Chapter 981: Golden Finger

Wang Chongyang nodded secretly; he understood that the interests at the top of the Jin Dynasty were deeply entangled. If one said that Song Qingshu could easily seize the real power of a country single-handedly, he himself wouldn’t really believe it.

Noticing Wang Chongyang’s expression, Song Qingshu seized the moment and said, “Actually, I specifically took on this task. Think about it, if other Jin people lead their troops here, wouldn’t Chongyang Palace turn into a wasteland? If I come, I can minimize the damage.”

“Oh?” Wang Chongyang’s expression shifted slightly.

Song Qingshu hurriedly continued, “You see, I deliberately left the main army at the foot of the mountain because I was worried that if they came up, it would lead to the Quanzhen Sect suffering from the flames of war. So, I only brought a few people up to persuade them to surrender. Who knew that Master Qiu and the others would start fighting as soon as they met? Plus, after injuring Junior Sister, I had no choice but to summon the Jin soldiers up the mountain.”

Hearing that Song Qingshu had done so much for her, Xiao Longnu was slightly dazed. In her heart, she had always thought that only Yang Guo treated her well, but now she discovered that there was another man who cared for her so much.

Of course, this thought only flashed through Xiao Longnu’s mind and did not stir any ripples.

“Chuji is indeed a bit reckless,” Wang Chongyang thought of his disciple’s temperament and couldn’t help but shake his head. “By the way, you keep calling her Junior Sister; what is your relationship with the Ancient Tomb Sect?”

He couldn’t help but be curious, after all, he had countless connections with the Ancient Tomb Sect.

Song Qingshu replied awkwardly, “Well, her senior sister is my… um, confidante.” He originally wanted to say that Bing Xue’er was his woman, but thinking that she didn’t want their relationship to be known by others, he chose a more neutral term.

“The Red Fairy, Li Mochou?” Wang Chongyang frowned. Although he was at the top of the wulin, he had still heard of Li Mochou’s notorious reputation.

Song Qingshu coughed twice and didn’t explain the misunderstanding. After all, Bing Xue’er didn’t want to expose their relationship, so let him misunderstand; moreover, Li Mochou had now allied with him, so in a sense, she could indeed be considered his.

However, Wang Chongyang’s next sentence almost choked him: “Isn’t your wife the Emei Sect leader, Zhou Zhiruo?”

“Uh~” Song Qingshu’s face flushed, and for a moment, he didn’t know how to respond.

Wang Chongyang quickly realized, laughing and scolding, “No wonder Yingluo that girl would scold you like that.” At his age, he had let go of many things, and naturally wouldn’t take the romantic debts of the younger generation to heart.

Now, Song Qingshu was really curious: “What did she scold me for?”

Wang Chongyang shook his head, “You can ask her yourself when you get to Jiangnan; I won’t spread rumors.”

Song Qingshu looked dejected: “Uh, fine.” He didn’t know when he would have the chance to see the yellow-robed woman again.

“What do you plan to do about the situation at Chongyang Palace?” Wang Chongyang shifted his focus back to the matter at hand. No matter how detached he was, the Quanzhen Sect represented half of his life’s work; how could he not care?

Song Qingshu pondered his words and replied, “Can we make Master Qiu and the others agree on the surface? That way, I can report back and also preserve the Quanzhen Sect’s decades of foundation.”

“No way!” Wang Chongyang flatly refused. “The purpose of the Quanzhen Sect is to resist the Jurchen invaders and save the people from fire and water; how can we kneel to the Jin court?”

Song Qingshu smiled bitterly: “But now the Jin soldiers have already come up the mountain with three thousand elite troops, and I can’t justifiably stop them. Once war breaks out, it will be a situation of mutual destruction.”

Wang Chongyang replied coldly, “Quanzhen disciples sacrifice for their beliefs; even in death, they are honored.”

Song Qingshu couldn’t help but admire the man before him. He might have various flaws, but in the righteousness of resisting foreign invasion, there was nothing to criticize.

Song Qingshu thought for a moment and said, “May I ask, senior, what is more important: restoring the Han people’s territory or the reputation of the Quanzhen Sect?”

Wang Chongyang was taken aback and instinctively replied, “Of course, restoring the Han people’s territory is more important!”

“If the Quanzhen Sect were to be completely annihilated today, would that benefit the restoration of the Han people’s territory?” Song Qingshu continued to ask.

“This…” Wang Chongyang suddenly fell silent.

Song Qingshu sighed, “The greatest courage in this world is not to die heroically for some ideal, but to live humbly for an ideal. Throughout history, death is actually the easiest thing; just close your eyes and kick your legs, and you don’t have to care about anything. Instead, persevering to live on requires the greatest courage, as you may endure endless humiliation and have to face the scorn and slander of the world.”

“Now, if the Quanzhen Sect chooses to die rather than yield, what use is there except to leave behind a useless reputation?” Song Qingshu continued, “But if the Quanzhen Sect can endure humiliation and preserve itself, plus I control the Jin Dynasty’s core, when the time is ripe, we can unite internally and externally to drive the Jin people out of the Central Plains. Wouldn’t that be more meaningful than sacrificing for nothing?”

Wang Chongyang’s heart trembled, especially the line, “The greatest courage in this world is not to die heroically for some ideal, but to live humbly for an ideal,” resonated with him the most. Having resisted the Jin for half his life and being the number one in the world for decades, he had long ceased to be the stubborn young man he once was; he had become much more mature and wise.

“If it weren’t for the fact that you have now entered the core of Jin power, giving me a glimmer of hope, I would rather the Quanzhen Sect perish unyieldingly,” Wang Chongyang finally spoke. “I will let the Quanzhen Sect accept the Jin Dynasty’s Imperial Edict, but you must remember your mission. If one day you seek wealth and honor and forget to restore the Han people’s territory, I will risk my life to take yours.”

Song Qingshu smiled bitterly: “With a top expert like you keeping an eye on me, how could I dare not do my utmost?”

Wang Chongyang’s expression finally softened: “Do you know why I’m willing to trust you?”

“Who told me I look so upright and majestic? Just look at my clear and innocent eyes; I’m an honest young man who wouldn’t deceive anyone.” Song Qingshu replied seriously.

Wang Chongyang was first taken aback, then burst out laughing: “No wonder Yingluo that girl usually doesn’t care about anyone, yet after returning this time, she keeps mentioning you. Now that I see you in person, I know you really are different from others.”

“I wonder what your relationship is with Miss Zhao?” Song Qingshu’s mind conjured up the cold and frosty image of the yellow-robed woman.

Wang Chongyang was surprised: “You even know her surname is Zhao?” It should be known that the yellow-robed woman rarely revealed her name while wandering the wulin; even when she did, she introduced herself with the surname Yang. Only a few of her closest people knew her real name.

“Are you her master?” Song Qingshu asked tentatively. After all, Zhou Zhiruo had an extremely high talent for martial arts, yet the yellow-robed woman, nearly the same age, had mastered the Nine Yin Scripture even better than Zhou Zhiruo. Besides Wang Chongyang’s careful teaching since childhood, he couldn’t think of any other possibility.

Wang Chongyang shook his head and smiled: “No, she is a close disciple of a friend of mine.”

Song Qingshu was taken aback: “Who is your friend?” To be able to befriend Wang Chongyang as an equal and be regarded as a close friend, this person’s martial arts and status were probably not inferior to his—after all, the Eastern Heretic, Western Poison, Southern Emperor, and Northern Beggar had deep connections with him, and each of them could be considered his close friends.

Wang Chongyang smiled without answering: “One day when you come to Jiangnan, perhaps you will have the chance to meet.”

Seeing that the other party was unwilling to say more, Song Qingshu couldn’t force him and could only guess randomly.

At that moment, Xiao Longnu, leaning against a large rock, suddenly began to cough violently, bright red blood gradually spreading across her snow-white dress, resembling vibrant flowers.

Song Qingshu hurried over, holding her hand and channeling True Qi into her while asking, “Junior Sister, how are you feeling now?”

Xiao Longnu’s hand was incredibly delicate and carried a refreshing coolness, feeling very comfortable to touch. However, Song Qingshu had no time to pay attention to this; he was focused on examining her internal injuries.

Feeling her chaotic meridians, Song Qingshu couldn’t help but frown.

At this moment, Wang Chongyang also came to her side, and a powerful True Qi flowed into her body. With the combined efforts of the two masters, they finally stabilized her injuries once more.

“This girl’s injuries are quite tricky,” Wang Chongyang frowned. Given his past relationship with Lin Chaoying, he certainly didn’t want to see her descendant come to harm.

Song Qingshu said irritably, “Isn’t this all your disciples’ doing? A few old men with white beards actually teamed up to deal with a young girl and used such heavy hands! If it weren’t for your face today, none of them would have left alive.”

“Where does such heavy killing intent come from at such a young age? I’m responsible for healing her, that should be enough, right?” Wang Chongyang was also quite frustrated. With his martial arts and status, who wouldn’t be respectful in front of him? Yet he encountered such a peculiar junior who was not inferior to him in martial arts but lacked the concept of respecting his elders, which made him both annoyed and helpless.

The key was that this time it was indeed Master Qiu and the others’ fault. Five of them teamed up to attack Lin Chaoying’s direct disciple, and Wang Chongyang, as the master, felt utterly embarrassed.

Song Qingshu exclaimed joyfully: “Senior, do you have a way to treat her?” Actually, he could also heal her; his Happy Zen method was remarkably effective for treating internal injuries. However, he knew that Xiao Longnu would never agree to such a method. Although Song Qingshu was a bit of a flirt, he still cared about appearances.

“Now you’re calling me senior?” Wang Chongyang shot him a glare, “I’ve temporarily stabilized this girl’s injuries. Let’s go back and deal with the Chongyang Palace situation first, and then I’ll teach you the method of rescue.”

Wang Chongyang still cared about the safety of the Quanzhen Sect’s disciples. After all, the Jin soldiers were coming up the mountain, and there were also two major villains, Ouyang Feng and Qiu Qianren, in the main hall. Whichever one it was, they were incompatible with the Quanzhen Sect. Moreover, the Quanzhen Sect’s disciples had already lost their ability to resist. If the other side really went all out, the Quanzhen disciples would be in real danger.

“Teach me the method of rescue?” Song Qingshu’s expression suddenly became strange. Could it be Kato’s golden finger… oh no, One Yang Finger?