Meister der Mehrdeutigkeit

Kapitel 108

At this moment, Wen Su suddenly knelt down, clutching his clothes tightly. His face was already pale, his breathing was disordered, and his whole body was trembling slightly from the intense pain.

The man walked a few steps to Wen Su's side, grabbed his hand, took his pulse briefly, and then his cold gaze pierced Luo Yuanqing.

“Seven Kills, what a ruthless method…” he said coldly, “Your actions in the South China Sea are becoming increasingly despicable!”

After he finished speaking, he raised his hand and sealed several major acupoints on Wen Su's body. He then channeled his inner energy into Wen Su's meridians. As the inner energy entered his meridians, the pain lessened instantly. However, the energy was too strong, and Wen Su only managed a soft groan before losing consciousness.

He handed Wen Su over to the waiter, put his hands behind his back, and said, "You all come in and explain yourselves clearly!"

After he finished speaking, he stepped into the house.

The crowd had no choice but to comply.

Clutching the spear, Xiaoxiao stood blankly outside the door. In that moment, a flood of speculation rushed into her mind; the unspoken words, the unspoken truths others hadn't mentioned—she suddenly understood…

However, whether this understanding was good or bad, she had no way of knowing...

Nowhere to escape

"Seven Killings"—anyone with a bit of experience in the martial arts world has heard of this poison. In terms of toxicity, it's not considered top-tier. "Seven Killings" is slightly bluish in color and has a pungent, burnt smell, making it unsuitable for assassinations. Its bizarre toxicity has only one use: torture.

Legend has it that those afflicted by the "Seven Killings" curse never survive forty-nine days. The unbearable feeling of being alive is enough to destroy anyone's will.

Xiao Xiao clearly remembered that her master had described this poison in a cold tone. Finally, he smiled helplessly and said to her: "If you are poisoned by this, you can only commit suicide if you don't surrender."

As she was thinking this, Luo Yuanqing's dissatisfied voice echoed throughout the entire restaurant.

"You old fool, don't go too far! What do you mean I poisoned him? Wen Su isn't some novice in the martial world, can't he tell the difference between 'Seven Killings' and 'Seven Killings'?!" Luo Yuanqing said indignantly. "He already promised to give me the first volume of the 'Mysterious Moon Heart Sutra,' and 'Seven Killings' was just insurance; he took it willingly. Now that I haven't gotten the Heart Sutra, why should I give him the antidote?!"

"You dare talk back to me?" the man slammed his hand on the table and stood up angrily.

"Hmph, Jiang Ji, everyone here is afraid of you, but I, Luo Yuanqing, am not! Besides, what do you mean by talking back! I'm just stating the facts! As long as he hands over the Heart Sutra, I will naturally save him." Luo Yuanqing said with a disdainful look.

Xiao Xiao then learned that the dignified sect leader of the Broken Wind Sect was named Jiang Ji.

"So you're saying this because you're unwilling to hand over the antidote?" Jiang Ji raised an eyebrow. "You think I can't save him if you don't hand over the antidote?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Yuanqing frowned deeply and was about to retort when Li Si spoke up.

“Master, I know you dislike killing, but…” Li Si said slowly, “Wen Su must die.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ji sneered, "Death is inevitable? You tell me the reasoning behind this 'death is inevitable' nonsense!"

Li Si sighed and said, "Grandpa, you saw it too, didn't you? Wen Su's appearance is nine-tenths similar to the Ghost Master. He coveted the 'Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts,' repeatedly impersonating the Ghost Master and indiscriminately killing innocent people. Doesn't he deserve to die?"

Jiang Ji's expression changed slightly, and then he softly repeated, "Nine Emperor Divine Artifacts..."

His gaze suddenly became distant, tinged with the hazy memories. He remained silent for a moment before his eyes slowly fell on Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao was still clutching the spear, and when she saw Jiang Ji's eyes, she felt a slight fear.

"It seems this spear is the so-called 'Nine Emperors' Divine Weapon'..." Jiang Ji stood up, walked to Xiao Xiao's side, and took the spear. A silver light flashed from the spear, exuding a cold, majestic aura. "He who possesses the Nine Emperors' Weapon possesses the world... In this day and age, does anyone still believe such nonsense?"

He raised his spear, looked up at its tip, and said, "How can a few mere weapons shake the world? People are ignorant; they've been blinded by these pieces of junk. Li girl, killing those who covet the Nine Emperors is merely treating the symptoms, not the root cause. In my opinion, destroying the Nine Emperors is the right path!"

After he finished speaking, he gathered his strength and struck the spear with his palm.

Everyone was startled by this sudden change. In that instant, Lian Zhao acted, blocking the palm strike and grabbing the spear. Jiang Ji didn't hesitate either, changing his palm to a grip, firmly clamping the spear in place.

"You brat, you think you can fight me with your skills?" Jiang Ji said disdainfully.

Lian Zhao remained neither humble nor arrogant, and said, "I have no intention of offending you, senior. However, the 'Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts' are related to the rise and fall of the world. Whether to keep them or destroy them should be decided by the Emperor."

Jiang Ji immediately laughed. "The Emperor?" He looked at Lian Zhao. "The Lian family, known for their archery skills, were once heroes of the martial world. I never expected them to utter such ridiculous words once they entered officialdom!"

Lian Zhao maintained his grip, his tone calm and composed, "Senior is right, the 'Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts' are weapons that bring chaos to the world. However, while you can destroy the artifacts, you cannot destroy the ambitions of the people. Only when the 'Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts' belong to the imperial court can the conflict truly be quelled..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yin Xiao laughed.

"What a passionate speech, Young Master Lian. You truly are a loyal dog of the court. 'Only when the Nine Emperors' artifacts belong to the court can the conflict be truly quelled,' how laughable..." Yin Xiao's eyes were sharp, and his tone was extremely arrogant. "What virtue or ability does the current monarch possess to obtain these 'Nine Emperors' artifacts'?! Even if someone truly uses the power of the Nine Emperors to overthrow the court, it will be a just cause, for Heaven has eyes!"

"Shut up!" Upon hearing Yin Xiao's words, Lian Zhao's anger flared, and he shouted sharply. His brows furrowed, and the sharpness in his eyes was intimidating. He looked at the crowd before him with a disdainful expression.

"How dare you interfere in His Majesty's journey! The borders of the Great Song Dynasty have been in turmoil for years, and the people are suffering. You gentlemen are all highly skilled in martial arts; are you ready to fight on the front lines, save the nation from peril, and protect the people from the flames of war?" Lian Zhao's tone was as sharp as an arrow piercing stone. "The Lian family may indeed be lackeys, but they can be proud of it. As for you gentlemen, you have absolutely no right to mention the word 'righteousness' in front of Lian Zhao!"

Xiao Xiao had never seen Lian Zhao speak with such an expression and tone. In her memory, his attitude was always humble and polite, never revealing a hint of sharpness. However, his words did not feel unfamiliar to her. How could she forget that he had once earnestly told her that his reason for practicing martial arts was to protect his country and fight against evil... and that reason filled her with admiration.

In situations like this, how do we determine who is right and who is wrong, who is righteous and who is evil?

Upon hearing these words, Yin Xiao, Li Si, and the others were naturally enraged, and a murderous aura gradually enveloped the surroundings.

Just then, a childish female voice suddenly rang out, "What are you all doing?"

Ye Zhihui stood at the top of the stairs, looking at the strange scene in the lobby. She glanced at the long spear again, and said in surprise, "My father's spear... how come..."

At this moment, Jiang Cheng stepped forward, pressed Jiang Ji's hand, and said, "Father, the spear was entrusted to me by my master, you can't destroy it!"

Jiang Ji glanced at Ye Zhihui, then at Jiang Cheng, loosened his grip on the spear, and muttered to himself, "What I hate most in this life are people in officialdom! They all talk so self-righteously! Humph!" He turned and walked away, ignoring everyone.

Ye Zhihui looked at everyone, noticed Lian Zhao, and ran over happily, "Brother Lian!"

When Lian Zhao saw Ye Zhihui, a smile appeared on his tense face.

"Brother Lian, weren't you with my father catching fugitives? What are you doing here?" Ye Zhihui asked with a smile.

Lian Zhao did not answer, but only smiled faintly.

At this moment, Jiang Cheng took a few steps forward and said, "Brother Lian, Sister Zhihui, it's not convenient to talk here, let's go upstairs." As he spoke, his eyes swept over the spear in Lian Zhao's hand, but his eyes were clearly kind and gentle, with no intention of fighting over it.

Lian Zhao pondered for a moment, then handed over the spear.

“Young Master Jiang, since Uncle Ye has entrusted ‘Li Quan’ to you, please keep it safe,” Lian Zhao said.

Jiang Cheng smiled, "Brother Lian, are you going to give up this divine artifact?"

Lian Zhao shook his head, "I was rash just now and offended you. Since the artifact was entrusted to Young Master Jiang by Uncle Ye, I will take it in an upright manner."

Jiang Cheng was somewhat surprised. After hesitating for a moment, he took the spear.

Although Ye Zhihui didn't understand what had happened, seeing the two men's peaceful expressions, she knew everything was alright. So she smiled, took their hands, and walked upstairs with them.

The remaining people in the lobby were completely ignored at that time.

Silver Owl gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "Lackeys of the imperial court..."

Li Si snorted coldly and said, "This is the first time in all my years in the industry that I've been humiliated like this. I can't swallow this insult!"

Luo Yuanqing frowned and remained silent.

Xiao Xiao watched the three go upstairs, and for some reason, felt relieved. Just now, Jiang Cheng had changed his address to Lian Zhao from "Young Master Lian" to "Brother Lian," which seemed like Jiang Cheng was actively trying to get closer to him. Besides, Ye Zhang had connections with both of them, so judging from the situation, they could only be friends, not enemies.

Besides, Yin Xiao and Li Si always have to give the young master face. They probably won't easily make a move against Lian Zhao in the future.

That's good...

She sighed, turned around, and said to Yin Xiao, "Brother Qi, Miss Li, Miss Luo, I'm going upstairs to rest too..."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yuanqing said, "Rest? Aren't you going to check on your martial uncle?"

Xiao Xiao was slightly startled and unable to answer.

“Miss Luo, you’re meddling too much,” Yin Xiao said, trying to smooth things over. “Girl, go and rest. Be careful in everything you do.”

She nodded slightly and quickly went upstairs.

"Am I meddling?" Luo Yuanqing's voice rang out from downstairs. "What do you mean? If it weren't for her..."

Xiao Xiao quickened her pace, avoiding the last few words, and rushed back to her room.

She felt somewhat powerless as she closed the door.

Even if she didn't listen, she already understood what Luo Yuanqing was trying to say.

“Judging by the days, he should be coming to see me soon.” “I really can’t think of any reason, other than deep love, that would be worth him risking his life to save me.” “…'Seven Killings' was just insurance; he took it willingly.”…

She could understand these words simply by listening to them together...

On that day, they were stranded on a deserted island. How could Wen Su possibly bring her safely back to the East Sea on his own? Looking back now, all of this seems cruel.

Xiao Xiao walked to her bedside, looked at the luggage on the bed, and then made up her mind.

...

Just after midnight, Xiaoxiao stealthily emerged from her room. She tiptoed carefully, holding her breath. She went out, turned a corner, and arrived at the door of a guest room.

She looked around, took a deep breath, and carefully pushed the door. The door wasn't closed, so she went inside.

There were no lights on in the room, but Xiao Xiao had already gotten used to the darkness and went straight to the bedside.

She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and lifted the gauze curtain.

The person on the bed was Wen Su.

He lay quietly, his eyes closed, his brows slightly furrowed, and his breathing a little shallow.

Xiao Xiao knew he wasn't asleep, but rather unconscious. Otherwise, with her so close, how could he not be on guard?

For some reason, the memories kept relentlessly swirling in her mind. She finally understood once again that even if he was an accomplice in the murder of her master, she couldn't bring herself to kill him.

She smiled helplessly, then reached out and gently grasped his wrist. His skin was cold, and his pulse was rapid and intermittent.

In his mind, his master's words echoed: If you are poisoned by this kind of poison, you can only commit suicide if you do not surrender.

She released his hand and straightened the blankets for him. Then, she took two tokens from her package and placed them in his palm.

After finishing everything, she carefully withdrew outside. She stood at the door for a moment, then quickly went downstairs, into the courtyard, and leaped over the wall. With a swift movement, she was out of the restaurant and standing on the street.

The rain stopped in the evening, and a thin layer of clouds covered the sky, obscuring the moon with a faint halo.

She turned around slightly and looked at the restaurant.

Everyone has their own stance and principles, their own hardships and helplessness. Now, it's impossible to say who owes whom, who has wronged whom. She was just an insignificant character, unwittingly dragged into this conflict, provoking the wrong people. How could she possibly resolve such entangled grudges? Perhaps, forgetting each other in the vast world is her only choice.

Thinking about this, she felt helpless yet relieved. She tossed her head, took a big step, and prepared to slip away.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats grew louder as they approached; judging from the scale, it was a large army.

Xiao Xiao sensed something was wrong and immediately shrank into the corner, crouching down to hide.

The sound of horses' hooves startled the townspeople, and in an instant, every house lit its lamps, and people began to come out. Xiao Xiao looked at those people in surprise; they were all neatly dressed, as if they had been sleeping fully clothed.

Just then, the men approached, their torches illuminating the area as if it were daytime. The group numbered about thirty or forty, half of them archers. Before Xiaoxiao could even guess what was going on, a figure came into view.

She was a woman in her mid-thirties, holding the reins in her right hand and a bow in her left. Dressed in military attire, she exuded a heroic and imposing aura that rivaled that of any man.