Chapter 99

Chapter 98: Eyes as Swords

"Your directness has caught me off guard for a moment," Song Qingshu was startled and looked at her strangely.

Xia Qingqing pressed on, "Tell me quickly."

"Average," seeing Xia Qingqing's face turning gloomy, Song Qingshu quickly changed his tune, "I like it, I like it!"

Xia Qingqing said, "Since you like me, will you do whatever I say?"

"Of course, as long as You You gives me a word, even if it means climbing a mountain of blades or diving into a sea of fire, I won't frown once," Song Qingshu said without any hesitation, thinking that saying something nice wouldn't cost him anything, and naturally he would cater to her with all sorts of sweet words.

"Then good, I want you to jump down from here now." Xia Qingqing pointed to the cliff a few steps away, a sly smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.

Song Qingshu leaned out to take a look, his face showing hesitation, "This cliff is bottomless; jumping down would surely mean certain death."

"Afraid?" Xia Qingqing sneered, "Who was it that said they would brave any danger for me? If that's the case, you might as well put away your thoughts, and we can still be friends."

"I was just thinking that no one would be there to collect my remains, which made me feel a bit sad," Song Qingshu smiled sadly, "After I die, if you can occasionally think of me in the quiet of the night, I will be content." With that, Song Qingshu took a deep breath and jumped off the cliff.

Seeing him really jump down, Xia Qingqing was quite surprised, but there was no trace of panic on her face. Instead, a complex emotion appeared, and she stood there in a daze for a while, sighing in her heart, "Could this be fate?"

Approaching the edge of the cliff and looking down into the misty abyss, Xia Qingqing bit her lip and also jumped down.

In the blink of an eye, Xia Qingqing landed on a platform halfway down, and seeing the bewildered Song Qingshu, a smile appeared on her face, "Aren't you happy to have your life back?"

"Never would I have thought there would be such a platform a few dozen feet down," Song Qingshu looked up at the top of the cliff, feeling a myriad of emotions. He smiled inwardly, glad that he had been to the Golden Snake Cave before, or he might have been fooled by Xia Qingqing.

"Stupid, I've never seen you so obedient before. Why did you jump off the cliff without hesitation when I told you to?" Looking at Song Qingshu, a hard-to-describe expression flashed in Xia Qingqing's eyes.

"Because you told me to jump," Song Qingshu stared at her with burning eyes.

After a moment of eye contact, Xia Qingqing felt a pang of unease and turned her head away, her face slightly unnatural. She took a deep breath and said calmly, "Follow me inside."

Kneeling in front of the tomb of the Golden Snake Gentleman, looking at the inscription "Yuan Chengzhi and Xia Qingqing respectfully erected," Xia Qingqing seemed to be transported back to the time when she and Brother Yuan rebuilt her father's tomb. Those days were so carefree and happy, and her only worry was about Ajiu. Now, thinking back, her past anxieties seemed so laughable. Losing Brother Yuan, she realized what true pain was...

Seeing the sorrow on Xia Qingqing's face, Song Qingshu guessed she must be thinking of Yuan Chengzhi. He smiled bitterly and looked around the Golden Snake Cave.

Visiting the old place, Song Qingshu couldn't help but think of Mu Wanqing, who had accompanied him here. He wondered how she was doing now...

One was lost in memories, the other in deep thought, and the two fell into a rare silence.

After leaving the Golden Snake Cave, Xia Qingqing looked at Song Qingshu strangely, "Aren't you curious about who I worship?"

Song Qingshu thought to himself, of course, I know, but he replied, "From the inscription on the tombstone, he must be the famous Golden Snake Gentleman of the past. I just didn't expect him to be You You's father."

Xia Qingqing looked at the distant mountains and sighed, "In the martial world, no matter how high your skills or how great your reputation, in the end, it all turns to dust. My father once struck fear into the hearts of the major sects, but after just a few decades, few in the martial world have even heard of him. I wonder how many will remember the once glorious Golden Snake King after so many years..."

"At least you will remember him, and that is enough for him," Song Qingshu comforted her.

"Yes, as long as I remember him, it doesn't matter if others forget," Xia Qingqing smiled bitterly, muttering to herself, "No, Ajiu will definitely remember him..."

The two made their way to the Sun Peak. When they saw the silver-haired Mu Renqing, Xia Qingqing could no longer hold back her sorrow, falling to her knees and sobbing, "Master~"

Mu Renqing quickly helped Xia Qingqing up, his eyes also brimming with tears, "I've heard about Chengzhi's fate, that poor child."

"Qingqing has come this time to ask Master to seek justice for Chengzhi," wiping away her tears, Xia Qingqing said through gritted teeth.

Mu Renqing hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "Very well, I am old and near the end of my days. I will go to the capital to see how powerful Dongfang Bubai is."

Xia Qingqing was shocked, "How can Qingqing let Master put yourself in danger? If Brother Yuan were here, he would never agree."

Mu Renqing raised his hand to stop her from continuing, a faint smile appearing on his lips, "Qingqing, you may not know, but Chengzhi's senior brother and sister, Gui Xintree and his wife, have already heard of his death and couldn't wait to go to Yanjing to avenge him. How can I, as his master, be less than my own disciple?"

Xia Qingqing urged anxiously, "Master, please forgive me for speaking out of turn, but your skills are on par with Brother Yuan. This trip to the capital is like hitting a stone with an egg."

Mu Renqing laughed, "Qingqing, you don't need to hide it from me. Chengzhi learned all my skills and combined them with the techniques of the Golden Snake Gentleman and the Iron Sword Sect. He has long surpassed me. Considering my age, if I were to face him in a one-on-one battle, I would surely lose."

"Then why take the risk, Qingqing didn't come here to..." Xia Qingqing thought that if anything happened to her master, Brother Yuan would never forgive her.

Mu Renqing's expression turned solemn, his gaze deep as he looked into the distance, "Some things need to be done even if they seem impossible."

"Qingqing's intention was to ask Master to seek out the senior of the Huashan Sword Sect, Feng Qingyang, to come out of seclusion," Xia Qingqing, in a hurry, finally finished her sentence.

"Feng Shifu?" Mu Renqing was taken aback, then looked down at Xia Qingqing, "Qingqing, where did you hear about my junior master?"

Xia Qingqing's expression was a bit awkward, and she pointed behind her, "It was this friend of Qingqing's who said it."

Mu Renqing then noticed Song Qingshu, seeing his dignified appearance and steady breathing, clearly that of an internal martial arts expert, he quickly asked, "May I ask the young hero's name? Do you know any news about my junior master?"

"I am Song Qingshu, and I learned of Senior Feng's whereabouts by chance," Song Qingshu stood with his hands behind his back, "A few months ago, I had a match with Senior Feng on Huashan, and I gained a lot from it." He dared not say that Feng Qingyang had almost killed him in anger, or Mu Renqing would surely think he was a despicable person.

"Junior master is on Huashan?" Mu Renqing was stunned. During the critical battle between the Sword and Qi Sects of Huashan, Feng Qingyang had disappeared, and since then, there had been no news of him. Everyone assumed he had passed away, but now it turned out he was still alive.

Suddenly, Mu Renqing looked at Song Qingshu suspiciously, a hint of disbelief on his face, "Young hero, you just said you had a match with Junior Master Feng?"

It was no wonder he was skeptical. Feng Qingyang was a rare sword genius, becoming the undisputed first expert of Huashan by his early twenties. At that time, Huashan was not the talent-depleted sect it is now but was at its peak, with many experts and a status in the martial world on par with Shaolin.

Moreover, Feng Qingyang's record was glorious. With just one sword, he had truly become invincible. At the young age of twenty, he had single-handedly faced the former leader of the Sun Moon Holy Sect, Ren Woxing, and even managed to kill ten elders of the Sun Moon Holy Sect who had attacked Huashan, creating a legendary feat in the martial world.

If he were still alive, his internal strength would have reached a profound level over the past few decades, and his understanding of the sword would likely have surpassed the secular realm, reaching a semi-divine state.

For such a semi-divine junior master, Song Qingshu, at his young age, to claim he had fought him, Mu Renqing naturally found it hard to believe.

"Indeed," Song Qingshu replied.

"Then let me see your extraordinary skills," Mu Renqing sneered and lunged forward.

As he moved, Song Qingshu slightly shifted his body and changed the angle of his toes. Mu Renqing seemed to see the most terrifying thing and immediately retracted his move and stepped back.

Staring at his opponent with a serious expression, Mu Renqing knew that his move had been completely blocked, and his opponent had a faint intention to counterattack. His intuition told him that if he continued, he would surely be seriously injured.

"Forgive me, Young Hero Song," Mu Renqing muttered, his wrist turning slightly, and a sword appeared in his hand. He thrust the sword forward, a move that contained the essence of his decades of practice, heavy and steady like a mountain, light and graceful like a breeze, unpredictable and swift, aiming directly at Song Qingshu.

Song Qingshu was indeed impressed this time. He took a small step back, raising his head and focusing his gaze on a point three inches below Mu Renqing's left rib.

Mu Renqing even had the illusion that his left rib was slightly warm, realizing that his opponent had seen through the flaw in his move. Continuing the attack would only be self-defeating, so he had to retract his move, feeling a surge of blood in his chest.

Xia Qingqing was shocked to see Song Qingshu force her master to retreat twice without even making a move, "His skills have reached such a high level? The last time at the Lichun Courtyard in Yangzhou, he was still slightly inferior to Brother Yuan..."

Mu Renqing stared at Song Qingshu as if he were a monster, finally sighing, "Young Hero Song, at your young age, your understanding of swordsmanship is already so profound, similar to Junior Master Feng's 'anticipating the enemy's moves and attacking their weaknesses.' I suspect that your claim of having fought Junior Master Feng is an exaggeration."

"Senior Mu is too modest. I merely relied on my familiarity with the Five Mountains Sword Techniques, which doesn't count as true skill," Song Qingshu bowed.

"Young and unassuming, truly rare," Mu Renqing smiled, "May I ask where Junior Master Feng is now?"

Song Qingshu respectfully replied, "The last time I met Senior Feng was on the Repentance Cliff of Yushan. It seems he has been in seclusion there for the past few decades."

"Repentance Cliff?" Mu Renqing hesitated. Repentance Cliff was the territory of the Qi Sect of Huashan, and as the leader of the Sword Sect, it would not be convenient for him to go there.

After a long pause, Mu Renqing sighed, "Very well, if I can see Junior Master, I will swallow my pride and visit the Qi Sect."

"If Senior Mu finds it inconvenient, we can secretly infiltrate Repentance Cliff. The Qi Sect is lacking in talent and would find it hard to detect us," Song Qingshu suggested, seeing Mu Renqing's hesitation.

Mu Renqing's expression turned displeased, "We are not doing anything dishonorable, why should we act so furtively? Qingqing, follow me to Yushan to meet Master Yue. Young Hero Song, if you are interested, you can come along." With that, he waved his sleeve and headed straight for Yushan.

Xia Qingqing turned to Song Qingshu, stuck out her tongue, and quickly ran after him.

"These famous sects have so many rules," Song Qingshu's well-intentioned suggestion was met with rejection, leaving him feeling quite awkward. However, seeing Xia Qingqing's playful gesture, he was amused and followed her eagerly.

Upon receiving a report from his disciples that the leader of the Sword Sect was visiting, Yue Buqun hurried out to greet him, but his mind was filled with suspicion: The Sword and Qi Sects had not interacted for decades. What could be the purpose of this visit?

Song Qingshu saw a man in the center dressed as a scholar, with a long beard and a handsome face, exuding a sense of righteousness. He thought, no wonder the name "Gentleman Sword" is renowned in the martial world; this appearance is indeed impressive.

The group was welcomed into the Sword and Qi Hall of the Huashan Sect. Mu Renqing, who hadn't set foot on Yushan for decades, looked at the familiar scenery along the way, lost in thought, as if transported back to the days when he was learning martial arts. When he saw the sign "Sword and Qi Soaring" hanging high, he couldn't hold back his tears.

Seeing Mu Renqing's emotional state, Yue Buqun was also deeply moved and coughed lightly, "I wonder what brings Brother Mu to see me..."

Before he could finish, Yue Buqun's gaze fell on Song Qingshu in the corner, and he seemed to see a ghost. He drew his sword and pointed it at Song Qingshu, gritting his teeth, "Dog, you dare to come here!"

The Huashan disciples, though confused, followed their master's lead and surrounded Song Qingshu.

"Hey, hey, hey, Master Yue, I don't know you that well. If you keep calling me a dog, I'll sue you for defamation," Song Qingshu was annoyed by the insult.

"At Mount Tai, you, as a Qing court hound, coerced the Mount Tai Sect into submitting to the Qing court and indirectly caused the death of the rebel leader, the Golden Snake King..."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Song Qingshu glanced back at Xia Qingqing, seeing her expressionless, and felt a cold sweat. "On the Jade Emperor Peak, I acted openly and justly..."

Chapter 99: Handsome Young Man

Song Qingshu respectfully replied, "The last time I met Senior Feng was on the Repentance Cliff of Yushan. It seems he has been in seclusion there for the past few decades."

"Repentance Cliff?" Mu Renqing hesitated. Repentance Cliff was the territory of the Qi Sect of Huashan, and as the leader of the Sword Sect, it would not be convenient for him to go there.

After a long pause, Mu Renqing sighed, "Very well, if I can see Junior Master, I will swallow my pride and visit the Qi Sect."

"If Senior Mu finds it inconvenient, we can secretly infiltrate Repentance Cliff. The Qi Sect is lacking in talent and would find it hard to detect us," Song Qingshu suggested, seeing Mu Renqing's hesitation.

Mu Renqing's expression turned displeased, "We are not doing anything dishonorable, why should we act so furtively? Qingqing, follow me to Yushan to meet Master Yue. Young Hero Song, if you are interested, you can come along." With that, he waved his sleeve and headed