Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 74

"Miss Zuo, it's getting late. You should go back to your cabin and rest," Wen Jing said considerately, turning around.

Xiao Xiao nodded slightly, but when she turned around and saw Wen Su's expression, a chill ran down her spine. Well… if she didn't know she had no past grudges or recent conflicts with him, she would have really thought he was going to kill her. Could it be that he was angry about her kneeling and begging for mercy earlier? …It wasn't a big deal, was it? She just cried "Spare me!"

She forced a smile, oblivious to the danger, and slunk back to her cabin.

...

...I am the dividing line representing jumps on the world map = =+...

After sailing for two or three days, a patch of ink-like dots gradually appeared on the vast sea. Upon closer inspection, those dots were islands of varying sizes and shapes. The islands were connected by the azure waters, and they were all transported by boat. Every fisherman and boatman along the coast of the East China Sea recognized these islands.

The East China Sea has 72 islands.

As the three ships with their dark blue sails entered the harbor, the pier outside the island was already filled with the disciples of the Seventy-Two Ring Island Guards. Each of them was dressed in blue robes, carrying a sword, and exuding confidence and spirit.

As Xiao Xiao leaned against the ship's railing and witnessed this scene, she couldn't help but sigh. No wonder the imperial court considered the East China Sea a thorn in their side. Look, this is just one island, yet it has hundreds of disciples. If all seventy-two islands were to gather here, it would definitely pose a threat to the coastal defenses. Xiao Xiao looked around again, and in the distance, these islands were all lush and green, with hidden forests, and the sea mist swirled around them, creating a scene reminiscent of a paradise on earth.

"Disembark."

Xiao Xiao was just sighing when Wen Su's icy voice poured down on her, startling her. She didn't dare to breathe and obediently followed along.

In about a quarter of an hour, we arrived at the main hall of the seventy-two islands in the East China Sea.

As Xiaoxiao walked inside, she marveled at the sights and sounds of the East Sea. Many of the things there were things she had never seen or heard of before. The layout of the hall was also quite different from that of the Central Plains, which piqued her curiosity.

Wen Jing changed his clothes and sat in the hall, still with a gentle smile on his face.

"Although we lost the 'Three Corpse Divine Needles' during this trip to the Central Plains, we were able to wipe out the traitors. The merits and demerits cancel each other out, so we will not pursue the matter of losing the needles," Wen Jing said.

"Thank you, Island Master!" the disciples replied in unison.

Xiao Xiao was a little confused. The "Three Corpse Divine Needles" were suspected to be the Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts, and the East Sea had been searching for the needles all along. Now that they had failed, why did they say they would "not pursue the matter"? ...They are indeed unfathomable!

Wen Jing looked at Xiao Xiao and smiled, "Miss Zuo, please step forward."

When Xiao Xiao heard herself being called, she took a step forward and stood timidly below the hall.

"Today, I accept you into the East Sea Sect. From now on, we are all one family," Wen Jing said.

Xiao Xiao blinked, "Uh... Island Master, I..."

“Miss Zuo, there’s no need for you to be so polite. My master and I are old acquaintances, so it’s only natural for him to take care of you. …You have quite a connection with my disciple Wen Su, so why don’t you become his disciple?”

As soon as Wen Jing said this, a commotion broke out in the hall.

"Uh...I..." Xiao Xiao wanted to say something, but then she saw a disciple bring a cup of tea to her.

"Come, let's offer this cup of tea as a gesture of respect to the master," Wen Jing said with a smile.

Xiao Xiao felt extremely helpless. She glanced at Wen Su, who remained indifferent, swallowed hard, hesitated, picked up the tea, and respectfully offered it to him.

Wen Su glanced at her, took it with one hand, took a small sip, and handed it back to Xiao Xiao.

Wen Jing nodded in satisfaction and said, "Wen Su, since she is your disciple, you must teach her carefully and not mistreat her."

Wen Su nodded, "Yes, Island Master."

Xiao Xiao remained bewildered, holding her teacup. Was becoming an apprentice really that simple? Shouldn't one normally offer incense to the founding master or something?

Xiao Xiao continued to listen blankly as everyone congratulated her and Wen Su, then went to the welcoming banquet in a daze, and finally, she was led to the disciples' room in a daze.

The East China Sea Seventy-Two Islands have many disciples, and naturally, there are also many female disciples.

The disciples' rooms on the island are all for two people. When Xiao Xiao entered the room, she saw a woman who was slightly older than her sitting on the bed, folding clothes.

The disciple who brought her there exchanged a few words with her and then left, leaving her standing alone at the door, dumbfounded.

"Hmm..." Xiao Xiao thought for a moment, then spoke, "This senior sister..."

The woman looked up, glanced at Xiao Xiao briefly, then pointed to an empty bed next to her and said, "You'll sleep in this bed from now on. The clothes are already on the bed; if they don't fit, you can alter them yourself."

After she finished speaking, she continued folding clothes and ignored Xiaoxiao.

Xiao Xiao could only walk silently to the bedside. Just as she was about to reach for her clothes, she heard the woman say, "By the way, since you're sharing a room with me, I must remind you. I never share things with others. If you need anything, go buy it yourself."

Xiao Xiao blinked, "Oh..." Then, as if remembering something, she asked, "What's your name, senior sister?"

The woman was slightly impatient and said, "Ye Li."

"Oh..." Xiao Xiao replied, then dared not say anything more.

After folding the clothes, the woman got up and left.

Xiao Xiao finally relaxed and let out a deep breath. She regretted it! She should have known better than to come to the East Sea! She should have gone to Taiping City instead! Really… but…

She quietly closed her eyes. Before forgetting, it's best to stay as far away as possible...

...

Nine Heavens and Nine Earths

Three miles outside the main hall of the Seventy-Two Islands of the East Sea lies a cliff called Cloud Cliff, a place where East Sea disciples are punished and reflect upon their actions. The cliff is barren, covered only with rocks and gravel, with the surging waves crashing below. Normally, few people approach this place, and now, nearing midnight, the cliff should be even more deserted. Yet, two people are engaged in a duel on the cliff. One wields twin swords, each move sharp and relentless. The other, though unarmed, parries the attacks with ease. These two are none other than Wen Su and his master, Wen Jing.

After a short while, the two stopped.

Wen Jing stroked his beard and smiled, "Your swordsmanship has improved again in just a few days."

Wen Su sheathed his sword and said respectfully, "This disciple dares not be lazy."

Wen Jing nodded. "You handled the matter at Jiyu Manor very well. Fortunately, those who came this time were all juniors from the Shenxiao Sect, so your identity should not be exposed."

“Master, this time the Shenxiao Sect has re-emerged into the martial world. We need to collect the Nine Emperor Artifacts. I’m afraid…” Wen Su said.

Wen Jing smiled easily and said, "I know the Celestial Master's temperament better than anyone. Since he hasn't shown himself, it proves that the Divine Firmament Sect hasn't gone all out yet. Those juniors are no threat."

Wen Su nodded.

Wen Jing looked at him and said, "What I'm worried about is something else..."

Wen Su looked up at him, somewhat puzzled.

"The girl you brought back is very wary," Wen Jing said.

"..." Wen Su pondered for a moment, then said, "She has already agreed to join the sect..."

"Beginner?" Wen Jing smiled. "She's never called you 'Master' even once..." Wen Jing walked to Wen Su's side. "Even if she did, it was for some other reason..."

Upon hearing this, Wen Su frowned.

"It seems I wasn't wrong." Wen Jing gently patted Wen Su's shoulder. "Your martial arts skills are the highest among your peers, but when it comes to charming girls, you're far inferior to your junior brother. You still need to study hard in the future..."

After saying that, Wen Jing took a step and left Yunya.

Wen Su stood quietly for a moment before slowly walking away.

Master, as the saying goes, "A teacher for a day is a father for life." These two words are not to be used lightly. She had only called him "Master" twice, once on the river and once at the port. The first time was a mistake, but what about the second time? What was the reason behind her calling him "Master"...? And since the Lian family had accepted her, why did she go back to the East Sea with him?

These questions kept him deep in thought all the way. Suddenly, he heard the faint sound of a sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument), carried by the waves, spreading over him in layers.

Wen Su looked up, walked quickly for a while, and then saw the person playing the sanxian on the beach.

Xiao Xiao, holding a sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument), sat on the rocks, playing and singing:

"The young lady is beautiful, her song under the silver lamp is so enchanting. She raises a cup among the flowers, wanting to invite me, but before she speaks, she smiles. What is the swamp of fame and fortune? What is the road to Handan? It's a pity that the spring scenery is so beautiful, the willow catkins of Xie Bridge, the willow catkins of Xie Bridge."

The young lady grumbles, "Such a casual parting is so heartbreaking." She lazily combs her hair, her clothes disheveled, afraid of being questioned. Her gold hairpins are discarded, her rouge is cold, her zither and lute are silent. She lies alone on her mandarin duck quilt, new sorrows added to her, new sorrows added to her.

The young woman is infatuated, her words of longing written on small red paper. Who knows the sorrow she has endured? Such is the depth of her love. What does it matter if things are different now? Her heart remains as resilient as silk. She values their vows more than life and death, their bond entangled for three lifetimes, entangled for three lifetimes.

Wen Su had heard this piece of music on the ship before. However, at this moment, the playfulness in the song had completely faded away, leaving only an indescribable tenderness and melancholy.

After a long while, the strings stopped. Xiao Xiao stood up and stretched. Then, she jumped off the rocks, hugged her sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument), hummed a little tune, and hopped back home.

Wen Su watched her leave, and unconsciously let out a soft sigh.

...

The next morning, when Xiaoxiao woke up, her roommate Ye Li had already left. She got up somewhat blankly, walked to the window, and looked at the sky. Then, she froze… Okay, it was already past Chen Shi (7-9 AM). She vaguely remembered someone telling her that she had to get up at Mao Shi (5-7 AM) every day to practice martial arts.

Xiao Xiao sighed deeply. It's only natural to have trouble sleeping at night and getting up in the morning! She should have known better than to go singing at the beach… Oh well, it's too late now, a little later won't matter. With that thought, she slowly began to wash and dress. After carefully hiding her belongings, she leisurely walked to the training ground. Unsurprisingly, upon arriving, everyone looked at her with complex and unreadable expressions.

Xiao Xiao cleared her throat innocently and said, "Uh... well... I'm lost..."

"Lost for an hour?" Wen Su stepped out from the crowd and said coldly.

Xiao Xiao swallowed hard and said, "More or less..."

Wen Su waved his hand, signaling the disciples behind him to continue practicing martial arts, and then said to Xiao Xiao in a chilling tone, "Go stand to the side."

Standing as punishment? Xiao Xiao sighed helplessly, slowly walked to the side of the training ground, and stood there loosely.

About a quarter of an hour later, the disciples finished their practice and dispersed. Wen Su walked to Xiao Xiao's side, looked at her awkward posture, shook his head, and said, "Come with me."

Xiao Xiao followed timidly into the flower garden next to the martial arts arena. In the garden, there was a square open space about ten feet in size, with various weapons placed on both sides. Wen Su stopped and spoke, as if talking to himself, "From now on, you will practice martial arts here."

Xiao Xiao glanced at the weapons on the shelf; most were longswords. She remembered that Fan Donghai disciples were accustomed to using chains and longswords. She thought for a moment, then casually picked one up, and said plaintively, "Master Aunt... you want to practice with a longsword? I... I don't think I can lift it..."

When Wen Su heard the address "Uncle-Master," his brows twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything. He walked to her side and said, "No need. I'll teach you dual swords."

"Dual swords?" Xiao Xiao was somewhat surprised.

Wen Su nodded, took a pair of knives from the shelf, and handed them to her. "Since you're already a beginner, I won't go into the basics. I'll teach you the techniques, and you can practice them slowly."

Xiao Xiao took the knife, looked up and asked, "Uncle-Master... how long do you usually practice before you can rest?"

Wen Su looked at her, his eyes seemingly filled with displeasure, and said coldly, "When to rest is up to me."

Xiao Xiao was speechless, but nodded reluctantly.

...

Xiao Xiao finally realized how serious it was to oversleep. Skipping breakfast wasn't a big deal, but practicing martial arts on an empty stomach until noon was a different matter altogether.

Xiao Xiao, leaning against the wall with one hand and rubbing her lower back with the other, weakly went to eat, feeling like crying. Being a bad person is hard, being a bad person with high martial arts skills is even harder. She thought of her master, the "Ghost Master," and couldn't help but sigh. To be able to take the enemy general's head in the midst of chaos, to casually infiltrate various martial arts sects… learning such high-level martial arts must have been incredibly painful. Heaven has eyes; she only needs to be a bad person with poor martial arts skills…

As she was lamenting, she heard voices coming from around the corner ahead.

"That Zuo Xiaoxiao didn't come back until very late yesterday. She was late for her morning practice, how can you blame me!" Xiaoxiao immediately recognized the voice; it was Ye Li, her roommate. She stopped and carefully hid behind the wall.

"Going out at night? Wow..." another female disciple spoke up, her tone slightly strange, "Hey, who do you think she is?"

"Heaven knows. Donghai has never accepted disciples with prior skills, but they made an exception for her this time. Besides, Senior Uncle Wen has never accepted disciples before, so how could he accept her so easily?" another female disciple chimed in.

"I heard that she and Uncle Wen are related!"