Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 35

Lian Zhao smiled and said, "I'll be fine after a short rest, don't worry."

Xiao Xiao could only nod in response to his answer.

At this moment, panic broke out again on the small boat. This was the most swiftly currentd part of the river, and the post boat was already carrying many passengers; it was a stretch for a small boat on the East China Sea to hold so many people. Moreover, both banks were steep cliffs; how easy would it be to safely reach the shore?

"Connect the boats!" Wen Su shouted.

Upon receiving the order, the disciples of Donghai once again untied the steel chains from their wrists and strung the small boats together. They were imitating Cao Cao's tactics from years past.

"Summon the boatmen on the post station to give directions." Wen Su's expression was cold. His eyes swept over the people on the boat, and he said, "If necessary, I will throw people into the water. You all better watch yourselves."

Xiao Xiao's eyes widened. Throwing someone into the water?! He really could do something so terrible? No, everyone looks out for themselves. In this situation, in this critical moment, throwing someone into the water is unavoidable. The most important thing is that he doesn't throw her. Hmm, Wen Su is still her "uncle-master," he shouldn't throw her…

Xiao Xiao thought again, in a critical moment, who cares about anything else? Even if Wen Su doesn't abandon her, what about others? Her martial arts skills are mediocre, and her swimming ability is even worse. She's doomed...

As she was lamenting, she looked up and saw a withered old man. A thought flashed through her mind: aren't the elderly, women, and children the prime targets of evil people? Alas, this old man is far more dangerous than the others.

She stared intently at the old man, her mind racing. Yes, this world of martial arts was a dog-eat-dog world. If only she were a bad person—ruthless, skilled in martial arts—she wouldn't have had to suffer like this along the way.

Just then, the boat was hit by a wave in the river, causing it to rock violently. Xiao Xiao immediately reached out and grabbed whatever was nearby to steady herself.

Suddenly, her wrist was firmly grasped, her pulse was twisted, and she couldn't move. Xiao Xiao was terrified, only then realizing that she was holding onto the gaunt old man. Xiao Xiao was filled with fear, but dared not utter a sound.

The old man smiled kindly and said, "Young lady, be careful, sit tight..."

Xiao Xiao looked at him with tears welling up in her eyes, nodding frantically.

The old man held her wrist with undiminished force. He spoke slowly, lowering his voice, "Young lady, may I borrow your 'Divine Martial Token'?"

Xiao Xiao froze. The Divine Martial Token?! Besides Shi Le'er and her group, no one else knew she possessed it. How did this old man know? Could it be that she'd been watched from the moment she left Hero's Fortress?

I felt a pang of sadness and indignation. The world is a dangerous place!

The three souls are still unsettled [Part 1]

The world is a dangerous place!

A pang of grief and indignation. But with her pulse point gripped, although she wasn't sure if the old man possessed internal energy, someone who dared to pinch another's pulse point must have some skill. If he exerted force, her hand would undoubtedly be crippled. A dead end!

Now, even calling for help is no longer an option.

Xiao Xiao could only force a smile, lower her voice, and say, "The Divine Martial Token, right? I'll give it to you!"

The old man nodded in satisfaction, smiling kindly.

Xiao Xiao helplessly reached into her robes, just touching the jade pendant, when suddenly, there was movement in the river again. Something was stirring beneath the waves, and someone on the boat cried out in alarm, "A zombie has risen from the dead!"

Startled, she looked closely and saw that those emerging from the waves were the very people who had just been killed. Their faces were ashen, their eyes lifeless, and their expressions ferocious. They were utterly devoid of life. Yet, each of them had become even more agile, their underwater swimming incredibly swift.

A zombie?! Xiao Xiao's hand, which was touching the token, froze. How could a zombie rise in broad daylight?

Wen Su, sword in hand, stepped onto the ship's railing, his brow furrowed.

“Senior brother, this…” Lin Zhi also stepped forward and spoke up.

“I absolutely did not leave any survivors…” Wen Su’s tone was icy. “This matter is strange, handle it carefully.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the corpses burst out of the water and attacked...

Xiao Xiao was so shocked she couldn't speak coherently. Why was she attacked?! ...No, it wasn't her. Xiao Xiao calmed down; it was the old man!

However, in the blink of an eye, the old man openly exclaimed in surprise, but secretly twisted his wrist and Xiao Xiao blocked his way.

They're using someone else to do their dirty work! Xiao Xiao was on the verge of tears.

Seeing this, Wen Su and Lian Zhao rushed forward, their blades flashing and arrows piercing the air, instantly forcing the corpses back. But to everyone's astonishment, those wounds were completely useless. The corpses resurfaced from the water and began to climb back onto the boat.

With tears in her eyes, Xiao Xiao tried her best to stomp the corpses into the water. At this moment, the old man cowered behind Xiao Xiao, terrified. In the midst of this chaos and panic, something was suddenly stuffed into Xiao Xiao's hand.

She turned her head in surprise, and the old man took her hand and put it into a paper package.

"Sprinkle this into the water..." the old man instructed softly.

Given the current situation, there was no time for hesitation. She picked up the paper package, opened it, and without a word, poured it into the river.

As soon as the yellow powder touched the corpses, they screamed in terror and retreated.

The screams were piercingly shrill. Xiao Xiao covered her ears, watching the unfolding events with utter shock. After a short while, the corpses stopped moving and floated on the surface of the river. Xiao Xiao, with her sharp eyes, noticed tiny white worms crawling out of their ears, noses, and mouths. These worms, about a foot long and shaped like noodles, floated on the river. Then, the worms gradually convulsed, curled into a ball, writhe, and dissolved into the water.

Such a sight would startle even a grown man, let alone a young girl. Her whole body stiffened, and she timidly turned to look at the old man.

The old man was still trembling, terrified, but there was no fear in his eyes, only a glint of cunning.

Xiao Xiao raised her hand and smelled it. Realgar… Although she had no knowledge of pharmacology, she had learned a little about commonly used medicines from following her master since childhood. And this realgar—she could recognize it; they drank realgar wine every Dragon Boat Festival. Realgar wards off evil spirits and kills all kinds of insects; today she truly believed it.

Suddenly, the people on the ship cheered.

Xiao Xiao snapped out of her daze and saw everyone looking at her with admiration. She swallowed hard, feeling embarrassed. Just then, the old man knelt down, his voice trembling, and said, "Thank you so much, young lady, for saving my life! Thank you so much, young lady, for saving my life!"

Xiao Xiao stood frozen, unsure how to answer. She looked up at Lian Zhao. Lian Zhao also smiled, his eyes full of approval. She could only turn back to look at Wen Su. Wen Su still had a frown on his face, his expression indifferent.

Xiao Xiao could only manage a bitter smile: "God, please have mercy on me..."

...

After several twists and turns, the group finally reached the shore. The post boat had wrecked, and the small boat, unable to withstand the wind and waves, had hastily chosen a shallow spot. This wasn't a post station, and it was sparsely populated. The boatman, familiar with the terrain, led the group forward. Xiao Xiao had stayed close to Lian Zhao since disembarking. She knew that neither Wen Su nor the old man were people she, Zuo Xiao Xiao, could afford to offend. Her only hope now lay with the simple and kind-hearted Lian Zhao. However, the old man's connection to the corpses was something she hesitated to speak of.

After walking for about two hours, the group finally arrived at a small village. Xiao Xiao was relieved; the sun was already setting, and she worried about how terrifying it would be to walk through this desolate forest at night. Adding to that the "zombie" incident, and that little white insect… ugh, just thinking about it sent chills down her spine…

This small village lived up to its name; it had only a handful of households and couldn't possibly accommodate so many travelers. The disciples of Donghai, being江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) people, chose to camp out in the open.

Xiao Xiao had no choice but to accept her bad luck and sleep outdoors with them.

Just then, the old man suddenly grabbed Xiaoxiao and said, "Young lady, my home is not far from here. You just saved my life, please come and rest at my humble abode!"

After hearing this, Xiao Xiao shook her head repeatedly in horror.

The old man smiled kindly, "Does the young lady find my humble abode too simple?"

"No, no..." Xiao Xiao quickly shook her head.

“Then please don’t refuse,” the old man said, glancing at Lian Zhao. “This young master should also change his clothes…”

Lian Zhao had fallen into the water earlier and was soaked. The weather was still cold in March, and his clothes were half-dry and half-wet clinging to his body.

Xiao Xiao felt a sense of foreboding. Although he was a martial artist, he was still the son of an official. If he got sick from all this, it would all be her fault, Zuo Xiao Xiao… But she absolutely couldn't listen to what the old man said. What should she do?

"Since the old man is so kind, we shall respectfully comply..."

The speaker was Wen Su.

I was slightly surprised, not understanding what he was up to.

Wen Su smiled, took a few steps, and said, "I also need to change out of these wet clothes."

Once the martial uncle spoke, it was a final decision. Xiao Xiao had no choice but to bite the bullet. It was a dangerous place, but whatever, if the sky fell, the martial uncle would take care of it.

...

The old man lived on a small hill north of the village. When Xiao Xiao saw the house, she was stunned. It was a simple bamboo house with a small courtyard. It was surrounded by a fence, and peach trees were planted in front of it. Dusk had fallen, the moon was just rising, and the peach blossoms on the branches were in full bloom, a breathtaking sight.

Xiao Xiao still remembers that if her master were still alive, she might also live in a place like this...

"Grandpa, you're back!" At this moment, a young girl came out of the house and smiled when she saw the old man.

The girl was only about seventeen years old, dressed in a coarse linen outfit, which was quite shabby. But her face was as bright as the moon, her eyes as clear as stars, and she exuded a lively spirit, definitely not an ordinary country girl.

Upon seeing the crowd, the girl frowned slightly and said awkwardly, "Grandpa, why are there so many people today? I only cooked a little bit of rice..."

"Oh dear, don't embarrass yourself in front of the guests." The old man hurriedly stepped forward, took the girl's hand, and said, "Go kill a chicken and properly entertain my savior."

The girl nodded immediately, "Oh, I'll go right away!"

Just as she was about to turn around, the old man grabbed her again, "Hey, let the young master stay in the room, understand?"

"I know," the girl replied.

After giving his instructions, the old man turned around and walked to the group of people, saying, "I'm sorry, my benefactors, we don't have anything good to offer you."

"No need to be so polite." It was Wen Su who spoke again. "Old lady, from what you just said, is there anything inconvenient for your young master?"

The old man smiled and said, "Alas, my son has been mentally unstable since childhood and cannot bear to see outsiders. Please don't mind, benefactor."

Wen Su nodded, "Oh..."

Xiao Xiao wasn't sure if she was overthinking it, but she sensed a complex and profound meaning in Wen Su's "Oh." She glanced around. Well, in this desolate wilderness, this old man with his mentally unstable son and a young girl, insisting on living on this hill instead of in the village. Besides, what a coincidence that his house was so close to the shore after the boat docked? It all seemed planned! Considering what had just happened on the river, this old man was definitely connected to those corpses…

Today's so eerie, it feels like I've been possessed! The tenth of the third lunar month…isn't that supposed to be an unlucky day? Little Xiao started having all sorts of wild thoughts. A peach tree? That's right, peach trees ward off evil! Ahhhhh…did she run into a monster? Ugh, good luck, good luck!

She unconsciously recalled ghost stories she had read or heard before, and once she started thinking about them, she was truly terrified. A night breeze blew, and she felt a chill run down her spine.

"Xiaoxiao? Are you cold?" Lian Zhao suddenly asked with concern.

Xiao Xiao looked up at him. Was it too late to pull him away and run away together?

"Girl, come in quickly, it's chilly outside!" The old man walked a few steps to Xiaoxiao's side, took her hand with concern, and led her into the house.

Upon entering the house, the old man led Lian Zhao and Wen Su to change their clothes. Xiao Xiao sat down timidly and looked around the room. The furniture inside was all made of bamboo. In this room, which resembled a large hall, there was an eight-immortal table, four stools, two chairs, a tea table, and a cabinet. There were no superfluous decorations. Although it was a humble room, it was clean.

Not long after, Lian Zhao came out.

Xiao Xiao saw him and didn't react for a moment, stunned in her chair. He had obviously changed into this family's clothes. They were clearly ill-fitting! The sleeves were a little too long, the front was a little too wide, and the trousers were a little too short... No matter how you looked at it, it just didn't look right.

Lian Zhao naturally noticed the meaning in her eyes. He lowered his head slightly and tugged at his sleeve. "It's just for a while..." he said softly.

"No! I absolutely do not think it looks bad!" Xiaoxiao immediately stood up, speaking with righteous indignation.

Lian Zhao was startled, but then he laughed.

Oh no! He speaks faster than he thinks! What's wrong with him?! Xiao Xiao looked at Lian Zhao with an innocent and pitiful expression.

Lian Zhao walked over to her and sat down on the chair next to her. "Is she really that ugly?"

Xiao Xiao scratched her head, "Nothing much... It's mainly because Young Master Lian, you are so handsome and extraordinary. Even if you were wearing tree bark, you would still be a dragon among men, proud and outstanding..."

Lian Zhao stared blankly at Xiao Xiao, speechless.

"Uh..." Xiao Xiao couldn't continue, and looked at him timidly.

Lian Zhao lowered his head and chuckled, "You really know how to flatter."

"Hehe, you flatter me." Xiao Xiao smiled too.

Then, both of them fell silent. The atmosphere became slightly awkward, so Xiaoxiao quickly changed the subject, saying, "By the way, where's my martial uncle?"