Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 860: On the Self-Cultivation of a Wingman

Song Qingshu’s expression flickered as he prepared to intervene, but the scene that unfolded next made him pause with a strange look on his face.  

Just as Gongsun Zhi was about to seize Zhao Min, a long sword suddenly thrust in from the side. Though the angle wasn’t particularly tricky, it left him no room to evade. Forced to abandon his attempt, Gongsun Zhi hastily withdrew his own blade to defend himself.  

Once he steadied himself and recognized the one who had intervened, his face twisted in fury. “The Passionless Valley and Wudang have always kept to our own affairs. Why must you interfere, Hero Song?”  

The one who had struck was none other than Song Yuanqiao. Though the Passionless Valley and Wudang Mountain were both near Xiangyang, the two factions had little interaction. Still, Gongsun Zhi recognized him.  

From the tree, Zhao Yingluo remarked with a peculiar tone, “Oh? A father-in-law saving his future daughter-in-law?”  

Song Qingshu scowled. “Don’t spout nonsense. He doesn’t know about my relationship with Zhao Min… Bah! There is no relationship between me and Zhao Min!”  

Seeing him dig himself deeper, Zhao Yingluo smiled faintly. “Whether you and that princess have anything between you or not, today’s drama is getting more and more entertaining.” With that, she leaned back comfortably against the branch, settling in as a pure spectator.  

Song Qingshu wanted to retort, but Song Yuanqiao’s composed voice rose from below. “Valley Master Gongsun, we owe this Lady Zhao a debt for sparing us earlier. It would be against the principles of chivalry to stand by while she’s in danger.”  

Gongsun Zhi sneered. “I’ve only been polite to you out of respect for Zhang Sanfeng. Did you really think I fear you?”  

Song Yuanqiao frowned slightly. Truthfully, he had no desire to involve himself in the conflict between the Jin and Mongols. However, since Zhao Min had chosen to spare them despite her overwhelming advantage earlier, he couldn’t simply watch her fall into Gongsun Zhi’s hands.  

“Eldest Brother, don’t forget our purpose here,” Zhang Songxi reminded quietly, gesturing toward the captive Song Dynasty princesses nearby.  

Yin Liuting added, “Our strength is limited. Though Lady Zhao has ties to Wudang, she’s still a Mongol. Should we abandon saving our own princesses for her sake?”  

Hearing their discussion, Zhao Min scoffed. “Spare me your hypocritical posturing, Wudang. I don’t need your concern.”  

Yet no sooner had she spoken than the Xuanming Elders let out muffled groans, retreating to her side with pale faces—clearly severely injured.  

Murong Bo laughed heartily. “Master Ouyang’s divine skills are truly unmatched, befitting a man who once claimed the title of the world’s greatest!” His ambitions lay in reviving the Yan Dynasty, so he cared little for martial reputations. Instead, he sought to build goodwill with top-tier experts like Ouyang Feng—especially since the latter had indeed bested Lu Zhangke first. His flattery wasn’t entirely insincere.  

Ouyang Feng chuckled in return. “The Murong family’s heritage is profound. Your ‘Great Cosmic Transformation’ is executed with godlike precision. I, too, am deeply impressed.”  

Listening to their mutual praise, Gongsun Zhi inwardly sneered. However, since both men were stronger than him, he dared not show his disdain. Instead, he redirected his frustration toward Song Yuanqiao and his companions. “Heh, no need to agonize over whether to save Zhao Min now. You’ll all be coming with us as guests of the Prince’s estate.”  

The blatant threat in his voice made the three Wudang heroes tense. Before they could respond, Murong Bo added with a laugh, “I never expected you three to escape the Laundry Courtyard. No matter—I’ll just have to capture you again.”  

Each of these grandmasters had their own reasons for serving Wanyan Liang. Ouyang Feng sought the resources of the Hailing Prince’s estate for his own goals, making their relationship one of mutual benefit. Qiu Qianren and Gongsun Zhi, however, were far baser—driven by greed for wealth and status, earning the contempt of both Murong Bo and Ouyang Feng. As for Murong Bo himself, his allegiance was solely for the revival of Yan, even if it meant bowing to a prince. Much of the scheme to pit Shaolin against Wudang and ignite war between Jin and Song had been his doing. Wanyan Liang, the most hawkish advocate for war against Song, was a perfect ally.  

Originally, Murong Bo had intended to have Song Yuanqiao and the others secretly executed. However, for reasons unknown, the Jin higher-ups demanded they be taken alive. Thus, they were imprisoned in the Laundry Courtyard, and Murong Bo lost track of them.  

Now that they had reappeared unscathed, Murong Bo couldn’t allow them to return to Wudang and ruin his long-laid plans.  

Since they had been ambushed and Murong Bo had concealed his identity, Song Yuanqiao and his brothers hadn’t recognized him at first. Now, his words filled them with shock and fury. “So you were the one who ambushed us!”  

Yin Liuting could no longer restrain himself. “You treacherous snake, attacking from the shadows! It’s time we settled this debt.” With that, he drew his sword and lunged at Murong Bo.  

Knowing Murong Bo’s martial prowess was unfathomable, Song Yuanqiao and Zhang Songxi rushed to support Yin Liuting, fearing he’d be outmatched.  

“Hey, your father’s fighting. Aren’t you going to help?” Zhao Yingluo called from the tree.  

Song Qingshu shook his head. “I asked them about their capture before. They were ambushed and picked off one by one. In a direct fight, the three of them together are no weaker than Murong Bo.”  

To Song Qingshu, the Wudang Seven Heroes’ strength in the original story had always been an enigma. Various narrations hailed them as peerless masters, yet they suffered defeat after defeat. Even Yu Lianzhou, the strongest among them in the later stages, was hyped as overwhelmingly superior to Zhou Zhiruo in terms of foundation and skill—yet he was still beaten into a sorry state by her. Had Zhou Zhiruo not hesitated out of consideration for Zhang Wuji, Yu Lianzhou would have died in her initial bizarre assault, with no chance to turn the tide through endurance.  

Eventually, Song Qingshu pieced it together. In the original work, the Wudang Seven Heroes couldn’t compare to the top-tier named experts, but they still stood head and shoulders above the rest of the martial world.  

Ranking Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre’s strongest fighters, Yu Lianzhou and Song Yuanqiao likely placed around the top ten to fifteen. Not weak by any means, yet every opponent they faced happened to be among the absolute elite—an awkward position.  

Still, some had it worse. In Young Zhang Sanfeng, Yi Jifeng was arguably the fourth-strongest in the world by the end, yet he was constantly thrashed by the top three. That was true misery.  

By the time Song Qingshu snapped out of his musings, Song Yuanqiao and the others were already locked in fierce combat with Murong Bo. Strangely, Ouyang Feng didn’t intervene, and Gongsun Zhi seemed content to watch.  

Song Qingshu’s calm observation stemmed from the fact that he wasn’t the real Song Qingshu, but a soul from the modern era. Moreover, his transmigration had begun with a hellish ordeal—his meridians shattered during Wudang’s purge, making his start a nightmare. Thus, he felt little filial affection for Song Yuanqiao, only a sense of duty.  

With his current insight, Song Qingshu could assess the battle clearly. As direct disciples of the near-immortal Zhang Sanfeng, the three Wudang heroes were formidable. Combined with their synergy as sworn brothers, they held their own against Murong Bo—even surpassing him in raw power.  

Yet martial arts weren’t a simple numbers game. No matter how in sync they were, three minds could never match the fluidity of one. Moreover, Murong Bo’s “Great Cosmic Transformation” excelled at redirecting force, allowing him to exploit their numbers. If the fight dragged on: within fifty moves, the Wudang trio would dominate; fifty to a hundred, they’d be evenly matched; beyond a hundred, Murong Bo would seize victory.  

With the Wudang heroes occupied, Gongsun Zhi advanced on Zhao Min without restraint. With only the severely injured Xuanming Elders left, Zhao Min was vulnerable. Ouyang Feng, valuing his pride, wouldn’t team up with Gongsun Zhi, merely observing coldly.  

As Gongsun Zhi closed in, the Xuanming Elders mustered their remaining strength to attack. But their injuries left them no match for him. Within a few exchanges, they were on the verge of collapse—only decades of experience kept them from falling to his golden blade and black sword.  

Suddenly, Ouyang Feng spoke. “Lady Zhao, what exactly is your relationship with Song Qingshu?”  

His words made the embattled Wudang heroes exchange glances. ‘Wasn’t Zhao Min paired with Wuji? Since when was she involved with Song Qingshu?’  

“What’s it to you?” Zhao Min shot back irritably.  

Ouyang Feng smiled. “I’ve taken quite a liking to that boy Song Qingshu. You could say we’re friends despite the age gap. If you’re truly his woman, I can’t just stand by while my sworn brother’s wife is bullied. Though I can’t let you go, I ‘can’ guarantee no one will harm you—not even Prince Hailing.”  

“Likewise, Hero Song, you needn’t fear for your safety. For Song Qingshu’s sake, I’ll spare you. But Heroes Zhang and Yin… well, their luck may run out.”  

Murong Bo’s eyes flickered before he laughed. “Since Master Ouyang has spoken, I won’t disregard his wishes. I’ll go easy on Hero Song later.” Though inwardly displeased, he wasn’t about to antagonize a powerhouse like Ouyang Feng over this.  

Gongsun Zhi, however, lacked such restraint. Seeing his prey slipping away, he snarled, “Master Ouyang, what is the meaning of this?”  

Ouyang Feng replied mildly, “No need for haste, Valley Master Gongsun. Lady Zhao hasn’t answered my question yet.”