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

Xiao Heling released his grip, looked up at the direction where the Vermilion Bird had disappeared, his aged face appearing even more sinister in the twilight: "Does it matter whether you're willing or not?"

He sneered, "When Tu Yanfei returns with the secret treasure, the entire Mount Hua will bow down at her feet. At that time, you and Tu Yanfei will join forces to rebuild Mount Hua and become famous throughout the martial arts world..."

His voice gradually lowered, "Aren't these more important than romantic love?"

Gu Lu bent down to pick up the longsword, the tip of which made a piercing sound as it scraped the ground.

A long cry from the Vermilion Bird echoed from afar, startling a flock of crows into flight.

Gu Yi gripped the sword hilt tightly, his knuckles turning white again—this time, it was unclear whether it was from anger or from the impending betrayal.

As dusk deepened, Xiao Heling's shadow stretched long between the watchtowers, like a shadow that would never fade away.

High above, in the tent where Shi Feiyang and Tu Yanfei embraced, their tender affection palpable, unaware that a conspiracy concerning the very fabric of the martial world was quietly unfolding in the shadows. In the deathly silence following Xiao Heling's departure, Gu Yi suddenly let out a low growl like a trapped beast, his longsword plunging fiercely into the ground, causing the entire watchtower to tremble slightly.

"It was all a deception..." Gu Yi murmured to himself, his mind flashing back to his past with Tu Yanfei—her gentle smile when she taught him to identify herbs at Jade Maiden Peak, the sparkling water splashing when they practiced swordsmanship under the waterfall, and the embroidered handkerchief she tucked into his bag before they parted, with the two crooked characters "Peace" embroidered on it.

These memories now cut into Gu Yi's heart like sharp blades. It turns out that all the beauty was nothing more than a trap carefully woven by his master.

As night deepened, Gu Yi quietly arrived at the stable and untied the reins of his most beloved steed, Chasing Wind.

His eyes flickered in the moonlight, sometimes flashing with resolute killing intent, sometimes filled with painful struggle.

As the sound of hooves echoed through the empty alley, Gu Yi turned his horse around and galloped off in the opposite direction from the Netherworld Alliance camp—he wanted to find out the truth for himself and hear Tu Yanfei tell the whole story.

Inside the tent on Zhuque's back, Tu Yanfei rested her head on Shi Feiyang's chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, her face flushed with happiness. Suddenly, as if sensing something, she lifted the tent flap and looked down at the ground.

Under the moonlight, a familiar figure reined in his horse and stopped in front of the watchtower, his long sword gleaming coldly in the night.

"It's Senior Brother Gu!" Tu Yanfei exclaimed in surprise. Before Shi Feiyang could react, she had already leaped down from the Vermilion Bird.

The red silk in her hair danced wildly in the night wind, and her moon-white skirt was covered in dust, yet she was completely unaware.

"Senior Brother Gu, how could you..." Before she could finish speaking, she was stunned by Gu You's bloodshot eyes. "Why?" Gu You's voice was terribly hoarse. "Why did you lie to me? Can't our childhood friendship even withstand Master's schemes?"

Tu Yanfei was taken aback, then realized what was going on, and her face turned deathly pale: "Senior brother, you know everything?"

"I know Master uses you as a pawn, and I know you approached Xiang Tiange for the secret treasure at his waist!" Gu Yi suddenly drew his longsword, the tip pointing directly at Tu Yanfei's brow. "But I want to hear you say it yourself, is all of this true!"

Shi Feiyang had already appeared behind Tu Yanfei without anyone noticing. A dangerous glint flashed in his glassy eyes. The Dog-Beating Stick quietly slid into his palm, and silkworm silk quietly emerged from his palm. His fair and handsome face was filled with murderous intent.

Tu Yanfei raised her hand to stop Shi Feiyang, then took another step forward, letting Gu Yi's sword tip pierce her skin: "It's true. But senior brother, do you think I'm willing to be this pawn?"

Tears welled up in her eyes. "The moment I truly fell in love with Tiange, I had already betrayed my master and the Sword Sect..."

Gu Yi was struck dumb, and his longsword clattered to the ground.

He staggered back a few steps, then suddenly threw his head back and laughed, his laughter filled with despair and sorrow: "Good! Good! What a wonderful love affair!" He turned abruptly, mounted his horse, and declared, "Tu Yanfei, from this day forward, our ties are severed!"

As the sound of horses' hooves faded into the distance, Tu Yanfei could no longer hold on and collapsed softly into Shi Feiyang's arms. "Tiange, what should I do..." she sobbed uncontrollably, "I don't want to hurt anyone, but now..."

Shi Feiyang hugged Tu Yanfei tightly, a cold glint flashing in his glassy eyes: "Don't be afraid. No matter what happens, I will stand by your side."

He gently stroked her long hair, gazing in the direction where Gu Yi had disappeared. "But this time, it seems a great battle is inevitable."

On the way back, Gu Yi's eyes gradually turned cold.

He gripped the sword at his waist, a decision growing ever clearer in his mind—since his master used his junior sister as a pawn, then he would be the one to wield the pawn. No matter what, he would reclaim everything that belonged to him, even if it meant making enemies of the entire martial world.

Gu Yi galloped across the northwestern wilderness, the biting night wind cutting across his face like a knife, but it was nothing compared to the stinging pain in his heart.

The iron hooves of the swift horse shattered the moonlight on the ground. He gazed at the rolling dark clouds in the sky, his hand holding the reins trembling uncontrollably.

As the first rays of dawn pierced the clouds, Gu Yi reined in his horse at an abandoned post station. On the mottled walls of the post station, there remained the childish sword manual he and Tu Yanfei had drawn with charcoal when they were children.

At that time, they naively claimed that they would jointly create a sword technique that surpassed the "Three Green Peaks of Taiyue" and restore the glory of the Huashan School a hundred years ago.

"It turns out that from beginning to end, it was all just my wishful thinking." At this moment, Gu Yi laughed self-deprecatingly, his laughter startling the crows on the beam.

He untied his water pouch and gulped down the strong liquor. The pungent liquid burned his throat, but it couldn't quell the raging anger and resentment churning within him.

Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves grew louder as eight disciples of the Sword Sect galloped towards them, led by Xiao Heling's personal disciple.

"Senior Brother Gu, the elders order you to return to camp immediately!" A secret letter was tossed to him. "The sect leader has personally led a team to the Beggars' Sect's Northwest branch and will arrive in three days. In this battle, you either obtain the secret treasure or cut off Xiang Tiange's head!"

Gu Yi's hand trembled slightly as he unfolded the secret letter. The words in the letter were as cold as frost: "If Tu Yanfei fails to obtain the secret treasure, he shall be killed without mercy."

He stared at his master's seal at the bottom of the signature, as if his master's teachings from his childhood were echoing in his ears: "Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles." At that moment, twenty years of master-disciple relationship and twenty years of childhood friendship collided fiercely in his heart, and the scales of reason and emotion began to swing violently.

The night at the Northwest Branch was as thick as ink, with only the candlelight in Tu Yanfei's room flickering in the night wind.

Gu Yi crept along the wall, his dark night clothes blending into the shadows, the newly acquired Netherworld Alliance token at his waist digging painfully into his ribs.

When he saw the half-eaten osmanthus cake on the table, his hand gripping the sword hilt tightened suddenly—a few sesame seeds were still stuck to the edge of the cake, which was Tu Yanfei's favorite flavor, but now it seemed to be mocking his twenty years of infatuation.

"Senior brother?" Tu Yanfei's voice suddenly came from behind, the candlelight casting a long shadow of her. Gu Yi turned around abruptly and saw that her hair was disheveled and her moon-white inner robe was stained with a few streaks of ink, clearly indicating that she had just come out of the study.

The candlelight made her cheeks flushed, but her beautiful eyes held a knowing sadness.

"Come with me!" Gu Yi roughly grabbed her wrist, his nails almost digging into her flesh. "Master is going to kill you!" He deliberately made his voice tremble, pretending to be anxious, but his eyes were fixed on the door and window behind her.

Tu Yanfei gently withdrew her hand, her fingertips tracing the calluses on his palm: "I had a premonition. But Tiange hasn't yet uncovered the Netherworld Alliance's conspiracy..."

Before she could finish speaking, Gu Yi suddenly roared, "Shut up!" The steel sword hummed as it was drawn from its sheath, only to plunge it deep into the ground. In the instant Tu Yanfei was stunned, a short sword slid from his sleeve like a venomous snake, its cold light flashing as it pierced her heart.

As a piercing scream tore through the night sky, Shi Feiyang was reviewing secret documents in his study when his glassy eyes suddenly turned bloodshot. He darted out of the room like a ghost and saw Gu Yi turning to flee. The moonlight illuminated the skull token of the Netherworld Alliance at Gu Yi's waist, its dark red patterns resembling dripping blood in the night.

"Gu Yi! You scoundrel, how dare you assassinate my beloved wife!" Shi Feiyang's furious shout caused roof tiles to fall in a flurry. The silkworm silk he spat out from his palm was like a silver ribbon piercing the air, but it was forced back by the sudden sword formation.

Hundreds of disciples from the Huashan Sword Sect formed the "Five Peaks Formation," their sword light forming a net that enveloped the entire branch.

The sect leader, Tu Weng, his white hair standing on end, pointed his Qingfeng sword directly at Shi Feiyang's throat: "Xiang Tiange! Give me back my daughter's life!"

Shi Feiyang held Tu Yanfei tightly in his arms; blood was gushing from the sword wound on her chest, soaking his clothes. "Tiange..." Tu Yanfei's voice was weak, her fingertips trembling as she touched his cheek, "It's Gu Yi... who has sided with the Netherworld Alliance..."

Before he could finish speaking, Elder Luo Li of the Qi Sect had already unleashed the "Purple Thunder Palm Technique," his palms crackling with purple lightning.

Tu Yanfei suddenly sprang up, using her last bit of strength to spin and shield Shi Feiyang. The Purple Thunder Palm struck her solidly in the back, the sound of bones shattering mixed with a muffled groan. Shi Feiyang felt the world spin, and the delicate body in his arms suddenly turned icy cold.

He slowly lowered his lover, his glassy eyes flashing with an eerie blood-red light, and the green light on the dog-beating stick surged three zhang.

"You old scoundrel! How could you so cruelly order your disciple to kill your own daughter? You're not human!" Shi Feiyang roared, shattering several window frames. The silkworm silk that he spat out from his palm rolled up like a reversed Milky Way, instantly binding Luo Li's major acupoints.

In an instant, Luo Li was covered in blood, screaming and writhing in the air. His internal energy was drained away like water from a burst dam, and his internal organs turned to dust in excruciating pain.

Shi Feiyang carried Tu Yanfei's cold body to the top of the city wall, the moonlight casting a frosty white hue on her face.

He slowly put his lover down, planting the blood-stained Qingfeng sword beside her, the murderous intent surging in his glassy eyes almost solidifying.

Fu Shouchuan, the deputy leader of the Beggars' Sect's Northwest branch, ran over with his long sword in hand. Although he was covered in blood and wounds, he still stood firmly guarding Tu Yanfei's body.

The battle cries from below the city were deafening. The melee between the Huashan Sword Sect and the Beggar Clan had reached a fever pitch. But Shi Feiyang seemed to be detached from the conflict. He lightly stroked the still-damp bloodstains on his sword with his fingertips and murmured, "Fei'er, just watch. I will make the Netherworld Alliance pay for their blood debt."

Before he finished speaking, Shi Feiyang suddenly turned around, his aura surging, and the silken threads emanating from him, like silver dragons emerging from the abyss, instantly entangled the three Huashan Qi Sect disciples who intended to launch a sneak attack. Crystal light flowed in his palm, and his inner force surged out along the silken threads. Amidst the three's shrill screams, blood gushed from their seven orifices as their internal organs were torn apart, drawing eerie blood flowers in the air.

"Tu Weng! You're a scoundrel! You even killed your own daughter! How despicable and shameless have you become?" Shi Feiyang's roar was like a thunderclap, and the Dog-Beating Stick transformed into a long green rainbow, heading straight for the leader of the Huashan Sword Sect.

Tu Weng's eyes widened in anger, and he unleashed the full power of the "Three Green Peaks of Taiyue" sword technique. Amidst the crisscrossing sword energy, Shi Feiyang appeared as a ghost passing through the sword curtain, and with his bamboo stick, he struck the "dog's eyes looking at people" technique from the "poke" method, accurately hitting Tu Weng's "Shanzhong acupoint".

Tu Weng flew backwards like a kite with a broken string, crashing into half of the earthen wall.

At this moment, the assassins from the Dark Shadow Hall of the Netherworld Alliance finally appeared. The leader, a black-clad messenger, wore a scarlet skull mask and flicked out eighteen bone-piercing nails from his sleeve, each gleaming with a ghostly blue, highly poisonous light.

Shi Feiyang sneered, raised his left hand, and the silkworm silk that emerged from his palm wove into an impenetrable silver net, deflecting all the hidden weapons.

Before the assassins could react, Shi Feiyang had already used the "luring" technique of the "Dog-Beating Stick Technique," unleashing a series of moves: "luring the dogs into the village" and "a pack of dogs fighting for food." Wherever the bamboo stick went, the air emitted a piercing shriek, and the assassins' weapons were shattered one by one.

"You think these tricks can stop me from taking my revenge? My beloved wife Tu Yanfei's blood will be repaid a thousandfold by you scoundrels today!" Shi Feiyang's voice was icy cold, and bloodthirsty flames danced in his glassy eyes.

He leaped into the air, unleashing his signature move, "No Dogs Under Heaven." Amidst the vast expanse of green shadows, the Dark View Hall assassins were reduced to minced meat like candles flickering in the wind.

Blood splattered on the banners atop the city walls, staining the words "Beggars' Clan" dark red.

In the midst of the chaotic battle, Shi Feiyang suddenly locked onto Gu Yi's aura.

Gu Yi grinned maliciously amidst the chaotic army. He hurled twelve bone-piercing nails, each coated with a deadly poison that would kill instantly upon drawing blood.

However, Shi Feiyang suddenly disappeared from his spot and appeared behind him in the next moment, binding him with silkworm silk like a spider web: "You think this little trick can hurt me?" He sneered, pouring his inner force into the silkworm silk. Amid Gu Yi's miserable screams, his bones and tendons broke inch by inch, and his eyeballs bulged out of their sockets due to the excruciating pain.

The blood moon, like a blood-dripping eye, hung over the Northwest Branch, staining the scattered limbs a dark red. The blood in the ditches had long since reached above ankle level, mixed with broken swords and spears, and torn sleeves, emitting a nauseatingly sweet and foul odor in the evening breeze.

Shi Feiyang's knuckles turned white as he gripped the Dog-Beating Stick. His crystal-clear eyes reflected the hellish scene before him, and the image of Tu Yanfei's blood-stained smile before her death lingered in his mind. "Beggar Clan disciples, heed my command! Follow me to the Netherworld Alliance headquarters! We will not rest until this fiend is destroyed!" His roar shook the wind chimes on the city wall, causing them to ring wildly.

As the bamboo staff was raised high, the emerald light surged three feet. The Beggars' Sect members shouted in unison, the sound waves stirring up the blood mist on the ground, like a scarlet battle flag.

Shi Feiyang gently placed Tu Yanfei's body on the back of the Vermilion Bird, and the White Tiger's long roar tore through the night sky.

As he turned around, the dog-beating stick transformed into a streak of eerie green lightning, heading straight for Elder Shan Changhui of the Huashan Qi Sect.

"Purple Thunder Palm? Nothing special!" Shi Feiyang sneered, unleashing the "Shu Dog Barking at the Sun" technique with his bamboo staff, precisely striking the "Laogong" acupoint in the palm of his opponent. Shan Changhui screamed and flew backward, the purple lightning exploding from his palm backfiring on his body, instantly turning him into charred remains.

"Xiang Tiange! Give me back my disciple's life!" Yan Shiren, the head of the Huashan Qi Sect, stood on end with his white hair standing on end. He wielded his Qingfeng sword, creating seven sword flowers, which was the Huashan's ultimate technique, "Taiyue Three Green Peaks." Shi Feiyang advanced instead of retreating, and silkworm silk shot out from his palm, weaving a silver net in the air. At the same time, he used the move "Luring the Dog into the Village," hooking his bamboo stick onto the spine of Yan Shiren's sword. Yan Shiren felt a numbness in his wrist, and his longsword flew out of his hand.

Immediately afterwards, the "beating dog's head" technique came down heavily, smashing Yan Shiren's skull to pieces, and his brains mixed with blood splattered onto Shi Feiyang's clothes.

In the flickering firelight, disciples from the two Huashan sects formed a sword formation.

The seventy-two longswords gleamed with cold light, and actually condensed into a mountain-like phantom within the formation.

Shi Feiyang laughed loudly, then wielded his dog-beating stick in the "Turning" technique of "Lost Dog," the bamboo stick darting into the gaps in the sword formation like a nimble snake.

The silkworm silk that was spat out from the palm spread along the bamboo stick, and wherever it went, the sword blades were cut in half. Suddenly, silver-white silk threads shot out from the throats of the disciples of the Qi Sect and Sword Sect of Mount Hua. The silkworm silk pierced through their protective mirrors. The moment their internal energy was forcibly extracted, the blood that spurted from their seven orifices condensed into blood mist in the air.

"What ruthless methods!" Xiao Heling hid behind the broken wall, his cloudy eyes flashing with wild joy.

He gripped the short blade hidden in his sleeve, watching Shi Feiyang fight with the Huashan group, a grin spreading from his lips to his ears, "Once you fight to the death, the position of Huashan Sect Leader will be yours." Before he finished speaking, a green shadow suddenly appeared in front of him.

Shi Feiyang's glassy eyes gleamed with an eerie red light, and the Heavenly Silkworm Silk had somehow already wrapped around Xiao Heling's major acupoints. "You old scoundrel, I've waited for you long enough, yet you betrayed my beloved wife! Humph! Did you think you could escape this by hiding?" Shi Feiyang's voice was as cold as ice. "Tu Yanfei was still calling out your name, you old scoundrel, before she died."

As internal energy was injected, Xiao Heling's bones were twisted and rolled by the silkworm silk, making a teeth-grinding cracking sound. His eyeballs bulged out of their sockets due to the excruciating pain, and his whole body was like an inflated sack. Finally, with a "bang," it exploded, and his internal organs and flesh were scattered all over the broken wall.

At this moment, the Northwest Branch of the Beggars' Sect has become a living hell.

Shi Feiyang stood amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, blood droplets constantly dripping from his dog-beating stick, scalding small holes in the ground.

He looked towards the direction of the Netherworld Alliance in the distance and suddenly unleashed the "No Dogs Under Heaven" technique.

Amidst the vast expanse of azure shadows, the surviving Huashan disciples were shredded into a bloody pulp, their severed limbs and fragments of iron swords falling like rain.

As the blood moon gradually sank in the west, Shi Feiyang picked up Tu Yanfei's body from the back of the Vermilion Bird and slowly walked out of the branch headquarters surrounded by Beggar Clan disciples.

Behind him, the Northwest Branch's watchtower collapsed in the fire, the flames illuminating his resolute figure.

In her crystal-clear eyes, the flames of revenge burned ever brighter—the Netherworld Alliance was the final chapter of this bloody feast.

Under the crimson moonlight, Shi Feiyang led the Beggars' Clan members, rushing towards the headquarters of the Netherworld Alliance.

The Vermilion Bird carried the remains of Shi Feiyang and Tu Yanfei straight into the sky above the Netherworld Alliance's headquarters. Its glassy eyes looked down at the black-clad men on the ground, who looked like ants. The silkworm silk in its palm had solidified into a tangible form.

Thirty-six black iron gates inside the main altar opened simultaneously. Alliance Leader Xiao Shiwan, clad in gilded skull armor, led seventy-two Shadow Assassins across the ground covered in runes, the air thick with a nauseating stench of blood.

"Xiang Tiange, do you really believe that you can destroy the Netherworld Alliance headquarters by yourself?" Xiao Shiwan's voice was accompanied by the echo of copper bells, and the curved blades in the hands of the Shadow Assassins reflected a ghostly blue poisonous light. "Look at the thousands of corpses buried underground, they are all the dead souls who dared to oppose me!"

Shi Feiyang gently laid down Tu Yanfei's body. When his fingers touched the red silk she had loved in life, his aura suddenly changed drastically. The silken threads emanating from his body were like an inverted Milky Way, instantly piercing the throats of the three Shadow Assassins.

The white tiger charged forward roaring, instantly knocking down seven Shadow Assassins.

It stood majestically guarding the remains of Zhuque and Tu Yanfei.

"Fei'er, today we'll use their blood to cleanse this martial world of its filth." Shi Feiyang's voice was terrifyingly calm, yet it sent chills down the spines of everyone present. The dog-beating stick in his hand transformed into countless emerald shadows, unleashing his ultimate technique, "No Dogs Under Heaven."

The Shadow Assassins' scimitars shattered amidst the shadows of the staffs, and the Heavenly Silkworm Silk pierced through their protective aura, sending blood and flesh flying wherever it passed.

Seeing this, Xiao Shiwan unleashed the "Ten Deadly Palms of the Netherworld" with both palms. The skull phantom that appeared in his palms danced ferociously, but was shattered by Shi Feiyang's backhand strike, "Beating Dog's Head with a Stick." The bamboo stick slammed heavily onto his shoulder, and the sound of bones breaking could be clearly heard.

"Impossible!" Xiao Shiwan staggered back, spiderweb-like cracks appearing on his gilded mask. "You clearly..." Before he could finish speaking, Shi Feiyang had already pounced on him, the silkworm silk from his palm burrowing into his seven orifices like a serpent.

The alliance leader let out an inhuman scream. The moment his inner strength was forcibly extracted, his entire body rapidly withered, eventually turning into a skeleton and collapsing to the ground.

Upon seeing their leader die a gruesome death, the members of the Netherworld Alliance immediately scattered and fled.

Shi Feiyang, however, was in no hurry to pursue, and slowly walked toward the altar in the center of the main altar.

When he saw the memorial tablet of Tu Yanfei enshrined on the altar, a crack flashed in his glass-like eyes.

He slowly raised the dog-beating stick, channeling his true energy into the underground formation, causing the entire main altar to tremble violently.

"Fei'er, this foundation of the Netherworld Alliance will be my burial offering to you!" With Shi Feiyang's furious roar, a deafening rumble echoed from beneath the main altar. The thirty-six black iron gates collapsed with a crash, and the black flames ignited by the talismans engulfed all the fleeing figures.

The once invincible Netherworld Alliance is now nothing but scorched earth.

Shi Feiyang stood atop the Northwest Branch city wall, Tu Yanfei in his arms wearing her favorite moon-white silk dress, with the broken jade hairpin tucked into her hair—the one he bought for her in Luoyang last year, when she smiled and said, "Imperfection is also a kind of perfection," but now it has become a final farewell.

"Chief, the mourning hall is ready." Fu Shouchuan knelt on one knee, the eighteen-year-old boy's eyes red-rimmed, Tu Yanfei's Qingfeng sword hanging at his waist, the tassel swaying gently in the wind. He was the deputy leader of the Northwest branch, personally trained by Tu Yanfei, and had a very deep affection for Tu Yanfei.

Shi Feiyang nodded and personally placed Tu Yanfei into the coffin. His fingertips traced her cold cheeks, and he suddenly remembered how she used to poke his chest with her fingertips, laughing at him for being "heartless." This brought tears to Shi Feiyang's eyes.

Three days later, mournful music lingered within the Northwest Branch.

Holding a dog-beating stick, Shi Feiyang practiced the "head-chopping sword technique" in front of Tu Yanfei's spirit tablet.

The emerald green bamboo stick pierced the twilight, and with a single move, "Raging Shattering the Heavenly Gate," it split the stone lion three zhang away in two.

"Shouchuan, watch closely." Shi Feiyang's voice was deep and resonant, like a morning bell. "This sword is not about speed, but about momentum. Like the autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, it seems gentle, but in reality, it is unstoppable." Fu Shouchuan gripped the longsword tightly, but the tip of the sword trembled incessantly.

Shi Feiyang sighed softly, swung his staff and unleashed the "Dog-Facing-the-Sky" technique. The bamboo staff coiled around the boy's wrist like a nimble snake: "If your mind is in turmoil, your sword will become dull. If your master were here, he would not want to see you so distraught."

The boy shuddered, his eyes hardening with determination. He suddenly changed his sword technique, deflecting Shi Feiyang's bamboo stick by half a foot.

Three months of vigil had passed, and the poplar leaves of the Northwest Branch had all fallen. Shi Feiyang stood in the center of the training ground, watching three thousand disciples simultaneously wield their swords. The sword light, like a reversed Milky Way, condensed into a blue-white wall of energy under the clear autumn sky.

He nodded in satisfaction, put the Vermilion Bird and White Tiger into the deerskin bag, then took out a green robe, put a crown on his head, and transformed into a handsome scholar with a scholarly air between his brows.

"Chief, the world is dangerous. You should prepare a sword." Branch leader Fu Shouchuan handed over an exquisite short sword with the word "Peace" engraved on the hilt.

Shi Feiyang chuckled and shook his head, his fingertips brushing against the deerskin pouch at his waist: "Only with no sword in hand and no dust in the heart can one embrace the world. Shouchuan, remember this—" He suddenly said seriously, "Buddha said, 'If I don't go to hell, who will?' But if there is light in one's heart, hell is also heaven. Beggar Clan disciples travel the world not relying on swords and spears, but on this righteous spirit."

Having said that, he used the "Thousand Miles Without Leaving a Trace" technique, his figure soaring across the sky like a swan, disappearing into the end of the yellow sand in the blink of an eye.

As the first frost of autumn descends, a thin layer of ice forms on the glazed tiles of the Forbidden City, resembling a handful of scattered diamonds.

In the afternoon, the "Prosperous Era" Inn in the Imperial City welcomed a special guest.

Lu Chenzhou was wiping the counter when he suddenly saw a scholar in a blue robe walking through the snow. Although there was a scholarly air about him, he could not hide the sharp, glassy glint in his eyes. Lu Chenzhou felt a chill in his heart, but he put on a smile: "Are you here to take the imperial examination, sir? My shop has been quite popular with candidates lately. The private rooms upstairs are very spacious."

"The shopkeeper has a sharp eye." Shi Feiyang smiled as he went upstairs. As his sleeve brushed against the counter, the two exchanged a secret signal.

On the third floor, Lu Chenzhou closed the window and took out a secret report from a hidden compartment in the wall: "The Sticky Rod Office has been very active lately. The other day I saw them escorting wooden boxes in the west of the city. The boxes were marked with the words 'Ministry of Works', but they smelled of sulfur."

Shi Feiyang unfolded the secret report, his gaze sweeping over the words "Upright and Bright Plaque" and "Secret Edict on Establishing an Heir Apparent," and lightly tapped the table with his fingertips: "Rumors about Yongzheng establishing an heir have already spread throughout the martial arts world. This child, Hongli, is indeed more benevolent than his father."

He suddenly looked out the window, where the pine trees inside the palace walls were bending their branches under the weight of snow. "Brother Lu, have you ever heard of 'Hidden dragon, do not act'?"

Lu Chenzhou pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "The dragon lies hidden in the abyss, waiting for the right time to strike."

“That’s right.” Shi Feiyang chuckled and took out a chess piece from his sleeve. It was the Hetian jade chess piece that Tu Yanfei loved to play with. “The chessboard of the Forbidden City has been set up. Now it’s up to us, this idle piece, to see how we can stir up the game within the game.”

Lu Chenzhou looked at the jade chess piece in Shi Feiyang's hand and suddenly remembered the legend in the martial arts world: the Beggar Clan leader had a universe hidden at his waist, which could contain all things in heaven and earth.

At this moment, what was reflected in the eyes of this handsome scholar was a light colder than the snow in the Forbidden City and sharper than imperial power—it was the fire of revenge ignited by Tu Yanfei with his life, and it was also the confidence that allowed the Beggars' Sect to roam the martial world.

“Tomorrow morning, Emperor Yongzheng will go to the Temple of Heaven to perform the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven,” Lu Chenzhou said in a low voice. “The elites of the Sticky Rod Office will all be out here, which may be an excellent opportunity for us to investigate the ‘Ministry of Works Wooden Box’.”

Shi Feiyang stood up, his gaze fixed on the direction of the palace, his blue robe fluttering gently in the wind: "Then let's wait and see how many unknown secrets are hidden beneath this imperial city."

He put the jade chess piece into his deerskin bag, and as he turned around, half a red silk ribbon inadvertently peeked out from his waist—it was Tu Yanfei's keepsake, standing out conspicuously in the snow. The night grew deeper, and the lanterns of the "Prosperous Age" Inn swayed gracefully in the wind and snow.

Two figures stood side by side by the window: one a gentle and refined scholar, the other a shrewd and capable shopkeeper, both gazing in the same direction.

There are magnificent palaces and turbulent undercurrents in the martial world. They are merely players in this grand game, using blood as ink and bones as pens to write the word "righteousness" in the gap between imperial power and the martial world.

The following day, the white marble railings of the Temple of Heaven were covered with frost, gleaming coldly in the morning sun.

Shi Feiyang disguised himself as a skilled palace guard and mingled among the guards. The silken threads under his black arrow sleeves were slightly warm.

As the bright yellow sedan chair landed and Emperor Yongzheng stepped out, leaning on the vermilion armrests, his gaze passed over the nine-dragon patterned boots and fell upon a young face peeking out from behind the sedan curtain—the fourth prince, Hongli.

Shi Feiyang discovered that the heroic spirit between Hongli's eyebrows and the slight curve of his mouth were exactly the same as his own in the bronze mirror.

"Father, the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven should begin earlier today," Hongli's clear voice rang out, and Shi Feiyang's grip on the sword hilt tightened unconsciously. Prince Hongli wore a jade-inlaid headband and a moon-white brocade robe, the embroidered python dragons faintly visible in the candlelight; every movement revealed the demeanor of a crown prince. As the two brushed past each other, Shi Feiyang could even smell the pine scent on the other's robe.

The fragrance was exactly the same as the incense that Tu Yanfei loved most during her lifetime.

As dusk settled over the corner towers of the Forbidden City, Shi Feiyang, displaying his unparalleled lightness skill of "Leaving No Trace for a Thousand Miles," transformed into a wisp of cold mist and slipped into the drainage outlet of the West Second Palace. Inside the hall, candlelight flickered, and Hongli was intently practicing calligraphy under the lamp, the tip of his brush hovering over the final stroke of the character "仁" (ren, benevolence), hesitating to make the final stroke.

"I'm sorry." Shi Feiyang sighed softly, a surge of cold energy suddenly flowing from his palm, and the "Heavenly Palace Illusion" technique from the Sacred Heart Manual was activated.

In an instant, the guards' swords fell to the ground, and the palace maids' embroidered handkerchiefs fluttered down.

Then, Shi Feiyang snorted coldly at Hongli: "Hmph!" His Astonishing Calamity Divine Skill was activated in response.

In Hongli's pupils, his own terrified face gradually solidified into an ice sculpture, before shattering into countless ice shards.

As the night deepened, the incense burner in the Qianqing Palace emitted the fragrance of agarwood. Shi Feiyang stepped out of his sleeping quarters, his dark-patterned python dragon on his moon-white brocade robe appearing and disappearing in the lanterns under the eaves. Suddenly, the twelve bronze bells on the eaves rang in unison, their clear and melodious sounds mixed with a barely perceptible metallic twang—it was he who had used the internal energy of the Mingyu Kung Fu to ring the "Sparrow-Startling Bells" used to ward off evil spirits under the eaves.

He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the Big Dipper in the mid-sky, his fingertips lightly brushing against the deerskin pouch at his waist. The spirit of the Vermilion Bird within the pouch seemed to sense something, emitting a soft, clear cry that overlapped with the laughter of Tu Yanfei in his memory.

"No matter how vast the world may be, it cannot compare to the depths of the human heart." As she lay dying, blood stained her lips as she spoke softly. At that moment, her face, along with the starry sky, was reflected in his clear, glass-like eyes.

Inside the warm pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Yongzheng was intently reviewing military reports. His vermilion brush paused over the three characters "Nian Gengyao," leaving a smudged mark. Shi Feiyang knelt on the ground, deliberately pressing his knees against the dragon relief carved on the gold brick. The boy's eagerness was tinged with a deliberate clumsiness: "Father, recently, while reading 'The Essentials of Governance in the Zhenguan Era,' I saw Emperor Taizong discussing state affairs with Wei Zheng, and I suddenly felt apprehensive."

Yongzheng put down his pen, looked up at him, and lightly brushed the pile of memorials on the table with his dragon-patterned sleeve: "Oh? Why does my son seem so fearful?"

"I am filled with apprehension at my own lack of talent and learning, and I worry that I will fail my father's expectations." As Shi Feiyang lowered his head, stray hairs fell across his forehead, obscuring the sharp glint in his eyes. "If only I could receive more instruction from Master Zhu and Lord Zhang, and learn some skills to defend the country..."

He looked up at the right moment, his eyes clear as glass reflecting snow, "Even if I cannot conquer the world like the Holy Ancestor, I should still protect this vast land for Father Emperor."

Yongzheng suddenly burst into laughter, his loud laughter causing the hanging lantern to sway.

He rose and helped Shi Feiyang up, placing his hand on his shoulder and subtly probing with his inner force: "Good! What a fine way to protect this vast land!"

The emperor's fingertips touched the protruding part of his shoulder bone, a callus worn from years of wielding a sword, which Shi Feiyang transformed into the strong muscles of a martial artist using the Sacred Heart Technique.

"Issue the decree!" With a flick of his sleeve, Yongzheng's dark blue brocade dragon robe stirred up wisps of incense ash. "Order Zhu Shi to be on duty every morning at 7:00 AM, and Zhang Tingyu to concurrently serve as the Imperial Study Attendant. Yunlu and Yunxi, immediately prepare your quivers; they will accompany Hongli to the Southern Garden tomorrow!"

As the head eunuch bowed in agreement, Shi Feiyang caught a glimpse of the subtle patterns on the adhesive rod peeking out from his sleeve, and the silk threads of the Heavenly Silkworm quietly flowing in his palm.

“Father has been reviewing memorials until the wee hours of the morning lately,” Shi Feiyang suddenly pointed to the ginseng tea on Yongzheng’s desk. “The imperial physician says that American ginseng is cooling in nature. Why not replace it with jujube and goji berry tea that I had someone find from Jiangnan?”

He took out a brocade box from his sleeve, and when he opened it, a wonderful fragrance wafted out. "These jujubes are from farmers in Yangzhou. Each one is plump and sweet, just like the Emperor's benevolent heart that cares for the suffering of the people."

Yongzheng's gaze sharpened slightly, and he suddenly reached out and gently patted his cheek: "My son, you still remember what I said, 'Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish'?"

Shi Feiyang let the vermilion-scented fingers brush across his face, secretly amazed by the emperor's control over details, but a look of filial piety appeared on his face: "I will remember Father's words. Just like this jujube tea, it needs to be simmered slowly over a low flame to bring out its true flavor." Outside the warm pavilion, the third watch drum sounded.

As Shi Feiyang left the Qianqing Palace, he saw the moonlight shining on the Nine-Dragon Wall, the reflection of the coiled dragon in the water swaying with the waves, like a real dragon about to take flight. He took out the candied dates from his sleeve, his fingertips still damp with the crumbs he had just given to the eunuchs—the grateful looks they gave him were no different from those of the Beggar Clan disciples when they received their begging money.

"Master, the night wind is chilly." The young eunuch handed him a fox fur coat, but Shi Feiyang gazed at the guards patrolling the palace walls in the distance, recalling the red plum blossoms before Tu Yanfei's tomb. As he distributed candied dates to the palace maids on night duty, he suddenly understood: every brick in this Forbidden City could become a mountain that crushes the martial world; and what he had to do was not to become the one wielding the sword, but to be the one holding the hilt.

Not far away, Chen Feng, the guard from the Sticky Rod Bureau who had once assassinated "Ejido," stood tall in the cold wind, holding a large black folding fan inscribed with "Universe in the Sleeve." Now, Shi Feiyang recognized Chen Feng, but Chen Feng could not recognize "Ejido."

Upon hearing this, Shi Feiyang couldn't help but smile smugly. (End of Chapter)