Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 126

Xiao Xiao looked at him and smiled. Was he worried about her?

Lian Zhao noticed her gaze, looked up and smiled, "You don't need to worry about these things. Just submit, and leave the rest to me." He then spoke with concern, "Xiao Xiao... are you really sure? Once you submit to the court, you'll never be able to go back to your old life. Your former friends will become enemies... Besides, your martial uncle..."

He couldn't bring himself to ask any further questions, so he remained silent.

Xiao Xiao hadn't thought that much about it; she'd simply followed her heart and come to submit. It was only after Lian Zhao brought it up that she began to consider it more carefully. Submitting to the imperial court naturally meant making enemies of the martial world. Besides, both Wen Su and Yin Xiao were wanted criminals by the court; these conflicts were irreconcilable… Although she had no political stance, she couldn't easily harm either side. Oh no… she hadn't thought of any of this at all!!!

Seeing that she was lost in thought, Lian Zhao changed the subject, saying, "You've had a long night, why don't you go to bed and rest for a bit..."

She looked up at him, her heart filled with deepening emotions. He had protected her time and again, helped her commit crimes, and now he was even worrying about her future, carefully considering her feelings so she wouldn't fret. She had always known that meeting him was a stroke of luck. If she were to betray him again, she would surely be struck by lightning!

Thinking of this, she took his hand and pulled him to his feet. "You need to rest more than I do."

Lian Zhao was slightly surprised and said, "No need, I..."

Without a word, Xiao Xiao pressed him onto the bed, saying, "Young Master is of noble birth. If anything were to happen to you, I would not be able to bear the responsibility."

Lian Zhao looked at her and said, "Why are you calling me 'Young Master' again..."

Xiao chuckled, "You are the young master, aren't you? It's really too impolite of me to call you by your full name."

Lian Zhao laughed, "'Zizhen,' you can call me that."

"Zizhen?" Xiaoxiao was a little puzzled, but quickly understood. When she left the Lian family, Lian Zhao was about to undergo his coming-of-age ceremony. Zizhen, that must be his courtesy name. Lian Zizhen, she silently repeated to herself a few times, then suddenly remembered something and smiled, "Lianzi?"

Lian Zhao was startled, "Huh?"

"Lotus seed." Xiao Xiao found it amusing and called out again.

Lian Zhao blushed unconsciously, "Don't call me that..."

“Lotus seeds.” Xiao Xiao smiled brightly, her tone slightly raised.

Lian Zhao was already embarrassed. "Don't call me that."

Xiao Xiao laughed happily, then pressed him down even harder, saying, "Lie down and rest, Lianzi~"

Lian Zhao was forced to lie down, looking at Xiao Xiao somewhat helplessly, "I..."

Xiao Xiao stopped teasing and said in the gentlest voice, "Go to sleep, I'll stay here."

Upon hearing those words, Lian Zhao felt all the pain in his body vanish in an instant. For a long time, he had been unable to sleep peacefully, but now, his heart was so calm and content. He realized then that he was truly exhausted. He looked at her and gently took her hand. Only then did he close his eyes, letting his weariness wash over him.

Xiao Xiao watched him fall asleep and smiled quietly. She held his hand, feeling its familiar warmth. She had impulsively submitted to the court, and knew nothing about the Nine Emperors, yet she felt so at ease and secure at this moment. As her heart relaxed, drowsiness washed over her. Before she knew it, she leaned against the edge of the bed and fell asleep.

...

Several hours later, Lian Ying led his family servants in and saw this scene.

She frowned slightly, her gaze falling on their clasped fingers. After a long while, she sighed softly. She gestured for the servants to put the food down and then left through the door.

...

When Xiaoxiao woke up, she was lying in bed, fast asleep. Startled, she rolled over and sat up, only to find it was already dark. She looked around the room and saw Lian Zhao sitting cross-legged on the couch beside her, eyes closed.

Hearing her get up, Lian Zhao opened his eyes and smiled, "It's still an hour before dawn, why don't you sleep a little longer?"

"Huh?" Xiaoxiao got out of bed and looked out the window. "It's already this late..."

Lian Zhao smiled and said, "You're really tired." He got up, walked to her side, pulled her to the table, and said, "Now that you're awake, let's eat something first."

Xiao Xiao's eyes lit up as she looked at the food on the table. She hadn't eaten properly since yesterday, and her stomach was growling with hunger when she woke up. She picked up her chopsticks, took a big bite of food, and then, as if remembering something, looked up at Lian Zhao.

Lian Zhao smiled and said, "What are you looking at me for? Focus on eating." As he spoke, he raised his hand and gently stroked her cheek, "...Why can't you gain weight?"

Without hesitation, Xiao Xiao replied, "If I get fat, I won't be able to escape quickly."

Lian Zhao frowned. "You still want to escape?"

Xiao Xiao blinked and said, "I don't want to think about it anymore. I'll fatten myself up to show my loyalty!" After she finished speaking, she swallowed a big mouthful of food, her face serious and sincere.

Lian Zhao chuckled softly, picked up another pair of chopsticks, and served her some food.

Just then, a slight noise came from outside the door.

Lian Zhao stopped eating and listened quietly. Xiao Xiao also stopped chewing and held her breath in anticipation.

Suddenly, the door was kicked open. Three burly men rushed in and, without saying a word, attacked Lian Zhao and Xiao Xiao.

Lian Zhao braced himself on the table, spun around, and kicked away the man charging at the front. After regaining his balance, he pulled Xiao Xiao to the side, then took out his longsword and stepped forward to fight.

Xiao Xiao stood to the side in surprise, holding her chopsticks. After a moment, she noticed something was wrong.

"Watch out, it's a zombie!"

Lian Zhao sensed something amiss during his attack. The walking corpse felt no pain or awareness, only murderous intent. He immediately drew his sword and ruthlessly severed the walking corpse's head.

To subdue a zombie, attacking the Qiangjian and Tianzhu acupoints at the back of the head is the most effective method. While decapitation is cruder, it is the quickest and most convenient way.

Xiao Xiao was dumbfounded as a zombie lunged at her. She screamed and nimbly dodged it.

Upon hearing the sound, Lian Zhao leaped to her side and struck the corpse aside with a palm strike. However, the force of his palm strike inevitably aggravated his blood and qi. A sharp pain shot through the wound on his right arm, and he nearly dropped his longsword.

Seeing this, Xiaoxiao stepped forward, leaped up, braced herself on the zombie's shoulder, and flipped over its head. In the instant she passed the zombie, she plunged the chopsticks in her hand deep into its Qiangjian and Tianzhu acupoints at the back of its head. The zombie instantly lost its momentum and ceased moving.

Xiao Xiao landed smoothly and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she saw another group of people appear at the door. Unlike the zombies, this time, they were disciples of the Shenxiao Sect.

As she was still in surprise, Lian Zhao had already gotten up and picked up the carved bow and quiver from beside the bed. He drew the bow and fired several arrows in quick succession, causing the Shenxiao disciples at the door to scatter in fear. Lian Zhao pulled Xiao Xiao up and quickly ran outside.

After the two went outside, they discovered that the Lian family guards who had been standing guard at the gate had already been killed. The remaining guards in the villa were engaged in a fierce battle with the Shenxiao disciples.

The Lian family's troops were all stationed outside the Shennong family compound, with no more than fifty retainers in their villa. The combined attack of the zombies and the Shenxiao forces was simply too much for them to handle.

Xiao Xiao immediately recalled what Lian Zhao had just said: "If I were her, I would definitely act first and report later."... And now, it's acting first and reporting later?!

Xiao Xiao glanced at the murderous-looking Shenxiao disciples, then at Lian Zhao. Lian Zhao's expression was angry, but his demeanor remained calm. He took a long arrow from his quiver and slowly drew his bow.

People around were wary of the Lian family's archery skills, and no one dared to step forward rashly.

However, Lian Zhao raised his hand and shot the arrow directly into the sky.

A clear chirping sound pierced the air and resounded in all directions.

A whistling arrow?! Xiao Xiao looked up in surprise at the long arrow that had disappeared into the night.

The surrounding Shenxiao disciples sensed something was wrong and launched their attack.

Lian Zhao stopped fighting and instead pulled Xiao Xiao along as they maneuvered among the crowd, trying only to protect themselves.

Xiao Xiao was a little confused, but she knew that the people around her were trustworthy and she could entrust them with her life with peace of mind.

A moment later, someone suddenly rushed into the fray, and a sharp gust of wind forced the attackers away.

Xiao Xiao looked closer and was even more surprised. The person holding the long spear and standing there solemnly was none other than Jiang Cheng, the young master of the Broken Wind Clan.

Jiang Cheng forced back the Shenxiao disciples, turned to look at Lian Zhao, clasped his hands and smiled, "Brother Lian, your strategy is brilliant, I have done my duty."

Lian Zhao returned the greeting, saying, "Brother Jiang, you're too kind."

As the two were talking, a group of soldiers rushed into the villa and, in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, turned the tide of the battle.

After everything calmed down, the small sense of confusion was resolved.

Jiang Cheng smiled and said to Lian Zhao, "Just as Brother Lian predicted, the Shenxiao Sect does indeed have rebellious intentions. If Brother Lian hadn't arranged for me to meet you earlier, I would probably have been ambushed by these people."

Lian Zhao sighed, "I was just taking precautions, I didn't expect it to actually happen... Back then on the East China Sea, Wei Qi and I already had a falling out. Xi Yuan and Shi Mi are both his confidants, so we couldn't let our guard down. I didn't expect them to make their move so quickly... By the way, where's my aunt?"

Upon hearing this, the injured family retainer replied, "Young master, a few hours ago, the Shennong family discovered the whereabouts of the 'Heavenly Coffin.' Sect Master Shi Mi and Master Xian Xi Yuan have already set off to search for it. Miss Gu originally did not want to get involved, but Master Xian persuaded her many times, so she also took twenty family retainers and went with them."

"The Heavenly Coffin?"

Xiao Xiao was horrified upon hearing this. "The Heavenly Coffin"?! Wasn't that the bait Qu Fang had suggested earlier? She hadn't expected it to be set up so quickly… Could it be that they were afraid she'd leak the information, so they deliberately moved it forward? Oh no, it's a trap!

Just as Xiao Xiao was about to reveal the conspiracy of the "Heavenly Coffin," she heard Lian Zhao say, "Shi Mi's search for the 'Heavenly Coffin' is not something that can be done in a day or two. How could there be news about something that can't be found anywhere so quickly? There's clearly a trap."

“Miss also thinks so,” the family retainer said. “However, the Shennong disciples have confirmed that it is indeed the ‘Heavenly Coffin.’ Sect Master Shi Mi urgently needs this item, so even if it is a trap, she insists on going.”

"The Lian family should not interfere in matters of the martial world. This trap is intended to tie down the Lian family's forces so that they can focus their efforts on dealing with Shi Mi and Xi Yuan. ... Now it seems that Xi Yuan's luring of Auntie there may have other motives."

No sooner had Lian Zhao finished speaking than a family retainer rushed over and said urgently, "Young Master, the Shenxiao disciples have seized 'Frosty Sky Embracing the Moon' and have already escaped from the Shennong Family!"

Lian Zhao frowned upon hearing this. "Give the order to prepare the troops and march towards the 'Heavenly Coffin'!"

"Yes, sir!"

Everyone was busy with their own things, but Xiao Xiao stood still, staring blankly at Lian Zhao.

Lian Zhao turned around and said to her, "Xiao Xiao, you stay here..." He saw Xiao Xiao's eyes and asked in confusion, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Xiao Xiao blinked, snapping out of her daze, and said, "No, I just wanted to say that I want to go too!"

Lian Zhao shook his head. "It's too dangerous."

Xiao Xiao smiled and said seriously, "Young Master, you are skilled in both literature and martial arts, surely you can protect me? Or are you afraid I will betray you?"

Lian Zhao looked at her, smiled, and said, "Since the young mistress has said so, can I still stop her?" He stretched out his hand and said, "Let's go."

Without hesitation, Xiao Xiao gripped his hand tightly and nodded emphatically.

...

Neither loss nor gain [Part 1]

On a summer day, dawn breaks early; before the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), there is already a faint light. But in the basement of that mountain village tavern, naturally, not a single ray of sunlight can be seen.

When Wen Su slowly opened his eyes, all he saw was a faint, flickering light that made him anxious.

That resolute declaration, "I want to submit to the imperial court," lingered in his ears for a long time. It made him forget the pain of his injuries, the entanglements between the two seas in the southeast, and even his thoughts became sluggish.

He suddenly remembered what she had said in his arms on the deserted island, "...From now on, he will only come to me for the Emperor's orders, and I will also give up my thoughts and stay in the East Sea peacefully...I will listen to you, be filial to you, and never...never make you angry again..."

If only time could stop at that moment. But then he gradually understood. Her longing had never ceased... The one she sang to every night by the sea, the one she tried her best to protect, the one she couldn't bear to hurt or betray, was Lian Zhao. And if he hadn't gone to the trouble of separating them, the two of them would have been husband and wife long ago, sparing her from many hardships later on.

What right did he have to make her come with him? Martial arts, faith, a place to live... everything he once possessed, he had long since lost. He existed in the world imitating another person; everything he himself was nothingness. Now, even his life was like a candle flickering in the wind.

Luo Yuanqing is right. He can barely take care of himself now, how can he possibly take care of another person's life?

But he couldn't help thinking about it, about everything that had happened in the East China Sea. He remembered the starry night, the morning mist on the cliff, the clear sound of the sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument)...

He closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind of such thoughts. After a moment, he got up and walked out of the stone chamber.

Only the disciples from the East and South Seas remained in the courtyard.

Luo Yuanqing sat by the pond, listlessly watching the carp in the water. Lin Zhi stood far away, talking to his fellow disciples from the East Sea.