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

As winter turned to spring, the magnolias in the Forbidden City had just shed their last petal when Wei Nianhua burst into the Imperial Study, stepping through a shower of petals like shattered jade.

Shi Feiyang's hand, holding the wolf-hair brush, paused at the beginning of "Strategies for Pacifying the Dzungars." A drop of ink spread across the yellow silk, casting a small shadow, much like the undercurrent surging in his eyes: "Dawachi killed his brother and seized power?" He tightened his grip on the jade thumb ring. "The chieftain of Zhandui has started another incident?"

"Your Majesty is wise." Wei Nianhua kowtowed, his python-patterned insignia gleaming coldly in the morning light. "The Governor-General of Sichuan has sent an urgent report: Xiazhan is dealing with the chieftain Pengchuke's alliance with the Jinchuan tribe..."

"Enough!" Shi Feiyang threw down his pen and stood up, the pearl on his jade crown trembling slightly with the movement. "Issue an imperial decree: appoint Ce Leng as General of Dingxi, and immediately dispatch the Jianrui Battalion to Sichuan." He suddenly noticed the sachet Su Dai had given him yesterday on his desk, and his tone softened slightly. "I will begin my eastern tour immediately, and Fu Heng will handle all government affairs." Half a month later, on the official road at the foot of Mount Tai, an eight-bearer vermilion sedan chair slowly moved along, surrounded by an honor guard. Su Dai looked at Shi Feiyang's scholarly figure through the gap in the sedan chair curtain—his moon-white scholar's robe accentuated his slender figure, yet the jade dragon hook he never parted with still hung at his waist.

Su Dai touched the pearl hairpin in her hair, which he had personally put on her last night. Now, as the sedan chair swayed, it reflected a shimmering light in the sunlight.

As they approached the Doumu Palace, a sudden gust of wind arose! Eighteen assassins in black leaped out from the pine forest, their ghost-headed blades gleaming coldly.

Su Dai gripped the short blade hidden in her sleeve, but Shi Feiyang raised his hand to signal the guards to step back, then lifted the sedan curtain himself: "Friends of the Red Flower Society, is this all you've got?" Before he finished speaking, a bone-piercing nail grazed his ear and embedded itself in the pine tree behind him, its tail feathers still trembling. "Where do you think you're going!" Wuchen Daoist's Soul-Chasing Sword arrived in a flash, but stopped abruptly an inch before it touched Shi Feiyang's face—the sedan was empty!
Zhao Banshan rubbed his eyes and saw that there was only half a copy of the Analects scattered on the seat inside the vermilion sedan chair. There was no sign of Emperor Qianlong.

Luo Bing cursed, "We've fallen for that dog emperor's trick again!" The heroes looked at each other in dismay, and finally retreated into the deep mountains before the imperial guards could surround them.

As dusk settled over Mount Tai, Shi Feiyang and Su Dai had already climbed Dui Song Mountain.

Song Tao was furious. He looked at the Sunrise Peak, which was faintly visible in the sea of ​​clouds, and suddenly chuckled: "If Chen Jialuo knew that I was dressed as him at this moment, I wonder what he would think?" Su Dai looked at his profile, which was gilded by the setting sun, and a pang of pain swept through her heart—was this face, which was exactly the same as Chen Jialuo's, her calamity or her destiny?
At this moment, Wei Nianhua, Chen Feng, Bai Zhen, You Ning, and Lu Fangtian came over and escorted Su Dai away, while Shi Feiyang, disguised as Chen Jialuo, continued forward.

Heshen stayed by Shi Feiyang's side and pointed a finger in praise: "Master is truly brilliant. With a little trick, he made Honghua's mischief go unpunished."

Shi Feiyang laughed and told Heshen to leave as well. Watching Heshen depart, Shi Feiyang reflected on his "golden cicada shedding its shell" plan, finding it quite amusing. The forsythia at the foot of Mount Tai had just sprouted tender yellow buds, and the morning mist in the mountains carried the bitter fragrance of pine needles, making the stone steps of the Eighteen Bends as slippery as a mirror… A moment earlier, Shi Feiyang stood under the eaves of the Tiankuang Hall of the Dai Temple, watching the copper bells on the eaves sway in the chilly spring breeze. His fingertips caressed the jade dragon hook at his waist—this accessory he never parted with, which now pressed against the secret memorial sent by the sticky rod office the day before, the four characters "Red Flower Society Strange Movement" written in vermilion ink on it, worn wrinkled by his fingertips.

“Your Majesty, more than twenty riders suddenly appeared at the Tai’an Inn three days ago, and all of their saddles were engraved with unidentified totems.” Wei Nianhua knelt down and presented the portraits of the secret agents, the edges of the Xuan paper still bearing traces of dew. “They are the same group that caused a ruckus in the Imperial Kitchen last year.”

Shi Feiyang gazed at the one-armed sword shadow of the Daoist Wuchen in the painting, and suddenly recalled the bone-piercing nail that Chen Jialuo had precisely driven into the dragon's desk when he stole the manuscript of the Siku Quanshu. The spring breeze swept magnolia petals from outside the palace into the window lattice, and he calculated that the Red Flower Society would definitely take advantage of the eastern tour to set up a trap in this land of Qi and Lu.

That very night, Shi Feiyang summoned the Vice Minister of Works, and together they spent three days in a secret room at the Dai Temple studying a map of Mount Tai.

As the morning light pierced through the thin mist, two vermilion sedan chairs had been quietly completed: one was decorated with gilded dragon patterns, its interior concealing hidden mechanisms, the jade seal box merely a copper-plated fake; the other was wrapped in ordinary blue cloth, but its interior was lined with silver-threaded satin, a tribute from the Western Regions. He gently stroked the deliberately left half-inch gap in the fake sedan chair curtain, a cold smile playing on his lips—the corner of the bright yellow robe peeking through, like bait suspended on a hook.

On the day of the Awakening of Insects, the imperial procession for the eastern tour wound its way up the mountain like a golden dragon. Shi Feiyang, disguised as a scholar and wearing a bamboo hat, mingled among the supply train. Su Dai's emerald green skirt brushed against the back of his hand.

Suddenly, the call of a cuckoo echoed through the mountains, and his pupils constricted—this out-of-season call was the pre-arranged alarm signal from the Sticky Pole Office. Sure enough, eighteen dark figures flashed through the pine forest ahead; the Soul-Chasing Sword of the Dustless Daoist had already pierced the curtain of the fake sedan chair!
"Don't rush." ​​Shi Feiyang pressed down on Su Dai's hand, which was about to draw her short blade, and watched as the guards fell "outmatched," their blood splattering on the newly sprouted spring grass.

The imposter eunuch in the fake sedan chair screamed and tumbled out, revealing the sulfurous gunpowder hidden inside. Just as the Red Flower Society members gathered around, the sachet at Su Dai's waist suddenly exploded, and fine wisps of "Flowing Cloud Powder" floated in the purple smoke.

Before Luo Bing could even draw her twin swords, she felt a burning sensation in her nose as blood dripped onto her shoes embroidered with twin lotus blossoms. Taking advantage of the moment, Shi Feiyang led Su Dai into a mountain path, where a light spring rain had begun to fall.

As he watched the commotion gradually subside below the mountain, he suddenly recalled Chen Jialuo's handsome appearance when he wielded his sword—that face, so similar to his own, had become the best illusion at this moment.

As his fingertips brushed against his damp temples, he suddenly chuckled softly, startling the thrush perched on the azalea branch.

This convincingly realistic performance ultimately led the Red Flower Society to mistakenly attack an empty sedan chair.

But he had already laid out a new game deep within the misty mountains of Mount Tai.

……

As dusk draped Mount Tai in a purple veil, Shi Feiyang stood in front of the Ascension Archway.

Mingyu Gong flowed through his meridians, nourishing his skin until it was as smooth and lustrous as jade. Even though his eyes and brows concealed imperial majesty, his eternally eighteen-year-old handsome face still exuded the refined elegance of a scholar. Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from the mountain path, and a figure in bright yellow galloped out from the clouds and mist, the mane of his steed still stained with the lingering smoke of gunpowder.

Huo Qingtong reined in her horse and brought it to a sudden stop; the jade-inlaid silver stirrups gleamed coldly in the twilight.

Her moon-white dress was covered in dust, but the emerald feather and yellow robe around her waist remained as bright as ever, just like the stubborn light in her eyes.

The moment she saw Shi Feiyang, the eyelashes of this Hui heroine trembled violently, and the reins in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud": "Chief Chen?" Her voice was filled with longing and confusion, "Is it really you?"

When Shi Feiyang turned around, all the sharpness in his eyes had disappeared.

He raised his hand and gently touched his temple, a gesture Chen Jialuo often made when he was thinking: "Miss Huo, it's been a long time."

Before he could finish speaking, a mountain breeze suddenly lifted the silver ornaments from her hair, their tinkling sound like camel bells in the desert. He calmly activated his Mingyu Gong, transforming his aura into the gentle warmth of spring water in Jiangnan. "The Eighteen Bends of Mount Tai are treacherous; perhaps we should travel together?"

Huo Qingtong stared at that familiar face, but a sudden memory pierced her heart. The way Chen Jialuo had looked at her when Li Yuanzhi, disguised as a man, hugged her was colder than the snow of Tianshan.

The tenderness in this man's eyes was so genuine that she couldn't help but tighten her grip on the soft whip at her waist: "Does Chief Chen still remember what happened under Jade Peak back then..." "I was wrong." Shi Feiyang took half a step forward, his sleeve brushing past her shoulder, enveloping Huo Qingtong with the scent of ambergris. "Li Yuanzhi impersonated me that day, which was nothing more than a scheme by the Qing court to sow discord."

He lightly touched the kingfisher feather at her waist with his fingertips. “I keep this kingfisher feather that you gave me close to my body every day.” As he spoke, he took out half a faded feather from his bosom, with gold thread wrapped around its edge—it was the very feather that Huo Qingtong had given him by hand years ago.

Huo Qingtong's pupils contracted sharply. The misunderstanding under the cover of night that day, and the loneliness of guarding the Hui tribe alone, all turned into tears welling up in her eyes. She suddenly felt that the person in front of her had a different temperament. Although Chen Jialuo was gentle and refined, he had never had such an air of control over everything.

Shi Feiyang raised his hand to wipe away her tears, the temperature of his fingertips even more intense than he remembered: "Qingtong, let me accompany you to see the sunrise over Mount Tai."

As the two walked to the Wangren Pine, dusk had already fallen. Huo Qingtong took off her cloak and spread it on the bluestone, revealing the moon-white close-fitting clothes she wore underneath. The curved sword at her waist was wrapped with palindromic runes, and the ruby ​​on the hilt looked like dripping blood in the moonlight.

She picked up pine needles and drew a map of the Hui region on the ground. When she spoke of her people being harassed by the Qing army, Shi Feiyang suddenly pressed down on the back of her hand: "I will definitely return to you a peaceful desert." His words carried an undeniable authority, startling Huo Qingtong into abruptly pulling her hand away.

In the shadows, Su Dai clutched Chen Jialuo's blood-written letter tightly, her fingernails scratching deep marks on the parchment. She watched Shi Feiyang and Huo Qingtong's intertwined figures, recalling his words in the secret room last night: "The art of rulership lies in winning hearts and minds."

Huo Qingtong's pupils contracted sharply. The misunderstanding under the cover of night that day, and the loneliness of guarding the Hui tribe alone, all turned into tears welling up in her eyes. She suddenly felt that the person in front of her had a different temperament. Although Chen Jialuo was gentle and refined, he had never had such an air of control over everything.

Shi Feiyang raised his hand to wipe away her tears, the temperature of his fingertips even more intense than he remembered. Gently separating Huo Qingtong, he pointed to the waterfall at Yunbu Bridge and casually recited: "The waterfall plunges three thousand feet, as if the Milky Way were falling from the ninth heaven."

He then compared the waterfall to Crescent Lake in the Hui region, displaying his erudition in his words. Huo Qingtong gazed at his silhouette in the setting sun, listening to him gently recount the Red Flower Society's new plans. Unconsciously, the soft whip in her hand loosened again and again.

Upon reaching the summit the next day, Shi Feiyang used his light-footed skills to gather wild azaleas from the cliff edge, weaving them into a wreath which he placed on Huo Qingtong's head: "How can the flowers of Mount Tai compare to even a fraction of my Qingtong's beauty?"

He used his Mingyu Gong to dispel the cold from Huo Qingtong on Jade Emperor Peak. The warmth from his palm seeped through her clothes, making Huo Qingtong's heart pound like a drum. The two leaned against the stone railing, watching the sea of ​​clouds surge. Shi Feiyang spoke of his ambition to govern the country and bring peace to the world, which contained both the chivalrous spirit of the martial arts world and the hidden ambition of an emperor, making Huo Qingtong's heart flutter.

At the summit of Mount Tai in late spring, the sea of ​​clouds surges like waves, turning the western sky amber.

Shi Feiyang stood with Huo Qingtong in front of Zhangren Peak, his arm around her. Mingyu Gong transformed into a warm sensation, flowing from his palm over her slender shoulders.

Her emerald-feathered yellow dress trembled in the wind, and when it brushed against the back of his hand, it was even softer than silk from Jiangnan.

"Qingtong, do you know..."

He lowered his head, his nose brushing against her temples, which were reddened by the mountain breeze. "Since we parted at Jade Peak, I have regretted it day and night." Before he finished speaking, he gently turned her around, letting her fall into his arms.

Huo Qingtong smelled the scent of agarwood and pine resin mixed on his clothes, and her heart was pounding rapidly.

The Big Dipper shone intermittently through the gaps in the clouds. Shi Feiyang's hand brushed against the jeweled hilt of the longsword at her waist, and then he suddenly gripped it lightly.

Huo Qingtong trembled and tried to push him away, but he grabbed the back of her neck and raised his eyes in a way that left no room for resistance.

When their eyes met, she suddenly saw her own disheveled reflection in his eyes, and a strange, almost predatory light.

"Jialuo..." Her voice was torn to shreds by the mountain wind, but it softened into a gentle touch the moment his kiss landed. The kiss carried the domineering power of an emperor, and when his tongue pried open her teeth, it reminded her of the suffocating feeling when a desert storm was approaching.

Yet his fingertips were so gentle, lightly pinching her earlobe as if caressing a fragile piece of jade. Huo Qingtong felt as if she had been drawn into a whirlpool, knowing the danger yet willingly sinking into it.

Suddenly, a corner of the tent curtain was lifted by the wind, and warm yellow candlelight poured out.

Huo Qingtong was surprised to find that she had arrived at a camp at some point. The tents embroidered with dragon patterns looked noble in the twilight.

"This is..." she gasped, trying to back away, but Shi Feiyang swept her up in his arms. His chin brushed against her forehead, his voice reassuringly steady: "It's a tent that Brother Zhao set up temporarily, in case you get tired."

The tent was filled with the scent of ambergris, and the bedding was as soft as clouds. Shi Feiyang gently placed her on the bed, his fingertips brushing against the emerald feathers at her waist: "Qingtong, let me see your wounds."

Huo Qingtong then remembered that she had been slashed in the ribs during the fierce battle with the Qing soldiers three days ago. She bit her lip and nodded, letting him remove her outer robe, revealing her moon-white inner garment. When his palm touched her skin, Huo Qingtong suddenly felt a burning sensation all over her body.

But she didn't have time to think it through, because he had already lowered his head and kissed her wound, his tongue gently licking the scab, as if soothing a frightened little animal. "Does it still hurt?" He looked up at her, his eyes burning with two flames.

Huo Qingtong shook her head, then suddenly reached out and hugged his neck, surrendering herself completely to him.

She smelled the soap scent in his hair and heard her own heart pounding. In a daze, she felt that all the waiting, misunderstandings, and grievances had been compensated in this warm embrace.

As the last rays of sunlight disappeared over the summit of Mount Tai, the candlelight in the tent was suddenly blown out by the wind.

Huo Qingtong embraced the person in front of her in the darkness, feeling that his body was more solid and his embrace was broader than she remembered.

She didn't know that this body contained not Chen Jialuo's chivalrous spirit, but Qianlong's imperial cunning; she only knew that at this moment, she had already lost her heart and soul in this gentle trap.

The mountain wind, carrying the night dew, lashed against the tent. In a daze, Huo Qingtong heard her own groan, mixed with Shi Feiyang's low panting, sounding like a Huqin melody from the desert, carrying an indescribable lingering tenderness and desolation.

She suddenly remembered Chen Jialuo's words "to follow you through life and death" when he gave her the jade feather, but she didn't know that the person in front of her didn't want to follow her, but to conquer her—to conquer her, and even more so, to conquer the Hui people and the martial arts world behind her.

As the morning sun painted Mount Tai red, Huo Qingtong nestled in Shi Feiyang's arms, gazing at his sleeping face.

His long eyelashes cast shadows, and beneath his high, straight nose, traces of last night still lingered on his lips. She gently stroked his cheek, suddenly feeling a sense of familiarity mixed with strangeness towards this man. Before she could ponder further, he opened his eyes, a triumphant smile flashing within them, before pulling her back into his embrace: "Qingtong, sleep a little longer..."

Wei Nianhua's low command came from outside the tent, and Huo Qingtong looked up abruptly.

She saw shadowy figures outside the tent, dressed in the uniforms of Qing Dynasty guards.

In an instant, all her doubts struck her like lightning—the jade dragon hook, the dragon-patterned tent, the guards' accents… It turned out that the person before her was not Chen Jialuo, but the current emperor!

"You..." Her voice trembled so much she could barely speak. She tried to push him away, but he held her even tighter.

Shi Feiyang lowered his head and kissed her forehead, his fingertips combing through her messy long hair, his tone filled with imperial pride: "Qingtong, from today onwards, you are mine." Huo Qingtong felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

She gazed at the gradually brightening sky outside the tent, recalling the passionate moments of the previous night, and suddenly couldn't tell whether she was dreaming or awake.

The mountain wind whipped up her emerald feathers and yellow robes, and that bright yellow now seemed like a merciless shackle. And she, already trapped in this gentle snare, could no longer extricate herself.

As dusk, like blood, soaked the summit of Mount Tai, Huo Qingtong, in Shi Feiyang's arms, suddenly narrowed her eyes—the silver light surging in Zhao Banshan's palm three zhang away was none other than his unique hidden weapon, "Returning Dragon Wall".

Her soft whip slashed through the air like a nimble snake, and the moment the tip of the whip wrapped around the three bone-piercing nails, she suddenly felt a tidal wave of energy coming from behind her.

Shi Feiyang was enveloped in a jade-colored halo, and the "Jade Shattering Kun" palm strike, powered by the Mingyu Gong, was unleashed with a bang. The air instantly twisted into a vortex, startling Su Dai so much that she staggered and broke a pine tree as thick as a bowl.

"Hongli, hand over my fourth brother Wen at once! Otherwise, the Red Flower Society will never let you off the hook!" Chen Jialuo's roar tore through the air. He leaped into the air, his green robe billowing like a sail, his right fist darting east and west, seemingly south but actually north—it was the Hundred Flowers Misaligned Fist, personally taught by the Eccentric Hero of Tianchi. This fist technique appeared chaotic, yet each move contained the essence of a hundred schools of martial arts. Shi Feiyang's palm strike was even deflected to the side by the force of his fist.

Master Wuchen used the scabbard on one arm to brace himself against the ground, and the Seventy-Two Paths Soul-Chasing Deadly Sword transformed into a silver dragon. The sound of the blade cutting through the air was like the wailing of ghosts and wolves, aiming straight for Shi Feiyang's throat. "Seeking death!" Shi Feiyang sneered, and the jade-colored light around his body surged.

With his left hand, he unleashed the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill, causing the tip of Master Wuchen's sword to mysteriously turn towards his own shoulder. Shi Feiyang's right hand had already used the "Slaying the Mortal World" technique of the Hundred Victories Saber Method, his palm wind carrying the saber's light as he slashed down, the resulting shockwave plowing a half-zhang deep trench into the ground.

Chang Hezhi and Chang Bozhi unleashed their palms simultaneously, turning the grass and trees in their wake into dust. However, a vortex of suction force emanated from Shi Feiyang's body, pulling the two brothers' palm strikes back and causing their tiger's mouths to split open.

In the midst of the chaos, Wei Nianhua's farewell hook drew a poignant arc, its tip aimed precisely at Luo Bing's throat.

Luo Bing wielded her Mandarin Duck Swords with impenetrable speed, and shouted, "Dog thief, do you even deserve to use such elegant weapons?"

Before he finished speaking, Chen Feng's black gold fan had already unfolded, and the hidden mechanisms between the fan ribs hummed as nine bone-piercing nails shot towards Xu Tianhong in a plum blossom pattern. Xu Tianhong swung his iron crutch and used Tai Chi Cloud Hands to deflect the force, but then You Ning shouted and wielded her iron saber in the "Golden Crow Saber Technique," the saber light as bright as the sun in the sky, aimed straight at his face.

Bai Zhen's Eagle Claw Kung Fu was unparalleled in its ferocity; his fingertips flashed with cold light, and he managed to leave five bloody scratches on Yang Chengxie's Iron Shirt.

Yang Chengxie roared like thunder, his single whip sweeping across the battlefield. Bai Zhen dodged like a ghost, his eagle claws swooping down on Yang Chengxie's crown.

Lu Fangtian's Heavenly Gang Finger technique was even more unpredictable; wherever his finger struck, Zhang Jin's spiked club was sent flying from his grasp. Heshen's crescent-shaped scimitar drew a chilling arc, unleashing the "Divine Blade Slash," and before the blade even arrived, Wei Chunhua's double hooks were already shattered into pieces.

"Qingtong, watch carefully!" Shi Feiyang suddenly grabbed Huo Qingtong's slender waist. With the Mingyu Gong fully activated, his skin shone with a translucent, glass-like luster. He unleashed the ultimate move of the Hundred Victories Blade Technique, "Breaking Heaven and Earth," and the air crackled with a piercing sound as his palm wind passed by.

Chen Jialuo unleashed the Hundred Flowers Fist, its seemingly soft movements concealing the subtlety of dismantling countless attacks. Clashing with Shi Feiyang's palm strike, it sent shards of stone flying. Master Wuchen's single-armed sword dance was impenetrable, but Shi Feiyang's left hand unleashed the "Demonic Cloud," the vortex in his palm pulling him forward with a suction force.

At the critical moment, Zhao Banshan's Flying Swallow Silver Shuttle arrived through the air. Shi Feiyang dodged to the side and unleashed "Burning Heaven and Earth" with his right palm. The palm wind carried the momentum of raging flames and shattered Jiang Sigen's iron paddle into two pieces.

Huo Qingtong's hand gripping the longsword trembled uncontrollably, the sword's light reflecting the chilling killing intent in Shi Feiyang's eyes. When Shi Feiyang laughed loudly, the sound waves causing pine needles to fall in a rustling sound, she finally saw clearly that on that face, which was exactly like Chen Jialuo's, was etched an innate imperial majesty.

With a crisp sound as the longsword fell to the ground, the mountain wind whipped the emerald feathers from her hair. Lost in this labyrinthine illusion, Huo Qingtong was unaware of when she had lost her heart and shed tears. Meanwhile, atop Mount Tai lay a scene of carnage, blood cascading down the stone steps, turning the twilight-shrouded mountain into a hellish landscape. Taking advantage of the moment, You Ning picked up Huo Qingtong's longsword, placed it back in her hand, and dragged her away.

The heroes of the Red Flower Society were all astonished to see Huo Qingtong and Shi Feiyang together, and moreover, Shi Feiyang looked remarkably like Chen Jialuo. However, driven by their desire for revenge, their astonishment was fleeting, and they quickly joined forces to attack Shi Feiyang again.

Shi Feiyang's body shone with a burst of jade light. The "Supreme Forgetfulness of Emotions: Ice Soul Cold Prison" activated by the Mingyu Gong had reached its peak, making his skin almost transparent, like an ice crystal enveloped in cold mist. He thrust out with both palms, and his fierce true energy transformed into two ice dragons, rushing straight towards Chen Jialuo and Daoist Wuchen.

Chen Jialuo spun around and unleashed the Butcher's Fist, his movements as fluid as flowing water, attempting to dismantle the Ice Dragon's attack. However, he felt a surge of cold energy flowing back through his meridians, and his fingertips instantly formed a thin layer of frost.

Master Wuchen roared and unleashed a flurry of kicks like a storm, while the Seventy-Two Soul-Chasing Swords transformed into a sky full of sword shadows.

Shi Feiyang sneered and used the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill. With a light wave of his palm, Master Wuchen's sword momentum was completely redirected to his own lower body.

At the critical moment, Chang Hezhi and Chang Bozhi unleashed their Black Sand Palms, the dark palm force carrying sand and gravel hurtling towards them. However, the vortex around Shi Feiyang pulled them off course and instead attacked Xu Tianhong and Luo Bing.

"Watch out!" Xu Tianhong swept his iron crutch, using the exquisite moves of the Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber to cleave the Black Sand Palm's force. Luo Bing's Mandarin Duck Sabers danced like a ball of snowy light as she angrily flung out three flying knives. At the same time, Zhao Banshan raised both palms simultaneously, the "Returning Dragon Wall" and "Flying Swallow Silver Shuttle" intertwining to create a rain of hidden weapons, which swept towards Shi Feiyang.

Shi Feiyang neither dodged nor evaded, his body radiating a brilliant jade-colored light as he unleashed the "Viewing the Vast Ocean" move from the Hundred Victories Blade Technique.

The palm strike unleashed a torrent of energy, shattering all the hidden weapons into dust.

As the shockwave swept past, the double hooks in Wei Chunhua's hands shattered inch by inch. He roared and lunged forward empty-handed, but Shi Feiyang struck him with a backhand palm, the force of "splitting mountains" sending him flying. He crashed into the rocks and coughed up blood.

Zhang Jin brandished his spiked club and charged like a mad tiger.

With a flick of his finger, Shi Feiyang unleashed wisps of Mingyu Gong true energy, which condensed into ice crystals in the air and precisely struck Zhang Jin's vital acupoints. The incredibly strong and burly man froze instantly, frozen into an ice sculpture.

Yang Chengxie's eyes were bloodshot, and he unleashed his Iron Shirt Kung Fu to its peak, crashing down like an iron tower.

Shi Feiyang sneered and unleashed "Severing the Edge of Heaven" with both palms. Wherever the palm wind passed, the air emitted a piercing shriek. Yang Chengxie's proud Iron Shirt was torn apart like thin paper, leaving his chest a bloody mess.

Wei Nianhua's Parting Hook and Yu Yutong's Golden Flute were locked in fierce combat. Xin Yan brandished her short sword, attempting to join the battle, but was forced to retreat repeatedly by Chen Feng's Black Gold Fan. Bai Zhen's Eagle Claw Kung Fu focused on attacking the lower body, while Jiang Sigen's Iron Paddle unleashed "Lu Zhishen's Mad Demon Staff," and the two sides fought fiercely, evenly matched.

Lu Fangtian's Heavenly Gang Finger clashed with Chang Bozhi's Black Sand Palm, sending shockwaves flying and scattering stones all over the ground.

Heshen wielded his crescent-shaped scimitar with sweeping, powerful strokes, each strike carrying the force of thunder, forcing Shi Shuangying to retreat repeatedly.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Chen Jialuo shouted, "Form the formation!" Upon hearing this, the members of the Red Flower Society immediately formed the "Ambush from Ten Sides Formation".

Master Wuchen stood in the center, flanked by Zhao Banshan and Xu Tianhong on either side. The Chang brothers, Wei Chunhua, and others formed the outer perimeter, trapping Shi Feiyang within the formation. Shi Feiyang, however, laughed loudly, his body radiating a burst of jade-colored light, forcefully breaking through the formation. He unleashed the ultimate killing move of the Hundred Victories Blade Technique, "Severing Reincarnation," his palm strike carrying a world-destroying force, shattering rocks and snapping trees wherever it passed.

Huo Qingtong's hand gripping the longsword trembled uncontrollably, the fierce battle before her eyes dazzling her. She suddenly recalled Shi Feiyang's previous tenderness, and those three tender days together, and tears welled up uncontrollably.

"Qingtong, you are ultimately mine." Shi Feiyang embraced Huo Qingtong, his gaze sweeping over the mess on the ground. "Look at these so-called heroes of the martial world. In the face of imperial power, they are nothing but ants."

Chen Jialuo, his eyes blazing with fury, roared and charged forward, only to be sent flying backward by the palm strike Shi Feiyang casually unleashed, spitting out blood.

As dusk deepened, corpses littered the summit of Mount Tai, their blood staining the stone steps.

Shi Feiyang, carrying Huo Qingtong, walked slowly away amidst a group of guards, stepping over the mess on the ground. Only the members of the Red Flower Society remained, panting in the cold wind, watching his receding figure, their hearts filled with resentment and despair.

As dusk stained Mount Tai blood-red, Huo Qingtong, who was in Shi Feiyang's arms, suddenly struggled violently.

She gazed at the winding ancient road of Qilu nestled at the foot of the mountain. The three days of lingering intimacy had turned into a bone-chilling cold. The long sword at her waist was drawn with a clang, its blade pointing directly at Shi Feiyang's throat: "Hongli! You heartless and despicable villain!"

Before Shi Feiyang could even draw his jade dragon hook from his sleeve, Huo Qingtong's Tianshan swordsmanship had already arrived like a sudden downpour. The sound of the sword tip cutting through the air was like camel bells in the desert. She unleashed "Lone Goose on Snowy Ridge" and "Glacier Cascade" in succession, the cold light of the sword reflecting the killing intent in her eyes even more intensely.

Shi Feiyang retreated three steps, his jade-colored true energy condensing into a shield around him. He sighed, "Qingtong, the affection I spoke of that day was not entirely false." "Shut up!" Huo Qingtong gritted her teeth, and her sword flashed as she switched to "Winter Plum Blossoms."

Before the sword even arrived, a vortex of suction suddenly appeared around Shi Feiyang, causing Huo Qingtong's longsword to strangely deflect to the side.

Shi Feiyang used his "Transferring Flowers and Jade" skill, gently guiding Huo Qingtong's attack into the void with his palm, startling her so much that she staggered half a step.

"The Tianshan Sword Technique is indeed exquisite," Shi Feiyang said, his robes fluttering, his skin as clear as jade under the influence of the Mingyu Gong. "But do you really intend to face me with swords?" He gently struck out with his left hand, "Slaying the Mortal World," the palm wind stirring up a flurry of withered leaves, which vanished abruptly upon touching Huo Qingtong's robes.

Huo Qingtong spun around to avoid it, then lashed out with her soft whip, the tip of which was wrapped with a palindrome talisman and struck her face directly.

Shi Feiyang gently pushed out "Viewing the Vast Ocean" with both palms, and the shockwave stirred up a cloud of dust three zhang high. Huo Qingtong took advantage of the momentum and leaped up, her longsword drawing a crescent-shaped arc of light, which was the killing move "Bright Moon Shines on the Great River" from the Tianshan Sword Technique.

Shi Feiyang neither dodged nor evaded, his body radiating a burst of jade-like light, forcefully deflecting the blade three inches: "Do you know that the Hui people have been embroiled in war for years? I could have..." "Shut up!" Huo Qingtong cried, tears streaming down her face. "Three years ago, you condoned the Qing soldiers' burning, killing, and looting, and now you're deceiving me with lies! If I don't kill you, I can't quell the hatred in my heart!"

She unleashed the ultimate technique of the Tianshan Swordplay, "Wind in the Pines of Ten Thousand Valleys," unleashing seventy-two sword moves like a torrential downpour.

Shi Feiyang sighed and unleashed the "Breaking the Universe" technique with both hands. The palm wind and sword energy collided, creating a deafening roar.

Wei Nianhua's parting hook suddenly stabbed from the side, but Shi Feiyang gave it a cold glance: "Step back! No one is allowed to hurt her!"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Huo Qingtong lunged forward, her longsword aimed straight for a vital spot. Shi Feiyang activated his Mingyu Gong, lightly touching the Yangchi acupoint on her wrist with his fingertips. Huo Qingtong felt a chill spread along her meridians, and her longsword clattered to the ground.

"Qingtong, if I wanted to kill you, you would have already..." Before Shi Feiyang could finish speaking, Huo Qingtong suddenly threw out three bone-piercing nails. Shi Feiyang shook his head helplessly and used "Demon-Slaying Cloud" to shatter the hidden weapons into dust: "Regarding the grudges between the Hui people and the court, I am willing to pay the price of a ten-year truce..." "Who wants your charity!" Huo Qingtong staggered backward, tearing off the green feather from her hair, "From this day forward, our ties are severed!" She used her lightness skill to leap onto her green horse, her clothes fluttering in the twilight.

As Shi Feiyang watched her departing figure, the vortex of suction in his palm slowly dissipated, and the jade-colored light dimmed as well.

"Your Majesty, should we..." Wei Nianhua gripped the parting hook tightly.

Shi Feiyang gazed at the last rays of the setting sun and said in a low voice, "Let her go. From now on, no one is allowed to harm her! The grudges and feuds between the court and the Hui people will take several years to resolve. Sometimes, stopping war with force is not a good thing; winning people's hearts is the key."

The mountain wind swept up the fallen leaves, gradually burying the traces of their fierce battle.

That love affair, so elusive as to its truth, ultimately vanished like the clouds atop Mount Tai, disappearing into the twilight of Shandong. (End of Chapter)