Chapter 89

Chapter 88: Loosening the Robe

Xiaoming stood at the door of the classroom, took a deep breath, and firmly held the secret letter given to him by his mother.

After eliminating a major threat, Emperor Kangxi was greatly pleased and held a banquet that night to entertain Dongfang Bubai, Wei Xiaobao, and Song Qingshu's group.

During the banquet, Jiumozhi suddenly stood up to bid farewell to Emperor Kangxi. Kangxi was taken aback, thinking he was too ashamed to stay, and quickly comforted him, "Mingwang, your martial arts are renowned throughout the world. One mistake is not a big deal. Why are you leaving?"

Jiumozhi clasped his hands together and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, I am not concerned about temporary honor or disgrace. There is a problem with my martial arts, and I need to return to Tibet to consult the senior monks at Nyingma Temple. I hope Your Majesty will understand."

Song Qingshu also said, "Your Majesty, I know a bit about Mingwang's situation. What he said is true."

"Since that's the case, I won't make it difficult for the National Master. I will have someone write a letter of alliance, and you can take it back to the Tibetan king to strengthen the friendship between our two countries," Kangxi quickly responded.

"To be able to form an alliance with the Qing Dynasty is a great fortune for Tibet," Jiumozhi said with a smile. Although this trip to Central China was not entirely successful, forming an alliance with the Qing Dynasty would certainly please the Tibetan king.

"Long ago, I heard that the previous high monk of Nyingma Temple, Padmasambhava, secluded himself for decades, and his cultivation is almost at the level of a divine being. I hope Mingwang can convey a message for me. When I have the time, I will definitely visit Nyingma Temple to learn from the great Padmasambhava," Dongfang Bubai said, putting down his wine cup.

Thinking of how he had killed Yuan Chengzhi, who was only slightly inferior to him, on Mount Tai, Jiumozhi said solemnly, "Nyingma Temple will certainly welcome the Lord of the East Sect."

Dongfang Bubai nodded and stopped paying attention to him, drinking alone.

Seeing his charming profile, Song Qingshu's heart skipped a beat: Damn, with such high martial arts and such a beautiful appearance, if he were in the modern era, he would definitely make those star-chasing girls go crazy.

In the following days, Song Qingshu was almost bored to death in the palace. It turned out that Jiumozhi had left for Tibet the day after the banquet, and Wei Xiaobao had hurried home to be with his wife. Dongfang Bubai's whereabouts were mysterious, and Song Qingshu, as a first-class guard, had to stay in the palace.

"Fortunately, Emperor Kangxi, considering I am a person from the martial world, specially granted me the favor of not having to report for duty. Otherwise, patrolling the palace every day would be embarrassing for a time traveler," Song Qingshu muttered to himself.

According to Kangxi's wishes, he had no fixed duties most of the time and would be notified when needed.

"Ah, it's like waiting to be summoned. This feeling is really unpleasant," Song Qingshu pushed open the window and stared at the stars.

"There's an assassin!" A faint voice came from a distance. If not for Song Qingshu's deep internal strength, he might not have heard it.

"What kind of assassin is so foolish as to run to the rarely visited garden of the Cining Palace?" Song Qingshu said sympathetically. But thinking he was bored anyway, he flipped out of the window and headed toward the source of the sound.

Soon, he heard the sound of weapons clashing. Song Qingshu shook his head and smiled. Although there were no true experts among the Qing guards, each of them was skilled in martial arts. If they caught the assassin, it would be hard for him to escape.

As he passed a corridor and saw the situation, Song Qingshu's face changed slightly.

The black-clad person surrounded by the imperial guards, although wearing a black mask, clearly had a graceful figure, indicating she was a woman.

However, this was not the main point. What made Song Qingshu's face change was the golden snake-shaped sword in her hand.

"Golden Snake Sword?" Song Qingshu was startled. Thinking of Yuan Chengzhi's death and the fact that the assassin was a woman, he immediately understood her identity.

Song Qingshu was deeply impressed by Xia Qingqing. Knowing her husband had died at the hands of the Qing court, she, a woman, had dared to infiltrate the heavily guarded Forbidden City of the Qing Dynasty alone.

However, with her martial arts, assassinating Kangxi was destined to be a futile effort. Now, it was uncertain whether she could even save her own life.

While Song Qingshu was lost in thought, Xia Qingqing was already in a dangerous situation, letting out a low, soft groan as she was struck by a sword on her arm.

Realizing he couldn't wait any longer, Song Qingshu flipped his wrist, using the power of the Double Dragon Water Absorption technique to pull the struggling Xia Qingqing backward.

Xia Qingqing, dealing with the long swords coming from all directions, suddenly felt a strong force pulling her into the darkness.

After the initial panic, Xia Qingqing calmed down, knowing that staying in the middle of the fight would mean certain death. Being pulled into the unknown added a glimmer of hope.

Although she had already resolved to die, she was unwilling to die at the hands of a group of guards without avenging her husband.

Song Qingshu, pulling a person from such a distance for the first time, used his maximum power to prevent the force from being insufficient.

As a result, when Xia Qingqing landed in front of him, her hands, due to inertia, directly pressed against his chest.

Xia Qingqing, dazed from the sudden movement, felt a pair of large hands firmly grabbing her breasts as soon as she landed. She was both ashamed and angry, and slashed at the hands with her sword, shouting, "Filthy man, die!"

"Sorry, sorry, it wasn't intentional," Song Qingshu quickly jumped back, looking embarrassed, and added to himself, "Soft and smooth, truly top-notch!"

"It's you!" Xia Qingqing was stunned when she saw Song Qingshu's face.

"This is not the place to talk, follow me!" Seeing the guards approaching, Song Qingshu grabbed Xia Qingqing and ran.

Held by his waist, Xia Qingqing frowned, wanting to protest but holding back due to the pursuing guards.

Despite carrying a person, Song Qingshu's movements were not hindered. With a light step, he silently slid several yards, quickly losing the pursuers.

"I didn't expect your lightness skills to be so good," Xia Qingqing said softly, removing her mask when Song Qingshu stopped at his residence after losing the guards.

"Alright, alright," Song Qingshu chuckled.

"Even Brother Yuan's lightness skills might not match his," Xia Qingqing thought of her deceased husband, feeling a pang of sorrow, her eyes misting over.

"Ah, Lady Yuan, please take care of yourself," Song Qingshu didn't know how to console her.

As if reminded, Xia Qingqing suddenly looked up, staring at Song Qingshu fiercely, "Were you at Mount Tai that day?"

"Yes..." Song Qingshu nodded bitterly. He was one of the three experts sent by the court, and even if he wanted to deny it, he couldn't.

"Die!" She shouted, thrusting her sword directly at Song Qingshu's chest.

Song Qingshu had been on guard since he spoke. Xia Qingqing, acting out of anger, left many openings, and he quickly struck a point under her armpit.

Just as he was about to speak, he heard the sound of guards approaching. Song Qingshu's expression changed, and he immediately reached for Xia Qingqing's collar.

"What are you doing?" Xia Qingqing's voice was filled with panic.

Song Qingshu, while undressing her, said with a bitter smile, "Miss, I said I just need to borrow your clothes, do you believe me?" Chapter 89: Long Night Walks Lead to Ghosts

"You are shameless!" Xia Qingqing was so angry that she trembled, staring at him fiercely.

"Don't look at me like that," Song Qingshu said while undressing her, "Besides, that night at the Lichun Courtyard in Yangzhou, I saw everything I should and shouldn't have seen, and touched everything I should and shouldn't have touched. Why are you reacting so strongly?"

"Don't mention it!" Thinking of their intimate moments that night, Xia Qingqing felt a deep sense of bitterness.

"If you don't want to mention it, I won't," Song Qingshu sighed. The beautiful woman in front of him was now left in a white undergarment, standing there gracefully.

Feeling Song Qingshu carrying her to the bed, Xia Qingqing was terrified, "I didn't expect you to be this kind of person!"

"You think I killed your husband, right? In that case, I might as well..." Song Qingshu's eyes scanned her body, making Xia Qingqing instinctively shrink, "Heh, I might as well take you. Killing a man and taking his wife, isn't that a great pleasure in life?"

He thought she would be scared and shout, but to his surprise, Xia Qingqing smiled, "I know you won't."

"Uh..." With her confident look, Song Qingshu's mischief came to an abrupt stop.

However, he didn't know that Xia Qingqing's smile hid a cold heart. She thought to herself: I have to use soft words to麻痹 (paralyze) him, and once my acupoints are unblocked, I will...

"See, I didn't lie to you. I said I just needed to borrow your clothes," Song Qingshu put her on the bed and put on the night clothes he had taken off.

"Hmm?" Xia Qingqing looked at him in confusion, wondering what he was up to.

"Your clothes are a bit tight," Song Qingshu moved his hands and feet, frowning, "By the way, I'm missing something."

Xia Qingqing saw him turn to the table, pick up two apples, and stuff them into his chest, holding them with satisfaction, "Hmm, just the right size, now I look like a woman."

Gradually understanding his plan, seeing his comical appearance, Xia Qingqing couldn't help but laugh, and her long-suppressed mood finally eased.

"I also need to borrow your Golden Snake Sword." After putting on a mask, Song Qingshu put her sword on his back, "I need to make the imperial guards believe you have left the palace, or they will eventually find us." He then jumped out of the window and ran toward the noisy guards.

A group of imperial guards were searching for the female assassin. Suddenly, they saw a black figure flash by. The figure's curvy shape and the Golden Snake Sword on her back were so distinctive that it was as if she was shouting, "I'm the female assassin, come and catch me, come and catch me..." Dolong shouted and led the guards in pursuit.

With Song Qingshu's lightness skills, the guards would never catch up, but he wanted the imperial guards to witness the 'assassin' escaping from the palace. Chapter 89: Long Night Walks Lead to Ghosts

"You are shameless!" Xia Qingqing was so angry that she trembled, staring at him fiercely.

"Don't look at me like that," Song Qingshu said while undressing her, "Besides, that night at the Lichun Courtyard in Yangzhou, I saw everything I should and shouldn't have seen, and touched everything I should and shouldn't have touched. Why are you reacting so strongly?"

"Don't mention it!" Thinking of their intimate moments that night, Xia Qingqing felt a deep sense of bitterness.

"If you don't want to mention it, I won't," Song Qingshu sighed. The beautiful woman in front of him was now left in a white undergarment, standing there gracefully.

Feeling Song Qingshu carrying her to the bed, Xia Qingqing was terrified, "I didn't expect you to be this kind of person!"

"You think I killed your husband, right? In that case, I might as well..." Song Qingshu's eyes scanned her body, making Xia Qingqing instinctively shrink, "Heh, I might as well take you