Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 91

“No problem.” Lian Zhao picked up the chess pieces again and said, “By the way, Young Master Wei, what was the purpose of your unauthorized trip to the East Sea?”

"It's nothing serious, I just wanted to check on my junior sister's injuries. It's a pity she's already gone..." Wei Qi said.

Lian Zhao clenched the chess piece in his palm, looked up at Wei Qi, and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"She has left the East China Sea and her whereabouts are unknown." Wei Qi smiled. "Speaking of which, in Young Master Lian's eyes, is my junior sister also an 'innocent civilian'?"

Lian Zhao stood up and said, "Young Master Wei, what makes you say that? She is the only person in the world who knows the whereabouts of the Ghost Master, and she is a key figure in the secret of the 'Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts'. Not to mention, she stole the array diagram and destroyed my ship array. If I see her, how can I let her leave so easily?"

Wei Qi smiled and looked at Lian Zhao, listening quietly.

Lian Zhao sighed and said, "Young Master Wei, you've recounted the story of the Silver Owl and the Ghost Matchmaker, and you've repeatedly questioned my efforts to appease the people. Could it be that you're trying to shift the blame onto me?"

Wei Qi sighed, "I had no such intention. However, the search for the 'Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts' is an order from His Majesty. If we fail, neither of us can bear the blame."

Lian Zhao frowned, sat down again, and placed the chess piece in his hand onto the chessboard.

“Young Master Wei, don’t forget, this was your unauthorized action. Even if the Emperor blames you in the future, my Lian family of Divine Arrows will not have to share the blame for you.” As he spoke, he reached out and picked up a chess piece.

Wei Qi immediately smiled and said, "That's all I wanted to ask. I won't disturb Young Master Lian's refined enjoyment any longer. Farewell."

Lian Zhao watched him leave, then turned to look out of the cabin. In the pouring rain, groups of surrendered civilians were leaving by boat. He sighed softly and smiled faintly.

...

Wei Qi walked outside and saw Xi Yuan and Shi Mi standing not far away.

"Prepare the boats, we're heading back to the Divine Firmament Sect," Wei Qi said.

Xi Yuan walked to his side, slightly puzzled, "What's wrong?"

“Now that Wen Jing’s deeds have been exposed, he will inevitably leave. The East Sea is now an empty shell. The only way is to return to the Central Plains first and make further plans,” Wei Qi said.

He walked onto the deck, watching the ships coming and going on the sea, his eyes filled with coldness. "Lian Zhao... I underestimated you..."

...

...This is the dividing line representing "Let me tell you what the female lead is doing" = =+...

Xiao Xiao woke up groggily to find herself in a cramped cabin. She was dressed in coarse cloth clothes and wrapped in a similarly crude quilt.

She tried hard to recall, but couldn't remember how she got to this place. Just as she was wondering, an elderly couple came into the cabin. Seeing that she was awake, they kindly asked her how she was doing.

Xiao Xiao then learned that the couple were fishermen from the East China Sea. They had surrendered long ago when the imperial court launched a campaign against the East China Sea. Now, they were heading ashore to seek refuge. She had been brought onto this fishing boat and entrusted to the care of this elderly couple.

"Do you know who saved me?" Xiao Xiao asked anxiously, remembering the masked man in black.

The old man shook his head and said, "That man was completely covered from head to toe, how could we recognize him? He just asked us to take you back to the Central Plains, and he even gave us some money!"

After saying that, he took out the silver and showed it to Xiao Xiao.

How could money possibly reveal a person's true identity? Xiao Xiao had no choice but to give up. If she didn't want her to know her true colors, there must be a reason... For some reason, at this point, she didn't even have the energy to find one.

She struggled to climb out of the cabin and looked up. The heavy rain had stopped, and a rainbow hung over the azure sea.

She stared at the rainbow for a long time.

The seventy-two islands of the East China Sea, the Lian family's ship formation, the nine imperial artifacts... everything that had happened seemed to be getting further and further away from her, and finally, along with that rainbow, disappeared from her sight...

...

【Side Story 2: Joyful Spring Arrives】

Extra: Happy Spring is Coming [Part 1]

On the day of Lichun (the beginning of spring) in the first month of the lunar calendar, snowflakes still drifted in the sky. The winter plum blossoms covered the hillsides, their fragrance penetrating to the bone.

This mountain path is far from the town and there are usually few pedestrians. In this kind of weather, it seems even more desolate.

At the foot of the earthen slope beside the mountain path, a dozen or so children were gathered. They squatted down, seemingly waiting for something. The one in the lead was a boy of about ten years old, dressed in patched coarse linen clothes, his cheeks already blue and red from the cold. However, his expression was focused, and his eyes shone brightly.

Just then, people could be seen walking along the mountain path.

A smile appeared on the boy's lips as he waved his hand.

More than a dozen children rushed out and blocked the mountain path.

The boy rushed to the front, head held high, looking at the newcomer with an arrogant expression.

"East, west, south, north, within a hundred li radius, in the Xiufeng region, roads are sold for money," he said loudly, displaying an air of maturity.

The man who was stopped was a young man in his late twenties, dressed in gray cloth, carrying a satchel and a three-stringed plucked instrument, and holding a little girl of about three years old in his arms. He looked at the group of children in front of him with a cold expression and without saying a word.

"What, trying to be tough now?" The little boy put his hands on his hips, displeased. "Come on! Brothers, let's go!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the group of children shouted and pounced on him, tightly hugging the man's legs.

The man frowned slightly, freeing his right hand to pull the group of children away, but in an instant, three children grabbed his arm.

The little boy grinned smugly, "Behave yourself now?"

The man looked at him, smiled slightly, and raised his right hand. The three children who were clinging to his arm were now hanging on his arm and were lifted up easily.

The little boy was startled, knowing something was wrong. His first instinct was to run, but after thinking it over, he rushed over and grabbed the man's arm. "Put my brother down!"

The man was about to make a move when the little girl in his arms suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, and giggled sweetly, "Hug me too~"

The man froze, stunned.

Seeing this, the little boy was about to bite the man's arm when he heard a shout: "Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

In an instant, all the children let go and scattered, standing obediently in a row.

Not far away, a woman in her early twenties stood with her hands on her hips and legs apart, her almond-shaped eyes wide open, her teeth clenched, and her whole body exuding murderous intent.

She glared at the boy in the lead, rushed over, grabbed his ear, and yelled, "Are you trying to get yourself killed?! What are you trying to learn? Robbery! I told you so! With your pathetic skills, robbing someone is just asking for trouble! And what's wrong with your eyesight?! If you're going to rob someone, at least rob someone rich. This guy's clothes make him look like a poor street performer, and he's got a girl with him—clearly the kind of guy whose wife ran away because he's so poor! What are you trying to rob?! Huh?!"

The boy looked aggrieved and resentful, and said, "It's none of your business!"

"I don't care what you do! So what if I do?" After cursing, the woman turned around, walked to the man's side, and brushed the dust off him while saying, "This poor... uh, no, brother. I'm sorry, the kids are just being silly! Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against them. Okay, okay, it's alright, you can go now, I won't bother you."

After she finished speaking, she pulled the boy up and was about to leave. Suddenly, her shoulder felt heavy.

A low, pleasant male voice sounded from behind, slightly cool, "You can leave, but give me back my purse."

Silence fell instantly; the mountain path was so quiet that only the sound of the wind could be heard.

"What do you mean?!" the little boy suddenly shouted. "Even if you tell me not to rob it, you'll still steal it anyway!"

“Stealing is worse than robbing! Be more polite!” the woman shouted.

"Pah! Robbery is perfectly legal! Stealing is something shameful!" the boy shouted.

"Pah! Robbery requires manpower, you know! Stealing can be done solo!" the woman yelled back.

"Didn't you say this guy was so poor his wife ran away? What are you stealing?!"

"Many a little makes a lot!"

...

Seeing that the two were arguing more and more animatedly, completely ignoring their surroundings, the man frowned and drew the short sword from his waist.

The crisp sound of a short sword being drawn immediately silenced the noise.

The woman turned to look at the man, and after a moment of silence, she suddenly knelt on the ground. "Hero!!! Spare me!!! Don't kill me!!! I have an eighty-year-old mother and an eight-month-old baby!!! Please have pity on my family, a widow and her child, don't kill me!!!"

As soon as she knelt, all the children knelt down, begging for mercy. Only the little boy remained standing, his fists clenched tightly.

Seeing this, the woman reached out a hand and pulled him down, saying, "Kneel down."

"I won't kneel!" the little boy said stubbornly, his voice filled with anger.

"Are you courting death?!" The woman stood up and tried to push him back to the ground. "What's wrong with kneeling for a moment?"

"A man's knees are worth gold!" the little boy shouted angrily, struggling desperately.

"Gold? Bah! You try buying me a steamed bun with your knees!" the woman said, glancing at the man. "Hero, the child is just being silly. I'll have him apologize to you right now!"

"No need." The man lowered his eyes, sheathed his sword, and walked away.

"Huh? Hero, the money pouch?" The woman asked, slightly puzzled.

The man didn't turn around; he remained silent and walked on by himself.

The woman watched his retreating figure quietly and fell silent as well.

At this moment, the girl in the man's arms started crying loudly. The man had to stop and gently coaxed her, "Xiaoxiao, what's wrong?"

The girl cried, "I'm hungry..."

And so, the mountain path fell silent once more.

The woman froze for a moment, then walked up to the man, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Hero... we've become friends through this fight. How about I treat you to a meal as an apology?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the girl stretched out her arms, tears streaming down her face, and joyfully called out, "Hug!"

The woman froze, her hand involuntarily hanging in mid-air.

The man sighed heavily, turned around, and said earnestly, "Alright!"

...

"May I ask where you are from, and what your name is?" the woman asked as she walked.

The man was silent for a moment, then said, "Huai Ren..."

"A bad person?" The woman was stunned. "Who gave you that name?"

The man was stunned for a moment, speechless.

"Hahaha, hero, just pretend I'm talking to myself." The woman chuckled, then continued, "By the way, my name is Qi Xiu, and this boy is my nephew, Qi Heng." She pointed to the stubborn little boy, then to the group of children, "And this is Qi Liang, Qi Mo, Qi Si..."

Huai Ren listened without answering, but the little girl in her arms read along with great interest.

Qi Xiu smiled and teased the girl, "Oh, what's your name?"

“Little one!” the girl replied.

"Oh, Xiaoxiao," Qi Xiu said with a smile, "How old is Xiaoxiao?"