Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 7

The man slowly walked down the steps, gesturing for the guards to put away their weapons. He walked up to the children, squatted down, and took out a few candies from his pocket.

"You sang well." He reached out and patted a little boy on the head, smiling. "I don't have time to play with you today. Come again tomorrow. Here, have some candy."

The children took the candy and ran off shouting with joy.

The man stood up and said, "Go back and tell the acting lord that I have to go out and won't be back until after 1 AM." With that, he strode away.

The guards looked at each other, but no one stopped them.

"Tsk... So arrogant." Shi Le'er crossed her arms and said disdainfully.

A little helpless. The most arrogant one should be you, Shi Le'er, right?

Shi Le'er raised her head, straightened her back, and entered the room.

As soon as Xiao Xiao stepped into the front yard, she was dumbfounded. The place was decorated with lanterns and streamers, bustling with people, clearly like a festival. And those coming and going were all prominent figures in the martial arts world. You could find traces of any sect with even a little reputation. It was estimated that even the extermination of the Demonic Cult wouldn't have such a grand spectacle.

"Lord Shi."

As soon as they entered the courtyard, someone came to greet them.

The newcomer was a man in his forties. He was thin and his face was slightly pale. He cupped his hands and said, "Lord Shi, it is an honor to have you here. I am sorry for not welcoming you sooner."

Shi Le'er smiled sweetly, "Hello, Uncle Fang~"

The man laughed, "Oh, no, no, you flatter me. You must be tired from your journey. Come, come inside and have a cup of fragrant tea~"

The man saw Lian Zhao again, and his expression changed slightly. He said, "Isn't this the young master of the Lian family, the Divine Arrow? I was worried you wouldn't come. Come, please come inside."

Lian Zhao nodded slightly, without saying anything more.

Xiao Xiao knew she was being completely ignored, but she wasn't sad. She happily looked around. On the left side of the corridor, could that be blood coral? It was at least three feet tall! And on the right, the maid was holding a white jade ruyi? ...Wow...a rare goods fair! Treasures from all over the world gathered together! Hahaha, if I just grab one of these, I won't have to worry about money!

She swallowed hard, deeply moved.

"So many treasures..." someone nearby said.

“Yes, yes…” Xiao Xiao replied.

"Each one of them is extremely valuable."

"That's right, that's right..."

"I really want to steal it..."

“Yes…” Xiao Xiao stopped abruptly, looked up, and saw Yue Huaijiang also swallowing hard, staring intently at those treasures.

Xiao Xiao's eyes welled up with tears. "Xiao Jiang, we need to work even harder."

Yue Huaijiang nodded, "Yes. One day, I will pay off my debts!"

The two instinctively clasped hands, feeling a mutual appreciation.

"Cough cough cough..." Xia Yun coughed violently around them, bringing them back to their senses.

She wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and sniffed.

Upon entering the hall, it was already packed with people.

When the maids saw Shi Le'er and Lian Zhao enter, they knew they were distinguished guests, so they led them to the VIP seats and served them fragrant tea and snacks. Yue Huaijiang and Xia Yun stood behind them with their hands behind their backs.

Xiao Xiao looked around at the scene, unsure where to stand. She glanced around furtively, then shrank into a corner, grabbing a snack to eat. Mmm, mung bean cake, so delicious.

Those sects that have established themselves in the martial arts world all have strict rules regarding clothing and attire. Although my experience in the martial arts world is limited, I can still recognize most of them. In this hall, besides martial arts practitioners, there are also many famous merchants and wealthy businessmen, presumably there out of curiosity.

Xiao Xiao squinted as she munched on a pastry. Hmm, if she couldn't steal any treasures or seduce any rich young masters, robbing any fat sheep on the way back would be fine too. They're all rich people… She finally understood why Shi Le'er had dressed herself up so extravagantly—it was entirely to match the style of the Rare Goods Fair.

She reached out, picked up another piece of pastry, and took a bite. Mmm, hibiscus cake, so delicious.

At this moment, a maid walked into the hall, bowed, and said, "Our humble castle is hosting a banquet at Yuexiang Pavilion to welcome all heroes. Please come and join us."

Just as everyone was about to get up, they heard a song coming from the sky.

"Men should marry and women should marry. The daughter of the King of Hell is eighteen years old, with skin as white as snow and a face as beautiful as a hibiscus. Today, she is choosing a good husband in the human world. I wonder which family she will be with."

The singing was so gentle and ethereal, sweet as honey, that Xiao Xiao couldn't help but get goosebumps.

The disciples of Hero's Fortress were on high alert, and everyone in the hall also became vigilant.

Suddenly, a red figure swept across the courtyard and landed in the center of the hall in an instant. The rich scent of sandalwood spread out in layers, filling the hall.

Xiao Xiao, munching on a hibiscus cake, took a closer look. The newcomer was a girl of only seventeen or eighteen. Her bright eyes were like water, and her skin was as white as snow. A smile played on her lips, and her eyebrows were charming; she was undoubtedly a beautiful woman with captivating allure. She wore a fiery red dress, with peonies embroidered in gold thread on the front, cuffs, and hem. She held a sandalwood fan in her hand and was smilingly looking at everyone in the hall.

The man surnamed Fang who had been greeting Shi Le'er in the courtyard came out, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "So it is the Ghost Matchmaker who has graced us with his presence. I am so sorry for not welcoming you properly."

The woman in red gently unfolded her sandalwood fan, smiling alluringly. "Master Fang, there's no need for such formalities. I'm not here to participate in this rare goods fair."

The hall master frowned slightly. "Then..."

"Hehe, I'm the matchmaker, of course I'm here to make a match~" The woman in red glanced at everyone in the hall with seductive eyes.

She swallowed the pastry in her mouth, then picked up another piece and ate it. Mmm, jujube cake, so delicious!

The woman in red before me must be the infamous "Ghost Matchmaker" of the martial arts world. Just from the name, you know she's a heretic, irreconcilable with the orthodox martial arts. Legend has it that this "Ghost Matchmaker" works exclusively for the King of Hell, and those chosen are destined for death. In recent years, at least ninety to a hundred people have died at her hands. When she entered, she sang, "Today, a good husband is chosen in the human world," clearly indicating she intended to kill men. That's entirely irrelevant to her now. However, daring to come to Hero's Fortress to "matchmake," this "Ghost Matchmaker" is indeed arrogant.

As expected, Master Fang looked displeased.

"Ghostly matchmaker, I'm only being courteous to you because you're a guest. This is Hero's Fortress; you have no right to act so wildly here!"

The matchmaker raised a sandalwood fan, covering her mouth, her smile widening. "Oh, oh, oh...this isn't Taiping City, is it? I don't recall Hero's Fortress having a rule against killing."

"Insolence!" Hall Master Fang roared.

The matchmaker closed her fan, her eyebrows slightly raised. "I've been presumptuous today. I advise Master Fang not to interfere with the marriage, lest he incur divine retribution!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the hall erupted in the sound of swords being drawn.

With a small half-piece of jujube cake still in her mouth, she looked somewhat helpless. She should have poured herself a cup of tea…

A struggle

As Xiao Xiao was searching for tea, he saw several disciples from Hero's Fortress already charging forward with their swords.

The matchmaker chuckled, leisurely placing the sandalwood fan into her bosom. Then, she spun around, bent low, and reached out. Several gleaming swords were firmly held in place, just inches from her forehead. And what held those swords in place was merely a thin red rope.

The matchmaker exerted a slight force, bracing herself with both hands. With a flick of the red rope, the longswords were deflected. Instead of taking advantage of the momentum to get up, she crouched down and swept her leg, knocking down a group of disciples. She stood up leisurely, and with a sudden wave of her right hand, the red rope, as if it had a life of its own, passed through the crowd and wrapped around one person.

In the crowd, there was a burly man with broad shoulders and a thick waist, his throat was being strangled by a red rope, his expression twisted and ferocious.

"Found you, groom~" the matchmaker said with a smile.

Before she could finish speaking, someone drew a knife and slashed at the thin red rope, shouting, "Let go of my brother!"

With a clang, the steel knife broke in two, but the red rope remained completely unharmed.

The ghost matchmaker raised her left hand again, and the other end of the red rope struck the man directly.

In a flash, the hall master stepped forward, broke the red rope, and stood in front of the two men.

The matchmaker chuckled, and with a flick of her finger, the man whose throat was being strangled by the red rope groaned and died.

"You—" Hall Master Fang was both shocked and furious, his expression extremely ugly.

The matchmaker put away the red string and said with a charming smile, "To be the son-in-law of Yama, one naturally has to go to the underworld to get married..." She looked up at the man who had just rushed out, "Hehe, your brother has become the son-in-law of the underworld, so why don't you, as his younger brother, go and have a drink at the wedding..."

As soon as she finished speaking, the red rope split into four strands and shot straight at the man.

Master Fang immediately engaged her in combat.

Xiao Xiao was completely stunned. Although the weapon in the ghost matchmaker's hand was just a thin red rope, it was incredibly versatile and its moves were bizarre. For a moment, the hall master couldn't find a way to counter it and had to lose ground.

"The Red Thread of Yama truly lives up to its name," Shi Le'er said leisurely, sipping her tea.

She sighed softly. No wonder he was the Lord of Taiping City; even in this situation, he could still drink tea and make sarcastic remarks. However, when she looked up, she discovered something even more disheartening. Not only Shi Le'er, but all the martial arts figures in the hall were watching the fight with amusement.

For centuries, Hero's Fortress has reigned supreme in the martial world, commanding all heroes and considered the ultimate authority. Yet now, a mere "ghost matchmaker," with only a slight reputation, dares to single-handedly storm Hero's Fortress and kill. Ironically, many in the martial world want to use this opportunity to weaken Hero's Fortress, but no one wants to rashly step forward. Now, the evil "ghost matchmaker's" move is a perfect opportunity to test Hero's Fortress.

Xiao Xiao understands this principle. The martial world is treacherous. However, even a centipede with a hundred legs doesn't die easily. Hero's Fortress still possesses considerable strength and should not be underestimated. But if they can't even handle this "little" ghost matchmaker today, they're destined to become a laughingstock in the martial world.

She sighed softly, thinking to herself, "Indeed, fame is tiring. It's better to wear simple clothes and straw sandals and live a carefree life."

Xiao Xiao nodded, about to grab another pastry, when she realized the bowl beside her was completely empty. She glanced up and saw a plate full of pastries not far away. "Oh well, might as well eat some," she thought, "I'll pack a few to take home, so I won't go hungry later." She carefully moved to the table, stealthily reached out, grabbed a piece of white sugar cake, and took a big bite.

Suddenly, someone shoved her hard from behind. She was busy eating cake and had no idea what to do. She stumbled and tripped over a chair. In an instant, the table and chairs overturned, and she fell into the midst of the fight between Master Fang and the ghost matchmaker, still biting into the white sugar cake.

Master Fang was startled, but due to the ghost matchmaker, he couldn't help her. He could only clear a space for her to fall.

The ghost matchmaker was also surprised, but the momentum of her move was already set. The Yama Red Thread, which was originally aimed at Master Fang, went straight for Xiao Xiao.

"..." Her small scream was reduced to a humming sound by the piece of white sugar cake. She hadn't even stood up yet, and in her haste, she narrowly avoided the blow.

The ghost matchmaker frowned and shouted, "Get out of the way!"

“…(I want to too)” Xiaoxiao bit into her pastry, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked away.

Master Fang tried to draw his sword several times, but with Xiao Xiao blocking his way, he could only feint. The Ghost Matchmaker did the same.

Xiao Xiao was trapped in the two men's moves, unable to advance or retreat.

Shi Le'er frowned and looked at the spot where Xiao Xiao had been standing. Several maids from Hero's Fortress stood there, all looking terrified. The one who seemed to be of higher status was trembling all over and cowering to one side. Shi Le'er looked at Xiao Xiao again, her brows furrowing even more.

Xiao Xiao continued to dodge, the white sugar cake in her mouth long since lost its flavor. She inwardly groaned; why was she, Zuo Xiao Xiao, so unlucky? How could even stealing a pastry be so difficult?

As she was thinking, she saw the gleaming longsword and the crimson Yama's Red Thread attacking her from both sides. Forgetting the white sugar cake in her mouth, she screamed and crouched down, clutching her head.

She closed her eyes and waited quietly for a while, but nothing happened. She only heard a few gasps of surprise from the crowd.

She cautiously opened her eyes and saw Yue Huaijiang.

With the Yama's Red Thread wrapped around his left hand, he blocked the Ghost Matchmaker's moves; with his right hand, he held a sword and blocked Master Fang's sword strike.

"Hmph, kid, who told you to meddle in other people's business?!" the matchmaker roared.

Yue Huaijiang smiled and lowered his head. "Xiaoxiao, are you alright?"

Xiao Xiao was deeply moved and looked at Yue Huaijiang with tears in her eyes. "I...I'm fine..."

Suddenly, a murderous aura descended. A chilling blade shot straight at the ghost medium.

However, in an instant, the dark whip shadow arrived and struck down the blade.

When everyone looked, they saw that the person who had intended to attack was the younger brother of the deceased. And the one who had lashed out with the whip was, of course, Xia Yun.

"Don't stop me! I'm going to avenge my brother!" the man shouted. He picked up the knife from the ground, about to attack, when he heard someone speak.