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Глава 18

"You must be Lian Zhao's betrothed?" Lian Zhao asked with a smile, his tone earnest.

Xiao Xiao froze.

Lian Zhao reached out and helped her up. "Let's go."

Xiao Xiao was speechless and could only follow him blankly.

All the guest rooms in Hero's Fortress are the same. The only difference between Lian Zhao's room and Xiao Xiao's room is the position of the window.

Little Xiao sat at the table, not knowing where to look, so he could only stare at the windows in different positions, trying his best to see them.

"Xiaoxiao, you're not angry with me, are you?" Lian Zhao asked while bandaging Xiaoxiao's wound.

Xiao Xiao withdrew her gaze. "Huh? Me? How could that be?"

Lian Zhao looked up, smiled, and said, "I suddenly wanted to stay, without discussing it with you beforehand... I was worried that you might be unhappy."

When Xiaoxiao heard this, she suddenly had a very strange feeling. How could this young master of the Lian family, the master archer, be so… She couldn't find the words to describe it for a moment. It was clearly just a sneak attack, and even if he genuinely wanted to take responsibility, what did this concern and thoughtfulness mean? Was it his true nature, or… did he have ulterior motives?

But what could he possibly want? She wasn't particularly beautiful or talented, and she was penniless. Even if she knew a few Qi family weapons, judging from Lian Zhao's attitude over the past two days, he didn't seem interested in them. Did that mean his gentleness wasn't feigned? Did he truly consider her his betrothed? And was he even trying to be a good husband?

Xiao Xiao was stunned. She stared at him blankly, speechless.

Lian Zhao felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze. "What's wrong?"

Xiao Xiao immediately shook her head and looked away, "No..."

Lian Zhao didn't ask any more questions. After he finished bandaging her, he reached out and poured Xiao Xiao a cup of tea.

“As soon as we find the ‘Ghost Master,’ we’ll go back immediately…” he said, handing over the tea.

Xiao Xiao took it, drank a few sips, and said, "Master Lian... what if, I mean what if, this matter has nothing to do with the 'Ghost Master,' and it's just someone impersonating him? Wouldn't you have come here empty-handed?"

Lian Zhao said, "Maybe..." As he spoke, the hatred and coldness in his eyes intensified, making Xiao Xiao feel a chill in her heart.

"Um... if I may ask, is there some grudge between the Lian family of Divine Arrow and the 'Ghost Master'?" Xiao Xiao asked, holding her teacup.

Lian Zhao was silent for a moment, then said, "It's alright to tell you. Seventeen years ago, the Ghost Master broke into the Lian family. At that time, many people died or were injured trying to stop him. My uncle also went blind because of it..." He looked at Xiao Xiao, "The Lian family are officials of the imperial court. Such a scandalous matter concerns the prestige of the 'Divine Arrow,' so we have never mentioned it to outsiders. Although I was young at the time and don't remember much, this debt must be settled with the 'Ghost Master'."

Xiao Xiao listened, completely bewildered. It really was a secret. There was absolutely no story of "The Ghost Master storming the Lian Family of Divine Arrows" circulating in the martial arts world. ...Speaking of which, this was the first time she'd heard of "The Ghost Master storming Taiping City." This "Ghost Master" really liked to storm things, and always seemed to be going to places of importance.

Xiao Xiao was sighing when she suddenly remembered the expressions on the faces of the three heroes when they heard "Ghost Master." Could it be that "Ghost Master" had even broken into Hero's Fortress?

The fact that "Ghost Master" stormed Taiping City is still known to some in the world is probably because he was ultimately defeated by the old city lord Shi Xi. As for the others, they don't mention the incident at all, most likely because they can't save face. In other words, "Ghost Master" successfully broke in, and no one could stop him.

But why did he venture into these places? As a military advisor in Yue Fei's Left Army, wouldn't doing such a thing violate military discipline? Could it be…? A bold idea suddenly popped into Xiao Xiao's mind. The "Ghost Master" is the only person in the world who knows the whereabouts of the "Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts," and his goal might be "the appearance of the divine artifacts, unifying the world." The three places he visited could only have one thing in common: they possessed the "Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts"?!

Xiao Xiao immediately shook her head, dismissing the thought as soon as she finished thinking about it. If she were right, her later life would be even more uneasy.

However, on the other hand, if the "Ghost Master" really did manage to break into Hero's Fortress, that was over a decade ago. Mo Yun and the wooden box only recently entered Hero's Fortress, and the contents of that box are probably not the "Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts" at all. The real "Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts" have always been somewhere within Hero's Fortress.

Therefore, that "ghost master" must be an imposter. Or perhaps she was completely wrong...

Well, then let's just guess completely wrong.

Xiao Xiao sighed helplessly, then her thoughts drifted elsewhere. It seemed that what Lian Zhao had just said was: such a shameful matter, concerning the dignity of the 'Divine Arrow,' had never been mentioned to outsiders.

In other words, she's not an outsider?

She looked up at Lian Zhao, a hint of fear in her eyes. If she had known he was so stubborn, she should have refused outright. This way, the favor she owed him would only grow larger, and she was destined to never repay it…

Seeing that she was looking at him with a slightly sad expression, Lian Zhao assumed that she was shaken by the past, so he said gently, "Actually, it's just some old stuff, you don't need to take it to heart."

Xiao Xiao nodded, "Mmm."

Lian Zhao smiled and stood up. "Hero's Fortress is fraught with danger right now, so you should stay here. Putting everything else aside, I can still protect my wife."

The small hand holding the teacup unconsciously tightened its grip, "I..."

"I'm going to talk to Sanying about the 'Ghost Master' matter. I'll be back before dinner. You get some rest." Lian Zhao gently patted her shoulder and said this. Then, he turned and left.

"I..." Xiaoxiao's words caught in her throat. Looking at the teacup in her hand, she murmured to herself, "I'd rather not get married, okay..."

She sighed softly, put down her teacup, and got up to walk around. Then, her gaze was drawn to a carved bow on the bed.

This was Lian Zhao's personal weapon. The bow was crimson, eye-catching. Xiao Xiao remembered hearing as a child that archers traditionally smeared their bows and arrows with magpie blood before going to war, as a sign of good fortune. This crimson bow undoubtedly originated from that tradition. She carefully examined the bow and then noticed two small characters on it. The characters were in small seal script, with elegant strokes; Xiao Xiao could barely recognize them—the two characters were "Xia Ming" (霞明).

When she was little, her master would tell her stories about the legendary archer Lian family. The Lian family was already famous throughout the land in the previous dynasty. Legend has it that Linghu Keshi, a court official at the time, wrote a poem: "The bow's back shines like rosy clouds, the sword gleams like frost; in the autumn wind, the horse gallops out of Xianyang. Before the emperor's Hehuang lands are recovered, there's no intention to look back at our homeland." This poem refers to the descendants of the Lian family. The "shining rosy clouds" in the poem is probably taken from this poem.

She reached out and tugged at the bowstring. With her strength, the bowstring didn't budge an inch; this carved bow must have at least two stones of force. Truly, its reputation is well-deserved; impressive indeed…

She was examining the carved bow when a beam of silver light suddenly burst through the window and struck the bedpost in front of her.

She was slightly startled. Upon closer inspection, she saw it was a silver needle, faintly gleaming. "Quenched Snow Silver Light?"... This "Quenched Snow Silver Light" was undoubtedly forged by the Qi family, and was quite valuable. This Silver Owl tossed it around every day without a second thought. She sighed, noticing a note nailed to the bottom of the needle.

Xiao Xiao took the note, read it, and stood there with tears in her eyes.

"The back garden at the hour of Chou tonight"

Xiao Xiao crumpled the note and put it in her bosom. Then, she looked at the silver needles in the meridians of her left wrist.

"Sir...please let me go...sigh..."

A trap

About an hour later, Lian Zhao returned to his room. As soon as he entered, he saw Xiao Xiao asleep on the table.

He frowned helplessly, walked over, gently patted Xiaoxiao's shoulder, and called out, "Xiaoxiao..."

Xiao Xiao turned her head slightly and mumbled a reply, "Just a moment more..."

Lian Zhao couldn't help but smile. "Xiao Xiao, you'll catch a cold lying here. Go to bed and sleep."

Xiao Xiao lazily raised her head and mumbled, "Oh, Master..." Then, as soon as she opened her eyes and saw the person in front of her, she jumped up with a "whoosh," tripping over the chair behind her. She cried out in surprise, squatted down, and rubbed her sore calf.

Lian Zhao looked at the scene before him and couldn't help but laugh. He squatted down and asked, "Did I scare you?"

She shook her head vigorously, "No..."

Lian Zhao reached out and helped her up. "Are you alright?"

"Uh, it's nothing, it's nothing," Xiao Xiao replied, her head bowed.

"If you're sleepy, go to bed." Lian Zhao bent down again and helped up the chair. "Later, I'll have someone bring in dinner."

Xiao Xiao immediately shook her head, "No, no, I'm fully awake now. Besides, how could I possibly sleep in your bed, Master Lian, hehe..." She chuckled awkwardly, "Ah, I'm going back to my room now."

Lian Zhao walked to the window, picked up his bow and arrow, and said, "It's alright. I have something to do and I'm afraid I won't be back until tomorrow morning. You can just use this as your own room."

Xiao Xiao was a little puzzled. Hero's Fortress was completely under martial law, so what could Lian Zhao possibly be doing at this time? But it was for the best, otherwise, with him around, she herself didn't know if she would be able to keep her appointment at 1-3 AM tonight.

"Then I'm leaving. Take care of yourself." Lian Zhao said with a smile, then turned and left.

Xiao Xiao watched him leave and sighed softly. Just now, she naturally thought of her master... She counted on her fingers; her master's seven-day mourning period hadn't even passed yet, so she probably wasn't used to it yet.

"Master, Xiaoxiao is really pitiful. Not only can she not be a bad person, but she was also given acupuncture and only has a few days to live..." Xiaoxiao looked up and spoke to the void.

She had barely finished speaking when something suddenly occurred to her. Silver needles? She looked at her left wrist. Yin Xiao had said more than once that she had to be back by his side before midnight. Otherwise, the silver needles would cause her excruciating pain. If that was the case, why would he schedule their meeting for the hour of Chou (1-3 AM)?

Xiao Xiao frowned. Clearly, the person who had contacted her wasn't Yin Xiao. The question was, if it wasn't Yin Xiao, then who was it?

Oh no, this is clearly a trap! Who could it be out of nowhere? She honestly couldn't recall ever having a grudge against anyone who would set a trap for her. Up until now, she only owed Shi Le'er money. She took out the Snow-White Silver Glow from her bosom. See? You can't just throw away something so valuable. Now someone's used it to impersonate her. Luckily, she was quick-witted; someone else might have actually fallen for it.

She stared at the silver needle. Her master had said that the art of throwing hidden weapons was the most difficult among all weapons. To throw such a small silver needle with the right force would require at least ten or eight years of practice. Just now, this silver needle had managed to slip through the window carrying a note; the person who threw it was undoubtedly a master. Hero's Fortress had always been a reputable and righteous sect in the martial arts world, so hidden weapons were naturally beneath their notice. The Rare Goods Fair, however, gathered all sorts of people from the martial arts world; there might even be experts in hidden weapons there.

Xiao Xiao rubbed her head, frowned, and sighed. She didn't know any experts in needlework at all; how could she have gotten involved?

She twirled the silver needle in her hand. Throwing needles around is too dangerous; it's better to do something like embroidery.

Embroidery? Xiao Xiao suddenly realized something. Within Hero's Fortress, the only one renowned throughout the martial arts world for her needlework skills was Xi Yuan, the owner of the Qian Si Embroidery Shop. Although Xi Yuan always claimed to be a businesswoman, everyone in the martial arts world knew that the Qian Si Embroidery Shop possessed a set of Hundred Embroidery Needle Techniques passed down through generations, originally used for assassinations in ancient times. As the owner, Xi Yuan couldn't possibly be a weak woman. If they truly needed someone skilled in needlework, she was the only one fit.

Qian Zhu Xi Yuan... Could it really be her?

What to do? Xiao Xiao stood up and paced around the room. The enemy was in the shadows, while she was in the open. If she truly considered herself the enemy, how could she, an insignificant nobody, possibly fight against the Fine Silk Embroidery Shop? She pondered for a while, then suddenly it dawned on her. That's right, what had her master said? "Strike first, or suffer the consequences." Especially for someone like her, determined to be the bad guy, how could she let herself be framed at a crucial moment, instead of framing others?

In a split second, she made up her mind. A bad person can only harm others, not be harmed! Although she had been ambushed by Yin Xiao earlier, she was determined to avenge herself!

She immediately went to the bedside, bent down to open the drawer under the bed, took out a tinderbox and some tinder. Then she went to the table and picked up the oil lamp. She looked around, took the small box of sandalwood from the dressing table, emptied the sandalwood, and put in lamp oil. Then she took a piece of paper, carefully wrapped the small box, and put it in her bosom.

She glanced at the sky; it was roughly a quarter past 5 PM. There was still plenty of time before their appointment at 1 AM. At this hour, most of the people in the fortress would be having dinner at Yuexiang Pavilion. Hmph, who says you have to do bad things under a dark and windy night? This is a perfect time!

She turned and went out. The mistress was wealthy and possessed many treasures, making her a prominent guest of Hero's Fortress, residing in the quiet and elegant east wing. A few days prior, she had marked the routes in secluded spots throughout the fortress with white stones. The east wing was naturally her domain. She strolled casually along the corridor, occasionally admiring the scenery. Xiao Xiao had already decided that if anyone asked why she was going to the east wing, she would say she didn't know the way to Yuexiang Pavilion. But this blatant act aroused no suspicion.

She easily turned into the east wing, and as she expected, most of the guests had gone to Yuexiang Pavilion for their meal. She was a nobody; no one would care if she didn't go. But someone of Master Xian's status couldn't afford to disrespect Hero's Fortress. She smiled and nimbly slipped inside. Inside the east wing, disciples of Hero's Fortress were guarding. After a quick scan, she noticed a maid in plain clothes standing before a side room. Judging by the exquisite embroidery, she was undoubtedly from the Xiansi Embroidery Shop. The window of the side room was slightly ajar, and she could vaguely see another maid inside. Despite having a disciple from Hero's Fortress at the head of the household, she still kept her own maid in the room. Master Xian, Xi Yuan, seemed to be an extremely cautious person.

Xiao Xiao took out tinder, a tinderbox, and lamp oil from her bosom, and picked up a stone. She removed the paper wrapping the lamp oil box, put the tinder inside, poured in the lamp oil, then put the stone in, and rolled it up. She deliberately left a strip of paper out, twisting it into a tinder about an inch long. Once prepared, she took out the tinderbox, uncorked it, and blew on it. Perhaps because of hiding and nervousness, she blew five or six times before finally igniting a spark. She lit the paper tinder. She tossed the paper package towards a side room, then rolled away, disappearing behind the artificial stone.

The force was small, but it was aimed at the paper window. The paper package shattered upon impact. The lamp oil and tinder scattered, and the fire immediately intensified. The paper window burst into flames in an instant.

The guards were all alarmed by the fire. Some shouted for help, while others searched for Xiaoxiao's hiding place. But the fire intensified, and the disciples rushed off to extinguish it. The maidservant, whose room was very close to the fire, couldn't help but feel flustered and distracted.

Taking advantage of the moment, Xiaoxiao nimbly rose and, with a few leaps, slipped through the slightly ajar window. The maid inside was tidying the bedding. Without a word, Xiaoxiao struck her pressure points from behind. Before the maid could react, she lost consciousness and slowly collapsed.

She stopped abruptly, hands on her hips, and laughed silently a few times. Heaven has eyes! This was the first time she had successfully committed a crime! Indeed, arson is the inevitable path to becoming a villain!

She looked around. The room's layout and decorations were not much different from her own room, except for some calligraphy and paintings. There was an embroidered screen in the room, depicting the "Eight Views of Xiaoxiang" from the last "Zhanqi" event. It was indeed the room of the Lady of the River, Xi Yuan. Given how cautious the Lady of the River was, she wouldn't leave any clues about traps in the room. Even if she wanted to look, she probably wouldn't find anything. Oh well, she might as well just take a few things and go back to sleep. As long as she didn't show up at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), she'd see what she could do. As for valuables… the "Eight Views of Xiaoxiang"? Forget it, such things would be hard to get rid of; taking them would only be a burden. She moved quietly around the room and spotted a brocade box.

"The Hundred-Layer Embroidered Silk?" Xiao Xiao walked over, opened it, and sure enough, it was the "Hundred-Layer Embroidered Silk," known for its impervious ink and supposed invulnerability to swords and spears. She pondered for a moment; this garment was naturally a hundred times more valuable than the embroidered screens of the Eight Views of Xiaoxiang. Not only was it priceless, but it also provided self-defense and was extremely practical.

Hehe, I won't sell it, I can wear it myself! She immediately picked up the "Fine Embroidered Silk" and put it in her bosom, then closed the brocade box and smiled slyly.

She decided to finish her work amidst the chaos. Just as she was about to leave, the protruding part of the "delicate embroidered silk" she had stuffed into her bosom bumped into a vase next to her.

Xiao Xiao was startled and quickly reached out to catch it. In her haste, her elbow bumped into the screen. Quick-witted and agile, she kicked it, preventing the screen from collapsing.

Xiao Xiao was on the verge of tears. She was currently holding a vase in both hands, her left foot braced against the screen, with only her right foot on the ground. This position was incredibly difficult, completely immobile. Good heavens, was she going to stay like this forever, waiting for Qian Zhu Xi Yuan to return and catch her red-handed?

She turned her head and saw a flower stand not far to her left. She freed her left hand and reached out towards the flower stand with great effort. She finally managed to grab it and use the support to steady herself, then breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to put the vase down, she heard a "click," and the wall beside the bed suddenly slid open slowly, revealing a hidden passage.

Xiao Xiao froze, looking at the flower stand and then at her own hand gripping it. Had she accidentally activated a mechanism?

Xiao Xiao sighed heavily. How could such a complication arise at a time like this? She froze for a moment, carefully placed the vase down, then quickly turned and steadied herself against the screen. Pretend she hadn't seen anything, and hurry up and leave.

She was about to leave through the back window when she heard the noise outside growing louder.

"How could a fire suddenly break out! How were you guarding the room? Quickly notify the guests and check if there is any damage inside!"

The voice was very familiar; it was none other than Master Fang, who oversaw internal affairs at Hero's Fortress. Xiao Xiao panicked slightly; escaping now would be difficult. Sigh, setting fire was too blatant; she had to be more careful in the future! The only solution now was…

She stared at the secret passage, the voices growing closer. With a determined heart, she slipped inside. She glanced at the walls, pressing every possible trigger. The door to the secret passage slammed shut as soon as it opened. Little Xiao leaned against the wall, letting out a long sigh. She listened intently to the sounds outside, but heard nothing. It seemed the walls of this secret passage were made of solid, high-quality materials.

She looked up, about to take her next step, but found herself in complete darkness, unable to see her hand in front of her face. She was startled, but then relaxed. There was a faint breeze in the passageway; it didn't seem to be a secret room.

She took out a tinderbox from her bosom, lit it, and used it to illuminate the path ahead. It was just a series of stone steps leading downwards, with no clear destination. She felt a pang of fear, but the thought of being a bad person emboldened her, and she strode down the steps. Suddenly, her foot slipped, and she nearly fell. She quickly braced herself, but the steps were slippery, and she remained unsteady, stumbling and staggering down the steps.