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

Chapter 430. Jade Palace's Allure Stirs Up Turbulent Waves: Battle Against Evil Forces in Luoyang
Shi Feiyang publicly stated that he was going to Wagang Village to challenge Shan Xiongxin to a duel, but in reality, he wanted to return to Yihua Palace, his heart already set on the two beauties, Yaoyue and Lianxing. Yihua Palace had raised him for over a decade, nurturing his mastery of the Mingyu Gong and numerous other martial arts techniques; he was deeply grateful to them. The first frost of autumn fell, and the fallen leaves on the ancient Taihang Road were crushed by the horses' hooves.

Shi Feiyang leaned against Zhuque's back, a gold-embossed hero's invitation dangling from his bamboo stick, his thoughts surging like a tide: Before leaving Jinyang, he raised an eyebrow at Yang Jinghao in his arms: "Shan Xiongxin of Wagang Village boasted that he would pull out my tiger teeth at the Heroes' Gathering. My wife said, should I go and perform a 'tiger's mouth tooth-pulling' for him?" Yang Jinghao poked his chest, her phoenix eyes filled with reproach: "What are you thinking? Do you think I can't see through you? The two palace masters of Yihua Palace are probably more on your mind than Shan Xiongxin."

Before he could finish speaking, Qiu Shuhui suddenly poked her head out from behind the silk curtain, her hair still shimmering with the light of a luminous pearl: "Husband, if you're going back to Yihua Palace, don't forget to take us with you!" Shi Feiyang laughed, and the silkworm silk he spat out from his palm suddenly transformed into colorful ribbons that wrapped around the three of them: "Of course we'll take them! And let Palace Mistress Yaoyue see that her good disciple has now become a 'troublemaker' that strikes fear into the hearts of all the villains in the martial world!"

……

Just as Shi Feiyang was reminiscing about his reluctant farewell to his three beloved wives, three black-feathered arrows suddenly streaked across the sky above him, the phosphorescent flames burning at their tails turning the clouds into an eerie bluish-purple hue.

"Perfect timing!" Shi Feiyang shouted, lightly tapping the Vermilion Bird's back with his bamboo stick, and the divine bird swooped down like an arrow.

In the mountain valley, thirty-six masked men in black formed a "Netherworld Ghost Formation," their scimitars adorned with skulls that emitted green mist. The leader sneered, "Li Er, quickly hand over the 'Ten Thousand Poisons Return to One,' and I'll spare your life!"

"A whole corpse? I don't even want to take up any space!" Shi Feiyang used "Illusionary Demon Step" to weave through the flashing blades. He raised his left hand, and the silkworm silk that came out of his palm was like a silver dragon emerging from the sea, instantly wrapping around the throats of the seven people.

Immediately afterward, Shi Feiyang unleashed a move called "Dog Eyes Look at People!" His bamboo stick struck out, sending two masked men flying backward with screams, their internal organs shredded into a bloody mist by the invisible true energy. In the heat of the battle, Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a leather bag and flung it towards the enemy ranks: "Try my 'biological weapon'—the stinky chili powder from the Western Regions!" The chili powder exploded with the poisonous mist, and the masked men were left with tears streaming down their faces.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shi Feiyang used the "luring the dogs into the village" technique to throw everyone towards the cliff behind him.

As the dust settled, he shook the blood-stained bamboo stick and shouted into the empty valley, "Anyone else who can do acrobatics? I'm short of acrobats here!" After a few jokes, he jumped into the tent on the back of the Vermilion Bird and leisurely rode the Vermilion Bird towards Shaolin.

Outside Luoyang City, at Qianzhangping, the maple leaves were ablaze with fiery red. A beautiful young woman, who had arrived earlier, slowly came into view. She wore exquisite Sui Dynasty attire, embroidered with intricate and magnificent patterns, vibrant in color yet exuding elegance and grace. Her figure was light and graceful, her steps gentle, like a fairy descending to earth, captivating all who beheld her.

This beautiful girl was extremely beautiful, with skin as white as snow and as delicate as jade, as if a light touch would make her blush.

What's most unforgettable about her are her eyes. Deep and unfathomable, they seem to hold endless stars and oceans, sparkling with wisdom and dynamism. With a flicker of her gaze, she seems to see through everything, yet carries a subtle tenderness and sorrow. Her long, curled eyelashes flutter like butterfly wings with every blink, captivating and mesmerizing.

She glared at the ravenous assassins of the Yuwen Clan around her, her teeth clenched: "Yuwen Chengdu! You and I, Li Yanling, have no past grudges, so why are you so ruthless today?" The only response she received was a cold laugh from the Yuwen Clan's retainers: "If Miss Li is going to cause trouble at the Heroes' Gathering, we naturally have to share the burden for His Majesty!"

In an instant, sword light flashed like lightning, and the battle cries shook the heavens. Li Yanling's "Nine Transformations of the Startling Swan," though exquisitely beautiful, was no match for the combined attack of dozens. Just as she was exhausted, a clear phoenix cry suddenly echoed from the sky. Shi Feiyang, standing on the Vermilion Bird, brandished his bamboo staff, creating countless emerald shadows: "My beauty, do not panic, reinforcements are coming!"

He swooped down, unleashing the move "Stealing the Staff from the Mastiff's Mouth"! The bamboo staff deflected three longswords, and the silkworm silk swirled like a spiderweb, trapping the Yuwen Clan assassins in the center. Shi Feiyang winked at Li Yanling: "This little sister, you're skilled in all eighteen martial arts, can you do the 'Bamboo Pole Dance'?" With that, he raised his left hand, and the silkworm silk that emerged from his palm suddenly transformed into hundreds of bamboo strips, rapidly dancing on the ground, tripping up and knocking his enemies off their feet.

Upon seeing this, one of the "Bloody Hand Asuras" from the Yuwen Clan roared and unleashed his "Blood River Palm".

Shi Feiyang neither dodged nor avoided, but instead opened his arms: "Come on! Give me a loving hug!" The moment the blood palm touched Shi Feiyang's chest, the silkworm silk that burst forth from his body surged out like a tide, reflecting all the opponent's palm force back.

Shura screamed and flew backward, leaving a three-zhang-long bloody trail on the ground.

Li Yanling's cheeks flushed slightly as she gazed at the figure chatting and laughing freely amidst the enemy ranks.

Shi Feiyang jokingly said to Li Yanling, "Little sister, it seems we can't go to the Heroes' Gathering. Why don't you come back to Jinyang with me first? I have a cook who can tell stories and a maid who can perform magic tricks!"

Seeing that Shi Feiyang was handsome but unserious, Li Yanling rolled her eyes at him, sheathed her sword, and turned to leave. Descending along Shaoshi Mountain, the maple leaves were so red they seemed to drip blood, and Li Yanling's white robes were already soaked with blood.

The two of them walked down the mountain silently, one after the other.

Suddenly, a whooshing sound arose overhead, and several figures descended from the air, surrounding Li Yanling. Li Yanling drew her sword with astonishing speed, her longsword swiftly completing a final flourish, only to find herself completely surrounded by the "Thirteen Blood Shadow Riders" of the Yuwen Clan. The scarred man at the head of the group licked his blade and grinned maliciously: "Chief镖头 of the Central Plains Escort Agency? Today I'll teach you that in this chaotic world, a woman's swordplay is less valuable than warming her bed!"

"Hey, is this a beauty pageant?" A teasing voice came from the treetops.

Shi Feiyang leaned against Zhuque's back, his right hand holding half a piece of osmanthus cake on a bamboo stick, his left hand raised, and the silkworm silk that came out of his palm hung down like silver threads. "This brother's taste is worrying. He is clearly a beauty that can shame the moon and flowers, but he insists on comparing her to a bed warmer?"

The scarred man roared, his spiked club slamming down on the treetop with a gust of blood. Shi Feiyang unleashed his "Hound's Mouth Snatching the Staff" technique, his bamboo staff coiling around the head like a serpent before yanking sharply. The man couldn't stop in time, and the blows sent the brains of his two accomplices splattering everywhere.

Immediately afterwards, Shi Feiyang unleashed a move called "Pushing the Dogs to the Sky"! The bamboo stick flipped, sending three more people flying, and the Heavenly Silkworm Silk shot out, wrapping around the throats of the remaining riders like a spider web.

Li Yanling gazed at the figure chatting and laughing freely amidst the enemy ranks, her heart trembling slightly: This unconventional man had rescued her twice in less than half an incense stick's time. Who exactly was he? Why did he save her? Why?

Suddenly, Shi Feiyang pulled out a small bronze mirror and shone it in the sunlight so brightly that people couldn't open their eyes: "Everyone, look carefully, this move of mine is—'Blind your dog eyes'!" In the bright light, the Yuwen clan members screamed repeatedly, and Shi Feiyang had already stepped on the silver bridge woven from silkworm silk and landed beside Li Yanling.

"Sister's swordplay is even more exquisite than the 'Transplanting Flowers and Replacing Jade' of the Yihua Palace!" He tapped the ground lightly with his bamboo stick. "But one-on-one combat is so boring. Why don't you come back to Jinyang with me? My chefs there can make tofu taste like dragon liver and phoenix marrow, and my maids can perform magic tricks..."

"Smooth-talking!" Li Yanling glared at him, cursed him, and sheathed her sword, about to leave. Suddenly, a sinister copper bell rang out from the forest, and thirty-six puppets shrouded in black mist burst from the ground, each with a blood-red rune embedded in its forehead.

Behind the puppet array, an old man in a scarlet robe clapped his hands and laughed loudly: "Young Master Li, what a magnificent display of power! Do you recognize my Netherworld Sect's 'Hundred Ghosts Soul Devouring Array'?"

Shi Feiyang whistled, and the silkworm silk condensed into threads in his palm: "Old man, are you bringing zombies to the market? You should have said so earlier, I should have brought two strings of candied hawthorns!" As he finished speaking, he wielded the bamboo stick in his hand in a "pack of dogs fighting for food" style, and as the green shadows flew, the puppets' arms broke off one after another.

Seeing this, Li Yanling drew her longsword again, and her "Nine Transformations of Startling Swan" combined with Shi Feiyang's attack, actually tearing a gap in the puppet formation.

"A mere trick!" the old man roared, and nine black banners flew out from his sleeve. The vengeful ghosts painted on the banners materialized, their sharp claws aimed straight for Shi Feiyang's face.

Shi Feiyang snorted coldly and used the move "a cornered dog will jump over the wall"! He swept his bamboo stick horizontally, smashing the evil ghost into oblivion.

The silkworm thread he spat out from his palm seized the opportunity to entangle the black banner. Shi Feiyang pulled hard, and the old man staggered forward. Then, with a move called "Backstabbing Dog's Butt!", the bamboo stick accurately struck the old man's back.

The old man screamed and flew backward, spitting out black blood from his seven orifices, turning into a pool of foul-smelling pus as he fell to the ground. Shi Feiyang took out a handkerchief and wiped the bamboo stick, raising an eyebrow at Li Yanling: "See that? This dog-beating stick technique of mine is perfect for dealing with all kinds of disobedience!"

Li Yanling pursed her lips, but finally couldn't help but chuckle: "Your glib tongue is more impressive than your martial arts."

Shi Feiyang's eyes lit up, and he suddenly pulled out an oil paper package containing exquisitely crafted sugar figurines: "Would you do me the honor of coming to Jinyang to taste my treasured 'Number One Sweetness Under Heaven'? These sugar figurines are much more interesting than the name of the Heroes' Gathering!"

The setting sun cast long shadows of the two of them. Li Yanling looked at the sugar figurine that Shi Feiyang handed her, then at the sly smile that he couldn't hide in his eyes, and took it without thinking: "Just this once, don't push your luck."

Shi Feiyang was overjoyed and laughed, "Alright! I'll definitely show my sister what 'the most exciting thing in Jinyang' really means!"

Meanwhile, in the shadows, the Yuwen clan's sentries relayed this scene back to their camp.

Yuwen Chengdu stroked his gilded halberd, a sinister smile creeping across his lips: "Li Er, the Heroes' Gathering... there's a big gift waiting for you!"

Although Li Yanling was much friendlier to Shi Feiyang, she still kept her distance from him, appearing very composed.

Thus, the two walked in silence again. Although Shi Feiyang was mischievous, he couldn't say much. After all, he was now "Li Shimin," and saying too much would seem inappropriate for his status.

The two walked one after the other when suddenly, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and rain began to fall. Li Yanling pursed his lips and whistled as his precious horse appeared. He leaped onto the horse, turned back, and said, "Young Master Li, may our paths cross again, may our friendship endure forever!" With that, he rode off.

Shi Feiyang chuckled coldly. The Vermilion Bird flew over, and Shi Feiyang jumped into the tent on the Vermilion Bird's back, leisurely chasing after Li Yanling.

The rain poured down, and the Luo River surged with turbid waves. Li Yanling stood alone at the ferry crossing, gazing at the swaying iron chain bridge across the river, her brows furrowed. She had been escorting a secret letter to Jiangdu, but little did she know that the Yuwen clan had laid a trap for her.

At this moment, the sound of horses' hooves drew closer from behind. More than twenty Xuanjia soldiers stood in formation, their leader holding a goose-feather saber and sneering, "Chief Escort Li, hand over the secret letter, and I'll spare your life!"

The sudden rain soaked Li Yanling's plain white clothes, and her long sword gleamed coldly as it was drawn from its sheath.

"If you want the secret letter, you'll have to get past me first!" She unleashed her "Nine Transformations of the Startling Swan," her sword flashing like a shooting star, but upon touching the enemy formation, it was repelled by the "Iron Wall Formation" formed by the Xuanjia Army. A goose-feather saber, carrying a strong wind, slashed down, and at the critical moment, a emerald green bamboo shadow pierced through the air.

"It's so lively, why didn't you invite me?" Shi Feiyang descended from the sky, riding on the Vermilion Bird.

He swept his bamboo stick horizontally, unleashing a move called "Striking Two Hounds," sending two Xuanjia soldiers flying backward. The silkworm silk that he spat out from his left palm was like a silver dragon emerging from the sea, wrapping around the goose feather blade. With a sudden tug, the general was unable to stop in time, and the blade grazed his cheek, blood dripping down mixed with rainwater.

"Li Er! You've ruined my plans again!" the general roared, drawing his rockets. "Fire! Burn this iron chain bridge!" In an instant, dozens of rockets pierced the rain, and the iron chain bridge burst into flames.

Li Yanling stared at the raging flames on the bridge, her heart burning with anxiety—the secret letter had to be delivered on time! But she was caught between a rock and a hard place!

Seeing this, Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a leather bag and grinned slyly: "Try my 'Rain of Pear Blossom Needles'!" What he threw out of the bag wasn't a hidden weapon, but a handful of lime powder. A gust of wind carrying the lime rushed towards the enemy army, and the Xuanjia soldiers were immediately blinded.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shi Feiyang used "Hound's Mouth Snatching Staff!" to knock the rocket man away with the bamboo stick. He raised his left hand, and the silkworm silk that came out of his palm turned into a rope, wrapped around Li Yanling's waist, rolled up her BMW, and pulled her and her BMW onto the back of the Vermilion Bird.

"Hold on tight!" Shi Feiyang shouted, and the Vermilion Bird let out a long cry as it rushed into the sea of ​​fire.

Li Yanling felt a wave of heat wash over her, only to see Shi Feiyang swing his bamboo stick, using the "Drowning Dog Beating" technique to knock the burning planks into the river. He then activated his Heavenly Silkworm Technique, using silver threads spitting from his palms to weave a barrier that forcefully blocked the sparks flying everywhere.

The iron chain bridge collapsed behind them with a crash, and Zhuque carried the two of them to the other side.

Looking at Shi Feiyang's scorched clothes and the soot on his handsome face, Li Yanling felt a strange emotion welling up inside her: "Thank you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shi Feiyang suddenly leaned closer, his warm breath brushing against his ear: "Thank me? How about..."

He pulled out an oil paper package containing two sugar figurines. "Will you repay me with your body?"

Li Yanling was both embarrassed and annoyed, but she saw that his eyes were full of concern, and the sugar figurine in his hand was a man and a woman dressed in wedding attire.

As the downpour subsided, a rainbow appeared on the horizon. Shi Feiyang waved his bamboo stick and laughed, "Look, even the heavens are witnessing our wedding!"

Li Yanling turned her head away, but couldn't help but smile. The shouts of pursuers came from afar. Shi Feiyang put his arm around her waist and leaped onto the Vermilion Bird: "Let's go! After delivering the secret letter, I'll take you to eat Luoyang's most famous peony pastry!"

As Zhuque took flight, Li Yanling gazed at his profile, feeling the warmth of his embrace, and a tender spot in her heart was quietly filled.

The sea of ​​clouds surged like raging waves, and the Vermilion Bird spread its wings and pierced through the nine heavens.

Shi Feiyang leaned against the silk curtain, rhythmically tapping the jade table with a bamboo stick, watching Li Yanling unconsciously stroking the tattered dart flag at her waist.

The sunset glow shone through the curtains onto her pale face, making her almond-shaped eyes appear even brighter, yet concealing an unyielding melancholy.

"Want to hear a story?" She chuckled suddenly, her voice colder than the howling wind outside the tent. "The once prestigious Central Plains Escort Agency is now nothing more than a funeral banner hanging over Luoyang." She tore open her robe, revealing her left shoulder wrapped in gauze, dark red bloodstains winding along the bandage's lines. "This is the Iron-Clad Guard's 'Soul-Chasing Nail,' coated with Western Region snake venom. If it weren't for you…"

Shi Feiyang's bamboo stick suddenly stopped, and the silkworm silk in his palm condensed into a thin chain and then loosened.

He reached down and ripped off his sleeve, roughly but carefully bandaging her wound: "Go on, those scum who dared to injure my beauty, I'll grind their bones to powder and use them as fertilizer for the pine trees." Li Yanling looked at his feigned ease, a strange warmth stirring within her. She took a deep breath and began to recount that bloody ordeal: Three months ago, her father, Li Tianhao, rescued a scholar being chased while escorting goods, only to discover that the man was a henchman raised by the son of Imperial Censor Li Song.

The imperial guards raided the escort agency overnight. My father was imprisoned in the imperial jail on charges of "treason." Li Yunyi, the deputy chief escort, had all his meridians destroyed while protecting the escort team and is now paralyzed in a dilapidated temple on the outskirts of Luoyang.

“The most ridiculous thing is,” she suddenly clenched her fist, her nails digging deep into her palm, “that Li Song and his son actually forged an imperial edict, saying that my father wasn’t escorting goods, but rather soldiers plotting a rebellion! Those镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) who had followed the镖局 (escort agency) for twenty years were beheaded in front of the people at the gates of Luoyang, their blood staining the bluestone slabs…”

Shi Feiyang's eyes instantly turned icy cold. With a slight exertion of his strength, the silkworm threads that emerged from his palm moved uncontrollably within the tent, pulverizing a jade lamp. He reached out and grabbed Li Yanling's wrist, his true energy probing along her meridians: "You went to Jiangdu this time for that blood-written letter that could bring down Li Song?" Li Yanling nodded, pulling out the blood-written letter wrapped in layers of oilcloth from her bosom.

The moment the paper was unfolded, Shi Feiyang gasped – the densely packed characters on the yellowed Xuan paper were all written in blood, with handprints at the end, clearly the fingerprints of more than three hundred wronged people in Luoyang.

“This is evidence that Li Hutu risked his life to collect. He disguised himself as a beggar and begged for food in Luoyang for half a month in exchange for these bloody fingerprints.” Her voice choked with sobs. “But as soon as we left Luoyang, we were ambushed by the Yuwen Clan. My brother-in-law was pierced through the heart by a hail of arrows while protecting me as we broke through the encirclement…” Suddenly, a sharp eagle cry rang out outside the tent.

Shi Feiyang abruptly flung open the tent flap, revealing three signal arrows wrapped in red silk that pierced the sky, exploding in the clouds amidst a foul-smelling green smoke. "It's the Five Poisons Sect's 'Soul Summoning Instruction'," he sneered. "Looks like someone doesn't want this blood-written letter to see the light of day."

Before the words were even finished, a dark, poisonous fog rolled in from the horizon, and a sinister laugh echoed from within it: "Young Master Li, hand over the blood oath, and we'll leave you with a whole corpse!"

Shi Feiyang stared intently as dozens of Five Poisons Sect disciples rode on giant centipede mounts, soaring through the air. Leading them was none other than the Right Protector who had escaped from the Hundred Poison Abyss that day. This man wore a bronze ghost mask and had a glass bottle filled with Gu worms hanging from his waist. With each step he took, countless scorpions and venomous snakes poured out of the bottle's mouth.

"Yan Ling, cover your mouth and nose." Shi Feiyang made a mask out of silkworm silk and covered her face, while he casually tore open his clothes, revealing his muscular chest. "Come on! My skin smells much better than blood-stained letters!"

His bamboo stick suddenly transformed into thousands of green shadows, using a move called "luring the dogs into the village" to draw all the poisonous fog and Gu worms to the mountain peak behind him.

Seeing this, the members of the Five Poisons Sect unleashed the "Ten Thousand Spiders Devouring Heart Formation." Countless palm-sized poisonous spiders wove a black web in the air, and wherever the spider silk passed, even the feathers of the Vermilion Bird emitted a sizzling, corrosive sound.

Seeing this, Li Yanling drew her longsword, and with her "Nine Transformations of a Startling Swan" swordplay and Shi Feiyang's bamboo stick working together, she managed to tear a hole in the poison net.

"Trying to run? Not so easy!" The Right Protector roared, smashing all the glass bottles at his waist at the Vermilion Bird. Crawling out of the bottles were the legendary "Nine-Lives Blood Gu," each worm as thick as an infant's arm, covered in barbs.

Shi Feiyang's pupils contracted sharply. Suddenly, he grabbed Li Yanling and leaped into the air on Zhuque's back: "Yanling, close your eyes!" Heavenly silkworm silk swirled wildly around him, transforming into a giant cocoon that enveloped the two of them.

He unleashed the deadly move "Nine Transformations of the Heavenly Silkworm," where his true energy collided with the poisonous mist of the Gu worms, producing a deafening roar.

Li Yanling heard screams coming from outside while she was inside the cocoon. Suddenly, she felt a tightness around her waist—Shi Feiyang had pulled her into his arms without her noticing, his hot breath spraying on the top of her head: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Once everything had calmed down, Shi Feiyang staggered as he lifted the cocoon. His clothes were tattered, and his chest was covered in bloodstains, but he still forced a smile and said, "How about it? My 'silkworm' is pretty amazing, isn't it?"

Looking at his pale face, Li Yanling suddenly threw herself into his arms, her voice trembling with tears: "Don't work so hard next time..."

Shi Feiyang smiled and embraced her, secretly wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with his fingertips. In the distance, the city walls of Jiangdu were already faintly visible. He looked at the person in his arms, then touched the blood-stained letter in his bosom, a fierce glint in his eyes: "Don't worry, none of those who harmed you will escape." The Vermilion Bird let out a long cry, flapped its wings again, and flew towards Jiangdu. The sea of ​​clouds surged, as if it too was stirring the future of this pair of heroes of the martial world.

The eaves of the Jiangdu palace pierced the leaden clouds, and Shi Feiyang shook his bamboo stick, deliberately making the golden seal of the imperial son-in-law at his waist clang.

Li Yanling's fingertips turned white as she gripped the blood-written letter. Her plain white robes fluttered in the strong wind, making her appear even more heroic than the dragon-patterned flags beneath the palace walls.

"Your Majesty! Your son-in-law has brought 'local specialties'!" Shi Feiyang shouted, jumping up and down on the white marble steps in front of the Taiji Hall.

The spear tips of the three hundred armored guards trembled simultaneously, only to see Yang Guang leaning against the gilded dragon-embroidered couch, clapping his hands and laughing loudly: "Second Prince's style is even more lively than my Rainbow Feather Dance!" As Li Yanling curtsied, Shi Feiyang had already sat down casually on the jade stool, tapping the gold brick floor with his bamboo stick: "Father-in-law, you have no idea, in the battle to quell Zhen Zhai'er, I even dug up his ancestral graves and used them as drums!"

He suddenly pulled out an oil paper package containing half a blackened sesame seed cake. "Look! This is the 'spoils of war' we snatched from the enemy, it smells delicious!" Yang Guang laughed so hard he almost fell over, but the civil and military officials in the hall all turned ashen-faced. Shi Feiyang seized the opportunity to give a signal, and Li Yanling knelt three steps forward, presenting a blood-written letter with both hands: "Your Majesty, please be wise! This is evidence of the crimes of Li Song and his son collected by the Central Plains Escort Agency. Every word is written in blood, I beg Your Majesty..."

"Bring it here!" Yang Guang casually waved the jade-inlaid scroll, but when he noticed the bloodstains on the Xuan paper, his brows furrowed slightly. "In that case, hand it over to Yuwen Huaji for a detailed investigation." He suddenly pointed to the jade pendant at Shi Feiyang's waist, "But Erlang, when did you abduct my precious daughter to Bingzhou?"

Shi Feiyang's eyes darted around, and the silkworm silk that he spat out from his palm silently wrapped around Li Yanling's wrist, then he pulled hard.

Li Yanling gasped and fell into his arms, causing a stir throughout the hall. "Your Majesty, please investigate!" he said solemnly, embracing the beauty. "This is my wife, whom I 'picked up' while I was traveling the martial world!"

Li Yanling was both embarrassed and anxious, secretly pinching the soft flesh of his waist. Shi Feiyang, however, cried out in surprise and jumped away dramatically: "My wife's 'Nine Yin White Bone Claw' is even more powerful than the martial arts of the Yihua Palace!"

Yang Guang laughed so hard he slapped the dragon throne, but in the rain outside the palace, countless dark shadows slithered like venomous snakes.

As they stepped out of the palace gates, dusk had already shrouded Jiangdu in darkness. Suddenly, Shi Feiyang grabbed Li Yanling's sleeve and used a bamboo stick to lift a candied hawthorn from a roadside stall: "Want a skewer? Jiangdu's hawthorns are redder than Yuwen Chengdu's face!"

Before the words were even finished, the iron blades of three hundred Iron-Clad Guards tore through the rain. Li Song's son, Li Qi, stood atop a three-zhang-high chariot, his cold laugh like that of a night owl: "Li Shimin! What is your crime for colluding with rebels?"

Shi Feiyang stuffed a candied hawthorn into Li Yanling's mouth, then raised his left hand, unleashing a silkworm thread from his palm that, like a silver dragon emerging from the sea, instantly wrapped around the throats of seven Iron-Clad Guards. Immediately afterward, he unleashed a desperate move with his right hand! A bamboo stick struck, sending two experts flying backward with screams, crashing through the carved window of a roadside tavern. He suddenly pulled out a leather bag and flung it onto the chariot: "Try my 'Jiangdu Specialty'—Western Region Itch-Relieving Powder!"

The powder mixed with rainwater and exploded, causing the Ironclad Guards to burst into tears and scratch their heads in the mud. Li Qi was furious and unleashed "Nine Thunder Strike" with his sword. Wherever the sword energy reached, the bluestone slabs shattered inch by inch.

Shi Feiyang remained calm and unhurried. He took out a suona from his pocket and began to play a cheerful tune: "Come on! Let's dance a 'disco in the rain'!" The silkworm silk he spat out from his palm turned into sound waves with the rhythm, which actually turned the thunder sword energy into dust.

Li Qi's face turned deathly pale. Just as he was about to order the arrows to be fired, a clear and melodious phoenix cry suddenly came from the sky. The Vermilion Bird spread its wings, which blotted out the sky, and its fiery red tail feathers swept across the city wall, burning the rain of arrows to ashes.

"Let's go!" Shi Feiyang grabbed Li Yanling and leaped onto the bird's back, using a bamboo stick to lift Li Qi's official hat. "Little Li, I'll treat you to a free meal another day!" As the Vermilion Bird flapped its wings, it winked at the Iron-Clad Guards on the ground: "Remember to use soap when you take a bath, everyone. I can smell your sourness even from the clouds!"

The lights of Jiangdu gradually faded into starlight. Li Yanling stared sadly at the blood-stained letter in her arms, soaked by the rain. Shi Feiyang, however, magically produced a brocade box containing a crystal-clear jade pendant: "Don't look so gloomy. I've seen through that old fox Yang Guang's schemes long ago!"

He placed the jade pendant in her palm, and the silkworm threads intertwined at their fingertips to form a love knot. "When we get back to Bingzhou, we'll turn the tables and let these clowns know who's in charge in this martial world!"

A long cry from the Vermilion Bird echoed through the night, startling a flock of crows into flight. Meanwhile, deep within the Jiangdu Palace, Yuwen Huaji stared at the blood-stained letter on his desk, his fingertips tracing the dagger at his waist, his sinister smile twisting into the shape of a venomous snake in the candlelight…

Li Yanling nestled in Shi Feiyang's arms for a while, then suggested returning to Luoyang, specifically to the Central Plains Escort Agency. Shi Feiyang then instructed Zhuque to fly to Luoyang and escort Li Yanling back to the city. Zhuque's wings fluttered, casting a crimson glow on the battlements of Luoyang.

Shi Feiyang, with his arm around Li Yanling and tapping Zhuque's back with a bamboo stick, suddenly yelled, "Good heavens! If the neighbors see us like this, they'll be spreading the word all over the alley tomorrow, saying that Li's daughter has been kidnapped by a wild man!"

Li Yanling's face flushed red, and she pinched his arm hard: "You're always so unruly!" She gazed at the familiar city gate below, her eyes becoming heavy. "I have to go back to the escort agency, to those fallen brothers..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shi Feiyang magically produced an oil paper package containing a miniature镖局 (镖局 is a type of security escort agency) made of sugar syrup, with a crooked flag stuck in it: "Look! This is the new signboard I prepared for you in advance, the five big characters '天下第一镖' (The Number One Escort Agency in the World). I spent half the night writing them on the ground!"

The silkworm silk was wrapped around the two of them like red threads. Li Yanling felt a warm glow in her heart as she watched him act silly.

She grasped his hand, her tone earnest: "Blood for blood. Once I've gathered my old troops, I'll come to Bingzhou to find you. But on the way..."

"Oh my goodness!" Shi Feiyang immediately pulled out a broken bell and hung it on her belt. "See this? This is Zhuque's 'pager'! Just give me a call, and I'll be faster than a food delivery guy!" He then yelled at the bell twice, startling all the birds in the forest into taking flight.

As soon as Zhuque landed, Shi Feiyang helped Li Yanling dismount, then pulled a crumpled brocade pouch from his robes: "Take this! Inside are ointments for treating injuries, little prickles, and..."

He lowered his voice slyly, "A cheesy love letter, you'll read it secretly in bed tonight!" Li Yanling took the brocade pouch, her nose suddenly stinging with tears. Just as she turned around, she heard a wailing voice behind her: "Honey! Come home early! The food's all warmed up for you!"

As soon as Li Yanling's figure disappeared into the city gate, Shi Feiyang scrambled onto Zhuque Mountain, pointed his bamboo stick at the sky, and said, "Let's go! Let's go find my old flame! I heard the flowers in Yihua Palace are in full bloom, let's also mooch a good meal!"

A few days later, Shi Feiyang strolled into a small town in Jiangnan, plopped down in a teahouse, and shouted, "Waiter! Bring me a pot of the strongest liquor, and tell me what's been going on in the martial arts world lately? Especially the gossip about those two beauties from the Yihua Palace!"

The old man in gray at the next table was drinking tea when he heard this and spat it all out. Shi Feiyang immediately leaned over, and a silkworm thread from his palm wrapped around the old man's wrist: "Old man, stop hiding it! Where exactly is Palace Master Yaoyue?"

The old man sneered and suddenly flung out three hidden weapons from his sleeve. Shi Feiyang flicked them off with his bamboo stick, muttering, "Oh ho! Playing with hidden weapons? Watch me show you a 'Great Shift of Heaven and Earth'!" The hidden weapons flew back and pierced the roof beams with a buzzing sound.

The teahouse was in complete chaos. A dozen assassins in black burst through the windows, their curved blades gleaming blue. Shi Feiyang calmly pulled out a rattle drum, shaking it and shouting, "Hey! Are you all here to perform acrobatics? Anyone who can do a somersault gets a reward!"

The silkworm silk he spat out from his left palm "whooshed" out, like a fishing net catching the assassins, who soon collapsed to the ground bleeding from all seven orifices.

"Speak! Where exactly is Palace Mistress Yaoyue hiding?" Shi Feiyang grabbed the old man by the collar, pressing a bamboo stick against his neck. The old man remained defiant: "Want to see her? You'll have to get past the Blood Shadow Sect first!" Just then, a piercing whistle rang out from outside, and the rooftops were filled with countless dark figures. Shi Feiyang's eyes lit up, and he pulled out a firecracker and threw it over: "Happy New Year! Let's all have some fun!"

Amidst the explosions, he darted about in the flashing blades, using his "Lingbo Weibu" (a martial arts technique), cursing under his breath: "Damn it, you've delayed my search for a beauty! I'll beat you so badly your own mothers won't recognize you!" Just as the fight was getting heated, familiar zither music drifted from afar. Shi Feiyang immediately perked up, his Heavenly Silkworm Threads binding the Vermilion Bird's tail: "My grandsons, keep playing! I'm off to chat with a fairy!"

A fierce wind whipped up yellow sand, turning Qiaoshan Mountain a pale yellow. As the Vermilion Bird flapped its wings and swept over the mountain peak where vultures circled, Shi Feiyang suddenly heard a melody from a zither, clear and pure like snowmelt from the Tianshan Mountains, yet carrying a hint of indescribable melancholy.

He knew this melody all too well—back in the back garden of the Yihua Palace, he would often play the zither under the moonlight, and as the strings vibrated, even the jade flowers would fall onto his shoulders. "Strange, who's playing 'Guanghan Qiu' in this godforsaken place?" He lightly tapped the Vermilion Bird's back with his bamboo stick, and the divine bird swooped down like a shooting star toward the source of the music. On the blue stone at the waist of Qiao Mountain, a girl in red was playing the zither with her head bowed, her blood-red robes billowing in the wind, revealing a section of her snow-white wrist.

The string snapped suddenly. The girl looked up in fright, her watery eyes reflecting the crimson wings of the Vermilion Bird, the lingering melody still clinging to her fingertips.

Shi Feiyang rolled to the ground, his bamboo stick drawing a crooked "I was here" mark on the sand. He grinned and said, "Young lady, your playing is terrible, even worse than my maid scratching the wall."

The girl bit her lip, remaining silent, but her fingertips secretly traced the broken string. Only then did Shi Feiyang see her features clearly—her eyes were slightly upturned like cinnabar, but her lips were as pale as paper, clearly indicating unhealed internal injuries. He suddenly leaned closer, silkworm silk forming a fine chain in his palm: "This piece…was it Yaoyue who taught you?"

"How did you know?" The girl looked up abruptly, a string on her zither snapping again. "You...you're Young Master Shi?" Large tears rolled down her cheeks, leaving small craters in the yellow sand. "She said you would come, that you always like to play tricks..."

The wind suddenly picked up, whipping up the girl's stray hairs at her temples.

Shi Feiyang was then surprised to realize that the guqin she was holding was engraved with lotus patterns and was the "Ice String Jade Pillar," a secret treasure of the Yihua Palace. Years ago, he had stolen this guqin and burned it as firewood, and was punished by Yaoyue to copy the "Mingyu Gong" a hundred times. Seeing it now, he felt a sense of familiarity.

"Where is she?" Shi Feiyang slammed his bamboo stick heavily on the ground, and silken threads spread across the hillside like a spider web. "Tell me quickly, did those blind bastards bully her?" The girl suddenly covered her face and wept, her red dress fluttering in the wind like a dancing flame: "Half a month ago, the Six-Fingered Qin Demon led a group to surround the mountain. She told me to hide in the cave and went to fight them herself..."

The strings vibrated, producing a discordant, mournful sound. "I heard the clash of swords, and her music, like the sound of ice cracking... Later she returned covered in blood, clutching this zither, saying she had taken it for me to play..."

Shi Feiyang's pupils contracted sharply, and the silkworm threads at his fingertips uncontrollably shredded the boulder beside him. The girl took out half a jade pendant from her bosom, the white jade stained with dark red blood: "She said when she left that she was going to find a troublemaker named Shi Feiyang, and if she saw you, she would give this to you."

The jade pendant was warm to the touch. It was the very pendant that Yaoyue had made him carve as punishment after he caused trouble at Yihua Palace years ago, with the words "Repent and Turn Over a New Leaf". At that time, he deliberately carved "acting recklessly", which angered Yaoyue for the first time. However, the next day, he found that the jade pendant had been polished back to its original state and the original words were carved neatly.

"What else did she say?" Shi Feiyang's voice was hoarse as he gently wrapped the silkworm silk around the wound on the girl's wrist and channeled his true energy into it.

The girl suddenly grabbed his wrist, a resolute glint in her eyes: "She said she is a girl."

Before he could finish speaking, Shi Feiyang was struck dumb, and the bamboo stick clattered to the ground. The girl smiled bitterly, "I didn't believe it. I thought she looked down on me because of my humble origins and wouldn't accept my feelings... So she unbuttoned her clothes and showed me the cinnabar birthmark on her shoulder..." The wind suddenly stopped at that moment.

Shi Feiyang felt a buzzing in his ears, and the image of Yaoyue's fair neck and the jade hairpin she always wore in her hair appeared before his eyes—it was not a man's hair ornament, but a "cicada hairpin" used by women.

(End of this chapter)