Bad things happen often

Chapter 82

She was taken aback and didn't know how to answer.

“You only need to feign surrender and retrieve these two items to clear your name. Are you willing?” Wen Jing said.

Xiao Xiao remained silent, head bowed.

After a long while, she raised her eyes, looked at Wen Jing, and nodded heavily and slowly.

...

A Narrow Escape [Part 1]

Donghai's plan was simple. That night, Ye Li went to the prison to rescue Xiao Xiao. After a struggle, she released all the spies who had infiltrated the prison. At this time, Donghai sent disciples to pursue them. After a fight, Xiao Xiao broke with Donghai and then led everyone to a secret shipyard to escape to the sea.

Everything went smoothly. At 3:45 AM, several small boats left the East China Sea and headed towards the Lian family's fleet.

Wen Su stood on the shore, looking at the pitch-black sea.

Wen Jing took a few steps forward and smiled: "Are you worried?"

Wen Su was slightly surprised and said, "Island Lord... she agreed too quickly..."

"Oh?" Wen Jing still smiled. "Are you worried that she won't steal the antidote and the array diagram, or are you worried that she won't come back?"

Wen Su remained silent.

Wen Jing sighed and asked, "Do you like her, or do you pity her?"

Wen Su raised his eyes, "This disciple has absolutely no such intention."

Wen Jing looked at the sea and said, "She does look innocent and harmless, but you must remember that she is the Ghost Master's disciple... Your appearance is nine-tenths like the Ghost Master's, but in terms of scheming, cunning, and ruthlessness, you are no match for him at all."

Wen Jing turned to look at Wen Su, “Zuo Xiaoxiao has been in the East Sea for almost a month. You know better than anyone how good her martial arts are in this month. How could such a young girl, with such mediocre skills, manage to navigate between various martial arts sects, survive several fierce battles, and not only emerge unscathed but also thrive on all sides? ... Now, how do you know that it was she who was deceived, and not you or me? Wen Su, you are no stranger to the martial world. I don’t need to elaborate on the dangers of this path.”

“…This disciple understands,” Wen Su replied.

Wen Jing smiled. "It's good that you understand..." He turned and took a few steps. "It's time for you to set sail. Don't be late."

"Yes." Wen Sugong saw him off, turned around, looked at the vast and boundless sea again, and then turned to leave.

...

...This is a dividing line where I have nothing to say = =+...

When they arrived at the Lian family's ship formation, it was already dawn. Only the morning star remained in the sky.

On the ship formation, the guards spotted several approaching small boats and alerted the others. Small boats moved forward and surrounded the boats.

The warning sound prompted Lian Zhao to step out of the cabin. As he walked to the ship's side, he saw the soldiers on the small boat already fully armed and ready to fire.

In the sea breeze, voices could be faintly heard. They sounded like "surrender" and "hunt down"... Then, someone shouted three words: Zuo Xiaoxiao.

He was startled when he heard the name, and his hand, which had been resting lightly on the gunwale, clenched tightly. He looked up and saw a slender figure waving frantically from the bow of a small boat not far away.

His brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes showed pain.

...

The archer did not sheath his bow; he remained poised and ready to fire, exuding a murderous aura.

Xiao Xiao glanced at the archers, then at the silent men on her own ship, and frowned slightly. She turned back, about to call out to the Lian family soldiers again, when suddenly, an entrance opened in the formation of ships before her.

"Do not be rude."

Upon hearing the voice, Xiao Xiao involuntarily froze. She slowly looked up and saw the person standing at the bow of the main ship.

In the soft morning light, he looked so handsome, bright as a star. Just like the one she cherished in her mind…

Though his face was stern and cold, there was not a trace of malice in his eyes. His calm and collected demeanor exuded gentleness. Even now, leading troops into battle, deploying formations and slaying the enemy, he showed no hesitation or mercy. Yet, she still felt he was pure. That purity emanated from him, making her feel… like a bad person…

Xiao Xiao calmed her racing heart and looked at him.

Lian Zhao avoided her gaze and looked at the group of people behind her. There were more than a dozen young and strong men, all wearing clothes from Donghai.

"Who are these people?" Lian Zhao asked.

Upon hearing this, Xiaoxiao suppressed a laugh and asked blankly, "Aren't they your people...?"

Upon hearing this, Lian Zhao frowned. At this moment, someone stepped forward and whispered to Lian Zhao, "Young master, they seem to be from the Shenxiao Sect."

Lian Zhao's expression changed slightly after hearing this, but he didn't say anything. He simply nodded slightly and said, "Let them board the ship."

Xiao Xiao stood on the warship, and when she looked up, Lian Zhao was standing in front of her, only a few steps away.

Silence lingered between them. The stillness was like the primordial chaos, a desolate void between heaven and earth. Xiao Xiao suddenly felt fear. She knew that though they were only a few steps apart, the distance between them had never shrunk even an inch. And after today, it would be like heaven and earth...

"Someone, prepare a guest room for Miss Zuo." After a long while, Lian Zhao calmly spoke and instructed his subordinates.

He lowered his eyes and said to Xiaoxiao, "...Miss Zuo, you must be tired after traveling all night. Please go and rest in the cabin."

"Miss Zuo"... this title brought a bitter taste to Xiao Xiao's mouth. She was the Ghost Master's disciple; now, he must hate her...

Lian Zhao kept his eyes lowered and didn't look at her.

Xiao Xiao felt somewhat ridiculous. Hadn't she already foreseen this scene? He came here not for her, but on the Emperor's orders to subdue the East Sea. And the East Sea wanted her handed over for the "Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts"... If everyone hadn't believed she possessed the secret of the "Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts" and hadn't been wary of her, what would he have done now? Would he have killed her?

"...You shouldn't have come..."

Suddenly, he said softly.

That voice, weak as a sigh, struck the little girl's heart hard.

Xiao Xiao looked at him, unable to see his expression. She shouldn't have come… What did he mean? Did he mean that she, as a disciple of a ghost master, shouldn't have appeared before him? Or did he guess that she was there to feign surrender?

Xiao Xiao suddenly felt an urge to ask more questions, but she suppressed it the next moment.

Someone stepped forward, with a gentle smile, and called out to her, "Junior Sister."

Xiao Xiao turned her head and saw Wei Qi. Recalling everything that had happened at Jiyu Manor, Xiao Xiao felt a chill run down her spine. Shenxiao had returned to the court, regaining the Emperor's favor. The Emperor's decree was indeed different… She thought of how much Lian Zhao had once hated Wei Qi. Now they could even coexist peacefully and form an alliance to fight. It was truly ironic.

What Xiao Xiao couldn't understand was why Wei Qi, the eldest son of Hero's Fortress, would join the Divine Firmament Sect? And what was he planning?

Wei Qi walked up to him with a smile, "Junior Sister, you're finally back."

Xiao Xiao looked at him and said, "...Young Master Wei..."

Wei Qi nodded and said, "Junior Sister, why are you so pale? Are you injured?"

Such concern made Xiaoxiao feel a little uncomfortable. She hesitated, unsure whether she should accept such kindness.

Seeing this, Lian Zhao turned to his subordinates and said, "Go and invite the Shennong Sect Master here."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiao raised her eyes. The Shennong Sect Master? ...The Shennong family has always remained secluded, how could they appear in the East Sea? ...There's probably only one "Shennong Sect Master" who would cooperate with the Shenxiao Sect...

Thinking of this, Xiao Xiao said in an incredibly clear voice, "No need, I'm not injured... I was just a little bit poisoned..."

"Poisoning?" Lian Zhao exclaimed in alarm. "Is it a fatal poison?"

Seeing his panic, Xiaoxiao immediately shook her head, "No... It's just that someone poisoned the spring water in the East Sea. I almost drank it..."

After listening, Lian Zhao pondered for a moment, then looked up at Wei Qi.

Wei Qi remained unfazed and said, "How could there be such a despicable person in the world? Junior Sister, thankfully you're alright."

Xiao Xiao nodded. "Yes... but Donghai framed me for poisoning... and even tried to kill me..." Xiao Xiao glanced at the men disguised as Donghai disciples. "Fortunately, they saved me..." She said with tears in her eyes, "...Why did Donghai do this to me... How could I possibly poison someone... I'm not from the Shennong family, how could I make poison..."

Wei Qi looked at her with a strange look in his eyes. "Junior Sister, the East Sea is so indiscriminate in its judgment of right and wrong. You don't need to be sad about it. Don't worry, since you are a disciple of my Shenxiao Sect, your senior brother will not tolerate anyone bullying you."

Xiao Xiao lowered her eyelashes, a slight sigh escaping her lips, and said, "I'm a little tired..."

Upon hearing this, Lian Zhao's guards immediately stepped forward and said, "Miss Zuo, this way please."

Xiao Xiao nodded and followed the servant into the cabin.

After she had walked away, Wei Qi spoke up, "Young Master Lian, I am..."

“You don’t need to explain to me,” Lian Zhao interrupted before he could finish. “But I’ll remind you again, as a guest, you should know how to respect yourself.” He turned to leave, then, as if asking himself, he added, “The antidote must be with Sect Master Shennong…”

After saying that, he left quickly without waiting for a reply.

Wei Qi watched his retreating figure and smiled. He shook his head and said softly, "Junior Sister, you are indeed no ordinary person..."

...

...This is a scene divider = =+...

Xiao Xiao entered the cabin, sat on the edge of the bed, and waited quietly for a while. Then, she suddenly leaned back and rolled around on the bed laughing.

Just thinking about Wei Qi's expression made her want to burst out laughing. This must be what they call "sowing discord"! So this is how fun it is to sow discord! Being the bad guy is definitely a different feeling! Hmm!

She rolled around for a while, then lay quietly, smiling. Now that Lian Zhao knew the truth, he would definitely be wary of Wei Qi, and the antidote, even without her stealing it, he would send it to the East Sea, right? Heh heh… even if all's fair in war, he certainly wouldn't harm innocent civilians. That's right… the man she knew would never do such a thing…

Next, we'll look at the formation diagram.

She closed her eyes. The battle formation diagram should be in Lian Zhao's room. Donghai had already planned it; soon, he would arrange a surprise attack with warships, and another naval battle would break out. When the situation became chaotic, she could sneak out of sight and steal the battle formation diagram. Then, she would use the signal arrow in her bosom to notify Wen Su to come to her aid.

If everything goes smoothly... she and Lian Zhao will become true enemies. And then, perhaps she can completely give up her hopes and live a good life in Donghai... perhaps she can sleep peacefully every night and be herself again...

As she thought this, she slowly fell asleep.

...

Xiaoxiao was awakened by the cacophony of shouts and cries of battle. She sprang to her feet, and after a brief moment of disorientation, realized her situation and remembered what she had to do. She got out of bed, carefully pushed open the door, and went out.

Just as planned, a surprise attack occurred in the East China Sea. The battle disrupted the defenses, and the Lian family's warships were a hive of activity.

Xiao Xiao didn't know which room Lian Zhao was in, but it wasn't hard to guess. No matter the time, that room was always the most heavily guarded. However, at this moment, the "most heavily guarded" room was only manned by two soldiers.

Xiao Xiao hid around the corner, closed her eyes, and exhaled deeply. She opened her eyes, patted her chest, and then leaped forward. Xiao Xiao's martial arts skills were poor, but her agility was impressive. Her movements were swift; before the two soldiers could even notice the warning, she had already appeared behind them. The soldiers were shocked and were about to attack when they were struck hard on the back of the neck and knocked unconscious.

Xiao Xiao rubbed her hands together, frowning and sighing. She hadn't realized it took so much force to knock someone out; hitting someone must hurt her too! Being a bad person wasn't easy…

She looked around to make sure no one was watching, then dragged the two soldiers to a secluded corner and hid them. Afterward, she pushed open the door and went inside.

The room was small, but clean and tidy, with few furnishings. In one corner, there was a desk, behind which hung a sheepskin nautical chart with detailed diagrams of warship formations.

She walked over quickly and looked at the nautical chart.

She reached out and gently stroked it. Made of sheepskin? That means… it wouldn't be destroyed even if it fell into the sea, right? Tsk…

She pondered for a moment, found a piece of white paper on the table, picked up the pen and ink beside it, and quickly drew a picture. Just as she was about to put the white paper into her bosom, the door was suddenly pushed open.

With a small turn, she warily watched the person approaching.

“Junior Sister, spying on military secrets is a capital offense,” Wei Qi said with a smile.