Bad things happen often

Chapter 30

Li Si glared at him, then sighed, "Sanxian... is indeed the Ghost Master's..." She looked at Xiaoxiao, somewhat reluctantly, and said, "I recognized Sanxian, and that's how I learned you have a connection with the 'Ghost Master.' However, what they said in the crystal chamber wasn't just to deal with Hall Master Fang, but also to test you... Actually, there's no such martial art as 'Three Transformations of Absolute Sound' in the world..."

Xiao Xiao was stunned. "Huh?"

Li Si smiled. "I can tell from your seriousness that you either obtained this 'three-stringed instrument' by chance, or your master has been concealing his identity." She took the small hand and said, "If it's the former, then it's fine. If it's the latter... your master has many enemies in the martial world, and perhaps he doesn't want to involve you. If that's the case, knowing the truth won't do you any good. You should just forget what I said."

Xiao Xiao suddenly understood many things. Why her master never talked about his past, why he didn't reveal the murderer before he died... There were many things she simply couldn't bear.

“Girl, although the ‘Ghost Master’ is a renowned figure, it’s best to avoid mentioning him in the future,” Yin Xiao sighed, offering a reminder.

"I...I understand..." Xiao Xiao nodded in response.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Yin Xiao and Li Si exchanged a glance and quickly left through the window.

Xiao Xiao was quite surprised. Why would she jump out of the window? Wasn't there a door to go through? She sighed, walked to the door, and reached out to open it.

The person standing in front of her was Lian Zhao.

Lian Zhao immediately felt awkward upon seeing her. "You're up?"

Xiao Xiao was also embarrassed. She nodded stiffly. Last night she had pressed his pressure point to make him fall asleep; was he here to interrogate her now?

Lian Zhao hesitated for a moment before saying, "Little one... I, Lian Zhao, am incompetent, and I've made you suffer..."

She blinked slightly. "Suffering? Me? No..."

Lian Zhao lowered his head, "The silver needles in your hand... I'm afraid..."

Xiao Xiao sighed involuntarily upon hearing this.

"That treacherous Silver Owl escaped Hero's Fortress last night and his whereabouts are unknown! It's hateful that I was under the influence of the Soft Bone Powder at the time, otherwise I would definitely have sought justice from him," Lian Zhao said indignantly.

Xiao Xiao now understood why those two hadn't used the door but jumped out the window. Although they were involved in killing Master Fang, Yin Xiao and Li Si were, after all, members of the underworld. Besides, Yin Xiao had previously broken into the crystal chamber, making the situation inexplicable. If Hero's Fortress investigated, there would be no way to clear their names. Leaving was the best course of action.

"Xiaoxiao, don't worry. Even if I search the whole world, I will definitely find a way to save you," Lian Zhao said, his voice full of gentleness and sincerity.

Xiao Xiao snapped out of her daze and nodded stiffly, "Thank you..."

Lian Zhao laughed, "Isn't this just common sense?"

Where is this a given...? Sigh...

Xiao Xiao looked at him and smiled stiffly.

Just then, a maidservant approached the door. "Miss Zuo, Young Master Lian," the maidservant greeted respectfully, "Miss, may you rise?"

Xiao Xiao nodded. "Mm."

“San Ying and his wife are in the main hall. If it is convenient for you, please go there,” the maid said.

What's going on today? So many people are looking for her? She sighed softly. "Oh, I see..."

Lian Zhao suddenly smiled. "Let's go, Xiao Xiao, I'll go with you."

Xiao Xiao noticed his smile and felt something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Not wanting to ask anything, she simply followed him.

Inside the main hall, a large group of martial arts practitioners had already gathered. As soon as Xiaoxiao stepped in, she felt everyone's gaze fixed on her.

Xiao Xiao stood frozen in the center of the hall, unable to move.

“Miss Zuo,” Madam tide said with a smile, “please sit down.”

Xiao Xiao, bewildered, followed the maid to sit down in the hall. The hall?! Xiao Xiao immediately felt extremely uncomfortable. Uh… what's going on?

Before she could figure it out, Zhang Jiyuan, one of the three heroes, walked into the hall and began to recount the battle of the previous night.

Xiao Xiao then learned the truth. Last night, when the troops from Taiping City arrived, they found everyone in Hero's Fortress poisoned, realizing something was wrong. They immediately found the Three Heroes. Although the Three Heroes didn't know who had poisoned them, they suspected it was related to the Nine Emperor Artifacts within the Crystal Chamber. Although the Crystal Chamber was forbidden territory, the situation was urgent, and Taiping City was an ally. The Three Heroes then revealed the method to enter the secret passage to everyone. The troops from Taiping City immediately split into two groups: one to help the people in the fortress detoxify, and the other to enter the Crystal Chamber to investigate. In this way, they were able to extricate themselves from the predicament and kill the traitor.

Of course, that's not all. What truly amazed everyone was a young girl inside the crystal chamber. She not only exposed Master Fang's conspiracy and protected everyone trapped inside, but also rescued the hostage Lord of Taiping City at a crucial moment.

This resourceful, courageous, calm, skilled in martial arts, and composed heroine is none other than Zuo Xiaoxiao.

Xiao Xiao was completely frozen.

She listened to the praise with astonishment, unable to even find a moment to interject and defend herself. Under these circumstances, Li Zhenghai of the Xingfeng Escort Agency brought up previous incidents, praising Xiaoxiao to the skies. She was practically a peerless martial arts master, possessing both wisdom and courage, far surpassing any other rising star in the martial world.

Xiao Xiao was on the verge of tears. She didn't have any extravagant desires, she just wanted to be a bad person, so how did things turn out like this by some twist of fate? ...Being a bad person is really not easy...

After everyone had finished praising and extolling her, Lady Xi spoke up, "If it weren't for Miss Zuo's resourcefulness this time, Hero's Fortress would probably have been doomed." She waved her hand, and Zhao Yan, carrying a tray, walked to Xiao Xiao's side.

Xiao Xiao was a little flustered. She glanced at the tray and then froze.

If she remembered correctly, this bronze token, engraved with seal script, was the "Heavenly Hero Token" of Hero's Fortress. With this token, one could freely command the disciples of Hero's Fortress. Furthermore, any escort agency, tavern, or money exchange under Hero's Fortress's name… upon seeing this token, it was as if they were seeing the Fortress Master…

“Young lady, you are a woman of chivalry and righteousness. This ‘Heavenly Hero Token’ is a token of our respect from Heroic Fortress. Please accept it,” said Lady tide.

A slight confusion arose. She glanced at San Ying, whose eyes held approval. Then she looked at Wei Ying, whose expression clearly showed gratitude. And then she looked around the hall—well, everyone was looking at her with reverence…

Uh... how do we handle this?

"Please accept it, Miss Zuo." Seeing that she didn't reach out, the three heroes also urged her.

"I'm in a bind, I can't back down," that's the situation. Xiao Xiao swallowed hard, her hands trembling, and picked up the token.

At that moment, thunderous applause and cheers erupted.

She gave a stiff smile, stretched out her hand, and waved.

"Fellow martial artists, my fortress has prepared a banquet. Please join me in celebrating Miss Zuo's victory," Madam tide said with a smile as she rose to her feet.

And so, another round of thunderous applause erupted.

Surrounded by the crowd, Xiaoxiao was forced to go to that tumultuous banquet...

...

Xiao Xiao finally understood what it meant to be unworthy of happiness. Heaven bears witness, it was all a misunderstanding. If the truth were to come out one day, she wouldn't even know how she died. It's best to leave.

During the meal, she casually slipped out under some pretext, grabbed her luggage, and headed straight for the gate of Hero's Fortress. Today was a joyous occasion, so the disciples' guard was naturally relaxed. Xiao Xiao easily stepped outside the gate.

"Wait!"

Just as Xiao Xiao was about to run towards freedom with tears of gratitude, he heard a childish voice behind him.

She turned around in great pain and saw Shi Le'er, Xia Yun, and Yue Huaijiang.

"Lord..." Xiao Xiao said, tears welling in her eyes, "Please spare..."

"Who's stopping you?!" Shi Le'er interrupted her impatiently, frowning as she walked up to her and handed her the short sword "Fei". "This was originally yours, so take it."

Xiao Xiao took it, slightly taken aback.

Shi Le'er's eyes were still red and swollen. She turned her head away and said, "I forgot to tell you, last night, Master Qian was also rescued. Although not many people know about what happened in the tunnel, and Li Si has given an explanation, it's hard to guarantee that someone in the martial world won't cause you trouble because of your master..." After she finished speaking, she took something out of her bosom, "This 'Divine Martial Token,' keep it with you."

Xiao Xiao was stunned once again. Following the "Tianying Decree," was it the "Divine Martial Decree" from Taiping City? Seeing the "Divine Martial Decree" was like seeing the "Martial Spirit Stele"—this was a get-out-of-jail-free card!

"Lord of the City...isn't this too precious?" Xiao Xiao asked timidly.

"Just take it if I give it to you, stop with the nonsense!" Shi Le'er said angrily. "I didn't want to give it to you in the first place. The person I wanted to give it to was him..." She shoved the token into Xiao Xiao's hand and continued angrily, "Listen to me, the 'Divine Martial Token' is for gentlemen, not for villains. Good luck to you!"

Xiao Xiao held the token, unsure of what to do.

Shi Le'er suddenly announced loudly, "Listen carefully! This Divine Martial Token isn't a gift to you, it's for rent. The rent is five coins per month! Payable monthly, with extra interest for late payments!"

"Huh?!" Xiao Xiao was shocked.

"What, not satisfied? What about the six coins?" Shi Le'er frowned.

"Five, five coins, five coins will do..." Xiao Xiao was extremely helpless.

"Good to know!" Shi Le'er raised her head. "Xia, Jiang, let's go."

After saying that, the group walked into the fortress. Only the little one remained, standing stiffly in place.

Yue Huaijiang followed Shi Le'er, and asked with some doubt, "Le'er, you already know she's a disciple of the 'Ghost Master,' isn't it a bit... a bit... to ask her for rent?"

Shi Le'er smiled. She recalled an autumn evening when the ground was covered with soft ginkgo leaves and the faint scent of maple wafted in the air. She sat on the Martial Spirit Stele, biting into a candied hawthorn, watching the passersby.

At that moment, a man walked up to her. He looked to be no more than thirty-five or thirty-six years old. He was dressed simply, with a sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument) slung over his shoulder. He looked like a wandering swordsman.

However, when she saw his face, she realized for the first time that there could be someone in the world with such beautiful eyes. They were clean and clear, reflecting her face perfectly. It felt as if she were reflected in an autumn lake.

He smiled and said, "You must be Le'er."

She nodded haughtily, glanced at him sideways, and asked rudely, "Who are you?"

The man smiled and said, "My name is Han Qing. This is the five coins I owe you. I'm returning them to you today." As he spoke, he took out five coins and placed them in her palm.

The five old copper coins were still slightly warm. All she could think of was the word "poor wretch."

Later, when she learned who this person was, she could no longer remain calm.

"Ghost Master" Han Qing.

The man who single-handedly stormed Taiping City, the renowned "Ghost Master" known throughout the land. She had always thought of him as a ferocious and ruthless figure. However, what she sensed was entirely different. Just like his sword "Fei," he was as serene and pure as the moon rising in the blue sky.

She often wondered if she would have had the chance to meet him if she hadn't had those five coins.

"You know what, Xiao Jiang?" Shi Le'er laughed and said, "There are many advantages to having people owe you money!"

...

Xiao Xiao stood there stunned for a long time before slowly continuing on her way. She looked at the token in her hand, somewhat helpless. Five coins a month—it was outrageously expensive. Shi Le'er was truly ruthless…

A moment later, she laughed. She remembered how, when she was little, she would pout and complain when she saw her master always in debt.

The master smiled and replied: "You know, Xiaoxiao, paying back the money is also a reason to say goodbye."

Paying back the money is also a reason to say goodbye...

Xiao Xiao stopped and looked up at the sky. The wispy clouds were gently swaying in the warm breeze, moving slowly.

She just kept smiling, her head tilted back. Until the sound of horses' hooves sounded behind her.

"Little one!"

Lian Zhao's voice was tinged with urgency.

Xiao Xiao froze, then turned to look at him.

Lian Zhao dismounted and ran a few steps to Xiao Xiao's side. "Why did you suddenly leave? I thought..."

Xiao Xiao lowered her head and sighed. This Young Master Lian was truly persistent… Was she destined to never get rid of him? Wait a minute, the most urgent matter was to retrieve the needles from the “Shennong Family.” She was just a commoner; how could she possibly persuade “Shennong”? Anyway, this Young Master Lian had delivered himself to her doorstep; perhaps she could use him? Hehe, she was a wicked person after all~

Thinking of this, Xiao Xiao said with a worried expression, "Young Master Lian, to be honest, the 'Snow-Refined Silver Light' I've been afflicted with is incurable... I don't want to be a burden to you..."

Upon hearing this, Lian Zhao immediately frowned. "What nonsense are you talking about? I will definitely find a way to save you..."