Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 60

"Don't cry..."

Upon hearing these words, Xiao Xiao was stunned. A surge of mixed emotions overwhelmed her, leaving her at a loss for what to do. And at that moment, the ceiling of the underground palace collapsed, plunging everything into silence…

...

Xiao Xiao only remembers being sheltered in a warm embrace, surrounded by endless sounds of collapse and billowing dust. When everything calmed down, she slowly opened her eyes. Although it was pitch black, her eyes had adjusted and she could barely see anything.

"Little one?"

Xiao Xiao looked up and saw Lian Zhao. He loosened his embrace, smiled slightly, and asked, "Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Startled, she was about to stand up when her head bumped into something. She clutched her head and squatted down, enduring the pain.

Lian Zhao suppressed a laugh and gently patted her head, "Be careful..."

Xiao Xiao looked up, tears welling in her eyes, and realized that she and Lian Zhao were huddled under the stone table, with the collapsed beams lying across it, barely an inch above their heads. Xiao Xiao was shocked. How could she have survived such a collapse? And yet, she felt no pain anywhere on her body? She immediately felt fortunate; she had survived a great calamity, and good fortune was sure to follow.

"Go out now," Lian Zhao said, giving her a gentle push.

Xiao Xiao glanced at the gap left by the beam, through which a faint light shone. She turned around, took Lian Zhao's hand, and said, "Okay, let's go out."

Lian Zhao smiled and shook his head, saying, "You can barely get through the exit left by the beam, but I'm afraid I can't. After you get out, just call someone to rescue me."

After a brief moment's thought, she nodded.

She obediently crawled out, and then she saw someone's feet. She paused for a moment, then slowly raised her head. The person standing in front of her was Wen Su.

Xiao Xiao breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Uncle-Master..."

Wen Su was covered in dust and had several bruises. Although he was in a sorry state, his expression remained cold.

"Aren't you coming out yet?" Wen Su said coldly.

Xiao Xiao immediately became timid and struggled to climb out.

Once outside, Xiaoxiao discovered that several white pillars had appeared out of nowhere in the room, seemingly rising from the ground. These white pillars supported the main beams of the underground palace, preventing a serious collapse. Scattered throughout the room were mostly bricks and stones, the largest no more than a foot square. With Wen Su and the others' martial arts skills, avoiding them wouldn't have been difficult. However, what puzzled her was that, apart from the corpses of Wen Su and his son Ling You, there was no one else in the room.

Xiao Xiao stood up, no longer thinking about it, and said, "Uncle-Master, Lian Zhao is still inside..."

Wen Su didn't say a word. He walked to the table, smashed the stone table with his palm, and pushed aside the beams and pillars.

Lian Zhao stood up, bowed slightly, and said, "Thank you."

Wen Su remained silent, turned around, and said, "Xiao Xiao, let's go."

"Oh," Xiao Xiao replied, then turned around and looked at Lian Zhao.

Lian Zhao was gently brushing the dust off his body. Like Wen Su, he had bruises and several scrapes on his body.

Looking at herself, Xiao Xiao realized she wasn't even covered in dust, let alone wounds. A warmth filled her heart, and a smile unconsciously spread across her face. She went over to him, helped him up, and said, "Young Master Lian, it's just dust. We can dust ourselves off outside. Let's go!"

Lian Zhao paused for a moment, then frowned slightly and said, "I'm just... used to it..."

Xiao Xiao nodded. "Okay. Young Master, can we go now?"

After she finished speaking, she helped him out without waiting for his reply.

When the group left the room, they found the white pillars everywhere, firmly supporting the underground palace. The previously sealed entrance had also been completely opened.

Xiao Xiaowei was puzzled. It seemed that someone had lent a helping hand to save everyone's lives. But who else was familiar with the mechanisms of this underground palace?

Despite their doubts, none of the three spoke, and they walked silently towards the exit. Along the way, none of the mechanisms were activated, and in about a quarter of an hour, they reached the exit.

The blinding sunlight made Xiaoxiao squint. Then, she heard a familiar voice.

"What a fine manor! Abducting and killing young girls is one thing, but they even want to destroy the evidence. It's truly an eye-opener for Le'er."

"Shi Le'er!" Xiao Xiao exclaimed in surprise. She looked up and saw that this was the same entrance they had used to come in earlier. A large group of people were gathered in the courtyard, including those who had been with her in the underground palace. What surprised Xiao Xiao was the presence of Shi Le'er, and not only Taiping City, but also Lady Xi and the Third Young Master Wei Ying from Hero's Fortress. The courtyard was filled with a large number of martial arts practitioners, creating a truly spectacular scene.

The appearance of the three of them naturally caused a slight pause among the people outside.

When Shi Le'er's gaze fell on Xiao Xiao, a slight smile appeared on her face. However, when she saw Wen Su, she suddenly froze, and the smile on her face vanished without a trace.

“Lord Shi, everything is still under investigation, so we cannot make hasty judgments. Although our Jiyu Manor is not a major sect in the martial arts world, its reputation must not be tarnished.” Standing next to Shi Le’er was the old lady of Jiyu Manor, whose face was pale and whose voice trembled slightly.

Shi Le'er smiled again and said, "Madam, there's no need to be nervous. Right and wrong are matters of public opinion, not my Taiping City's business. Why don't you ask Hero's Fort over there?"

Lady Xi, standing to the side, seemed not to have heard these words at all, her eyes fixed on Yan Ji.

Wei Ying was also incredibly surprised, staring at Wei Qi, "Big...Big Brother?"

Wei Qi's gaze was cold as he silently swept over the group of people before him. Then, he clasped his hands in greeting and said, "I am Wei Qi from Hero's Fortress, greetings to all my fellow martial arts friends."

Upon hearing him announce his name, a slight commotion arose in the crowd.

Wei Qi said unhurriedly, "There's been some misunderstanding. Please allow me to explain." Wei Qi glanced at Shen Chen and said, "I have a long-standing friendship with Master Shen, despite our age difference. Master Shen previously asked me to assist in the investigation of a missing girl. Later, I discovered that someone was lurking in Jiyu Manor, harming innocent girls. After much investigation with Master Shen, we discovered that this person is the notorious bandit Yin Xiao and Ling You, a traitor to the Shennong family..."

Everyone was shocked by these words.

Wei Qi continued, "The Master and I were about to bring the two to justice when the notorious bandit Yin Xiao kidnapped Miss Shen and used her to blackmail her. Master Shen, desperate to protect his daughter, had no choice but to open the underground palace and let the two hide there. So, I contacted the Shennong Sect Master and finally rescued Miss Shen. We also executed the wicked Ling You on the spot, but he was so desperate that he resorted to a suicide attack. Fortunately, the Old Madam stopped him in time, thus saving our lives."

Xiao Xiao was dumbfounded. What a twisted and convoluted story! Not only was Ling You dead, leaving no way to corroborate the facts, but Yin Xiao was a notorious bandit; everyone would believe Wei Qi, not Ling You. How insidious… Oh, right, speaking of which, I haven't seen Yin Xiao…

"Nonsense!" Yue Huaixi stepped forward and shouted, "Le'er, don't listen to his nonsense. He's a disciple of the Shenxiao Sect, colluding with Shen Chen and Ling You. Everything here was planned by them!"

Wei Qi frowned. "Young lady, you need to provide evidence before you speak. Everyone knows I am from Hero's Fortress, so how could I possibly be a disciple of the Divine Firmament Sect?"

Yue Huaixi glanced at him, walked a few steps to Shi Le'er's side, and said casually, "I don't care which sect you belong to, I'll just tell you what I saw. As for evidence, Le'er also said that this is not a matter for Taiping City, and if you want to find it, you should go to Hero's Fortress."

Then, another uproar erupted in the crowd.

Wei Qi smiled faintly, "Tell me what you saw... Alright, I saw that this young lady was originally Ling You's maid. Could it be that Taiping City is also related to this matter?"

Shi Le'er smiled and said, "Of course it's relevant. Taiping City is dedicated to maintaining peace throughout the world. We have long since discovered that Ling You harbors ill intentions, and we have specially sent elites from the city to disguise themselves as maids and infiltrate Ling You's side to investigate in secret. What's wrong with that?"

Wei Qi nodded, "Lord Shi is indeed far-sighted; I admire him."

Xiao Xiao chuckled. Shi Le'er's fabrication wasn't bad at all. Yue Huaixi was clearly demanding his wages; there was no question of him secretly investigating. However, Wei Qi's rebuttal likely significantly diminished the credibility of Yue Huaixi's previous testimony.

“Everything I have said is true, and this young lady can testify to that.” Wei Qi turned to look at Zhao Yan. “This young lady is a maid from Hero's Fortress, and she too was kidnapped. Lady Xi should believe what she says, right?”

Lady tide came to her senses and looked at Zhao Yan, "Yan'er..."

Zhao Yan, supporting Yan Ji with a hint of fear in her expression, said, "What Young Master Wei said is all true. This humble servant was also nearly harmed by Ling You in the underground palace, but fortunately, Young Master Wei and Lord Shen saved me..."

Lady Xi nodded and said, "I did receive news from Jiyu Manor that the kidnapped maid had been rescued, which is why I came here. It seems that what you said is true."

Wei Qi nodded, a hint of disdain in his eyes, and said, "If you still have any questions, you may enter this underground palace for further investigation."

Shi Le'er smiled and said, "Then, Brother Yingyang, let me ask you one more question: why are you walking with Qian Zhu Xiyuan?"

Wei Qi chuckled, "The city lord is mistaken. I am not with her, but have captured her and am preparing to send her to Hero's Fortress."

He had barely finished speaking when Xi Yuan frowned and angrily said, "Wei Yingyang, do you think the Celestial Master will let you go after you've captured me?!"

Xiao Xiao was speechless. What a self-directed and self-acted drama! She had to admire it! She glanced at Shen Chen and his group; the young lady, Shen Yuan, was still unconscious. In fact, she was the most compelling witness. Sigh, was this fate? It seemed that among the three sons of the Wei family, the most cunning was undoubtedly the eldest, Wei Qi. But why did he abandon his position as the eldest son of Hero's Fortress and join the Divine Firmament Sect?

As Xiaoxiao was sighing, she felt the man beside her leave her support and was about to step forward. Without thinking, Xiaoxiao grabbed him and pulled him back to where he was.

"Xiaoxiao?" Lian Zhao asked, puzzled.

Xiao Xiao shook her head and said softly, "Don't say anything. You are the eldest young master of the Lian family. Even if you testify against him, how can you explain yourself for disguising yourself as a servant and entering the underground palace? I'm afraid he will turn around and accuse you, and you will end up hurting yourself."

Lian Zhao frowned. "Even so, we can't..."

Wen Su sneered and said, "Young Master Lian, don't you understand the current situation? If you want to drag the Lian family down with you, I will not stop you. Just don't drag my Donghai down with you."

Lian Zhao didn't know how to refute it, so he could only remain silent.

“There are many doubts about this matter, and we need to investigate further before we can draw a conclusion,” Shi Le’er said. “How about this, Brother Yingyang, why don’t you bring the relevant people back to Hero’s Fortress, and then let the Three Heroes judge?”

Wei Qi smiled and said, "The city lord is right. I will do as he says."

Shi Le'er gestured to Yue Huaixi beside her, indicating that she didn't need to say anything more.

Xiao Xin felt helpless. Sometimes, even knowing the truth doesn't bring the guilty to justice. This is the fickle nature of the martial world and the unpredictability of people's hearts. Wei Qi dared to speak so recklessly only because he knew everyone had something to hide. And now, Shi Le'er's actions are the best possible outcome; however, Hero's Fortress will likely still find no evidence in the end…

However, in any case, Master said: Justice resides in the hearts of the people.

Just when everyone thought the matter was over, someone suddenly spoke up, saying, "We don't want to get involved in the affairs of Jiyu Manor, but we must deal with Shennong's family matters."

A man and a woman slowly walked forward from the crowd. The man was around forty years old, tall and burly, with a rather rugged appearance. The woman, nearly fifty, had a kind face and a dignified air.

"And who are you two?" Wei Qi asked.

The two men clasped their hands in greeting and replied.

"Shennong family, Morinda officinalis."

"The Shennong family, Yunhua."

Wei Qi clasped his hands in greeting and said, "So you are Shennong, the Seven Lords. My apologies for my disrespect."

The man who called himself Bajitian nodded slightly, then looked at Shi Mi. "Sect Master, we have come to invite you back."

Shi Mi lowered her eyes and said, "I do not understand what the two elders mean."

Yunhua smiled and said, "Sect Master, no... you are no longer the Sect Master. The five elders of the Seven Upper Lords have decided to abolish your position as Sect Master. You have repeatedly violated the sect rules. Why don't you come back with us to accept your punishment?"

"Outrageous! Does the sect leader need the elders' approval to do anything?!" Hiko, who was supporting Oniu, stepped forward and shouted angrily.

“You are the one who is presumptuous. You mere Ninth Envoy, yet you dare to be so disrespectful to your superiors,” Yunhua said.

Shi Mi smiled faintly and said, "I wonder where I have repeatedly violated the sect rules, so that the two elders must personally escort me back?"

Ba Jitian frowned. "Do you think no one knows that you used a living person's body to test the meridians and acupoints of the 'Three Corpse Divine Needles'? Now that things have come to this, do you plead guilty?"

Shi Mi's expression remained calm as ever. "What I do is for the benefit of the world. How can the art of medicine be without sacrifice?"

At that moment, Xiao Xiao recalled Ling You's words: "To bring the dead back to life is a merit that will last for a thousand years."

The path of medicine inevitably involves sacrifice. I've heard of doctors practicing acupuncture on animals, performing dissections… Is this acceptable? So, are all those sacrifices just what's to come? …Perhaps, for Shi Mi, the girl who died tragically in the underground palace was merely another "sacrifice," deserving no sympathy. People say doctors have the hearts of parents, but perhaps these doctors are the most cold-blooded of all…

“Alright, how do you explain raising the ‘Longevity Gu’ and concocting the ‘Resurrection Incense’?” Yunhua asked.

Shi Mi remained silent and did not answer.

“We all know that you wish to resurrect the dead, which is a great taboo of Shennong! As the sect leader, you knowingly break the law, which is truly disappointing,” Bajitian said.

Shi Mi suddenly flew into a rage, her calm demeanor completely crumbling, leaving only a terrifying fury: "He's not dead!"

"Unable to speak, unable to see, devoid of knowledge and feeling. This prolonged slumber, according to Shennong's ironclad rules, is considered death. Don't you know that?" Yunhua asked.

"He's not dead! I'm sure I can wake him up!" Shi Mi shouted, and then leaped forward to attack.

Yunhua and Bajitian are both top-tier experts from the Shennong family. Moreover, with two against one, Shimi is gradually showing signs of defeat.