Chapter 95

Chapter 94: Two Masters of Disguise

A few days ago, Emperor Kangxi sent them to sweep through the martial arts world, with the aim of dealing with Yuan Chengzhi. Therefore, he only required the various sects to accept the imperial seal. Recently, after careful consideration, Kangxi felt that such a method of subjugation was superficial, and the sects might still harbor ulterior motives towards the Qing Dynasty. As he spoke, he frowned.

"Does Your Majesty have any brilliant strategies?" Song Qingshu, who had spent a lot of time with Wei Xiaobao, had become extremely adept at reading people's expressions and intentions. He quickly asked in response.

Kangxi replied, "For many years, I have deeply felt the lack of skilled guards in the imperial court. This is a good opportunity to have the leaders of each sect send their trusted nephews and children to the capital to expand the guard force in the Forbidden City. Qingshu, you are familiar with the various sects. This time, I will send you to recruit their disciples."

Song Qingshu was impressed. On the surface, it was about serving as imperial guards in the capital, but in reality, these people were hostages. If the sects had any other thoughts in the future, they would have to consider the safety of their hostages.

"I accept the imperial command!" Song Qingshu immediately understood the essence of his mission. He needed to ensure that the sects sent their leaders' most beloved children to the capital. If they had no children, he would have to "invite" the chief disciples of the second generation to the capital.

"How many men do you plan to take on this trip?" Kangxi asked.

"I can manage alone." Song Qingshu thought that this was a rare opportunity to leave the capital with Xia Qingqing. If he brought Duolong or Zhang Kangnian, who had seen the appearance of You You at the Lichun Courtyard in Yangzhou, there was a risk of being recognized. Song Qingshu would not agree to bring anyone.

Kangxi frowned, "This trip is fraught with danger. If a sect acts rashly, Song Xiaoxia will be at a disadvantage."

"Your Majesty, the sects have already pledged allegiance to the court. Even if some have ulterior motives, they are in the minority. With my martial arts skills, I can handle them," Song Qingshu replied.

"Eastern Sect Leader, what do you think?" Kangxi turned to look at Dongfang Bubai and asked.

Dongfang Bubai glanced at Song Qingshu and replied, "There are no major sects in the Qing Dynasty. With Song Qingshu's martial arts skills, dealing with those second-rate sects is more than enough."

Kangxi felt reassured and said, "Very well, Minister Song, I hereby appoint you as a special envoy of the court. You will be granted a yellow robe. If necessary, you can mobilize local officials for assistance and have the authority to act first and report later..."

After leaving the imperial study, Dongfang Bubai looked at Song Qingshu suspiciously, "You don't plan to elope with Lady Mi, do you?"

Song Qingshu's face stiffened, "Sect Leader Dongfang, you jest. I wouldn't dare even if you gave me ten lives."

"I don't think you would dare. I don't want to be sent to hunt you down one day," Dongfang Bubai said and walked away.

Thinking of that terrifying scenario, Song Qingshu subconsciously shook his head and hurried to his residence.

Pushing open the door, he saw the bed neatly made, but the beauty was nowhere to be found. Song Qingshu felt a sense of loss and stood at the door, dazed.

"Are you looking for me?" A soft, alluring female voice came from behind him.

Song Qingshu turned around in surprise and saw Xia Qingqing leaning against the wall, one hand supporting her chin and the other holding her hair, a faint smile on her lips as she looked at him.

At that moment, the rising sun cast golden rays onto Xia Qingqing's clothes, creating a beautiful halo. Song Qingshu was entranced and murmured, "I'm looking for a lazy little pig. Has this fairy sister seen it?"

Xia Qingqing blushed when she thought of waking up to find the room empty. She jumped down and huffed, "Do you usually deceive girls with such sweet talk?"

"Many women say my words are sweet. Would you like to taste them?" Song Qingshu saw her about to get angry and quickly changed his tone, "Madam, you were in night clothes yesterday. Where did you get such a beautiful dress today?"

"Don't worry about the details," Xia Qingqing waved her hand, "I was worried someone might come to your room this morning, so I hid outside."

"Madam, you are so considerate. I wish I could offer myself to you..." Noticing Xia Qingqing's expression, Song Qingshu dared not continue.

"Ah, you are always so frivolous," Xia Qingqing sighed, "Even though you spoke eloquently last night, I am a widow and cannot stay here for long. After dark tonight, I will leave the palace to find my master. Even if I encounter Dongfang Bubai, I am prepared to die. Since Brother Yuan is dead, I don't want to live anymore."

"Does it not hurt me when you keep mentioning other men?" Song Qingshu put on a hurt expression, "I'm afraid of you. I'll take you out later."

Xia Qingqing had not yet become angry when she heard his last words and asked in surprise, "Really?"

"Although I also look forward to living with Madam, I have a mission from the emperor. Alas..." Song Qingshu explained his task in detail.

"Hmph! You are so eager to be a lackey of the Qing court." Xia Qingqing turned away in a huff.

"I cannot reveal the reasons now, but please believe me. I am in the Han camp but my heart is with Cao... Ah, I mean, in the Cao camp but my heart is with Han." Song Qingshu quickly corrected himself.

Xia Qingqing was silent for a moment and then smiled, "Alright, after so many interactions, although you often... surprise me with your words, I believe you are a good person."

"Stop! A woman shouldn't hand out 'good person cards' so easily," Song Qingshu said dejectedly, "Let's not talk about that. Before we leave, you need to disguise yourself. Otherwise, if I take such a beautiful woman out of the palace, even if it's not Dongfang Bubai, the guards at the gate won't let us pass."

Hearing his praise, Xia Qingqing smiled, "Disguise? I'm good at that." She had once disguised herself as a man and won the heart of He Tieshou, the leader of the Five Poisons Sect, which was one of her proudest achievements.

"You can do that too?" Song Qingshu looked at her in surprise.

"Of course!" Xia Qingqing raised her chin proudly, pushed him out the door, closed the windows, and said, "Don't peek!"

Song Qingshu smiled bitterly, "Don't worry, if I were to look, I would do it openly. I wouldn't do something as low as peeping."

After a while, the door opened, and a handsome young man appeared in front of Song Qingshu. He turned around slowly and smiled proudly, "How do I look?"

"Too bad you're not a courtesan!" Song Qingshu sighed inwardly and said, "Is this what you call a disguise? Just tying up your hair, wrapping your chest, and changing into men's clothes?"

"What's wrong with that?" Xia Qingqing looked at herself and asked in confusion, "When I traveled in the martial arts world, few people could see through it."

"That just shows how naive your people were!" Song Qingshu said in exasperation, "I won't entrust my life to such illogical plots in the original story. Wait here, I'll show you what a real disguise is."

Chapter 95: A Second Assault

Song Qingshu hurried out and returned a short while later with a tray of clay-like material.

"What is this?" Xia Qingqing asked in confusion.

"Real disguise technique," Song Qingshu said with a grin, "Sit down, I'll give you a proper disguise. With your previous look, a red-coated soldier might not notice, but if you encounter Dongfang Bubai, you won't fool him."

"How likely is it to run into that pervert?" Xia Qingqing was startled.

"The pervert you mentioned suffered a great loss before. He has always suspected that the person he fought that night was me. He has been watching me closely recently, so we must be cautious," Song Qingshu said as he began to apply the clay to Xia Qingqing's face.

"What are you doing?" Xia Qingqing instinctively leaned back as his fingers approached her face.

"How can I disguise you without touching you?" Song Qingshu said impatiently, "Don't be so dirty-minded. Just think of me as a doctor. A doctor doesn't distinguish between men and women."

"Hmph, easy for you to say. If you were a woman and I were a man, would you let me touch you so casually?" Xia Qingqing said dejectedly but stopped dodging.

When Song Qingshu's fingers touched her face, Xia Qingqing shivered involuntarily. She wanted to speak but didn't know what to say, so she closed her lips tightly and endured.

"Your skin is so soft. What do you use to take care of it?"

"Why are you so sensitive? A touch makes you shiver all over. This is a disease, and it needs to be treated."

"Shut up!"

"Okay, okay~"

...

Xia Qingqing endured Song Qingshu's hands moving on her face and his incessant chatter. After half an hour, she finally escaped the ordeal. Looking at the man in the bronze mirror, Xia Qingqing was stunned, "This... this..."

"What's with all the 'this' and 'that'? This look is quite handsome and suave, isn't it?" Song Qingshu admired his work proudly.

"Handsome you, big head!" Xia Qingqing felt like she was about to break down, "Why did you make me look like you?"

"What's wrong with looking like me?" Song Qingshu said helplessly, "I have my reasons, and you'll understand later."

Although Xia Qingqing felt a bit disoriented, she had to admit that his disguise technique was truly remarkable. Looking at the mirror and then at Song Qingshu, she was amazed: they looked exactly the same.

"Hmm, you're still a bit short." Song Qingshu circled her a few times and then threw a pair of shoes at her, "Custom-made height-increasing shoes. With these, the former Sect Leader Huang dominated the martial arts world for many years. You deserve to have them."

"What nonsense, I've never heard of a Sect Leader Huang in the martial arts world." Xia Qingqing put on the shoes and felt...