Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 129

Bajitian looked at Guijiu, then at Bizi, and said with a hint of desolation and helplessness, "Shimi, a healer can only save the living..."

Shi Mi looked at Gui Jiu, head down, and remained silent.

Seeing this, everyone assumed the matter was over and relaxed. Just then, the Three Corpse Divine Needles, which had been unable to activate, suddenly rose, coalesced into a sphere, and then exploded, attacking everyone around. Unable to dodge in time, they were all struck by the needles.

At this moment, Xi Yuan and a group of Shenxiao Sect disciples, who had just disappeared into the forest, reappeared before everyone's eyes. Six magnets floated in Xi Yuan's palm, controlling all the divine needles. She looked at the injured people before her with a slight smile.

"The Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts are not something that can be restricted by a mere array..." Xi Yuan laughed. "I merely switched the magnetic attraction to make you all lower your guard. It's truly unexpected; you are not as clever as I thought."

After she finished speaking, without waiting for a response, she activated the magnetic field in her hand. The divine needles within everyone's bodies burst forth, flying towards Xi Yuan along with the ones that had fallen to the ground. She held up a small box, and opened the lid. The divine needles were collected into the box one by one.

"Thank you so much, Sect Master, for imparting to me the secrets of using the Divine Needle." Xi Yuan said, "To express my gratitude, I will now escort you to meet the one you love!"

"Master, what do you want to do?!" Lian Ying shouted angrily, puzzled.

Xi Yuan looked at her coldly and said, "I thought the Lian family was loyal to the court, but I never expected that they would collude with evil sects and defy the imperial decree. Fortunately, Young Master Wei foresaw that your Lian family had rebellious intentions. 'Frosty Sky Embracing the Moon' has been taken over by my Shenxiao Sect. We will definitely report your actions to the Emperor and will not tolerate them!"

Lian Ying angrily retorted, "Your Shenxiao Sect stole the divine artifact and harmed your allies; you are the ones who harbor rebellious intentions!"

"Hmph! Still being stubborn even when death is imminent..." Xi Yuan took a step back and said sharply, "Kill!"

Upon receiving the order, the disciples of the Shenxiao Sect drew their weapons and charged forward, shouting battle cries.

Just then, another group of people arrived.

A group of soldiers charged in and forced back the Shenxiao disciples.

Jiang Cheng, gun in hand, stood on his horse. "You audacious madman, how dare you kill in broad daylight!"

Xi Yuan saw Jiang Cheng and knew something was wrong, so he tried to escape. But the next moment, he saw the silver spear in Jiang Cheng's hand.

She exerted her strength and leaped forward, using the magnetic force to guide the Three Corpse Divine Needles, attacking Jiangcheng.

Jiang Cheng's martial arts skills were not weak, but his combat experience was still lacking. Moreover, the divine needle was pitch black and hidden in the mist of the bamboo forest, making it difficult to see with the naked eye. In a moment of carelessness, he was pierced by the divine needle.

Xi Yuan snatched the spear from his hand and used the magnetic attraction to retrieve the divine needle. Then he turned and left with his men.

Just as the soldiers were about to give chase, the Shenxiao disciples suddenly threw out dozens of small black balls. The balls exploded upon landing, sending up bursts of flame and billowing smoke that was extremely choking.

When everyone came to their senses, they saw that the exploding ball had ignited the bamboo and wood, and the fire spread, trapping everyone inside.

Everyone had been injured, and faced with this situation, they were completely helpless. The growing fire consumed the air, drawing ever closer to them…

...

Neither loss nor gain [Part 2]

Outside the bamboo grove, the battle between Lian Zhao and Wen Su was raging. The Xiufeng Village, the Xuanling Path, and the disciples from the East and South Seas were locked in a standoff with the Lian family's troops, and no one dared to make a move.

Lian Zhao and Wen Su exchanged dozens of blows, still evenly matched. However, both were injured and their stamina was greatly diminished. After dozens of moves, they were both showing signs of fatigue.

In terms of internal strength and skill, Lian Zhao and Wen Su are now evenly matched. However, close combat is at a disadvantage for Lian Zhao, and after a few exchanges, he gradually finds himself at a disadvantage.

Although Wen Su was seriously injured, he was experienced in battle and his twin swords attacks were swift and fierce, giving him the upper hand.

He slashed downwards with his left hand and then thrust upwards with his right, aiming straight for Lian Zhao's chest.

Lian Zhao parried the first blow with his sword and was about to dodge the second when a sharp pain shot through his already injured right arm. His grip on the sword loosened, and the force of the blow diminished. The blade that had been parried suddenly slashed back, and he hastily dodged, narrowly avoiding it. Before he could catch his breath, he faced Wen Su's second strike. His right arm was still powerless; he couldn't possibly block it. However, in that critical moment, he abandoned his attempt to dodge, leaped forward, and forcefully seized Wen Su's right hand with his left.

This was a risky move, a move that meant certain death. Everyone saw Wen Su's blade tip pressed against Lian Zhao's left shoulder, a thin layer of blood seeping through his clothes. At this moment, if he relaxed his grip even slightly, the blade would pierce his shoulder.

However, Lian Zhao's longsword in his right hand was also pressed against Wen Su's neck. Wen Su used the blade of his left hand to block the sword; the slightest misstep would result in his head falling to the ground.

"What a reckless fighting style, it's practically courting death..." Wen Su said coldly.

Lian Zhao's breathing was slightly erratic, but his expression and tone remained calm and composed. "I will not die..."

Wen Su frowned, looking at his opponent. Lian Zhao tightened his grip on Wen Su's wrist, his voice filled with undeniable pride, "Men of the Lian family only die on the battlefield. I have many things to do, and I will absolutely not die by your hand!"

Wen Su was slightly surprised upon hearing these words.

At this moment, bluish-gray smoke rose from the bamboo grove, staining the azure sky.

One of the soldiers recognized the strange phenomenon at a glance and exclaimed in alarm, "The bamboo forest is on fire!"

Upon hearing this, Lian Zhao released his left hand without hesitation, and Wen Su's blade immediately thrust forward, piercing his shoulder blade. In that brief instant, Lian Zhao's left hand struck out with a palm, aiming for Wen Su's chest. Unable to dodge, Wen Su took the blow squarely and was forced back several steps.

Lian Zhao drew his sword back with his right hand, and the next moment, the tip of the sword was pointed at Wen Su's brow.

Wen Su looked at the sword tip, and was about to retaliate with his knife, but his strength was already exhausted. He frowned and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Seeing this, Luo Yuanqing leaped forward and attacked Lian Zhao.

The soldiers behind Lian Zhao immediately drew their bows and fired several arrows in quick succession, forcing Luo Yuanqing to retreat.

This conflict has led to a renewed and chilling standoff between the two sides.

Lian Zhao looked at Wen Su and slowly moved his sword away, saying, "Now that the bamboo forest is on fire, our allies are all inside, and there's a risk of something happening to them. There's no point in continuing to fight. Let's put aside our differences and save them first, shall we?"

Wen Su remained silent for a moment, then sheathed his sword, turned around, and staggered towards his own camp.

Luo Yuanqing took a few steps forward and reached out to help him, but was gently pushed away.

Lian Zhao watched his retreating figure, pondered for a moment, and then loudly addressed the soldiers: "Fei Lun, Liu Sheng, each lead four teams of men to follow me into the forest to cut bamboo! The rest of you, guard the outside of the forest!"

"Yes, sir!" the soldier responded loudly. Then, following the established procedure, they began to enter the forest.

After a brief discussion, the various factions of martial arts practitioners abandoned their standoff and headed into the forest.

Luo Yuanqing was about to follow when she saw Wen Su still standing there, lost in thought. She sighed, walked over, and said, "Your skills are about the same as Lian Zhao's; he only managed a slight advantage by chance. You..."

Wen Su gently wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, his expression losing its coldness. "I lost..." He looked up at the lush bamboo in front of him, his tone slightly helpless. "I don't even cherish my own life, so how can I shoulder the future of another person? I always mocked him for his shallowness and naivety, but actually, I'm the shallow one..." Wen Su smiled and said, "He knows what he should do, and in that respect alone, he surpasses me."

Luo Yuanqing said, "You also have things to do. Command your disciples and restore the East Sea. Since you have allied with my South Sea, I will do my best to help you."

Wen Su turned to look at her, his expression slightly complicated. He then raised his hand, tied his disheveled hair back up, steadied his breathing, and said, "Let's enter the forest."

After he finished speaking, he strode resolutely into the woods.

Luo Yuanqing hurriedly followed, staying close behind him.

...

Xiao Xiao walked along the path with the most corpses in the forest, and just as she expected, all the traps were broken, and she encountered no trouble along the way. After walking for a while, she saw smoke rising ahead. The smoke was bluish-gray, unlike fog. Human voices, mixed with the crackling sound of burning bamboo and wood, kept coming, and the air was filled with a strong, pungent smell of smoke.

A fire in the bamboo forest?! The forest is shrouded in thick fog and so humid, how could a fire start out of nowhere? Unless, someone set it on fire.

Thinking of this, Xiao Xiao was greatly alarmed. The bamboo grove was deep and secluded, full of traps and mechanisms. If there were indeed enemies in the forest, setting fire to force them out was clearly a better method than breaking in to search.

But given Qu Fang's ambush, Shi Mi's concern for the "Heavenly Coffin," the Lian family's policy of not harming the innocent, and Jiang Cheng's deployment of troops to support Lian Ying, none of them should have taken such a drastic action. So who exactly resorted to such vicious methods?

Xiao Xiao almost instantly figured out the answer. The only people who had no interest in the "Heavenly Coffin" and wanted to kill everyone were from the Shenxiao Sect.

A multitude of thoughts raced through her mind, a dense and indistinct jumble.

However, she had no time to think about it anymore. She leaped onto her horse and charged towards the flames.

Upon approaching and seeing the flames, she was filled with panic. She knew she couldn't possibly break through alone. Faint voices could be heard emanating from within the flames, making her even more anxious.

What should we do? It's probably too late to leave the bamboo forest and warn the others. But what can we do?

She gripped her short sword tightly, glancing around; her urgency prevented her from thinking clearly.

Then, the sharpened bamboo and wood exposed on the ground and the deep pits gave her a flash of inspiration. Human effort was insufficient to control such a fire, but a mechanism could.

She dismounted and wandered around, trying to trigger the mechanism.

This place had just witnessed a battle, and most of the traps had been activated. Xiao Xiao grew increasingly anxious, feeling hopeless, when suddenly she heard a slight rustling sound beneath her feet. She hurriedly dodged, only to see a row of sharpened bamboo and wood bursting out of the ground, heading straight for her.

Despite her initial fright, she didn't lose her composure. She leaped into the air and kicked the row of bamboo and timbers with all her might, causing them to flip over and attack in the opposite direction.

The heavy bamboo broke several burning bamboo stalks as it rushed into the flames, clearing a path.

Xiao Xiao picked up a bamboo pole with leaves from the ground and extinguished the remaining small flames, then rushed into the encirclement. She continued to kick the row of sharpened bamboo pieces to clear a path and barely made her way forward.

The heat of the flames seared her skin, and a few strands of her hair were singed by the sparks. In just a few moments, she was drenched in sweat and panting heavily. When she reached the center of the flames, she was a disheveled and covered in soot.

"Girl..." Yin Xiao suddenly felt a cool breeze, which eased his labored breathing. When he looked up, he saw Xiao Xiao standing in front of everyone, holding a piece of bamboo stick that was still glowing.

Xiao Xiao was overjoyed to see Yin Xiao and his group. "It's good that everyone is alright. Let's get out of here quickly!"

Everyone rose and left through the cleared path. At that moment, they no longer cared about friend or foe, supporting and looking after one another.

Xiao Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, then saw Lian Ying. She took a few steps forward and timidly began, "Aunt..." Realizing her mistake, she stopped, paused, and continued, "Are you alright? Lian Zhao sent me to tell you that the Shenxiao Sect has betrayed us..."

Lian Ying looked up and answered somewhat weakly, "I already know..." She looked at Xiao Xiao with a complicated expression, and then, supported by her family servants, left the fire.

Xiao Xiao stood there somewhat bewildered, unsure of what to do next.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted behind them. There stood Shi Mi, motionless amidst the flames, her dress already ablaze in several places.

Xiaoxiao looked around. Both Guijiu and Kanoko were seriously injured, and the rest of the people were escaping. No one paid any attention to Shimizu.

Xiao Xiao recalled Shi Mi's previous words and actions, and couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Shi Mi had saved Wen Su, so she could be considered to have done her a favor. Since she owed her a debt of gratitude, she should repay it.

Thinking of this, she stepped forward and grabbed Shi Mi, "Sect Leader, stop! You'll get hurt!"

Shi Mi's expression was one of unbearable pain, a far cry from her usual aloof and detached demeanor. "...I haven't found the 'Heavenly Coffin' yet...I can't let the 'Heavenly Coffin' be burned..." she said, her voice filled with sorrow.

"Sect Master, if you stay here any longer, you'll die. What's the point of having the 'Heavenly Coffin'?!" Xiao Xiao urged urgently, swatting at the flames on Shi Mi's body.

Shi Mi remained resolute, "No... I have to save him... No matter what, I must save him..."

As she spoke, Bizi, forcing herself to stand, walked over. "Sect Master... leave this to me, you should leave now..."

Shi Mi looked at Bi Zi, her expression growing increasingly pained.

She smiled and said, "My life was saved by the sect leader. Even if it costs me everything, I will help the sect leader fulfill his dream..." After she finished speaking, she began to beat out the raging flames.

At that moment, Xiaoxiao understood something. If Shi Mi were truly a heinous villain who viewed human life as worthless, how could she have such loyal subordinates willing to sacrifice everything to help her achieve her dream? The concepts of good and evil, black and white, are completely different simply by changing one's perspective, let alone right and wrong.

Xiao Xiao looked at the person in front of her, resolutely reaching out to stop Bi Zi, who was trying to extinguish the fire. With an unusual seriousness, she said to Shi Mi, "Sect Master, is a dead person really that important? Is he more important than a living person?"

Shi Mi looked at Xiao Xiao and said, "I thought you understood. Don't you also have someone you'd sacrifice everything to save?"

A hint of melancholy flickered in her small eyes as she slowly said, "That's right. Back then, I wouldn't have given up on him if he had even a sliver of hope. But even so, I couldn't disregard the safety of others just to save him..."

Xiao Xiao thought for a moment and said, "...Sect Master, back at Jiyu Manor, I deliberately trampled the Longevity Gu to death...Shouldn't we save the living first, rather than bringing the dead back to life?" Xiao Xiao pointed to Bi Zi and Gui Jiu beside her and said, "I cannot presume to judge whether Sect Master is right or wrong. But today, Sect Master, can you bear to let them sacrifice themselves for you? Will you really not regret losing your life in this fire?"

Shi Mi was slightly taken aback. She looked at Bi Zi, then at the unconscious Gui Jiu beside her, and remained silent.

Just then, Morinda officinalis, who had previously led the injured out of the fire, returned. He looked at the small line remaining in the fire and frowned slightly. "The fire is raging again, we can't leave them here any longer..." he said, then grabbed the injured man, Guijiu, and quickly led him out.

Shi Mi stood there, stunned. As Morinda officinalis had said... a healer can only save the living...