Song Qingshu let out a quiet sigh. The Master of the Vajra Sect, with his indestructible Vajra skill, was impervious to blades and spears, let alone the beaks of these animals. Seeing the Master of the Vajra Sect using his Great Strength Vajra Finger to grab at the fair and delicate neck of the Lan Fenghuang, it was clear he intended to act ruthlessly. He could no longer sit idly by. With a gentle flick of his hand hidden in his sleeve, two strands of Sword Qi shot towards the back of the Master of the Vajra Sect’s head.
Just as the Master of the Vajra Sect was about to seize the Lan Fenghuang, he suddenly sensed danger and quickly dodged to the side. Although he possessed the indestructible Vajra skill, the back of the head was one of the most vulnerable parts of the human body; he would not recklessly test the waters.
The two strands of Sword Qi struck a nearby pillar, exploding into a shower of wood chips and leaving two deep circular holes. The Master of the Vajra Sect’s pupils constricted as he no longer pursued the Lan Fenghuang, instead warily scanning his surroundings. “Which expert is hiding in the shadows? Please come out and show yourself.”
“Hahaha, the Master is indeed sharp-eyed and sharp-eared. I was discovered as soon as I arrived here,” a boisterous voice rang out. Everyone turned to look, and they saw a tall, foreign elder with slightly curly hair stepping out from the nearby woods.
“I wondered who it was; it turns out to be Mr. Ouyang from the White Camel Mountain Manor,” the Master of the Vajra Sect cupped his hands in greeting, his expression growing increasingly serious. The reputation of the Western Poison was well-known; while he was not afraid of the man, few in the world would want to provoke such an opponent.
Song Qingshu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Ouyang Feng arrived in time, preventing his identity from being exposed. His identity was of great importance; if the news of him impersonating Jia Baoyu were to leak, it would cause a huge uproar. Unfortunately, Song Qingshu was not the kind of ruthless person who could kill so many to silence them, especially with Zhao Min among them.
“Since our last parting at the inn, the Master still retains his impressive demeanor, forcing a little girl into a corner in just a few moves,” Ouyang Feng seemed to be complimenting him, but his tone was filled with sarcasm, subtly mocking him for bullying the weak.
The Master of the Vajra Sect’s expression darkened. Although he valued his own status, it was nowhere near the level of Ouyang Feng’s disdain for such things. He did not engage in banter and directly asked, “Mr. Ouyang, you have no ties to them; why come to stir up this muddy water?”
Ouyang Feng smiled lightly, “Has the Master forgotten what my nickname is?”
“Western Poison?” The Master of the Vajra Sect furrowed his brow, momentarily confused.
Ouyang Feng glanced at the Lan Fenghuang, “In addition to martial arts, I have a keen interest in poisons throughout my life. This little girl from the Five Poisons Sect has quite impressive skills with poison; I admire her and naturally cannot stand by while she is bullied.” The Lan Fenghuang was actually around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, no longer a little girl, but both Ouyang Feng and the Master of the Vajra Sect were decades older, so calling her a little girl was not entirely incorrect.
The Master of the Vajra Sect’s expression darkened, “It seems Mr. Ouyang is determined to make things difficult for us?”
Ouyang Feng replied with a smile, “Last time at the inn, I didn’t get the chance to experience the Master’s indestructible Vajra skill; today, I must see it for myself.”
The Master of the Vajra Sect snorted but did not respond. However, a layer of golden energy gradually began to radiate from his body, clearly indicating he had activated his indestructible Vajra body.
Ouyang Feng did not dare to be careless either; his legs bent slightly as he began to circulate his Frog Skill, preparing to move.
Just as the two great masters were about to engage in battle, Zhao Min suddenly stood up and said, “Wait! Mr. Ouyang has come here for him.” Her jade-like fingers pointed at Song Qingshu, who was sitting at the nearby table.
Zhao Min was incredibly clever; how could she believe that someone like the Western Poison would truly fight to the death over a chance encounter with the Lan Fenghuang and an opponent of equal rank? After thinking it over, she concluded that only the son of Jia Sidao would have enough allure.
Ouyang Feng was taken aback and replied ambiguously, “Indeed, I have come here because of him.”
“Then you don’t need to compete anymore; I will hand him over to Mr. Ouyang,” Zhao Min said. “Mr. Lu, Mr. He, come back.”
He Biweng and Lu Zhangke forced Zhou Zhiruo back with a few swift moves and took the opportunity to jump out of the battle circle, returning to Zhao Min’s side. Zhou Zhiruo furrowed her brows slightly at Zhao Min’s words and did not pursue them.
Not to mention Ouyang Feng and the others, even Song Qingshu was confused. Although there was now an Ouyang Feng, Zhao Min had many skilled subordinates and a numerical advantage; why would they surrender so easily? However, he reacted quickly. To avoid revealing any flaws, he immediately mimicked Jia Baoyu’s panicked mindset and exclaimed, “Princess, I am on a mission to the Mongols; how can you hand me over to them!”
Who would have thought that Zhao Min wouldn’t even spare him a glance? She directly addressed Ouyang Feng and Zhou Zhiruo, saying, “You all please do as you wish.” After saying that, she signaled her subordinates to go out and lead the horses, leaving Song Qingshu all alone at the table.
Song Qingshu only intended to put on a casual performance; he certainly wouldn’t genuinely run over to cling to the Mongol’s horse leg and plead for mercy like Jia Baoyu. The Mongolian group saw him sitting there, dumbfounded, and assumed he was too scared to think, so no one raised any suspicions.
The atmosphere on site was extremely strange; one moment it was tense with swords drawn, and the next it was calm and quiet. Zhou Zhiruo and Ouyang Feng stepped aside, creating a path for the Mongols to leave.
After mounting their horses, Zhao Min suddenly pulled on the reins, turned her head, and asked Zhou Zhiruo, “Is Song Qingshu alive or dead?” Zhou Zhiruo glanced at Song Qingshu out of the corner of her eye and coldly huffed, “What does it matter to you whether he is alive or dead!”
Zhao Min stared intently at her expression, causing Zhou Zhiruo’s face to become somewhat unnatural. “What are you looking at?”
“You seem to have become more beautiful after not seeing you for a while,” Zhao Min suddenly said.
Zhou Zhiruo was puzzled by her intentions and huffed, “You’re not bad either; still have that fox-like charming face.”
Zhao Min was not the least bit angry; instead, a smile appeared on her face. “You don’t need to answer that question anymore. I can’t see any worry for Song Qingshu in you; either you’ve already moved on, or you know he is safe and sound. Hmph, that b@stard really is lucky.” By the last sentence, her tone was already filled with playful reproach.
Zhou Zhiruo’s face showed a hint of displeasure, and just as she was about to say something, Zhao Min preempted her, saying, “Zhou Zhiruo, we shall meet again. By the way, when you see Song Qingshu next time, remember to remind him not to forget our agreement; I’ve been waiting for him.” After saying that, she spurred her horse and left, leaving behind a series of melodious laughter.
The image of Zhao Min’s every frown and smile floated in Song Qingshu’s mind, causing his heart to heat up. Suddenly, he sensed a sharp gaze and turned to see Zhou Zhiruo glaring at him with a cold expression.
Song Qingshu couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Is it a man’s common flaw to be distracted by what’s in front of him while looking at what’s in the pot? In the original story, Zhang Wuji, that paragon of virtue, also fantasized about embracing beauties on both sides; it seems perfectly normal for him to have such thoughts. However, the only difference is that in the original story, Zhang Wuji only dared to fantasize in his heart, while he was bold enough to act on it.