Flower Stealing Master

Wu Yunzhu mustered all her strength to keep chasing, but the figure ahead grew increasingly distant. As she watched the silhouette about to vanish completely, panic struck her. Just as she attempted to quicken her pace, her feet stumbled, and she fell hard to the ground. Looking up again, the figure was nowhere to be seen.

Tears welled in Wu Yunzhu’s eyes as she sat on the ground, sobbing.

“Little girl, who bullied you?” A familiar voice suddenly came from behind.

Wu Yunzhu turned around in surprise and saw the expert standing quietly behind her. Pouting, she said, “Of course, it’s you who bullied me!”

Song Qingshu laughed helplessly. “You tripped on your own, and I was so far away. How could it be me bullying you?”

Wiping her eyes, Wu Yunzhu huffed, “You were in front of me just now, but now you’re behind me. Clearly, you’re messing with me! With your high-level skills, maybe you secretly caused me to fall.”

“I came back to check if you were hurt when I saw you fall. A good deed really doesn’t go unpunished.” Song Qingshu sighed.

“Fine, I won’t blame you anymore,” Wu Yunzhu said with a playful tone, extending her hand toward him. “Help me up.”

Looking at the delicate, pale hand in front of him, Song Qingshu smiled bitterly. “Haven’t you heard of the saying ‘Men and women should maintain proper distance’? How can you have no sense of precaution?”

“I don’t see you as a man!” Wu Yunzhu replied, surprised, blurting out her thoughts.

Fortunately, Song Qingshu was wearing a mask; otherwise, he imagined his face would’ve turned dark.

Noticing his reaction, Wu Yunzhu realized her words were inappropriate. “Ah, I didn’t mean it like that! I meant that someone of your caliber feels like a senior to me, so I didn’t think about gender distinctions… Wait, are you saying you have improper thoughts about me?”

Song Qingshu felt his head throbbing. Rumors in the capital spoke of Suo Etu’s daughter as a well-educated, graceful lady, but the version he met felt entirely different. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Letting out a soft snort, he waved his sleeve. Wu Yunzhu suddenly felt a gentle force at her waist, lifting her effortlessly to her feet.

“What kind of martial art is this? It’s amazing!” Wu Yunzhu asked curiously after being set upright.

“Striking the cow through the mountain,” Song Qingshu replied bluntly.

“Striking the cow through the mountain?” Wu Yunzhu was momentarily stunned before stomping her foot. “How dare you insult me!”

Song Qingshu smiled faintly but didn’t explain. Instead, he changed the subject. “Your companion cares so much for you, escorting you along the way. Don’t you feel guilty leaving him behind like this?” ℞

“He’s a first-class imperial guard, yet he couldn’t handle two minor figures from the martial world! I was scared half to death because of him. I haven’t even confronted him about it yet. Leaving him behind is already being merciful. Besides, this might motivate him to train harder in martial arts. He should thank me,” Wu Yunzhu retorted confidently.

Song Qingshu was speechless and felt compelled to defend the poor Nalan Rongruo. “Those two weren’t minor figures in the martial world, especially the bandit from Qinghai. His martial skills rival many sect leaders. Your companion is young; it’s normal for him to lose.”

Wu Yunzhu’s eyes lit up. “Since that Qinghai bandit was so powerful, and you killed him without even showing yourself, doesn’t that make you invincible in the martial world?”

Song Qingshu replied indifferently, “There’s always someone better. Who dares claim invincibility in this world? As long as I can defeat those I need to, that’s enough for me.”

“Can you defeat the Golden Serpent King?” Wu Yunzhu persisted, clearly intrigued by the topic.

“Why would I need to fight him?” Song Qingshu asked before turning to leave.

“Hey, don’t go! You’re walking too fast; I can’t keep up!” Wu Yunzhu shouted anxiously, still shaken from earlier.

Song Qingshu paused briefly. “At your pace, by the time you find your father, his body will be cold.” From the earlier conversation between the Qinghai Yixiao and Chu Hongliu, he had gathered that Zuo Lengchan was plotting something against Suo Etu. Given Suo Etu’s critical role in the negotiations between the Qing Dynasty and the Golden Serpent Camp, he couldn’t let him die.

“Oh, right!” Wu Yunzhu suddenly remembered the danger her father might be in. “Then, you should take me with you!”

Song Qingshu glanced at her again. He couldn’t tell if she truly lacked a sense of gender boundaries or if she was pretending, but he didn’t mind. After all, it wasn’t him who’d be at a disadvantage.

Seeing him reach out his hand without hesitation, Wu Yunzhu’s eyes curved into crescent moons as she eagerly placed her hand in his.

Feeling the soft, delicate hand in his palm, Song Qingshu couldn’t help but marvel at how Suo Etu managed to raise such a pampered daughter.

Wu Yunzhu, feeling the warmth from his hand, blushed. To ease the awkwardness, she broke the silence. “Senior, why do you wear a mask?”

“Because I’m ugly,” Song Qingshu replied with a faint smile, guiding her through the forest with Qinggong.

As the wind rushed past, stinging her cheeks, Wu Yunzhu instinctively moved closer to him. “I don’t believe you. Let me see for myself!”

Song Qingshu shook his head. “Better not. I don’t want to scare you.”

“Stingy! Fine, if you won’t let me see, at least tell me your name,” Wu Yunzhu pouted, then quickly added, “You’ve been my savior all this time. It’s only fair I know who you are!”

“We met by chance, from different worlds. Rather than burden ourselves with names and future troubles, it’s better to forget each other,” Song Qingshu replied calmly. His current mindset was vastly different from before. Helping her was merely for amusement, not out of any personal interest.

“You won’t let me see your face, and you won’t tell me your name. At least tell me your age!” Wu Yunzhu demanded indignantly.

“I’m just an old man. Why ask?” Song Qingshu dismissed the question with a shake of his head.

Glancing at his flowing black hair, Wu Yunzhu gritted her teeth. “Liar!”

After an indeterminate amount of time, they suddenly arrived at a clearing. Not far away, a man in Qing Dynasty attire lay in a pool of blood. Wu Yunzhu cried out in alarm, “Father!” 

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