Song Qingshu hurried over and took her place, pressing his palm lightly against Huang Shang's back as he continuously channeled true qi into him.
His inner strength far surpassed the Yellow-robed Woman's. Huang Shang soon opened his eyes and said weakly, "My life force is spent. There is no need to waste your strength, especially when you are gravely injured yourself."
Song Qingshu looked somewhat apologetic. "I arrived too late. Otherwise..."
Huang Shang gave a slight wave of his hand, stopping him from continuing. "You need not blame yourself. The Way of Heaven is constant; it does not endure for Yao, nor perish for Jie. Were our positions reversed, I would have made the same choice as you."
Song Qingshu fell silent. He had needed to seek assistance everywhere along the way, so time had been tight. Yet no matter how tight it had been, it was not as though arriving at precisely this moment had been inevitable. He could have gone up the mountain earlier.
But then he would not have been able to reap the benefits as a fisherman. He might instead have become one of the clams and snipe locked in struggle. He also had to take responsibility for his own safety and that of his subordinates, so if he had to do it again, he would most likely make the same choice.
Huang Shang had clearly seen through all of this, but he understood. It was not mere politeness, because he cultivated the way of nature. He was not constrained by so many rules and conventions. So long as he could achieve his goal, he could employ any means necessary. Deep down, he approved of Song Qingshu's actions.
In the end, he had simply miscalculated this time. He had never expected Prince Yi and Jia Sidao