Bad things happen often

Chapter 17

Xiao Xiao swallowed hard, "I...I understand..."

"Le'er, don't be so angry. Didn't Master Zhang just say that it couldn't have been done by the 'Ghost Master'..." Yue Huaijiang said.

"If it weren't for that, I would have given them a good beating right here in the hall," Shi Le'er said through gritted teeth.

"Lord Shi..." Xiao Xiao asked cautiously, "Do you have some connection with the 'Ghost Master'?"

Shi Le'er frowned. "You heard it too, he once single-handedly stormed into my Taiping City. He was the only person to enter my Taiping City with a sword." She took out a short sword from her bosom. "This 'Fei' was his personal weapon back then..."

Looking at the short sword, Xiao Xiao couldn't help but feel a deep sense of awe. Regardless of whether the "Ghost Master" was righteous or evil, the fact that he could bring a weapon into Taiping City meant that his martial arts skills must be unfathomable.

"It's a pity that he was ultimately defeated by my grandfather's 'Martial Spirit Overlord Blade'." Shi Le'er looked at the short sword in her hand and sighed softly, "...If he had been willing to stay in Taiping City, he wouldn't be questioned today."

Xiao Xiao found it increasingly strange. The "Ghost Master" had disappeared from the martial arts world for over a decade. When he stormed Taiping City, Shi Le'er wasn't even born yet. How could Shi Le'er's tone be so familiar? Or perhaps, the "Ghost Master" still had dealings with Taiping City?

"Why are you suddenly asking about this?" Shi Le'er looked up at Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao immediately laughed and said, "No. I just felt that this 'Ghost Master' was indeed a remarkable person, so I was just asking..."

Shi Le'er laughed, "You have quite a good eye." She stood up, looking at the short sword in her hand, "His literary and martial talents are unparalleled. With such a husband, what more could a husband ask for?"

Xiao Xiao froze completely after hearing this.

Seeing her freeze, Shi Le'er said disdainfully, "What, is it wrong for me to admire him?!"

Xiao Xiao waved her hands repeatedly, "Okay, okay."

"Hmph." Shi Le'er sheathed her short sword and said, "Men of this era are all vain and boastful. I'm not afraid to tell you, I never wanted to participate in this 'Rare Goods Fair' in the first place. However, since the Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts will appear, he might appear as well. Otherwise, why would I help Xingfeng escort goods, and why would I entertain these young masters of Hero's Fortress playing house?"

Xiao Xiao looked at her, unable to express how she felt at that moment.

"But not only did he not show up, he was also wronged..." Shi Le'er said indignantly, "If I can't get justice for him, I, Shi Le'er, will not give up! Xiao Jiang, Xiao Xia, immediately send a message back to Taiping City and mobilize the nearest troops to go to Hero's Fortress."

Xia Yun and Yue Huaijiang immediately clasped their hands in greeting, "Yes."

Shi Le'er's mood improved somewhat. She sat down, took a sip of tea, and said, "I refuse to believe we can't catch that murderer..." She then turned to Xiao Xiao and asked, "Little Miss, you and Brother Lian seem to be getting quite close lately?"

"Yes, yes, I even heard them say they were going home to see their parents." Before Xiaoxiao could answer, Yue Huaijiang leaned in and teased.

Xiao Xiao looked at Yue Huaijiang with utter helplessness.

Shi Le'er put down her teacup. "Hero's Fortress is going through a turbulent time right now, and I'm afraid no one will investigate what happened between you and Brother Lian. Why don't you take this opportunity to find a suitable husband? Although Brother Lian isn't as extraordinary as the 'Ghost Master,' he's still a young hero with unlimited potential. Of course, sister, don't forget that you owe me, and you must repay it."

Xiao Xiao smiled awkwardly, "I will never forget the great kindness and virtue of the City Lord..."

"You're smart to know what's good for you!" Shi Le'er laughed happily. "Alright, you should go back and get on good terms with Brother Lian. Don't let the duck that's already in your mouth fly away."

"Oh," Xiao Xiao replied helplessly, then turned and walked out.

So many things had become unbelievable, making her feel hopeless about life. But after hearing Shi Le'er's words, she couldn't help but feel happy. She never expected that someone as cunning and self-serving as Shi Le'er could be so devoted to someone. Indeed, she was still just a young girl. She wondered if this could be considered infatuation.

Thinking of this, she laughed. But halfway through her laugh, she frowned again. "Sure enough," she thought, "Shi Le'er is truly opportunistic; she even schemed against Lian Zhao. Sigh, I really don't know what will happen to the man who marries her."

As she walked, she saw a large group of Hero's Fortress disciples gathered in the corridor ahead.

"Second Young Master, please don't make things difficult for us..." a disciple said.

"I am not your second young master." The speaker was Mo Yun. His expression was cold, and his tone was unfriendly.

"Please forgive me, Second Young Master. Now that the 'Ghost Master' has invaded, in order to lure out the enemy, please entrust the Nine Emperor Artifacts to our fortress for safekeeping." Lady Xi walked over from the side and said.

Mo Yun glanced at her. "I will take care of my own things. There's no need for you to worry, Madam."

“The Nine Emperors’ Divine Artifacts are of paramount importance. I’m afraid you alone are not up to the task,” Lady tide said.

“If it’s a true ‘Ghost Master,’ Mo Yun is naturally no match for him. As for the others, Mo Yun can handle them…” Mo Yun said coldly.

Lady Xi glanced at him and smiled, "Second Young Master, if I remember correctly, the wooden box in your hand is to be given to someone, isn't it?"

Upon hearing this, Mo Yun's expression immediately changed.

"I have already found her whereabouts. As long as the Second Young Master is willing to hand over the wooden box to Hero's Fortress for safekeeping, I will naturally inform you," Madam Xi said slowly.

Mo Yun frowned slightly. He thought quietly for a while, "Is what you said true, Madam?"

"Although I am a woman, I always keep my word," Lady Xi said with a smile.

“Okay.” Mo Yun handed over the wooden box.

Lady tide accepted it, bowed, and left.

He carefully avoided the disciples. Hero's Fortress was taking the Nine Emperor Artifacts to lure out the true culprit. But was the murderer's real target the wooden box? Sigh, why so much trouble? If only he had known, he shouldn't have stepped into Hero's Fortress in the first place…

After the disciples had all left, she returned to her room. She sighed dejectedly at the doorway and released the pressure points on her left wrist. The moment the points were released, a sharp pain shot through her wrist. She frowned and pushed open the door to go inside.

"You're back." Yin Xiao sat at the table, looking at her leisurely.

"Grandpa Yin..." Xiao Xiao said weakly.

"How's the investigation going?" Silver Owl asked.

Xiao Xiao then told him everything she had seen and heard, word for word.

Upon hearing this, Yin Xiao's expression turned extremely serious. "'Ghost Master'..."

"Hmm? Grandpa Yin, do you know the 'Ghost Master'?" Xiao Xiao asked.

Yin Xiao stood up. "How could that be? When he became famous in the martial arts world, I was just a child. However, if he really did these things, I'm afraid even Hero's Fortress wouldn't be able to handle them."

Xiao Xiao nodded and then asked, "By the way, Uncle Yin, where exactly were the two men in black who were hit by the Snow-Refined Silver Light that you told me about last time injured?"

Yin Xiao glanced at her. "Right arm, Jugu acupoint; left leg, Huantiao acupoint. What's wrong?"

It was indeed an arm and leg. It seemed her guess was correct; the two corpses had their limbs deliberately severed to conceal their identities. And having heard so many people's accounts, the "Ghost Master's" martial arts were unfathomable. If he had been the one that night, even Silver Owl wouldn't have been so easily defeated with just one blow. Someone had definitely framed him to cover their identity.

At this moment, Yin Xiao reached out and tapped her on the head. "What are you daydreaming about? I'm asking you a question."

Xiao Xiao snapped out of her daze and said repeatedly, "It's nothing, it's nothing, I was just asking casually."

“I doubt you’d dare to play any tricks…” Silver Owl glanced at her left wrist and said, “Continue to investigate the whereabouts of the wooden box and let me know as soon as possible.”

"Oh..." Xiao sighed.

No wonder Master often said that it's okay to wade into muddy waters, but the worst thing is to get muddier the more you wade.

She's just getting more and more confused now...

A momentary guess

Xiao Xiao sat at the table, resting her head on her hand, and sighed. Yin Xiao went back to bed to meditate and regulate her qi.

Xiao Xiao watched him meditate, then glanced at the silver needles on his wrist, feeling utterly helpless. So-called internal energy originates from Taoist internal alchemy cultivation. All the masters in the world practice this method. Legend has it that if internal energy is cultivated properly, one can achieve immortality and ascend to the Dao. However, that's just a legend. Nowadays, the internal energy cultivated in the martial world has two functions: gathering qi and increasing strength. She had longed to cultivate internal energy when she was young, but her master shook his head, saying: "Internal energy is harmful to both oneself and others. Xiao Xiao, remember, neither literature nor martial arts, living an ordinary life is the happiest thing."

Xiao Xiao naturally didn't understand this principle. Her master easily taught her boxing techniques, light body skills, and acupoint striking, saying it was to strengthen her body and prevent problems before they arose. But her master refused to teach her internal energy.

Having grown a bit older, Xiaoxiao had also learned a little. Among the Daoist internal energies practiced by people throughout the world, the Sun Flow and the Moon Flow were respectively intense and fierce, and cold and gentle. Cultivating these two types of internal energy only required three years to achieve a minor level of mastery. However, the price was immense backlash during cultivation, often resulting in the injury of one's own body by a factor of thirty. The Lesser Yang Flow and Lesser Yin Flow, on the other hand, were much smoother and gentler, but without twenty or thirty years of cultivation, the effects would be completely invisible.

It was at that time that Xiaoxiao understood her master's good intentions. Her master naturally couldn't bear to see her harm herself. And those twenty or thirty years were incredibly precious for a girl. Her master had no intention of letting her dabble in the martial world; he only hoped she could live happily like an ordinary girl.

Thinking of this, she chuckled softly and sighed. It's just a pity she could never truly be ordinary...

She touched her wrist. If she had internal energy, she could force out the silver needle, and then fly far away, free and unrestrained, to a place of boundless freedom... But that seemed a bit difficult...

Now, all we can do is hope that Hero's Fortress will find the murderer soon and release the prisoners.

She couldn't help but think of that "unparalleled master of both literature and martial arts"—the "ghost master." If her master was so prone to owing money, perhaps even the "ghost master" was... then there should be clues in the ledger.

She immediately took out the ledger from her bosom and searched through it carefully. However, the words "ghost master" were not found at all in her master's ledger.

Xiao Xiao's eyes widened, and she scratched her head. Seriously? Sometimes she really wondered if her master dared to owe even the emperor money. How come he'd overlooked this infamous "Ghost Master"? And not only did he not owe her money, but there wasn't even a single word about him—completely unlike her master's usual style. Or perhaps, the "Ghost Master" was truly powerful, so much so that even her master would avoid him?

That shouldn't be the case. The master's specialty is kneeling and begging for mercy. Even if the "ghost master" is incredibly powerful, he wouldn't run away, would he?

She frowned, holding the ledger and tilting her head back, deep in thought.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Yin Xiao suddenly opened his eyes, got out of bed, and leaped onto the roof beam.

She understood immediately, then casually got up and opened the door.

At the door were several disciples of Hero's Fortress. Seeing her open the door, they politely said, "Miss, we've come to clean the house."

Cleaning? In just a moment, Xiao Xiao understood the gist of the matter. This was practically a disguised house search. Judging from last night's events, the real culprit was likely someone inside Hero's Fortress; in this situation, they were looking for a scapegoat.

"Oh? Come in!" Xiao Xiao laughed and led them into the house.

"Actually, I've always felt like there are mice or something in my room. They're really noisy at night. Could you guys help me take a look?" Before she could finish speaking, she tripped over a stool. She reached out to grab the table, but she used too much force, and the table tipped over. The teapot and teacups on the table fell to the ground with a crash, spilling tea all over the floor.

Xiao Xiao fell to the ground, looking quite disheveled.

"Uh... I'm so sorry. I'll pay for the teapot and teacups..." Xiao Xiao said hurriedly.

Although the two disciples were ordered to conduct a covert search, the scene before them was a mess, and the children looked so pitiful. So the two of them started cleaning up.

Xiao Xiao stood up and glanced at Yin Xiao. The next moment, she stepped on a shard of a teacup on the ground, stumbled a few times, and bumped into the dressing table. The dressing table and the sink stand next to it overturned together, making a series of loud crashes.

The two disciples immediately got up and went to help Xiao Xiao, who had fallen flat on her back.

Taking advantage of the opening, Silver Owl landed lightly and flashed out the door.

Xiao Xiao breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Yin Xiao had escaped safely. This was the ultimate act of kindness and righteousness. As for his capture, that was simply his own bad luck.

She awkwardly smiled apologetically as she got up from the ground. "I'm so sorry, gentlemen, I slipped..." she said, but then felt a dull pain on the back of her right hand. She looked down and saw that her right hand had been cut by a piece of debris on the ground, and blood was flowing from it.

Oh no? Spotting? Oh no... Today is definitely going to be an unlucky day... Xiao Xiao thought with tears in her eyes.

Suddenly, someone came to her side and took her hand.

She was slightly startled, and then she met Lian Zhao's concerned gaze.

"How did you get hurt?" he asked.

Xiao Xiao was stunned, standing there blankly, unable to move.

Lian Zhao examined the wound on the back of her hand carefully, his brows furrowing slightly.

Xiao Xiao quickly pulled her hand back, laughing awkwardly, "It's okay, it doesn't hurt at all... haha..."

Lian Zhao looked at her and smiled faintly, "Shouldn't you at least get it bandaged up?" He glanced at the mess in the room and said, "Let's go to my room."

"Huh?" Xiao Xiao was shocked.

Lian Zhao was puzzled. "What's wrong?"

“Master Lian, it is improper for men and women to be in the same room together…” Xiao Xiao said righteously.