Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 1040: Giving Oneself

(Goblin Update: I recently got an offer for a job and had to move to another city. They offered me a permanent position after a few months of part-time service. This is a huge risk on my part because I had to leave all the part times I was doing in my home city. I am currently living in a hostel and in the process of settling down, so I don’t have access to my pc right now. I am thinking of gathering funds for a laptop. About $200 would do, I need to be able to just run Chrome on it. So if anyone wants to support me, you can become a Supreme Patron for a month, or head to my BuyMeaCoffee wishlist. Please support with however much you can. It would be a huge help. Thank you. Also, I am posting this from my phone, so there might be some formatting issues.)

Song Qingshu held Cheng Yaojia close as they hid inside a dense tree at Yuqing Temple, giving them a perfect view of the events unfolding in the courtyard.

The entire Yuqing Temple was swarming with foreign monks, while the Taoists of Yuqing Temple had been gathered together for supervision, clearly having lost their ability to resist.

Wang Baobao stood proudly in the courtyard, surrounded by the elite of the Prince Ruyang’s Palace.

Meanwhile, Han Dingxiao was in a state of disarray; the injured were dying, and the only one still capable of putting up a fight was Linghu Chong, who was disguised as Wu Tiande. With a sword in hand, he faced the combined assault of the two Xuanming Elders, showing no signs of losing ground. However, he was also entangled by the two elders, unable to escape.

Song Qingshu thought to himself: ‘Linghu Chong’s swordsmanship is extraordinary. If he were to face either of the Xuanming elders alone, he would have likely won by now. However, when the two elders joined forces, both their offense and defense were greatly enhanced. Even the accomplished Zhang Wuji from back then would have found it difficult to cope, let alone the current Linghu Chong. The fact that he could hold his ground without winning or losing was already thanks to the wonders of the Nine Swords of Dugu and the elders’ fear of the Cosmic Absorption Technique. Otherwise, Linghu Chong would have long been subdued under the Xuanming Divine Palm.’

“Your companions have already surrendered. Why do you still resist stubbornly? We Mongols value talent above all. As long as you lay down your weapons and join us, I guarantee your treatment will be far better than in the Southern Song,” Wang Baobao said, his eyes gleaming with greed upon witnessing Linghu Chong’s stunning swordplay.

Linghu Chong snorted coldly, “Less nonsense!”

He had always been chivalrous and would never betray his comrades in such a situation.

Han Dingxiao interjected, “Wang Baobao, the Southern Song and the Mongols are currently in peace talks. Isn’t your action tantamount to provoking war?”

Wang Baobao dismissed his concerns, saying, “So what if I provoke war? You Southern Song people are weak as it is. Many within the Mongol ranks do not support the Khan’s negotiations with you. If war breaks out, it might even be better.”

He was well aware that the Khan was determined to concentrate forces to deal with the Western nations and would never restart hostilities with the Southern Song at such a critical moment. However, he was not foolish enough to reveal this, as a renowned Mongol general, he knew the importance of bluster.

Han Dingxiao was momentarily intimidated by his words, his expression shifting between dark and light, unable to find his voice. In truth, he was also flustered because he had been planning a northern expedition against the Jin Dynasty for years, and now that his wish was about to be fulfilled, if war broke out with the Mongols, all his efforts would be in vain.

Seeing that the two Xuanming Elders were unable to subdue Linghu Chong, Wang Baobao quickly urged the Taoist Baishang and the Master of the Vajra Sect, “We need to resolve this quickly, or we risk alarming others. So I ask both gentlemen to take action and capture this man.”

Initially, the Taoist Baishang and the Master of the Vajra Sect would never stoop to bullying a junior, but having suffered a great loss at the hands of that so-called ‘Embroidered Flower Thief,’ they were already humiliated and could not afford to maintain their pride. Fortunately, they were surrounded by members of the Wangfu, and it was unlikely anyone would leak what happened today.

The two exchanged glances and simultaneously moved to attack Linghu Chong. Although Linghu Chong’s swordsmanship was high, how could he compete against so many masters? In just a few exchanges, his sword technique began to falter.

The Master of the Vajra Sect seized an opening and charged straight into his embrace. Linghu Chong was taken aback, and instinctively counterattacked with the Nine Swords of Dugu. However, the tip of his sword struck the opponent as if it had hit a piece of diamond rock, bending his long sword into an exaggerated arc.

Taking advantage of Linghu Chong’s momentary distraction, the Master of the Vajra Sect pointed at a vital acupoint on his chest. Linghu Chong spat out a mouthful of blood, and then was hit by a palm strike from the Taoist Baishang. Had it not been for the protection of the Star Absorption Technique, these two blows would have been enough to end his life.

Fortunately, Wang Baobao valued his talent and had ordered his subordinates to leave him alive, which is why the two elders did not continue their assault.

As the last person was captured, the Southern Song had lost all resistance, with Wang Baobao’s subordinates binding everyone. Song Qingshu furrowed his brows; although Wang Baobao had many skilled fighters, the Southern Song was not without its strengths, especially with the assistance of the Taoists from Yuqing Temple. With the advantage of numbers and terrain, how could they be subdued so quickly?

As he moved his nose, Song Qingshu suddenly caught a strange scent, and his heart sank; it was the fragrance of the Ten Fragrant Softening Powder. He realized that they must have used some method to release its effects into the air, causing many from Yuqing Temple to lose their ability to resist in their sleep, which led to the one-sided situation in the battle.

Cheng Yaojia tightly clutched her clothing, watching the situation below, and finally spotted her husband, looking dejected and being pressed down by a Mongol soldier. She gasped in shock and moved instinctively. Having learned from the previous incident in He Garden, Song Qingshu had been paying attention to her movements. Seeing her attempt to rush in, he quickly grabbed her.

“Let go of me, I need to save my husband!” Fortunately, the noise from a distance was loud, and Cheng Yaojia’s voice was soft, which prevented alerting the people from the Prince Ruyang’s Palace.

Song Qingshu shouted, “Madam, calm down! Going down now is no different from seeking death!”

“But I can’t just sit here and watch husband suffer while I do nothing,” Cheng Yaojia argued. She understood that with her martial skills, even a random foreign monk could easily defeat her, but even so, she had the courage to share life and death with her husband.

“It’s not about doing nothing; it’s about planning for the long term.” Fearing she might recklessly jump down, Song Qingshu held her tightly. “Right now, we are outnumbered. Madam, let’s return to the Daotai Yamen first, and we can discuss how to rescue them.”

“But…” Cheng Yaojia was about to speak again when Song Qingshu interrupted her, “There’s no ‘but.’ Don’t worry, you heard it earlier; Wang Baobao won’t kill them. Your husband will only suffer a little, and for now, his life is not in danger.”

Hearing his words, Cheng Yaojia gradually calmed down, realizing he had a point, and slowly gave up her struggle.

“Then let’s go,” she said, now composed. Song Qingshu nodded and quietly led her away from Yuqing Temple.

On the way back to the Daotai Yamen, Song Qingshu kept comforting Cheng Yaojia, but unfortunately, she seemed lost in thought, not aware of what was going on. He had to start thinking about how to face the current situation himself.

In a way, Wang Baobao had inadvertently helped him today. Originally, Li Kexiu was close to reaching an agreement with the Southern Song, and Song Qingshu was troubled about how to stop it. However, with Wang Baobao’s actions today, Li Kexiu naturally couldn’t collude with the Southern Song anymore.

Moreover, the Jianghuai region did not border the Mongols, and this inherent disadvantage made it impossible for Li Kexiu to easily side with them, giving Song Qingshu enough time to devise his own plans.

Upon returning to the Daotai Yamen, Song Qingshu said to Cheng Yaojia, “Madam, you’ve been through too much tonight. You should go back to your room and rest well. I will think of a way to help you rescue your husband.”

Cheng Yaojia nodded but showed no intention of leaving; instead, she followed him into his room.

“What is this, Madam?” Just as Song Qingshu was about to ask, he was stunned by what happened next.

Cheng Yaojia silently began to remove her outer garments, revealing skin as smooth and radiant as jade.