Wuxia: Become the 100-Victory Sword King at the Beginning

The setting sun, like blood, dyed the "Male Cherry" banner atop the Pegasus Pass almost eerily.

Shi Feiyang slumped wearily into the tiger-skin chair, his dark-colored outfit still stained with blood. The icy blue true energy he channeled through the Mingyu Gong flickered at his fingertips. The heroes of Xiong Ying, the Seven Masters of Wudang, and the Shaolin monks were all debating whether to venture deep into enemy territory to find a way to break free from the rebels' bone-corroding miasma.

Shi Feiyang remained silent and made no comment.

He was thinking about a more suitable candidate.

Suddenly, the tinkling of jade pendants echoed outside the tent. Shi Ying, dressed in a light blue silk skirt, swept in, her jade hairpin glistening with morning dew. As she drew her longsword, it stirred up a frost-like spray. "Damn it!" She slammed the scabbard heavily onto the table, causing the military tally on the map to tremble slightly. "Back then, during the sandstorms of the northern desert, Shi Lang and I traversed for three days and three nights under the scorching sun. What is this poisonous miasma compared to that?"

As she spoke, she grasped Lan Xiaodie's icy hand and gently wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with a plain white handkerchief. "Don't worry, Xiaodie, we sisters are of one mind and we will definitely be able to break this deadly trap."

The southwest monsoon, carrying the stench of rotting flesh, howled in, and the bone-corroding miasma transformed into a surging black tide.

Wherever it passed, centuries-old trees withered instantly, their bark peeling away to reveal bare bones.

Ming soldiers fell one after another, their screams echoing through the valley. Those who had not yet breathed their last had already begun to fester, revealing the churning flesh beneath. Shi Ying gripped her family's heirloom, the "Azure Frost Sword," its blade gleaming with a ghostly blue light—forged from cold iron specifically designed to counteract poisonous miasma.

Lan Xiaodie placed the last packet of poison-inducing incense into her palm, her expression as solemn as iron: "Sister Shi, this incense is made from Tianshan snow lotus and thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum, but it can only suppress miasma for half an incense stick."

Her fingernails dug deep into her palms, leaving five white marks on her soft nails. "If the fire attack fails, the area within a ten-mile radius will be turned into a living hell." Shi Ying carefully hid the sachet close to her body, then turned to face the hundred female soldiers behind her.

These women were all dressed in red, close-fitting outfits, with red silk ribbons soaked in realgar wine tied around their waists; they were the "Red Phoenix Camp" that she had personally trained.

"Sisters!" Her voice suddenly rose, her longsword pointing straight at the churning poisonous miasma. "Today is the day we shed our blood for the Ming Dynasty! If we can break this poisonous formation, future generations will surely record: Women are no less capable than men!"

The team quietly infiltrated the core of the miasma, and the surrounding black mist coiled around them as if it were alive.

Shi Ying felt a stinging pain on her skin, as if thousands of insects were gnawing at it, and her breathing under the gas mask gradually became heavy.

She suppressed her discomfort and unfolded the sachet according to Lan Xiaodie's instructions. A miraculous scene unfolded—the black mist receded like a tide, revealing a ground covered with rotting animal bones, and in the center was an altar built of living human skeletons.

"Quickly!" She swung her sword to cut off the poisonous vines blocking the way. "Set up the fire according to the Big Dipper!" The female soldiers quickly dispersed and inserted torches soaked in tung oil into the gaps of the altar.

However, at that moment, the ground suddenly shook violently, and Yang Yinglong's rebel army attacked from all directions.

The leader, a dark-faced general, wielded a spiked club with a dried-up head hanging from its tip. His sinister laughter was deafening: "Women from the Central Plains dare to play with fire? Today, I'll make you all perish in this poisonous miasma!"

Shi Ying drew her longsword and unleashed a move from the Heavenly Star Sword Technique called "Blooming Plum Blossoms," the sword light as cold as frost, instantly slicing off the heads of three rebel soldiers.

Amidst the splattering of blood, she glimpsed a female soldier on her left who had been struck by a poisoned arrow, her entire body instantly turning into a pool of blood.

"Form ranks!" she shouted sharply. The female soldiers of the Crimson Phoenix Camp immediately formed a plum blossom sword formation. As the red silk fluttered, they actually swept away the poisoned arrows.

The black-faced general suddenly threw his head back and laughed maniacally, pulling a pitch-black gourd from his robes: "Charge! Let them taste the 'Ten Thousand Gu Devouring Heart Powder'!" As the gourd tipped over, countless thumb-sized scorpions and centipedes surged forth, their passage causing rocks to sizzle and corrode. Seeing this, Shi Ying gritted her teeth, and her Azure Frost Sword suddenly erupted with a blinding blue light: "Azure Frost Demon Breaker!"

The sword's momentum was like a raging storm, causing poisonous insects to explode wherever it went. The dark green venom splattered onto the female soldiers, instantly burning them with gruesome wounds. Taking advantage of the moment, Lan Xiaodie threw out three poisoned silver needles, aiming straight for the general's "Quchi" acupoint.

But then the other party grinned maliciously and ripped off the human skin mask from his chest—it was actually a surviving protector of the Crimson Robe Sect, his face covered in purplish-black poisonous patterns, spewing foul-smelling blood mist from his mouth. "Not good! It's the 'Blood Fiend Demon Art'!" Lan Xiaodie hurriedly brandished her Azure Phosphorus Sword, the five poison totems on the blade emitting a ghostly light.

Seeing this, Shi Ying suddenly pushed Lan Xiaodie backward and faced the blood mist herself.

The Azure Frost Sword clashed with the Blood Fiend Demon Art, unleashing a deafening roar that dissipated the miasma within a ten-zhang radius.

However, black blood was already spilling from the corner of her mouth—a sign that the demonic power was eroding her heart meridian.

The poisonous miasma in the southwest surged like ink, turning the world into a chaotic mess.

Shi Ying gripped the Azure Frost Sword tightly. The cold light of the sword collided with the poisonous black mist, which actually condensed into an ice crystal armor around her.

The hundred female soldiers of the Crimson Phoenix Camp formed a plum blossom sword formation, their crimson outfits appearing and disappearing in the poisonous fog. The silk ribbons at their waists, soaked in realgar wine, fluttered in the wind, as if trying to burn through this veil of death.

"Sweep away the clouds!" Shi Yingjiao shouted, piercing through the poisonous miasma, and her Green Frost Sword unleashed nine sword flowers.

With a flash of cold light, two rebel soldiers and their horses were cut into four pieces, their blood splattering into the poisonous mist and rising in wisps of purple smoke.

However, the enemy cavalry surged in like a tide, their hooves crushing the rotting bones on the ground, and the sound of wolf-tooth arrows piercing the air was like the wailing of a vengeful ghost.

A rebel soldier launched a surprise attack from the flank and rear, aiming his spear straight for Shi Ying's back.

She spun around on her toes, her Azure Frost Sword drawing a half-moon shape, the blade precisely severing her opponent's throat.

Warm blood sprayed onto her face, mixed with the stench of poisonous miasma, which only fueled the murderous intent in her eyes.

"Form ranks!" she shouted, raising her arms. The Crimson Phoenix female soldiers' red ribbons fluttered, and the sword formation transformed into a blood-red vortex, shredding the surrounding rebel army into minced meat.

In the midst of the fierce battle, Shi Ying suddenly felt a numbness in her arm.

A poisoned arrow grazed her wrist guard, the wound instantly turning black. She gritted her teeth, tore off a piece of her clothing to wrap around the wound, and activated her family's "Heavenly Star Technique." Her icy blue true energy flowed along her meridians, forcing the poison out of her body.

The half-incense stick time limit is approaching. If they cannot light the ignition point, they will all perish in this poisonous hell.

"Sisters, protect me as I go!" Shi Ying pointed her long sword at the altar, her crimson ribbons fluttering behind her.

The female soldiers of the Crimson Phoenix Camp formed a human wall with their flesh and blood, like a blood-red torrent.

The sounds of clashing swords, screams, and the corrosive effects of poisonous fog intertwined, creating a living hell. Female soldiers fell one after another, turning into skeletons in the poisonous fog, but the sword formation never dissipated.

The rebel general rode up in pursuit, his spiked club gleaming with an eerie black light.

"A mere trick!" he sneered, and the shadow of his staff transformed into thousands of black pythons.

Shi Ying moved like a butterfly, using her "Treading Snow Without a Trace" lightness skill to weave through the hail of bullets and arrows.

She spotted the wind direction and threw the torch with all her might at the haystack.

In an instant, raging flames shot into the sky, their tongues licking the poisonous miasma, emitting a shrill cry like the wailing of a demon.

"Put out the fire!" The rebel general, filled with shock and rage, swung his spiked club at Shi Ying with the force of thunder. In the nick of time, she channeled all her inner strength into the Azure Frost Sword, its tip radiating a blinding blue light as she unleashed the "Demon-Slaying Sword" technique from the Heavenly Star Swordplay!

The cold light collided with the black rod, unleashing a deafening roar like an earthquake.

The powerful shockwave bleeds away the surrounding rebels, some of whom have their heart meridians shattered and die bleeding from all seven orifices.

The spiked club broke into pieces, and the rebel general coughed up blood, his eyes filled with fear.

Shi Ying gave him no chance to breathe, her Azure Frost Sword transforming into a long rainbow, aiming straight for his throat. Just as the sword's edge was three inches from his throat, a dark figure suddenly darted out from the poisonous mist—it was the Crimson Robe Sect protector, his poisoned bone claw reaching for her back.

"Watch out!" Lan Xiaodie cried out in alarm as a female soldier suddenly lunged forward.

The bone claw pierced her chest, and blood gushed out, drawing a tragic arc in the air.

Shi Ying's eyes were bloodshot with rage. She swung her Green Frost Sword back, nailing the Dharma Protector to the burning altar.

Amidst the raging flames, the bone-corroding miasma emitted a shrill scream, forced back by the flames, and swept towards the rebel positions.

The rebels howled in despair amidst the poisonous fog, their skin rotting at a visible rate.

Shi Ying leaned against the scorching altar, watching the retreating enemy army, and finally collapsed to the ground, unable to hold on any longer.

Her Azure Frost Sword was covered in black blood and ice crystals, and her crimson outfit was tattered, but it couldn't hide the pride in her eyes.

Outside the gate of Feima Pass, the setting sun was like blood, dyeing the "Xiongying" banner as if it were swirling in flames.

Shi Ying and Lan Xiaodie were covered in blood, and the Qing Shuang Sword and Bi Lin Sword were still dripping black and red venom. But the moment they stepped into the city gate, they were lifted up by a deafening cheer.

The war drums on the city wall thundered. After thirty-six shots, thousands of heroes from the Xiong Ying Society shouted in unison: "Heroines! Your might shakes the southern frontier!"

Liao Pei's Tongbei Fist was powerful and fierce. He pushed through the crowd and rushed forward, his iron-like palm slamming heavily on Shi Ying's shoulder: "Good girl! When I saw the Grand Master marry you back then, I knew you were no ordinary person! Today, this 'Demon-Slaying Sword' is a hundred times more powerful than my Tongbei Fist!"

His boisterous laughter startled the crows under the eaves, but it couldn't hide the satisfaction in his eyes.

Lie Quan stroked the Qiankun Blade at his waist, the dragon pattern on the scabbard reflecting the torchlight: "Madam's battle truly deserves the description 'the blade's gleam chills the enemy's heart.'" He turned to Lan Xiaodie, his gaze piercing, "Miss Lan's scorpion-tail darts and her ingenious poison-drawing technique have truly broadened the horizons of us swordsmen." With that, he untied a wine pouch and tossed it over, "Come, drink this bowl of celebratory wine!"

Wu Zhong slammed his iron palm on the stone table, making the wine cups vibrate: "I have been wandering the martial world for ten years and have seen countless heroes and valiant men, but I have never seen such courage! The two young ladies broke through the enemy's poison formation with their own flesh and blood. This chivalry should be engraved on the hero's list of the Xiong Ying Society!"

Before he finished speaking, a disciple brought over a cinnabar brush, intending to carve the names of the two women onto the stone wall.

Xiao Lingling's Mandarin Duck Swords were still dripping with blood, but she was already smiling brightly: "Little Butterfly's movements are even more agile than my Mandarin Duck Swords!"

She took Lan Xiaodie's hand and said, "I must ask you for your advice another day on how to move like a butterfly through poisonous miasma."

Miao Menlong took the precious carved bow from his back and fired three whistling arrows into the sky: "This arrow is to cleanse the dust from the two heroines' journey!"

Dan Zhi unfolded his plum blossom dart pouch, and thirty-six silver darts spun in his palm, gleaming coldly: "Only today do I realize that the way of hidden weapons lies not in quantity but in quality. Miss Lan's three scorpion-tail darts were truly 'one dart to the throat, a hundred poisons evaded'!"

Xie Wen stroked the falcon's feathers, his eyes full of admiration: "When the eagle sent the message, I didn't believe that a woman could break this formation. Now it seems that my old eyes were failing me!"

Shi Xiong brandished his White Rainbow Sword, sending dust flying everywhere: "I knew it! With Madam and Miss Lan on the scene, those scoundrels would be utterly routed!" He chuckled and scratched his head. "It's a pity I missed this tough battle, otherwise I would have made them taste my Thirteen Deadly Swords!"

Lu Wending's Tianshan sword sheath lightly touched the Qing Shuang sword, producing a clear and melodious sound: "Madam's sword moves are a perfect blend of strength and gentleness, quite in line with the sword intent of my Tianshan Sect." Xue Luosha chuckled: "Senior brother is showing off his knowledge again! In my opinion, the two ladies are truly 'women with lofty ambitions, not letting men dominate alone'!" Her laughter carried three parts boldness and seven parts admiration.

The Seven Masters of Wudang stepped forward with the Seven Star Steps. Yu Xuzi lightly waved his whisk: "The two ladies overcame strength with gentleness and broke the deadlock with wisdom. This is truly a tale of martial arts excellence." Yu Yangzi took out a jade bottle: "This is the Wudang Nine-Flower Jade Dew Pill, which can cure all poisons. Please take it." Master Tongzhen of Shaolin clasped his hands together and chanted a Buddhist prayer: "Amitabha! Excellent, excellent! The merits of these two bodhisattvas should be a model for the martial arts world."

Shi Feiyang pushed through the crowd, his dark-colored outfit fluttering in the wind.

He looked at Shi Ying's blood-stained clothes, his eyes flashing with heartache: "Madam, you've suffered so much."

He then turned to Lan Xiaodie, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Miss Lan, I will remember your great kindness." He then took out a token engraved with a male cherry blossom, "From this day forward, you two will be the guardian elders of the Male Cherry Blossom Society!" Cheers rang out again, making the copper bells on the city tower buzz.

Shi Ying and Lan Xiaodie exchanged a glance and smiled at each other.

They knew that this victory belonged not only to them, but also to all their brothers and sisters who fought alongside them. In this world filled with the smoke of battle and chivalry, they proved with their actions that women can also hold up the sky and write their own legends.

Three days later, at 3:45 PM, the southwest monsoon, carrying the sweet and pungent smell of rotting flesh and gunpowder, swept across the mountains of Bozhou.

Lan Xiaodie stood barefoot on the precipice at the source of the poisonous miasma. Her plain white Miao dress fluttered like a battle flag in the gale, and the faded scarlet silk thread around her waist was faintly visible in the twilight. The bamboo tube in her arms, carved with the five poisonous totems, was now slowly pouring out pale purple powder—the "poison-attracting incense" made from Tian Shan snow lotus, thousand-year-old lingzhi mushrooms, and the blood and essence of a hundred kinds of poisonous insects from the southern border.

"Rise!" With a clear shout, the powder rose into the air like purple smoke.

Shi Ying and her Red Phoenix Camp female soldiers were already lying in ambush. Twenty torches soaked in tung oil pierced the twilight and fell like shooting stars into the heart of the poisonous miasma. In an instant, the bluish-purple miasma emitted a shrill cry like an infant's wail, twisting into a hideous face under the scorching flames, turning into thick purplish-black smoke that shot straight into the sky.

The sound of Yang Yinglong's rebel army's horses' hooves grew louder and louder, like muffled thunder.

Shi Xiong leaped out from behind the boulder, brandishing his black iron sword, and led three hundred ambushers to form a human wall.

"Well done!" His roar shook the night dew off the pine branches. "Taste my Thirteen Deadly Swords!" As the sword flashed, the rebels' heads rolled off like watermelons, and blood mixed with the residue of poisonous miasma corroded the ground, leaving charred pits.

Lan Xiaodie gritted her teeth and drew her Bilin Sword, unleashing a move from the Five Poisons Sword Technique called "Poison Dragon Piercing the Heart," specifically designed to strike the rebel leader's throat.

Shi Feiyang then unleashed the Mingyu Skill, pushing out the "Peerless" move from the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique" with both palms. Nine golden blade energies crisscrossed, tearing the rebels' armor to shreds like paper wherever they passed.

In the heat of battle, a cold arrow suddenly pierced the air. Shi Feiyang wrapped his long arm around Lan Xiaodie and shielded her in his arms. His icy blue true energy instantly condensed into a shield, and the arrowhead turned into dust the moment it hit him.

As the last wisp of poisonous fog dissipated into the sky, the people of Bozhou, carrying torches, surged in from all directions.

The firelight illuminated their dirty yet joyful faces as the children hung lanterns painted with butterflies high, their innocent laughter and cheers echoing in the night sky.

Lan Xiaodie stood in the center of the crowd, gazing at this hard-won peace, tears blurring her vision. "Auntie Die!" A childish voice came from behind her.

Shi Ying's youngest son, Shi Nian, squeezed in front of her with a sugar painting in hand, his chubby little face covered in sugar crumbs. "Daddy said Aunt Die is the most amazing. She chased away all the poisonous fog! Have some candy!"

Lan Xiaodie squatted down and gently stroked the child's nose. The sugar painting reflected a rainbow of colors in the firelight, as if it were her once shattered and reunited dream of the martial arts world.

Shi Ying handed over warm rice wine, the firelight softening the fine lines around her eyes: "Xiao Die, do you remember when I first met you, your eyes were filled with hatred? Now, those eyes are clearer than the snowmelt from the top of Kunlun Mountain."

Her fingertips traced the silver bell at Lan Xiaodie's waist. "At least the sound of that bell has lost its murderous aura."

Lan Xiaodie gazed at the shimmering moonlight in her cup, her thoughts drifting back to the past: "If it weren't for my sisters' help, I'd probably still be trapped in the shadow of the Five Poisons Sect." She gently stroked the silver bell, its sound clear and crisp. "I used to think things were black and white, but I've come to understand that true chivalry is daring to face one's own sins and daring to sever one's inner demons."

Shi Feiyang walked up to her without her noticing; his dark-colored outfit gleamed softly in the firelight.

He gazed at the "Heroic Cherry" banner fluttering again in the distance, his eyes full of smiles: "Miss Lan, would you be willing to join the Heroic Cherry Society? From now on, we will fight side by side and protect this bright and clear land of Bozhou for a longer time."

Before he finished speaking, a clear horn suddenly sounded from the city wall.

A new journey quietly unfolds amidst the flickering lights.

Lan Xiaodie gripped the Azure Phosphorus Sword at her waist, gazed at the starry sky, and finally revealed a relieved smile.

She knew that the road of the martial world was long, but as long as she had a chivalrous heart, even if there were thorns all ahead, she could still walk a bright path.

Under the leadership of Shi Feiyang, the heroes of Feima Pass, the Seven Heroes of Wudang, and the Shaolin monks continuously achieved victories in suppressing the rebellion.

However, the Ming army led by Guo Dunyi, the Ming general in Zhangyi City, suffered repeated defeats and lost many passes.

However, Yang Yinglong, in the rebel camp, conspired with Zhong Renwang, the leader of the Beggars' Sect, Dugu Yan, the owner of Mingjian Villa and a eunuch, Ding Hong, an elder of the Beggars' Sect, and Li Wuduo, the "Poisonous Hand Nuwa," to devise a vicious plan that would cause the Ming army to suffer repeated defeats.

In early summer, the autumn rain in Guizhou was as dark as ink, making the cowhide tents of the rebel camp gleam with an oily sheen.

Yang Yinglong leaned back in the tiger-skin chair, his gilded python-patterned sword resting on his lap, his knuckles unconsciously tapping the cold scabbard.

The scarlet cloak, under the candlelight, resembled congealed blood, reflecting the greed and sinister gleam in his single eye.

He glanced at the five people kneeling on the prayer mats, and a cold laugh suddenly escaped his throat, causing the human skin lanterns hanging in the tent to sway slightly: "That old bastard Guo Dunyi has lost three passes in a row, but Shi Feiyang's Xiong Ying Society is like a persistent thorn in his side. You are all figures who can turn the tide in the martial world, do you have any good strategies to defeat the enemy?"

Zhong Renwang, the leader of the Beggars' Sect, tore open his greasy, coarse cloth robe and casually grabbed a roasted lamb leg from the table.

Oil dripped down his bushy beard, spreading dark stains over the patched holes in his face. His noseless face looked particularly terrifying.

He tore off a large chunk of meat, his cheeks bulging, and mumbled, "Shi Feiyang's Mingyu Kung Fu combines strength and gentleness, and his Hundred Victories Knife Technique is even more domineering." Before he finished speaking, he suddenly slammed the sheep bone against a tent pillar, sending splinters flying. "A direct attack would be like throwing an egg against a rock; we must strike at his weak point." His cloudy eyes darted around, staring intently at the sword at Yang Yinglong's waist. "I heard that old man Guo Dunyi relies most heavily on the artillery battalion?"

"Not bad!" The high-pitched voice of Dugu Yan, the master of Mingjian Manor, suddenly rang out, startling the owl perched on the beam into letting out a strange cry.

The eunuch, dressed in brocade, slowly stroked the soft sword in his hand. The blade reflected his deathly pale face, yet a twisted smile lingered on his lips. He deliberately straightened his hunched back, his mutilated voice echoing in the tent: "Firearms are powerful, but vulnerable to water. If we could turn Guo Dunyi's artillery battalion into scrap metal..." Before he could finish speaking, the soft sword suddenly flashed three inches from its sheath, its cold light shattering into sinister starlight in his eyes.

"What a brilliant idea of ​​using water to quell a fire!" Yang Yinglong slammed his hand on the table, causing the wine cups to overturn and the wine mixed with candle wax to meander into eerie patterns on the sheepskin map. He strolled to the tent entrance, gazing at the shadowy camp in the rain, his gilded python-patterned sword gleaming coldly in his palm: "But Zhangyi City has high walls; how could ordinary waters possibly flood it?"

"During the reign of Emperor Li Huizong of Western Xia, there was a technique called 'Siphoning the City.'" Elder Ding Hong of the Beggars' Sect suddenly reached into his robes with his withered fingers and pulled out a yellowed ancient scroll.

Bloodstains were still embedded in his fingernails, and when the parchment was unfolded, the iron chains on his withered wrists rattled softly—remnants of torture instruments left from his capture by the government years ago.

“Taking advantage of the terrain, by connecting bamboo tubes, we can divert water from a thousand miles away to flood the city.” His cloudy eyes turned to Yang Yinglong, and he suddenly coughed violently, the veins on his knuckles bulging from the effort. “Coincidentally, there’s an underground river behind Zhangyi City. All we need to do is dig a ditch…”

"Wonderful!" Poisonous Hand Nuwa Li Wuduo suddenly stood up with a charming laugh, the gold-inlaid jade bracelets clinking together with a crisp sound.

She walked gracefully to Yang Yinglong's side, the snake-shaped silver ornament on her wrist flicking red, and deliberately left three bloody marks as her fingertips brushed against the back of his hand.

Fresh nail polish still clung to her scarlet fingernails, gleaming eerily in the candlelight: "But flooding the city isn't enough. My newly concocted 'Bone-Corroding Powder' dissolves instantly in water; it can gnaw holes in the city walls, let alone cannons."

When she leaned close to Yang Yinglong's ear, the poisonous spider hair ornament at his temple suddenly trembled with eight legs, startling the personal guards serving him, who turned pale.

Yang Yinglong suddenly grabbed her blood-stained hand and let out a deafening laugh that shook the tent ceiling, causing dust to fall.

He drew his sword and chopped off the corner of the table. As wood chips flew, he shouted, "Pass on my order! Start construction at dawn tomorrow! Once Guo Dunyi's cannons are silenced, let him taste what it's like to be swallowed by a flood!" Just then, the rain pounded against the tent roof, mingling with his laughter. It startled the owls all over the mountains, their dark wings obscuring the last ray of moonlight.

Upon receiving a message from a messenger sent by Zhangyi City, Shi Feiyang led "Flying Eagle Detective" Xie Wen, "Divine Archer" Miao Menlong, "Plum Blossom Dart" Shan Zhi, and page Shi Xiong to Zhangyi City to assist General Guo Dunyi. Yun Wuyue also quietly arrived.

The smoke from the battle was as black as ink, turning the sky over Bozhou a ghastly gray.

Shi Feiyang stood amidst the broken walls and ruins, his black martial arts outfit stained with blood and dust. His usually resolute face was now covered with a lingering veil of grime, and the icy blue true energy formed by the Mingyu Gong flickered uncertainly in his palm.

He watched the rebel army surge towards him like a tide in the distance, his brows furrowed, and drops of blood from his sleeve dripped down the hilt of his sword, creating small craters in the scorched earth.

Leaning against a pillar, Yun Wuyue's plain white robes were lifted by the wind, revealing peacock feathers with a faint blue light.

As she gazed at the figure fighting valiantly, she felt as if she had returned to the rainy night in the dense forests of Miao territory.

At that time, Shi Feiyang was just beginning to show his talent, and his entanglement with Bai Zhi was as fiery as strong liquor. It was in that entanglement that she quietly buried her girlish feelings deep inside. Once, she was full of resentment and, in a fit of anger, joined Yang Yinglong's ranks. With her extraordinary wisdom and ruthless methods, she won the title of "Beautiful Strategist".

Her insidious schemes were endless, causing the imperial army to suffer repeated defeats in its suppression of the rebellion.

But now, seeing Shi Feiyang set foot in Bozhou again and single-handedly reclaim nine passes, his chivalrous spirit stirred up ripples in her heart once more.

"So you haven't changed at all..." she murmured, her voice shattered by the distant explosion.

Hidden in her wide sleeves, her fingertips gripped the peacock feather tightly, the cold weapon leaving a deep crescent mark on her palm.

The moment Shi Feiyang turned around to direct everyone to form a battle formation to defend against the enemy, she suddenly lunged forward, her peacock feathers striking like a venomous snake's tongue, aiming straight for his heart!
"Are you crazy!" Shi Feiyang turned around at the sound of the voice and saw a glaring crimson stain spreading on Yun Wuyue's plain white clothes.

He moved with lightning speed, using the "Leave No Trace for a Thousand Miles" lightness skill to instantly strike all the major acupoints on her body. The Mingyu Gong transformed into icy blue true energy and flowed into her body, but it could not stop the gushing blood, which, like melting snow in spring, stained his trembling fingertips red.

A smile mingled with the blood frothing at the corner of Yun Wuyue's mouth, yet her eyes grew ever clearer: "Brother Shi, do you know that this peacock feather is forged with 'Thousand Mechanisms'?" She coughed, blood splattering onto Shi Feiyang's clothes. "The antidote... is already inside me. After my death, take my heart's blood, and it can summon the souls of ten thousand Gu poisons to break the rebel army's encirclement..."

Her trembling hand touched Shi Feiyang's dust-covered face, her fingertips gently tracing the new scar at the corner of his eye: "You said you would take me to see all the beautiful landscapes of China... to see the snow in the north, to see the willows in the south..."

Before he could finish speaking, another violent cough erupted, and blood gushed out. "Unfortunately, Yun'er will have to break her promise..."

Shi Feiyang felt a sharp pain in his heart, and those shared experiences flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern: on the mountain road of Miaoling, she shielded him from a fatal blow; in the dense forest, she leaned on his shoulder and counted the stars; and on the grassland that day, she rode on horseback, her smile brighter than the morning sun, saying that she would be the most majestic leader.

"No!" His voice trembled as he pulled her tightly into his arms. "I, Shi Feiyang, never break my word! Hang in there, we'll go back to Feima Pass right now and heal you peacefully!"

Yun Wuyue gently shook her head, and the "Secret Manual of Miao Territory" slipped from her arms, its pages turning in the wind to reveal yellowed notes.

Her breath grew weaker and weaker: "When you return to the grasslands, please tell your senior sister... I miss her... I really want to... be like her, a soaring eagle on the grasslands..."

Looking into Shi Feiyang's shocked and grief-stricken eyes, she forced a smile: "But, it's better this way... It's better to die in your arms than..." Before she could finish speaking, her hand fell limply to her side, and her eyes, which once held a thousand stars, gradually lost their luster.

Shi Feiyang held his gradually cooling body and roared to the sky.

The icy blue true energy that Mingyu Gong unleashed soared into the sky like an angry dragon, dispersing some of the smoke and fire in the air.

He lowered his head and kissed her forehead, whispering, "Yun'er, wait for me. After the rebels are quelled, I will take you to see the snow in the north, the willows in the south, and travel all over this beautiful land..."

At that moment, a light rain suddenly fell from the sky, washing away the bloodstains on the battlefield.

On the walls of Zhangyi, where the smoke of battle had not yet cleared, Shi Ying led the female soldiers of the Red Phoenix Camp across the scorched earth.

As dusk fell, the setting sun cast a long shadow of Shi Feiyang. He stood in the center of the ruins, holding Yun Wuyue's body. The icy blue true energy surrounding him trembled slightly like a candle flickering in the wind, each fluctuation seeming to weep blood silently.

"This is..." Shi Ying's Azure Frost Sword clattered to the ground. She staggered forward, but stopped abruptly when she touched the cold barrier of true energy. Shi Feiyang slowly raised his head, his usually resolute face now as pale as paper, his eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse as if repeatedly sanded: "She is Bai Zhi's sister..."

Before he finished speaking, the icy blue true energy suddenly exploded, causing the surrounding broken walls and ruins to scatter dust.

Lan Xiaodie rushed over, stepping on the broken bricks scattered on the ground. The Five Poisons Totem on the Jade Phosphor Sword glowed with a ghostly light in the twilight.

She gazed at Yun Wuyue's peaceful face, her delicate hand unconsciously clenching the silver bell at her waist, its sound shattering into a sob in the wind: "She said that heart's blood can attract the souls of ten thousand Gu!" "Absurd!" Shi Feiyang suddenly roared, the corpse in his arms trembling slightly with his violent shaking.

He knelt amidst the rubble, his dark-clad uniform stained with blood and mud. "Am I, Shi Feiyang, to win by drinking the blood of the dead? How am I any different from those wicked villains!" He lowered his head and buried his face in Yun Wuyue's hair, his voice gradually breaking. "Yun'er said she wanted to be an eagle of the grasslands... How can I let her not find peace even in death..."

Shi Ying crouched down and reached out to touch the cold body, but froze in mid-air.

Looking at Shi Feiyang's red-rimmed eyes, she recalled the spirited young man from the Miao forests years ago, now as fragile as a frightened bird. The silver bell at her waist rang mournfully once more, and she choked out, "We members of the Xiong Ying Society would rather die on the battlefield than do such... such a thing that would disturb the peace of the afterlife."

Lan Xiaodie gently stroked Yun Wuyue's blood-stained hem, then suddenly drew her scorpion-tail dart and slashed her fingertip.

Blood dripped onto the scorched earth of the ruins, instantly absorbed without a trace: "But if the rebels' siphon poison scheme isn't eliminated, more people will die in Zhangyi City. We must find another way!" She looked at Shi Feiyang, her gaze as firm as iron, "Hero Shi, we will definitely fulfill Miss Yun's wish, but not in this way."

Shi Xiong suddenly knelt down with a thud, slamming the White Rainbow Sword heavily on the ground: "I don't understand any grand principles! But Miss Yun died for us, and even if it costs me my life, I will find another way!"

His voice echoed across the empty city walls, startling a few crows that fluttered and flew toward the blood-red setting sun.

Shi Feiyang slowly got up and carefully held Yun Wuyue's body to his chest.

Rain began to fall unnoticed, mingling with the undried tear stains on his face, dripping onto Yun Wuyue's pale cheeks.

He gazed at the distant flames of the rebel camp, his icy blue true energy suddenly reforming, but no longer carrying a violent edge: "Send down the order, the entire army will rest for thirteen days." His gaze swept over the crowd, "We must thwart this poisonous scheme without compromising our principles of chivalry." That night, Shi Feiyang carried Yun Wuyue's body into the dense forest near Feima Pass. Moonlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows on him.

He gently placed her in a dilapidated tent, the place where they had once hidden from pursuers.

The air was filled with the fragrance of wild fruits, just like back then.

He plucked a leaf, placed it in her palm, and whispered, "When I return, I'll take you to see the eagles of the grasslands..."

Three days later, in the council hall of Feima Pass, the sword formation diagram of the Seven Masters of Wudang and the deduction diagram of the Vajra Subduing Demon Formation of the Shaolin monks covered the long table.

Yun Wuyue's "Secret Manual of Miao Territory" was worn out from being turned so many times, and the specimens of the five poisonous creatures tucked between the pages swayed gently in the breeze.

Shi Feiyang stared at the winding underground river model on the sand table, then suddenly struck out with his palm, shattering the black flag representing the rebels with nine golden blade energies: "Since the siphon technique borrows the power of water, let's use their own methods against them!"

Shi Ying's Azure Frost Sword drew an arc on the map: "Divert the Jialing River to destroy their irrigation canals!"

She turned to look at Lan Xiaodie, "But the direction of the water flow..."

Lan Xiaodie took out the Five Poisons Sect's "Hundred Poisons Map" and lightly pointed to a spot on the map with her fingertip: "There is a natural canyon here. If we set up a 'Dragon-Attracting Formation' at the entrance of the canyon and then use gunpowder to blast down the cliff..."

Her gaze met Shi Feiyang's. "But someone needs to infiltrate the enemy camp and destroy their strategic points."

Shi Feiyang gripped the Hundred Victory Blade at his waist, his icy blue true energy flowing along the blade: "Damn it."

He looked at the cherry blossom flag hanging on the wall and said, "Yun'er risked her life to uphold our chivalry. In this battle, we will make the rebels know that true heroes never bow down to despicable people."

The rebels are using the siphon principle, a technique from the Western Xia dynasty, to accelerate the flooding of the city, rendering the imperial army's artillery ineffective due to moisture, thus gaining the initiative on the battlefield. Shi Feiyang is well aware of the gravity of the situation; if it is not stopped in time, the imperial army will be put on the defensive.

He led the group to carefully survey the terrain and study the structure and operating principle of the siphon device.

After some thought, Shi Feiyang decided to start from the source and destroy the water supply pipes of the siphon device.

The torrential rain in Guizhou resembled an inverted Milky Way, while the underground river on the outskirts of Bozhou roared like a trapped beast within the ancient Western Xia pipes.

Shi Feiyang's dark, tight-fitting clothes clung to his body, and rainwater trickled down along the silver-embroidered cherry blossom patterns.

He knelt on one knee, his palm pressed against the damp blue brick. As he circulated his Mingyu Gong, the icy blue true energy condensing from his fingertips formed frost flowers on the brick surface: "This ancient pipe has survived three dynasties; the joint must be the vital point." He turned to look at the crowd in the rain, his gaze like lightning. "Brother Miao, retrieve the third bamboo-joint copper ring; Brother Shan, cut off the eyes and ears of the West Slope Watchtower!" (End of Chapter)