Reborn Song Qingshu: Besieging Bright Peak at the Start

Chapter 74 Dilemma

Granny Jin Hua, holding Zhou Zhiruo captive, slowly retreated to the wall. Her gaze swept over the crowd in the courtyard, and she said in a sinister tone, "Today, this old woman will borrow Sect Leader Zhou for a while."

"Anyone who dares to take a single step closer, don't blame this old woman for being ruthless; I'll crush this little girl's neck first!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she lightly touched the ground with her toes, her figure leaping up and carrying Zhou Zhiruo and Zhu'er over the wall and disappearing into the rainy night.

Seeing this, Zhang Wuji was extremely anxious and instinctively tried to give chase, but his body was grabbed by a hand as soon as he moved.

He turned around in astonishment; who else could it be but Song Qingshu?

"Senior brother?" Zhang Wuji's voice was full of anxiety. "Miss Zhou is in the hands of Granny Jin Hua, in great danger. Why won't you let me go after her?"

Song Qingshu looked completely innocent and said, "I didn't say you couldn't pursue her!"

Zhang Wuji was furious: "Then why did you pull me like that?"

Song Qingshu withdrew his hand nonchalantly and said calmly, "Perhaps it's because my qi circulation went wrong, and this hand is no longer under my control."

Zhang Wuji felt as if he was about to spit out a mouthful of blood: "You—"

Seeing that the child was easily teased, he almost wanted to do it himself.

Rong Qingshu quickly reassured him, his tone resolute, and explained, "Junior brother, please calm down. There's no need to chase after her. I have my own plans. Trust me, I'll make sure Miss Zhou is alright."

Zhang Wuji glanced at Song Qingshu, then at the darkness in the distance.

He frowned, hesitated for a long time, and finally stamped his foot without chasing after him, choosing to trust his senior brother instead.

After all, in the series of events that followed Bright Peak, Senior Brother always anticipated the enemy's moves and repeatedly averted crises.

The Emei disciples, led by Jingxuan, tried to give chase, but Granny Jinhua was too skilled in light-footed techniques. By the time they leaped onto the wall, the three had already disappeared into the darkness.

Jingxuan gripped her longsword, wailing, "That ruthless Granny Jin Hua! She actually kidnapped our Emei Sect Leader! This hatred runs deep, and Emei will never let her get away with this!"

The Emei disciples present were all moved by his grief and indignation, but what they didn't notice was that beneath this heartbroken expression, a fleeting hint of joy quickly passed by.

With Zhou Zhiruo captured and Ding Minjun humiliated, the situation couldn't be better.

After a moment's thought, she turned her gaze to Zhao Min, or more precisely, to the Heaven-Slaying Sword at her waist.

A thought struck her: if she could retrieve the sect's treasured sword, her position within the sect would be unshakeable.

Thinking he was about to walk towards Zhao Min, he stopped abruptly and shouted sharply, "Witch! How dare you show your face here?"

This sharp shout immediately drew the attention of all the Emei disciples in the courtyard.

Zhao Min stood beside Song Qingshu, casually observing the movements of the Emei disciples in the courtyard. Upon hearing this, she couldn't help but smile: "My legs are my own, I can go wherever I want, what business is it of yours, old woman?"

Jingxuan's face darkened at her retort, and she immediately rebuked her sharply: "Witch! The reason why my master passed away is ultimately your fault. The fact that the six major sects were trapped in Wan'an Temple and suffered all kinds of humiliation was also your doing!"

"Today you have walked right into our trap, which is a clear indication of justice. We are here to avenge our master and rid the martial world of this scourge!"

She waved her left hand behind her back, and the Emei disciples understood. They all stepped forward, raised their longswords, and instantly formed a sword formation, surrounding Song Qingshu, Zhao Min, and Zhang Wuji.

Raindrops fell on the blade and slid down its edge, instantly creating a tense atmosphere in the courtyard.

It's really a wave of unrest, a wave of another.

Seeing this, Zhang Wuji inwardly cried out in alarm and quickly stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting, "Master Jingxuan—"

"Master Zhang!"

Before he could finish speaking, Jingxuan interrupted him loudly, his voice righteous and stern: "I respect the righteous men of the Ming Cult who came to my rescue at Wan'an Temple, and I also know that the Ming Cult intends to ease the rift with the various factions in the Central Plains and raise the banner of righteousness together..."

To unite against the Yuan dynasty is a matter of great righteousness for the nation.

This vixen killed my late master and imprisoned the six major sects. The evidence against her is irrefutable; she is an enemy of the martial world. I advise you not to interfere in this matter, lest you further damage the relationship between the Ming Cult and the six major sects.”

After he finished speaking, Zhang Wuji immediately looked troubled.

He was kind-hearted and had never wanted to see any so-called conflicts in the martial arts world. Moreover, the Ming Cult had just resolved decades of enmity with the six major sects and was about to join forces to raise the banner of righteousness. If Zhao Min caused any further discord, all the previous efforts would be in vain.

Seeing that Jingxuan had subdued Zhang Wuji, he felt more at ease, but also more contemptuous.

She had long since figured out the boy's character:

On the way to Bright Peak, in order to save those unfamiliar members of the Demonic Cult, he foolishly endured three blows from his master.

Despite possessing unparalleled martial arts skills, he willingly allowed Zhou Zhiruo to pierce his chest with a sword.

In her eyes, such people were just overly compassionate, and she wasn't afraid of them no matter how skilled they were in martial arts.

She immediately turned her gaze to Song Qingshu, who was standing next to Zhao Min.

While the young man's skills displayed in the battle at Wan'an Temple were indeed astonishing, he was ultimately a disciple of Wudang, a prestigious and righteous sect that valued reputation above all else, making him easier to manipulate than Zhang Wuji.

Thinking of this, she softened her tone and adopted the demeanor of a senior with deep respect: "Young Master Song, you are the chief disciple of the third generation of Wudang, a pillar of a prestigious and righteous sect. Your father, Master Song, is a man of great integrity and is respected by all."

Like father, like son; young hero, you should naturally follow suit.

Wudang and Emei have always been of one mind and have helped each other. Does the young hero intend to betray the righteous path and oppose the Emei Sect for the sake of this court demoness?

Song Qingshu was so angry he almost laughed.

He could see clearly what kind of person Jingxuan was from beginning to end; this guy was trying to pin a big accusation on him.

These Emei disciples were all cowards when they faced Granny Jin Hua, but now they dared to surround them with their swords.

They were clearly certain that he and Zhang Wuji wouldn't make a move. Sure enough, kindness is often taken advantage of.

He wanted to see how long this old nun could keep up her act, so he didn't show any emotion on his face. Instead, he bowed slightly, looking humble, and said with his hands clasped, "Your teachings are correct."

However, this Miss Zhao once treated the leg injuries of two of my Wudang uncles with Black Jade Broken Heart Ointment, and I, Song, had promised her a favor. This time, I have come to fulfill that promise.

We urge the abbess to consider the reputation of Wudang and refrain from her wrath, showing leniency.

Seeing his respectful tone and humble posture, Jingxuan felt even more pleased with herself.

What about the leader of the Ming Cult? What about the chief disciple of the third generation of Wudang?

Can you accept such a serious accusation of being an enemy of the righteous path?

Her face suddenly darkened, and her voice became a few degrees stern as she rebuked, "Young Master Song, you are mistaken! How can personal favors compare to public justice?"

Wudang's century-old reputation should not be ruined by a vixen because of a moment of folly!

When the righteous path of the world turns its back, how will the Wudang Sect maintain its foothold in the martial arts world?

This humble nun kindly advises you, young hero, not to ruin your future!

She seemed to have foreseen that after these words, Song Qingshu would struggle, wanting to speak but unable to refute them, and in the end could only grit his teeth and retreat to the side.

The surrounding Emei disciples also turned their heads, waiting for this Wudang disciple to bow his head.

Zhao Min remained calm, knowing Song Qingshu's temperament well; he was not someone who could be manipulated with a few empty words.

But at this moment, Song Qingshu bowed his head, his brows furrowed, and remained silent for a long time, seemingly stumped by these words, looking like he was struggling and in a dilemma.

Her heart sank slightly.

The raindrops fell on my face, feeling cool and refreshing.

Looking at Song Qingshu's profile, she suddenly found it somewhat ridiculous.

Yes, he is, after all, the son of Song Yuanqiao of Wudang, a young prodigy of a prestigious and righteous sect. How could he risk the world for a mere "femme fatale of the court"?

All the previous ambiguity between them turned out to be so vulnerable in the face of "reputation".

A chill crept up from the bottom of my heart, gradually enveloping my chest.

She turned her face slightly away, looking at the eaves through the rain, a thin mist welling up in her eyes, and gave a self-deprecating smile.

Ah, seeing you so conflicted, I really feel sorry for you.

Seeing that Song Qingshu remained silent, Jingxuan assumed that he was at a loss for words and became even bolder. She raised her sword and said loudly, "Witch! I won't waste my breath on you."

If you surrender today, I might spare your life for the sake of the two young heroes, Zhang and Song.

"If you dare to resist, my disciples of Emei will swarm you and tear you to pieces with our swords to appease the spirit of our late master!"

The disciples felt that Senior Sister Jingxuan possessed an aura of righteousness, reminiscent of their late master, Abbess Miejue, and they all raised their swords in unison: "Avenge Master! Kill the demoness!"

Just as tensions were rising and the crowd was in an uproar, Song Qingshu, who had been pondering with his head down, suddenly sighed and slowly straightened up.

Jingxuan's spirits lifted, thinking he had finally figured it out. She was about to press him further when Song Qingshu slowly said, "Master, I've been struggling with this for so long, but I still haven't figured it out—"

Is it more stylish to slap you with a forehand or a backhand?

Upon hearing this, the shouts in the courtyard abruptly ceased.

Zhao Min turned her head abruptly, her sorrow still lingering in her eyes, replaced by a look of astonishment.

She stared blankly at Song Qingshu's profile. Huh? So that's what he was thinking about when he was frowning and deep in thought.

Jingxuan stood there, stunned, almost thinking she had misheard.

She pointed at Song Qingshu, too angry to speak for a long time.

Everyone felt a blur before their eyes, and then heard a crisp sound.

"Snap"

With a crisp sound, a figure flew out diagonally.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that Song Qingshu had taken the place where Jingxuan had been standing. His left hand was behind his back, while his right hand remained in a waving gesture.

Jingxuan flew out and crashed into the courtyard wall, sliding down the wall to the ground.

Half of his face was swollen high, the longsword had long since slipped from his hand and rolled more than ten feet away, blood mixed with rainwater flowed down his mouth, and he fainted without even uttering a sound.

Song Qingshu looked at the back of his hand and clicked his tongue in a soft sigh, "It really is more stylish to slap with a backhand!"