world is always the best... She had known this principle for a very long time. The distance between them had only grown further and further, until it finally became as vast as the sky and the sea...

But if you knew that, why didn't you leave? Why couldn't you agree to Wen Su's request? Didn't you always want to escape? Whether it was the martial world or grudges, you wanted to escape far away, avoid all of this, and return to your original free and unrestrained self... But since when did you start wanting to leave, yet turning back?

"It's better to weave a net than to stand by the water and envy the fish." Li Si's voice rang out above her.

He looked up at her.

"Oh dear, I was just saying it casually, it didn't mean anything by it..." Li Si said with a smile, fanning herself with a sandalwood fan. "Alas, I'm all alone here."

"Huh?" Xiao Xiao asked, puzzled.

“Look, they’re all in pairs…” Li Si pointed at Ye Li and Lin Zhi with her sandalwood fan, then intentionally or unintentionally pointed at Yin Xiao and Shen Yuan standing in the courtyard.

Xiao Xiao looked in the direction of the gaze and asked in confusion, "Aren't you and Brother Qi a couple?"

Li Si immediately laughed. "Does it look like it?" She closed her fan and said, "I used to think so too..."

Once Li Si changed her self-reference, the playful tone was gone.

"What do you think of my appearance?" Li Si asked with a smile.

Xiao Xiao carefully observed her. Li Si favored red clothing, which accentuated her snow-white skin, making her appear delicate and radiant. Her eyes were bright and sparkling, with a slight upturn at the corners, exuding charm and allure. When she smiled, a pair of dimples added to her beauty. Xiao Xiao's gaze moved downwards, noticing Li Si's graceful figure, perfectly proportioned. Despite her slender frame due to her martial arts training, she did not appear frail.

“Miss Li is a beauty that is one in a million,” Xiao Xiao answered truthfully.

Li Si smiled, pursing her lips. "That's right. I'm used to men's flattery and fawning. In the past, I only asked what a man could do for me, and if he couldn't, I would abandon him without a second thought. But one day, when I held someone in my heart, I started thinking, what can I do for him..."

Li Si looked up at Yin Xiao and Shen Yuan, "What he wants now is something I can never give him. If I still don't let go, it would be ridiculous..." She laughed, "Girls are thin-skinned, they can't stand being laughed at!"

Xiao Xiao laughed when she heard this, "Miss Li is truly magnanimous."

Li Si shook her head, a hint of pride in her voice, "I'm not magnanimous. However, I did my best. Whatever the outcome, as long as I did my best, I have no regrets."

At that moment, Xiaoxiao suddenly felt enlightened. Because she had never tried her best, she had regrets.

From beginning to end, everything she did was either out of necessity or by sheer coincidence. She never did anything willingly. As the Taoists say, "Go with the flow." And she simply stood there waiting. Waiting for others to do something, waiting for others to give up something, waiting for the best possible outcome…

Didn't she realize this a long time ago? She made up her mind never to run away again, never to give up what she wanted... Why did she forget it again after all this time?

Hadn't she already made her choice by then? To do something for him, instead of waiting for him to do something for her…

Xiao Xiao suddenly stood up and looked at the large group of people in front of her.

Li Si was startled. "Miss Zuo, what's wrong?"

Xiao Xiao didn't answer. Love, hate, grudges, and countless other entanglements—she had never truly distinguished them. Frankly, she had never discerned right from wrong, good from evil. But what did it matter if she was wrong? What did it matter if she was right? She was just a minor character; what she did, whose fate could she control? Which side she stood on, and what impact would it have on the martial world?

She took a few steps, cleared her throat, and shouted loudly, "I want to submit to the imperial court!!!"

Everyone in the courtyard was startled by the shout, and Helan Qifeng even spat out the wine he had just drunk.

There was complete silence around them, and it took a long time for anyone to react.

Xiao Xiao stretched out her hand, waved, and said, "That's it, I'm leaving now!"

After she finished speaking, she slipped away and ran quickly toward the exit.

The people in the courtyard were still stunned.

After a long silence, a voice said, "Uh... what if she leaks the information about the 'Heavenly Coffin'?"

In an instant, the people in the courtyard recovered.

"I'm really fed up with this little miss. Who's going to go and bring her back?" Helan Qifeng said helplessly.

"You brat! You're playing the 'Switch to the Imperial Court' trick on me again!!!" Yin Xiao gritted his teeth, rolled up his sleeves, and chased after her.

“Women are fickle…” Ba Jitian said with a serious expression.

"Ah, don't glare at me! It's none of my business!" Li Si protested innocently.

"Xiaoxiao has finally come to her senses. I'm so happy for Young Master Lian!" Ye Li said, moved.

"Enough talk! Go after them!"

...

Unexpected Blessing

Once the hour of Mao (5-7 AM) had passed, the sky was completely bright, and the birdsong and insect chirping gradually quieted down.

Lian Zhao walked slowly, feeling only heaviness. His mind and body grew sluggish. He stopped, hesitated, and finally turned back.

Behind him, there were only lush grasses and scattered wildflowers. He stood there quietly for a long time, until the stinging pain in his right arm intensified, before he came to his senses.

Last night, he fought with Qianzhu Xiyuan and was hit by three of her meridian-sealing needles. The needles did not damage any acupoints, so he didn't pay much attention to them. In his haste to get here, he hadn't paid any attention to his injuries.

He vaguely sensed that the pain was unusual, so he rolled up his sleeve and saw three bluish-black spots on his right arm. The skin around the spots was swollen and constantly stinging.

He immediately twisted the mask he had just removed into a knot and tied it tightly around his upper arm. Just as he finished, he heard the sound of horses' hooves, mixed with footsteps, rapidly approaching. He lowered his sleeves and became alert. There was nowhere to hide, and before he could think of a plan, a group of men arrived and surrounded him.

"Young Master Lian? What a surprise! What brings you here?" A rider stepped forward, and Xi Yuan, sitting on horseback, greeted Lian Zhao with a smile.

Lian Zhao calmly replied, "I have my reasons, you don't need to ask any more questions."

Xi Yuan dismounted and pretended to sized up Lian Zhao, saying, "Young Master Lian, your night clothes look very familiar. Speaking of which, something big happened at the Shennong family just now. Someone broke in, released the wanted criminal, and even set a fire. One of the men in black was dressed like Young Master Lian."

Lian Zhao naturally knew that her words had a hidden meaning, a tacit understanding. He remained calm and said, "I already know about this matter. I came here to track down those fugitives. Unfortunately, the thieves are cunning and have disappeared." After he finished speaking, he took a step, "Instead of searching blindly, it's better to go back for now and make a more careful plan."

“What Young Master Lian says is quite right…” As Xi Yuan spoke, her gaze was fixed on Lian Zhao’s actions. A sly glint flashed in her eyes, and she suddenly reached out to grab Lian Zhao’s right arm.

Lian Zhao was already on guard and nimbly dodged. He frowned, "What does the Lady Qian mean by this?"

Xi Yuan made a mistake, but she wasn't angry. She still smiled and said, "Ah, Young Master Lian, please don't misunderstand. I just noticed that your arm looked a bit strange, and I was worried that you were injured. I was just anxious."

Lian Zhao said, "Thank you for your concern, Master Qian."

Xi Yuan said, "To be honest, Young Master Lian, I just struck the man in black on the right arm with three meridian-sealing needles. As you know, living in the Shennong family, seeing all those poisons and medicines every day inevitably makes one curious. So I put something on the needle tips. Just for fun, I don't even know what I put on them. The person who was struck by the needles is going to suffer. If he unfortunately loses an arm, he probably won't be able to draw his bow and shoot arrows anymore."

Upon hearing this, Lian Zhao looked at her and said, "Master Qian, every word you say has a deeper meaning. Do you suspect that I am the man in black?"

“Xi Yuan wouldn’t dare. Young Master Lian is the head of the Lian family, the Divine Arrow Clan, and a favorite of the Emperor. How could he possibly disobey the Emperor’s orders and release a wanted criminal—such a heinous act?” Xi Yuan said, bowing his head.

Lian Zhao frowned slightly; he was surrounded by members of the Shenxiao Sect. Xi Yuan's tone was threatening, showing no sign of letting up. It seemed he couldn't escape...

"What you have obtained, Lady Qian, is correct." A clear female voice rang out. Dozens of archers rode up on horseback, led by Lian Ying, who sat on her horse, looking down at Xi Yuan, and said, "My Lian family has served as officials for generations, loyal to the emperor and patriotic. How could we possibly do such a deceitful thing?" After she finished speaking, her eyes pointed directly at Lian Zhao.

Lian Zhao felt uneasy and couldn't even look Lian Ying in the eye. He lowered his eyelashes and remained silent.

“You must all be tired after a busy night. Please return to the Shennong family to rest. Leave the search for the criminals to us,” Lian Ying said.

Xi Yuan glanced at the archers and immediately smiled in agreement before leading his men away.

Lian Ying looked at Lian Zhao and said, word by word, "Master, you should come back with me too."

Lian Zhao then looked up at her and nodded.

...

A fire broke out at night, keeping the Shennong family busy for a long time. After finally calming it down, they hurriedly chased after the escaped prisoners. Fortunately, the Lian family's troops arrived, relieving everyone's fatigue.

The Lian family were honored guests, and the Shennong family had set aside a separate garden for them to live and rest in. As soon as Lian Ying and Lian Zhao returned to the Shennong family, the family guards immediately set up multiple layers of guards to isolate the garden from them.

Lian Ying and Lian Zhao entered the room, and the servants closed the door and stood solemnly outside.

Lian Ying stopped in the room, turned to look at Lian Zhao, and then grabbed his right wrist.

The pain caused Lian Zhao to furrow his brow slightly.

Lian Ying pulled up his sleeve, and when she saw the dark blue wound, anger instantly flashed in her eyes. "It really is you..."

“Aunt…” Lian Zhao tried to explain, but was interrupted by Lian Ying.

"Everything you told me last time was a lie! All that talk about 'appeasing and bribing her to submit to the court'... it's all utter nonsense!" Lian Ying released his hand and said, "I'm your aunt, and you actually lied to me for her sake!"