Chapter 73 of 100

Chapter 73

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Chapter 72: The Mysterious Expert

Jiumozhi'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 don't hold it against me."

Song Qingshu neither confirmed nor denied it, not really caring about the matter. After all, they weren't close friends, and he would probably have made the same choice. He wondered if Wei Xiaobao would have any lingering resentment.

Looking up, he saw that Wei Xiaobao had no trace of anger, but instead was smiling broadly. "The situation was critical that day. Fortunately, the Bright King promptly notified the troops outside the city, which made those assassins hesitate. I was worried that you might have been harmed by those villains. Today, I first met Brother Song, and then you, Great Master. I'm so happy. Let's go to the best tavern in the city. We won't return until we're thoroughly drunk." As he spoke, he hooked his left arm around Song Qingshu and his right arm around Jiumozhi, and walked out.

Although Jiumozhi knew that the words just spoken were merely a tactic, he couldn't help but feel a warm sensation in his heart. However, thinking about the content of Wei Xiaobao's words, his face stiffened, and he muttered, "I cannot drink alcohol..."

"Alcohol and meat pass through the intestines, but the Buddha remains in the heart. Why should you, Bright King, care?" Wei Xiaobao laughed.

"If the Buddha were to hear such words, he would probably slap you hard," Song Qingshu couldn't help but smile, and followed the group into the city.

Wei Xiaobao's southern journey to form an alliance had been fraught with twists and turns, and he had already wasted a lot of time. Worried that Emperor Kangxi might be anxious, the group traveled day and night and soon returned to Yanjing City.

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

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

"Oh?" Kangxi was indeed intrigued. "What exactly happened?"

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

Wei Xiaobao had always enjoyed listening to storytellers and knew exactly which parts to emphasize and which to gloss over.

Sure enough, Kangxi was completely drawn in by his story. Trapped in the palace, he rarely had the chance to experience such thrilling events, and he listened with great interest.

"How did you escape later?" Although Kangxi saw that Wei Xiaobao was safe and sound, he couldn't help but worry about how he managed to escape from such a dangerous situation.

Wei Xiaobao chuckled and then told him about how he sowed discord between the Blood Knife Patriarch and Yuan Chengzhi.

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

"Xiaogui was indeed a good-for-nothing before, Chapter 72: The Mysterious Expert," Wei Xiaobao gently nudged Kangxi with his shoulder. "But after frequently hanging out with Xiaoxuanzi, I've become resourceful through osmosis."

"It's 'osmosis,' and I just praised you," Kangxi gave him a disapproving look. "By the way, after the Blood Knife Patriarch took you away, how did he let you go?"

Wei Xiaobao originally wanted to lie and say that Song Qingshu had saved him, but then he remembered that he had revealed the most critical secret of the Qing Dynasty to save his life. If Xiaoxuanzi wasn't prepared, wouldn't he be putting him in danger?

After much hesitation, Wei Xiaobao finally spoke, "Xiaoxuanzi, I dare not say..."

"What is there to be afraid of saying?" Kangxi's eyes twinkled, looking at him with amusement. "Did you say something bad about me in front of the Blood Knife Patriarch? It's fine, I'll pardon you."

"Uh... it's a bit more serious than that," Wei Xiaobao looked at him nervously.

"Did you say something bad about my father or mother?" Kangxi's face darkened.

"Of course not!" Wei Xiaobao shook his head vigorously, thinking that if he had to die, he might as well tell the truth. He then recounted in detail how he had revealed the fragile relationship between Kangxi, Prince Bao, and Wu Sangui to the Blood Knife Patriarch.

Kangxi's brows furrowed, and he stood there in silence for a long time.

Wei Xiaobao waited in fear, quickly adding, "Xiaoxuanzi, at that time, I was about to be taken to Mongolia by the Blood Knife Patriarch. I thought that if the Mongolian prince used me to threaten you, you would be in a difficult position. Saving me would harm the interests of the Qing Dynasty, which would be unrighteous; but if you let me die, it would be unbrotherly. How could Xiaogui bear to make Xiaoxuanzi do something unrighteous and unbrotherly?"

"Rascal!" Seeing Wei Xiaobao's deliberately pitiful expression, Kangxi knew what he was up to. Finding his words incoherent, he couldn't help but laugh and scold him, "Forget it, this isn't a big deal. It's a good opportunity to plan something."

Wei Xiaobao's eyes lit up, and he looked at Kangxi with admiration, "Xiaoxuanzi, you came up with a brilliant plan in the blink of an eye. You truly surpass Zhuge Liang..."

"Enough flattery," Kangxi's gaze was deep and thoughtful. "I formed an alliance with Prince Pingxi and Prince Bao only as a temporary measure. Although we have the upper hand against Mongolia in the short term, it will inevitably lead to problems in the long run. I have always wanted to resolve this issue, but the Mongolian threat has prevented me from making a decision. Since you inadvertently leaked the information, if Mongolia really retreats, it might be for the best."

"But Mongolia is clearly watching us fight among ourselves..." Wei Xiaobao's voice faltered under Kangxi's glare, quickly changing his words, "Isn't that exactly what they want?"

"The heron and the clam fight, and the fisherman benefits. Everyone wants to be the fisherman, but few realize how difficult it is to be one." Kangxi smiled confidently, his mind already made up.

"By the way, what about the two experts you mentioned?" Kangxi suddenly remembered and turned to ask.

"Xiaoxuanzi, I'm not boasting, but the two I found are truly top-notch experts. One is the Tibetan Great Wheel Bright King Jiumozhi, known as the first in the Esoteric School, who can cut with invisible blade energy. The other is a young sword immortal, who can take a head within ten paces with a wooden sword, just like that..." Wei Xiaobao was particularly proud of the two experts he had recruited, thinking that Duolong, one of the best experts in the palace, was like heaven and earth compared to them. He felt that he would definitely receive the young emperor's praise this time.

"Hand blade? Wooden sword?" Kangxi was indeed intrigued.

"Let's not talk about Jiumozhi for now. Song Qingshu, who uses a wooden sword, is not only highly skilled but also extremely loyal. His loyalty to his brothers is like that of Guan Yu," Wei Xiaobao, remembering Song Qingshu's repeated rescues, took the opportunity to praise his past deeds.

"Quickly bring them in." Kangxi quickly turned and sat on his dragon throne, maintaining his imperial dignity in front of others.

"Chah!" Wei Xiaobao hurriedly passed on the order.

When Song Qingshu entered the imperial study, he looked at Kangxi on the dragon throne and felt a moment of dizziness: "This young man in the dragon robe is the future emperor... The imperial study, which I missed during my tour of the Forbidden City, I never thought I would make up for that missed opportunity in such a roundabout way."

Kangxi looked at the two experts Wei Xiaobao had praised to the skies and smiled enigmatically. "Speaking of experts, I recently recruited a top expert myself. I wonder how they compare to these two?"

Song Qingshu and Jiumozhi exchanged glances, not taking it seriously, thinking that the Qing court's experts couldn't be that great.

Duolong, the head of the imperial guards, was only so-so in martial arts. Zhang Kangnian and Zhao Qixian, the imperial guards, were only slightly better than ordinary soldiers, but they were no match for true experts.

It was clear how scarce the Qing court's experts were. Song Qingshu had always been curious how Kangxi managed to live so long under the protection of such unreliable imperial guards.

"Who is the expert the Emperor has recruited from the martial world?" Song Qingshu smiled and asked.

"Quickly bring in the Eastern Master," Kangxi ordered, and the eunuch Wen Youdao hurriedly ran down.

"Uh, the Eastern Master?" Song Qingshu's smile froze, his heart filled with doubt: Could it be Dongfang Bubai?

Not long after, the door to the imperial study opened, and a man in red slowly walked in.

He had a calm and composed demeanor, not even glancing at the others in the room, only bowing slightly to Kangxi, "Eastern greets the Emperor."

From the moment he entered, Song Qingshu had been staring at him. He saw that he had rosy lips and white teeth, with a face as delicate as a woman's, and it was hard to tell his age. On the surface, he looked like a handsome young man, but his deep and steady aura constantly reminded those around him not to be deceived by his youthful appearance.

When he spoke, all of Song Qingshu's fantasies were shattered. He had always wondered if this world's Dongfang Bubai was the beautiful woman from the movie or the disgusting man from the TV series.

When Dongfang Bubai first entered, Song Qingshu thought he looked like a woman and was secretly delighted. But when he heard the deep male voice, he was instantly on edge.

Dongfang Bubai looked at him thoughtfully. When their eyes met, Song Qingshu felt a chill, as if he had been seen through.

"Eastern Master, these two are the top experts I have newly recruited, the Tibetan Great Wheel Bright King Jiumozhi and the young hero Song Qingshu," Kangxi said, standing up and introducing them. "The two of you, this is the Eastern Master of the Sun Moon God Sect from Blackwood Cliff."

Dongfang Bubai didn't even bother to look at them, sneering, "When did top experts become so cheap?"

Kangxi was not offended but watched with interest how Song Qingshu and Jiumozhi would respond.

"Xiaogui, let's have a bet. Let's see if the experts you found are better or the ones I found are better." Although Kangxi had already begun to show the qualities of a wise ruler, he was still young at heart and impulsively challenged Wei Xiaobao.

"Of course, the experts you found are better, Xiaoxuanzi." Wei Xiaobao flattered him, but in his heart, he didn't think so. He had seen the skills of Jiumozhi and Song Qingshu, who had beaten the previously revered Hong Antong to a pulp. Xiaoxuanzi, Chapter 73: The Sun Rises in the East