Chapter 613: The Clever and Cunning Girl

“Ah~” Wu Yunzhu screamed in fear and hurriedly ran backward. As she fled, she regretted sneaking out and simultaneously blamed Nalan Rongruo for being utterly useless.  

Qinghai Yixiao let out a sly laugh, kicked a small stone on the ground, and sent it flying. The stone hit the back of Wu Yunzhu’s knee precisely as she was running.  

“Ouch~” Wu Yunzhu felt a sharp numbness in her leg and tumbled to the ground.  

“What a delicate little beauty, though her che*st seems a bit small,” Qinghai Yixiao said with a wicked grin, extending his lecherous hands toward her modestly raised ch*est.  

Nearby, Nalan Rongruo watched in despair, his eyes almost bursting with rage. Unfortunately, his acupoints were sealed, rendering him incapable of speaking or moving. All he could do was emit muffled groans.  

“Don’t come near me!” Wu Yunzhu’s pretty face turned ashen. At that moment, she realized that her prideful literary skills, often admired in the capital, were of no use here.  

‘In those chivalric novels, a young lady in distress is always saved by a heroic figure. Why hasn’t one appeared for me?’ The hopelessly romantic girl couldn’t help but let her thoughts wander.  

‘Ugh, how could I be daydreaming at a time like this?’ Wu Yunzhu lamented tearfully.  

“Throw your hairpin at him.”  

Suddenly, a gentle male voice whispered in her ear. Without time to think, Wu Yunzhu instinctively pulled the hairpin from her hair and flung it at the approaching Qinghai Yixiao.  

“Giving me a token of love so soon?” Qinghai Yixiao chuckled, reaching out to grab the flying hairpin. But his expression suddenly shifted, and he tried to retreat hastily. Unfortunately, it was too late.  

Ding!  

A faint sound echoed in the air. It seemed as if something invisible had struck the end of the jade hairpin mid-flight. The previously fluttering hairpin turned into a streak of green light, piercing Qinghai Yixiao’s palm and, in the next instant, his heart.  

Qinghai Yixiao looked down at the hole in his chest, his throat producing meaningless gurgles before he collapsed lifelessly on the ground.  

Wu Yunzhu stared blankly at her pale, jade-like hands, unable to believe that they had thrown the hairpin that caused such destruction.  

Chu Hongliu reacted quickly, immediately kneeling and kowtowing. “Senior, spare me! I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll leave right away.” Qinghai Yixiao’s martial arts far surpassed his own, yet he had died so quietly. The hidden expert’s skills must be unimaginably profound.  

“Do you still remember the military vow you once made? Justice delayed is not justice denied.”  

Chu Hongliu’s pupils constricted as a familiar voice echoed in his ears. “It’s you! Song…”  

Whoosh! 

A pine needle pierced the center of Chu Hongliu’s forehead, cutting his words short.  

At the same time, Nalan Rongruo suddenly felt his body relax as his acupoints were unsealed. He scrambled to his feet and rushed to help Wu Yunzhu up. “Wu Yunzhu, are you okay?”  

Wu Yunzhu stared at the lifeless Chu Hongliu in shock, her emotions a mix of fear and confusion. She muttered, “Could there really be ghosts in this world?”  

Song Qingshu’s use of sound transmission meant Wu Yunzhu hadn’t heard his words to Chu Hongliu. She could only see Chu Hongliu talking to thin air before dying mysteriously, leaving her shivering with cold terror.  

“It’s not a ghost; we encountered a true expert,” Nalan Rongruo said with a wry smile. Although his martial arts skills were average, his experience as an imperial guard gave him sharp insight. He bowed toward the air. “Thank you, Senior, for your assistance. Since you prefer not to reveal yourself, I, Nalan Rongruo, offer you three bows as gratitude.” He then knelt and respectfully kowtowed three times.  

Song Qingshu smiled faintly. With his current martial prowess and status, his mindset had shifted from what it once was. 

A couple of years ago, he might have stepped out to tease Wu Yunzhu. But now…  

He preferred to resolve matters quietly, leaving without a trace.  

Just as Song Qingshu was about to depart silently, he heard Wu Yunzhu suddenly cry out, “Ah, the poison in my body is acting up!”  

Song Qingshu turned back in surprise and saw Wu Yunzhu rolling her eyes before collapsing weakly to the ground.  

“What’s wrong? Don’t scare me!” Nalan Rongruo panicked, noticing Wu Yunzhu’s pale complexion and still form. Trembling, he reached out to check her breath.  

Nalan Rongruo froze, his face filled with disbelief. “She… she’s not breathing…”  

Song Qingshu was startled. He hadn’t seen any sign of Qinghai Yixiao or Chu Hongliu poisoning her. Could she have been poisoned earlier?  

While his connection with Suo Etu wasn’t particularly deep, Song Qingshu couldn’t bear to see such an innocent girl meet a tragic end.  

As Nalan Rongruo stood dazed, a voice came from behind him. “Let me check her pulse.”  

Nalan Rongruo spun around and saw a masked man in green robes standing before him. The figure exuded an aura of profound mystery. Though the man’s age seemed young, the mask concealed his true appearance.  

“Please save her, Senior!” Nalan Rongruo quickly stepped aside, realizing this was the expert who had saved them earlier.  

Song Qingshu nodded but suddenly frowned as he approached Wu Yunzhu. “Did you deliberately fake this to lure me out?”  

Earlier, the situation had been too chaotic for him to notice anything amiss. Now that he was closer, he realized something strange. Though Wu Yunzhu held her breath to feign death, she couldn’t suppress her heartbeat. 

With his cultivation level, Qingshu could hear everything clearly at such a close distance.  

Wu Yunzhu’s eyes suddenly opened wide, and she looked at him with a playful grin. “Senior is indeed a master. Unlike this fool, so easily deceived.”  

Nalan Rongruo was both shocked and overjoyed. “You’re really okay?”  

Qingshu let out a cold snort, “This boy was merely blinded by his concern. With his skills as a top-tier imperial guard, if it had been someone else, there’s no way they could’ve hidden the truth from him.”  

“Senior is just as concerned about me. Otherwise, why would you appear to save me as soon as you heard I was in trouble?” Wu Yunzhu’s face showed a sly smile.  

Qingshu deliberately kept a stern face, “I simply didn’t want my previous effort to go to waste. Even if it were a mere stray cat or dog, once I decide to intervene, I see it through to the end.”  

Wu Yunzhu stuck out her tongue. “Even if it’s just a cat or dog, it’s still a good-looking one, right?”  

Qingshu couldn’t help but chuckle at her audacity. He found this daughter of Suo Etu rather amusing.  

Before meeting her rescuer, Wu Yunzhu had imagined her savior to be as gallant and suave as described in chivalric novels. Yet now, seeing him wearing a cold mask, she couldn’t even discern whether he was handsome or old. She felt a bit disappointed.  

Stealing another glance at him, she noticed his sharp, piercing eyes brimming with vigor. When his lightning-like gaze briefly landed on her face, he seemed slightly puzzled by her look. Wu Yunzhu’s heart fluttered, her cheeks flushing as she lowered her head. Suddenly, it didn’t seem to matter whether he was handsome or not.  

“You went to such lengths to trick me into coming here. Do you have something to say?” Qingshu noticed her peculiar expression and grew wary.  

Wu Yunzhu was too embarrassed to admit she just wanted to see if he was handsome. Thinking quickly, she asked, “Senior, do you know my father?”  

Qingshu was taken aback and instinctively shook his head. “I don’t.”  

“What about Brother Rongruo’s father?” Wu Yunzhu added, fearing he wouldn’t know whom she referred to. “His father is the current minister, Ming Zhu.”  

“Never met him.” Qingshu observed her with interest, wondering what scheme this little girl was cooking up.  

Wu Yunzhu’s face gradually brightened with joy. “Then you must know the Golden Serpent King?”  

Qingshu hesitated. “Why do you ask?”  

Noting that he didn’t deny it, Wu Yunzhu felt more confident. “There are so many random people along the road, yet you happened to save us. There must be a reason. You don’t know our fathers, and someone as skilled as you wouldn’t save a little girl just because she’s pretty.” Her face reddened as she spoke.  

Qingshu was momentarily speechless and coughed lightly. “Go on.”  

“So, after thinking it through, I concluded you must have overheard us talking about the Golden Serpent King. Knowing how much I admire him, you decided to save me. That means you must be his friend.” Wu Yunzhu nodded confidently.  

What a lucky guess!  

Qingshu was secretly amused. But since she kept addressing him as “senior” and elevating him, he couldn’t admit that he had acted on impulse because she looked rather charming.  

To maintain his image as a master, he reluctantly nodded. “Ahem, you could say that.”  

Wu Yunzhu’s eyes lit up immediately. “Senior, is the Golden Serpent King really as dashing, graceful, and elegant as they say?”  

The barrage of compliments made Qingshu dizzy. “Well, maybe, probably, sort of…” He forced an embarrassed expression despite his thick-skinned nature.  

Wu Yunzhu’s eyes sparkled even brighter. “And is his martial arts truly as legendary—unmatched and unparalleled under the heavens?”  

“Eh, it’s… average.” Even Qingshu’s thick skin couldn’t bear the praise, thinking to himself that this seemingly gentle girl was actually a die-hard fangirl.  

Wu Yunzhu immediately frowned. “If senior thinks the Golden Serpent King’s martial arts are average, are you implying you’re a bit better?”  

“This…” Qingshu was momentarily at a loss. He thought to himself, is there anyone else in history who’s argued with a fangirl? “Let’s say we’re evenly matched.”  

Wu Yunzhu wrinkled her nose. “Hmph, I don’t believe you. You’re probably just bluffing to fool a girl who doesn’t know martial arts. Unless you prove it.”  

Qingshu blinked. “And how would I do that?”  

Wu Yunzhu’s face revealed a mischievous smile. “Take me to meet him. Then I’ll know the truth.”  

Qingshu couldn’t help but laugh. So, in the end, she just wanted him to take her to meet the Golden Serpent King. Feeling playful, he replied, “Alright, if you’re not afraid, then follow me.”  

He smiled faintly and turned to leave. Wu Yunzhu’s face lit up with joy as she hurried after him. “Wait, senior! Don’t leave me behind.”  

Nalan Rongruo panicked and was about to chase after them when he suddenly realized his body was immobilized. He could only watch helplessly as the two figures disappeared into the depths of the forest. 

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