Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 132

Without a word, Wei Ying rushed out the door and went straight to Madam Xi's room. He pushed the door open and saw Madam tide sitting on the bed, intently embroidering.

"Mother..." Upon seeing this scene, Wei Ying felt a pang of sorrow in her chest.

Lady tide looked up, saw him, smiled slightly, and said, "Wenxi."

Wei Ying rushed forward, knelt down, and said, "Mother, how could you..."

Lady tide lowered her head and began to embroider, saying, "It's just embroidery, Mother can do it."

Wei Ying turned to look at Shi Le'er, "What exactly do you want me to do?"

Shi Le'er sat down at the table, placed the abacus on it, and started clicking the keys absentmindedly. "It's ridiculous. What can you do?" Her tone was full of contempt. "Farming, weaving, blacksmithing, logging... what can you do? Besides being the third young master of Hero's Fortress, what else can you do?"

Wei Ying couldn't answer and remained silent, unwilling to give up.

Upon hearing this, Lady Xi put down her needlework and said, "Le'er, is my skill in embroidery not enough?"

Shi Le'er glanced at her and said, "That's enough." She then looked at Wei Ying and said, "You can continue to rely on your mother for support. I won't bother you anymore."

After she finished speaking, she got up and left. At this moment, a servant rushed over in a panic and said, "Lord, Wei Qi, the lord of Hero's Fortress, has arrived, bringing betrothal gifts. He is currently in the flower hall."

Shi Le'er raised an eyebrow, "Wei Yingyang, you've got quite a clever plan..."

After she finished speaking, she tossed her head and charged toward the flower hall with great momentum.

Madam tide tensed up, gripping Wei Ying's hand tightly, her face turning deathly pale.

Wei Ying was silent for a moment, then comforted her, "Mother, it's alright..."

He got up, wanting to follow, but was stopped by Madam tide.

Tears welled in Lady Xi's eyes, her voice filled with sorrow and grief, "Wenxi, don't go... I don't care about Hero's Fortress or anything like that. As long as we're safe and sound together, that's more important than anything else..."

Wei Ying remained silent for a long time before finally releasing Madam Xi's hand. He smiled and said, "Mother, please allow me to be willful one more time..." After saying that, he quickly walked out.

Lady tide watched him leave, her reluctance hidden deep within her heart, but she ultimately did not stop him.

...

In the flower hall, Wei Qi leisurely sipped the tea in his cup.

When Shi Le'er entered, she smiled innocently, "Brother Yingyang!"

Wei Qi turned around, saw her, and smiled, "Le'er, it's been so long, you've become more and more beautiful."

Shi Le'er was a little shy and said, "Brother Yingyang, I'll be shy if you say that."

"hehe……"

Both of them were smiling and talking enthusiastically, but the atmosphere was strangely awkward.

"Le'er, actually, I came here this time to talk to you about our engagement." After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Wei Qi finally got to the point.

Upon hearing this, Shi Le'er turned her head away and said, "Brother Yingyang is so annoying! I haven't even reached the age of marriage yet!"

"Heh, I just wanted to settle things to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation..." Wei Ying smiled and said, "By the way, Le'er, I heard that several traitors from Hero's Fortress have hidden in Taiping City. I shouldn't interfere in the affairs of Taiping City. But those people are extremely vicious, and I'm afraid that you, Le'er, are too inexperienced and might be deceived by villains. If anything happens to you because of this, how can I explain it to the old city lord?"

Shi Le'er understood the deeper meaning in his words, smiled, and said, "Brother Yingyang, you really know how to joke. The guests who came to my Taiping City are clearly Brother Wenxi and Madam Xi. We are all on the same side, how can they be traitors?"

Upon hearing these words, Wei Qi's expression changed slightly.

Shi Le'er smiled innocently and said, "Actually, Le'er doesn't understand the matter of Hero's Fortress either. But I heard Grandpa say that Brother Wenxi is the rightful successor, and the Three Heroes and the clan have always believed so. How could he kill the Three Heroes and become a traitor? Brother Yingyang, Le'er is too dull to understand, why don't you explain it to Le'er?"

Wei Qi laughed and said, "Le'er, people's hearts are unpredictable, and many things in this world are not as simple as they seem. Explanations are useless; isn't it clearer to see the results? Le'er, in the martial world, the most important thing is to choose the right side. What do you say?"

Shi Le'er looked bewildered. "Le'er doesn't understand."

Wei Qi smiled and said, "You'll understand eventually." He reached out and patted Shi Le'er's head. "I'll take my leave now. Le'er, think carefully about the engagement."

Shi Le'er smiled and nodded, "Mm."

She watched Wei Qi lead his men away, her smile instantly turning into disdain. "Hmph, marry me? Dream on!"

...

Wei Qi walked outside the flower hall and saw Wei Ying standing there.

When Wei Ying saw him, she felt her blood boil and pound, clamoring within her, refusing to let him calm down.

However, Wei Qi smiled slightly and walked towards him without caring.

Wei Ying desperately suppressed her impulse, her eyes filled with murderous intent mixed with grief.

Wei Qi slowly approached, his gaze already averted. He passed by Wei Ying as if nothing had happened and leisurely left.

Wei Ying was stunned. He had always thought Wei Qi would relentlessly pursue him, trying to kill him. However, Wei Qi's attitude was so indifferent. It was as if he were facing an ant, a flickering candle, not worth wasting energy on. Wei Ying gritted his teeth, abruptly turned around, wanting to chase after him. But he heard Shi Le'er behind him speak with a smile, "What's the point of chasing him? What do you have to fight him with? A good-for-nothing young master?"

Wei Ying froze, unable to move.

Shi Le'er walked to his side, sighed, and said, "Alas, Brother Wenxi, don't worry, I won't marry Brother Yingyang. So, you can stay in Taiping City in peace. I won't mind if you raise another dog."

After she finished speaking, she left briskly.

When Yue Huaijiang and Yue Huaixi saw Wei Ying's dejected expression, they exchanged a glance and walked over to him with great sympathy.

“Young Master Wei… I think you should learn a trade,” Yue Huaixi said sincerely. “Actually, it’s not that difficult to work and pay off debts while living under someone else’s roof.”

Yue Huaijiang echoed, "Yes, yes, you'll get used to it. It's only a thousand taels of silver, not much. We owe three thousand taels."

Seeing that Wei Ying still didn't react, the two had no choice but to stop the conversation and leave quietly.

Wei Ying stood there blankly for a long time before dragging her heavy steps back to her room.

That night, he sat in his room all night. Countless scenes churned in his mind, giving him no peace.

Besides being the third young master of Hero's Fortress, what else can you do?

He had never cared much about the position of Lord of Heroes' Fortress, but today he finally understood that without it, he was nothing. Everything he had once despised now seemed so precious. The three heroes who died unjustly, everything that had been taken from him, every word spoken by Lady Xi and Zhao Yan—all now struck a heavy blow to his heart. He had lost everything; must he also abandon his last shred of dignity and pride?

As dawn broke, the soft morning light shone on him. His eyes finally shed their blankness and despair, and shone with a shimmering light.

...

The next morning, as soon as Shi Le'er got up and opened the door, she saw Wei Ying standing at the door.

Shi Le'er was slightly surprised and was about to make a sarcastic remark when she heard Wei Ying say with utmost seriousness, "Marry me."

Shi Le'er was stunned, staring blankly at Wei Ying, unable to react.

"Marry me and help me reclaim Hero's Fortress." Wei Ying spoke in a deep voice, completely unlike her usual frivolous and anxious self.

Shi Le'er suddenly laughed, "Okay!" she answered readily, as if she had been prepared for this. "However, I have a condition." She paused for a moment before saying.

Wei Ying nodded. "Go ahead."

Shi Le'er's eyes were incredibly shrewd. "Prepare a letter of divorce first. Once you ascend the throne, the engagement will be dissolved immediately. However, I want 70% of the annual profits from the businesses under Hero's Fortress."

“Seventy percent…” Wei Ying frowned, but then agreed, “Deal.”

Shi Le'er was overjoyed. "Words are no proof; let's put it in writing."

A short while later, the main hall of Taiping City was filled with people. In front of everyone in the city, Wei Ying signed the voucher. Shi Le'er put the voucher away, waved her hand, and Yue Huaijiang slowly stepped forward, holding a knife.

The knife was about two feet three inches long and three inches wide, with an ebony handle. The entire knife was simple and powerful, without any fancy decorations, but the blade gleamed, exuding an aura of majesty and dominance.

Shi Le'er spoke up, saying, "This is one of the 'Nine Emperors,' the 'Martial Spirit Overlord Blade' of my Taiping City. To show our sincerity, I will hand this blade over to Brother Wenxi. Here, there is also a sword manual. You should diligently practice it, and it will naturally be of assistance when you face Wei Qi in the future."

When Wei Ying took the knife, she felt a surge of conviction rise from the bottom of her heart, transforming into strength that supported her entire body.

At this moment, Shi Le'er smiled and said, "Once we regain control of Hero's Fortress, merge the two families, and strengthen the prestige of Taiping City, unifying the martial world will be just around the corner!"

Upon hearing her words, Wei Ying was stunned. Meanwhile, everyone else in the hall bowed and responded loudly, "The City Lord is wise!"

Shi Le'er laughed even more triumphantly, while Wei Ying could only sigh helplessly, with no mood to refute her anymore.

...

Feeling utterly ashamed [Part 1]

Heading southwest from Hero's Fortress, past three or five small towns, lies a desolate mountain range. This was originally a sparsely populated place, but half a month ago, a change occurred within Hero's Fortress. The third son, Wei Ying, rebellious and unruly, plotted to poison his half-brother, Wei Qi, in an attempt to seize the position of fortress lord. After his plot was exposed, he conspired with his son, Wei Cheng, who had already been expelled from the family, to murder the three heroes. The two fled Hero's Fortress after their evil deeds, and their whereabouts are unknown.

After the upheaval, the position of Lord of Hero's Fortress was inherited by the eldest son, Wei Qi. Hero's Fortress mobilized all its disciples, searching everywhere with an astounding intensity. Even this desolate mountain area gradually came to life.

There were only a handful of households nestled in the mountains, and these feuds between江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) were of paramount importance to them. They were even more awe-inspiring than the handsome young couple who had stayed there a few days earlier.

The couple had arrived about two weeks prior. The wife had been suffering from some serious illness and remained unconscious. The husband, barely in his early twenties, was taciturn but kind. Since taking up their lodgings, he had repaired the rusty and broken farm tools in their home as payment.

The mountain people were simple and honest, and they never asked about the couple's background or even the relationship between the husband and wife; these were all things that the villagers had guessed.

In this simple mountain village, how could anyone guess that the loving couple they imagined were actually the second young master of Hero's Fortress and Zhao Yan?

Zhao Yan was injured by the Netherworld Thunder Palm, but fortunately Wei Qi did not use his full strength in that strike, so her life was not in danger. However, she had no internal energy to protect her, and even after half a month, she still showed no signs of waking up.

The villagers didn't know what illness she suffered from, and when they asked Mo Yun, he only gave vague and perfunctory answers. Over time, the villagers began to speculate on their own: what if she encountered robbers on the road and fell off a cliff; what if she had a tragic love affair and threatened to commit suicide; what if her family had fallen on hard times and she was now relying on each other for survival... Such speculations added a lot of fun to their otherwise mundane lives.

A few days later, Zhao Yan woke up and, before she could even process what was happening, heard the joyful sounds of children playing.

Her mind was momentarily dazed, then gradually cleared. She was in a dilapidated hut, the old pillars and beams showing signs of decay. As her consciousness returned, the pain from her wounds also returned. She felt a dull ache in her chest with each breath, her limbs weak, utterly useless. Yet, there was no sorrow in her eyes, but rather a hint of pleasure.

Half a day later, Mo Yun pushed open the door and saw Zhao Yan already sitting up on the bed, leaning slightly to the side, watching the children playing outside the window.

Before Mo Yun could speak, the women who had come in with him exclaimed, "Oh my! He's awake! He's finally awake! Come and see!"

These shouts drew the attention of the entire village. Everyone gathered in the small house, showering Zhao Yan with concern and care. However, Zhao Yan's expression remained cold and expressionless, without a trace of a smile.

After everyone had finished expressing their joy and left the room, Mo Yun walked to the bedside, reached out, and prepared to take Zhao Yan's pulse.

Zhao Yan looked at him in fear and shrank back.

Seeing this, Mo Yun said, "I won't hurt you..."

Zhao Yan glanced at him, filled with fear. She was about to say something when she suddenly coughed. Her brows furrowed, and her breathing became labored, almost suffocating.

Upon seeing this, Mo Yun immediately reached out to support her, channeled his inner strength, and poured it into her body through his palm.

Zhao Yan finally caught her breath and began to breathe weakly.

Mo Yun helped her lie down and said, "You should rest well."

Mo Yun, not receiving a reply, stopped talking and turned to leave.

“Mo Yun…” Zhao Yan suddenly spoke.

Mo Yun stopped and turned to look at her.