Chapter 525: The Price
Seeing the excitent on Song Qingshu’s face, Huang Rong couldn’t help but scoff, “Why are you so excited?”
“Uh…” Song Qingshu was montarily speechless. He couldn’t very well admit that he enjoyed being in the company of such a beautiful woman.
Huang Rong’s expression turned serious. “Young Master Song, I stated clearly before that I stayed here to learn your military tactics for potential use in Xiangyang City. Please, do not get any wrong ideas.” She then left directly, leaving Song Qingshu stunned on the spot.
‘What does she an by asking
not to get the wrong idea? Clearly, she’s the one overthinking, right?’ Song Qingshu couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.
“She’s already gone, but you still can’t let go?” Zhou Zhiruo’s teasing voice quickly reached his ears.
Turning around, he found several won watching him with half-smiles. Song Qingshu awkwardly chuckled, “What do you an ‘can’t let go’? I was just pondering sothing.”
“More like pondering which girl to pursue first,” Zhou Zhiruo quipped, prompting Ah Jiu to join in. Though generally more magnanimous, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy seeing Song Qingshu flirt with so many won.
“The most beautiful among the Red Coat Army is this little sister. If Brother Song doesn’t mind, I can keep you company,” Ah Jiu imitated Yang Miaozhen’s deanor flawlessly, then spat in disgust, “That woman really has no sha!”
“Yang Miaozhen grew up among outlaws, surrounded by coarse n. Naturally, she lacks the reserved nature of soone like you, Ah Jiu, a true lady of noble birth,” Xia Qingqing, who had remained silent, now joined in on teasing Ah Jiu, seeing that no outsiders were present.
“You cheeky Qingqing, finding new ways to make fun of ,” Ah Jiu imdiately reached out to tickle Xia Qingqing’s waist. “I know your personality well. I don’t believe you don’t get jealous.”
Xia Qingqing sighed softly, “I’m different from you all. You’re openly his wives, while I’m just a pitiful young widow. How could I have the right to be jealous?”
Xia Qingqing’s words left the three others speechless, cold sweat breaking out. Song Qingshu, seeing her finally joke about her own situation, was relieved. He understood she was gradually moving past her old sorrows.
“They say widows in mourning are the most attractive, and I adore beautiful young widows. Co here and give
a kiss.” As Song Qingshu spoke, he moved to embrace her.
With the other won present, Xia Qingqing dared not let him kiss her, deftly dodging with a twist of her waist, her face flushing as she spat, “Pervert!”
“Our dear husband truly lives up to the word ‘pervert.’ Not only does he love to flirt with young girls and widows, but also with married won,” Ah Jiu’s words imdiately garnered the agreent of the other two won.
Song Qingshu looked aggrieved. “How co such noble and upright interests sound so sleazy coming from your mouths? If outsiders heard this, it could ruin the heroic and valiant image I worked so hard to build!”
“Speaking of which, it reminded —I’ve never understood why you revealed the secret of summoning wind and rain to them,” Zhou Zhiruo said discontentedly.
“Exactly, exactly. If handled well, it could have helped gather nurous followers in a short ti,” Ah Jiu also pouted, evidently disapproving of Song Qingshu’s decision.
“He’s just too soft-hearted, spilling everything when provoked by a pretty girl,” Xia Qingqing added with a sigh.
Indeed, enjoying the favor of multiple won is not an easy feat, Song Qingshu thought, feeling a cold sweat. He quickly explained, “You’ve misunderstood . Using the ability to summon wind and rain to gather followers has its pros and cons. While it might rally ordinary people, it would also make the world’s intelligent minds view
as a charlatan, which isn’t worth it.”
Seeing the three won deep in thought, Song Qingshu continued, “In the past, Zhang Jiao was formidable, and the Yellow Turban Army numbered over a million. Yet, in the eyes of mainstream society, he was just a rebel deceiving the masses. I don’t want to follow in his footsteps.”
Ah Jiu nodded slightly, “True, one shouldn’t sacrifice long-term gains for short-term benefits. But Big Brother, your ability to summon wind and rain, capable of facing thousands single-handedly, is unprecedented. It would be a sha not to utilize it at all. In the past, the Han Gaozu beheaded a white snake, and the Emperor Guangwu summoned teors; there are many historical examples to draw from. If you trust , Big Brother, leave this matter to .”
Song Qingshu was overjoyed. “Ah Jiu, you co from the royal family and are well-versed in such matters. I can’t think of anyone better suited for this than you.”
Zhou Zhiruo, standing to the side, couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of crisis. Among the three won, Xia Qingqing could help him manage the Golden Serpent Camp, and Ah Jiu, a royal descendant, held considerable influence. Although she was the head of the Ei Sect, her value to his grand cause was comparatively limited. If this continued, her position might beco awkward.
Suddenly, Zhou Zhiruo’s expression shifted as a plan ford in her mind. She seized the opportunity to say, “Qingshu, I plan to go to Jiangnan soon.”
Song Qingshu looked at her in surprise. “Why are you going to Jiangnan?”
“I want to take a look at the White Lotus Sect,” Zhou Zhiruo replied simply, not revealing much of her intentions. Although her father was a forr leader of the White Lotus Sect, tis had changed. What she could accomplish there was still uncertain, so she didn’t want to share too much in front of Xia Qingqing and Ah Jiu, to avoid being secretly ridiculed by them later.
Song Qingshu gave her a aningful look. With his perceptive mind, he quickly surmised Zhou Zhiruo’s current thoughts almost entirely.
Though Zhou Zhiruo appeared cold and harmless, she was quite cunning on the inside. How could she willingly let Ah Jiu steal the lilight…
Seeing through Zhou Zhiruo’s thoughts, Song Qingshu didn’t feel the slightest bit of resentnt; instead, he felt a hint of secret joy. ‘If she didn’t truly care about , why would she compete with Ah Jiu?’
“Alright,” Song Qingshu nodded. “But you must be careful on this trip; the people from the White Lotus Sect aren’t exactly kind.”
Zhou Zhiruo flashed a bright smile. “Don’t worry, I was once titled ‘the best in the world.’ A re White Lotus Sect—if I’m careful, they won’t be able to trouble .”
Ah Jiu smiled slightly. “Sister, your grace when defeating all the heroes at the Lion-slaying Assembly back then truly makes
admire you.”
Zhou Zhiruo rarely blushed. “Sister, you’re teasing . That ti was just a fluke, many real experts couldn’t be bothered to spar with soone as young as . Besides, with your martial arts, you’re likely above …”
Seeing the two won complinting each other, Song Qingshu felt a headache coming on and quickly interjected, “Zhiruo, when are you planning to leave?”
“With you all busy capturing cities and territories in the coming days, I wouldn’t be of much help even if I stayed. I plan to leave early tomorrow.”
Zhou Zhiruo’s response startled Song Qingshu. “So soon?”
“Anyway, with two sisters accompanying you, are you still afraid of having no one to warm your bed?” Zhou Zhiruo couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him.
Song Qingshu never expected her to say sothing so bold, leaving him montarily stunned.
Xia Qingqing and Ah Jiu also blushed, feeling embarrassed.
“Ah Jiu and I have been busy lately; we haven’t had ti to keep him company,” Xia Qingqing hurriedly clarified. “But there are plenty of won on the mountain willing to warm his bed.”
“Huh?” Song Qingshu’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be there are other old flas on the mountain?
“Qingqing, are you referring to Miss Zeng?” Ah Jiu suddenly realized.
“Zeng Rou, huh?” Thinking of that adorable round-faced girl, Song Qingshu felt a headache.
Xia Qingqing smiled slightly. “Soone has always put it off, saying it could wait until after repelling the Qing soldiers. Now that the Qing army has been defeated, if soone doesn’t make a move soon, that poor girl might be heartbroken.”
Song Qingshu couldn’t help but smile wryly. “How can I even make a move? I don’t have any feelings for her. Doing this would ruin her life. How about I talk to Situ Bolai and recognize Zeng Rou as my sworn sister?”
“Absolutely not!” Ah Jiu said urgently. “Big Brother’s foundation is still unstable, and he needs absolutely loyal people around him. Situ Bolai has been fully supporting Big Brother mainly because of Miss Zeng; he sees Big Brother as family. Moreover, Miss Zeng is deeply in love with Big Brother. If Big Brother rejects her now, won’t it chill the hearts of the Wangwu Sect? If it creates a rift, it would be very troubleso.”
“Indeed, Miss Zeng must be brought into the family.” Although Zhou Zhiruo felt sowhat displeased, she was aware of the bigger picture. Moreover, she had t Miss Zeng before; she was as soft and harmless as a little rabbit, posing no threat to her. Naturally, she wouldn’t care too much.
“Exactly. Miss Zeng is not only beautiful and skilled in martial arts, but she’s also pure and virtuous. It wouldn’t hurt to marry her and make her a cultivation partner.” Xia Qingqing, with her special status, was always sowhat sensitive and couldn’t help but say sourly. However, as soon as the words left her mouth, the won’s minds drifted to the scene when they once treated Song Qingshu’s injuries together, still fresh in their mories.
“Marry, marry, marry. If you all don’t mind, why should I? It’s not like I’m losing out.”
Song Qingshu couldn’t help but snort. His greatest dream had once been to build a grand harem, but now he found the reality far more complex and indescribable.
“There’s no rush with Miss Zeng. We’ll deal with it once the Golden Serpent Camp controls the various provinces,” Xia Qingqing’s face suddenly took on a peculiar expression. “Right now, there’s another young lady waiting in the side hall to see you.”
“Who?” Song Qingshu was stunned, and both Ah Jiu and Zhou Zhiruo perked up their ears.
“Miss Fang from the Prince Mu Mansion,” Xia Qingqing said, feeling sowhat vexed. If she had known he was so fickle, she wouldn’t have been so soft-hearted back then, sparing herself the constant heartache now.
Xia Qingqing and Zhou Zhiruo were jealous, and even Ah Jiu, usually so magnanimous, felt a pang of envy. “Why do all the pretty girls have… sothing with you?” After staying in the Golden Serpent Camp for so long, Ah Jiu had unconsciously picked up so coarse language.
“Not at all. Maybe Prince Mu Mansion just has sothing to say to ,” Song Qingshu smiled awkwardly and quickly headed toward where Fang Yi was waiting in the side hall, under the scornful gazes of the three won.
Song Qingshu wished he could slap his little brother.
‘Why did you have to be so impulsive back then, causing such trouble for
now?’
HELP:
During the recent unrest in the country I am from, our family hardware store was broken into and looted by thugs. I don’t know why they did it, since my family has always been minding our own business, without bothering anyone else. I’m guessing so people are taking advantage of the current lawless and chaotic state of the country.
Anyways, the incident now leaves
as the only earning mber of my family. Long ti readers know that I was already dealing with a mountain of trouble (that I inherited from my father), and was already struggling. I had created a plan of action, and was steadily moving forward. But this incident destroyed whatever plans I had, again. I don’t know why bad things keep happening to
again and again. I might as well be cursed or sothing.
So here I am, after much hesitation, once again asking for your support. If you are reading this, please help if you are able to, I repeat, help only if you are able to. I am not asking sothing for free, you can beco a Patron at Patreon to gain access to more chapters, or sponsor as many chapters you can from any of the novels you enjoy on Goblinslate here at BuyaCoffee. Or if you just want to help, you can donate any amount at the Wishlist at BuyaCoffee.
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