Waves/Knot【Repair】
"Where are you two going?" The tightly closed wooden door was kicked open with a deafening sound. The man in front of him was broad and fat, with a strong and powerful voice. He was wearing a gray-green long gown with gold-edged cloud patterns. He had his hands behind his back and a calm expression on his face.
Only two of the officers were holding torches. Only then did Ye Xuanling get a clear look at the prefect's face: thin, gray eyebrows, peanut-sized eyes, and high cheekbones that made his face look even broader. "It's a coincidence." Zhang Xian bowed politely to them, a malicious smile on his face. Then he waved and said firmly, "Capture him!"
About six or seven officers and soldiers, hidden in the darkness, rushed over at the command and attacked them. These officers had no intention of leaving them alive, and instead acted as if whoever took their heads would be rewarded. They were mad and determined to kill them!
Li Si's house was too small, not to mention it was just a kitchen. Sanqi Lianlian protected Ye Xuanling behind him, drew out his silver sword to block the officer's upcoming machete, and turned his wrist to point the blade at the officer.
Sanqi's sword strikes were clean and sharp, like a blinding flash of lightning piercing the sky, or like a fiery eruption of flames in the snow on a cold winter day, dissolving everything into nothingness in a matter of seconds. It wasn't that she had never killed before; on the contrary, as a bounty hunter, she would do anything for money, so naturally, she wasn't afraid of these officials.
The blade was icy cold, blocking the officer's machete. He spun sideways, and was killed in the throat. Fortunately, there was a window at the back of the room. Ye Xuanling quickly opened it and jumped out.
She couldn't reveal any clues, not even her voice. She didn't call Sanqi's name, but just gave her a look, and acted swiftly and fiercely.
Seeing Ye Xuanling go out, Sanqi felt relieved and jumped out of the window.
broken!
However, there were circles of soldiers standing outside the room, and the two men's hearts suddenly jumped. Ye Xuanling had no weapons in her hands, but just looked at the soldiers in front of her and took out the ink-black dagger tied to her calf.
The two stood together, speechless. Before they could even see Zhang Xian, the soldiers charged, swords brandished. Sanqi charged forward, determined to carve a path for Ye Xuanling. She showed no mercy, killing every man she could.
The light clouds were swept aside by the wind, and the moonlight illuminated Ye Xuanling's anxious expression. She frowned. Sanqi alone couldn't handle so many people. Compared to the longsword, the dagger in her hand seemed a bit redundant, so she simply picked up a sword from the official.
She still remembered the moves Sanqi had taught her that afternoon: protect yourself first, strike back from the opposite direction of the sword's attack, and then strike the throat with the perfect timing to kill. But while these were easy to say, when she put them into practice, Ye Xuanling felt her entire body tremble.
She could only retreat repeatedly, heading for an open area, waving her sword recklessly. Taking advantage of the moment, she grabbed a handful of mud and sand from the ground and threw it at them with all her might. Ye Xuanling didn't care about the dirt on her hands and pulled a can of white powder from her pocket, sprinkling it at them.
"Do you think you can get away?!" Zhang Xian came out of the house, a cunning smile on his lips. His broad face was filled with a strange smile. The conspiracy hidden in the dark gradually seeped out bit by bit, making people feel a chill on their backs. "Why don't you two admit your mistakes? Maybe you can reduce your labor."
The two of them remained silent, minding the matter at hand. But Ye Xuanling had a reassurance in her heart: Zhang Xian might be trying to pin Li Si's crimes on them.
"Why?" Zhang Xian stroked his beard. "You two don't want to acknowledge him?"
"Then there's no need to leave him alive."
The situation was urgent, and the two men ignored him completely. Amidst the flash of swords and shadows, Ye Xuanling seemed to see a black spot on Zhang Xian's arm, which looked like a Nuo mask.
Soon, the soldier in front of her stood up again, squinting his eyes and staggering towards her. She looked away, cursing inwardly, "How could they even stand up?" She raised her sword and slashed at the soldier. She didn't care about human life now, and she didn't care about the compassion of a doctor. How could she care about others when her own life was almost gone?
Sanqi watched as Ye Xuanling was safe for a while. After quickly dealing with the people around her, she changed her posture and jumped to Zhang Xian's side. She kicked him in the popliteal fossa, grabbed his hair and put the sword on his neck.
"Let's see who dares to move again!" Sanqi's voice was firm, powerful and imposing, and he used falsetto. "Do you think he can still stand up after I strike him with this sword?" Sanqi's eyes were fierce, and he stared at the officers and soldiers like a vicious wolf.
Ye Xuanling was safe. Sanqi pressed him down to the ground, burying Zhang Xian's face in the dirt. A fat man without a weapon expected others to protect him. The sword was pressed against the side of his neck. Sanqi stepped on his back, his tone calmer than before: "Give me a weapon, and I'll let him go."
Sanqi gave Ye Xuanling a look and told her to leave.
"Excuse me, sir, what crime have we committed?" Her sword was getting closer and closer to his neck.
Ye Xuanling pondered for a moment before leaving resolutely. But before she did, she returned her gaze to Zhang Xian's arm. It was dark, and her golden eyes weren't enough to see clearly. After a moment, she looked away. She knew her own abilities, and had witnessed Sanqi's abilities before. If she stayed, she would only hinder Sanqi.
What does a Nuo mask mean?
After Ye Xuanling quickly left the venue, Sanqi felt unhappy. Looking at his fat, short hand, she raised the corners of her lips slightly, and her brows began to relax: "I really want to crush your tongue." Sanqi pulled out a short knife from her waist, bent her wrist slightly, and turned her palm. The knife turned smoothly in her hand.
The next second, the dagger fell to the ground, and next to it were two bloody severed fingers! The smell of blood mixed with the smell of earth lingered in his nose. The cold wind in the forest blew up the fallen leaves and lifted the corner of Sanqi's robe.
"I hope you can hold on to these last eight fingers."
-
Ye Xuanling was cautious as she returned to the inn, fearing discovery. Pain surged through her ribs, and she hissed softly. She dug out the medical kit she had used earlier, having unexpectedly needed it again so soon.
She arrived just a second ago, and Sanqi arrived right after her.
Sanqi was no longer so unfamiliar with her. She just knocked on the door, announced her name, and came in. Seeing her treating the wound, her eyes went dark.
"Did you find anything?" Sanqi asked.
Ye Xuanling paused and shook her head, "It's strange. Zhang Xian killed Li Si precisely to kill everyone in Anping County. Why?"
"Did you see it?" Sanqi sat down across from her, slowly wiping the silver sword with a cotton cloth, her expression calm and confident. "There's a Nuo mask on Zhang Xian's arm, but I couldn't really see what it looked like. It was just a black blur."
Ye Xuanling nodded gently and said, "I noticed it, but like you, the light was too dim and I couldn't see it clearly. But it must be a tattoo."
"Why do you think this guy has a Nuo mask tattooed on his body? Aren't these things masks?" Ye Xuanling pursed her lips and asked tentatively, "It's a bit creepy. Does Zhang Xian think he's killed too many people? Is it to ward off evil spirits?"
"When I was a bounty hunter, I saw..."
Ye Xuanling interrupted her: "Wait, isn't a Nuo mask tattooed on the arm too obvious? It's like they're deliberately leading us to explore."
"Exploration?" Sanqi was silent for a moment, recalling the previous scene. "But the Nuo mask in his hand won't attract anyone's attention."
"Why?"
"That thing is just like a piece of jewelry you wear on your body. Nuo masks are used to fight evil with evil, and they are all hidden under the sleeves, so no one would think much of it." Sanqi returned the polished silver sword to its sheath. "I have seen this before in Dianhai. Those people also had Nuo masks in their hands, but they were just a pile of corpses, so I didn't care."
"Dianhai?" Ye Xuanling's body stiffened when she heard the name, as if it had been a long time since she had taken the snake grass to cure this disease.
"Let's put that aside for now. What should we do now?" Sanqi asked. "We might not be able to stay in Kanzhou any longer. We might not even make it to tomorrow. We'll be wanted by the whole city tonight."
"You're right, Zhang Xian must want to kill us."
The Anping case hadn't been resolved yet, but they couldn't stay in Kanzhou any longer. Leaving the city would be difficult after tonight, let alone anything else. Unease enveloped her, leaving her speechless and her entire body growing colder.
"It's snowing?" Sanqi sighed as he looked out the window.
Following Sanqi's gaze, Ye Xuanling also turned her head and looked out the window. She couldn't see anything in the dark night, but the frost flowers floating into the room made this winter day even more desolate.
She knew what to do, she thought. If the provincial capital didn't work, then she would go to the provincial capital. If the provincial capital didn't work, then she would go to the capital. She didn't believe that there was no place in the world where An Pingping case could be solved.
She would never let Li Sibai die, nor would she let the people of Anping be left alone with their grievances unresolved!
I won’t give up until I reach the Yellow River, and I won’t turn back until I hit the wall!
"We'll leave the city tonight by water." Ye Xuanling looked at her with a resolute and determined look. "What do you think, Sanqi? Will Teacher Sanqi still come with me?"
"Of course. My purpose is to get paid for doing things." Sanqi replied with a smile.
Ye Xuanling hadn't finished her conversation with Sanqi: "Sanqi, can you continue? About the Nuo masks, about Dianhai Lake, about the pile of corpses."
Sanqi replied, "About half a month ago, I received a bounty order and went to Dianhai to kill someone. That person was a monk in the Buddhist temple, and he had done some shameful things. I killed him and buried him in the temple, behind the large golden Buddha statue, under the floorboards. But there were several bodies lying there. I only glanced at them briefly and didn't pay much attention, but the Nuo masks on their arms were really eye-catching."
"Sanqi is really not afraid?"
Hearing Ye Xuanling's words, Sanqi suddenly smiled and looked at her: "If I were afraid, I wouldn't come to protect you at all."
"Cough!" Ye Xuanling suddenly choked on her tea and continued coughing. Something flashed through her mind, but she skipped over the topic. "Although I haven't seen the corpse behind the Buddha statue, I have some suspicions that they are an organization."
"organize?"
"Yes, but it's just a suspicion. Sanqi, do you think the one on Zhang Xian's arm is similar to the one on the corpse's arm?"
Sanqi paused for two seconds, his expression serious: "Yeah."
Ye Xuanling put down her teacup and stood up. The light of the lamp and candle stretched her shadow. She put away her medicine box and looked at the snow outside the window, muttering to herself, "Dense clouds are rolling in..."
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