Reborn Song Qingshu: Besieging Bright Peak at the Start

Song Qingshu and his three companions disguised themselves and headed north.

Song Qingshu disguised himself as a wealthy young master, dressed in brocade robes and a jade crown, exuding an extraordinary air.

Yang Xiao changed into a blue robe and cloth hat, disguising himself as an accompanying steward.

Wei Yixiao disguised himself as a hunchbacked old servant, while Zhang Wuji wore a black short-sleeved outfit and acted as a guard.

The four of them traveled by day and slept by night, keeping a low profile throughout their journey.

That afternoon, the four of them arrived at the outskirts of Dadu.

The official road was gradually becoming more crowded with pedestrians, and merchants carrying loads and pushing carts came and went in an endless stream.

Following the flow of people, the group successfully entered the city after passing through the checkpoint.

Upon entering the city gate, one is immediately struck by the bustling atmosphere.

The long street is wide and flat, with restaurants and shops lining both sides, and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and shouting can be heard everywhere.

The crowds were shoulder to shoulder, a truly magnificent sight in the capital.

The four headed straight to the west of the city and found an inn to stay in.

Song Qingshu was generous and asked for four superior rooms.

The waiter, seeing his generosity, was extremely attentive.

Taking the opportunity, Yang Xiao chatted with him for a while and casually asked if there were any famous historical sites in the city, such as temples.

The waiter readily shared his knowledge, saying that there happened to be a Wan'an Temple in the west of the city, but for some reason, the temple gates had been closed recently.

The group exchanged glances and realized they were right; the six masters from different factions were indeed imprisoned here.

After dismissing the waiter, they closed their eyes to rest after dinner, having already agreed to investigate Wan'an Temple when it was late at night.

While the four of them lay in wait at the inn, several miles away, the Ruyang Prince's Mansion with its double-eaved roofs and overlapping tiles presented a completely different, somber scene.

Inside the study of the Prince's residence, Prince Ruyang, Chahantemur, sat behind his desk, with a stack of urgent reports from the Ministry of War and documents from the Imperial Clan Court spread out in front of him.

He was over fifty, with a dignified face and graying temples. He looked up at his daughter standing below the steps, his brows furrowing slightly, his voice deep and resonant, carrying a hint of barely perceptible weariness:

"Minmin, don't forget the promise between us, father and daughter."

If you cannot subdue the entire Central Plains martial arts world and eliminate the great threat to the imperial court before the fifteenth of August, then you should obediently obey the imperial decree and marry the heir of the Seventh Prince.

"This isn't your father deliberately forcing you. The Seven Princes and their faction in court are pressing you relentlessly. Only if you can truly achieve this great feat will your father have the confidence to ask the Emperor to turn down this marriage for you."

Zhao Min, dressed in a light purple silk dress, stood gracefully. Upon hearing this, her delicate eyebrows suddenly twitched, and a hint of stubbornness flashed in her clear eyes:

"There are still more than two months until the Mid-Autumn Festival, why are you in such a hurry today, Father?"

The leaders and experts of the six major sects are all under the control of Wan'an Temple. The abbot of Shaolin, the heroes of Wudang, and the head of Emei are all well-known figures in the martial arts world.

Now that they have lost all their internal energy and are practically useless, the martial arts world of the Central Plains is leaderless, and their disintegration and subjugation are only a matter of time.

  

Sooner or later?

The Prince of Ruyang put down the wolf-hair brush in his hand and sighed heavily.

"The Seventh Prince is pressing you hard; the betrothal ceremony is next month. Your father blocked it for you once, but he can't block it a second time."

Zhao Min gently bit her lower lip, feeling a surge of frustration in her heart.

She hated being coerced more than anything in her life, let alone a marriage she had no control over.

She gave a slight curtsy, her tone now somewhat subdued, tinged with resentment:

"I know what I'm doing, Father. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."

Before the Prince of Ruyang could speak again, she turned around, lifted the beaded curtain, and quickly walked out.

He passed through the hanging flower gate into the inner courtyard and headed towards his residence.

Her residence, Green Willow Pavilion, was a secluded courtyard within the mansion, with a small bridge and flowing water, elegant and tranquil.

The maidservant hurriedly stepped forward to serve tea and wash her hands. Zhao Min waved her hand, dismissed the servants around her, and sat alone at the table, lost in thought.

On the table lay a scroll of records about martial arts figures. On the top page were the five characters "Song Qingshu of Wudang," with detailed annotations of his deeds beside it, showing that a great deal of effort had been put into his research.

Zhao Min gently traced the name with her fingertips, a strange unease rising in her heart.

She stood up, walked to the window, and pushed open half of the window.

The evening breeze ruffled the hair at her temples, carrying the slight warmth of early summer. After a long while, a hint of pride flashed in her eyes.

Even if things don't go as planned, Zhao Min is free to come and go as she pleases. The world is vast, where can't she go?

For her to marry that seventh prince's son, it would be impossible unless the sun rose in the west.

……

In the second watch of the night, four figures emerged from the windows of the inn.

Heading west, Wan'an Temple is not hard to find; a few people can see the hundred-foot-tall pagoda from a distance.

He leaped and bounded, and soon arrived in front of the temple.

The temple looks large from afar, and it's a large temple up close.

Wan'an Temple is such a large courtyard; if the four of them were to explore it thoroughly, it would take them an unknown amount of time.

Yang Xiao suggested climbing the tower directly, as from there one could see far and wide, and would be able to see clearly any unusual activity within the temple.

Song Qingshu really wanted to say, "You really know how to pick a place."

Zhang Wuji and Wei Yixiao thought the suggestion was excellent. The tower was behind the temple, so the group began to circle around the temple to approach the tower.

This journey around the area once again made me marvel at how huge it was!

After wandering around for a while, before they even got close to the tower, they saw many figures on the tower, with people patrolling on each floor.

Upon climbing over the wall, I saw that not only were there patrols on the tower, but the area below was also heavily guarded, with layers upon layers of soldiers.

Zhang Wuji and his two companions were overjoyed at the sight of this scene. They had searched high and low without finding it, but now it seemed they didn't need to.

With such heavy guard, this tower is undoubtedly the place where the six major sects are imprisoned!

So the group discussed that they would survey the surrounding terrain again, and then finish their work that night and proceed with the plan at their leisure.

But at that moment, flames lit up the sixth floor of the thirteen-story pagoda.

The group, who were about to leave, paused. Something was amiss.

The flames moved from the sixth floor to the fifth floor, then from the fifth floor to the fourth floor, and so on until they reached the bottom floor. They then exited through the main gate of the pagoda and headed towards a certain place inside the temple.

Yang Xiao waved his hand, signaling to approach from the side.

Wan'an Temple not only covers a large area, but also has large trees.

There are many towering ancient trees in the temple. The group used the trees as cover and moved around.

After maneuvering for more than twenty feet, they finally saw who came out of the tower.

But then they saw a dozen men wielding weapons escorting an old man in a wide-sleeved robe.

The old man turned his head occasionally, and the group saw him clearly—it was Mr. Tieqin, the leader of the Kunlun Sect, He Taichong!

This confirms it: the tower does indeed hold masters from the six major sects.

Zhang Wuji and his companions became even more curious when they saw He Taichong being escorted away in the middle of the night.

Song Qingshu advised the group to stop, saying that they had already achieved their goal for the night, and continuing to pursue them would only alert the enemy. He added that the old man was getting up at night and that Mr. Tieqin might just be taking a urination.

Yang Xiao looked at Song Qingshu as if he were looking at a fool.

Damn it, does it really take this long to just take a piss? And with over a dozen men holding him down with weapons, aren't they worried Mr. Tieqin won't be able to pee?

Look! You have to look! And you have to look at it intensely!

Song Qingshu sighed inwardly; it would be difficult to avoid being exposed tonight!

It would be strange if Zhang Wuji didn't intervene when he saw that scene.

Seeing that the group had made its way through a cluster of houses, the group waited for a while, and when no one was around, they slipped away and followed.

There were many houses, and seeing a brightly lit main hall in the middle, it was assumed that He Taichong had been brought here.

With each rise and fall, the four arrived outside the hall.

Peek through the crack in the window.

Upon closer inspection, wow!