Chapter 72

Chapter 71: The Divine Dragon Sect Leader with Smoke from Seven Orifices

"Of course, I will take him to Mongolia with the old ancestor, and we can pay our respects to the Seventh Prince along the way." Hong Antong smiled slightly.

Noticing the Blood Knife Old Ancestor's somewhat swayed expression, Wei Xiaobao felt a sudden urgency and quickly shouted, "Old Ancestor, you mustn't believe his words. I slept with this old turtle's wife, and this old turtle has been wanting to skin me alive..."

Wei Xiaobao didn't dare to say that Hong Antong coveted the Forty-Two Chapter Sutra on his body. If he did, the Blood Knife Old Ancestor might be tempted. In a moment of quick thinking, he fabricated a lie to make the Blood Knife Old Ancestor believe that Hong Antong and he had a deep-seated grudge, wishing to tear him apart.

The greatest enmity in the world is the murder of one's father or the theft of one's wife. As for the murder of one's father... considering the age difference between Hong Antong and himself, the Blood Knife Old Ancestor wasn't a fool, so he had to use the theft of one's wife.

Hong Antong was so angry that his whole body trembled. "Rascal, do you think you can get within three feet of my wife?"

"Old Turtle, you should look in the mirror. With all that white hair, you still married such a flirtatious young wife. Do you even have the ability to satisfy her? She's hungry at home, so she naturally goes out to find food. Your subordinates are all afraid of you, but I'm not!" Wei Xiaobao's words accidentally hit the biggest sore spot in Hong Antong's heart, making his hair stand on end and his fingers crack.

Wei Xiaobao knew that if he didn't make the Blood Knife Old Ancestor completely believe that they were mortal enemies, all his previous efforts would be in vain. Although he was somewhat frightened by Hong Antong's fierce appearance, he gritted his teeth and added more details, "I not only got close to Madam Hong, but I also entered her body." As he spoke, he lewdly thrust his waist and licked his lips, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Madam Hong's body is so white and smooth, and her desires are so great..."

"Little brat, I'll kill you!" Hong Antong couldn't hold back and threw a punch.

Thinking of Madam Hong's charming and flirtatious appearance, Wei Xiaobao's insults grew more intense, and he even got excited himself. He didn't expect that Hong Antong, who was several yards away, would turn and arrive so quickly. Seeing the fist as big as a bowl, Wei Xiaobao was instantly terrified, unable to move his feet.

The Blood Knife Old Ancestor still needed Wei Xiaobao to realize his dream of becoming a marquis. He wouldn't let him die. He had been holding the Blood Knife in readiness. In a flash, the blade glinted, and Hong Antong was forced to retreat several feet.

"Blood Knife Old Ancestor, this little brat has insulted me too much. Are you really going to help him?" Hong Antong glared at the Blood Knife Old Ancestor with hatred.

"Lord Hong, why be so angry? The innocent will naturally be clear..." The Blood Knife Old Ancestor thought to himself: I've heard about Madam Hong's reputation, and Hong Antong's age clearly shows he can't satisfy her. Could it be that Madam Hong is really so lonely... Hehe, this Wei Xiaobao is somewhat like me. I should visit the Divine Dragon Island someday and experience Madam Hong's charm.

Noticing the Blood Knife Old Ancestor's lecherous expression and thinking of his reputation for molesting women, Hong Antong was furious: "Since you're going to protect this little brat, don't blame me for being impolite."

"Hehe, Lord Hong, don't forget, this little brat is specifically requested by the Seventh Prince. If you kill him and the Seventh Prince finds out, do you know the consequences?" The Blood Knife Old Ancestor sneered.

"Hmph, I'll kill you too, then no one will know." Hong Antong was so angry that he had already decided to kill.

"My Blood Knife isn't just for show." The Blood Knife Old Ancestor gave a dry laugh and lightly scraped the Blood Knife over his bald head, the starting posture of the Blood Knife Sutra, both offensive and defensive.

Hong Antong said nothing more, extending his palms like two soft snakes to attack from both sides.

"Soft Bone Palm!" The Blood Knife Old Ancestor was on high alert, swinging his knife to meet the attack.

After a dozen moves, the two separated again. The Blood Knife Old Ancestor moved his numb wrist, knowing that his opponent's internal strength and martial arts were superior to his, but he had no fear. "If a life-and-death battle were so simple, we could just decide the winner based on internal strength. Why bother fighting at all?" Thinking this, the Blood Knife Old Ancestor's fighting spirit grew stronger.

Hong Antong was also surprised. The last time they fought in Shandong, he found that the Blood Knife Old Ancestor's skills were slightly inferior to his. He thought that if Sangjie hadn't stopped him, the Blood Knife Old Ancestor wouldn't have been his match. This time, after so many real moves, the Blood Knife Old Ancestor was truly not simple!

Hong Antong, as a master of a school, gradually calmed down from his anger. He could adapt to different situations and had designed the "Three Heroic Moves" specifically for Wei Xiaobao. His martial arts realm had long surpassed that of ordinary experts.

Once he got used to the Blood Knife Old Ancestor's chaotic fighting style, he slowly gained the upper hand. After dozens of moves, he was confident he could take the Blood Knife Old Ancestor's life, but he was concerned about the cost, so he kept stalling.

"Damn, I didn't expect this old ghost to be so powerful. If we keep fighting, I might lose my life." The Blood Knife Old Ancestor knew his own limitations and decided to retreat.

"Hmph! If I can't get this little brat, neither will you." The Blood Knife Old Ancestor shouted, jumping out of the battle and slashing at Wei Xiaobao.

Hong Antong wanted to skin Wei Xiaobao alive and take him back to the Divine Dragon Island to be slowly tortured to death. He wouldn't let him die so easily.

He quickly attacked the Blood Knife Old Ancestor's back, using the strategy of surrounding Wei to save the Blood Knife Old Ancestor. However, his decades of combat experience made him realize there was a trick, so he secretly reserved some strength to guard against the Blood Knife Old Ancestor's sudden counterattack.

The Blood Knife Old Ancestor was waiting for him to hold back. He was sure Hong Antong wouldn't let him kill Wei Xiaobao and knew that Hong Antong would guard against him. So, after Hong Antong held back, he turned the blade and slashed at a stone on the ground, using the rebound to accelerate his escape.

Hong Antong didn't know that the Blood Knife Old Ancestor was planning a full-speed escape. He could only watch helplessly as the Blood Knife Old Ancestor disappeared into the wilderness, frowning and thinking, "If he escapes, it will be troublesome to offend the Seventh Prince of Mongolia."

But thinking of another hateful person, Hong Antong turned to Wei Xiaobao with a fake smile, "White Dragon Envoy, you're quite something. How do you think I'll deal with you?"

"Lord Hong, you are wise and virtuous, blessed and long-lived... You are magnanimous, so just let me go like a fart." Wei Xiaobao hadn't expected the Blood Knife Old Ancestor to be so useless. Seeing Hong Antong approaching, he was so scared that he trembled and kept retreating.

"Whoosh!" A sharp whistling sound came, and Hong Antong, hearing it, quickly rolled to avoid the attack. Before he could catch his breath, his face changed, and he quickly jumped several yards away.

Retrieving the wooden sword, Song Qingshu laughed, "Lord Hong, your memory is quite good. You remember that my wooden sword can return."

"Oh, my dear brother!" Wei Xiaobao, seeing Song Qingshu, felt like crying. He quickly ran behind him, thinking that his life was finally saved.

"Weren't you tied up in the camp?" Hong Antong's face was uncertain. He had just fought the Blood Knife Old Ancestor, and his true energy was depleted. The boy in front of him had deep and unpredictable martial arts, making him hard to deal with.

"You betrayed us and severely injured Yuan Chengzhi. In his anger, he released me to hunt you down." Song Qingshu made up a story, thinking that it would be good to give Yuan Chengzhi more enemies. He had already spared him, which was a great favor.

"You were hit by my punch and Sangjie's Great Hand Seal. In just a day or two, you probably haven't recovered much." Hong Antong was confident in his punch. Even if the half-man, half-god Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang were hit by his full-strength punch, he would die or be half-dead. The calm and composed appearance of the other party was probably just an act.

"Lord Hong, you can try." Song Qingshu was indifferent, extending his hand in a gesture of invitation.

Hong Antong's eyes narrowed, and he kicked a stone, which shot like an arrow toward Wei Xiaobao. Without hesitation, he flashed forward and attacked Song Qingshu with his palm.

Song Qingshu was surprised, admiring the other party's battle experience. He extended his wooden sword, using the Tai Chi Sword Intent to make a large circle, easily changing the direction of the small stone and sending it back at Hong Antong with double the speed.

Hong Antong didn't expect this move. He couldn't dodge in time and was hit in the left chest. He quickly retreated, threw a handful of venomous snakes, and used the opportunity to escape.

Song Qingshu pushed his palms forward, using the "Hundred Miles of Shock" from the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms to kill the snakes in mid-air.

"Brother Song, that old turtle has escaped. Why don't you chase him?" Wei Xiaobao looked anxiously into the distance. He had insulted Hong Antong so much today that he would be restless until Hong Antong was dead.

"Lord Hong is a powerful martial artist. It's not easy to take his life." Song Qingshu shook his head, thinking to himself: He wasn't fully committed to the Qing court. If Hong Antong died, the Divine Dragon Sect would surely fall apart, which would only benefit Emperor Kangxi. Song Qingshu would never do such a thing.

Putting aside the matter of Hong Antong, Song Qingshu began to recall the Tai Chi Sword Intent he had used. As the chief disciple of the Wudang Sect, he had seen his uncles practice Tai Chi Sword and Fist. A moment of inspiration had made him use a bit of Tai Chi Sword, but unfortunately, the previous Song Qingshu remembered too little, so he could only grasp a glimpse of it.

"Brother Song, I owe my life to you this time. When we return to the capital, I'll treat you to three days and three nights of flower wine, and I'll call the most beautiful girls in the capital to accompany you..." If Wei Xiaobao had been insincere before, now he was genuinely grateful to Song Qingshu.

"I hope the courtesans in the capital are as beautiful as You You."

"Of course!"

...

The two talked happily as they hurried north.

"Great Wheel Dharma King?" When they met up with Dolon's large force and saw a large-eared foreign monk leading them, they couldn't help but exclaim. Chapter 72: The Mysterious Expert

Jumuozhi's face was somewhat embarrassed as he explained, "That day, I saw that we were outnumbered, so I had to go outside to find reinforcements. I hope you two won't blame me."

Song Qingshu didn't care much about it. After all, they weren't close friends, and he would have made the same choice. He wondered if Wei Xiaobao would be upset.

Looking up, he saw that Wei Xiaobao had no anger on his face but was smiling broadly. "That day, the situation was critical. Fortunately, the Dharma King timely notified the troops outside the city, making the assassins cautious. I was worried that you would be harmed by those villains. Today, I first met Brother Song, and then you, I'm really happy. Let's go to the best tavern in the city. We won't stop until we're drunk." He hooked Song Qingshu with his left hand and Jumuozhi with his right, leading them out.

Jumuozhi, though he knew the words were just a tactic, still felt a warm feeling in his heart. However, thinking of the content of Wei Xiaobao's words, his face stiffened, and he muttered, "I cannot drink..."

"Meat and wine pass through the intestines, but the Buddha remains in the heart. Dharma King, why be so concerned?" Wei Xiaobao laughed.

"If the Buddha were to hear that, he would probably slap you." Song Qingshu couldn't help but smile, following the group into the city.

Wei Xiaobao's southern mission to form alliances was full of twists and turns, and he had already delayed for a long time. Worried that Emperor Kangxi would be anxious, they hurried day and night and soon returned to Yanjing.

"Xiaogui, you old rascal, why did it take so long to report to me? Were you infatuated with the beauties of Jiangnan and didn't want to come back?" Kangxi, seeing Wei Xiaobao, was both surprised and delighted, quickly running down from the dragon throne.

"Ah, Xiaoxuan, it's a long story. This time, Xiaogui almost lost his life." Wei Xiaobao raised his hand as if wiping sweat.

"Oh?" Kangxi was indeed interested. "What happened?"

Wei Xiaobao then exaggeratedly described how he was assassinated, how he was saved by Song Qingshu, how he recruited the super expert Jumuozhi in Gusu, and how he was ambushed in Yangzhou and captured by the Golden Snake King and others...

Wei Xiaobao, who had grown up listening to storytellers, knew exactly which parts to emphasize and which to gloss over.

Sure enough, Kangxi was completely drawn in. He, who was usually confined to the palace, had no chance to experience such thrilling events, and he listened with great interest.

"Then how did you escape?" Even though he saw Wei Xiaobao safe and sound, Kangxi couldn't help but worry about how he would escape from such a dangerous situation.

Wei Xiaobao smiled and explained how he sowed discord between the Blood Knife Old Ancestor and Yuan Chengzhi.

"Good job, Xiaogui," Kangxi clapped his hands in approval, looking at him with surprise. "I always thought you were a good-for-nothing, but it turns out you're smarter than some well-read scholars in times of crisis."

"Xiaogui was indeed a good-for-nothing before, Chapter 72: The Mysterious Expert

Jumuozhi's face was somewhat embarrassed as he explained, "That day, I saw that we were outnumbered, so I had to go outside to find reinforcements. I hope you two won't blame me."

Song Qingshu didn't care much about it. After all, they weren't close friends, and he would have made the same choice. He wondered if Wei Xiaobao would be upset.

Looking up, he saw that Wei Xiaobao had no anger on his face but was smiling broadly. "That day, the situation was critical. Fortunately, the Dharma King timely notified the troops outside the city, making the assassins cautious. I was worried that you would be harmed by those villains. Today, I first met Brother Song, and then you, I'm really happy. Let's go to the best tavern in the city. We won't stop until we're drunk." He hooked Song Qingshu with his left hand and Jumuozhi with his right, leading them out.

Jumuozhi, though he knew the words were just a tactic, still felt a warm feeling in his heart. However, thinking of the content of Wei Xiaobao's words, his face stiffened, and he muttered, "I cannot drink..."

"Meat and wine pass through the intestines, but the Buddha remains in the heart. Dharma King, why be so concerned?" Wei Xiaobao laughed.

"If the Buddha were to hear that, he would probably slap you." Song Qingshu couldn't help but smile, following the group into the city.

Wei Xiaobao's southern mission to form alliances was full of twists and turns, and he had already delayed for a long time. Worried that Emperor Kangxi would be anxious, they hurried day and night and soon returned to Yanjing.

"Xiaogui, you old rascal, why did it take so long to report to me? Were you infatuated with the beauties of Jiangnan and didn't want to come back?" Kangxi, seeing Wei Xiaobao, was both surprised and delighted, quickly running down from the dragon throne.

"Ah, Xiaoxuan, it's a long story. This time, Xiaogui almost lost his life." Wei Xiaobao raised his hand as if wiping sweat.

"Oh?" Kangxi was indeed interested. "What happened?"

Wei Xiaobao then exaggeratedly described how he was assassinated, how he was saved by Song Qingshu, how he recruited the super expert Jumuozhi in Gusu, and how he was ambushed in Yangzhou and captured by the Golden Snake King and others...

Wei Xiaobao, who had grown up listening to storytellers, knew exactly which parts to emphasize and which to gloss over.

Sure enough, Kangxi was completely drawn in. He, who was usually confined to the palace, had no chance to experience such thrilling events, and he listened with great interest.

"Then how did you escape?" Even though he saw Wei Xiaobao safe and sound, Kangxi