Chapter 383: The Mysterious Assailant (part 1)

Bing Xue’er chased and fought all the way, finally catching Song Qingshu. She snorted with a dissatisfied expression and complained, “You think you’re better than me just because of your movement technique? You’re deliberately bullying me!”

“With my movement technique, if I really wanted to bully you, would you have ever caught me?” Song Qingshu hugged Bing Xue’er’s soft waist, and quietly looked at her fair and flawless face.

Bing Xue’er felt a rush of heat and couldn’t help but blush. After this period of chasing, she had actually lost most of her anger, so she said, “Don’t tease me like this again. It’s really embarrassing.”

“I was also somewhat out of my mind last night…” Song Qingshu laughed and was about to continue.

But Bing Xue’er snorted coldly, “You must have had evil thoughts after seeing my Junior Sister’s beauty.”

Song Qingshu protested, “I didn’t do anything to her!”

Naturally, he didn’t dare to reveal everything about last night. If Bing Xue’er knew that he was holding Xiao Longnu’s hand while he was riding on her, he might have to face a woman’s wrath.

“Shhhhh!”

Song Qingshu’s expression suddenly changed; he pricked up his ears and listened intently.

“What’s wrong?” Bing Xue’er thought there was an enemy nearby, and her face became solemn. She secretly pinched the Golden Bell Belt around her waist and looked around cautiously, but found nothing after scanning the area.

Thinking that Song Qingshu was deliberately teasing her, she was about to get angry when Song Qingshu suddenly spoke, “There is sound of fighting in the dense forest two miles away.”

“Who else could be traveling through this place?” Bing Xue’er was shocked.

When the two of them had been chasing each other; Song Qingshu deliberately chose the most remote place to run away. So they were far away from the main road. In these parts, except for woodcutters and hunters, there were probably no other people, and very few individuals chose to venture here.

Song Qingshu hugged Bing Xue’er’s waist and rushed toward the noise in a flash.

*****

Two miles away, Miao Renfeng stared in horror at a man in black clothes not far away and said in despair, “It’s a disgrace that this Miao claims to be the invincible in the world, but I can’t even withstand your ten moves. Truly, I am a frog in the well.”

The man in black clothes remained calm, “Miao family’s swordsmanship is merely a third-rate martial art. Your lineage has never produced any true masters. I never expected your generation to gain such fame with this ordinary swordsmanship. Master Miao must be quite talented.”

“Talented?” Miao Renfeng laughed bitterly, “Judging by your voice and body shape, you are no older than thirty. How could I, Miao Renfeng, dare claim to be talented before you?”

“Personal circumstances differ; we can’t force that.” The man in black clothes stood with his hands behind his back and said impatiently, “Master Miao, have you decided? Hand over King Chuang’s treasure map, and I will spare your lives. Otherwise…”

He glanced at Miao Ruolan, lying at his feet, his tone menacing.

Miao Renfeng’s anger flared, “Your skills might be remarkable, but bullying a young girl like this is despicable!”

The man in black clothes frowned, “I didn’t want to resort to this, but I urgently need that treasure. Thus, I made this move.”

Miao Renfeng closed his eyes and said coldly, “My Miao family has shouldered the responsibility of guarding this treasure for generations. We won’t let it fall into the hands of despicable people like you just because we fear for our lives.”

After speaking, he turned to Miao Ruolan and said sadly, “Lan’er, it’s all because of Daddy’s failure. Do you blame Daddy?”

Although Miao Ruolan trembled with fear, she shook her head firmly, “Lan’er isn’t afraid. Daddy, you mustn’t tell this bad guy about the treasure.”

The man in black clothes hesitated for a moment and said softly, “Master Miao, when King Chuang left this treasure, he intended to use it as military expenses to drive out the invaders in the future. Foreign powers like Mongolia, Jin, Qing, Liao, Xia, Tubo… all cast covetous eyes on the our Ha*n territory. Now, I might be weak, but with the treasure of King Chuang, I could unite more rebels to join the cause of H*an resurgence…”

This struck a chord with Miao Renfeng. He detested the invaders his entire life, wishing he could single-handedly eradicate every one of them. Seeing this man share his ambition and possess such extraordinary martial arts, there might be a genuine chance of success.

Miao Renfeng’s tension eased, but then he heard Miao Ruolan’s delicate voice, “Dad, please don’t be deceived by this man. He uses such despicable means to coerce us. How can he be a good person?”

Miao Renfeng felt a pang of shame. He was clouded by confusion, but his child saw through the deceit clearly.

The man in black clothes saw Miao Renfeng waver, but Miao Ruolan’s words thwarted his efforts. His face darkened, and he slapped Miao Ruolan, barking, “Shut up!”

Miao Renfeng was immediately furious, “You have no compassion at all. Even if you restore the H*an rule, you are still a tyrant. The treasure of King Chuang can’t fall into the hands of someone as vile as you.”

The man in black clothes looked at his palms, confusion flickering in his eyes, ‘Why can’t I control my emotions? I don’t remember being like this before.’

Suddenly, he pricked his ears, his gaze sharpening as he looked toward the distance. His eyes turned firm and sinister once more.

Song Qingshu arrived, carrying Bing Xue’er.

Seeing the scene, Bing Xue’er exclaimed, “Brother Miao, Ruolan, what’s happening?”

Miao Renfeng saw Song Qingshu clearly and felt a glimmer of hope. Despite his displeasure about Song Qingshu seducing Hu Yidao’s widow, he knew that the man wouldn’t just stand idly by, especially with Bing Xue’er present. He had witnessed Song Qingshu’s martial prowess, and with him here, perhaps Xiao Ruolan’s life could be saved.

If Miao Renfeng was alone, he’d rather die than accept Song Qingshu’s help. However, seeing his beloved daughter’s suffering, he couldn’t bear to see her leave the world like this.

The man in black clothes also discerned Song Qingshu’s identity and his expression changed slightly, “It’s you?”

“Do you know me?” Song Qingshu’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Master Song, please be cautious. This person’s martial arts realm it very high, and exceptionally advanced!” Miao Renfeng warned, fearing Song Qingshu might be careless.

With Song Qingshu’s martial skills, he could naturally gauge the opponent’s approximate strength.

The man in black clothes exuded an aura of profoundness. Additionally, witnessing Miao Renfeng’s dire state, Song Qingshu couldn’t afford to underestimate him.

The man in black clothes sneered, “I heard you’ve gained considerable fame lately, claiming to be the top master in the Qing Empire. Hmph, I’m curious to see if your skills match the rumors.”

Song Qingshu, thinking it might be challenging to use his techniques as he had done before, welcomed the challenge, “You’ll see if you come and try.”