An Awkward Gentleman on the Beams

Song Qingshu finally stopped in front of a grand mansion.

"I heard the Wan family is a prominent household in Jingzhou. What brings you here, Uncle?" Madam Hu asked, subtly withdrawing her hand.

"Sister-in-law, tonight we're infiltrating the Wan Mansion," Song Qingshu's eyes gleamed. He thought smugly, if he could just find out if Qi Fang had become the young mistress of the Wan family, everything would be clear.

"It's not really appropriate to sneak into someone's house in the middle of the night." Madam Hu held Song Qingshu's shoulder as they crouched on the beam of a bedroom. She spoke with some embarrassment.

"I know this Wan fellow. His martial arts aren't much, but he's full of schemes. Right now, they're in the open and we're in the dark. If we visited them openly, we'd be the ones in the dark, constantly worried about being plotted against. That wouldn't feel good at all," Song Qingshu said righteously, feeling no guilt, his body leaning towards the beauty as if by accident.

Madam Hu extended a slender, jade-like finger and gently poked Song Qingshu's waist, stopping him from moving any closer. "Hush, someone's coming."

Song Qingshu also looked down. A man and a woman walked in. The man was handsome, with a mustache that added to his mature aura. The woman was dressed like a young mistress, a truly delicate and beautiful young wife! Song Qingshu praised inwardly. In reality, her movements were agile, and her build wasn't necessarily delicate, but her demure demeanor made people instinctively perceive her as fragile.

The long-held doubt was answered. Song Qingshu sighed inwardly. It seemed Qi Fang had already married Wan Gui. Di Yun was probably suffering in prison with Ding Dian.

The ensuing scene made both of them extremely awkward. As soon as the young couple returned to the room, Wan Gui started getting handsy, and Qi Fang, half-resisting, fell onto the bed...

Madam Hu spat softly and turned her head. Seeing Song Qingshu watching with relish, she couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. She wanted to take Song Qingshu away, but doing so would surely alert the two below, leaving her in a dilemma.

Song Qingshu felt a sharp pain in his waist. He turned his head and saw Madam Hu glaring at him, her face flushed with anger. He saw her lips move, seemingly warning him, "Don't look!" He reluctantly turned his head away.

Silence fell upon the room, leaving only the sounds from below. Madam Hu and Song Qingshu felt even more awkward on the beam. Madam Hu regretted her decision immensely, thinking about how she was listening to a couple's private moments with another man.

Song Qingshu, however, felt differently. Although he couldn't watch the "live show" below, looking at the beautiful woman beside him, slightly annoyed and blushing, was a truly delightful experience.

"Wan Zhenshan, get out here!" Unfortunately, fate was not on their side. Fierce fighting sounds suddenly erupted from outside. Wan Gui and Qi Fang, forgetting their intimacy, quickly put on their clothes and rushed out.

Madam Hu breathed a sigh of relief and took the opportunity to grab Song Qingshu and fly away.

"Wait, let's see which hero is looking for trouble with Wan Zhenshan. Maybe they're a potential ally..." Madam Hu couldn't refuse him. She put her arm around Song Qingshu's waist, and with a few leaps, they perched on the courtyard wall, observing the commotion in the Wan Mansion.

The soft, full sensation near his ribs startled Song Qingshu. He stopped his previous chatter and his face turned a little red.

Madam Hu didn't notice that her arm around Song Qingshu's waist had allowed him to take advantage of her. Her attention was entirely captured by a raggedly dressed man in the courtyard.

Dozens of people from the Wan family attacked him, but they couldn't harm him. Instead, he beat them back with his fists and kicks, sending them sprawling.

Wan Zhenshan could no longer sit still. He drew his sword and attacked.

"Liancheng Swordplay?" The man chuckled coldly, snatched a sword, and met the attack with the same moves.

"Hold!" After several rounds, Wan Zhenshan quickly jumped out of the fray. "Who are you, and why do you also know my sect's ultimate skill?" He felt a chill in his heart. After a few exchanges, he realized the opponent's martial arts were far superior to his, and he also knew Liancheng Swordplay. Could it be that the great secret he had been trying to uncover was forever beyond his reach?

"Mei Niansheng is my senior brother. Who do you think I am?" the man suddenly sneered.

"Beggar of the Snow Wu Liuqi!" Wan Zhenshan finally remembered that his master had mentioned a junior brother. He was greatly alarmed and clasped his hands in greeting. "Greetings, Junior Martial Uncle. What are you all standing around for? Put away your weapons. This is your Grand Martial Uncle."

Wu Liuqi frowned and raised his hand to stop him. "Cut the pleasantries. I'm here to investigate the matter of my senior brother's death. Rumor has it that your three disciples betrayed the sect and murdered your master for treasure. Yan Daping and Qi Changfa's whereabouts are mysterious, so I decided to start with you."

"It's a frame-up!" Wan Zhenshan looked incredulous. Seeing the flaws in Wu Liuqi's words, he decided to take a gamble. "Junior Martial Uncle, didn't you just see my martial arts? My martial brothers and I are on par in skill. Do you think the three of us have the ability to harm our master even a little?"

"Senior brother's martial arts were peerless, and he had mastered the Divine Light Scripture. It doesn't make sense that he would be harmed by you," Wu Liuqi was now also confused. He didn't know the truth, only that Mei Niansheng had died at the hands of his three disciples, which prompted him to investigate. Seeing Wan Zhenshan's poor martial arts earlier, he had already begun to doubt. "Then how did your master die?"

Wan Zhenshan's face lit up with joy. He glanced around and then put on a troubled expression. "Junior Martial Uncle, this is not a place for many people and gossiping. It's not suitable for conversation. How about we talk in the inner room?"

Wu Liuqi, skilled and bold, wasn't afraid of any tricks Wan Zhenshan might play. He nodded.

"We'll follow them!" Song Qingshu said instinctively. Madam Hu rolled her eyes at him, thinking he was treating her like a servant. However, she still led him around to the back of the house to listen.

"Stop with the pleasantries and speak quickly. How exactly did my senior brother die?" Wu Liuqi impatiently waved away the servants.

"Alas, alas, alas~" Wan Zhenshan sighed three times. Seeing Wu Liuqi about to get angry, he quickly said, "Does Junior Martial Uncle know about the Liancheng Jue?"

Wu Liuqi glanced at him warily. "I've heard Senior Brother mention it. Isn't it the swordplay manual for Liancheng Swordplay? What's wrong, is it related to this?"

"Of course!" Wan Zhenshan slapped his thigh. "The matter of the treasure hidden in the Liancheng Jue, somehow the Prefect of Jingzhou found out. After his meticulous planning, our master finally fell victim to his poison." As he spoke, he squeezed out a few tears.

"Prefect of Jingzhou Ling Tuis?" Wu Liuqi was shocked. That was a powerful figure who controlled a region... However, Wu Liuqi didn't entirely believe Wan Zhenshan's words. Instead, he asked, "Although Ling Tuis has many soldiers and vast forces, with Senior Brother's martial arts, even if he couldn't defeat them, he shouldn't have been unable to escape. How exactly did he die?"

"Has Junior Martial Uncle heard of the Golden Wave Poison Flower?" Wan Zhenshan cautiously watched Wu Liuqi's expression.

"The Golden Wave Poison Flower, which is said to have no cure?" Wu Liuqi was an old hand and had heard of some rare poisons.

"Exactly!" Wan Zhenshan sighed deeply. "That day, Ling Tuis invited Master to a banquet. Master, caught off guard, was poisoned. His abilities were reduced by seventy to eighty percent, and he was finally captured. However, he would rather die than reveal the secret of the Liancheng Jue. Ling Tuis, enraged, killed him..."

"Nonsense!" Wu Liuqi slammed the table. "How would you know these details if you weren't there? If you were there, how could Ling Tuis have let you live?"