Chapter 676: Socialite and Noblewoman

“Yang of the Yang Family Generals…” Song Qingshu silently repeated the name in his heart. In his past life, the Yang Family Generals were well-known, whether in novels, television dramas, or comic books. The Yang family was renowned for its loyalty and valor. Since this woman in the yellow robe hailed from the Yang family, it was likely that she had close ties to the Southern Song court.

However, Song Qingshu’s attention soon shifted elsewhere. Compared to the Yang Family Generals, the female generals of the Yang family were even more famous—valiant women left widowed when their husbands perished on the battlefield, leaving behind a house full of beautiful young widows…

Judging by the appearance of the woman in the yellow robe, the Yang family’s women were undoubtedly beauties. Should he consider “rescuing” them?

His mind wandered wildly with all sorts of improper thoughts, making even himself feel a bit disgusted. Wasn’t this a little too beastly? His father’s fate was still uncertain!

But Song Qingshu quickly cast aside these concerns. After all, he was not the real Song Qingshu. He had never even met Song Yuanqiao, let alone developed any deep familial bond. Doing his best to rescue him was already an act of great kindness. If he had to suppress all thoughts of women just because of Song Yuanqiao’s predicament, then that was something Song Qingshu would never agree to.

As for whether seducing the Yang family women would be an affront to the fallen heroes, Song Qingshu had never even considered it. First, those warriors were nothing more than legends to him. Second, he had no intention of using force—if both parties were willing, what was there to feel guilty about? On the contrary, forcing a group of beautiful women to live out their days as widows seemed rather unfair to them in his view.

“Abbot Xuan Ci, I apologize for any offense tonight. Qingshu, we are leaving,” Zhang Sanfeng called out again when he saw Song Qingshu lost in thought. If he had known what was going through his grand-disciple’s mind at that moment, even with his deep cultivation, he might have been tempted to beat him up on the spot.

Xuan Ci hesitated but ultimately decided against using the monastery’s full force to detain them. However, his displeasure was evident as he responded coldly, “I won’t see you off!”

As the two figures gradually disappeared into the darkness, Kong Wen couldn’t help but ask, “Senior Brother, are we really just going to let them leave?”

Xuan Ci sighed, “Now that we know this is a scheme by the Jin Empire, we can’t blindly walk into their trap and let them use us as pawns.”

“But today was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Who knows when we’ll get another chance to keep Zhang Sanfeng here?” Kong Wen said anxiously.

“You really think we could have detained the two of them?”

From a short distance away, a silent figure suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood before sitting down cross-legged to regulate his breathing. With lingering fear, he murmured, “The ethereal Violet Qi… truly formidable!”

“You—!” Xuan Ci’s expression changed drastically. He quickly retrieved the Shaolin Temple’s renowned healing elixir, the Great Revitalization Pill, and handed it over.

After swallowing the pill, the monk’s complexion improved slightly. He slowly opened his eyes and said, “If it were just Zhang Sanfeng alone, I could have risked serious injury and, with the combined strength of the entire temple, barely managed to keep him here. But unfortunately, there was also Song Qingshu. Though his martial arts are still slightly inferior to mine, the gap is minimal. If we had truly fought to the end, tonight would have been an unprecedented catastrophe for Shaolin.”

“That Song fellow is really that powerful?” Xuan Ci asked in disbelief.

The monk gave a slight nod. “I will be going into seclusion to recover. Unless something of grave importance occurs, do not disturb me. Proceed with our plans as discussed.” With that, he slowly walked back to the Sutra Repository.

Xuan Ci and the others respectfully bowed behind him. “Understood!”

*****

At that moment, Zhang Sanfeng and Song Qingshu had just left Shaolin. Song Qingshu chattered nonstop along the way, but Zhang Sanfeng remained silent. Eventually, Song Qingshu noticed the abnormality and asked, “Grandmaster, what’s wrong?”

Zhang Sanfeng leaned against a pine tree by the roadside, unable to hold back any longer, and coughed up a mouthful of blood. Song Qingshu’s expression changed drastically, and he quickly channeled his internal energy into Zhang Sanfeng’s body.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zhang Sanfeng finally felt the turbulent Qi within him stabilize. He couldn’t help but sigh, “I never expected such a powerful expert to exist in this world. If you hadn’t warned me beforehand, I would have unknowingly walked into Shaolin and suffered a great loss.”

“Grandmaster, was that sweeping monk really so formidable? How could even you not be his match?” Song Qingshu was shocked. From his time with Zhang Sanfeng, he had come to revere his martial prowess. The idea that the sweeping monk was even stronger was difficult for him to believe.

Zhang Sanfeng shook his head slightly. “He also suffered serious internal injuries. The reason I was caught off guard was that Xuan Ci and the others ambushed me from behind, causing a momentary lapse in my focus. I had to exchange injury for injury to force the sweeping monk to retreat.”

Song Qingshu looked guilty. “It’s all my fault. If I had come down a little sooner, you wouldn’t have been hurt so badly.”

Zhang Sanfeng smiled faintly. “You can’t blame yourself. Everything happened in an instant. It was my arrogance that led me to underestimate the situation. Who would have thought that those esteemed Shaolin monks would resort to such underhanded tactics? Sigh!”

Song Qingshu sneered, “Those bald Shaolin hypocrites preach false benevolence. Judging by their actions, they seem to have grand ambitions. We must be on guard against them in the future.”

Zhang Sanfeng nodded in agreement. “Indeed, I also sensed that they were scheming something.”

“Grandmaster, leave those political intrigues to us juniors. You should focus on pursuing the Dao,” Song Qingshu continued. “As for finding my father and the others, I’ll handle the investigation this time.”

Zhang Sanfeng nodded slightly. “That would be best. I need to return to Wudang to recuperate for a few months.”

“I’ll escort you back to Wudang first and then head to the Jin Empire to investigate,” Song Qingshu said, worried about Zhang Sanfeng’s injuries and any dangers they might encounter on the way.

Zhang Sanfeng saw through his concerns and laughed. “You’re overthinking it. Though I am injured, there is no one in this world who can truly detain me. On the other hand, your father and the others are in danger. The longer we wait, the worse their situation could become. You must act quickly.”

“But since the Jin Empire went to such lengths to set this trap, they likely won’t let you return to Wudang so easily.”

In the end, Song Qingshu convinced Zhang Sanfeng to rest at an inn in a nearby town for the night so he could assist him with healing.

After a night of effort, Zhang Sanfeng’s condition finally stabilized, easing Song Qingshu’s concerns. Given Zhang Sanfeng’s current state, as long as he didn’t encounter an expert on the level of the sweeping monk, he would have no trouble protecting himself.

After sending Zhang Sanfeng off, Song Qingshu began contemplating how to investigate the whereabouts of Song Yuanqiao and the others. Based on what the woman in the yellow robe had said, this was part of a plot by some high-ranking officials of the Jin Empire.

“High-ranking officials…” Song Qingshu felt a bit lost. He had little connection to the Jin Empire. His first thought was Ouyang Feng, but after being deceived by him multiple times, he instinctively hesitated to seek him out.

Then, an idea struck him. Song was not far from Kaifeng, where he had once met Madame Tang, a noblewoman known for her vast social network. She might be able to provide him with some valuable information.

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