Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 730: Chase and Escape

Huang Rong gave a faint smile. “Now that we’re surrounded by wolves, I—a frail woman all alone—must be extra cautious. If I bring Tang Kuo Bian along, once I let my guard down, won’t the King immediately send someone over to snatch him away?”

“But without seeing Brother Tang Kuo, how can I know if he is safe and sound?” sneered Wanyan Liang.

“Safe and sound is hardly possible,” Huang Rong replied at just the right moment as a group of people from the Jin Kingdom began to show signs of distress. “Having ingested the poison specially concocted by the notorious Western Poison, surviving is nothing short of an enormous stroke of luck.”

Ouyang Feng gave a chilling smile. “How is that stinking kid Guo Jing faring these days?”

“Thanks to your help, Brother Jing is now blind,” Huang Rong replied flatly.

A surge of satisfaction welled up in Ouyang Feng’s heart as he laughed, “Hehe, if it weren’t for that stinking kid’s profound inner strength, it wouldn’t have been just his eyes that lost their sight.”

Huang Rong ignored him and turned to Wanyan Liang. “King, have you brought the antidote?”

Wanyan Liang replied in a deep tone, “I have indeed brought the antidote, but since Tang Kuo Bian isn’t here, how could I possibly give it to you?”

Huang Rong answered, “Please, King, put yourself in my shoes—if it were you, would you bring him along? Moreover, rest assured that I need him to test the antidote; as long as it works, I’ll release him.”

Wanyan Liang snorted, “Hehe, how would I know if you’ll keep your word and send him back?” Although he secretly wished Tang Kuo Bian would never return, with so many people around—and the possibility that spies from other factions might be among them—he had no choice but to feign concern for his well-being.
Huang Rong fell silent for a moment before finally saying, “I wonder what it will take for you to believe me.”

With his eyes unabashedly roaming over her graceful figure, Wanyan Liang laughed and said, “How about this: I’ll give you the antidote, and you write down the location of Tang Kuo Bian. A classic quid pro quo.”

Huang Rong’s elegant brows furrowed. “And how do I know whether this antidote is genuine?”

“Simple enough—just have him ingest Master Ouyang’s poison first, then take this antidote. The truth will be immediately apparent.” Wanyan Liang clapped his hands, and a guard promptly stepped forward.

Upon hearing that he would be used as a human guinea pig, the guard’s face remained utterly impassive. 

Huang Rong inwardly shuddered: ‘Wanyan Liang might appear lecherous, but his ability to command his subordinates was formidable; no wonder he could manipulate the Jin court so deftly.’

“Alright, but I already have the poison,” Huang Rong said, producing a porcelain bottle that contained Guo Jing’s toxic blood, “so there’s no need to trouble Master Ouyang.”

Wanyan Liang nodded discreetly. Indeed, Huang Rong was as meticulous as ever—clearly fearful that her side might have tampered with the poison. However, he hadn’t planned to make things difficult regarding the antidote and wasn’t afraid of her trial. After much persuasion, he finally agreed, “Fine, but how do I know that the location you write down isn’t a deception?”

“You must simply choose to trust me,” Huang Rong replied calmly.

Wanyan Liang stared intently into the eyes of the beauty before him, his face betraying no emotion. After a long moment, he relaxed and laughed heartily, “Madame Guo is a famed heroine; surely she would never lie to me. In that case, let us begin!”

He didn’t truly intend to rescue Tang Kuo Bian—he merely needed to put on an act to show all the factions at court that he had made every effort. Whether Tang Kuo Bian would actually be at the location provided by Huang Rong mattered little to him; in fact, he’d prefer that she deceive him, ensuring that Tang Kuo Bian would never be rescued.

As if she had anticipated his agreement, Huang Rong made no hesitation. She took out a silver needle and placed it into the porcelain bottle. When she retrieved it, the needle had turned entirely black, and with a droplet of blood clinging to its tip, it looked extremely eerie.

Seeing the potent toxicity, even the resolute guard couldn’t help but go pale. Yet, as one of Wanyan Liang’s loyal henchmen, he had no choice but to steel himself and walk into the pavilion to extend his hand, silently praying that the antidote would work.

Huang Rong did not fully plunge the silver needle into his arm; she merely pricked his skin lightly. After all, this poison was exceedingly potent—and without inner strength as robust as Guo Jing’s, fully inserting the needle might have caused him to bleed to death.

But even with just a small prick, the guard trembled all over as a surge of black qi rapidly spread from his arm throughout his body. He could no longer stand, collapsing to the ground, curled up like a boiled shrimp. At first, he tried to restrain his cry out of concern for Wanyan Liang’s reputation, but soon he could no longer bear the pain and began writhing on the ground, howling in agony.

Unmoved, Wanyan Liang merely waved his hand, signaling his attendants to fetch the antidote and have the guard consume it. After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the man’s condition gradually stabilized. Though he still couldn’t rise, it was clear that the residual poison in his body had been neutralized.

“Madame Guo, are you now at ease?” Wanyan Liang asked calmly as he looked at her.

For some reason, although Song Qingshu always wore a smile, he made Huang Rong uneasy—whereas the man before her she utterly despised. Her tone turned a few degrees colder as she said, “Fine. A hand for the antidote, and a hand for the address.”

Huang Rong took a paper ball from her bosom and placed it in the pavilion. “I’ve written the address here. Please, King, toss over the antidote first.”

“We agreed on a simultaneous exchange!” the surrounding guards grumbled in discontent. Wanyan Liang waved them off with a slight smile, “Beautiful women always have their privileges, just as Madame desires.”

No sooner had he spoken than he casually tossed the bottle containing the antidote over. Standing behind him, Ouyang Feng saw everything clearly. In that fleeting moment, he had pulled a fast one—he hadn’t handed Huang Rong the genuine bottle but an identical decoy.

Ouyang Feng’s heart leapt with joy. It seemed that Wanyan Liang wasn’t as foolish as he appeared; he knew what Guo Jing meant to Xiangyang and had no intention of letting the tiger go free.

Originally, Ouyang Feng had thought that the Guo Jing–Huang Rong couple would once again escape calamity, and he was deeply displeased. But since Wanyan Liang had to consider the interests of the various factions at court in ensuring Tang Kuo Bian’s rescue, there was nothing he could do. Now that the truth was revealed, his discontent vanished in an instant.

Huang Rong, unaware of all this, did not rush to leave the pavilion after seizing the porcelain bottle. Instead, she produced the earlier poison blood bottle and, as if about to pour it onto the paper, warned, “Everyone, step back a hundred paces, or I will destroy this paper!”

Wanyan Liang smiled slightly. “No problem.” He then ordered his subordinates to fall back. He thought to himself that with this act, his performance was convincing enough; regarding the rescue of Tang Kuo Bian, he could now account for his efforts to all concerned parties.

As for Huang Rong, guards were stationed in every direction, and the Fair Breeze Pavilion was effectively sealed off. Where could she possibly escape to? Besides, it was only a distance of a hundred paces—if one of his own elite were to catch her, what difference would a hundred paces make?

Seeing that they had indeed stepped back a hundred paces as instructed, Huang Rong smiled charmingly. Tapping her toes lightly, she activated her Qinggong and bolted away into the distance.

Wanyan Liang felt an inexplicable itch in his heart from the smile she left behind. “Quick, quick—bring her back to me!” he shouted in a tone far less courteous than usual.

Qiu Qianren had been ready for this for some time. No sooner had Wanyan Liang’s words fallen than he shot after Huang Rong like an arrow released from a bow. On the other hand, Ouyang Feng lagged behind by half a head’s length. Unlike Qiu Qianren—ardently eager for fame and fortune—Ouyang Feng still retained the pride of a grandmaster, and being treated by Wanyan Liang as merely a subordinate irked him. Yet, at the very thought of his past grievances with Huang Rong, he hesitated briefly before still setting off in pursuit of her.

“Chief Qiu, known as ‘Iron Palm Skimming on Water,’ truly has the most extraordinary Qinggong of our age,” remarked Murong Bo, who remained stationed by Wanyan Liang’s side. He watched as Qiu Qianren, despite starting later, steadily drew closer to Huang Rong, and couldn’t help but express his admiration.

“Within my forces, when it comes to Qinggong, Chief Qiu is unrivaled!” Wanyan Liang couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride as he saw Huang Rong nearly in his grasp.

Murong Bo merely smiled indifferently at Wanyan Liang’s appraisal, folding his arms as he continued to observe the unfolding chase.

As Qiu Qianren drew ever closer to Huang Rong, his heart grew hotter. In recent days, he had been feeling rather frustrated. Having allied with Wanyan Liang long ago and been treated as an honored guest ever since, he now keenly sensed that as more elite warriors joined the King’s ranks, Wanyan Liang’s previous enthusiasm for him had waned. Even though “Iron Palm Skimming on Water” was renowned throughout the martial world, Qiu Qianren knew that compared to Western Poison Ouyang Feng and Murong Bo—who was known for returning his opponents’ blows—his own reputation was somewhat lacking. Fearing marginalization within the mansion, he had been racking his brains for a solution.

Wanyan Liang’s intentions toward Huang Rong gave him hope. He was convinced that if he managed to capture Huang Rong and deliver her to his bed first, then every time someone else took liberties with her, she would remember his favor. That, he thought, would elevate his position in the mansion—ensuring he would undoubtedly surpass both Ouyang Feng and Murong Bo.

Motivated by this, Qiu Qianren felt that his Qinggong was noticeably swifter than usual.

“Stinking girl, leave her to me!” he snarled, spreading his arms like a great roc as he reached out to grab Huang Rong by the shoulder.

In the distance, Wanyan Liang suddenly felt a twinge of unease. Huang Rong hadn’t fled in the direction he had expected; instead, she chose to escape into that mountain. Could she not know that although the mountain appeared vast, its peak was a dead end?

“She probably doesn’t know,” Wanyan Liang consoled himself, after all, it was only by consulting the county gazetteer map that he had learned of it.

At that very moment, a sudden change occurred in the distance! Just as Qiu Qianren was about to capture Huang Rong, a dark figure suddenly darted out from a dense tree nearby and, like a yellow sparrow from behind, delivered a palm strike to his back.

Qiu Qianren was instantly terrified out of his wits. Even before the force of the strike fully landed, the gust it carried left him struggling to breathe. In that instant—with no time left to worry about Huang Rong—he turned around in a hurry and used his Iron Palm to meet the attacker head-on.

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