Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 128

...

Neither loss nor gain [Chinese]

Lian Zhao led his troops to the entrance of the valley. From afar, they could hear the rustling of bamboo groves, mixed with shouts of battle and fury, which was terrifying.

Just as the troops were about to enter the valley, a strange melody suddenly rang out, disturbing their minds and disrupting their internal energy.

The Enchanting Sound of the Sea? People from the South China Sea? Xiao Xiao covered her ears with her hands, nervously looking around. She had no internal energy and wasn't greatly affected, only her eardrums hurt. But among the Lian family's guards, those with profound internal energy began to concentrate and cease their movements.

Lian Zhao calmed himself, took out three whistling arrows, and shot them into the air. The sound pierced the air, temporarily dispelling the effects of the "Enchanting Sea Divine Sound".

The guards came to their senses and became alert.

A large group of people suddenly appeared from all directions. Judging from their attire, they were divided into four factions. One faction, dressed as Taoist priests, were disciples of the "Mysterious Spirit Path." Another faction, adorned with feathers, was clearly associated with the "Xiufeng Village," connected to Yin Xiao. The remaining two factions consisted entirely of female disciples, naturally belonging to the North Divine Palace of the South Sea. And the third group was someone Xiao Xiao recognized all too well; she had worn this green robe before and learned the stance of those with chains wrapped around their arms and carrying long swords…

Due to previous unforeseen events, Lian Zhao could only mobilize about a hundred soldiers, including his trusted retainers. Meanwhile, the martial arts practitioners before him numbered at least sixty or seventy. Moreover, many of them were highly skilled, making the situation far from optimistic.

At this moment, someone slowly walked out from the crowd.

Clad in a moon-white robe, he appeared as cool and aloof as water under the blazing sun. His long, ink-black hair was neatly tied back, making his features even more refined. His expression was cold and arrogant. Perhaps having experienced life and death, he possessed an ethereal aura, as if from another world…

"Uncle-Master..." Xiao Xiao said softly, as if talking to herself.

Lian Zhao glanced at Xiao Xiao, then looked at the large group of people. Not far away, bamboo swayed, its leaves rustling mournfully. He spoke softly to Xiao Xiao, "I'm sorry, I can't wait..."

Xiao Xiao was slightly startled and before she could say anything, she heard Lian Zhao shout loudly, "Release the arrows!"

Upon receiving the order, the soldiers behind him immediately drew their bows and fired arrows. Arrows rained down on the crowd that had come to intercept them.

Wen Su remained calm, drew his twin swords from his waist, slashed at the stray arrows, and leaped forward to attack Lian Zhao.

Lian Zhao was startled and immediately dismounted to avoid the blade. He then drew his sword from his horse and parried Wen Su's attack.

Just as the soldier was preparing to fire another arrow, the eerie music rang out again, echoing through the valley. Waves of the "Enchanting Sea Divine Sound" reverberated, even more powerful than before. Disturbed by the demonic sound, the soldier slowed his bow and arrow.

Lian Zhao blocked Wen Su's blade with his sword and said in a deep voice, "Brother Jiang, lead the vanguard into the valley!"

Jiang Cheng steadied himself, responded, and led his soldiers forward.

Wen Su paid no heed to these changes, focusing solely on his battle with Lian Zhao. Jiang Cheng, the young master of the Broken Wind Clan, was feared by all three factions present, except for the East Sea faction. Jiang Cheng was well aware of these complexities; he didn't unleash any deadly attacks, simply charging forward. In a short while, he carved a path through the bamboo forest, leading his troops inside.

Lian Zhao and Wen Su were locked in a stalemate, the "Enchanting Sea Divine Sound" disrupting their internal energy. After a while, both of them broke out in a light sweat, but neither dared to loosen their grip even slightly.

Although the "Enchanting Sea Divine Sound" was powerful, those who were not disciples of the South Sea were all affected to some extent. Luo Yuanqing withdrew his hand, stopping the music, and looked at the situation before him.

Xiao Xiao loosened her hands from covering her ears, looked at them, unable to think, and dared not think.

Lian Zhao spoke up, saying, "My men have already entered the forest. Is there any need for this kind of interception? I advise you to stop now and not make another mistake!"

Wen Su sneered, "Hmph. I have no interest in interception..." He lowered his left hand, and with a sideways movement of the blade, he slashed towards Lian Zhao's right shoulder.

Seeing this, Lian Zhao stopped talking, drew his sword, and stepped back to avoid the attack.

Wen Su didn't pause. He shifted his body to the side, his right hand's blade slashing upwards, aiming only for Lian Zhao's neck. Lian Zhao parried the attack with his sword held horizontally in front of his chest, then raised his right leg to kick Wen Su in the chest. Wen Su didn't hesitate either, his left hand's blade following closely, aiming straight for Lian Zhao's right leg. In a flash, Lian Zhao withdrew his leg's force, crouched down, and as his sword blocked the blade, he struck with his palm. Wen Su didn't dodge, sheathing his sword and raising his leg to meet the attack.

They struck each other with their palms and legs, and both were knocked back several steps.

Lian Zhao's right arm trembled slightly, his fingers went numb, and he couldn't concentrate, unable to grip the longsword properly. Just now, he had been disturbed by the "Enchanting Sea Divine Sound" and then struck Wen Su with his palm. His internal blood and qi had already surged, and the remaining poison had spread outwards.

Wen Su's injuries had already exhausted most of his energy, and he was only managing to stabilize his internal energy through the brief period of recuperation. Fighting Lian Zhao had already been a struggle, and now he felt weak and powerless, with nowhere to draw strength. Yet, his will stubbornly held on, refusing to give up.

Seeing this, Luo Yuanqing, who was standing to the side, had already looked away, unable to bear to watch any longer.

Her young heart was in turmoil. The grudges between Lian Zhao and Wen Su were so complex that they tormented her. Wen Su had repeatedly tried to poison Lian Zhao, revealing his murderous intent. Lian Zhao, on the other hand, led his troops to annihilate the East Sea, harboring only hostility towards Wen Su. If they were to actually fight, who would show the other any mercy? And at this moment, did she even have the right to stop them from fighting?

“Xiao Xiao…” Lian Zhaoping calmed his breathing and spoke.

She was slightly startled and looked at him.

Lian Zhao said, "Please go into the bamboo forest and tell Aunt about Shenxiao's betrayal."

A message? Jiang Cheng has already entered the forest, why bother with this? However, she quickly understood. Regardless of the reason, the struggle between these two is inevitable. The intention to spare her trouble and pain only made her feel worse…

Her small eyes instantly reddened, and her hand gripping the reins trembled slightly. "I..."

Lian Zhao smiled at her and said, "Be good."

Xiao Xiao couldn't laugh, and instead looked at Wen Su.

Wen Su looked at her and said calmly, "Aren't you leaving?"

At that moment, Xiao Xiao made up her mind. She gritted her teeth, spurred her horse, and charged towards the bamboo grove.

No one stopped her, letting her figure disappear into the green bamboo and thick fog.

After she walked away, Lian Zhao's expression hardened, and he said to Wen Su, "Wen Su, you are involved in several murder cases. By imperial decree, I will arrest you today."

Wen Su also spoke loudly, saying, "Lian Zhao, you conquered the East Sea, injuring countless of my disciples. You have also ruined my plans many times. Today, I will settle these scores with you."

Lian Zhao switched to holding the sword with his left hand and stood up straight.

Wen Su gripped the knife in a reverse grip, his left hand at shoulder level in front, and his right hand slightly bent, held horizontally in front of his chest, assuming a standing stance.

The two locked eyes, and after a brief silence, all the pent-up resentment and entanglement erupted in an instant.

...

After rushing into the bamboo forest, Xiaoxiao only ran a few steps before reining in her horse. The mist that filled the forest obscured her vision. She couldn't see the path she was going to take, and that moment of confusion gripped her thoughts tightly.

Jiang Cheng and his group had already disappeared, presumably having ventured deep into the forest.

Before her, amidst the bamboo grove, lay perilous dangers. To protect herself, staying away was the best course of action. Behind her, a desperate battle raged; to intervene would be to underestimate those two.

She could neither advance nor retreat. All that remained was to wait. But how would she face the victor?

She had long known that choosing a side meant giving up some things and letting down some people. However, her indecisiveness was so deeply ingrained that she couldn't shake it off.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Tell my aunt about Shenxiao's betrayal..." These words, originally a gentle excuse, now gave her direction. No matter what, this was the only thing she could do. Even if the bamboo forest before her was dangerous, she had to do something.

She opened her eyes, gazing into the depths of the bamboo forest. Her right hand slowly reached to her waist, drawing her short sword. The moment it was unsheathed, the blade shimmered with light, like the moon rising in the blue sky, bringing clarity to her mind. She spurred her horse forward, charging into the heart of the bamboo grove.

She walked a short distance and saw corpses strewn everywhere, a gruesome sight. Sharpened bamboo spikes and deep pits were scattered about, making the place extremely dangerous. Xiao Xiao felt a chill of fear, knowing that Qu Fang and Yin Xiao's group had gone all out this time, laying an ambush with an unwavering determination to win. It was a fight to the death, a common practice in the martial world.

Between the martial world and the imperial court, who is right and who is wrong? What is the reason for their antagonism? What exactly are the "Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts"? Is it true, as Jiang Ji, the leader of the Breaking Wind Sect, said, that destroying the Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts is the only righteous path?

As she was thinking this, a row of sharpened bamboo and wooden stakes suddenly burst from the ground in front of her. Her well-trained warhorse pawed and reared up, avoiding the traps. This action caused Xiao Xiao, who wasn't good at riding, to fall off. Fortunately, she was quite agile and landed steadily without injury. When the traps subsided, the warhorse also calmed down, standing obediently beside her, waiting for her to ride again.

Xiao Xiao looked at the horse, stretched out her right hand, patted the horse's neck, and said sincerely, "Amazing."

The horse snorted a few times and flicked its tail, as if in response.

Xiao Xiao looked around. The fog was thick and lingered, obscuring visibility to within a few feet. Her horse was moving very fast, and if they encountered another trap, she feared she wouldn't be able to dodge in time. After much deliberation, Xiao Xiao decided to walk. She looked around again, then led her horse towards the path where the most corpses were piled.

...

Deep within the bamboo grove, the battle raged on.

Shennong's elders fought against Shimi, but they couldn't gain any advantage. The two sides were deadlocked and evenly matched.

Meanwhile, Silver Owl and Li Si were fighting against Hiko and Oniu, and were gradually gaining the upper hand.

The group from Qu Fang surrounded Lian Ying and her party, but did not make a move. Lian Ying knew that she was outnumbered and outmatched and had no chance of winning, so she suppressed her anxiety and watched how things unfolded.

At this moment, the red thread in Li Si's hand split into several strands and shot towards Bi Zi. Bi Zi was still young and already showed signs of defeat; this sudden change made it even more difficult for her to dodge. Her hands were bound by the red thread, and she was unable to move.

Seeing this, Gui Jiu became anxious and was about to rush forward to help. But before he could react, Yin Xiao shot out several silver needles, which struck Gui Jiu's left leg. He staggered and fell to the ground.

"Shi Mi! Surrender now!" Li Si laughed loudly, her fingers lightly twirling a red thread. "Such a young girl, it would be so pitiful if she lost her hands..."

Shi Mi's movements suddenly slowed down, and her attacks paused slightly. Seeing this, the elders intensified their attacks, forcing Shi Mi to defend herself continuously.

"Sect Master! Don't worry about us! Get out of here!" Hiko shouted.

Li Si frowned and applied more force to her fingers. The red thread immediately tightened, cutting into her skin, and blood immediately seeped from Bizi's wrist.

Shi Mi frowned slightly, a thought flashing through her mind. In that split second, Ba Ji Tian gathered her energy and struck Shi Mi's chest with a palm.

Shi Mi hurriedly retreated, but she was caught off guard by Yun Hua's attack from behind, who also struck her shoulder with a palm.

In a panic, Shi Mi raised her palm to meet the attack. The force of their palms striking each other forced her back several steps. Seeing this, the other elders immediately surrounded and attacked.

Shi Mi's old strength was gone, and new strength had not yet arisen, so naturally she could not defend herself. Before long, she was forced into a desperate situation. Ba Ji Tian leaped up and struck out with a palm strike in mid-air.

Just as the palm strike was about to hit Shi Mi, a figure suddenly intervened and blocked the attack.

"Guijiu?!" Shi Mi exclaimed in surprise when she saw who it was.

The one who took the blow for Shi Mi was none other than Gui Jiu, whose legs had been injured earlier. He coughed up several mouthfuls of blood and was already critically injured.

Silver Owl and his group were completely taken aback by the fact that Ghostly Morpho, whose legs were already injured, could do such a thing, and were so surprised that they forgot to take action.

Shi Mi no longer cared about the battle situation and focused solely on the injury of Gui Jiu.

Just as several elders were about to make a move, Ba Jitian reached out to stop them, frowning as he looked at the situation before him.

The already dying Ghostly Morpho was wide-open, its whole body convulsing and twitching, looking quite terrifying.

"Corpse-manipulating Gu?!" Ba Jitian exclaimed in shock.

The "Corpse-Manipulating Gu" was originally a type of Gu worm used to manipulate corpses. Gui Jiu cast this Gu on himself, which allowed him to save Shi Mi at the last moment. However, his body did not die, and now the Gu worm is backfiring on him, making his life worse than death.

Shi Mi frowned, quickly took out several divine needles, and inserted them into several major acupoints on Gui Jiu's head, hoping to force out the Gu worms. However, the needles were repelled by the taut muscles and failed to work.

One of the elders spoke up, saying, "Raising Gu worms and desecrating the dead—this is retribution."

Shi Mi suddenly looked up and shouted angrily, "Shut up!" However, the moment her emotions stirred, her internal energy immediately became chaotic. The frenzied internal force of "Flame God Awakening Heaven" surged wildly within her body. Her whole body trembled slightly, and blood seeped from the corner of her lips.

Seeing this, Bajitian stepped forward, squatted down, and said, "Why bother..."

"You are not allowed to harm the Sect Master!" Her voice rang out from the side. Her hands were bound with red thread, yet she struggled desperately. The thread had penetrated half an inch into her skin, drawing blood. With a sob, she cried out shrilly, "Is saving people wrong? Is the Sect Master's desire to save people wrong?! Why do you keep obstructing us? Why!"

These words silenced everyone.

"Raising Gu worms and manipulating corpses were all done by Gui Jiu and me. The Longevity Gu has always been nurtured by Gui Jiu while he was still alive. The sect leader has never harmed the innocent, and all of this has nothing to do with the sect leader. If you want to kill, then kill me! You are not allowed to hurt the sect leader!" Bi Zi cried even more mournfully, his voice broken and heartbreaking to hear.

Bajitian closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then struck Guijiu's forehead with his palm. In an instant, a powerful force coursed through Guijiu's entire body, forcing all the Gu worms out, which scattered on the ground, writhing and dying. Guijiu slowly calmed down and fell into a deep sleep.

“Saving people is not wrong…” Bajitian said. He slowly stood up and looked down at Shi Mi. “Shi Mi, the ‘Heavenly Coffin’ is a sacred object used to preserve corpses. You are willing to do anything to obtain the ‘Heavenly Coffin’, which means that Fei Ling is no longer alive…”

Upon hearing this, Shi Mi remained silent.

"Five years ago, Shennong was besieged. To protect the sect's pharmacopoeia, Fei Ling didn't hesitate to use divine needles to open acupoints and enhance his power. Although opening acupoints with divine needles can unleash potential, it has powerful side effects. After that, Fei Ling was unconscious and without feeling; although he had a pulse and breath, he was no different from the dead..." Ba Jitian sighed deeply, "Shi Mi, do you think I didn't want to save him? I tried every method, but I couldn't make him open his eyes. Didn't I feel heartbroken?... After years of treatment, everyone in Shennong had given up hope, but you persisted. Just for that intention, I can't say you're wrong. But now, he's dead! Do you want to follow in Ling You's footsteps?!"

As Shi Mi listened to those words, her expression grew increasingly pained, and her breathing became extremely disordered.