Flower Stealing Master

Song Qingshu furrowed his brows, swung his sword backward, and a sharp surge of sword Qi shot into the sky. 

You Tanzhi’s pupils shrank, and he hurriedly clasped his palms together, summoning a swirl of black wind to shield himself.

The sword Qi collided with the black wind, forcing You Tanzhi to retreat even faster than when he approached. He stumbled back more than ten steps before he managed to steady himself.

Song Qingshu inwardly sighed in regret. If You Tanzhi hadn’t made some progress in practicing the Marrow Cleansing Scripture, this strike would have left him either dead or gravely injured.

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, You Tanzhi let out an enraged roar and charged forward again. However, just as he moved, his expression suddenly changed, and his eyes darted around as if inspecting his iron helmet.

The crowd looked on in confusion until a cracking sound, reminiscent of an eggshell breaking, came from above his head. Everyone turned to see the iron helmet on You Tanzhi’s head splitting apart with a series of sharp cracks.

“Eh!”

“Ugh!”

“So ugly!”

Gasps filled the air. Beneath the helmet was an extraordinarily disfigured face. You Tanzhi’s skin appeared burned or scalded, covered in grotesque, scarlet lumps of flesh that were both horrifying and nauseating.

Even Ren Yingying, who had witnessed countless life-and-death situations, instinctively closed her eyes and leaned her head against Song Qingshu’s shoulder. 

Wu Yunzhu took one glance and immediately turned her head away in fright. 

Even Ah Zi’s charming face showed a faint tremor, as she struggled to suppress her disgust.

You Tanzhi had always been deeply insecure. Now, exposing his most hideous side in front of the person he loved, he heard the murmurs of the crowd and couldn’t stop his tears from welling up.

Song Qingshu frowned slightly. He had always felt pity for the tragic fate of You Tanzhi in the original story. However, witnessing his cruel act of attacking an innocent girl without hesitation, merely because of a word from Ah Zi, made him realize that pitiful people often have detestable traits.

The group of black-clad men hesitated, intimidated by the power of Song Qingshu’s earlier strike. They dared not advance and instead encircled them.

Song Qingshu was pleased by their reluctance to attack, as it gave him a chance to expel the cold poison from Ren Yingying.

Sou Etu, ever perceptive, had discerned the situation during the skirmish. This mysterious man possessed extraordinary Qinggong and was clearly stalling to save him and his daughter. Moved by this realization, he quickly said, “Brave warrior, you’ve done your best. You don’t need to concern yourself with me. Just save my daughter.”

Wu Yunzhu exclaimed in alarm, “No, Father! If we live, we live together; if we die, we die together. I won’t leave you!” She then turned to Song Qingshu, tears glistening in her eyes. “Big Brother, take this sister and go. Don’t worry about me.”

Song Qingshu frowned but hadn’t had the chance to reply when Wu Yunzhu continued, “But I don’t want to die with regrets. Before I die, Big Brother, could you fulfill one last wish of mine?”

“What wish?” Song Qingshu asked, intrigued.

“Could you take off your mask and let me see your face?” Wu Yunzhu looked at him with anticipation.

Song Qingshu couldn’t help but laugh. At such a moment, she still cared about this. Shaking his head with a smile, he said, “You won’t die. You’ll have plenty of chances to see it in the future.” With that, he turned to Ah Zi. 𝙧

Ah Zi instinctively took a step back, tightening her grip on Wu Yunzhu’s neck. “Don’t come any closer! If you do, I can’t guarantee I won’t accidentally kill her in panic.”

“Do you think eyes are beautiful?” Song Qingshu asked calmly.

“So what if I do?” Ah Zi raised her chin, though she inwardly regretted provoking such a dangerous man.

“You like beautiful eyes, don’t you?” Song Qingshu chuckled faintly. “Do you think my eyes are beautiful?”

“A grown man calling his own eyes beautiful, how disgusting!” Ah Zi muttered to herself. However, she couldn’t help but glance at his eyes. To her surprise, they seemed like a vortex of nothingness, pulling her gaze inescapably into an abyss of darkness.

“Are my eyes beautiful?” Song Qingshu’s lips curled into a faint smile. He rarely used the Bewitching Technique on women, finding it too easy to win their favor this way. It lacked the satisfaction of conquering them through his own charm. However, for someone as vicious as Ah Zi, he had no patience for such games.

“Beautiful~” Ah Zi murmured.

“Would you like to stay by my side and look at them for the rest of your life?” Song Qingshu asked.

A trace of struggle flashed across Ah Zi’s face. Yet, with Song Qingshu’s formidable mental strength fully unleashed, how could she resist? “I would.”

“Call me Master,” Song Qingshu said coldly.

“Master,” Ah Zi responded sweetly with a crisp and melodious voice.

Song Qingshu deliberately used his True Qi to set up a barrier around them, ensuring that their conversation could only be heard by Ren Yingying, who was in his arms, and Wu Yunzhu, who was held hostage by Ah Zi. No one else could hear a word.

“Come to me,” Song Qingshu said with a satisfied smile, beckoning Ah Zi over.

Ah Zi curtsied slightly and replied obediently, “Yes, Master.” She then walked to Song Qingshu’s side, naturally releasing Wu Yunzhu in the process.

Witnessing this, Wu Yunzhu’s mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg, her face filled with disbelief. She couldn’t understand why the previously arrogant young demoness was now so obedient to her elder brother. 

‘Could he be an immortal in disguise?’

Ren Yingying, on the other hand, was worldly-wise. Recalling certain rumors from the martial world, she couldn’t help but feel alarmed. ‘Could he know the legendary Bewitching Technique?’ 

If that were true, she’d have to be extra careful in the future and avoid making eye contact with him. Otherwise, she might end up like Ah Zi, muddled and enslaved, compelled to obey his every command. Just the thought sent chills down her spine.

But soon, Ren Yingying chastised herself: ‘Ren Yingying, how could you think like this? This man risked his life to save you. His actions so far clearly show that he is a noble and upright gentleman. How could you doubt and guard against your benefactor?’

Unaware of the women’s inner thoughts, Song Qingshu leaned close to Ah Zi and whispered a few words into her ear. Ah Zi nodded repeatedly. “Yes, Master,” she replied.

You Tanzhi had been wallowing in self-pity when he suddenly noticed how close Song Qingshu was to his goddess. The intimate way they interacted, with no trace of displeasure on Ah Zi’s face, made him burn with rage. “Let go of Ah Zi, you scoundrel!” he shouted, preparing to charge forward.

“Junior Brother, this senior and I only had a misunderstanding. He has been magnanimous and resolved our grievances,” Ah Zi said with a smile, her eyes narrowing.

“But—” You Tanzhi felt dissatisfied. His frustration bubbled within him, yet he didn’t know how to express it.

“There’s no ‘but’ about it. Are you disobeying me now?” Ah Zi’s charming face turned frosty in an instant.

“No, no,” You Tanzhi said hastily, waving his hands. “I’d never disobey you, Ah Zi.”

Nearby, Zuo Lengchan was both shocked and furious. He couldn’t comprehend why Ah Zi had suddenly turned against him. Without You Tanzhi, he knew he wouldn’t be able to handle their opponent alone.

“Young Hero You,” Zuo Lengchan said, attempting to reason with him, “a true man stands tall between heaven and earth. With your martial arts, you could easily become the leader of a sect. Why bow and scrape to a mere girl? If you fancy this little lady, I can capture her for you later. She can be your servant, your maid, or even your bed warmer—whatever pleases you.”

Unexpectedly, You Tanzhi didn’t waver at Zuo Lengchan’s words. Instead, he erupted in anger. “How dare you insult Ah Zi!”

Ah Zi snorted coldly. “Junior Brother, this man has a wicked heart. From the beginning, he treated us as mere tools and now even tries to sow discord between us. He’s utterly detestable!”

You Tanzhi’s eyes lit up. “If Ah Zi doesn’t like him, I’ll take his life!” Without another word, he charged toward Zuo Lengchan.

Zuo Lengchan was stunned. He hadn’t anticipated You Tanzhi would attack so decisively. The black-clad men around them, seeing the disdainful way You Tanzhi and Ah Zi spoke of Zuo Lengchan, grew furious. They raised their weapons and attacked You Tanzhi.

“Stand back!” Zuo Lengchan shouted.

However, the men ignored his command. They were elite fighters he had painstakingly gathered to ambush Suo Etu. During the earlier chaos, they had already noticed that You Tanzhi’s flashy moves belied his poor combat skills. None of them feared him. Instead, they saw this as an opportunity to kill him and curry favor with Zuo Lengchan.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The moment they clashed, the black-clad fighters’ expressions changed drastically. Previously, with Song Qingshu taking on most of the Frost Qi from You Tanzhi, they hadn’t noticed its severity. But now, facing You Tanzhi alone, they realized how terrifying his internal energy was. A single strike from him left many of them trembling from the cold. Those unfortunate enough to take a direct hit found their bodies covered in frost, their lives extinguished instantly.

Zuo Lengchan’s heart bled at the sight. These were men he had spent great effort recruiting, intended as his secret weapon for uniting the Five Sacred Mountains Alliance. Yet here they were, falling like flies.

Though Zuo Lengchan had initially hoped to unite forces with You Tanzhi against the mysterious enemy, the latter had now killed too many of his men. He realized that continuing to attempt reconciliation would only cause the remaining black-clad fighters to lose faith in him.

Making a swift decision, Zuo Lengchan roared and lunged at You Tanzhi, aiming to eliminate him quickly before dealing with the mysterious figure.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Zuo Lengchan, an accomplished master, was far more experienced and perceptive than You Tanzhi. He immediately spotted openings in You Tanzhi’s defense and landed several strikes.

However, Zuo Lengchan’s expression quickly darkened. His Frost True Qi Technique, which he had honed over many years as a secret weapon, had no effect on You Tanzhi. Even the legendary masters of the demonic sect would succumb to this Frost True Qi Technique if they were careless. Yet You Tanzhi, after taking multiple hits, remained unscathed.

“Be careful!” Master Fang Zheng suddenly called out.

Only then did Zuo Lengchan realize that while he had been momentarily distracted, You Tanzhi’s counterattack was already upon him, with both palms aiming directly at his chest.

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