Flower Stealing Master

Hearing her husband’s words, Huang Rong’s legs went weak, and she almost blacked out from shock.

After returning to Xiangyang from the Golden Serpent Assembly last time, Huang Rong had recounted everything that had transpired at the event to Guo Jing. She had spoken highly of Song Qingshu, this rising star, praising both his martial prowess and his leadership abilities. He was undoubtedly one of the foremost talents of the younger generation.

Because of this, she had also brought up an idea she had been considering for some time—matching her daughter, Guo Fu, with him. Guo Fu was the apple of their eye, yet Huang Rong had to admit that aside from her beauty, her daughter’s temperament and intelligence left much to be desired. As a mother, she had worried endlessly about her future.

When she met Song Qingshu at the Golden Serpent Assembly, she immediately saw an opportunity. If she could successfully arrange a match between them, not only would her daughter find an ideal husband, securing her future with his skills and abilities, but they would also gain an exceptional son-in-law. With Song Qingshu’s martial arts and his outstanding command ability, Xiangyang would be safe under his protection, solving one of the couple’s biggest concerns.

And finally… Huang Rong had faintly sensed Song Qingshu’s interest in her, and even she had some thoughts she dared not admit to others. She hoped to establish a solid relationship between them—one of mother-in-law and son-in-law—so that any potential complications would be eliminated before they could arise.

But Huang Rong had never imagined that before she could even bring Song Qingshu into the family as a son-in-law, she had ended up bringing him into her own bed instead…

After what had transpired between them last night, how could she still consider marrying her daughter to him? Though she was the daughter of the Eastern Heretic and had been known as a mischievous girl in her youth, such a situation was simply too scandalous to bear. If she truly went through with it, it wouldn’t just be two women serving one husband—it would be mother and daughter sharing…

How could Huang Rong tolerate such an absurd situation? Yet, she couldn’t explain any of this to her husband, so she could only deflect and say, “Brother Jing, let’s discuss Fu’er’s matter later. The urgent priority now is to get you out of here.”

Ouyang Feng had finally forced Song Qingshu back and took the opportunity to say, “Surnamed Song, when you rescued Huang Rong earlier and Wanyan Liang asked about your identity, I still remembered our past ties and didn’t reveal it was you. And yet, now you’re willing to turn against me completely for this woman?”

Seeing the intense killing intent in Ouyang Feng’s eyes, Song Qingshu grew cautious. Among the Five Greats, each possessed unique skills and comparable martial prowess, but if he had to choose one opponent to avoid in a life-or-death battle, it would be Ouyang Feng. 

Wang Chongyang had passed away early, so he was not a factor. The Southern Emperor Yideng and the Northern Beggar Hong Qigong were both kind-hearted and would not be truly dangerous foes. The Eastern Heretic was troublesome, but he had his own moral compass and code of conduct—such a man could be dealt with through reason.

But Ouyang Feng? He was a man who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He wasn’t called “Western Poison” for nothing—his expertise in poison was just as fearsome as his martial arts.

Given Song Qingshu’s current abilities and insight, he knew that under the right circumstances, if caught off guard, Ouyang Feng could potentially wipe out the Eastern Heretic, Northern Beggar, and Southern Emperor all at once. That was a risk he could not afford to ignore.

“Old man Ouyang, you and the Guo couple have no unresolvable grudges. Why push things to an irreconcilable point?” Song Qingshu said with a wry smile.

“No grudges?” Ouyang Feng’s expression twisted with rage. “If not for that wretched girl Huang Rong, would my Ke’er have lost the use of his legs? And if he hadn’t been crippled, would he have been killed by Yang Kang?”

“And then there’s that brat Guo Jing—he may look simple and honest, but together with that cunning Huang Rong, he tricked me with a fake Nine Yin Scripture, leaving me mad and delirious for over ten years. This grudge is one that cannot be forgiven!”

Song Qingshu replied in a solemn tone, “Old man Ouyang, you are mistaken. It’s true that your son’s legs were crippled because of Huang Rong, but the one who killed him was Yang Kang. Yang Kang coveted your White Camel Mountain’s martial arts, but because your sect passes down its techniques only to direct descendants, he would have done anything to eliminate your son. Even if Ouyang Ke had been physically whole, he would still have fallen victim to Yang Kang’s treachery eventually.”

Ouyang Feng’s face flickered between shades of green and white. Now that Yang Kang was dead, he had only ever focused on taking revenge on Guo Jing and Huang Rong for his son’s fate. He had never truly considered the full context of the events. Song Qingshu’s words forced him to confront a truth he didn’t want to acknowledge.

Seeing Ouyang Feng hesitate, Song Qingshu pressed on, “As for them making you insane for ten years, they only did so under duress. You threatened their lives and forced them to recite the Nine Yin Scripture for you. To protect themselves, they had no choice but to deceive you with false verses. But in a way, you turned misfortune into fortune. You successfully practiced the reversed Nine Yin Scripture, greatly improving your martial arts. And during your madness, you gained a remarkable adopted son—Yang Guo. He, at least, has filled some part of the void left by your late son.”

At the mention of Yang Guo, a faint smile appeared on Ouyang Feng’s face, but it quickly faded into a sneer. “If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t mind taking him as my son. He’s indeed a fine young man. But of all people, he just had to be the son of that wretched Yang Kang!”

Song Qingshu frowned. No wonder Ouyang Feng’s attitude toward Yang Guo had seemed conflicted—so this was the reason.

“Old man, why be so fixated on this? As the saying goes, ‘The bond of nurture surpasses the bond of blood.’ Yang Kang may have sired him, but what kind of father was he? He never once fulfilled his duties as a parent. Yang Guo is a righteous, courageous young man with an honorable heart—entirely different from his father. If anything, he probably sees you as more of a father figure than that reviled traitor Yang Kang ever was.”

Hearing Song Qingshu’s praise of Yang Guo, Huang Rong sighed inwardly. She had always prided herself on her intelligence and had watched Yang Guo grow up, yet she hadn’t understood his nature as clearly as Song Qingshu did.

‘No wonder Brother Jing had always been fond of Yang Guo. Heroes truly do share the same insight.’ 

Compared to them, she couldn’t help but feel that she was still prone to petty, feminine prejudices.

Seeing Ouyang Feng deep in thought, Song Qingshu quickly clasped his fists and said, “Thank you for your generosity, Brother Ouyang!” Without another word, he darted forward, grabbed Guo Jing by the back of his robe with one hand, wrapped his other arm around Huang Rong’s slender waist, and used Traceless Sand Treading Steps to vanish from the prison in an instant.

Ouyang Feng snapped out of his daze and stomped his foot in frustration. However, he soon calmed down. Recalling the way Song Qingshu had held Huang Rong by the waist, his expression turned oddly amused. “Messing around with a man’s wife right in front of him… I really didn’t misjudge you!”

“Hmph, Huang Rong, oh Huang Rong… Have you forgotten my nickname? Do you really think you can save Guo Jing that easily?” With his hands clasped behind his back, Ouyang Feng gazed in the direction they had disappeared, a sinister smile curling on his lips.

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