Bad things happen often

Chapter 109

Lian Ying?!

Xiao Xiao froze, pulled her head back, and felt her heart racing with nervousness.

"The Lian family is conducting business; all bystanders, step back!" Lian Ying announced loudly, glancing at the onlookers. Then, she ordered her subordinates, "Inns, restaurants, post stations, brothels—search every single one!"

The subordinates received the order and dispersed throughout the town.

Hearing the commotion, the waiters in the restaurant opened the door and came out to see what was going on. The people staying inside the restaurant were also awakened and came out.

Lian Ying frowned, looking at everyone with displeasure.

“Aunt…” Lian Zhao went out and was surprised to see the scene in front of him.

Hearing the voice, Lian Ying turned around and saw Lian Zhao, her brows still furrowed. She looked up at the restaurant's sign and said coldly, "You're here..."

Lian Zhao pushed his way through the crowd, stepped forward, and said, "Aunt, what brings you here?"

Lian Ying said, "Since we are going out to pursue and quell the bandits of the East Sea, we should go all out. Stationing troops outside the town and going out alone to investigate is such a rash act. Is this the behavior of the head of the Lian family?"

After hearing this, Lian Zhao walked to the front of the horse and said softly, "Aunt, this town is unusual..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lian Ying snorted coldly and said, "The imperial army can't even suppress a nameless town? Don't worry, I've already surrounded this town. Not even a bird can escape, let alone the pirates from the East Sea!"

Lian Zhao immediately said, "Aunt, I've already investigated, and there are no pirates from the East Sea in this town. Such a large-scale disturbance to the villagers isn't appropriate..."

Lian Ying sneered, "It's better than letting the wanted criminal go."

Lian Zhao was slightly startled, vaguely guessing what had happened, and could only remain silent. Just then, someone suddenly shouted angrily, "What's all the noise about in the middle of the night?!"

The town fell silent instantly.

Jiang Ji slowly walked out of the restaurant, looked at the men in front of him, and said disdainfully, "A loyal dog is a loyal dog. It will come out to bite people in the middle of the night. The government's salary must be pretty good."

Lian Ying was clearly displeased upon hearing this, but she held back her anger. She clasped her hands in a fist and said, "Old man, I have no intention of offending the villagers. As long as we capture the wanted criminals of the court, we will withdraw our troops immediately."

"A wanted criminal? How come I didn't know there was a wanted criminal here?" Jiang Ji's tone was extremely arrogant.

Lian Ying extended her hand, and her attendant, understanding the gesture, presented a stack of portraits.

She picked up the stack of portraits and said, “This morning, two carriages entered the town, carrying four women and five men. These carriages traveled for two days, and there were eyewitnesses in every town, teahouse, restaurant, and post station they passed through. These are portraits drawn based on testimonies. After comparison, it is confirmed that some of them are wanted criminals. Elderly, although this town is not under the jurisdiction of the emperor, it is still under his rule. I urge all villagers to abide by the law and hand over the wanted criminals. Otherwise…”

Jiang Ji frowned, waiting for her to finish her sentence.

"...Harboring a wanted criminal is punishable as an accomplice!" Lian Ying's words were full of force and chilling.

Xiao Xiao was terrified. Since the ninja attack, they had changed back into their original attire. They thought everything was fine, but they never expected the Lian family's actions to be so meticulous…

Jiang Ji laughed, "I've been afraid of everything in my life, except the law. Today, I'll show you the righteousness of the Lian family!" As he spoke, he glanced at Lian Zhao with a hint of sarcasm.

Upon hearing this, Lian Ying said, "Alright! Take them all!"

"Wait!" Lian Zhao spoke up, stopping everyone. "Aunt, I am the head of the Lian family. If anyone should give an order, it should be me."

Lian Ying looked at him and suddenly smiled, "Alright, sir. Then please capture that 'Ghost Master' descendant yourself, and show no mercy."

The words weren't spoken loudly, but everyone heard them clearly.

Lian Zhao was startled, looked up at Lian Ying, and was speechless.

Lian Ying's expression was tinged with ruthlessness. She raised her eyebrows and said loudly, "Guards, listen to my command! Do everything in your power to capture the criminals! Anyone who defies the law, arrest them and bring them to justice!"

Without further hesitation, the guards accepted the order and drew their weapons.

Suddenly, the town was filled with a murderous aura, which was terrifying.

Xiao Xiao suddenly stopped being terrified... She stood in the corner, looking at Lian Zhao. She heard every word he said clearly. Those words, overlapping with her memories, were so gentle and comforting.

He once told her: "Don't mention a single word about this in front of my family... It's okay to keep lying like this..."

And he really did lie.

Looking back now, Ye Li's words seemed unbelievably true. He really was letting her go, time and time again... He had already broken his own principles and stance for her, yet she was completely oblivious, running away on her own.

Besides running away, what else did she do?

Where is justice?!

She lowered her head, smiling through her tears. Yes, everyone has their own stance and principles, but Zuo Xiaoxiao didn't…

She sniffed, turned around sharply, and walked out.

"No need to look anymore, I'm right here!"

Everyone was stunned by the sound.

The hazy moonlight, damp and misty, floated all around. Little Xiao walked in the damp moonlight, a slight smile on her face.

When Lian Ying saw her, the anger in her eyes was clearly visible.

Xiao Xiao spoke up, saying, "Withdraw your troops, and I'll go with you."

The people in the restaurant were extremely dissatisfied upon hearing this.

Silver Owl stepped forward and shouted, "Girl, are you crazy?!"

Xiao Xiao raised her hand to stop everyone. "I know what I'm doing." Her movements were imposing, and her tone was authoritative, instantly silencing the crowd.

Lian Ying pondered for a moment, then waved his hand. The guards sheathed their weapons and prepared to retreat.

She raised her eyes slightly and glanced at Lian Zhao beside her.

Lian Zhao was looking at her, his expression incredibly complex.

She chuckled softly.

Speaking of bad people, they're the kind of people who will get what they want by any means necessary... Hmm... I think that's a valid saying...

Nothing to avoid

As the first rays of dawn pierced the sky, the hazy dampness dissipated, and a slightly warm, dry air spread, causing restlessness.

When Wen Su woke up, he felt slightly sweaty all over. He tried to get up, but felt something hard gently pressing against his palm. Surprised, he looked at the object in his hand. It was two tokens: the Taiping City Divine Martial Token, which commanded that anyone who saw it lay down their sword and not use force; and the Shennong Family Crimson Flame Token, which commanded all members of the Shennong clan to obey its orders and heal the wounded.

His brow furrowed, and his hand holding the tokens slowly tightened. In the entire world, only one person possessed both tokens. Such precious things, so easily placed in his hands—had she forgotten? He was the murderer of her master, the one who deceived and manipulated her… Didn't she hate him?

Thinking of this, he could no longer suppress his emotions. He got out of bed, ignoring his weakness, and pushed open the door to go out.

Before they had gone more than a few steps, they ran into Luo Yuanqing.

Luo Yuanqing was somewhat surprised to see him. "Where are you going?"

He didn't answer and walked downstairs on his own.

Seeing this, Luo Yuanqing was somewhat dissatisfied and followed after him.

As soon as I reached the stairwell, I heard people talking.

"Of course we must save them, but with the Lian family's army besieging the city, we cannot act rashly." Li Si's voice was extremely serious.

"So you expect me to just stand by and watch that girl be brought to justice?" Silver Owl roared.

"It's not that serious. Miss Zuo turned herself in, so she must have had a plan. Besides, the Lian family has always upheld the law and kept public and private matters separate. They might not make things difficult for her," Jiang Cheng said.

“Young Master Jiang, you have no idea about the twists and turns involved,” Li Si sighed. “Miss Zuo is a disciple of the Ghost Master, who has a grudge against the Lian family. Even if the Lian family can forget this old feud, they are now on a royal mission to find the Nine Emperor Artifacts. Miss Zuo is a key figure in this. With all this back and forth, old and new grudges, the Lian family will not let her go, both for public and private reasons. Tsk, if she could really pledge allegiance to the court, that would be fine, but the most troublesome thing is that she probably doesn’t know anything about it!”

Yin Xiao slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "We shouldn't have let her go in the first place. We should have just taken her by force!"

Just as the atmosphere was tense, Jiang Ji slowly spoke, saying, "All of you, shut up..." As soon as he finished speaking, the surroundings immediately fell silent. "Since that girl is Han Qing's successor, she probably already has plans for the next step. What are you all so anxious about?"

“Old Master…” Yin Xiao said helplessly, “That little girl isn’t very skilled.”

"Not skilled enough? I've heard about that 'Three-String Heroine.' Whether she stumbled upon it by chance or had divine assistance, luck wouldn't keep coming her way without some skill." Jiang Ji smiled. "You're all seasoned veterans. In this world, strength isn't determined by appearances."

Silver Owl remained silent, unable to answer.

After listening, Wen Su understood the gist of what had happened. He gripped the token in his hand tightly and walked down the stairs with a cold expression.

When everyone saw him come down, their expressions changed drastically. Yin Xiao and Li Si even took a few steps back, assuming a fighting stance. But with Jiang Ji present, no one dared to make the first move.

Wen Su ignored everyone and walked straight out the door.

Luo Yuanqing hurriedly caught up and said, "Wait, don't go!"

Wen Su turned around, his sword already drawn, its cold blade aimed at Luo Yuanqing's brow, radiating an indescribable chilling killing intent. "I will not give you the Heart Sutra, give up."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yuanqing was immediately enraged. "You broke the contract?"

Wen Su sheathed his sword and replied, "Yes."

Luo Yuanqing was speechless, stumped by the answer.

Wen Su turned around, about to leave, when Jiang Ji spoke up: "Stop."

Wen Su paused, but did not turn around.

Jiang Ji stood up and said, "Whether you stay or leave is none of my business. However, you are poisoned by the 'Seven Killings' poison. Breaking your promise to this girl means certain death. Is such loyalty to the East Sea worth it?"

Wen Su remained silent for a moment, then said, "Thank you for your guidance, senior." After he finished speaking, he strode away.

Jiang Ji frowned, watching his departing figure.

"Not only are they reckless, but they also disregard the Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts, dragging their bodies along, where do they think they're going... I understand young people's thoughts less and less..." Jiang Ji said, seemingly to himself.

"He went to save people..." Luo Yuanqing's voice was extremely hoarse, with a hint of anger and resentment slowly seeping out, "...The only one who could make him do that is her..."

"Save someone?" Yin Xiao was slightly puzzled, then suddenly realized, "Could it be that he went to save Xiao Xiao?"

Jiang Ji immediately laughed and said, "That's interesting." He took a step, walked outside, and looked at the bright sun. "Looks like this old body still needs some exercise."

As he spoke, under the increasingly dazzling sunlight, nearly a hundred masked men suddenly appeared on the street. Each of them was armed and stood respectfully at the entrance of "Drunken Guest House," awaiting orders.

...

Five miles outside the town, the Lian family's army was stationed. The Lian family had been marching for many years, so they were naturally very skilled at this kind of outdoor camping. The woods were filled with neat tents, with a sentry every five steps and a scout every ten steps, just like a military camp.

Lian Zhao stood in the main camp, looking at Lian Ying with a cold expression, and said bluntly, "Aunt, you cannot punish her."

Lian Ying's anger was faintly visible between her brows. "The Ghost Master is involved in multiple murders in the court. She is the Ghost Master's disciple and also a pirate from the East Sea. I only arrested her and brought her to court; that's letting her off easy." She glanced at Lian Zhao, her tone contemptuous. "What, are you pleading for her?"

Lian Zhao shook his head. "I'm not pleading for her, but... this matter is of great importance and cannot be taken lightly."

"Knowing this matter is of great importance, why did you let her escape time and time again?" Lian Ying slammed her hand on the table and roared, "Tell me, did you already know her identity?! Did you know her identity and still insist on doing this?! Speak!"

Lian Zhao looked at her calmly and said, "Aunt, let's keep things separate. The Lian family always distinguishes between public and private matters..."