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

“This is not nonsense.” Shi Feiyang grabbed her wrist and pressed her hand against his heart, letting the dragon jade pendant press against her palm. “These past few years, watching Yongyan oversee the country, his decisiveness in reviewing memorials and his ruthless methods in investigating corruption, how is he not better than I was back then?”

He suddenly laughed, but his laughter carried a bittersweet sense of relief. "That old fox Heshen, let the next emperor deal with him. I only need..." His voice gradually lowered, filled with deep affection and longing.

Huo Qingtong was exceptionally intelligent; how could she not understand Shi Feiyang's intentions?

She was deeply moved, yet worried that her impulsive decision would make Shi Feiyang regret it. Suddenly, she covered his lips with hers, her soft lips burning with heat. The scent of mare's milk wine from her hair mingled with the ambergris in the tent, instantly filling the air and making their breaths hot.

Huo Qingtong's fiery red skirt, like blooming roses, covered the black dragon robe. "Stop talking..."

She whispered in his ear, her warm breath sending a shiver down Shi Feiyang's spine, "You are the Emperor, bearing the well-being of all people on your shoulders, how can you let personal feelings get in the way..."

"For you? It's worth it!" Shi Feiyang rolled over and pressed her down on the soft couch. His Mingyu Gong-infused palm gently caressed her reddened eyes, his movements tender and affectionate. "Qingtong, you always say I gave up my kingdom for you. But have you forgotten that on the summit of Mount Tai, even knowing my identity, you were still willing to give everything for me! Have you forgotten the poisonous oath you swore at the tribal council meeting when the Hui tribe opposed your helping me?"

His words were filled with memories and emotions of the past. Huo Qingtong's tears suddenly burst forth, rolling down like pearls and wetting the dragon tattoo on Shi Feiyang's chest. She reached out and wrapped her arms around the man's neck, burying her face in his shoulder, her voice trembling with sobs, yet incredibly firm: "I thought... I thought you only saw me as a memory of the past... But it turns out, in your heart, I am so important."

"Foolish child." Shi Feiyang's voice was muffled above her head, but his arms held her so tightly that she almost suffocated, as if he wanted to knead her into his own bones. He suddenly lowered his head and bit her trembling lips, with domineering yet affectionate words, "Huo Qingtong, you have long been my destiny."

The sound of the night watchman's clapper could be heard outside the tent, but it did not wake the two people who were deeply infatuated.

Huo Qingtong raised her tear-streaked face, her eyes filled with an unprecedented firmness and deep affection, like the brightest star in the night sky. "If Your Majesty is truly willing to let go of everything... Qingtong is willing to follow you to the ends of the earth."

Her fingertips brushed against his lips, the movement gentle and tender. "Let's go see the misty rain of Jiangnan, the snow of the North, just like we promised... But, this world..." A trace of worry flashed in her eyes. Although she longed to be with her lover, she was also concerned about the world.

After a long while, Shi Feiyang sat up and led her out of the tent. The bright moon hung high above the Tianshan Mountains, its cool light shining on the two of them and casting their shadows on the snow, like a beautiful painting.

He tore open his outer robe and used the true energy condensed from the Mingyu Gong to wrap her tightly, his movements gentle and considerate.

"At the morning court tomorrow, I will announce this to the world." He turned to look at the person in his arms, his tenderness turning into a boundless vow, "From now on, there will be no more Qing emperors, only Hongli, who is willing to pluck the stars and the moon for you. The world will be governed by wise rulers, and I only wish to spend the rest of my life with you."

Huo Qingtong tiptoed and gently kissed his lips, her eyes filled with love and dependence. "Then I will wait for Your Majesty to take me to see all the beautiful scenery in this world."

Her voice was as soft as a whisper, yet it was more heart-wrenching than any vow. At this moment, she was no longer the wise and brave princess of the Hui tribe, but simply a young woman immersed in love, her heart and eyes filled only with the lover before her.

The distant neighing of warhorses could not disturb the world enveloped in love. Shi Feiyang stood quietly in the moonlight, embracing the love of his life, as if only their heartbeats remained in the world, and the martial world that was about to unfold, a world that belonged only to them.

Morning frost condensed on the gold thread embroidery of the ice silk curtain, reflecting a faint, cold light.

Shi Feiyang subconsciously reached out to his side, only to touch a cold brocade quilt.

He opened his eyes abruptly. The dragon-patterned jade pendant gleamed with a bluish-green hue in the morning light, making the fiery red afterimage beside his pillow even more glaring—the silver wolf-head ornament that Huo Qingtong often wore had fallen there at some point, the tips of its fangs still clinging to the snowflakes that hadn't melted the night before. "Qingtong?" His voice echoed in the empty palace, startling the crows perched on the beams.

The morning breeze lifted the edges of the Xuan paper on the table, and the words "We must still prioritize the well-being of all people" written in still-wet ink pierced his eyes like sharp swords.

Mingyu Gong suddenly became disordered in his meridians, and the sandalwood table that his palm touched cracked open with spider web-like patterns. The inkstone tipped over, and black ink spilled over the line of words, like drops of blood and tears falling on his heart.

Hurried footsteps sounded outside the tent. Heshen stepped in, fanning himself with a folding fan, his face unusually solemn: "Your Majesty, Miss Huo's Hui cavalry broke camp at dawn." He glanced at the mess on the table and tapped his palm lightly with his folding fan. "Before leaving, she specifically instructed that the passes in the northern border need to be guarded."

Shi Feiyang staggered and steadied himself on the table, his black dragon robe sweeping across the shattered porcelain on the floor. The scene of his first encounter with Huo Qingtong at the foot of Mount Tai a few years ago flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern—she rode her snow dragon steed, shattering the moonlight as she arrived, the cold light reflected from her curved blade more dazzling than the snow lotus of Tianshan.

This year, they fought three hundred fierce battles, narrowly escaping death nine times out of ten. They once fought back to back in the enemy lines, the scent of her hair mixed with the smell of blood lingering in their nostrils; they also whispered by the campfire after a victory, her fingers tracing the warmth of his battle wounds, which now turned into a bone-chilling cold.

"Prepare the horses!" he suddenly roared, and with the Mingyu Gong activated, he transformed into a white shadow and rushed out of the tent.

The cold wind whipped his unbound long hair, and his dragon boots shattered the frost on the ground, startling the soldiers in the tents who all turned to look at him—the once majestic emperor now resembled a lost wanderer, his hair still stained with the rouge from last night's lovemaking.

The Hui camp was deserted, with only a few wisps of smoke swaying in the wind. Shi Feiyang clutched a broken wolf-head military flag, his knuckles white as bone. The dark red bloodstains on the flag, from some unknown battle, now resembled Huo Qingtong's wedding dress.

He suddenly recalled the way her eyes had sparkled as she leaned against him last night, saying she wanted to go to Jiangnan to see the misty rain of March, and a metallic taste rose in his throat. "Your Majesty!" Shen Qingru's breathless voice came after him, the soft sword and silver bells jingling behind her.

Looking at Shi Feiyang's dejected figure, she recalled the countless times she had seen him distracted by Huo Qingtong over the past year, and couldn't help but whisper, "Miss Huo left a message saying... saying there was some unusual activity in the Northern Frontier, and she had to rush there to take charge."

Shi Feiyang turned around abruptly, his eyes bloodshot: "She knew I was going to abdicate! She knew..." His words trailed off as he recalled the worry hidden in Huo Qingtong's eyes when she touched the fine lines between his brows last night.

She had already foreseen that the man who had sworn to wander the world atop Mount Tai would ultimately be unable to abandon his vast empire.

Wei Nianhua gripped the parting hook tightly and spoke for the first time: "Before Miss Huo left, she set up a twelve-layered 'Heavenly Wolf Formation' at the pass. She said..." He paused, gazing at the lingering clouds on the horizon, "...that if the Emperor insisted on pursuing her, she would atone with her death."

Shi Feiyang staggered backward, crashing into the cold flagpole. The twelve-layered "Heavenly Wolf Formation" was a closely guarded secret of the Hui people, requiring the master's painstaking effort as a catalyst.

She had anticipated his pursuit and used such a resolute method to force him to turn back.

Ming Yugong surged within him, his body glowing with a translucent jade-like light. "Issue the order," his voice as cold as the ancient ice of the Tianshan Mountains, "Chen Feng must immediately proceed to the Northern Frontier to assist... to assist Commander Huo in guarding the pass." As he turned, the hem of his dragon robe swept across the mess on the ground, the coiled dragon jade pendant dull and lifeless in the morning light. "I... wish to see Yongyan. Return to the capital immediately!"

……

Three months later, in the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Forbidden City. Shi Feiyang looked at his son kneeling below the steps, an urgent military report from the northern frontier lying on his desk. Huo Qingtong's handwriting was strong and clear: "The remnants of the rebel army have made unusual movements, and I have led my troops to meet them in battle."

He ran his fingertips along the edge of the secret report, recalling the soft tinkling of the silver bracelet on Huo Qingtong's wrist as she wielded her brush.

"Father, are you feeling unwell?" Yongyan's voice was filled with concern. Shi Feiyang chuckled, his laughter full of self-deprecation: "Look at the memorials on this imperial desk, they're piled up thicker than the snow on the Tianshan Mountains."

He suddenly gripped the dragon-patterned jade pendant tightly and said in a cold voice, "Go and tell the Grand Council to thoroughly investigate Heshen." Thunder rumbled outside the tent, and a torrential downpour began.

Shi Feiyang stood by the window, watching the rain blur the eaves of the Forbidden City. A year ago today, he and Huo Qingtong rode horses at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, her laughter mingling with the sound of hooves, startling crows across the mountain. Now, the rain pattered on the banana leaves, but there was no one to add clothes or brew tea for him anymore.

Late at night, he came to the Imperial Garden alone. The plum trees swayed in the rain, and in a daze, they seemed to transform into Huo Qingtong's fiery red skirt. Mingyu Gong circulated uncontrollably, and the pond in the garden instantly froze, reflecting his pale, paper-like face on the ice.

He bent down to pick up a fallen plum blossom, held it to his nose and sniffed it, but all he smelled was the metallic scent of rust on his hands—the scent of longing that gnawed at his very bones. Battle reports from the northern frontier kept arriving, and Huo Qingtong's name appeared time and again in the victories.

Shi Feiyang circled the location of the Northern Frontier on the map with cinnabar, as if that would bring him closer to her. Whenever the night was quiet, he would take out the silver wolf-head ornament, rub it in his palm until the cold air condensed from the Mingyu Gong froze his fingers until they lost all feeling.

Spring turned to autumn, and the Forbidden City was adorned with new peachwood charms. When Shi Feiyang reviewed memorials, he would unconsciously pause on a certain character—a character often written by Huo Qingtong. He began collecting famous teas from across the land, but could no longer find anyone who could brew the aroma of mare's milk wine.

As Shen Qingru watched the increasingly gaunt emperor, she secretly placed the sheepskin map left by Huo Qingtong on his desk. She then saw Shi Feiyang weeping over the map, his tears blurring the fine markings.

A year later, on a snowy night, Shi Feiyang received a secret letter from the northern frontier. Huo Qingtong's handwriting was still sharp: "The remnants of the rebel army have been completely annihilated. Your subject will guard the pass for ten years." He held the secret letter and sat in the warm pavilion all night.

The ice flowers formed by Mingyu Gong climbed all over the window frame. In a daze, he saw Huo Qingtong smiling at him from the top of Mount Tai, saying that she would accompany him to see all the rivers and mountains. When the morning light pierced through the clouds, Shi Feiyang put the secret letter into the sandalwood box and pressed it at the bottom.

He straightened his dragon robe, put on the crown in front of the bronze mirror, and as the Mingyu Gong flowed, imperial majesty once again enveloped his entire body.

"Prepare the carriage for the Qianqing Palace." His voice was deep and firm, each step he took seemed to sever memories. Outside the palace walls, the snow fell silently, concealing all the unspoken words of love.

After two years of healing from his heartbreak, Shi Feiyang decided to make his fifth trip to the south of the Yangtze River. Accompanied by a group of his old and fierce generals, as well as the newly appointed commander of the Imperial Guard, Prince Ruiyun, he disguised himself and traveled south by boat. Soon, he arrived in Yangzhou.

In late spring, Yangzhou was shrouded in misty rain, but the sound of the jade flute at the Twenty-Four Bridges concealed a deadly intent.

Shi Feiyang, dressed in a black outfit, with a dragon-patterned jade pendant at his waist gleaming with a dark red light, stared at the secret report on the sticky pole that read "salt permit deficit of three million taels." He then used his Mingyu Kung Fu to condense ice crystals in his palm, instantly freezing and cracking the teacups on the table.

“Minister Wei,” he looked up at the Grand Secretary who stood holding a hook, “the salt gangs of Lianghuai are deeply entrenched, and this will likely be a tough battle.” Wei Nianhua’s farewell hook lightly tapped the surface of his boot, the dragon pattern on the hook emitting a blue light: “This old minister is willing to clear the way for Your Majesty.”

Before she could finish speaking, the sound of hidden weapons whistling through the air came from outside the window. Shen Qingru's soft sword, Silver Bell, was the first to be drawn, unleashing the move "Canglang Die Lang"! The silver sword transformed into a flurry of snowflakes, shredding the three bone-piercing nails into dust.

Ruiyun gripped the Avici Three Blades tightly, the seventeen-year-old's python robe fluttering in the night wind: "Father Emperor, enemy attack!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the roof tiles exploded with a deafening roar, and dozens of black-clad assassins swooped down like bats, their goose-feather blades gleaming with a ghostly blue poisonous light.

Chen Feng stepped out from the crowd, waving his large black gold fan. The Big Dipper pattern on the fan surface shimmered with a mysterious blue light.

He unleashed the "Heavenly Gang Acupoint Strike"! His fan ribs struck the assassins' Tanzhong acupoints, instantly freezing the burly men in place, black blood spilling from their mouths. However, more assassins surged in from all directions, and from the direction of the Salt Gang's headquarters, the deafening sound of war drums could be faintly heard.

Shi Feiyang leaped onto the rooftop, his Mingyu Gong technique operating at high speed, making him appear like a piece of white ice shrouded in cold mist. He unleashed the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill! With a light wave of his hand, the throwing knives hurled by the assassins changed trajectory in mid-air, shooting back and piercing their companion's throat.

Immediately afterwards, Shi Feiyang unleashed "Slaying the Mortal World" with both palms! The Hundred Victories Blade Technique, imbued with the power of the Ice Soul Cold Prison, slashed down, and nine golden blade beams collided with the curved blade, the resulting shockwave blowing away roof tiles within a radius of ten feet.

Wei Nianhua's farewell drew a cold, crescent-moon-like glint, hooking the throat of an assassin leader: "Speak! Where is the Salt Gang's headquarters?"

The man grinned maliciously, bit open the poison sac in his mouth, and immediately died bleeding from all seven orifices.

At that moment, a long howl came from afar. Three painted boats came cutting through the waves, with three people standing at the bow—the one in the center, wearing a sable fur coat, was none other than Wan Qixiao, the leader of the Salt Gang, known as "Smiling Yama"; the old man on the left, leaning on a dragon-headed cane, was Gongsun Wuji, the gang's "Thousand-Handed Tathagata"; and the woman on the right, with a light veil covering her face and a nine-section soft whip hanging from her waist, was known as "Blood Rose" Su Sanniang.

"Your Majesty's esteemed presence is an honor! I, Wan Qixiao, have failed to greet you properly!" Wan Qixiao's laughter carried a hint of sinister intent. "But if you wish to seize the salt permits of Lianghuai, you'll have to get past me first!" Before he finished speaking, Gongsun Wuji suddenly waved his hand, and hundreds of bone-piercing nails rained down like a storm. Shi Feiyang swung his palms, using the "Shifting Flowers and Receiving Jade" technique, sending specially made steel balls tracing eerie arcs through the air, not only deflecting the rain of nails but also precisely striking the gunpowder barrels on the pleasure boat.

With a deafening roar, flames illuminated half the sky. Su Sanniang's nine-sectioned whip, like a serpent emerging from its hole, aimed straight for Shi Feiyang's face: "I've heard that the Emperor's Ice Palm is impervious to swords and spears?"

Shi Feiyang snorted coldly, and a suction force suddenly arose in his palm. He once again used the "Shifting Flowers and Receiving Jade" divine skill, and the soft whip actually changed direction, lashing back at Su Sanniang herself. The woman reacted extremely quickly, rolling away to dodge, only to see Shen Qingru's soft sword already pressed against her back.

Seeing this, Wan Qixiao suddenly tore open his sable fur coat, revealing a crimson soft armor covered in incantations underneath: "Taste the power of my 'Blood Fiend Armor'!" He swung his sword, and the air ripped with a teeth-grinding sound as the blade passed. Shi Feiyang unleashed "Breaking Heaven and Earth" with both palms! Nine golden dragons soared into the sky, colliding with the Blood Fiend Blade Qi, causing the canal waters to surge.

Gongsun Wuji suddenly flung out eighteen iron chains from his sleeve, the ends of which were wrapped with highly venomous creatures such as snakes and scorpions.

"Your Majesty, be careful! No one has yet been able to break this 'Five Poisons Life-Taking Formation'!" Wei Nianhua's parting hook suddenly flew out of his hand, hooking onto one of the iron chains, and he used the momentum to leap up: "I'll have a go at you, you old poisoner!"

Ruiyun's Avici Path Three Blades glowed with a ghostly blue light. The young prince, covered in blood from the fighting, unleashed his move "Avici Path: Crossing the Calamity"! Countless phantoms of wronged souls appeared in the light of the blades, forcibly pulling out the souls of the three Salt Gang elders.

However, more Salt Gang members surged in like a tide, their weapons coated with deadly poison that could kill instantly upon drawing blood.

Shi Feiyang watched the battle unfold, his eyes gleaming with a chilling light. He activated the Mingyu Gong to the "Supreme Forgetfulness: Ice Soul Cold Prison," his entire body becoming as transparent as jade, and unleashed "Burning Heaven and Earth" with both palms! As the ultimate killing move descended, nine fiery blades shot into the sky, completely engulfing the Salt Gang's elite troops.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Wan Qixiao turned around to escape, but was hit in the back by Shi Feiyang's "Severing Reincarnation" sword energy, and blood gushed out immediately.

Seeing that his leader was seriously injured, Gongsun Wuji suddenly pulled out a black token. Shi Feiyang's pupils shrank: "Not good! It's the 'Blood Soul Token'!"

The talisman on the token emitted an eerie light, and all the Salt Gang disciples' eyes immediately turned bloodshot. They rushed forward like madmen, seemingly without regard for their own lives.

"Shen Qingru, protect Ruiyun! Wei Qing, follow me to break the formation!" Shi Feiyang shouted, his Hundred Victories Blade Technique transforming into a sky full of blade shadows. Wei Nianhua's Parting Hook worked seamlessly with him, the two of them slaying the Salt Gang disciples charging at the forefront with their flashing blades and hooks.

After the fierce battle ended, countless corpses floated on the surface of the canal, turning the water crimson.

Shi Feiyang coldly ordered: "Issue an imperial decree to thoroughly investigate the Salt Administration Office."

His voice was deep and firm, “No matter who is involved, they will all be severely punished!” After saying that, he led the group toward Yangzhou City, with the gradually calming waves of the canal and the darkest sky before dawn behind them.

……

As the lights on the painted boats on Yangzhou's Slender West Lake gradually went out, Shi Feiyang stared intently at a hidden compartment in the wall of the Salt Transport Office.

The ice flames formed by Mingyu Gong illuminated the engravings in the corner of the wall, and the densely packed numbers pieced together irrefutable evidence of the embezzlement of three million taels of salt permits.

He ran his fingertips over the dragon-patterned jade pendant, and a slight vibration suddenly came from the cool touch—the specially made signal arrow at the stick cut through the night sky and exploded into three green bursts in the northwest of Yangzhou City.

"The Salt Gang's headquarters is in Zhuyu Bay!" Lu Fangtian unfolded a leather map drawn by his secret agents, on which vermilion markings resembled venomous snakes coiled. "There is an abandoned salt warehouse there, and an underground river leads directly to the Yangtze River."

Shen Qingru gripped the soft sword tightly, and the silver bell rang out clearly: "When we fought last night, Su Sanniang's jade pendant at her waist was engraved with a dogwood pattern."

Before she could finish speaking, Ruiyun suddenly drew the Avici Three Blades, the gleam of the blades reflecting the boy's tense jaw: "Father, the Salt Gang has already laid down the 'Nine-Bend Linked Formation,' if we wait until dawn..."

Shi Feiyang abruptly stood up, his dark-colored outfit whipping up a fierce gust of wind. As he circulated his Mingyu Gong, a transparent jade-like aura emanated from his body, and the suction force of his palm drew the secret documents on the table into his sleeve: "At three-quarters past midnight, we will strike at the heart of the enemy. Minister Wei, you will lead three hundred Imperial Guards to cut off the waterway; Commander Lu, the Sticky Pole Office will be responsible for clearing out the hidden spies on the perimeter; Miss Shen and Ruiyun will accompany me to storm the main altar."

At midnight, the air in Zhuyu Bay was filled with a salty, fishy smell, and dark red water stains seeped from the cracks in the bluestone bricks of the abandoned salt warehouse.

Just as Shi Feiyang stepped over the mottled stone steps, the sound of a mechanism turning suddenly came from underground. Seventy-two salt corpses burst out of the ground, their skin a strange bluish-white, and they were actually living puppets preserved in highly poisonous brine.

"Watch out! These puppets have been infected with 'corpse gu'!" Huo Cheng's voice came from behind. A bluish-gray light surged between his palms. "Ten Thousand Slices Technique!" His palm swept across the group of puppets, and countless blood-red snakes emerged from the shredded flesh, piecing together new bodies in the blink of an eye.

Shi Feiyang snorted coldly, activated the Mingyu Gong, and his whole body was like white ice shrouded in cold mist: "Child's play!" He pushed out with both palms "Break the Universe!" Nine golden dragons wrapped with the power of the Ice Soul Frost Prison blasted out, and the puppet group was instantly frozen into ice crystals, which exploded into dust under the moonlight.

Suddenly, the rattling of chains came from deep within the salt warehouse, and three dark figures broke through the wind.

The elderly man at the head of the group leaned on a dragon-headed cane, the luminous pearl inlaid at the top of which reflected the muscular face of his manhood—he was none other than Gongsun Wujiu, the younger brother of "Thousand-Handed Tathagata" Gongsun Wuji. His waist was bulging with leather pouches, which could be used to conceal countless poisoned hidden weapons.

"Hongli, what a skillful trick!" Gongsun Wujiu laughed strangely, his skin instantly exploding, and countless silver needles wrapped in green poisonous mist covered the sky. "Taste my 'Ten Thousand Poisons Net'!"

"Returning Dragon Wall!" Lu Fangtian raised his hands in quick succession, and twelve specially made steel balls shot out in a fan shape. The steel balls drew strange arcs in the air, not only knocking down the poison needles, but also accurately targeting the major acupoints on Gongsun Wujiu's body.

The old man neither dodged nor avoided, tearing open his clothes to reveal his chest covered in runes: "Too late! The thirty-six elders of the Salt Gang have already activated the 'Blood Sacrifice Array'!" Before he finished speaking, crimson liquid suddenly seeped from the walls of the salt warehouse, transforming into countless bloody hands that grabbed at the crowd.

Shen Qingru's Canglang Sword Technique transformed into countless silver streaks, unleashing the move "Canglang Nine Layers of Waves"! Wherever the sword energy passed, the bloody hands dissipated, only to see even more blood gushing from the ground.

Ruiyun's Avici Path Three Blades glowed with a ghostly blue light. The young man roared and charged into the blood wave, unleashing the move "Avici Path - Tiger Severing Delusion"! The phantoms of vengeful spirits appeared in the blade light, forcibly pulling out the souls of the three elders.

However, the blood wave suddenly solidified into a huge Asura face, which opened its blood-red maw and bit at him.

Shi Feiyang leaped into the air, his Hundred Victories Blade Technique, imbued with the power of the Ice Soul Frost Prison, slashing down with the move "Slaying the Mortal World"! Nine golden blade beams collided with the Asura's face, the resulting shockwave sending salt bricks flying within a ten-zhang radius. His gaze swept across the depths of the salt warehouse like lightning, where he saw Wan Qixiao's younger brother, Wan Qikuang, wielding a bone knife on the altar, the center of which was piled high with white salt tokens and gold.

"Kill them!" Shi Feiyang roared, unleashing his Mingyu Gong to its fullest extent. The transparent jade color around him deepened, and the suction force in his palm surged, drawing in the money and grain from the altar, along with Wan Qikuang. He unleashed the "Viewing the Vast Ocean" move! The ninth form of the Hundred Victories Blade Technique was activated, and the blade energy transformed into a raging torrent, instantly tearing Wan Qikuang to shreds.

Just then, the top of the salt warehouse exploded, and eighteen elders of the Salt Gang formed the "Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Formation." The weapons in their hands glowed with an eerie purple light, and were actually made of poisonous meteorite iron.

At the heart of the battle, Su Sanniang's nine-sectioned whip was wrapped around a venomous snake, her face beneath the veil contorted with madness: "Hongli, you killed Lord Heshen, an act against all reason! Today is your death day. Hmph! Today, we will change the emperor!"

Wei Nianhua's Parting Hook suddenly flew out of his hand, hooking an elder's throat: "Change the emperor? Such treason! I'll send you to the Underworld for hundreds of years of training!" He lightly touched the ground with his toes, using the momentum to rush into the formation, the Parting Hook transforming into countless rays of cold light. Any villain who touched the Parting Hook instantly parted from their life; wherever Wei Nianhua passed, blood and flesh splattered, and screams rose one after another.

Huo Cheng's Ten Thousand Slices Technique and Chen Feng's Heavenly Gang Acupoint Strike attacked from both sides, but the formation suddenly reversed, and the eighteen people actually pierced their own meridians with their weapons, turning into eighteen poisonous corpses.

Shi Feiyang's eyes flashed with a cold light. With the Mingyu Gong running at high speed, his skin became almost transparent. He unleashed the "Burning Heaven and Earth" move! As the ultimate killing move landed, nine fiery blades shot into the sky and collided violently with the horde of poisonous corpses.

In the clash between high temperature and extreme toxicity, the entire salt warehouse began to collapse, and countless gold and silver salt slabs poured down like a waterfall.

As dawn broke through the clouds, Zhuyu Bay was already a ruin. Shi Feiyang stood before the mountain of money and grain, clutching Wan Qixiao's gang leader's token in his hand. On the back of the token was engraved a line of small characters—"Prosper together with the Lianghuai Salt Administration."

He gazed towards Yangzhou, a cold smile curving his lips: "Gao Heng, Pu Fu, Lu Jianzeng... your days are numbered." Shen Qingru handed him a blood-stained handkerchief and whispered, "Your Majesty, a message from Miss Huo via carrier pigeon!"

Shi Feiyang unfolded the letter, the familiar handwriting penetrating the paper: "Where the turbulent waves surge, the bright moon shines. There is no disturbance in the northern border, do not worry."

He pressed the letter to his heart, and quietly activated the Mingyu Gong, sealing that warmth forever.

In the distance came the sound of soldiers counting money and grain; the three million taels of salt permits were exactly as counted.

Shi Feiyang gripped the dragon-patterned jade pendant tightly, gazing at the gradually brightening eastern sky. He turned to Wei Nianhua and said, "Minister Wei, send someone back to the capital to deliver an imperial edict: increase salaries to encourage integrity and incentivize officials. Instruct Regent Yongyan to raise the salaries of all officials nationwide by one hundred taels of silver per person, effective this month! Ruiyun, lead the Imperial Guards and set off immediately to deliver the seized money and grain to the capital and deposit them into the Ministry of Revenue's treasury."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Ruiyun and Wei Nianhua knelt on one knee to receive the imperial decree and left as ordered.

……

The stench of blood from the Yangzhou drill ground mingled with the plum rains, congealing into dark brown scabs in the cracks of the blue bricks. Shi Feiyang sat upright behind his vermilion-lacquered desk, while Ming Yugong condensed the chill emanating from his body into frost flowers, which fell softly onto the red-inked execution warrant.

Gao Heng, Pu Fu, and Lu Jianzeng were chained to the execution post. The once-imposing salt commissioners now had graying temples and ashen faces. "The Lianghuai salt monopoly case involves three million taels of silver and countless lives of common people," Shi Feiyang's voice pierced the air like an icicle, his wolf-hair brush dipped in vermilion. "Today, I will use your heads to appease your wronged souls!"

Before the words were even finished, the executioner's blade had already turned into a cold gleam, and three heads rolled to the ground. The hot blood spurting from the severed necks stained the plaque that read "Upright and Honest" crimson.

Just as the people were cheering "Long live the Emperor!", a secret agent from the Sticky Pole Bureau knelt down on one knee and presented a letter written in blood.

The moment Shi Feiyang unfolded the secret letter, the bronze candlestick on the table suddenly shattered—the Gansu donation of official positions for embezzlement of disaster relief funds involved more than a hundred officials, and Le Erjin, Wang Danwang and others had embezzled tens of millions of taels of silver from the national treasury under the guise of disaster relief.

"Minister Wei, immediately dispatch someone with the utmost speed back to the capital and order the Ministry of Justice to conduct a thorough interrogation!" Shi Feiyang abruptly stood up, his black dragon robe billowing in the wind. "Anyone who obstructs this will be killed without mercy!"

Before he could finish speaking, another secret report arrived like snowflakes: Shandong Governor Guotai and Provincial Treasurer Yu Yijian had embezzled public funds and were secretly keeping 3,000 assassins. Shi Feiyang was furious and stormed off.

Back at the temporary palace, Shi Feiyang dined with his ministers, remaining silent throughout.

The candlelight flickered. After dinner, Shi Feiyang threw the Gansu corruption case files onto the steps of the palace, causing the jade floor tiles to rattle.

The vermilion ink on the desk was not yet dry, and in the swaying light and shadow, it shone with a dark red hue, like congealed bloodstains.

The golden dragon thread on his black dragon robe rose and fell with his heavy breathing, and his Mingyu Gong unconsciously circulated, condensing into an ice shard in his palm. "I have established a stipend three times the official salary, yet officials in the Northwest still dare to embezzle relief grain!" The emperor's roar shook the chime bells hanging from the beams. "This gleaming silver, has it been fed to wolves?"

Chen Feng waved his large black gold fan, the four characters "清正廉明" (meaning "upright and honest") on the fan surface flickering in the candlelight: "Human greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant."

He sighed again, tapping the mountain of case files lightly with the rib of his fan, "Just like the termites in this salt certificate case, a million taels of silver cannot suppress their greed; instead, they become venomous snakes that devour their master."

Shi Feiyang turned around abruptly, and the icy aura formed by Ming Yugong swept over the officials, but turned into a gentle touch when it touched Wei Nianhua.

He gazed at the old minister whose parting hook at his waist was worn smooth from years of wear, his eyes seemingly a mixture of thunder and tenderness: "Minister Wei, you have followed me in battles across the north and south for decades, how have you managed to remain true to your heart?"

Wei Nianhua's iron hook lightly tapped the blue bricks, producing a clear and melodious sound. The veteran general, who had experienced countless battles, suddenly smiled, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes revealing the vicissitudes of time: "Your Majesty, this old minister follows you around all day, practicing swordsmanship, and even while drinking a cup of tea, I have to keep an eye on assassins."

He deliberately dragged out the last syllable, "If you really dare to be greedy, I'm afraid before you can even warm the silver, your head will be fed to your Hundred Victory Knife Technique!"

The deathly silence in the hall was instantly shattered by a burst of laughter.

Ruiyun, her face flushed, struggled to suppress her laughter. Shen Qingru's soft sword jingled with her soft laughter, and even the usually serious Lu Fangtian couldn't help but stroke his beard and smile. Shi Feiyang was also amused by the teasing, and as he circulated his Mingyu Gong, the ice shards in his palm turned into tiny starlight and dissipated.

As the laughter subsided, Wei Nianhua's expression turned serious, and the parting hook drew sparks from the ground: "But to tell you the truth, back then, when I accompanied the Emperor on a night raid on the Grand Canal Gang at the Sticky Pole Office, we shared life and death in the desert..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials. "We old folks have the Emperor's mark etched in our bones. Even if mountains of gold and silver were laid out before us, they couldn't compare to the half-eaten ration we shared on that snowy night back then."

As Shi Feiyang listened to these words, the dragon-patterned jade pendant at his waist suddenly felt hot. In a daze, he was transported back to his youth, crammed with these officials in a dilapidated barracks at the Imperial Guard, listening to the dripping of the water clock and discussing the rise and fall of the empire.

He raised his hand and pressed down the secret report that was about to fly away on the table. The cold air condensed by Ming Yugong firmly nailed the paper to the sandalwood: "Issue the decree: increase the allowance for maintaining integrity by another 20%. But the power of the censors shall also be doubled!"

He abruptly stood up, his black dragon robe billowing in a chilling gust of wind: "From this day forward, officials of the third rank and above must submit a monthly detailed statement of their family assets to the Censorate. Any concealment..."

The emperor unleashed a burst of sword energy from his palm, instantly cracking the table with spiderweb-like patterns. "My Hundred Victories Sword Technique doesn't care whether someone is a member of the imperial family or a high-ranking official!" Thunder roared outside the hall, and torrential rain poured down.

Shi Feiyang gazed at the eaves of the temporary palace, which were faintly visible through the rain, and recalled the letter that Huo Qingtong had sent by carrier pigeon.

He quietly touched the handkerchief in his bosom that smelled of mare's milk wine, and the Mingyu Gong slowly circulated through his meridians—this battle against corruption was like the ceaseless rain, determined not to stop until the vast land was cleansed.

Half a month later, dust billowed along the official road of Qilu. Shi Feiyang, disguised as the owner of a silk caravan, wore a jade dragon pendant wrapped in black cloth at his waist, yet it still faintly emitted a dark red glow.

Ruiyun disguised herself as an accountant, hiding the three swords of Abidao in the abacus compartment; Shen Qingru wore a green dress, and her soft sword and silver bell were transformed into a jade hairpin to tie her hair.

Upon reaching the territory of Tai'an, thirty-six Kongming lanterns suddenly rose slowly into the twilight, forming a hideous ghost face in the night sky. "Be careful! It's the Taishan Sect's 'Ghost Judge Formation'!" Lu Fangtian's Heavenly Gang Finger was the first to point into the air, the finger wind like a sword, shattering three Kongming lanterns into pieces.

However, poison needles suddenly shot out from the tattered paper lantern. Shen Qingru spun around and swung her sword, unleashing the move "Canglang Dielang"! The silvery sword light shredded the poison needles into dust, and then dozens of masked men in black leaped down from behind the locust trees on both sides of the mountain path like nimble cats.

Wei Nianhua's farewell hook drew a cold glint from the waning moon, hooking onto the throat of an assassin: "Speak! Where is Guotai hiding?" The man grinned maliciously, bit open the poison sac in his mouth, and instantly bled from all seven orifices and died.

At this moment, a sickeningly loud sound of bones twisting echoed through the forest, and twelve purplish-blue zombies burst from the ground. These were the "Ten Thousand Slices Technique" corpses cultivated by the remnants of Wan Qixiao's gang.

"The Ten Thousand Slices Technique? Perfect timing!" Huo Cheng's body was enveloped in a bluish-gray light as he unleashed his palms and claws simultaneously. "Let's see if your evil technique is more powerful, or my authentic one!" He crashed into the group of corpses, the air emitting a tearing shriek, and three corpses were instantly ripped to pieces.

However, the pieces of flesh, upon hitting the ground, wriggled and pieced together a new body. Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill with both palms!
The putrid palm strikes unleashed by the corpses suddenly shifted, turning into a chaotic free-for-all. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Shi Feiyang unleashed "Slaying the Mortal World"! The Hundred Victories Blade Technique, imbued with the power of the Ice Soul Cold Prison, cleaved down, nine golden blade beams blasting the corpses into dust.

Just then, a burst of wild laughter came from the mountaintop, and an old man in red robes flew down on a mechanical kite, his judge's pen covered with incantations—it was Cui Chang, the "Life-Taking Judge" and head of the Mount Tai Sect.

"Heh heh, Hongli, you're quite the show-off! Fine, let you show off a bit before you die!" Cui Wuchang pointed his judge's pen, and thirty-six black chains instantly appeared in the air. "Taste my 'Soul-Hooking and Life-Taking Formation'!" (End of Chapter)