Flower Stealing Master

Li Mochou felt a complex mixture of emotions. 

At first, she lacked confidence; using this sword technique seemed overly courteous and created a sense of dependency, which made it challenging to fully bring out its intricacies. However, with Song Qingshu by her side, supplementing her moves, the effects of the Jade Maiden Pure Heart Swordplay became evident, boosting her confidence. 

Their synchronization deepened, and Li Mochou found herself growing increasingly attuned to an indescribable emotion—a feeling of shyness, a lingering closeness, a gentle affection tinged with uncertainty.

This stirred memories she’d buried for years. She recalled the early days of leaving the Ancient Tomb Sect and encountering that man—this was exactly how she had felt. 

The founder of the Tomb Sect, Lin Chaoying, had suffered heartbreak, which led to her demise within the tomb. A woman of remarkable talents in both literature and martial arts, she still harbored the same romantic dreams as any ordinary woman, often imagining herself one day standing shoulder to shoulder with her beloved, Wang Chongyang. Fate had intervened cruelly, however, leaving her to pour her unfulfilled feelings into creating a dual-sword technique, the Jade Maiden Pure Heart Swordplay.

Wang Chongyang practiced the Quanzhen Sword Technique, so Lin Chaoying crafted the Jade Maiden Sword Technique to harmonize with it, forming a unique dual-sword technique—the Jade Maiden Pure Heart Swordplay. Yet Lin Chaoying never had the chance to wield it with him; instead, it became a legacy for later generations of the Tomb Sect.

Just then, Zhang San and Li Si suddenly jumped back from the fight, cupping their hands in surrender. “To witness the unmatched skills of the Ancient Tomb Sect today—we brothers are deeply impressed. There’s no need to continue; we admit defeat.”

They didn’t understand the origin of this sword technique and, witnessing one astonishing move after another, assumed that even more powerful techniques remained unused. Fearing for their lives, they decisively conceded before the situation worsened, as reputation meant everything to Central Plains people, who often hesitated to continue fighting under such circumstances.

“You’re merely following orders…” Song Qingshu pondered briefly. “Do as you wish.” Though he wasn’t intimidated by the Isle of Heroes, they’d had no prior grievances, and he didn’t want to provoke such a mysterious, hidden power by killing their emissaries. Moreover, he was curious about the Isle of Heroes’s intelligence network, and leaving the two alive might prove useful in the future.

Zhang San and Li Si exchanged a relieved glance and cupped their hands. “Thank you. If we ever encounter Ancient Tomb Sect members again, we’ll avoid them at all costs.”

“That’s unnecessary. I’ll take on the Ancient Tomb Sect’s Reward and Punishment Order myself,” Song Qingshu replied. “When I have time, I’ll visit the Southern Sea to meet the two lords, Long and Mu.” He thought to himself, ‘Xiao Longnu, Xiao Longnu… once again, I’ve spared you from trouble, my dear sister-in-law.’

“If you come, Isle of Heroes will welcome you with open arms.” This time, unlike their previous audacious leave behind the Reward and Punishment Order token, Zhang San and Li Si respectfully offered the token with both hands. The others watched, torn between envy and resentment.

Song Qingshu nodded slightly, accepting the token, unaware that Zhang San and Li Si were internally panicking. They feared that Song Qingshu intended to challenge Isle of Heroes, and though their lords’ martial arts were unparalleled, the man before them was equally mysterious. It would be prudent to inform their lords as soon as possible.

Song Qingshu turned to Li Mochou once the two had departed. “Without your cooperation, Fairy, I wouldn’t have won so easily.”

Recalling the flirtatious swordplay they’d just shared, Li Mochou felt awkward and quickly changed the subject. “I wonder what connection you have to our Ancient Tomb Sect. How do you know so much about it?” After all, she herself had been unaware of the Jade Maiden Pure Heart Swordplay technique’s existence, so how did he?

Song Qingshu merely smiled and didn’t explain. “Fairy, it’s a long story; I’ll tell you another time. For now, let me return this sword to Heroine Ning of the Mount Hua Sect.”

Li Mochou handed over the sword without hesitation, but as he took it, he lightly brushed her hand, causing her heart to skip a beat. 

‘Was it intentional or accidental?’ Li Mochou herself didn’t realize that if any other man had touched her, she would have drawn her sword without hesitation, let alone ponder whether it had been deliberate.

Inwardly, Song Qingshu admired the Tomb Sect’s selection criteria, for every disciple truly possessed skin as smooth as jade. Though Li Mochou’s reputation was fierce, her beauty rivaled even Xiao Longnu’s, with an added hint of allure.

With his martial prowess and status, Song Qingshu could easily have any woman, but he found more pleasure in the chase and conquest. Li Mochou, a woman scarred by past love, had closed off her heart, so he would need to put in extra effort to win her over.

Seeing that Li Mochou hadn’t taken offense, he allowed himself a slight smile. 

‘There’s hope after all.’ With this thought, he approached the Mount Hua Sect group. “Thank you, Madam, for lending your sword, which allowed us to defeat the Enforcers of Good and Evil. Here, I return it to you.”

Yet Song Qingshu, distracted by thoughts of teasing Li Mochou, unintentionally grasped Ning Zhongze’s delicate, jade-like hand as he returned the sword. His high-level martial arts and the cover of his sleeve prevented anyone else from noticing his action, though Ning Zhongze certainly felt it. She was startled and her cheeks flushed. She wanted to reprimand him but hesitated, recalling his formidable strength and her sect’s current vulnerabilities. How could she risk provoking such a powerful adversary?

“You… you could have won even without my sword, given your unmatched skills,” she stammered, attempting to withdraw her hand, but he held it firmly.

Song Qingshu, initially regretting his boldness, felt a renewed thrill when he noticed her subdued reaction. Rather than let go, he began softly stroking her hand, deepening her discomfort.

Caught off guard by his persistence, Ning Zhongze’s initial anger faded as an unfamiliar sensation made her weak and flushed with heat. 

Song Qingshu, skilled in such tactics, had subtly used a trace of gentle Qi, intensifying her sensitivity. Seeing her growing flustered, he finally released her hand, aware that such subtle games were more enjoyable when unnoticed by others.

Gasping for breath, Ning Zhongze’s chest heaved as she struggled to regain composure. She was about to speak, only to find that he had already turned and left, leaving behind his vexing silhouette.

“Junior Sister, what’s wrong?” Yue Buqun asked, noticing her unusual behavior.

“N-nothing,” she replied instinctively, her expression growing more complicated.

Their conversation did not escape Song Qingshu, who smirked as Ning Zhongze chose to hide the matter from her husband. This game, he mused, was proving rather interesting.

Back with Mu Wanqing, he addressed her with a smile. “Thank you, Miss, for lending your sword.” As he admired her delicate wrist, he couldn’t help but wonder how her hand might compare to Li Mochou’s and Ning Zhongze’s.

“Miss? Don’t I have a name?” Mu Wanqing pouted, snatching her sword back, denying him any chance to touch her.

“Uh…” Deciding to play along, Song Qingshu forced a bitter smile. “May I ask your name, then?”

“Do you truly not know?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.

His heart skipped a beat, and he looked away. “Uh, of course, I… didn’t know.”

Mu Wanqing’s face flushed in anger. She brandished her sword and lunged at him. “I’ll k!ll you, you heartless scoundrel!”

Song Qingshu dodged just in time, breaking into a cold sweat. “Hold on, don’t go killing anyone now!”

Mu Wanqing bit her lip. “You’re exactly who I want to k!ll!” She continued her relentless assault, leaving herself completely open.

Li Mochou shifted but didn’t intervene, realizing that despite Mu Wanqing’s vulnerability, Song Qingshu wasn’t retaliating. Watching the familiar and strange dynamic, she discerned their connection and chose not to interfere.

“It’s said that petty men and women are hard to please.” Knowing that staying would only ruin his esteemed image, Song Qingshu dashed out of the restaurant.

Mu Wanqing stamped her foot and chased after him, while Li Mochou, after some hesitation, followed; she needed to uncover the truth about his ties to the Tomb Sect.

With Song Qingshu gone, the Qinghai Sect members sighed in relief. Given his apparent closeness with Mu Wanqing and Li Mochou, they feared he might punish them on their behalf. Exchanging looks, they all chose to slip away.

“What a shameless rogue!” Ning Zhongze muttered under her breath, still flushed as she watched him disappear.

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