Flower Stealing Master

Fei Yanggu’s heart was racing with excitement, and he had no intention of resting. He stood at a high vantage point, observing the situation at Fox Hill. 

A circle of tents surrounded the Eastern Route Army’s camp from afar. Judging by the flags, there were those of the Golden Serpent Camp, the Red Flower Society, the Khitans, and some miscellaneous flags that seemed to belong to various martial sects.

“A bunch of rabble,” Fei Yanggu sneered. 

Although the enemy’s coalition had considerable numbers, their camp and formation were pathetic. If they were attacked, they wouldn’t be able to organize a counterattack in time.

Fei Yanggu was confident that his forces alone could crush the enemy camp, let alone with the assistance of Tu Hai’s Eastern Route Army.

Feeling reassured, Fei Yanggu still called Mu Ha Da over to discuss some details to ensure everything would go smoothly.

Song Qingshu was well-prepared. Even when asked unexpected questions, his quick thinking allowed him to handle them with ease.

Two hours later, Fei Yanggu ordered his troops to march towards the enemy coalition camp at Fox Hill. The thunderous sounds of battle cries soon echoed throughout the valley.

The Golden Serpent Camp coalition seemed utterly unprepared for the sudden appearance of the Qing forces behind them, scattering in panic.

Fei Yanggu’s lips curled into a slight smile, but he quickly sensed something was wrong. The advance had been too easy. Though the enemy commanders were incompetent, the intelligence indicated that the Golden Serpent Camp coalition had at least twenty to thirty thousand troops, yet the resistance so far seemed suspiciously weak.

However, when Fei Yanggu saw Tu Hai’s army charging out from the enemy camp, his last bit of doubt vanished. With the combined forces of the Eastern and Western Route Armies, totaling fifty thousand elite soldiers, no amount of cunning could overcome such overwhelming strength.

Soon, Fei Yanggu’s expression changed. He had ordered his troops to halt to rendezvous with Tu Hai, but Tu Hai’s army showed no signs of stopping and continued charging toward them.

“Mu Ha Da, where is your General Tu?” Fei Yanggu looked closely but didn’t see Tu Hai among the charging Eastern Route Army. He turned to ask Mu Ha Da, but was met with the flash of a white blade.

Fei Yanggu’s vision went dark, and his last thought was, ‘Damn, I’ve been tricked!’

Before the surrounding Qing soldiers could react, they saw Fei Yanggu’s headless body fall to the ground. The supposed allied Eastern Route Army showed no hesitation in slaughtering them.

As soon as the two armies met, the unprepared Western Route Army suffered heavy casualties.

Both sides were dressed in Qing uniforms, so the soldiers at the back had no idea what was happening. With the commander dead, the Western Route Army lost all direction and fell into chaos.

Although they were surrounded by Qing soldiers, these men were killing their own comrades, unsure of who the real enemy was. They trusted no one, slashing at anyone who approached, leading to countless instances of fratricide within the Western Route Army.

By this time, Song Qingshu had already left the battlefield. Standing on a distant hill, he coldly surveyed the chaotic scene in the valley below.

After nearly losing his life during that camp raid, Huang Rong, Ah Jiu, and the other women had stopped participating in battles. Now, they stood behind Song Qingshu, along with Zhou Zhiruo, Xia Qingqing, and the others who had just returned from an earlier battle. As they looked at the familiar figure of the man before them, their expressions were mixed with various emotions.

Ah Jiu’s face was full of excitement, her eyes glistening with tears. 

‘Father, do you see this? This is the husband Ah Jiu has found. He has made the Qing army tremble in fear, and in just a few days, he has wiped out fifty thousand of the once-invincible Eight Banners troops. If our Ming had had him back then, how could we have been destroyed by those mere barbarians?’

‘Father, I have never been so confident before. Rest assured, I will restore our Ming and revive the Zhu family lineage.’

Even Zhou Zhiruo’s usually cold face showed a hint of excitement. 

‘Master, you tasked me with bringing glory to Emei, and I have never forgotten that. If things continue like this, not only will I bring glory to Emei in the martial world, but perhaps even more…’

A blush crept up on Zhou Zhiruo’s fair cheeks, but when she noticed the other women around Song Qingshu, her expression became somewhat conflicted.

Xia Qingqing sighed inwardly, ‘Brother Yuan, I know you would blame me for not only giving him the Golden Serpent Camp but also myself… but if you were watching from above, you would likely admire him for what he’s done for the Golden Serpent Camp.’

Yelü Nanxian’s eyes sparkled. 

‘For years, our Great Liao has been caught between two Jurchen states, barely surviving. Now that Song Qingshu has emerged, the Qing are too occupied to deal with us, and the Jin state is being held back by the Mongols and the Southern Song. With the Red Flower Society still in the mix, perhaps we have a chance to reclaim our lost territories and restore the ancestral temple of Great Liao.’

Huang Rong’s thoughts were the most complex. 

‘This man not only possesses unparalleled martial arts but also military genius. He is truly a once-in-a-lifetime figure. If we could gain his support, the problem of Xiangyang could be easily resolved, and Jing Gege would be safe…’

With her intelligence, Huang Rong knew that if things continued as they were, Xiangyang would eventually fall, leading to a tragic fate for her and her husband. Now that there was a glimmer of hope, how could she not feel happy?

However, that strange dream from before still lingered, making her instinctively fearful of this man.

After a long internal struggle, Huang Rong finally made up her mind. 

‘For the sake of Brother Jing, I must befriend him. Oh, if only he could take a liking to Fu’er, then everything would be perfect.’

Huang Rong knew that although Guo Fu had inherited her beauty, her personality was too headstrong. While many men might be attracted to her, Song Qingshu was not likely among them. Especially since he was surrounded by so many outstanding women.

If only she had another daughter who not only inherited her looks but was also smart, charming, and likable—how wonderful that would be…

Huang Rong suddenly blushed, realizing the absurdity of her thoughts.

While the women were lost in their thoughts, Song Qingshu’s body suddenly trembled. He turned sharply to look at a small hill in the distance, his face darkening.

The women’s confusion grew as they followed his gaze but saw nothing.

However, before long, one, two, three… The hilltop quickly became crowded with a dense formation of Qing cavalry. Judging by the flags, these were the forces of the Northern Route Army under Sa Bu Su.

As members of the Golden Serpent Camp’s decision-making circle, they knew full well that Sa Bu Su’s Northern Route Army had no business being here. They had already arranged for a separate force to delay and disrupt them. According to their plan, Sa Bu Su’s army should be hundreds of miles away!

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