Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 39

Shi Mi looked up and nodded slightly.

“Alright,” Lian Zhao said, “I will do my utmost to find the divine needle.”

Shi Mi looked at him and asked, "Who do you want to save?"

Lian Zhao was silent for a moment before replying, "My betrothed wife..."

Shi Mi smiled faintly, "I await good news."

Wen Su looked at Lian Zhao with a complex and unreadable expression. He spoke, "Sect Master, what if I find the Divine Needle?"

“Of course, I will save you disciples of the Eastern Sea!” Pizi replied.

“Wen Su, you…” Lian Zhao was somewhat angry.

“Young Master Lian, there’s no need to be angry…” Wen Su chuckled. “Don’t forget, your betrothed is my junior disciple, and also a member of the East Sea Sect.”

Lian Zhao was speechless.

Bi Zi laughed, "What a clever plan! Sect Master, this disciple from the East Sea is not only good at swimming, but also at scheming!"

Shi Mi sat there, a faint smile on her face, without saying a word.

Xiao Xiao stood behind the door, hearing everything clearly. For some reason, she felt uneasy. This was a transaction, a trade of life for life… Her martial aunt was cunning enough to devise such a perfect solution. But what if it wasn't like this? What if she had to choose between herself and the many disciples of the East Sea? Was her life worth anything?

She chuckled softly. Her life, of course, was worthless. She raised her wrist and looked at the silver needles in her pulse. What if they were removed? What if they weren't? Life would go on, food would still come. Was she really going to go looking for those nonsensical seven hundred and twenty needles? She wasn't stupid!

She glanced up at Lian Zhao and whispered to herself, "Don't be silly..."

Three people traveling together

Xiao Xiao quietly returned to her room and sat on the edge of the bed. In this vast world, finding all 720 "Three Corpse Divine Needles" was truly like "finding a needle in a haystack"... She really was destined for a short life...

She couldn't help but recall a puppy she had as a child. Every single day, she was inseparable from the puppy. But soon after, the puppy died. She and her master built its grave together, and at that time, she cried and asked her master why there was such a thing as life and death.

The master sighed and replied with a smile, "Everything that is alive will die. When the dead are buried, they turn into grass and trees. And all things in the world live on grass and trees. Death is not disappearance, but rather a change of form to live again in the world. This is reincarnation."

Then, she looked up, tears welling in her eyes, and asked, "Isn't reincarnation the same as being reborn?"

Master shook his head: "No... Xiaoxiao, you must remember, there is no afterlife. So, cherish what you have now."

She couldn't understand at that time, and continued to cry, heartbroken for her little dog.

The master said nothing more, but just looked quietly at the dog's grave, as if talking to himself, "Do not go against the seasons, do not defy fate. The way of heaven is cyclical, follow the natural course."

Do not go against the seasons, nor violate the principles of destiny. The way of heaven is cyclical, follow the natural order.

Looking back now, these words are clearly Taoist mantras. She no longer clings to life and death; in her understanding, those words mean: live when it's time to live, die when it's time to die. Leave it to fate, don't force it.

She looked at her wrist and smiled. Sigh, she wondered if anyone would bury her after she died. Although her master advocated "no burial," leaving her body exposed in the wilderness seemed rather inappropriate…

As she was lost in thought, a knock sounded at the door, and it was Lian Zhao who came in.

"Xiaoxiao," Lian Zhao said with a smile, walking to the bedside. "I have good news for you. The patriarch of the Shennong family has agreed to help you remove the needles."

She paused for a moment, then blinked. Was this a case of only reporting good news and not bad? Was he not going to tell her about that "needle in a haystack" situation?

Lian Zhao considered his words carefully before speaking, "However, the sect leader is very busy and it will probably take some time. You come home with me first, and then I will invite the sect leader to my residence."

Xiao Xiao smiled. They really had been keeping it from her. For some reason, she suddenly felt a little happy. She had never imagined that anyone in this world would be so considerate of her feelings, nor had she ever imagined that anyone would cherish her life so much.

Seeing her smile, Lian Zhao felt relieved. "Then let's set off."

“She can’t go with you.” As soon as Lian Zhao finished speaking, Wen Su walked in and said.

Upon seeing Wen Su, Xiao Xiao immediately stood up straight.

Lian Zhao turned his head, frowning as he looked at him. "Why?"

“She is a disciple of the East Sea. You should ask me first where she is going,” Wen Su said matter-of-factly.

The atmosphere immediately became extremely tense upon hearing this.

Wen Su took a few steps closer and said, "Young Master Lian, did you forget to tell my nephew that Sect Master Shennong will only save her if he sees the 'Three Corpse Divine Needles'? You know perfectly well that she is afflicted with the 'Refined Snow Silver Light,' and that the Lian family will have to travel thousands of miles and spend a lot of time to find the Divine Needles. What are your intentions in deliberately concealing this?"

Lian Zhao was slightly angry, but he didn't argue. He walked to Xiao Xiao's side, took her hand, and said, "Let's go."

Wen Su reached out and stopped the two. "I've already said it, haven't I? She's a disciple of the East Sea, and her fate is up to me!"

Lian Zhao raised his eyes, his gaze filled with icy coldness.

Seeing the murderous aura between the two, Xiao Xiao timidly spoke up, "Um... I, I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to find the 'Three Corpse Divine Needles'!"

Upon hearing this, the murderous aura between the two dissipated instantly.

“Xiaoxiao…” Lian Zhao turned around, looked at her with some guilt, and spoke.

"Now that I know how to save my life, there's no reason for me to do nothing. I'm going to find those magic needles!" Xiao Xiao felt utterly helpless, but her tone was full of determination.

"..." Lian Zhao didn't know what to say.

"Don't be ridiculous," Wen Su coldly rejected.

Xiao Xiao didn't back down. "I'm not being silly. Uncle-Master, please let me go!"

"The matter of the Divine Needle is of utmost importance. It concerns not only you, but also the lives of dozens of disciples in the East Sea..." Wen Su said, "Your martial arts are inadequate, so don't cause any more trouble."

Xiao Xiao paused for a moment, then said earnestly, "Although my martial arts skills are poor, every extra person helps! Uncle-Master, no matter what you say, I must go!"

Wen Su looked at her for a long time, then sighed, "Fine, do as you wish." He then turned to Lian Zhao, "Young Master Lian, what do you think?"

Lian Zhao ignored him and said directly to Xiao Xiao, "Whatever you want to do, I'll go with you."

Wen Su's eyes showed displeasure, but his tone remained calm. "The matter of finding the needle should not be delayed. Let's pack up and set off for town."

After saying that, he turned and left.

She breathed a small sigh of relief. Thank goodness, if they had really started fighting, she wouldn't have known whose side to take.

"Xiaoxiao..." Lian Zhao began, his voice full of apology, "I didn't mean to hide it from you..."

Xiao Xiao snapped out of her daze and smiled, "Yes, I know."

Lian Zhao was somewhat surprised.

Xiao Xiao continued smiling, saying nothing more. She suddenly felt that if someone in the world cherished her life so much, it would be unreasonable for her not to cherish it herself. While "finding a needle in a haystack" was her mediation plan, she figured it wouldn't hurt to actually do it.

...

After descending the small hill, passing through the village, and traveling several miles east, they reached the town. When they arrived, everyone was in a sorry state. Days of fierce fighting, coupled with the lingering poison of the "Snake Gu" in most of their bodies, naturally left them in poor condition. In stark contrast to their exhaustion was the bustling scene in the town.

After inquiring along the way, I learned that it was the old lady of "Jiyu Manor" celebrating her 70th birthday. "Jiyu Manor" was a prominent family in town, so their birthday celebration was naturally quite extravagant. Xiao Xiao was familiar with "Jiyu Manor." Strictly speaking, it wasn't a famous martial arts clan, but rather an ordinary family of craftsmen. However, their craftsmanship was exceptional; they had once built palaces for royalty, which brought them great fame. But even this wasn't enough to leave a lasting impression on Xiao Xiao.

More than a decade ago, Qi Han, a descendant of the Qi family, used a knife to exchange for Shen Chen's concubine, Yan Ji, who was once a famous beauty.

This story has always been passed down as a beautiful tale of a talented scholar and a beautiful woman. But now, Xiao Xiao can't think that way at all. If Zhao Yan really is the daughter of Qi Han and Yan Ji, then this story must have ended in tragedy...

Even after arriving at the inn and entering her room, Xiaoxiao was still thinking about these random thoughts. The so-called most beautiful woman in the world—she wondered just how stunningly beautiful she must be. She wished she could see her in person…

Tsk, now's not the time to be thinking about pretty girls! She gave herself a small slap. She'd be better off figuring out how to find those needles. Seven hundred and twenty needles! That Shennong Sect Master was clearly making things difficult for her… Then, as if remembering something, she took out the ledger and opened it.

No, this won't do. Although there are records from the Shennong family, there's absolutely no clue about the divine needle. Indeed, there are things even her master doesn't know. She reluctantly put the ledger back into her bag. Suddenly, something fell out. Xiao Xiao bent down to pick it up, then smiled.

Silver feathers. She clearly remembered a notorious thief promising her that he would steal any treasure she set his sights on. This feather token was the proof.

Xiao Xiao looked at the feather in her hand. That's right, if it were Yin Xiao, he might know where those divine needles were.

Xiao Xiao was happy for a moment, then frowned again. But... where is he now? Giving him just a feather is completely useless! Is she supposed to call his name to this feather? This isn't some fairy tale.

How exactly can we find Silver Owl?

Xiao Xiao was staring blankly at the feather when she heard a knock at the door. The only person who could come looking for her was Lian Zhao. She put away the feather, smiled, and got up to open the door.

Before Xiao Xiao could finish speaking, she met Wen Su's eyes.

"Uh... Uncle-Master..." Xiao Xiao had no choice but to change her address, and said awkwardly.

Wen Su's expression was indifferent. He ignored her and went straight into the house, sitting down at the table.

Xiao Xiao closed the door helplessly, walked to the table, and lowered her head.

"Sit down," Wen Su said expressionlessly.

Xiao Xiao sat down timidly, her heart pounding with fear. Her cold-blooded martial uncle coming to see her couldn't be anything good!

Wen Su was silent for a moment before asking, "What's your name?"

Xiao Xiao paused for a moment, stared at him for a while, and then answered, "Zuo Xiao Xiao".

“Zuo Xiaoxiao…” Wen Su repeated, seemingly deep in thought.

At that moment, Xiaoxiao suddenly felt a sense of familiarity. How could she not miss that face, that name? But there are many things in this world that cannot be replaced.

“Zuo… I never expected that my elder brother would call himself ‘Zuo’. His loyalty to Yue Fei is evident…” Wen Su looked at Xiao Xiao and continued, “There have been many incidents along the way, and I haven’t had a proper conversation with you. It was my oversight.”

"..." Xiao Xiao didn't know what to say when she heard this.

"Let me see the silver needles on your body," Wen Su said, extending his hand.

Xiao Xiao obediently stretched out her left hand.

Wen Su gently lifted her wrist, looked at it for a while, and then frowned. "Such ruthlessness shows that the grudge between you and that Silver Owl is obviously not shallow." He put down her small hand and said, "Don't worry, now that you are a disciple of the East Sea Sect, he can't do anything to you. You don't need to worry too much about removing the needle."

"Uh..." Xiao Xiao nodded, "Thank you, Uncle-Master."

Wen Su nodded, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "...What exactly is your relationship with that young master of the Lian family?"

Xiao Xiao was stunned upon hearing this. It was...so difficult to say...

"Uh..." she said awkwardly, unable to answer.

"Judging from his tone, you two are engaged?" Wen Su's eyes held a sharp glint.

"Uh..." Xiao Xiao was still embarrassed.

"Was it decided by your elder brother?" Wen Su asked again.

"Uh..." Xiao Xiao continued awkwardly.

"I'm asking you a question." Wen Su's tone turned stern, slightly displeased.

Xiao Xiao was startled and said, "It wasn't Master who decided it..."

"No?!" Wen Su slammed his hand on the table, angrily saying, "Marriage is a serious matter that should be decided by the elders. What kind of behavior is this, making a private engagement?"