Flower Stealing Master-Chapter 1081: The Hunter’s Thoughts

Even the most open-minded Yelu Nanxian was still a w0man, and she couldn’t stand his teasing. Her pretty face flushed instantly, and she glared at him with a cold, reproachful look: “You…”

“Alright, alright,” Song Qingshu laughed, “Don’t move, it’ll be over in a little while.” He then quickly focused his mind and continued to release the medicinal power.

Yelu Nanxian softly hummed in agreement, turning her head away, not daring to look at him, revealing a surprisingly girlish side.

After another half hour, Song Qingshu finally forced all the medicinal power of the Little Red Lotus into her wounds before bandaging them.

When Song Qingshu’s fingertips accidentally touched her skin, Yelu Nanxian trembled slightly and said somewhat awkwardly, “I can do it myself.”

Song Qingshu shook his head and said in an unquestionable tone, “Where is it convenient for you to bandage it? If you move too much and tear the wound, it will be more troublesome.”

“Uh, okay.” Yelu Nanxian hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.

To ease her tension, Song Qingshu bandaged her wound while chuckling, “I didn’t expect your skin to be so smooth and delicate after all that wind and sun on the grasslands.”

Yelu Nanxian blushed slightly, but being more carefree than the average Han woman, she raised her chin and snorted, “I’m naturally beautiful, what else did you expect?”

Song Qingshu laughed heartily, adjusting her clothes as he said, “I wonder which lucky man will be your consort in the future, a wife with the tall, graceful figure of a grassland woman and the delicate skin of a Han woman.”

Yelu Nanxian smiled sweetly, “No matter who that man is, you’re out of luck anyway…”

Song Qingshu raised an eyebrow, “Oh, why?”

Yelu Nanxian gave a coquettish snort, “My husband, Yelu Nanxian’s husband, will naturally be devoted to me. With so many romantic entanglements you’ve accumulated, only…only foolish women would want to be with you.”

Song Qingshu shrugged nonchalantly. “Anyway, I’m already deeply honored to be considered a candidate for the princess’s husband.”

Yelu Nanxian’s face flushed, and she couldn’t help but retort coquettishly, “Who considered you as a candidate for the princess’s husband!”

Song Qingshu smiled slightly, not arguing with her, but instead changing the subject, asking, “Was that your father on the street earlier?”

Hearing his words, Yelu Nanxian’s face darkened, and she couldn’t help but nod. “Yes.”

Song Qingshu immediately asked curiously, “Since he’s your father, why did he do that back then?” 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Yelu Nanxian knew he was referring to her father using her as a shield, and sighed softly, “I don’t know either.”

“What are you doing in Yangzhou this time?” Seeing her blank look, Song Qingshu decided to ask a different question.

“Officially, we came to persuade Li Kexiu to surrender, but even I know that the Liao Dynasty is currently struggling to survive, so why would Li Kexiu pledge allegiance to us?” Yelu Nanxian shook her head. “Later, I discovered that after arriving in Yangzhou, Father didn’t rush to contact Li Kexiu. Instead, he kept a close eye on the passersby in Yangzhou… I didn’t know why at first, but just now I think I understand. His purpose in coming here is to capture that person.”

Song Qingshu knew that the person she was referring to was Tian Guinong, and he immediately became puzzled. It seemed that Yelu Yixin’s goal was the Evil Exterminating Sword Manual. He wondered how he knew the manual was in Tian Guinong’s possession…

“Lately, I don’t know why, but I feel that Father has changed a bit. But his appearance, tone, and everything else are still the same as before. Maybe I’m just imagining things,” Yelu Nanxian suddenly said.

Song Qingshu’s heart stirred, and he gazed thoughtfully into the distant void: “Is that so?”

Noticing the weariness in Yelu Nanxian’s eyes, Song Qingshu smiled at her: “You should rest and recover. We’ll investigate this matter later.”

“Mm.” Yelu Nanxian was indeed very tired. She let him help her lie down on the bed, and soon fell asleep.

Song Qingshu covered her with the blanket and quietly closed the door. He hadn’t gone far when he faintly heard a woman sobbing in the distance. He followed the sound and found a young woman in her prime sitting in a pavilion deep in the woods, weeping incessantly.

“Madam, are you perhaps heartbroken because you saw me with another woman and were jealous?” Song Qingshu coughed deliberately before speaking with a grin.

The woman before him was naturally Cheng Yaojia.

Looking up and seeing it was him, Cheng Yaojia blushed, biting her lip and turning her face away. “Young Master, you’re teasing me again.”

“Then why is Madam crying?” Song Qingshu walked over and sat down, his hand naturally taking her soft hand as he asked with a smile.

Cheng Yaojia was startled, not expecting him to be so brazen. She glanced around guiltily, and seeing no one around, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. “Isn’t it because of Guanying’s matter?”

“What happened to Young Master Lu?” Song Qingshu had a vague idea.

“He…” Cheng Yaojia suddenly blushed, hesitated for a moment, and then whispered, “The doctor said he suffered damage to his kidney meridian, and from now on he probably won’t be able to… won’t be able to…” She couldn’t bring herself to say the rest.

“Won’t be able to have sex with Madam?” Song Qingshu picked up casually. “Although I really want to tell Madam to accept my condolences, no matter how you look at it, this news is good news for me.”

“How can you be like this!” Cheng Yaojia was furious, immediately giving him a playful punch.

“I was just speaking my mind,” Song Qingshu grasped her hand, and seeing her furrowed brows, quickly changed the subject. “Young Master Lu has suffered such a calamity; he must need comforting right now. Why is Madam here alone, weeping?”

“He…” Cheng Yaojia hesitated, then finally said, “When Guanying learned of that…that result, he turned ashen-faced. He refused medical treatment and wouldn’t listen to anyone’s comfort. I was also driven out by him. I’m worried he might do something rash, afraid he…” She began to sob again.

“Madam is his wife; he certainly can’t face you right now,” Song Qingshu pondered for a moment. “How about this, I’ll go and try to persuade Young Master Lu.”

“You will go?” Cheng Yaojia wiped away her tears, her expression turning strange. She thought, “Wouldn’t you just be adding fuel to the fire?”

Seeing her expression, Song Qingshu knew she had misunderstood and couldn’t help but smile, “Don’t worry, I won’t deliberately provoke Young Master Lu. Unless Madam secretly tells him my identity, I’m absolutely confident I can help him recover.”

“I absolutely didn’t say anything wrong,” Cheng Yaojia hurriedly waved her hands. For some reason, she didn’t want her husband to know the true identity of “Tang Kuo Bian.” Now that Tang Kuo Bian was gone, she should let that matter fade away.

“That’s good.” Song Qingshu stood up and said, “Come with me to persuade Young Master Lu.”

“You…you let go!” Seeing that they were getting closer and closer to her husband’s room, and that he was still holding her hand tightly, Cheng Yaojia panicked.

Seeing her flushed face, Song Qingshu found it particularly alluring and couldn’t resist leaning over to ki$s her red lips.

Cheng Yaojia’s eyes widened in disbelief. They were now just outside the door, separated from Lu Guanying by only one door.

“Let me be alone, let’s go!” Lu Guanying’s voice suddenly came from inside the room. He hesitated, assuming his wife had returned to persuade him.

Hearing her husband’s voice, Cheng Yaojia frantically pounded her fists on the man’s chest. Seeing she was almost in tears, Song Qingshu released her. He didn’t want to expose their relationship so quickly; it would be too boring.

“Young Master Lu, it’s me,” Song Qingshu cleared his throat.

Silence fell in the room. After a long while, Lu Guanying’s dry voice came: “Young Master Song, please come in.” He could ignore his wife, but Song Qingshu had saved his life and was the renowned Golden Serpent King; he couldn’t afford to offend him in any way.

Song Qingshu smiled at Cheng Yaojia, took her hand, and pushed open the door, leading her inside.

Cheng Yaojia, startled, quickly pulled her sleeve back.

Upon entering the room, Song Qingshu found Lu Guanying emaciated, as if he had aged twenty years overnight. He sighed inwardly; as a man, he could more or less understand Lu Guanying’s current state of mind.

“Young Master Lu, I learned of your condition from the doctor. I hope you can take it easy,” Song Qingshu said.

Hearing this, Cheng Yaojia felt a warmth in her heart. He clearly knew from her; if she told him the truth, she would surely be scolded by her husband. This man was truly incredibly considerate in the smallest details. Thinking of this, Cheng Yaojia was momentarily lost in thought.

“How can I take it easy? Anyway, I’m already a cripple. Young Master, there’s no need for you to waste your breath comforting me,” Lu Guanying said with a bitter smile.

Song Qingshu inwardly scoffed, thinking, “We’re not even related, and I don’t want to bother with you.”

His elaborate efforts with Lu Guanying weren’t primarily due to Cheng Yaojia. While Cheng Yaojia was undeniably beautiful, Song Qingshu had been surrounded by stunning women throughout the years; why would he be so infatuated with just one woman?

Song Qingshu’s patient pursuit of Cheng Yaojia, while simultaneously getting close to Lu Guanying, was mainly driven by the prestige of the Lu family of Shanyin.

Currently, the Southern Song Dynasty was rife with powerful clans and aristocratic families. Although not as extreme as during the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Song Qingshu’s background meant he was considered a commoner in the eyes of these noble families. Gaining the support of the Lu family of Shanyin would make it easier for him to establish himself among the Southern Song’s powerful clans.

Of course, the Lu family of Shanyin wasn’t a top-tier aristocratic family. The entry ticket it offered wasn’t worth Song Qingshu’s considerable effort. What Song Qingshu valued more was the Lu family’s stronghold—Shanyin.

Shanyin was Shaoxing in Song Qingshu’s world, the southeastern gateway to Hangzhou, and adjacent to Hangzhou Bay. Hangzhou, which in this world is Lin’an, was the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty. Its defenses were extremely tight, especially to the north and west, where multiple layers of defenses were in place. To the east, along the Qiantang River near Hangzhou Bay, an elite navy was stationed. The only apparent weakness was its defense to the south.

Currently, Song Qingshu’s forces, whether the Golden Snake Camp in Shandong or the Mystic Dragon Island in Liaodong, are highly skilled in naval warfare. If needed in the future, they could lead an elite navy to sea, bypassing the Southern Song’s layers of defenses, landing near Shaoxing in Hangzhou Bay, and striking Lin’an in a very short time. The Southern Song wouldn’t even have time to mobilize its entire national strength. Perhaps they could replicate the victory of the Jin Dynasty during the Jingkang Incident, destroying the country in one battle!