"Fair ladies are sought by gentlemen. A woman like you, Sister-in-law, is like crystal itself. It's hardly strange for Young Master Murong to be a little enthusiastic," Song Qingshu said teasingly, turning toward her.
"Uncle~" Madam Hu reproached him softly, her voice sweet and cloying enough to melt Song Qingshu's bones. "You're teasing me again. With looks as plain as willow and reed, how could I compare to Miss Wang? How could Young Master Murong possibly be as... as you say?"
"In my eyes, Sister-in-law is far prettier than Miss Wang." Seeing Madam Hu's delicate brows rise as she was about to flare up, Song Qingshu hurriedly changed the subject. "I suppose Young Master Murong has his eye on Chuang Wang's Treasure."
"Uncle knows about Chuang Wang's Treasure too?" Madam Hu was startled. This was the greatest secret in her heart, and for the moment, she had no mind to fuss over his earlier frivolous teasing.
"Have you forgotten that I'm known as Jianghu Hundred-Know-All? There are truly very few major matters in the martial world that I don't know about." Song Qingshu put on a mysterious smile.
"Did Uncle also have designs on Chuang Wang's Treasure?" Madam Hu felt uneasy. For a moment, she began to doubt his true reasons for approaching her.
"Of course!" Song Qingshu's answer chilled Madam Hu's heart. "That treasure will be of great use to me someday."
Noticing Madam Hu's ugly expression and understanding what she was thinking, Song Qingshu smiled. "Don't worry, Sister-in-law. Our meeting truly was accidental. Besides, I already knew where the treasure was, so there's no need for you to worry that I have ulterior motives."
"You know where the treasure is?" Madam Hu cried out. "That's impossible."
It was rare to see such a splendid expression on Madam Hu's usually gentle, smiling face. Song Qingshu gave her a thorough look and said with an amused smile, "I told you, I'm Jianghu Hundred-Know-All. Though I don't yet know the exact location, I do know the general direction. Once I get there, I should be able to find it. What, Sister-in-law? Are you planning to kill me to silence me?"
Madam Hu let out a soft sigh. "I truly don't understand how someone so young can know so much."
"When I was little, I once met a wandering Daoist. He saw that I had extraordinary bones and remarkable insight... and couldn't help chatting with me," Song Qingshu said with an air of self-importance, shaking his head before continuing. "He even claimed to be an immortal. He told me many stories and made me remember them well."
Madam Hu obviously did not believe him and pressed on. "Did he say what his name was?"
"Him? I think he was called Jin Yong." Song Qingshu's expression turned somewhat strange.
"Jin Yong?" Madam Hu pondered carefully. "I've never heard of such a person in the martial world." She thought Song Qingshu simply did not wish to tell the truth, so she found it awkward to press further.
"Hunan is so vast. Where are we going first?" Madam Hu did not want to continue discussing Chuang Wang's Treasure, nor did she want to dwell on why Song Qingshu knew about it, so she changed the subject.
"Jingzhou, naturally!" Song Qingshu declared confidently.
After their previous experiences, Madam Hu trusted Song Qingshu's judgment from the bottom of her heart and said nothing more. The two traveled through wind and dust until they reached Jingzhou. All the while, Song Qingshu pondered how to find the Divine Light Scripture.
"First, I need to know how far the plot of Liancheng Jue has progressed." Song Qingshu thought it over carefully. The way to judge that was to see whether Ding Dian was in Jingzhou's prison, and if so, how many years he had been imprisoned.
When Song Qingshu told Madam Hu of his intention to investigate Jingzhou Prefecture's prison, she looked troubled. "Uncle, perhaps you don't know. The Mongol Empire and the Song Dynasty are currently locked in a standoff along the Xiangyang front. Jingzhou is the logistical lifeline of Xiangyang and an important military stronghold, with no fewer than a hundred thousand troops stationed nearby. Jingzhou Prefecture's prison will not be easy to break into."
Now it was Song Qingshu's turn to be dumbfounded. In his impression, those martial arts masters in novels could come and go freely even in imperial palaces, much less a prison. It seemed reality was nothing like that.
"Let's still go take a look. Maybe the defenses aren't as tight as we imagine." Song Qingshu urged, unwilling to give up.
Madam Hu could not outlast him and had no choice but to agree. "All right. But Uncle must promise me not to act rashly then. You aren't in very good health right now. If anything happens, I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you."
"I know, I know. I'm not an idiot." Song Qingshu nodded like a chick pecking grain.
The two made their way toward Jingzhou Prefecture's prison. After observing it from afar, both their expressions changed. Soldiers patrolled everywhere, and the guards were exceptionally strict.
Madam Hu worried about Song Qingshu's injuries. Hearing him say there was someone inside who knew the whereabouts of the Divine Light Scripture, she quietly made up her mind. Turning to Song Qingshu, she said, "Uncle, wait here for a moment. I'll go investigate."
They stood very close together. Breathing in the faint fragrance drifting from the beauty beside him, Song Qingshu's heart stirred. He hurriedly said, "Sister-in-law, don't take the risk!"
"It's all right. I'm only going to investigate." Madam Hu turned back with a charming smile, then in the blink of an eye drifted toward the prison like a wisp of smoke.
Song Qingshu was so entranced by that fleeting smile that he felt dazed. What's wrong with me? I'm used to seeing beautiful women. Why can every frown and smile of hers stir my heart now?
Madam Hu moved as lightly as a swallow, calculating the gaps between the patrolling soldiers with every step. Before long, Song Qingshu could no longer see her.
"The Ancient Tomb Sect's qinggong truly is extraordinary." Song Qingshu sighed inwardly. Not long afterward, the sound of fluttering robes cutting through the air rang out, and Madam Hu had returned to his side.
"How was it?" Seeing her grim expression, Song Qingshu knew it was probably not good news.
A trace of worry showed faintly on Madam Hu's beautiful face. "I investigated carefully just now. The outer defensive lines around the prison are manageable, but the prison itself was designed with only one entrance. The entire prison lies underground. It was likely built specifically to guard against martial artists like us who can leap over walls and roofs. The entrance is heavily guarded. Unless we force our way in, there's no way to enter."
Song Qingshu understood that forcing their way in was unrealistic. This was now a living, breathing world. The authorities were not as insignificant as they were in novels, and Jingzhou Prefecture was a military stronghold with strict defenses in ordinary times. If anything happened at the prison, the nearby troops could rush over to help at any moment. Madam Hu's martial arts were not weak, but breaking into the prison by force and rescuing someone was still impossible.
But if they did not enter the prison, they would not know whether Ding Dian was there, nor how far the plot of Liancheng Jue had progressed...
"Wait. If all I need is to know how far the plot has progressed, I might not have to start with the prison." An idea suddenly flashed through Song Qingshu's mind. He grabbed Madam Hu and turned to leave.
Madam Hu was irritated, thinking that this Uncle of hers really loved putting his hands on people. Fortunately, after spending so much time together, she had long understood that Song Qingshu behaved differently from ordinary people and seemed to have little concept of propriety between men and women. Moreover, after sharing danger with him several times, Madam Hu knew this was merely a natural action without any improper intent. Thus, she let him hold her fair wrist and did not flare up.
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