Chapter 50

Chapter 49: The Thickest Thigh in Jin Shu

A young man and woman rode on a white and a yellow steed, the young man handsome and the young woman beautiful. The young man wore a yellow robe, tall and slender, while the young woman was slightly dark but charming, with a white robe fluttering in the wind.

"Such a well-matched pair!" Song Qingshu secretly admired, but thinking of how they had galloped recklessly through the streets, he felt a bit annoyed. Noticing their serious expressions, he curiously followed their gaze.

It turned out that the person they had bumped into was also a young man, but with a long braid and dressed in Qing official attire. Judging by the entourage around him, he was likely a high-ranking official of the Qing dynasty.

"Damn it, seize him!" The young man, though not actually hit, was quite frightened and turned back to punish the culprit.

"Hold on!" The young man turned to see a lively and beautiful young woman on horseback, and his heart leaped with joy: To be embraced by this woman's legs, even death would be sweet.

Having made up his mind, the young man suddenly changed his tone and slapped the hats of those around him: "I'm not saying this to criticize you, but if there had really been an assassin just now, wouldn't I have kicked the bucket and met the old man in the underworld? I owe my life to this young lady's timely warning, which has made you all more vigilant."

"Lord Wei's reprimand is well-taken..." The guards around the young man bowed and hurriedly admitted their mistake.

"Wei Xiaobao?" Song Qingshu looked at him with a strange expression. At such a young age, holding a high position in the Qing dynasty, who else could it be? He thought this must be the Qing envoy mentioned by the inn guests earlier.

After scolding his subordinates, Wei Xiaobao turned to the white-robed young woman with a sly smile: "Young lady, to thank you for saving my life, I would like to invite you and your companion to a nearby tavern."

The white-robed woman's expression was complex. She had clearly been the one to charge into him... Seeing his sincere words, she almost felt as if she had really saved his life.

The man beside her, noticing Wei Xiaobao's eyes fixed on his cousin, felt a surge of anger.

Earlier, he had been worried that the matter might not be resolved peacefully due to the other party's high status, but seeing that he was not pursuing the matter and instead had designs on his cousin, he coldly refused: "No need."

Although Wei Xiaobao still wore a smile, he was inwardly cursing: I hate men who are more handsome than me. This pretty boy is clearly flirting with that young lady, and they are probably already a couple. I might have to use some extraordinary means...

Hearing his companion's words, the white-robed woman also scolded: "We, the Lingjian Duo, hate lecherous men like you the most, especially those who are dogs of the Tartars. If it weren't for the fear of disrupting the alliance between the Song and the Qing, we would have punished you today."

"Shui Sheng and Wang Xiaofeng?" Hearing her name, Song Qingshu recalled their identities. It seemed that due to his influence in Jingzhou, they had not yet encountered the Blood Knife Sect.

"Indeed, I am a lecher, but where are the flowers? Zhang Kangnian, have you ever seen a beautiful black flower in the world?" Wei Xiaobao's words made Zhang Kangnian and the others burst into laughter: "Your subordinate has never seen a beautiful black flower."

Hearing Wei Xiaobao's veiled insult about Shui Sheng's dark skin, Song Qingshu smiled. Shui Sheng was indeed a bit dark, but her skin was even and fine, not at all unattractive. Her complexion added a healthy vitality to her, making her a beautiful young woman.

The Lingjian Duo, young and hot-tempered, could not tolerate such an insult. Shui Sheng, with her ladylike temperament, directly lashed out at Wei Xiaobao with her whip.

"Bold! To dare to assassinate a Qing envoy in broad daylight." Wei Xiaobao had deliberately provoked them to make them act first. His subordinates, who had been with him for a long time, understood his intentions and drew their swords to surround the Lingjian Duo.

Seeing that the matter could not be resolved peacefully, Wang Xiaofeng quickly drew his sword to protect Shui Sheng.

The two groups fought for a while, and Song Qingshu yawned in boredom. Now that his martial arts had reached the top level, such minor skirmishes could not interest him.

Emperor Kangxi had sent Wei Xiaobao to the Song dynasty to discuss an alliance and, worried about his safety, had selected a large number of skilled imperial guards to protect him.

The Lingjian Duo, who usually punished ruffians with ease, found themselves overwhelmed by the fierce imperial guards.

Before long, the two were overpowered and brought to Wei Xiaobao: "The assassins have been captured. How should we deal with them, Lord Wei?"

Wei Xiaobao circled around them and smiled lecherously: "To assassinate envoys of two countries in broad daylight, there must be a conspiracy behind it. To prevent them from colluding, I decide to interrogate them separately. This man, Zhang Kangnian, take him to the Song governor's office and have them interrogate him strictly. As for this woman, I will personally interrogate her to find out who wants to disrupt the diplomatic relations between the two countries."

"Your Excellency's plan is truly ingenious and profound..." Zhang Kangnian and the other guards flattered him.

Wang Xiaofeng's eyes blazed with anger. Anyone who wasn't a fool would understand Wei Xiaobao's intentions. If his cousin were taken away, her honor would be ruined!

Song Qingshu watched with interest, finding Wei Xiaobao even more shameless and direct than in the original story, which suited his taste.

In a previous life, there was a classic question online: If you had to choose between Guo Jing and Wei Xiaobao as a friend, which would you choose?

Others might choose differently, but Song Qingshu was clear: He would definitely choose Wei Xiaobao. The reason was simple: Wei Xiaobao was a smart person.

Being his enemy would be miserable. Liu Yizhou, for example, had his beloved taken and his reputation ruined; Zheng Keshuang, whose lover was taken by Wei Xiaobao, ended up as a prisoner...

But being his friend had many benefits, which he would not list here...

Did Guo Jing have any friends? Apart from Old Naughty, he probably had no true friends. Wei Xiaobao, on the other hand, could rally a group of friends to help him whenever he needed it, as seen in the "Turtle Killing Conference" where Zheng Keshuang was humiliated.

To Song Qingshu, Wei Xiaobao was the thickest thigh in the fourteen Jin Shu novels, and he had to cling to it tightly.

However, Wei Xiaobao's bullying and lecherous behavior was too repulsive. Song Qingshu frowned, unable to bring himself to approach and befriend him. Just as he was pondering how to establish a relationship, several bald monks wielding gleaming curved swords emerged from the shadows and charged at Wei Xiaobao. He was delighted: This was truly a stroke of luck!

Chapter 50: The First Combat Expert in Jin Shu

Although the monks wore robes, their fierce and cruel expressions and the strange curved swords in their hands immediately revealed them as disciples of the Blood Knife Sect to Song Qingshu.

"Why would the Blood Knife Sect try to assassinate Wei Xiaobao?" Song Qingshu was puzzled. There seemed to be no connection between them.

However, Song Qingshu did not intend to rescue Wei Xiaobao immediately. Saving someone required timing. With his guards' current strength, even if he quickly defeated the Blood Knife monks, it might not impress Wei Xiaobao. Only by placing him in a desperate situation would the rescue have the greatest impact.

What about saving someone without expecting a reward? Sorry, Song Qingshu was not that kind of person.

The Blood Knife monks' martial arts far surpassed those of the Lingjian Duo, and Wei Xiaobao's imperial guards struggled to hold them off, relying only on their numerical advantage.

"Has Lord Wei found any suitable companions on this trip to Jiangnan?" A long laugh echoed, and Song Qingshu noticed a middle-aged monk with a fierce appearance on the roof, slowly running the back of his knife over his shiny bald head.

Recognizing the characteristic gesture and his self-introduction, Song Qingshu thought it must be the legendary Blood Knife Old Ancestor, a combat genius.

In Jin Yong's novels, Blood Knife Old Ancestor was not the most skilled in martial arts, but he had the most glorious combat record. Facing four experts of his level, he killed three and captured one, making him the top combat expert.

Wei Xiaobao, unaware of Blood Knife Old Ancestor's reputation, rubbed his ears, which ached from the laughter, and thought: "Damn, my guards are only matching these monks, who look like mere lackeys. This new old monk practically has 'I am an expert' written on his forehead. Once he acts, Wei Xiaobao will become Dead Xiaobao."

He then put on a smile and chuckled: "Senior, your aura is mighty and heroic, clearly a master. I, Xiaobao, love making friends. Today, I happened to meet a beautiful young lady. If you find her to your liking, feel free to take her, don't be polite."

Beside him, Shui Sheng made a strong protest, but her mouth was already gagged, and her cries turned into muffled sounds.

Blood Knife Old Ancestor looked at Shui Sheng with surprise, stroking his chin and nodding: "Indeed, she is a fine young lady, still a virgin. Not bad, not bad, Old Ancestor likes her."

Wei Xiaobao looked at him with admiration: "A true master can see through everything from a distance. I admire you like a surging river, endless and continuous..."

Blood Knife Old Ancestor chuckled: "Everyone says that Lord Wei of the Qing dynasty is a generous and heroic young man. Today, I see that the reputation is well-deserved. If we were not on opposite sides, Old Ancestor would have liked to befriend you. Alas, alas, it is truly a pity..."