Chapter 51

Chapter 50: The First Combat Master of Jin Shu

The few monks, though dressed in robes, could not hide the ferocity on their faces, and the strange curved knives in their hands made Song Qing Shu immediately realize they were likely disciples of the Blood Knife Sect.

"Why would the Blood Knife Sect come to assassinate Wei Xiaobao?" Song Qing Shu was very puzzled; the two should have nothing to do with each other.

However, Song Qing Shu did not intend to save Wei Xiaobao right away. Saving someone also required timing. At the moment, Wei Xiaobao's guards had sufficient combat strength. Even if he quickly defeated the Blood Knife monks, it might not be very important to Wei Xiaobao. Only by placing him in a desperate situation could the effect of saving him be maximized.

You talk about doing good without expecting a return? Sorry, Song Qing Shu was never that kind of person.

The Blood Knife monks' martial arts were far superior to those of the Ling Jian Duo Xia, and Wei Xiaobao's imperial guards were struggling to cope. They were only barely holding off the assassins due to their numerical advantage.

"Has Duke Wei found any satisfactory beauties on this trip to Jiangnan?" A long laugh echoed, and Song Qing Shu noticed a middle-aged monk with a fierce appearance appear on the roof, slowly running the back of his knife over his shiny bald head as he spoke.

Seeing that characteristic gesture and considering his self-introduction, Song Qing Shu thought, "Could this be the legendary Blood Knife Old Ancestor, the combat genius?"

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

Wei Xiaobao did not know the name of Blood Knife Old Ancestor, but the imposing presence of the monk made his ears hurt from the laughter. He thought to himself, "Damn, my subordinates are only matching these monks who look like small fry. This new old monk might as well have '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 presence is mighty and heroic. You must be a veteran of the flower world. I, Xiaobao, love making friends. Today, I happened to meet a beautiful young lady. If you find her pleasing, feel free to take her away. Don't be polite with me."

Beside him, Mu Sheng let out a strong cry of indignation, but her mouth was already gagged, and it all turned into muffled sounds.

Blood Knife Old Ancestor glanced at Mu Sheng, couldn't help but stroke his chin, and nodded, "Hmm, indeed a beauty. Hmm, her brows are still unopened, still a virgin. Not bad, not bad, Old Ancestor likes it."

Wei Xiaobao looked at him with admiration, "A true master is indeed a master. From such a distance, you can tell this young lady is still a maiden. My admiration for you is like a surging river, endless..."

Blood Knife Old Ancestor chuckled, "Everyone says that Duke Wei of the Qing Dynasty is a generous and heroic young man. Today, I see that the reputation is well-deserved. If it weren't for our different allegiances, Old Ancestor would really want to befriend you. Alas, alas, truly a pity."

Hearing his words, Wei Xiaobao broke out in a cold sweat. He regretted not bringing Fat Tuo, Lu Gaoxuan, or the brothers of the Qingmu Hall of the Heaven and Earth Society. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so helpless. This Zhang Kangnian, who usually boasts so much, is useless when it counts. If I can escape this time, I will definitely have Little Xuanzi send all of you back home...

While Wei Xiaobao was lost in thought, his subordinates were almost completely defeated by the Blood Knife monks.

Zhang Kangnian and Zhao Qixian led a few remaining guards in front of Wei Xiaobao, their voices trembling, "Duke... Duke Wei, the situation... is not good."

"Not good, you big fool, anyone can see that," Wei Xiaobao scolded, "All the others are dead, and you two are not even injured?"

Zhang Kangnian and Zhao Qixian exchanged glances and could only give an awkward smile.

Seeing that the time was right, Song Qing Shu coughed lightly and stepped out of the shadows. He looked at the Blood Knife monks and sighed, "Monks should be compassionate. For you masters to commit murder is truly a grave sin."

Wei Xiaobao's eyes lit up when he saw Song Qing Shu. His ability to read people was second to none. Mu Wanqing and Feng Qingyang even thought the wooden sword on his back was just for decoration, but Wei Xiaobao immediately saw something unusual. "With such a striking and thunderous appearance, he must be either a fool or a hermit master. His calm and composed demeanor clearly indicates the latter."

"This hero carries a wooden sword, clearly a master among masters. These evil monks show no Buddhist compassion and intend to harm us. I hope the hero can save us," Wei Xiaobao's attitude did a complete 180-degree turn as soon as he gained confidence.

"Hum, non-killing is a rule of your Central Plains Zen sect. We, the Tibetan Buddhists, have no such restrictions," Blood Knife Old Ancestor chuckled, looking at the wooden sword on Song Qing Shu's back. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Young man, can your wooden sword really injure people?" Although he had never heard of using a wooden sword as a weapon, his innate instincts made him wary of Song Qing Shu.

"Your Blood Knife can injure people, why can't my wooden sword?" Song Qing Shu smiled faintly, feeling extremely satisfied. The feeling of showing off was truly delightful.

Blood Knife Old Ancestor hesitated for a moment but still ordered his disciples to attack. The world was in chaos, and many sects in the Western Regions were seeking their own masters. Most leaned towards the more powerful Mongols, but choosing which Mongol prince to support was a science. Some chose to support the Youyang King Chahan, who governed the Western Regions, while others supported the more influential Kublai. Blood Knife Old Ancestor, however, believed that Genghis Khan favored his seventh grandson, Ariq Böke, and that the position of Great Khan would surely be passed to him. Thus, he led the Blood Knife Sect to support Ariq Böke.

Now, Ariq Böke was stationed in the Mongolian grasslands, in a stalemate with the Qing. They learned that Emperor Kangxi had sent his most trusted confidant, Wei Xiaobao, to the Southern Song to negotiate an alliance.

Ariq Böke was concerned that if the Qing and Song formed an alliance, his position would become even more difficult. Upon learning this, Blood Knife Old Ancestor volunteered to lead his disciples south to intercept and assassinate Wei Xiaobao in Song territory. This way, the Qing and Song would not only fail to form an alliance but might even go to war over Wei Xiaobao's death.

Although his intuition told him that this strange young man was not simple, time was pressing, and he needed to act quickly to kill Wei Xiaobao before the Song court could react. He ordered his disciples to attack first to test Song Qing Shu's strength.

Chapter 51: Two Small Perverts

The second-generation disciples of the Blood Knife Sect, led by Bao Xiang, were not weak at all. In the original story, Ding Dian admitted that he would be at a disadvantage if he faced them head-on and had to use ambush tactics to win.

Song Qing Shu did not dare to be careless. With a burst of inner strength, the wooden sword flew out from his back, accompanied by a dragon's roar.

Bao Xiang and the others were startled, and Song Qing Shu took advantage of their distraction. He stepped in a pattern of the Seven Stars, leaving only a trail of afterimages. With a series of crisp sounds, Bao Xiang and the others felt intense pain in their wrists, and their Blood Knives fell to the ground. They looked up in shock to see Song Qing Shu back in his original position, the wooden sword sheathed again.

As a modern person, Song Qing Shu was not yet accustomed to taking lives. He had only struck the pressure points on their wrists, rendering them unable to fight for a short time.

"Damn!" Blood Knife Old Ancestor was startled, "This brat's martial arts are higher than Old Ancestor's. This is a problem."

Wei Xiaobao, standing nearby, was dumbfounded, his body trembling violently, "This is a true master. With his support, what does it matter if it's the Empress Dowager, the Dragon God Hong, or the monk Chengguan? They are nothing."

Song Qing Shu was very satisfied with Wei Xiaobao's reaction because he had planned to use Wei Xiaobao's influence and needed to impress him with his strength.

Blood Knife Old Ancestor, however, was in a dilemma. He was determined to succeed in his mission, but the other party's martial arts were clearly superior. Looking at his disciples' expectant eyes, he was alarmed: "If I retreat without a fight, my prestige will be greatly damaged, and these ungrateful wolves might have other ideas."

Making up his mind, Blood Knife Old Ancestor kicked a few tiles, which flew rapidly toward Wei Xiaobao, who was watching from the side. The sound of the tiles cutting through the air indicated that if hit, even with his protective armor, Wei Xiaobao would be seriously injured or even killed.

Song Qing Shu was alarmed. Wei Xiaobao was crucial to him, and he could not let him be harmed. He quickly gathered his inner strength from his dantian to his shoulder and back acupoints, channeling it through the Yin Qiao and Yin Wei meridians. He extended his hands and used the "Double Dragons Fetching Water" technique from the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms to draw the flying tiles toward him.

"This kid's inner strength is truly terrifying," Blood Knife Old Ancestor thought, taking advantage of Song Qing Shu's distraction to leap and swing his Blood Knife at the immobilized Mu Sheng.

Everyone in the courtyard thought he would take the opportunity to kill Wei Xiaobao, but instead, he viciously attacked the delicate young lady!

Song Qing Shu was also alarmed and quickly gathered his strength, leaping high and using the "Flying Dragon in the Sky" technique to strike Blood Knife Old Ancestor's back.

Blood Knife Old Ancestor smiled slyly, revealing that his attack on Mu Sheng was a feint. He had left nine-tenths of his strength, calculating that a young man like Song Qing Shu would not bear to see a beautiful girl split in two and would rush to save her, creating an opening for him to exploit.

He flipped his wrist, and his... Chapter 51: Two Small Perverts

The second-generation disciples of the Blood Knife Sect, led by Bao Xiang, were not weak at all. In the original story, Ding Dian admitted that he would be at a disadvantage if he faced them head-on and had to use ambush tactics to win.

Song Qing Shu did not dare to be careless. With a burst of inner strength, the wooden sword flew out from his back, accompanied by a dragon's roar.

Bao Xiang and the others were startled, and Song Qing Shu took advantage of their distraction. He stepped in a pattern of the Seven Stars, leaving only a trail of afterimages. With a series of crisp sounds, Bao Xiang and the others felt intense pain in their wrists, and their Blood Knives fell to the ground. They looked up in shock to see Song Qing Shu back in his original position, the wooden sword sheathed again.

As a modern person, Song Qing Shu was not yet accustomed to taking lives. He had only struck the pressure points on their wrists, rendering them unable to fight for a short time.

"Damn!" Blood Knife Old Ancestor was startled, "This brat's martial arts are higher than Old Ancestor's. This is a problem."

Wei Xiaobao, standing nearby, was dumbfounded, his body trembling violently, "This is a true master. With his support, what does it matter if it's the Empress Dowager, the Dragon God Hong, or the monk Chengguan? They are nothing."

Song Qing Shu was very satisfied with Wei Xiaobao's reaction because he had planned to use Wei Xiaobao's influence and needed to impress him with his strength.

Blood Knife Old Ancestor, however, was in a dilemma. He was determined to succeed in his mission, but the other party's martial arts were clearly superior. Looking at his disciples' expectant eyes, he was alarmed: "If I retreat without a fight, my prestige will be greatly damaged, and these ungrateful wolves might have other ideas."

Making up his mind, Blood Knife Old Ancestor kicked a few tiles, which flew rapidly toward Wei Xiaobao, who was watching from the side. The sound of the tiles cutting through the air indicated that if hit, even with his protective armor, Wei Xiaobao would be seriously injured or even killed.

Song Qing Shu was alarmed. Wei Xiaobao was crucial to him, and he could not let him be harmed. He quickly gathered his inner strength from his dantian to his shoulder and back acupoints, channeling it through the Yin Qiao and Yin Wei meridians. He extended his hands and used the "Double Dragons Fetching Water" technique from the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms to draw the flying tiles toward him.

"This kid's inner strength is truly terrifying," Blood Knife Old Ancestor thought, taking advantage of Song Qing Shu's distraction to leap and swing his Blood Knife at the immobilized Mu Sheng.

Everyone in the courtyard thought he would take the opportunity to kill Wei Xiaobao, but instead, he viciously attacked the delicate young lady!

Song Qing Shu was also alarmed and quickly gathered his strength, leaping high and using the "Flying Dragon in the Sky" technique to strike Blood Knife Old Ancestor's back.

Blood Knife Old Ancestor smiled slyly, revealing that his attack on Mu Sheng was a feint. He