Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 969: The Fragrance Fades, the Jade Perishes?

At the Hero Conference at Dasan Pass, the Five Elders of Quanzhen were astonished by the martial arts of Yang Guo and Xiao Longnu. Later, at the Golden Snake Assembly, they were further shocked by Song Qingshu, which instantly instilled a strong sense of crisis in them.

After returning to Chongyang Palace, the Five Elders of Quanzhen secluded themselves in Cognition Cave for quiet meditation. However, Song Qingshu’s martial arts were too formidable. They exchanged glances in silence for a long time, realizing that no matter how much they studied, it would be difficult to surpass Song Qingshu. They decided to abandon the idea of making him their target and instead focused on researching the techniques of the “Jade Heart Sutra.”

The five of them exhausted their minds and labored day and night, feeling that every move displayed by Xiao Longnu and Yang Guo was precisely the nemesis of Quanzhen’s martial arts. It was indeed challenging to win through techniques.

Later, Qiu Chuji gleaned an insight from the Heavenly Big Dipper Formation, saying, “Our techniques may not be as varied, but we can combine the strength of the five of us to make up for the deficiencies in our moves.”

Thus, they diligently studied and developed a method to attack the enemy, with each move channeling the combined strength of the five. They knew that among the third and fourth generation disciples, there were no exceptional talents; they could only rely on their numbers to protect themselves.

After more than a month, they finally created a move called “Gathering of the Seven Stars.”

This move was ultimately derived from the Heavenly Big Dipper Formation. Although it was called “Gathering of the Seven Stars,” it did not necessarily require seven people to work together; six, five, or even four or three could also combine their strength to execute it.

Just at this moment, Pucha Qiucao was inquiring about Song Qingshu: “Prince Consort, do you know this Longnu?”

Seeing that Xiao Longnu was not only as beautiful as a celestial being but also single-handedly defeating the Quanzhen sect, Pucha Qiucao was both astonished and envious. Suddenly, she recalled how Song Qingshu had recognized her at a glance and couldn’t help but ask curiously.

“We have met once; her name is Xiao Longnu…” Before Song Qingshu could finish, Pucha Qiucao exclaimed:

“What? She is Yang Guo’s beloved?”

Pucha Qiucao had previously been displeased that Yang Guo had ignored her, and she had privately pestered him for the reason. Yang Guo, annoyed, had told her that he already had someone he cared for.

Pucha Qiucao thought he was deliberately deceiving her, so Yang Guo had revealed Xiao Longnu’s name to her, providing detailed information. To thoroughly dispel her thoughts, Yang Guo had even described Xiao Longnu as unparalleled in the world.

Unexpectedly, this had the opposite effect. Pucha Qiucao did not believe that such a perfect person existed in the world. However, upon seeing Xiao Longnu with her own eyes today, she found that Xiao Longnu was even more perfect than Yang Guo had described, leaving her momentarily pale as a ghost.

Xiao Longnu’s nature could almost be described as indifferent to the world, uninterested in anything except for one thing—no, to be precise, one person—upon whom she had poured all her heart and soul.

Pucha Qiucao’s exclamation was one thing, but when she mentioned Yang Guo, Xiao Longnu instinctively turned her head, dazedly asking, “Guo’er?”

In a critical moment of combat, this distraction was akin to being possessed, leaving her entirely unaware of the need to evade. The force of the “Gathering of the Seven Stars” struck directly at Xiao Longnu’s back.

Song Qingshu was alarmed. Just moments ago, he had seen Xiao Longnu in a dominant position and, comparing their fighting capabilities, quickly judged that she was in no danger. Furthermore, she had been distracted by Pucha Qiucao’s question, and by the time he turned back, it was too late to rescue her.

In a flash, Song Qingshu darted between the Five Elders of Quanzhen, sweeping his right palm, causing everyone in the Quanzhen sect to feel a great force and retreat. He extended his left arm to embrace Xiao Longnu, swiftly leaping out of the circle and returning to his original position, holding her in his arms.

However, Xiao Longnu ignored him, struggling to rise and looking towards Pucha Qiucao, asking, “Do you know Guo’er? Do you know where he is now?”

Pucha Qiucao stared at her blankly, momentarily unable to respond. She mechanically nodded her head, then shook it again.

Xiao Longnu became anxious: “Do you or do you not know where Guo’er is?” This agitation caused her to cough, her clothes stained with blood.

Song Qingshu hurriedly interrupted her, “Longnu, don’t be anxious. Are you seriously injured?”

Under normal circumstances, he would never ask such a foolish question, as it was clear that Xiao Longnu was barely clinging to life. However, Xiao Longnu was almost a shared fairy in the hearts of all men from her past life, and Song Qingshu was no exception. Although there was no emotional connection between them, seeing her gravely injured still made his heart race.

Xiao Longnu had taken a full-force strike from the Five Elders of Quanzhen. Although it was only the Five Stars Convergence, its power was astonishing. Initially, upon hearing news of Yang Guo, she felt no pain, but now she felt her internal organs churning and instinctively grasped his hand, saying, “I… I…” The pain in her body was unbearable, and she could say no more.

Suddenly, she felt a chill throughout her body, as if her soul were about to leave her body. Her grip on Song Qingshu’s hand gradually slackened, but she still made an effort to turn her head to look at Pucha Qiucao: “Miss, do you know… do you know where Guo’er is?”

Pucha Qiucao had initially felt a bit jealous of this inexplicable rival, but seeing that Xiao Longnu was down to her last breath, focusing all her attention on Yang Guo, she couldn’t help but feel both ashamed and admiring. She instinctively shook her head: “I… I don’t know.” She was not lying; when Yang Guo had been forced into marriage in the palace, he had escaped under the pretext, and since then, no one in the Jin Dynasty knew where he had gone.

“You don’t know…” Xiao Longnu’s expression darkened, feeling as if all her strength had been drained. She sighed in despair, “It’s a pity that I won’t be able to see Guo’er before I die.”

In the great hall, the Five Elders of Quanzhen and all the disciples… everyone was silent, staring blankly at Xiao Longnu. During this time, no one wanted to make a move against them, and no one dared to.

As the saying goes, “Unconcerned with others,” Xiao Longnu spoke of her deep feelings for Yang Guo in front of numerous experts and countless Quanzhen daoist priests, treating all her formidable enemies as if they were nonexistent. That was truly being unconcerned with others.

When love reaches its peak, not only does it disregard the nobility and wealth of the world, but it also treats matters of life and death as trivial. Since Xiao Longnu no longer thought about life and death, what did it matter if the Quanzhen daoists were present or if all the heroes of the world gathered? It was merely death. Compared to that deep and unforgettable love, what did death count for?

At this moment, Xiao Longnu was gravely injured, and perhaps even a three-year-old child could take her life. Yet, though her voice was weak and powerless, there was an inherent dignity and fearless courage about her that made others hesitate to belittle her.

Song Qingshu held her tightly, continuously channeling True Qi into her body, saying in a deep voice, “I won’t let you die!”

With his assistance of True Qi, Xiao Longnu finally regained a bit of strength and looked up at him curiously: “Big Beard, do we know each other?”

Song Qingshu felt a pang in his heart and softly replied, “We didn’t know each other before, but we will from now on.”

Xiao Longnu smiled faintly: “Will I still have a future…”

“Of course!” Although Song Qingshu said this, he was not so optimistic in his heart. His True Qi flowed continuously into Xiao Longnu, but it was like a mud bull entering the sea, having no effect at all. He could only barely keep her alive, and healing her injuries was out of the question.

At this moment, the people of the Quanzhen sect finally came to their senses. 

Qiu Chuji shouted loudly, “This is the place of quiet cultivation of Chongyang Palace. Why have you all come here to disturb us today?” Wang Chu was even more furious, shouting, “Longnu, although there is a feud between your Ancient Tomb Sect and my Quanzhen Sect, it would be fine for both sides to settle it on their own. Why did you invite the Jin Dynasty invaders and various evil outsiders, causing the deaths of so many of my disciples?”

Xiao Longnu, heavily injured, could no longer distinguish right from wrong or engage in verbal disputes with them. Many of the disciples of the Quanzhen sect had been injured by her earlier, and coupled with her stabbing of Yin Zhiping, both the Yin and Zhang factions regarded her as an enemy. At this moment of turmoil, no one stepped forward to clarify the truth.

Song Qingshu frowned, but saving Xiao Longnu’s life was the priority. He was unwilling to engage in a verbal dispute with these old daoists, gently supporting Xiao Longnu’s waist, lifting her horizontally, and softly saying, “Longnu, I will take you to heal your injuries first. Don’t pay attention to these people!”

Xiao Longnu’s pale face gained a hint of color, and she said somewhat awkwardly, “Hey, you… you don’t have to hold me like this; I can… I can walk by myself?”

Song Qingshu said solemnly, “You are so severely injured now; how can you walk by yourself? Let me carry you to avoid aggravating your injuries.”

Xiao Longnu shook her head: “People are bound to die; what difference does it make if it’s early or late? You… you should let me down.”

Seeing her struggle to get up, Song Qingshu felt a headache coming on. Suddenly, an idea struck him: “If you die early, you won’t get to see your Guo’er. Do you still think there’s no difference between dying early or late, Longnu?”

“Guo’er?” A sweet expression appeared on Xiao Longnu’s face, and she indeed stopped struggling, lying quietly in his arms.

Daiqisi sighed secretly on the side. Even with an ugly mask on, this person still had his ways with women. Ouyang Feng’s expression was even more peculiar. His understanding of Song Qingshu was probably deeper than Daiqisi’s. Seeing his future daughter-in-law being held in his arms, he felt as if a sheep had entered a tiger’s den. However, given the current situation, he couldn’t say anything.

Qiu Chuji shouted, “How outrageous! Is Chongyang Palace a place you can come and go as you please? Disciples, set up the Big Dipper Formation!”

Seeing his beloved disciple perish, he was already filled with rage. Moreover, Song Qingshu and his group had injured many Quanzhen disciples on their way up the mountain. If they were allowed to flaunt their power and leave safely, how would Chongyang Palace maintain its standing in the wulin in the future?

As for Ouyang Feng and the others, although they were powerful, they were outnumbered. With hundreds of Quanzhen disciples in the hall, coupled with the Big Dipper Formation and the Gathering of the Seven Stars developed by his fellow disciples, they might seize this opportunity to eliminate these martial arts villains.