Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 956: The Bet and the Conspiracy

Song Qingshu immediately ordered a subordinate to lead the main force to stay at the foot of the mountain, while he and other experts took a few guards up the mountain. If necessary, they would signal the main force to come up.

Of course, in Song Qingshu’s heart, such a situation was unlikely to occur. After all, besides himself, there were also experts of the level of Ouyang Feng and Qiu Qianren. Even the Purple-robed Dragon King Daiqisi could make the currently declining Quanzhen Sect suffer greatly.

A group of dozens made their way up the mountain, with a team of elite soldiers leading the way. Song Qingshu and Daiqisi walked in the middle, while Ouyang Feng and Qiu Qianren flanked them on either side. Both had grievances with the Chongyang Sect, and this trip up the mountain brought a hint of excitement to their faces.

Pucha Qiucao followed closely behind with the Pucha family’s guards. Watching the intimate figures of Song Qingshu and Daiqisi, she frowned secretly, hesitating whether to inform Gebi about this when she returned to the capital.

As they ascended the mountain, they soon encountered two Taoists, but the two were quickly subdued. Song Qingshu did not wish to create more bloodshed on this trip, so he had them sealed at their acupoints and tossed into the weeds by the roadside, and the group continued upward.

After more than an hour of travel, Song Qingshu had to stop. Looking up the mountain path, he saw that the road was steep and rugged, with countless cliffs and precipices. He couldn’t help but click his tongue: this Chongyang Palace was indeed a place easy to defend but hard to attack. If a master of military strategy occupied this place, even five thousand troops could probably hold off a hundred thousand.

Since Song Qingshu had mastered Qinggong, he had never walked at such a slow pace. At this speed, he wondered how long it would take to reach their destination.

“Brother Feng, how much longer until we reach Chongyang Palace?” Song Qingshu asked, looking inquiringly at Ouyang Feng beside him.

Ouyang Feng had infiltrated Chongyang Palace several times, even visiting the extremely secretive ancient tombs, making him the perfect guide.

After surveying the surroundings, Ouyang Feng replied, “This place is called Jinlian Pavilion. Further up is Sun and Moon Cliff, and behind that is Child-holding Rock. After passing Child-holding Rock and walking a bit more, we will reach the Sword Cleansing Pool, and beyond that is the main hall of Chongyang Palace.”

“At our current speed, how much longer will it take?” Song Qingshu frowned and asked. Having experienced the blood and fire of the battlefield, he knew that in such treacherous terrain, one must strike swiftly and unexpectedly. Today, for some reason, the guards of Chongyang Palace seemed to be slow to react, but he couldn’t expect them to remain this way. Once the Chongyang Palace sent experts to guard the key points, the ordinary soldiers in their group would likely struggle, except for a few experts.

“It will probably take about two more hours,” Ouyang Feng said, already impatient with the slow pace, but he didn’t know what Song Qingshu was thinking, so he remained silent.

“This is too slow. The few of us with good Qinggong should go up first and eliminate the guards along the way. Miss Qiucao, you can bring the others up slowly after us,” Song Qingshu instructed.

Pucha Qiucao hesitated, “Chongyang Palace is known as the number one sect in the world. Won’t it be too weak for just a few of you to go up? We might be picked off one by one.”

Coming from a military family, Pucha Qiucao, although she had never been on the battlefield, had absorbed some principles through observation. She had already been unhappy when she saw Song Qingshu leave the main force at the foot of the mountain, and now seeing him divide their forces again, she had to voice her protest.

Song Qingshu smiled slightly, “In the past, when Wang Chongyang was around, Chongyang Palace could indeed be considered the number one sect in the world. Unfortunately, now it has declined with each generation, merely a shell of its former self. Moreover, we have Master Ouyang and Chief Qiu, top experts who could almost single-handedly take down Chongyang Palace back in the day. There’s no need for you to worry, Miss Qiucao.”

Pucha Qiucao had heard her brother Pucha Shijie mention the names of Ouyang Feng and others. After hesitating, she said, “Alright, but I want to go up the mountain with you.”

She had first met Yang Guo during her coming-of-age ceremony and fell in love at first sight. She had secretly gathered information about her crush and knew he had once trained at Chongyang Palace. Thus, she had begged her father to let her come along this time to see the place where her beloved had lived and to take revenge for the bullying he had suffered at the hands of those despicable Taoists.

However, if she let Ouyang Feng and the others go up first, what if they accidentally wiped out Chongyang Palace? Wouldn’t her trip be in vain?

Hearing that she wanted to go up as well, Song Qingshu hesitated, “But Miss Qiucao, your Qinggong…” He didn’t elaborate, but his meaning was clear: the ones going up were all experts, and it would be better for a young girl like her to stay behind.

Pucha Qiucao wrinkled her delicate nose and huffed, pointing at Daiqisi, “No need to worry, Your Highness. My martial arts may not compare to Master Ouyang and the others, but my Qinggong is decent enough. Even if it’s not as good, it won’t be worse than hers, right?”

As a woman, she instinctively disliked Song Qingshu’s flirtations with others, and by extension, she also disliked Daiqisi. In her heart, Daiqisi was a vixen who disrupted other people’s families—albeit a very beautiful one. As the young lady of the Pucha family, she naturally had no good feelings toward such women.

“Are you sure?” Song Qingshu said with a smile that was not quite a smile, while Ouyang Feng and Qiu Qianren exchanged amused glances. Pucha Qiucao was young and lacked experience in the martial world, but they were well aware of Daiqisi’s identity. Despite her current position as a favored companion to Song Qingshu, she was once the renowned Purple-robed Dragon King, the foremost among the four kings of the Ming Cult. Her martial arts were not something a young girl like her could compare to.

Daiqisi’s expression also turned cold. During this time, she had been feeling extremely frustrated, as everyone around her was more powerful than she was, especially in front of Song Qingshu. Her once-proud martial arts and Qinggong now seemed insignificant. Who would have thought that even a young lady could look down on her skills?

“Of course!” Pucha Qiucao raised her chin, resembling a proud little peacock.

Daiqisi coldly said, “How about we make a bet? The loser becomes the other’s maid.”

Sensing the tone of Daiqisi, Pucha Qiucao hesitated for a moment, but when she saw the hint of mockery at the corner of Daiqisi’s mouth, she blurted out, “Let’s bet, but you can’t ask anyone else for help.”

She looked Daiqisi up and down. With a charming peach blossom face, a well-endowed chest, a slim waist, and long legs, the mountain wind seemed to threaten to blow her over. 

A woman like this, the only value she had in this world was to be a plaything for men in bed. Could she really understand any profound martial arts?

“Alright!” A smile finally appeared on Daiqisi’s tense face, and a bold plan gradually formed in her mind.

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