Апрель

Глава 43

Xiao Xiao was speechless, just staring blankly. Back at Hero's Fortress, she had already told Yin Xiao not to harm Lian Zhao. Now, he was actually being so ruthless? This shouldn't be happening!

"Xiaoxiao?" Lian Zhao called out again when he saw her in a daze.

"Are you...are you alright?" Xiao Xiao finally realized what was happening and asked.

Lian Zhao shook his head.

After a slight hesitation, she stepped forward and reached out to support him.

Lian Zhao immediately felt her fingers tighten slightly, gripping his arm tightly.

"..." Lian Zhao raised his hand and gently pressed it on her shoulder. "Don't be afraid, that person is not Yin Xiao..." He paused and said, "...it's a walking corpse."

She looked up slightly, somewhat surprised.

Lian Zhao removed his hand and laughed, "Luckily it wasn't him, otherwise, I might not have been able to escape unscathed..."

That moment of emotion left Xiaoxiao speechless. She didn't know how to describe her feelings; all she felt was a warmth in her chest that spread throughout her body.

...

That night, no one slept a wink at Jiyu Manor. Many guards and servants were injured, and the young lady was also frightened. Upon hearing the news, the old lady turned pale with anxiety. Xiaoxiao, one of the few maids, was naturally assigned tasks: to watch over the young lady and await her orders.

The eldest daughter of the Shen family was clearly terrified and cried for a long time before finally falling asleep around 3 AM. Afterwards, Yue Huaixi entered the room, relieved Xiaoxiao, and let her go back to sleep.

Xiao Xiao walked slowly into the empty courtyard, the cool moonlight bathing her. Under that moonlight, she looked up and smiled quietly. The warmth from before still lingered in her veins; for the first time, she realized that such beautiful feelings existed in the world.

She was smiling contentedly when suddenly her left ear was grabbed hard.

"Wow..." Xiao Xiao was about to scream, but when she saw the person pulling her ear, she swallowed her scream back. "Grandpa Silver..."

Yin Xiao curled his lips into a smile, "You brat, you've framed me again..."

Xiaoxiao quickly shook her head, "No, I didn't!"

Yin Xiao loosened his grip and took out a feather from his pocket. "Then tell me, how did this feather token of mine end up at Jiyu Manor?"

She swallowed hard and blinked innocently.

"You accuse me of stealing treasure, fine, but you even accuse me of abducting a woman?" Yin Xiao frowned and said angrily, "I, Yin Xiao, have stolen everything, but I've never abducted a girl! Tell me! You brat, what mischief have you gotten yourself into this time!"

Xiao Xiao looked even more innocent, "It wasn't me... I just stuck the feather on the signboard. What happened next was their own guess. It has nothing to do with me... Uncle Yin, you have to believe me!"

Silver Owl crossed his arms. "Oh?"

So, Xiao Xiao briefly recounted what had happened in the past two days. After listening, Yin Xiao's dissatisfaction turned into helplessness.

“Little girl…” Yin Xiao sighed, reaching out to pat the little girl’s head, “You’re really unlucky…”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiao immediately burst into tears. Yes, she really was unlucky! Finally, someone noticed!

“However…” Yin Xiao’s expression hardened, “No one is as unlucky as me! Ever since I met you, everything has gone wrong for me, and I haven’t succeeded in anything I’ve done! You might as well change your name, don’t call yourself Little Little, call yourself Little Broom!”

She paused for a moment, slightly taken aback. A small broom? A small broom? To make a small broom? ...Hmm, absolutely not!

"Grandpa Yin, please forgive me! I didn't mean to! I'm just unlucky!" Xiao Xiao tugged at his sleeve, pleading, "Grandpa Yin..."

"Stop calling me 'Master Lecher,' you've made me seem lecherous even though I'm not!" Silver Owl pulled back his sleeve. "That's definitely why I've become a womanizer!"

Speechless. How can this be related?

After complaining for a while, Yin Xiao finally calmed down and said seriously, "Alright, let's get back to the point. You asked me to come here so you'd help you find the 'Three Corpse Divine Needles'?"

She nodded slightly.

Yin Xiao frowned. "Seven hundred and twenty divine needles are scattered all over the world. Finding them is no easy task."

Just as Xiao Xiao was feeling hopeless, Yin Xiao laughed again. "However, you're smart to know to come to me." He raised his hand and brushed his hair. "I'll take you somewhere... Once we get there, not only will the 'Three Corpse Divine Needles' be useless, but even that guy impersonating me will be exposed."

Xiao Xiao's eyes widened. "There are places like this?"

Yin Xiao smiled and said, "The world is vast and full of hidden talents. What is there that we don't have? Come with me and I'll broaden your horizons."

Xiao Xiao thought for a moment, "Now?"

Yin Xiao frowned. "Nonsense."

She looked at him pitifully, "But, I want to sleep..."

Yin Xiao's face turned cold. He grabbed her ear and dragged her away, saying, "You lazy brat!"

Little Xiao was helplessly dragged along by the ear, her eyes brimming with tears as she watched the moon slowly set.

Ah... I really want to sleep...

Three religions and nine schools of thought

The sky was just before dawn. The bright moon was about to set, and the morning sun shone brightly. In the sky, a faint white halo appeared slightly heavy against the blue background. Mist swirled and permeated the surroundings.

Xiao Xiao tightened her clothes and followed Yin Xiao for more than half an hour, inwardly groaning. This place was remote and the road was difficult to travel; when would it end? If she didn't return by dawn, wouldn't people become suspicious?

As she sighed, Yin Xiao, who was walking ahead, stopped, turned around, and smiled at her, "We're here."

She looked up slightly, and the two large red lanterns dazzled her. She rubbed her eyes, surprised that such a remote place had such an impressive house. She squinted and looked closely; above the door hung a plaque with two large characters: Qu Fang (曲坊).

"A music hall?" Xiao Xiao murmured to herself. Why did it sound like a music hall? A place for singing? She looked around. Even if there were music halls like this, no one would patronize them.

Silver Owl took a few steps and reached out to knock on the door.

The door opened a crack, and a delicate-looking girl peeked in with a smile. "Oh, who is it? Come in quickly."

Xiao Xiao was stunned when she saw this. It really was a brothel?! She sighed. Well, who said a virgin couldn't enter a brothel? She braced herself and followed Yin Xiao inside.

As soon as I entered, the laughter of the women, mixed with the rich aroma of wine, hit me.

Xiao Xiao took a deep breath; the aroma was sweet and refreshing, warm yet crisp. She smiled and said, "Pear Blossom Spring Wine."

Upon hearing this, the girl who answered the door turned around and smiled, "This young lady seems to be quite the drinker as well. Since you're here, please have a few more drinks!"

Xiao Xiao could only smile helplessly. She was hardly a connoisseur of wine; it was just that when she was little, her master would always feed her wine with chopsticks dipped in the liquor. As she grew older, she gradually became able to drink with her master. Her master wasn't a heavy drinker, but he was a connoisseur of wine. He once said with a smile that wine should be enjoyed in all four seasons: spring pear blossoms, summer mimosa, autumn chrysanthemums, and winter pepper. It would be a shame to miss out on these four kinds of wine.

Every spring, Master would brew a pot of pear blossom spring wine, and together with her and jujube cakes, they would admire the blossoms in the warm breeze. But... those days will never come again.

Xiao Xiao suddenly felt sad, so she lowered her head and silently followed along.

When she looked up again, the scene before her left her speechless. It was a courtyard filled with pear blossoms, illuminated by lanterns that made it as bright as day. A breeze stirred, and the snow-white pear blossoms fluttered down like spring snow. Beneath the trees, large and small wine jars and jugs were piled up. Several beautiful women sat on the ground, playing the zither and the sheng, singing and dancing—a truly elegant and refined scene!

Xiao Xiao immediately noticed that the man surrounded by the group of women was a man in his early forties. He had a fair complexion and a slight beard, and his eyes were filled with intoxication. He was not wearing a belt and was languidly half-reclining on the ground, holding a jade wine cup and looking at the newcomers.

Yin Xiao sighed and said, "The shop owner really knows how to enjoy life."

The man smiled faintly and said, "Let us drink and sing while we can, for life is short. I am simply enjoying the moment."

It sounded a bit awkward for someone his age to refer to himself as an "old man." He said, slightly drunk, "What have you come to inquire about this time?"

Yin Xiao didn't mince words and went straight to the point, saying, "Three Corpse Divine Needles."

Upon hearing this, the man chuckled, holding his wine cup. "To seek immortality, one must first eliminate the Three Corpses. I never imagined that a carefree thief like you would one day cultivate the Dao." He sat up and continued, "I know you are a master of needles. Perhaps your 'Refined Snow Silver Light' isn't enough?"

Silver Owl scoffed, "Why must you mock me, Master? Just say whether you know or not."

The man smiled, put down his wine glass, and said, "I know, but it depends on the price you offer."

"Two hundred taels," Silver Owl said, holding up two fingers.

“One thousand taels,” the man retorted defiantly.

Yin Xiao frowned. "Why don't you go out and rob someone? Three hundred taels!"

The man chuckled. "Aren't you a robber? Fine, 20% off."

"Three hundred taels! I won't pay a single coin more!" Silver Owl roared.

Xiao Xiao listened with tears in her eyes. Three hundred taels of silver! If only she had three hundred taels, she wouldn't have to have the needles removed!

The man sighed, "Hey, is business slow lately? I heard you're not getting any good deals, and now you're even scrambling for girls. No wonder you're so stingy with such a small amount of money."

Silver Owl was immediately enraged. He took out his Snow-Refined Silver Light and shot it straight at the man.

The group of delicate young women dispersed, laughing and joking, while the man raised his cup. A series of clinking sounds followed, and then all the silver needles scattered on the ground.

"Are you going to use these needles to pay off your debt?" the man asked jokingly, which immediately made the girls giggle.

Silver Owl's hand was already on the soft sword at his waist.

The man took a sip of his wine, raised his hand, and a woman, seeing this, rose and left. A short while later, she returned carrying a scroll. The man began, "Let's leave the jokes aside. There are seven hundred and twenty Three Corpse Divine Needles, scattered across various places." He took the scroll and unfolded it. "In the past, these Three Corpse Divine Needles were sacred objects of the Daoist sect, used to eliminate the Three Corpses and ascend to immortality. Later, they passed through many hands and ended up in the Shennong family. Seventeen years ago, a ghost master broke into the Shennong family and stole the needles. The whereabouts of the seven hundred and twenty needles have remained unknown ever since..."

Xiao Xiao was startled upon hearing this. Seventeen years ago, the nine sects that the Ghost Master had crossed over had only one thing in common: the "Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts"... Could it be that the "Three Corpse Divine Needles" are one of the "Nine Emperors' Divine Artifacts"?

"Our shop cannot ascertain the exact whereabouts of the divine needles, but I can tell you about the people who have searched for them in recent years." The man rolled up the document in his hand. "Three hundred taels, payment settled, no refunds or exchanges."

"Cash on delivery? I don't carry that much cash with me. I'll give it to you in a few days," Silver Owl said, stepping forward a few paces.

The man shook his head. "If you touch the 'Three Corpse Divine Needles,' you won't even know when you'll die. If you don't pay the bill now, wouldn't I be the one who suffers?"

Yin Xiao frowned, displeased.

“Go back and get the money before you come back. If you’re really interested, add another two hundred taels, and I’ll tell you about the person who impersonated you too,” the man said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiao immediately shouted, "No need, three hundred taels it is!"

Upon hearing this, both Yin Xiao and the man were stunned.

Xiao Xiao held up three fingers earnestly. The person impersonating Yin Xiao was a walking corpse. And only the Shennong family could control walking corpses. She knew this too. Paying two hundred taels for this would be a huge loss, wouldn't it? Besides, who knew if Yin Xiao actually paid for it? Every penny saved was precious!

The man looked at Xiaoxiao, then at Yinxiao, and said, "It seems you have money on you, young lady?"

Hearing this, Xiao Xiao was stunned. No way, she really had to pay? ...Finding the needle was urgent, and the brothel owner didn't seem like a kind person. If she didn't buy it today, it would fall into someone else's hands tomorrow. But three hundred taels! Where would she get that much money?

She reached out and touched herself all over, then smiled and took out a token from her bosom.

"Tianying Order..." The playful expression on the man's face vanished completely, replaced by surprise.

"This token should be worth three hundred taels, right?" Xiao Xiao asked.

“More than enough.” The man nodded. “Since you’ve brought out the Heavenly Hero Token, I can’t refuse to give Hero’s Fortress face. Is there anything else you want to know? I’ll tell you all at once.”

Xiao Xiao shook her head without hesitation, "I don't want to know anything."

The man looked at Xiao Xiao with some doubt. "'Tianying Token' can freely mobilize many industries under Hero Fortress. Although this document is valuable, it is not worth the value of this token. You are exchanging something big for something small, but you have no other requirements?"

She smiled slightly, offering no answer. Using the "Heavenly Decree" carelessly would only invite trouble and lead to her own demise. It was better to dispose of it here! As for anything else she wanted to know… only the murderer of her master… but this was her wish, not her master's. She still wanted to live according to her master's wishes.

Yin Xiao looked at her, a hint of melancholy in his eyes. He spoke loudly, "Master, you've already taken advantage, so stop arguing. Give me the documents now!"