Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 1037: A Desperate Rescue

Cheng Yaojia had witnessed Lu Zhangke’s martial arts firsthand. He had easily driven away that general surnamed Zhang and his gang of thugs, and she herself had been subdued in a single move. Such skill was probably far beyond even her master’s.

Thinking back, among all the people she knew, only Huang Yaoshi and Guo Jing could possibly defeat this man. Who would have thought that such a master would be like a three-year-old child before this man, utterly powerless? Cheng Yaojia was completely stunned.

Surrounded by formidable enemies, the man before her remained so composed and relaxed. For some reason, Cheng Yaojia felt as if she had returned to her teenage years, experiencing the same heart-pounding feeling she had when reading love stories in The Romance of the Western Chamber.

Looking at his bushy beard, Cheng Yaojia, for the first time ever, no longer found him rude; instead, she felt he appeared heroic and extraordinary…

Cheng Yaojia blushed, quickly remembering her status as a married woman, and hurriedly looked away, but her heart still pounded uncontrollably.

The experts of the Prince Ruyang’s Palace were stunned by Song Qingshu’s sudden attack. Even Taoist Baishang and the Master of the Vajra Sect looked grim. Although their martial arts were far superior to Lu Zhangke’s, they still couldn’t have injured him in one move. Where did this Embroidered Flower Thief come from, a master so powerful?

Wang Baobao snorted coldly: “Everyone, attack together! We can’t let him escape!”

“Yes, sir!” Dozens of Tibetan monks in the courtyard shouted and attacked in unison.

The Prince Ruyang’s Palace was filled with skilled fighters, though they were not without factions. Taoist Baishang and the Master of the Vajra Sect held exceptional positions and possessed the highest martial arts prowess, nominally under the direct command of the Prince of Ruyang.

The Xuanming Elders, Ah Da, Ah Er, Ah San, and the Divine Arrow Eight Heroes were usually Zhao Min’s subordinates.

Wang Baobao, as the heir apparent of the Prince Ruyang’s Palace, commanded fighters no less skilled than his sister. He had eighteen highly skilled Tibetan monks under his command, known as the “Eighteen Vajras,” divided into five specializing in sabers, five in swords, four in staffs, and four in cymbals.

In a one-on-one fight, each Vajra was no match for either of the Xuanming Elders. However, when four or five joined forces, complementing each other’s offense and defense, they could easily defeat either Elder. One could imagine how powerful the combined forces of these eighteen Vajras were.

Two Tibetan monks stepped forward side by side, each thrusting their right palms towards the chest. 

Song Qingshu had never seen these Tibetan monks before, but sensing from their auras that their skill was inferior to that of the Xuanming Elders, he didn’t take them too seriously. He swung his left palm, deflecting the two monks’ palm strikes. His main focus at this moment was on guarding against Taoist Baishang and the Master of the Vajra Sect; after all, their martial arts were too high, and if they really joined forces to launch a sneak attack, he would likely be in serious trouble.

The two Tibetan monks chanted in unison, “Amida Amida Hum, Amida Amida Hum!” 

It sounded like a mantra, yet also like cursing. 

Although Cheng Yaojia was usually gentle and timid, seeing Song Qingshu fighting so many people to protect her, she wanted to help him. However, her martial arts skills were too low, and she would be completely useless against these experts. So she could only offer verbal assistance: “You’re the one who’s being shameless!”

She was usually shy and had never uttered a harsh word, let alone cursed. Now, having exchanged insults with these foreign monks for Song Qingshu’s sake, she was instantly ashamed, her face turning bright red, wishing she could disappear into the ground.

The two foreign monks retreated three steps, then each extended their right palm, pressing it against the back of one of the monks, pushing them back. The two monks, their moves unchanged, unleashed another “Mountain-Pushing Palm” strike.

Song Qingshu frowned. Normally, his Qinggong would have easily allowed him to dodge, but Cheng Yaojia was behind him. He could have grabbed her and dodged together, but that would have given the ever-watchful Taoist Baishang and the Master of the Vajra Sect a golden opportunity. If he were in mid-air with Cheng Yaojia in his arms, he would likely struggle to defend against their simultaneous attacks.

Therefore, he had no choice but to stand still and face the two Tibetan monks’ attacks. Outnumbered, he didn’t want to waste his energy fighting them head-on. He tried to deflect their force, but the moment his fingers touched their palms, they were instantly and firmly attached, like a magnet.

The two monks cried out, “Ami Ami Hom! Ami Ami Hom!”

Song Qingshu struggled twice but couldn’t break free. Startled, he quickly channeled his immense inner energy to counterattack. The intention was to instantly send them flying, but to everyone’s surprise, the two Tibetan monks remained completely still. It turned out that behind them, another twenty-two monks had formed two rows, each extending their right palm to press against the back of the person in front, making a total of twenty-four monks in two rows.

Song Qingshu suddenly remembered: “The Tantric sect has a method of combined power. In “The Return of the Condor Heroes”, Darba’s five disciples, working together, could hold their own against Hong Qigong. In “The Deer and the Cauldron”, Abbess Jiunan assassinated Emperor Kangxi and kidnapped Wei Xiaobao amidst the Shaolin masters with ease, yet she nearly met her match against six Tantric monks. If these twenty-four monks were to combine their power against me, even with my superior internal strength, it would be unwise to fight them head-on.”

Fearing the others might seize the opportunity to attack, he decided to finish the fight quickly. With a clear whistle, he added thirty percent of his strength to his hand, suddenly thrusting diagonally, then dodging to the left. This disrupted the straight-line power of the twenty-four monks, and the first six, unable to stop, charged forward.

Song Qingshu swung his hands repeatedly, and with six sharp cracks, the six monks fell to the ground, spitting blood. But the seventh and eighth Tibetan monks rushed forward, striking with their palms.

Song Qingshu sneered, “Isn’t it the same?” 

He struck out with his right palm, meeting the two monks’ hands. He slightly gathered his strength, about to unleash a diagonal push, when suddenly he heard a gust of wind behind him. He knew that Taoist Baishang and the Master of the Vajra Sect had finally made their move, and his heart sank.

It turned out that Taoist Baishang and the Master of the Vajra Sect had been observing from the sidelines, growing increasingly alarmed. They considered the man before them to be more skilled than them, and that they were no match for him in a one-on-one fight. However, their high status made it difficult for them to outnumber him. But seeing Song Qingshu entangled with the twenty-odd Tibetan monks, they knew this was a golden opportunity. Furthermore, Wang Baobao had given the order, so they could take advantage of the situation and launched a joint attack.

As grandmaster-level experts, their eyesight was naturally exceptional. They saw that Song Qingshu’s hands were currently glued to the Tibetan monk’s, and that the two were locked in a crucial battle of internal energy. At this moment, he was completely defenseless, and their combined thunderous attack would surely kill him on the spot.

Cheng Yaojia also noticed their sneak attack. Although her martial arts skills weren’t high, her insight was considerable. She quickly reached the same conclusion as the two. In a flash, without thinking, she instinctively threw herself on top of Song Qingshu, intending to use her body to shield him from the impending thunderous blow.