Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 750: The Mysterious Eunuch

“I won’t shout, I won’t shout! Just don’t let your hand tremble, Lady Heroine,” Song Qingshu quickly raised his hands in cooperation.

The woman behind him was clearly taken aback. She hadn’t expected him to be so cooperative. Although this eunuch appeared flustered, she had an inexplicable feeling that he wasn’t afraid of her at all.

“Enough with the nonsense! Where do you live? Take me there, now!” The woman’s voice turned cold, and she pressed the tip of her sword against him again.

Song Qingshu didn’t sense any real killing intent from her sword, which meant she was only trying to intimidate him. However, what troubled him now was that he had no idea where this dead eunuch, Xiao Xingguo, lived!

“Lady Heroine…” Song Qingshu felt it necessary to communicate with her. Judging from the current situation, she was most likely the assassin from the palace tonight. In a way, they shared the same goal—they both wanted to leave the palace. There was no need for unnecessary internal conflict due to a misunderstanding. Moreover, since she had entered the palace to assassinate someone, she might even be a like-minded ally. Lending her a helping hand wouldn’t be out of the question.

Just as he was about to turn around, the woman immediately snapped, “Don’t turn around!” At the same time, the sword tip pressed against him more firmly.

Song Qingshu subtly shifted his position, ensuring that if she did decide to strike, his protective True Qi would automatically repel her sword. Only then did he continue, “May I ask why Lady Heroine needs to go to my residence? It’s the middle of the night, and a man and a woman alone… wouldn’t that be a bit inappropriate?” Since he had no idea where Xiao Xingguo lived, he could only dodge the question with humor.

“A man and a woman alone?” The woman couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re just a—” She abruptly stopped herself mid-sentence.

“And what’s wrong with being a eunuch? Eunuchs have rights too,” Song Qingshu said, looking aggrieved.

“Shut up! Someone’s coming!” The woman swiftly retreated into the rockery behind him, but her sword remained pressed against his back.
“Think carefully about what you’re going to say. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being merciless with my sword,” she whispered in his ear.

Song Qingshu chuckled, unfazed. He leisurely watched as two palace guards approached. He was still thinking about how to handle their questioning when, to his surprise, the two guards’ eyes lit up as soon as they saw him. They jogged over eagerly.

“What a coincidence to run into Eunuch Xing here!”

“Indeed, haha, the weather is nice tonight…” Though Song Qingshu smiled, he was cursing them inwardly. ‘You’re the eunuch! Your whole family are eunuchs!’  

At the same time, he found it strange. Judging by the flattery on the two guards’ faces, it seemed that Xiao Xingguo had a rather good standing in the palace. But if that were the case, who would want to kill him?

Noticing that Song Qingshu seemed absent-minded, the two guards tactfully didn’t linger. They quickly took their leave but, after walking a few steps, turned back and said, “Eunuch Xing, there was an assassin in the palace tonight. It might not be safe for you to be out here. You should return to your quarters and rest.”

“An assassin?” Song Qingshu feigned interest. “With so many guards in the palace, you still can’t catch a single assassin?”

“Eunuch Xing, you may not know, but this assassin, though alone, is incredibly skilled. Many of our brothers fell at her hands. It wasn’t until the Chief Eunuch intervened that she was finally wounded,” one of the guards replied.

“The Chief Eunuch?” Song Qingshu immediately thought of the man he had fought at the Laundry Bureau. His martial arts were indeed formidable.

“Heh, from what we could tell, the assassin is a woman. Although we didn’t see her face, her figure is absolutely stunning. She’s definitely a beauty,” another guard said with a lecherous grin.

The moment he said that, Song Qingshu could feel a surge of killing intent from behind him. Afraid that the woman might act on impulse and expose herself, he quickly said in a deep voice, “Instead of gossiping here, shouldn’t you be hunting down the assassin? If the Chief Eunuch hears about this, it won’t end well for you.”

The two guards immediately apologized. “Eunuch Xing, you’re absolutely right! We were wrong!” They quickly scurried away.

As they walked off, one of them quietly muttered, “What were you thinking, talking about women in front of a eunuch?”

“I’m just used to chatting like this with the brothers. It slipped out,” the other replied, looking sheepish.

Their voices were barely above a whisper, unafraid that Xiao Xingguo would overhear. However, they didn’t know that this Xiao Xingguo was no longer the same person. Song Qingshu’s martial arts were formidable, so he heard every word loud and clear. Not surprisingly, the female assassin behind him must have heard it too.

“Pfft…” She couldn’t hold back a quiet giggle but quickly covered her mouth.

An idea struck Song Qingshu. ‘You think it’s funny? Let’s see how you react to this.’

“Guards!” he suddenly called out loudly.

As expected, the woman behind him immediately pressed her sword closer and hissed, “What do you think you’re doing?!”

Ignoring her, Song Qingshu calmly waited as the two guards ran back, smiling obsequiously. “What can we do for you, Eunuch Xing?”

‘Did that damn eunuch hear what we just said?’ The two guards were nervous.

Song Qingshu put on a frightened expression and said, “Hearing how formidable the assassin is… I feel a little scared. Would you two be so kind as to escort me back?”

Realizing that was all he wanted, the two guards breathed a sigh of relief. “Of course, of course! It would be our honor to serve you, Eunuch Xing!”

‘If it weren’t for the fact that you’re favored by the Empress, would we, as Imperial Guards, be so polite to a mere sixth-rank eunuch?‘ Though the guards were all smiles, they cursed him inwardly.

Song Qingshu felt the tip of the sword press against his back again, as if it could pierce his skin at any moment. But he remained unconcerned. “Then I’ll have to trouble you two to lead the way.”

‘Acting all high and mighty!’ The guards silently cursed him again, but they still smiled and took the lead.

“What are you trying to pull?!” As soon as the guards walked ahead, the female assassin emerged and glared at him.

Song Qingshu shrugged. “I just thought this would make it easier for you to stay unnoticed, Lady Heroine.”

She was silent for a moment before finally saying, “Fine. You go ahead. But I warn you, don’t try anything funny. If you think these two guards can save you, you’re mistaken. Killing them would be as easy as lifting a finger.”

“Understood,” Song Qingshu replied with an amused smile.

The reason he had changed his plan at the last minute was that, from the way the two guards treated him, he suspected Xiao Xingguo’s identity wasn’t as simple as a mere head eunuch of the Wardrobe Bureau. This identity might prove useful. He decided to investigate Xiao Xingguo’s secrets first. But since he didn’t know where Xiao Xingguo lived, he had cleverly used the pretense of seeking protection to make the guards lead the way. Given how familiar they were with him, they would undoubtedly know where his residence was.

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