A Radiant Smile

"Though I may disregard etiquette and propriety, I still keep my promises," Song Qingshu said when he saw that Yun Zhonghe did not believe him. "I can swear a deadly oath, but you must swear one as well. If you ever harm women again..."

Yun Zhonghe was at his mercy and could think of no better solution, so he could only nod in agreement. After listening to Song Qingshu swear his poisonous oath, he made one himself. "If I continue to prey upon respectable women, may I one day be struck dead by heaven's thunder and lightning." Yet inwardly, he sneered. Struck by lightning? Was there really such a way to die in this world?

Song Qingshu noticed the loophole in his oath but did not care. He knew there was an ironclad rule in all of Jin Yong's martial arts novels: any oath that was broken would eventually come true. Since Yun Zhonghe had sworn to be struck dead by lightning, if he committed evil again, he would likely not escape the Thunder God's gaze...

Once the oaths had been sworn, Yun Zhonghe hesitated for a while before finally reciting the formula for Treading Sand Without Trace. "...One who disperses force serves the spirit. When using it, one must move according to the intervals..."

Song Qingshu's eyes grew brighter the more he listened. The moment Yun Zhonghe spoke the final word, Song Qingshu felt his body become much lighter. Fixing his gaze on the cliff face dozens of zhang away, a thought crossed his mind. He pushed off with his foot, and his body shot forward like a sharp sword. In the blink of an eye, Song Qingshu had reached the opposite cliff. With a flip, he lightly tapped the cliff with his toes and flew back like lightning.

"Are you a man or a ghost?" Yun Zhonghe stared at Song Qingshu in horror. How could he have imagined that Song Qingshu would learn Treading Sand Without Trace so quickly, and that his lightness skill would far surpass his own?

"Fine, I'm in a good mood this time, so I'll spare your life." Overjoyed, Song Qingshu released Yun Zhonghe's acupoints and waved him away. "Go. Let me offer you a word of advice: the gods are watching from three feet above your head. Remember your oath."

Yun Zhonghe picked up the Rusted Silver Crane Claws from the ground and gave Song Qingshu a complicated look. "Your talent is truly rare. Given time, none but you will be worthy of the title of number one in lightness skills under heaven." With that, he went down the mountain, looking rather dejected.

Song Qingshu had not expected to possess such talent in lightness skills. This Treading Sand Without Trace technique suited him exceptionally well. Given time, he would surely cultivate it to the pinnacle.

Thinking of how he had little talent for his other martial arts, yet was most compatible with lightness skills and the Soul Shifting Great Method, Song Qingshu's expression turned strange. Was I born to be a lecherous scoundrel?

With a soft moan, Mu Wanqing slowly awoke beside him. Song Qingshu immediately put on that foolish expression again, squatting beside her and grinning at her.

The instant Mu Wanqing regained consciousness, she remembered being struck in her acupoints by Yun Zhonghe before fainting. Her heart sank. If her chastity had been violated, she would surely die to repay Brother Duan.

When she opened her eyes and saw Song Qingshu's smiling face right before her, she screamed in fright. Song Qingshu seemed startled by her as well and abruptly scooted three feet away.

Mu Wanqing finally came to her senses. Seeing the familiar clothes he wore, she asked uncertainly, "Are you that Gou Dan'er from earlier?"

"Yes, yes! Pretty sister, you still remember me?" Song Qingshu immediately became animated and leaned closer again.

"Ah—don't come over!" Mu Wanqing cried out. She suddenly remembered Yun Zhonghe and secretly examined herself. Her clothes were neat and tidy, and it seemed that nothing disgraceful had happened. Puzzled, she asked, "Where is that skinny bamboo pole from before?" Thinking Song Qingshu was truly just a rustic villager who would not know Yun Zhonghe's name, she described Yun Zhonghe's appearance instead.

"Oh, you mean him? I beat him and sent him running." Song Qingshu smiled honestly.

"You?" Mu Wanqing gave him a suspicious look. His hair was messy, his face was filthy, and he looked utterly foolish. She did not believe him in the slightest.

"You don't believe me?" Song Qingshu seemed to have guessed her thoughts. Raising his fist, he said, "I'm really strong! I grew up in the mountains, and I often fought bears and gorillas. I can knock down a water buffalo with one punch." He lifted his chin, like a child eager to show off.

"Boastful nonsense!" Mu Wanqing snorted coldly, turning her head away and refusing to look at him.

"Then I'll show you," Song Qingshu said, as though deeply insulted. His face grew anxious as he hastily rolled up his sleeves and punched a large tree nearby.

With a crack, a tree thick enough for one person to wrap both arms around was snapped cleanly in half before Mu Wanqing's disbelieving eyes. She stared at the fool before her in utter horror.

Yet Song Qingshu sighed inwardly. That punch had been the Great Demon Subduing Fist from the Nine Yin Manual, a technique of utmost hardness and yang. But Zhang Wuji's Seven Injuries Fist on Guangming Peak had pulverized the inside of a tree of the same thickness into mush. He himself could only break it in half. The gap was obvious.

After composing himself, Song Qingshu turned back and smiled at Mu Wanqing. "So? I'm impressive, right?"

After her shock faded, Mu Wanqing noticed that the veil on his face had been removed. Though his face was covered in dirt, she could still make out some handsome features. She could not help asking softly, "Why did you take off your mask?"

"Didn't my mother say that whichever girl lifted my veil, I would marry her?" Song Qingshu deliberately paused. To Mu Wanqing, his smile seemed somewhat creepy. "But then I remembered that Mother once said girls are shy, and they all have... have reser... ah, what was that word again? It's so hard to say..." Song Qingshu deliberately put on a look of deep thought.

"Reserve!" Mu Wanqing said irritably from the ground.

Song Qingshu's eyes lit up. "That's right, reserve! That's what Mother said! So I thought, Sister is so beautiful, she must be a very reserved girl. Even if she likes me in her heart, she would definitely be too embarrassed to lift my veil herself. As a real man, I decided to take care of this little matter for you."

"What utter nonsense!" Mu Wanqing trembled with anger. "Who said I liked you?"

"Isn't that so?" Song Qingshu wore a puzzled expression. "That's what they always say in plays. A beautiful girl is held hostage by bad people in the wilderness, then a young hero appears—that's me! He drives away the villains and rescues the girl. Shouldn't the girl offer herself in marriage?"

"Who says a woman must offer herself in marriage just because she was rescued?" Mu Wanqing was both embarrassed and furious. She had spent all year alone with her master and, aside from Duan Yu, had never met any other young men. Song Qingshu's antics had thoroughly thrown her into confusion, and for a moment she did not even know how to refute him. "Besides, besides, what kind of young hero are you supposed to be?"

"Waaah, waaah!" Song Qingshu rolled about on the ground, crying. "Mother was right after all. You must think I'm ugly and not as handsome as those young heroes in the plays."

Mu Wanqing turned to look at him. Seeing Song Qingshu cry as though his heart had broken, she felt a little sorry for him and tried to comfort him. "It's not like that."

The moment he heard her words, Song Qingshu sprang to his feet. "Then you're willing to be my wife?"

Mu Wanqing nearly choked on his words. But seeing that the sky was gradually darkening, and that they were alone in this wilderness while she was immobilized by sealed acupoints, she feared disaster if he harbored ill intentions. So she gave him a radiant smile and coaxed him gently, "Gou Dan'er, could you first release my acupoints, and then we can discuss this?"

Mu Wanqing's expression had been cold and icy from the beginning, but this sudden smile was like melting snow or a hundred flowers blooming at once. Song Qingshu felt as though a heavy hammer had struck his chest, and he secretly regretted it. I only meant to tease her. If I end up falling for her myself, that would be more trouble than it's worth.