When Huang Shang said Song Qingshu couldn’t perform a man’s duties, Li Yuanzhi beside him could barely hold back a laugh. *You old fool, if only you knew how capable my Brother Song is in that regard.* Images of their intimate moments surfaced in her mind, and for a moment she was lost in a daze.
Being mistaken for a eunuch left Song Qingshu somewhere between amused and exasperated, but since he wanted to conceal his identity, he went along with it: “Senior’s eyes are truly sharp.”
Hearing him admit it, Chen Yuanyuan and Ah Ke felt a mix of relief and… disappointment? Relief that he indeed couldn’t do such things, and disappointment…though they couldn’t say why. Perhaps it was just a pity that such a striking, handsome figure wasn’t a real man.
“I’ve heard of the *Sunflower Manual* in years past…’To achieve the ultimate skill, one must first castrate oneself.’ I always felt such cultivation went against nature, defying the heavens, and would ultimately be limited. I never expected the Cult Leader Dongfang to reach such heights at such a young age…truly surprising.” Huang Shang sighed, as if filled with curiosity about the *Sunflower Manual*.
Song Qingshu listened with inward amazement. *The Sunflower Manual* was a top-tier martial art, yet only someone of Huang Shang’s level could afford to look down on it.
Huang Shang turned to face him, his features obscured beneath the dark cloak. “Though I rarely walk the martial world, I know that Cult Leader Dongfang shook the martial world years ago and was hailed by many as the number one expert under heaven. With such status, why sneak into the imperial palace to steal kisses and scents?”
Song Qingshu smiled faintly. “Senior authored the *Nine Yin Manual*, which all the world’s experts fought over…yet here you are, serving as a guard in the palace. Why?” Using Dongfang Bubai’s identity was an excellent cover; he didn’t want to reveal himself at such a crucial moment in the Song peace negotiations, which would only cause complications. Since Dongfang Muxue was one of his own, he figured she wouldn’t mind him borrowing her name.
“You have a sharp tongue, but it’s refreshing to see such youthful spirit.” Huang Shang didn’t take offense; if anything, he seemed to appreciate it.
“Senior flatters me.” Song Qingshu’s attitude was extremely humble…after all, he’d also studied the *Nine Yin Manual*, making Huang Shang something of a half-master to him.
Huang Shang sighed. “My parents, wife, and children were all killed by the Ming Cult back then. I devoted myself to studying martial arts for revenge. By the time I’d mastered my skills, I found that my old enemies had either died or grown old…there was no point in seeking revenge. The Sun Moon Sect is deeply connected to the Ming Cult. Since you are the Sun Moon Sect Leader and hailed as the number one expert under heaven, let this settle that old score.”
Song Qingshu was dumbfounded. *I really am a bystander getting hit by stray arrows here. In the future, I should never impersonate someone like Dongfang Muxue who has enemies everywhere.*
“To avoid you complaining I’m bullying the younger, you may strike first,” Huang Shang said flatly.
Song Qingshu blinked. “Shouldn’t you let me have three moves?”
Huang Shang paused, then after a long moment: “Your martial arts are too strong. If I give you three moves, I have no certainty of victory. I won’t do it.”
Song Qingshu laughed in disbelief. “That seems beneath a senior’s dignity.”
Huang Shang replied calmly, “Heaven and earth are not benevolent…they treat all things as straw dogs. I’ve long since seen through such empty reputations.”
“I’ve met plenty of shameless people, but rarely anyone so brazenly self-righteous.” Song Qingshu was speechless.
Huang Shang remained unruffled. “Your martial arts are so high, and you’re young and strong, while I’m old and frail. If anything, you should yield three moves to me as a sign of respecting the elderly.”
Song Qingshu was taken aback, then broke into a grin. “If Old Urchin met you, he’d surely call you a kindred spirit.”
Huang Shang shook his head. “I know something of Zhou Botong. In name, he’s Wang Chongyang’s junior disciple, but in truth he’s half his student. His original martial arts were merely passable. Only after learning my *Nine Yin Manual* and combining it with his self-created ambidextrous fighting technique did he become somewhat impressive. He’s either ‘innocent to the ways of the world’ to put it kindly, or simply ‘dim-witted’ to put it bluntly. I, on the other hand, have reached the realm of transcending emotions and following the Dao of nature. Though we may appear similar on the surface, the essence is fundamentally different…he cannot be my kindred spirit.”
Song Qingshu paused, then seemed to grasp something. “This junior was slow-witted. Please, senior, make your move!”
Huang Shang didn’t stand on ceremony. His form blurred as he swooped down like a great eagle, one claw aiming for Song Qingshu’s face, the other covering the vital points on his chest.
Song Qingshu laughed inwardly. *Though Huang Shang’s cultivation is high, if he thinks he can hit me at this speed, he’s sorely mistaken.*
Huang Shang was, after all, a legendary expert who’d been famous for decades. Song Qingshu didn’t dare be reckless…he planned to dodge the initial assault and counterattack. But to his surprise, though he tapped his toe, he didn’t float away as expected…he remained exactly where he was.
“Watch out!” Li Yuanzhi, watching from the side, saw Huang Shang already upon Song Qingshu, his ten fingers gleaming menacingly as if about to pierce her lover’s body…yet he stood there dazed. She almost screamed in warning, but his speed was too great, and the surrounding air had suddenly turned thick and viscous, making it hard to breathe. Her mouth opened wide, but no sound came out.
Chen Yuanyuan and Ah Ke’s feelings were far more complicated. Logically, they should despise Song Qingshu and hope he lost. Yet seeing him in danger, neither could bring herself to rejoice. Was it because Huang Shang, hidden in his cloak like a specter, was far less appealing than Song Qingshu’s handsome appearance?
Their anxiety was soon relieved…Song Qingshu twisted his body at the critical moment, evading the deathblow.
“Fingers unleash force, piercing all defenses, shattering the enemy’s skull, like piercing rotten earth…” The passage from the *Nine Yin Manual* flashed through Song Qingshu’s mind. *If Zhiruo saw how this man wields the Nine Yin Skeleton Claw, she’d be too ashamed to admit she knows it too.*
But what impressed him most wasn’t Huang Shang’s Nine Yin Skeleton Claw…it was the way the surrounding air had turned viscous and solid, forming invisible shackles that restrained his movements. If not for his own high cultivation allowing him to barely dodge at the critical moment, they wouldn’t just have determined victory…they’d have determined life and death.
He glanced down at his chest. His clothes were tattered, and several bloody scratches marked his skin. “Senior, what technique is this? A domain?” Growing up with so many films and novels in his past life, the word “domain” slipped out.
“Domain? That name fits well enough.” Huang Shang paused, halting his attack. “It’s some principles of heaven and earth I’ve comprehended in recent years…allowing me to control the environment to some degree. Young one, be careful.”
Song Qingshu nodded, his earlier frivolity gone, replaced by a grave expression. “Junior has a technique of his own. I ask for Senior’s guidance.”
With that, he took a step forward. Everyone in the hall felt their vision blur…and Song Qingshu was suddenly before Huang Shang, his fist landing on the man’s right shoulder.