Flower Stealing Master

The day after the failed detoxification attempt, Song Qingshu bid farewell to Ren Woxing. 

Ren Woxing didn’t understand why he was in such a hurry. 

Song Qingshu couldn’t explain that there were still a lot of matters waiting for him to handle in Yanjing, so he had no choice but to make up an excuse to brush it off.

Zhao Min’s injuries continued to be treated, so she had to travel with Song Qingshu. Although the journey was long and exhausting, her luxurious and exquisitely crafted carriage was more than capable of mitigating these hardships.

As for Li Mochou, Song Qingshu left her behind at Blackwood Cliff. Ren Woxing showed great courtesy and promised her an elder position. After all, once he purged Zhang Wuji’s forces, those vacancies would need to be filled, and with the Red Fairy Li Mochou’s martial arts skills and reputation in the martial world, she was more than qualified for the role.

Initially, Li Mochou was reluctant, but she had once promised to repay Song Qingshu a favor. Song Qingshu originally wanted her to join the Pole Arms Division, but now that they had allied with the Sun Moon Holy Cult, she was the most suitable candidate to lay the groundwork.

Li Mochou finally agreed to Song Qingshu, though she repeatedly emphasized that the duration was limited to one year. After one year, she would leave without a trace and would no longer owe him anything. Song Qingshu agreed, as one year was sufficient for him to arrange enough personnel.

Ren Woxing, accompanied by Ren Yingying, warmly escorted the two down the mountain. Along the way, he repeatedly urged Song Qingshu to come back soon to marry Ren Yingying. Beside him, Ren Yingying’s charming face darkened completely, looking as though she wished he would never return.

“I’m really curious. What exactly is so important in Yanjing that you’re willing to abandon such a beautiful lady just to rush there?” Zhao Min asked leisurely, sitting on the soft cushions inside her carriage. She looked at him with a half-smile.

Song Qingshu’s heart skipped a beat. Zhao Min’s intelligence was frighteningly high. If she noticed anything unusual, it would spell trouble.

“Should I take this to mean that the princess is jealous?” Song Qingshu deliberately joked to change the subject.

Zhao Min’s face flushed slightly, her attention successfully diverted. “Who would be jealous of you, you philanderer?”

“Then why was someone on the mountain so persistent in asking me how I managed to win Ren Yingying over?” Song Qingshu couldn’t help but laugh.

“That’s to make sure I won’t fall for your tricks again!” Zhao Min huffed, but she soon realized their conversation seemed a bit too ambiguous, so she quickly changed the topic. “If I’m not mistaken, you’re now the number one enemy that the Qing court would love to eliminate. Aren’t you afraid of walking into a trap by going to Yanjing at this time?”

“With my martial arts, if I want to leave, no trap in this world can hold me,” Song Qingshu said proudly.

“Alright, alright. I know how capable you are. Look at how pleased you are with yourself,” Zhao Min quipped. She actually admired men with this kind of confidence, though she would never admit it aloud.

“But if someone deliberately tips off the Qing court, it might be another story,” Song Qingshu said, glancing at Zhao Min with a meaningful look.

Zhao Min’s cheeks grew hot. She knew he was referring to the Golden Serpent Camp’s betrayal last time. With a hint of coquettishness, she replied, “Oh, come on! That time, I just wanted to make sure you couldn’t gain a foothold in the Central Plains and would have no choice but to come to my side.”

“Is that so?” Song Qingshu smiled noncommittally. After witnessing so many tricks from women, how could he so easily trust anything they said—especially from someone as beautiful as Zhao Min?

“I didn’t know what you were planning back then,” Zhao Min sighed. “If I had known earlier that you harbored ambitions to conquer the world, I wouldn’t have naively thought you’d willingly come to me.”

“Now that you know my aspirations, will you advise your Great Khan to secretly guard against me when you return to Mongolia?” Song Qingshu asked solemnly. His position was still fragile, and being treated as Mongolia’s top enemy was indeed not a good thing.

Zhao Min smiled charmingly. “You underestimate the magnanimity of Genghis Khan’s descendants. If our Great Khan knew there was such a remarkable opponent like you, he would only be delighted. However, with your current strength, I doubt he would even see you as a worthy opponent.”

“That’s good.” Song Qingshu wasn’t offended. ‘Build high walls, stock up on grain, and delay proclaiming kingship’ was a golden rule for those vying for supremacy. Quietly amassing strength was the key to success.

Zhao Min hesitated for a moment before adding, “Rest assured, I won’t reveal your aspirations to anyone in Mongolia.”

She understood clearly that she had only overheard these secrets because Song Qingshu had saved her life. The fact that he didn’t give her any trouble afterward showed a sense of mercy. While she disapproved of such ‘soft-heartedness,’ it still left her feeling strangely moved. Since he treated her sincerely, she wasn’t someone cold-hearted enough to repay kindness with harm.

More importantly, compared to Mongolia, Song Qingshu’s current power was like an ant to an elephant. There was no need to target him excessively.

“For me, the princess is even willing to sacrifice Mongolia’s interests,” Song Qingshu said with a faint smile. “Wouldn’t such actions make you a ‘Mongolian traitor’?”

Zhao Min was stunned for a moment. When she finally realized what he meant by ‘Mongolian traitor,’ she was both angry and exasperated. “You’re the traitor! Your whole family are traitors!”

“I’m not even Mongolian. How could I be a traitor?” Song Qingshu replied with a carefree smile.

“Then what if I make you my prince consort?” Zhao Min blurted out. 

Song Qingshu’s heart skipped a beat, but he was no stranger to matters of romance. He quickly calmed himself and instead asked with a teasing tone, “Really?”

Zhao Min couldn’t withstand his heated gaze. She turned her head away unnaturally and chuckled, “Of course not. The man I marry must be a hero, one who can govern the nation with wisdom and conquer it with martial prowess…”

Before she could finish, Song Qingshu smiled shyly and said, “I didn’t expect you to figure out all my hidden talents. Alas, I’m someone who usually keeps a low profile.”

Zhao Min was momentarily stunned before bursting into laughter, her body trembling with amusement. “You are always so unserious.”

After the laughter subsided, the atmosphere inside the carriage turned peculiar. After a long pause, Zhao Min sighed softly and said, “Those qualities are secondary. What matters most is that the man loves only me for his entire life…”

Zhao Min knew that if she wanted to bait Song Qingshu, she shouldn’t say such words. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, she couldn’t help but open her heart.

Song Qingshu was momentarily stunned and sighed faintly, “That condition is indeed a little harsh…”

Just as Zhao Min was about to tease him, Song Qingshu suddenly changed his tone and said confidently, “But I believe in my charm. I’m sure I can make you lower those standards.”

“Go die!” Zhao Min’s face flushed red. Unable to stand his narcissism, she spat at him playfully.

In the days that followed, Song Qingshu began treating Zhao Min’s injuries. In the moments of downtime, the two would chat. Both tacitly avoided discussing feelings and instead talked about everything under the sun. 

Song Qingshu was amazed by Zhao Min’s profound knowledge, and Zhao Min was often left speechless by Song Qingshu’s wild ideas.

With the Nine Yin Scripture and the Divine Brilliance Scripture, two powerful healing techniques, Song Qingshu’s efforts produced exceptional results. In just a few days, from Blackwood Cliff to the outskirts of Yanjing, Zhao Min’s severe internal injuries had mostly healed.

After spending these days together, exchanging thoughts and being in constant company, both Zhao Min and Song Qingshu sensed that their relationship had subtly changed. Yet, when they tried to pinpoint what had changed, neither could quite explain it.

“Are you really not planning to enter Yanjing City?” Song Qingshu confirmed once again.

“With my current martial arts being no match for yours and my injuries not fully healed, if someone like me were discovered by Kangxi, I wouldn’t even be able to escape,” Zhao Min said pitifully.

“I can protect you,” Song Qingshu thought to himself. ‘After all, I’m Kangxi now—whether to catch you or not is entirely up to me.’

“I saw you sigh with relief just now. You clearly don’t want me to enter the city, yet you’re acting so convincing.” Zhao Min pouted and waved her hand dismissively. “Forget it. Seeing as you’ve kept me company these past days, I’ll be generous and let it slide.”

Song Qingshu looked frustrated. “What do you mean ‘kept you company’? I exhausted my internal energy to heal you, okay?”

“I’ll remember your kindness,” Zhao Min said with a sweet smile. “To tell you the truth, I’ve been away for too long. If I don’t return soon, my family will start to worry. And besides, I’ve been poisoned—surely I can’t rely entirely on you to find the antidote?”

Seeing her smiling face but noticing the flicker of coldness in her eyes, Song Qingshu couldn’t help but silently mourn for Murong Jingyue: Of all people to provoke, you chose Zhao Min? Who is she? She’s the woman who once brought down half the martial world with a mere wave of her hand.

“You don’t have to worry too much. There’s still time before the Dragon Boat Festival next year. With Prince Ruyang’s mansion, the Golden Serpent Camp, and the Sun Moon Holy Cult searching together, even if Murong Jingyue hides to the ends of the earth, he won’t escape,” Song Qingshu said as he stepped off the carriage and cupped his hands to Zhao Min. “Until we meet again.”

He didn’t mention Poison King or Cheng Lingsu to her. After all, he wasn’t certain that those two could cure the Three Corpse Brain Holy Pill. Giving someone hope only to dash it was the cruelest thing one could do.

“Until we meet again,” Zhao Min replied softly. She kept the carriage curtain raised, watching Song Qingshu disappear beyond the city gates. Suddenly, her expression turned cold. “Pass down my orders. Have our spies in Yanjing monitor him closely. I want to know who he meets and what he does next.”

“Yes!” the driver answered respectfully. He quickly wrote her orders in coded language, tied the message to a pigeon’s leg, and was about to release it when Zhao Min called out, “Wait!”

Zhao Min hesitated for a moment, then sighed. “Forget it. Withdraw the order.” She returned to the carriage without another word.

The driver stared at the still-swaying curtain in confusion.

Meanwhile, Song Qingshu walked along the bustling streets of Yanjing City. To avoid being recognized, he once again wore his silver mask. Looking at the familiar streets, he felt a strange mix of emotions. Despite having control over this majestic city, he couldn’t openly appear here, a fact that struck him as deeply ironic.

Once certain that no one was following him, Song Qingshu twisted and turned through several alleyways until he reached the largest pleasure house in the city.

It was late morning, not yet time for the pleasure house to open for business. However, Song Qingshu had no intention of entering through the main entrance. He circled to a small alley in the back, and, seeing no one around, he leaped lightly and landed by the window of an elegant private room on the upper floor.

Just as he climbed through the window, a dazzling golden light suddenly flashed before his eyes.

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