Huang Shang fell silent. After a long while, he said, "Young man, don't be so arrogant." On the other side, the Wine-Drinking Monk stepped forward, subtly cutting off Song Qingshu's retreat.
Song Qingshu replied, "If you aren't a little wild when you're young, are you supposed to wait until you're old? What fun would life have then?"
Huang Shang snorted. "I know that, having reached such martial heights at such a young age, you must be immensely proud. But I must still remind you: you are no match for Wine-Drinking Brother and me working together."
Song Qingshu said calmly, "Not necessarily."
Huang Shang had always been skilled in the way of nature and had not lost his temper for a very long time. Yet Song Qingshu's words made him so angry that he laughed instead. "What arrogance."
A'ke hurriedly tugged at Song Qingshu's sleeve. "Brother Song, you truly don't need to take such a great risk for me. I can wait for you to come get me in the palace."
Song Qingshu shook his head. "Don't worry. Today, I'll take you out of here."
"Humph!" Huang Shang could endure no more. His entire body turned into a black shadow, and when he reappeared, he was already before Song Qingshu. Five jade-like fingers enveloped the vital acupoints all over his body.
With a gentle push, Song Qingshu used soft force to send A'ke aside, keeping her from being caught in the crossfire. Then a surge of sword qi shot into the sky, and in the blink of an eye, he had exchanged several moves with Huang Shang.
The Wine-Drinking Monk shook his head repeatedly. "Who would have thought that after a lifetime of glory, I would still have to join forces with someone to bully a junior in my old age?"