Chapter 600: The Mysterious Assassin

The two eventually dressed up. Apart from the faint rosy glow on Nan Lan’s cheeks, she looked as composed as ever.

Song Qingshu, however, was reluctantly pushed and pleaded with until he was sent outside, where he was instructed to act as if he had just arrived in the capital.

Song Qingshu couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. He thought to himself,

‘Your daughter already knows about us; why bother pretending?’

Still, unable to resist Nan Lan’s soft-spoken requests, he ultimately agreed to play along with her charade.

When Song Qingshu knocked on the door, Nan Lan deliberately refrained from answering, instead calling her daughter to open it. However, Miao Ruolan, still sulking, ignored her mother entirely. Left with no other choice, Nan Lan had to open the door herself.

Upon seeing Song Qingshu, she exaggerated her tone, loudly saying, “Young Master Song, you’re back! Ruolan, come out and see who’s here!”

Hearing her mother’s words, Miao Ruolan’s eyes flashed with confusion. Yet, being clever since childhood, she quickly caught on and muttered to herself,

‘How shameless. They’re teaming up to fool me, thinking I’m too young to understand.’

A sly smile crossed her face as she decided to play along, intending to see how far these two would take their act.

What she didn’t know, however, was that Song Qingshu was already aware she had been peaking on them.

Song Qingshu followed Nan Lan into the house, his expression bemused. His eyes lit up when he noticed a shy and delicate young girl standing at the stairs not far away. Her features were exquisitely beautiful, like a radiant pearl or polished jade, exuding a scholarly elegance between her brows. Though she was still young, it was clear she would grow into a stunning beauty.

Song Qingshu marveled inwardly,

‘Truly worthy of being one of the fourteen heroines in Jin Yong’s works. Not only did she inherit her mother’s beauty, but she seems poised to surpass it.’

“Young Ruolan…” Song Qingshu started, but his words faltered. Knowing full well she had witnessed everything earlier, he couldn’t bring himself to interact with her as naturally as before.

“Brother Qingshu~” came a silvery laugh as Miao Ruolan, trailing a faint fragrance, dashed toward Song Qingshu.

Startled, Song Qingshu’s arms instinctively opened. This scene was uncannily similar to how she used to run into his embrace whenever he returned in the past.

Just as she neared him, however, Miao Ruolan blushed and abruptly stopped a few feet away. She said coquettishly, “Brother Qingshu, why did it take you so long to visit Lan’er?”

“I’ve been busy…” Song Qingshu replied awkwardly, discreetly retracting his arms.

Nan Lan, standing nearby, glared at her daughter. “Mind your manners. How can you call him ‘Brother Qingshu’? You should address him as ‘Uncle Song.’”

“I refuse!” Miao Ruolan huffed, turning her head defiantly. “He promised to be my brother. Isn’t that right, Brother Qingshu?”

“Yes… that’s right,” Song Qingshu replied, a playful smile forming as he observed the young girl. Her demeanor suggested she had no intention of exposing the truth. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly,

‘Women are natural-born deceivers. The more beautiful they are, the better they lie. To think Miao Ruolan, at her age, already has such acting talent.’

The situation grew more amusing. One mother-daughter pair, each thinking the other was unaware, and him caught in between. Should he act as if he didn’t know Miao Ruolan knew? Or pretend otherwise?

After a moment of hesitation, Song Qingshu decided to feign ignorance of Miao Ruolan’s knowledge.

What followed was an awkward and tense dinner. Afraid his acting might falter, Song Qingshu excused himself after eating, claiming he had urgent matters to attend to.

As he stepped outside, his gaze landed on the distant Forbidden City. His eyes narrowed in focus—it was finally nighttime.

Though meeting He Qing or indulging in a tryst with Nan Lan were tempting options, his true purpose in coming north was to meet Dongfang Muxue. Entering the city during the day would have drawn too much attention, given his martial arts skills. To avoid unnecessary complications, he had waited for nightfall.

The Forbidden City was as familiar to Song Qingshu as his own backyard. Carefully avoiding areas heavily guarded by imperial troops, he easily leapt over several obstacles and entered the inner city. To stay cautious, however, he donned a silver mask.

He paused outside Palace of Heavenly Tranquility, debating his next move.

‘I wonder which palace Dongfang Muxue is resting in tonight…’

This was one of the reasons why assassinating emperors throughout history was so difficult. Getting past the outer defenses was a monumental task in itself. Even for top martial artists, breaching the inner palace was nearly impossible without encountering the elite imperial guards. And even if one managed to break through both layers of defense, another dilemma awaited: locating the emperor within the vast expanse of the palace grounds.

Although Palace of Heavenly Tranquility was the emperor’s sleeping quarters, the multitude of concubines and chambers made it highly likely for the emperor to spend nights elsewhere. Without insider knowledge, even the most skilled intruders risked exposure and a swift demise under the guards’ relentless assault.

The Red Flower Society had come close to succeeding in an assassination attempt once, but only because Prince Bao, a figure of unparalleled authority, had secretly aided them by leaking Kangxi’s whereabouts through palace informants.

After some hesitation, Song Qingshu decided to investigate Palace of Heavenly Tranquility first. As the emperor’s designated sleeping quarters, it was theoretically the most likely place for Dongfang Muxue to be resting, considering the impracticality of a woman staying in the concubines’ quarters.

The open square in front of Palace of Heavenly Tranquility spanned dozens of feet with no cover in sight. Most experts would find it impossible to cross undetected. But this posed no challenge for Song Qingshu. Activating his full Qinggong, he moved like a wisp of smoke. The patrolling guards only felt a faint breeze, completely unaware of his presence.

Once inside the palace, disappointment hit Song Qingshu. He could not sense Dongfang Muxue’s presence. It seemed she wasn’t staying here tonight.

Just as he prepared to leave, he froze. Apart from the eunuchs and palace maids in the side halls, another peculiar presence lingered within the palace. This individual’s breathing was subtle yet steady, clearly marking them as a martial arts expert. What shocked Song Qingshu even more was the location of this person—they were lying on the dragon bed.

Song Qingshu’s expression darkened.

‘Who is this? How dare they sleep on the dragon bed? Could it be a lover Dongfang Muxue secretly brought here?’

Soon he dismissed this possibility. Judging by the aura, it seemed the person was a woman.

“Could it be one of the imperial concubines?” Song Qingshu quickly rejected the thought. After all, which concubine in the palace would know martial arts?

‘Hmph, I’ll see who you are!’

Song Qingshu stealthily moved closer to the dragon bed. Just as he was about to use his Dragon Capture Technique to pull the person out, a piercing cry suddenly came from outside:

“Assassins!”

“Assassins?” Song Qingshu was momentarily stunned. Suddenly, a rain of black needles shot out from the dragon bed.

Fortunately, having been attacked once before by He Qing’s Concealed Shadow Needle, Song Qingshu didn’t panic this time. With a quick movement, he dodged several feet to the side.

“Black Blood God Needles?” Song Qingshu was startled.

“Huh?” A crisp female voice came from nearby, surprised that he recognized her weapon. However, wary of the Qinggong he displayed while evading, the opponent didn’t hesitate and immediately launched a fierce attack, her strikes ruthless and deadly.

But Song Qingshu’s martial arts were now extraordinarily formidable. He casually took a step back, causing all her attacks to miss. Realizing her strike had failed, the woman was shocked and quickly retreated several feet.

Song Qingshu didn’t press the attack. Instead, he smiled and observed the young woman before him. Her skin was fair, her face charming and lovely—it was none other than Qu Feiyan. She was now dressed in an imperial yellow robe, clearly impersonating the emperor.

“Who are you, and how do you recognize the Black Blood God Needles?” Qu Feiyan had initially intended to call for the guards, but sensing no hostility from him, she hesitated for a moment before asking directly.

“Has it been so long that you can’t even recognize my voice?” Song Qingshu removed his mask, smiling at the girl before him.

“Brother Song!” Qu Feiyan’s guarded expression first turned to doubt, then to delight as she threw herself into his arms.

Holding Qu Feiyan’s lively and youthful body, Song Qingshu couldn’t help but scold her slightly. “Why didn’t you let me know when you arrived in the Forbidden City? I kept thinking you were still at the Five Poisons Cult.”

“It was Master who told me not to inform you.” Qu Feiyan giggled. She looked up, circled around Song Qingshu, and marveled, “Brother Song, it’s been so long, and you seem to have become even more charming!”

“When did your tongue become so sweet?” Song Qingshu couldn’t help but laugh.

“My tongue has always been sweet. Don’t believe me? Try it,” Qu Feiyan teased, leaning in with her moist, alluring lips.

Seeing her delicate, tempting red lips, Song Qingshu chuckled. “You’re still as mischievous as ever.” He leaned down and gave her a quick k!ss, deliberately showing a dazed expression. “Indeed, sweet and delicious.”

“Hmph, Brother Song, you’re so bad! You didn’t even try to be convincing.” Qu Feiyan pouted, clearly dissatisfied.

Just as Song Qingshu was about to speak, his expression changed. He quickly shielded Qu Feiyan behind him. At that moment, countless caltrops and arrows shot through the window, sealing off every possible escape route.

Song Qingshu’s robe billowed without wind, and in an instant, it expanded fully. The incoming projectiles seemed to strike an invisible wall a foot away from the two of them, halting in midair.

With a cold snort, Song Qingshu unleashed his internal energy, sending the projectiles flying back. Screams erupted from outside.

However, Song Qingshu didn’t relax in the slightest. He stared intently at the window.

Suddenly, all the windows shattered, and over a dozen black-clad men charged in, their expressions murderous.

This is 12/16 chapters sponsored by Sixth. This also marks 600 chapters of FSM.

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