"Your Excellency is farsighted and strategic, and your arrangements are impeccably organized. And knowing that Your Excellency came from the Hanlin Academy, I truly admire you from the bottom of my heart." Huang Rong's flattery made even the shrewd Ling Tuis feel somewhat elated. After all, any man would inevitably feel pleased to be praised to his face by such a dazzling beauty.
"Still, there will inevitably be gaps during the soldiers' patrols. It would be best if I remained in the residence with several Beggar's Clan experts, just in case." Huang Rong's gentle voice left Ling Tuis feeling thoroughly delighted, unable to muster the slightest displeasure.
"Good, good, good." Ling Tuis chuckled happily, then looked at the people behind Huang Rong. "And these are?"
"These two are my husband's disciples, Wu Xiuwen and Wu Dunru. These men are brothers from our Beggar's Clan..." Huang Rong introduced them one by one.
So these were the two useless fools Yang Guo had said "even pigs would acknowledge as their kings"? Song Qingshu studied them curiously. They were rather handsome, and their martial arts seemed to have some foundation. They should not have been quite that terrible.
After that, the two sides discussed the situation on the Xiangyang front. Song Qingshu was bored stiff, so he found an opening and slipped away.
Even Huang Rong had come, along with the Snow Mountain Sect, whose intentions were anything but honorable, and Wu Liuqi lurking in the shadows. Jingzhou City was truly teeming with hidden currents now. Looking at it this way, getting Ding Dian and Ling Shuanghua out of Jingzhou might actually be easier.
He came to a secluded spot within the residence, stretched lazily, and sat down beneath a large tree. Before long, two muffled grunts sounded behind him. A smile curled at Song Qingshu's lips. Without opening his eyes, he said, "You're here."
"Have you become too lazy to even call me sister-in-law now?" Madam Hu emerged from the shadows and chided him irritably.
It had been several days since he had seen the beauty, yet she remained as graceful and lovely as ever. Song Qingshu rose to his feet. "Who told Sister-in-law to look so young and delicate? To outsiders, you would seem too young even to be my younger sister. I was only afraid calling you Sister-in-law would make you seem old."
Though she knew he was teasing her, Madam Hu found that she simply could not feel angry at him. She could only keep consoling herself that her brother-in-law was merely a carefree man who did not stand on ceremony.
"Nothing but nonsense from you!" Madam Hu deliberately put on a stern expression. "Hurry and tell me whether you have anything for me to do. Security at the magistrate's office is extremely tight now. I must leave as soon as possible, lest I be discovered."
Before Song Qingshu had entered the office, he had anticipated that it would likely be difficult to contact the outside world. Thus, he and Madam Hu had arranged to exchange messages beneath this tree every evening.
Madam Hu would secretly monitor the situation outside the residence. If Song Qingshu did not come, then so be it; if he came, it meant he had something to tell her. She had then used her lightness skill to leap into the residence, knocked out the two yamen runners secretly watching Song Qingshu, and only then appeared before him.
Song Qingshu told Madam Hu about Huang Rong's arrival and the Snow Mountain Sect's assassination attempt. Seeing his eyes light up when he spoke of Huang Rong, Madam Hu felt somewhat uncomfortable and asked coolly, "There are rumors in the martial world that Huang Rong was once the Number One Beauty Under Heaven. Is she really that beautiful?"
Song Qingshu had not expected that to be the first thing she asked after hearing him out. After hesitating briefly, he still said excitedly, "She truly is a peerless beauty. Though she has lost some of a young girl's innocent charm, she has gained the alluring grace and charm of a mature woman..."
As he spoke, he noticed Madam Hu's expression growing colder and colder. Song Qingshu suddenly understood and smacked his forehead inwardly. He quickly changed his tune. "But she is rather old now, and she already shows signs of fading beauty. That title of Number One Beauty Under Heaven is probably no longer deserved. I think Sister-in-law is prettier than she is..."
Madam Hu blushed crimson and spat softly. "Sect Leader Huang is only a little over thirty. How could she possibly be old and faded? You only know how to sweet-talk me. In the future, will you also slander Sister-in-law like this in front of other women?"
"How would I dare?" Song Qingshu was left speechless and hurriedly changed the subject. "Sister-in-law, let's discuss proper business. Find a way to notify the Snow Mountain Sect and have them act on the fifteenth. Ling Tuis will interrogate Ding Dian that day. He does not want anyone else to know about Liancheng Jue, so security will be much weaker than usual."
"Mm. I happened to run into a group of people on the outskirts of the city recently. They even tried to silence me at the time. Now that I think about it, they must have been from the Snow Mountain Sect." Madam Hu recalled. "I know their whereabouts. Finding them will not be difficult. I will definitely deliver the message."
"What?" Song Qingshu was shocked. Though he knew Madam Hu was standing safely before him and must have escaped danger unharmed, he could not help asking, "Were you injured anywhere, Sister-in-law?"
For some reason, Madam Hu immediately thought of how she had injured her ribs last time, and how he had taken every advantage of her afterward. A faint blush rose at the base of her neck, and she hurriedly replied, "I'm fine. My martial arts are fairly decent to begin with, and with the White Python Whip Technique you taught me last time, I have more than enough ability to protect myself."
"That's good, that's good." Song Qingshu gave two foolish chuckles. "Then Sister-in-law must be careful this time. It would be best if you did not show yourself."
Seeing how worried he was, Madam Hu, who had depended on Fei'er for years and lived a lonely, helpless life, felt a thread of warmth flow through her heart. She replied softly, "Don't worry, Brother-in-law. I will be careful."
Watching Madam Hu's graceful, swanlike figure as she departed, Song Qingshu felt especially cheerful. He went over and woke the two knocked-out men, then left directly.
The two yamen runners were left staring at each other. "Did something just happen?"
"Should we report it to the magistrate?"
"Are you stupid? If the magistrate blames us, who could bear the responsibility? No one knows about it now anyway, and Song Qingshu has not gone missing. Better to have one less problem."
"Big Brother is indeed experienced. This little brother admires you!"
"Of course, of course. I haven't spent all these years at the yamen for nothing."
Over the next few days, Song Qingshu happened to encounter Huang Rong several times in the residence. Though he wished he could stare at her to his heart's content, he knew perfectly well that they were worlds apart, with no connection whatsoever. Thus, he remained composed. After nodding to her each time, he would drift away.
Instead, this left Huang Rong with a very favorable impression of him. Over the years, from Ouyang Ke in the past, to the various figures of the martial world later on, and now the officials of Xiangyang City—even Magistrate Lü Wenhuan—whenever they saw her, though they tried to conceal it, she could see the desire in their eyes clearly enough.
Yet in Jingzhou City, she had encountered such a young man with clear eyes and an indifferent bearing. When she asked those around her and learned that he was an adviser Ling Tuis had recently hired, her delicate brows furrowed. Watching his departing back, she fell into silent thought.
Time flew, and soon the fifteenth arrived.
Because Huang Rong and the others were here, Ling Tuis had originally intended to suspend Ding Dian's interrogation this month. However, Song Qingshu claimed that they had reached a critical point in coaxing a confession. If Ling Tuis halted the interrogation and made Ding Dian suspicious, causing him to think the two of them were working together, all their previous efforts would be wasted.
Ling Tuis thought it made sense, so he found an excuse to send Huang Rong and the others away, set up a torture chamber in an inner room, and had Ding Dian brought in under guard.
Before you continue