Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 618: Tiger, Wolves, and Fox

(G: This is probably the longest FSM chapter I have translated until now. 3600 words, which makes it 3x the usual, so 3 chapters in one. I would usually divide it into parts, but chose not to since this was a sponsored chapter from Sixth.)

Although Song Qingshu’s displayed martial skills were impressive, the leader of the black-clad men had his own confidence. His self-created Frost True Qi Technique was a unique skill in the martial world, having already claimed the lives of many martial experts. He believed that even if the mysterious person before him had greater internal energy, under the influence of the Frost True Qi Technique, the opponent would not fare well.

“Competing in internal energy? Fine,” Song Qingshu smirked. His cultivation speed with the Joyful Meditation Method could be described as “advancing by leaps and bounds,” and after understanding the concept of virtual meridians, he also practiced the Nine Yin Scripture and the Divine Brilliance Scripture. 

Any one of these internal Qi cultivation skills, when cultivated to the extreme, could surpass all others, let alone the fact that he practiced all three. As far as internal energy was concerned, looking at the entire martial world, only three or five people were worth worrying about.

At this moment, Ren Yingying suddenly snorted, “Since the leader of the Thirteen Protectors of Mount Song, Ding Mian, has arrived, that old man with white hair must be the White-haired Immortal Bu Chen. The martial world has long rumored that the White-haired Immortal and the Bald Eagle, Sha Tianjiang, have never been far apart. The person who died earlier must have been the Bald Eagle. With three of the Thirteen Protectors here, why does the Left Alliance Leader need to hide his identity?”

“Miss Ren truly has sharp eyes,” the leader of the black-clad men laughed loudly. At this point, there was no need to hide his identity. He tore off his veil, revealing himself as Zuo Lengchan, the leader of the Five Sacred Mountain Sword Alliance.

“The influence of Mount Song is far in Henan, yet the Left Alliance Leader dares to assassinate Qing Empire diplomats within the Golden Serpent Camp’s territory. What is your intention?” Ren Yingying sneered.

“Indeed, women’s hearts are as deep as the sea. Miss Ren, you’ve already forgotten about that brat Linghu Chong, and are now only concerned about your fiancé,” Zuo Lengchan chuckled. “But Miss Ren, you are overthinking. As a Han, it is my duty to kill those Manchu dogs. What intention could there be?”

“You!” Ren Yingying’s face turned pale with anger. As soon as Zuo Lengchan mentioned Linghu Chong, she lost her composure, thinking to herself, ‘If I defend this b’stard Song Qingshu now, my reputation will be ruined in the martial world. People will think I want to marry him. If Chong Ge finds out, it’ll be a disaster.’

Seeing that Ren Yingying turned her head and remained silent, Zuo Lengchan stopped looking at her and instead turned his gaze to Song Qingshu. “I wonder, are you a Manchu or a Han?”
“Naturally, I am Han,” Song Qingshu replied, guessing what he was about to say, without minding.

“Since you’re Han, why help this Manchu dog official?” Zuo Lengchan’s voice turned cold. “Don’t you know about the Ten Days of Yangzhou and the Three Slaughters of Jiading?”

Song Qingshu inwardly sighed. ‘Zuo Lengchan is indeed a ruthless villain. He assassinated Suo Etu for his own benefit, yet now he speaks as if he’s avenging the Han people.’

Before he could respond, Wu Yunzhu interrupted, “There are good and bad people among the Han, and the same goes for the Manchu. My father has never harmed a Han person. In fact, he helped the Emperor rid the court of the traitor Ao Bai. Back then, Ao Bai’s hands were soaked with the blood of your Han people. When he was arrogant, where were you wulin people? You didn’t dare to seek out the real enemy but came after my father instead. What kind of reasoning is that?”

Seeing this weak girl, who knew no martial arts, speak so confidently in front of so many masters, Song Qingshu couldn’t help but be surprised. ‘This little girl is quite sharp. She’s definitely not like ordinary ladies from the inner chambers.’

However, Zuo Lengchan remained indifferent and sneered, “Reasoning? What reason is there for the Ten Days of Yangzhou, the Three Slaughters of Jiading, when so many innocent souls were slaughtered?”

“You’re just grasping at straws!” Wu Yunzhu tightly pressed her lips together, her heart filled with grievance. 

Zuo Lengchan paid no attention to her words, and this left her with a deep sense of helplessness.

Song Qingshu walked over and patted her shoulder, offering comfort. “You don’t need to mind too much. Do you know why everyone in wulin works so hard to cultivate martial arts?”

Wu Yunzhu shook her head in confusion.

“Because only when your martial arts are strong enough will idiots bother to reason with you,” Song Qingshu said, his gaze drifting to Zuo Lengchan.

Ren Yingying couldn’t help but chuckle, thinking, ‘This person is really ruthless. The little girl just spoke reasonably, but Zuo Lengchan had no intention of reasoning with her. Now, with this remark, everyone knows who he’s insulting.’

Although Song Qingshu had never heard the term “idiot” before, he understood it from context. Zuo Lengchan immediately fumed with rage. “You are too disrespectful!”

Song Qingshu smiled. “You’ve been shifting the concepts all over the place, and now you expect me to show respect? I’m just giving you a taste of your own medicine.”

Zuo Lengchan’s face turned livid. “You rely on your martial skills, do you think you can ignore the laws of heaven?”

“If your martial skills were superior to mine, would you be reasoning with me right now?” Song Qingshu scoffed. “As the saying goes, heaven is not benevolent, and treats all things as straw dogs. In this world, whoever’s fist is stronger, their words are the truth.”

Ren Yingying’s eyes sparkled. ‘His views are quite similar to Father’s. He seems to be a mix of righteous and evil, with methods resembling those of the unorthodox sect. He will never be accepted by the righteous path. If we can recruit him into our cult, it would be a great achievement.’

“Amitabha, the benefactor already shows signs of being possessed by the wrong path. The sea of suffering is endless; turning back is the shore.” 

A deep, resonant Buddhist chant stirred everyone’s spirits. Soon, an elderly monk with a kind expression walked out from the forest.

When Zuo Lengchan saw the monk’s face, he immediately felt overjoyed and hurried forward to bow. “I greet Master Fang Zheng.” The reason he had spoken so harshly to Song Qingshu earlier was merely out of fear of his martial skills. He worried that if a fight broke out, the Mount Song Sect might suffer heavy losses. Now that Master Fang Zheng was here, he knew that this crisis would soon pass.

In these troubled times, where various factions rose to power, the Mount Song Sect was neighbors with the Shaolin Temple. They understood well that if one fell, the other would too. So, they had already secretly formed an alliance, supporting each other in the martial world.

Zuo Lengchan also knew that Shaolin was likely worried about his merging with the Five Sacred Mountain Sword Sects. This would greatly increase his strength and threaten their position as the leader in the martial world. However, up until now, the tensions between the two sects hadn’t escalated. If anything happened to the Mount Song Sect, Master Fang Zheng would surely not stand idly by.

“Breathing evenly, energy long and steady. I’ve heard Master Fang Zheng has greatly mastered the Marrow Cleansing Scripture, truly a name well-earned,” Song Qingshu said, slightly bowing in respect.

In the original ‘Smiling, Proud Wanderer’, when Ren Woxing fought with Master Fang Zheng, he was clearly at a disadvantage. In the end, Ren Woxing had to resort to tricks to win by a narrow margin, which showed that Master Fang Zheng’s martial arts were far superior to his.

However, that was not why Song Qingshu bowed. He did so out of respect for the master’s compassionate heart, something everyone in the martial world acknowledged.

As for the original plot, where he and Chong Xu secretly used Linghu Chong as a pawn, Song Qingshu didn’t see anything wrong with it. After all, that was simply their role, not a reflection of their morals.

“Amitabha,” Master Fang Zheng called out, “The Marrow Cleansing Scripture is vast and profound. I have only scratched the surface. How dare I claim to have mastered it.”

“To have such cultivation with only a glimpse of its method, I must test whether the Marrow Cleansing Scripture is truly as magical as they say,” Song Qingshu said, vanishing from his original position the moment the words left his mouth.

Master Fang Zheng’s pupils contracted, his palms immediately raising to guard his chest. In an instant, countless palm shadows exploded in front of him.

A dull sound rang out, and the crowd saw an invisible force erupt around Master Fang Zheng, causing the fallen leaves on the ground to be instantly shattered. Song Qingshu had already returned to his original position.

“Master’s Thousand-Hand Buddha Palm is truly legendary,” Song Qingshu said with a faint smile.

Master Fang Zheng gave a wry smile. “The benefactor only used one palm, while I used nineteen to counter it. It’s too much praise.”

Everyone in the crowd was astonished. Master Fang Zheng held an unparalleled position at Shaolin Temple, revered for both his virtue and martial skill. It was said that his abilities surpassed even the current abbot Xuan Ci. Such a person had to use nineteen palms to counter one strike from this unknown person?

Zuo Lengchan’s face darkened. He knew Master Fang Zheng’s martial arts well. He had initially thought that if they worked together, no matter how high the opponent’s martial skills were, they would not fare well. Now, it seemed that he had underestimated his opponent.

In stark contrast to Zuo Lengchan’s gloomy expression, Wu Yunzhu was filled with excitement. 

‘So my Big Brother is this powerful!’

Ren Yingying was lost in thought, a bit dazed. ‘I wonder who is stronger—this man or that b*stard Song Qingshu…’

“Master, you’re too modest,” Song Qingshu said, putting away his smile and looking at Zuo Lengchan. “Didn’t the leader say we were going to compete in internal energy? Will we still compete?”

Song Qingshu’s mind was now set on killing. Back at the Mount Tai Jade Emperor Peak, he had already offended Zuo Lengchan. Later, during the Golden Snake Conference, Zuo Lengchan’s plan had been thwarted by Song Qingshu’s unintentional interference. Zuo Lengchan had hated him deeply ever since. 

Moreover, Zuo Lengchan was a talented and ambitious person, with the same desire for power. The Mount Song Sect and the Golden Serpent Camp were not far apart, and it was only a matter of time before conflict arose. Zuo Lengchan’s secret assassination of the Qing envoy was clearly an attempt to sabotage peace talks between the Qing Dynasty and the Golden Serpent Camp, acting on a mindset of striking first.

Zuo Lengchan’s expression shifted between anger and uncertainty. After a long silence, he snorted. “Of course we will compete.” In his mind, if it were a fair contest, he would probably lose, but if they only tested internal energy, he could narrow the gap. With his Frost True Qi Technique as his trump card, he might even turn the tables.

Noticing the glint in Zuo Lengchan’s eyes, Song Qingshu knew exactly what he was planning. Back at the Mount Tai Jade Emperor Peak, they had already tested their internal energy, and Zuo Lengchan had lost. Now, Song Qingshu was much stronger, and if he didn’t take this chance to cripple Zuo Lengchan, it would be a waste of the trap he had carefully laid.

“Please bear witness, Master Fang Zheng,” Zuo Lengchan said, bowing to him.

“This…” Master Fang Zheng hesitated. “Testing internal energy is extremely dangerous. Both of you should stop as soon as possible.”

“Of course,” Song Qingshu and Zuo Lengchan answered in unison, though both could see the insincerity in the other’s words.

“Please, enlighten me!” Zuo Lengchan extended two fingers, slowly pushing them toward Song Qingshu.

Song Qingshu smiled slightly and raised his palm to meet it.

When their fingers and palms met, feeling Zuo Lengchan’s vast internal energy, Song Qingshu showed a look of surprise. It seemed that since the Jade Emperor Peak, Zuo Lengchan had made considerable progress in his skills. No wonder he was so confident.

After some probing, Zuo Lengchan thought to himself that Song Qingshu’s internal energy was not as great as he had imagined. Though slightly stronger than his own, it wasn’t by much. He sneered and released the Frost True Qi Technique that had been hidden in his meridians, sending it surging directly into Song Qingshu’s body.

At this moment, from an outsider’s perspective, the two fingers of Zuo Lengchan were surrounded by a faint mist, quickly becoming as cold as a millennium-old ice, crystal clear with a subtle chill radiating from them.

“Frost True Qi Technique!” Ren Yingying couldn’t help but exclaim. She recognized this special attribute of True Qi and knew that without proper defense, it could easily cause significant harm. She turned to look at Song Qingshu, worried, but found that he appeared calm and relaxed.

Zuo Lengchan’s face gradually changed. He noticed that no matter how much Frost True Qi Technique he sent out, it seemed to vanish without a trace, as if it had entered the sea without a ripple. No ice crystals were forming on the opponent’s palm.

Zuo Lengchan realized he had likely made a grave mistake. However, with no way to retreat, he knew that if he withdrew his inner strength now, the opponent would attack and, if he didn’t die, he’d be severely crippled. He gritted his teeth and poured all his Qi into the Frost True Qi Technique, knowing that his opponent was using deep inner strength to continuously neutralize his attack. However, he reasoned that no matter how profound the opponent’s inner strength was, it had its limits. It would come down to who could outlast whom.

Song Qingshu silently sighed. If not for his cultivation of the Divine Brilliance True Qi, which was supremely Yang in nature, he might have been troubled by Zuo Lengchan’s exceedingly cold True Qi. But in this situation, no matter how thick the iceberg, it would still melt before the sun. As the right moment approached, Song Qingshu planned to use his supreme Yang Qi to force his True Qi back into Zuo Lengchan’s body, completely destroying his cultivation.

Just as he was preparing, a girl’s voice suddenly came from a distance: “There’s someone fighting over there. Junior Brother, let’s go take a look… Oh, that little girl has such beautiful eyes. Junior Brother, could you go and bring them to me?”

The voice was soft and delicate, sweet to the ear, yet the words were vicious, sending a chill down one’s spine.

“Sure!” A gruff man’s voice responded. In a flash, a dark figure darted toward Wu Yunzhu.

“Ah~ Big Brother, save me!” Wu Yunzhu suddenly realized that the person was referring to her. The image of her eyes being gouged out flashed in her mind, causing a chill of terror to wash over her, and she screamed instinctively.

Song Qingshu’s expression hardened. He didn’t have time to deal with Zuo Lengchan, so he pushed him away with a burst of energy and immediately shot toward Wu Yunzhu.

But Zuo Lengchan gritted his teeth, knowing that this was his only chance. He suppressed the surging blood within him, pulled out his sword, and blocked Song Qingshu’s path.

“Seeking death!” Song Qingshu swept his sleeve.

Zuo Lengchan was stunned to find his sword had turned into a twisted mess, his shock causing a momentary lapse in his focus. A powerful force slammed into his chest, and he felt a chill in his heart, realizing his life was in danger.

“Show mercy, Benefactor!” Fang Zheng cried out in alarm. His large robe suddenly appeared in front of Zuo Lengchan’s chest, but it quickly tore into pieces.

“Arhat Evil Subduing Divine Skill!” Zuo Lengchan’s pupils contracted. As a grandmaster himself, he quickly understood what had happened. With Fang Zheng’s interruption, he immediately reacted, channeling his full strength to strike at Song Qingshu.

Bang!

A trickle of blood appeared at the corner of Zuo Lengchan’s mouth as he was sent flying backward. He silently rejoiced, thinking, If not for the other side being in such a hurry to save his companion, I’d probably be dead by now.

Song Qingshu, however, was in a state of panic. The delay caused by the two had allowed the dark figure to reach Wu Yunzhu and was already stretching out its hand to gouge out her eyes.

Just as Wu Yunzhu was about to despair, a sharp reprimand suddenly rang out in her ears. A graceful figure, accompanied by the scent of flowers, brandished a short sword and lunged at the dark figure. Wu Yunzhu looked up in shock to see it was the beautiful Ren Yingying.

In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged several blows. Suddenly, Ren Yingying cried out in surprise as the dark figure pressed its palm onto her shoulder, causing her to fall to the ground. The dark figure didn’t even glance at her and continued to attack Wu Yunzhu.

Song Qingshu snorted coldly. With Ren Yingying holding the enemy off for just a moment, that was enough. Though he was still some distance away from Wu Yunzhu, his next step placed him directly in front of her.

“Minute Ice Ripple Step!”

The bystanders saw nothing but a flash, completely unaware of what had happened. However, Fang Zheng and Zuo Lengchan saw it clearly and couldn’t help but gasp. They had just witnessed the legendary technique!

The dark figure also didn’t expect Song Qingshu to appear before him so suddenly. He froze for a moment, then immediately swung his palm toward Song Qingshu. Seeing the dark figure’s palm strike, which carried a gust of dark wind, Song Qingshu’s heart tightened. He quickly gathered his strength and returned the strike.

The dark figure attacked from the air, carrying the weight of the sky, while Song Qingshu stood firm on the ground, supported by the solid earth. The two exchanged blows back and forth, and in the blink of an eye, they had fought over twenty exchanges, leaving the onlookers dazed.

“Big Brother, Sister Ren is freezing to the core! She looks like she’s about to die!” Wu Yunzhu’s voice was full of panic.

“Get lost!” Song Qingshu was greatly alarmed. He suddenly shouted, grabbing the opponent by the shoulder and throwing him forcefully to the side.

It was only then that the crowd could clearly see the figure—a tough man who had just crawled out of the dust. He seemed weak and nearly fell again, but managed to stabilize himself, his eyes wide with fear as they stared at Song Qingshu.

Song Qingshu immediately recognized him as You Tanzhi, the participant from the Golden Serpent Assembly. However, he didn’t have time to deal with him now. He rushed to Wu Yunzhu’s side and saw Ren Yingying trembling in her arms, her teeth chattering as if she were trapped in an ice cellar. After a moment, her lips turned purple, and her complexion shifted from pale to a bluish hue.

Earlier, during his fight with You Tanzhi, Song Qingshu had sensed the man’s formidable inner strength, which was unusually cold and strange, and laced with poison. Recalling the events from the original story, Song Qingshu deduced that You Tanzhi’s body contained Ice Silkworm Cold Poison, cultivated with the Marrow Cleansing Scripture, creating a vicious inner force that combined the essence of both righteousness and evil, capable of resisting even the mighty Qiao Feng.

Song Qingshu quickly placed his palm on Ren Yingying’s back and sent a stream of the most Yang Qi into her. Her complexion gradually regained some color. However, he wasn’t relieved, as he knew the cold poison in her body couldn’t be cured so easily. And with strong enemies closing in, it was unlikely that he would have the chance to heal her.

As expected, Zuo Lengchan quickly reacted, laughing loudly: “Miss Ren’s current condition is such that unless you pour your inner strength into her to keep her alive, she’ll die at any moment. However, if you keep her alive by providing her with Qi, can you really be a match for us? I suggest you let go of Miss Ren. After all, it was not you who harmed her, and you need not worry about revenge from the Sun Moon Holy Cult.”

Song Qingshu replied indifferently, “Don’t try to provoke me. Even if I only have one hand, it’s not so easy for you to defeat me.”

Ren Yingying, though still trembling and her teeth clattering, heard Song Qingshu’s words and felt a wave of gratitude in her heart. She struggled to speak despite the pain: “Senior, you are not obligated to risk your life for me. My death is of no consequence. I only wish for you to kill these despicable people. With them buried, I will die with a smile in my grave.”

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