Madam Guo Huang Rong

Song Qingshu's heart tightened. He quickly gathered his wits and replied, "I think I'm getting closer."

"Oh? Tell me about it," Ling Tuis said, putting down his teacup and staring intently into Song Qingshu's eyes. "I've heard that Young Master Song has been visiting my daughter's room one moment and chatting with Ding Dian in the prison the next. What exactly is your plan?"

As a high-ranking official, Ling Tuis exuded a subtle aura of authority and pressure that made Song Qingshu feel uneasy. He thought resentfully, Brother here is a transmigrator. It's one thing not to have a kingly aura that makes people tremble, but you're the one trying to intimidate me.

Of course, he wouldn't dare say this aloud. He explained in a slightly humble tone, "To be honest, sir, I saw that your various tortures over the years were ineffective, so I decided to try a different approach. I learned by chance that Ding Dian has long coveted your daughter, so I planned to use that angle. I used Miss Ling as bait, pretending to help them elope. Ding Dian fell for it, and his words began to loosen up..."

"How dare you joke about my daughter's reputation!" Ling Tuis slammed his hand on the table, startling Song Qingshu. He secretly grumbled, You're willing to kill your own daughter for treasure, but now you're putting on a show of virtue.

"Did he say anything?" Ling Tuis asked in a changed, calm tone.

"He promised to tell me the secret of Liancheng Jue after he succeeded," Song Qingshu said, watching the other man's expression.

Ling Tuis angrily retorted, "Are you suggesting I give my daughter to him in exchange for some Liancheng Jue?"

"Of course not," Song Qingshu said with a fawning smile. "You command a large army and have many experts under you. Once he reveals the secret, whether you kill him or let him go is entirely up to you."

"That's true," Ling Tuis said, exchanging a smile with him. In his heart, however, he scoffed, At that time, I'll just get rid of you too.

Ding Dian, hidden in the shadows, was furious. He wished he could rush out immediately and kill the shameless scoundrel Song Qingshu. Having experienced the wickedness of the world, Ding Dian no longer trusted people easily. Now that his martial arts were perfected, it wasn't difficult to sneak out of prison. Seeing that Ling Tuis had summoned Song Qingshu, he had a sudden impulse and quietly followed, only to overhear their "conspiracy."

Suddenly, Ding Dian frowned and glanced into the distance. A master is coming. At this moment, he was focused on eloping with Ling Shuanghua and didn't want to cause any more trouble. He shot a fierce glare at the two men inside before turning and leaving.

"Reporting, sir! An envoy from Lord Lü of Xiangyang City has arrived in Jingzhou City and is requesting an audience outside the mansion," an yamen runner rushed to the entrance to report.

"I shall take my leave," Song Qingshu, knowing they had important military matters to discuss, wisely prepared to depart.

Watching Song Qingshu's retreating back, Ling Tuis's heart stirred. He said, "Why don't you stay and meet the envoy with me? Young Master Song is still young, and it would be a shame to waste your talents in the martial arts world. If you get more experience now, you might become my right-hand man in the future..."

Song Qingshu sensed a clear intention to recruit him in Ling Tuis's tone. While surprised, he quickly realized that this was a ploy to lower his guard under the guise of recruitment. Understanding this, Song Qingshu kept his eyes focused and followed Ling Tuis to greet the envoy.

Before long, a group of people walked in. The one leading them was an exceptionally beautiful young woman, truly as radiant as spring flowers and as lovely as the morning clouds. Her delicate, small red lips held a faint, elusive smile, and her brows seemed to hide a hint of gentle affection.

Song Qingshu glanced at her once and quickly lowered his head, not daring to look again. His heart pounded wildly as he thought, My goodness, there's such a beautiful woman in this world!

After a moment, he felt annoyed at his own shyness, like a novice. He then raised his head and began to admire her properly.

Ling Tuis's words quickly dispelled Song Qingshu's confusion. "I wonder what matter requires Sect Leader Huang to personally come to Jiangling."

It's Huang Rong! Song Qingshu realized with a start. Only she in the world could possess such charm and mature grace in her every move.

"Greetings, Lord Ling. My sister has come on behalf of Lord Lü of Xiangyang to urge you about next month's military provisions. And secondly," Huang Rong smiled faintly, her alluring smile causing even the middle-aged Ling Tuis's heart to flutter, "our Beggar's Clan has received news that someone in the martial arts world is planning to assassinate you. Your safety is crucial to the security of Xiangyang City's rear. After discussing it with my husband, Lord Lü immediately dispatched me to bring people to protect you."

Song Qingshu's expression changed drastically. His heart was filled with doubt. Could Huang Rong be referring to me? That's impossible. How could she have gotten news in advance?

Ling Tuis subtly glanced at Song Qingshu and chuckled, "Thank you for your concern, Lord Lü and Great Hero Guo. Does Sect Leader Huang know the assassin's origin?"

"After extensive investigation, our Beggar's Clan has finally uncovered their background," Huang Rong said, bowing slightly. "They appear to be from the Snow Mountain Sect in the Western Regions."

"Snow Mountain Sect?" Ling Tuis, though a prefect, was also somewhat involved in the martial arts world and knew a little about the Snow Mountain Sect. "Is it the Snow Mountain Sect of Mr. Bai Zizai the Virtuous and Powerful?"

"Indeed!" Huang Rong nodded, a flicker of worry appearing on her pretty face. "The Snow Mountain Swordplay of the Snow Mountain Sect is renowned throughout the land, and they have many experts below the sect leader. We must be very careful this time."

"I have no grievances with the Snow Mountain Sect. Why would they want to assassinate me?" Ling Tuis asked, puzzled. He wondered if Lü Wenhuan was using this as an opportunity to install his own confidants in Jingzhou.

Huang Rong, being extremely astute, saw Ling Tuis's suspicious expression. She thought that if he didn't cooperate fully, something bad might happen. She quickly explained, "Lord Ling may not know, but the Snow Mountain Sect is located in the Western Regions. Currently, the Western Regions are dominated by the Mongols, the Ming Cult, and the Hui tribes. Various smaller forces have chosen their allegiances. The Snow Mountain Sect recently decided to pledge allegiance to the Mongol Empire, but they worried they wouldn't be taken seriously. They plan to earn a great merit first as a stepping stone for promotion. For some reason, the Snow Mountain Sect did not pledge allegiance to Prince Ruyang Chahan, who manages the Western Regions, but instead pledged allegiance to Kublai Khan. Hearing that Kublai Khan has been unable to conquer Xiangyang, they decided to start with you."

"This is outrageous!" Ling Tuis snorted. "A mere Snow Mountain Sect dares to bully me."

"Lord Ling, you must not be careless," Huang Rong advised. "The Snow Mountain Sect has sent out all their experts this time. The Beggar's Clan disciples have discovered that they seem to have infiltrated Jingzhou City in batches. We should remain vigilant."

"Guards!" Ling Tuis pondered for a moment and then called his subordinates. He ordered them to select a hundred skilled martial artists from the army to join the prefect's guard and instructed the city guards to increase patrols within the city, ready to respond immediately if the prefect's yamen was attacked.

After Ling Tuis made his arrangements, he saw Huang Rong's noncommittal expression and quickly asked, "I've heard that Sect Leader Huang is very resourceful. Do you think my arrangements are adequate?"