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

Shi Feiyang suddenly recalled countless moments of stealing glances under the moonlight; when she lowered her eyes to pluck the strings, the shadows cast by her eyelashes beneath her eyes were even more delicate than the beauty of a magnolia flower. "And then?" He heard his own voice seem to come from a great distance.

"The demons of the zither came after her, and she fought them all single-handedly." The girl took out a strand of white hair that was wrapped around the zither strings. "I picked this up from her clothes; her hair was originally as black as ink..."

Shi Feiyang suddenly clenched his white hair, and the silkworm threads shot towards the sky like a torrential rain, weaving the huge characters "Inviting the Moon" in the clouds. The Vermilion Bird was startled by the true energy, and its long cry echoed throughout the desert, startling the sand foxes all over the land.

He suddenly burst into laughter, bent down to pick up the bamboo stick, and drew an arrow pointing southeast on the sand: "Come on! I'll take you to find her. If that zither demon dares to harm even a hair on her head, I'll grind their bones into powder and use them as fertilizer for the pine trees!"

The girl looked at the firelight dancing in his eyes, then suddenly burst into laughter through her tears, hoisted the guqin onto her shoulder, and said: "My name is Chu Hongxiao. If you find her, you must pay me three jars of Daughter's Red wine and listen to me play this piece, 'Autumn in the Moon Palace'."

"Alright!" Shi Feiyang answered decisively, but then added, "Miss Chu, you are still recovering from your serious injuries and should not travel far. How about this, I'll heal you for a few more days before you leave!" Chu Hongxiao nodded.

As dusk fell like ink, the Vermilion Bird folded its wings and landed beneath the wind-eroded rocks atop Mount Qiao. Chu Hongxiao, clutching her guqin, huddled at the cave entrance, watching Shi Feiyang string together withered branches with silkworm silk to start a fire. Sparks flew onto his nose, making it look like a sprinkle of gold dust.

"Hungry?" He suddenly turned his head, waving a golden-brown roasted pheasant on a bamboo stick. "My beggar's chicken recipe is so good that even the imperial chefs of the Yihua Palace can't steal it."

As the oil dripped into the fire, the rising aroma mingled with cumin and rosemary, and Chu Hongxiao realized with a start that she hadn't eaten for three days. As she took her first bite, the strings of her zither suddenly hummed.

Shi Feiyang stared at her oily fingertips, then suddenly chuckled, "Back when I caused trouble at Yihua Palace, Yaoyue always punished me by making me chop firewood in the kitchen. Once, I secretly roasted a squirrel-shaped mandarin fish. She came to catch me, drawn by the smell, but stared at the fish's eyes and said, 'Too many killings, a grave sin,' yet she still ate half of it." Chu Hongxiao choked on the chicken, coughing as she looked up, only to see a rare tenderness in his eyes. Silkworm threads wove a fine net in his palm, gently brushing against the old wound on her knee: "When she taught you to play the zither, did she ever say 'The strings break, the threads of love are tangled'?"

“She said playing the zither is like practicing swordsmanship; if the mind is not calm, the strings will not be steady.” Chu Hongxiao touched the white hair on the broken string. “That day she took off her clothes and exposed her shoulders, and I… I felt that the world had shattered. It turns out that there really are such beautiful people in the world, even more beautiful than the fairies in the paintings.”

Shi Feiyang suddenly burst into laughter, startling the bats in the cave into fluttering wildly.

He laughed so hard he bent over, poking the charred pheasant's rear end with a bamboo stick: "If she knew someone thought she was a fairy, she'd probably frown and say 'boring.' Back then, when I praised her as 'as beautiful as a fairy,' she picked up her zither strings and slapped me, saying, 'Your martial arts haven't improved, but you've got a silver tongue.'"

Chu Hongxiao gazed at the leaping flames and suddenly said softly, "When she left, she said that only you in this world could make her make an exception. I asked what exception, and she said, 'Make an exception not to kill noisy people.'"

"Pfft!" Shi Feiyang spat all the wine he had just drunk into the fire, and blue flames rose three feet high.

He wiped his face, but his eyes shone with an astonishing light: "This old woman is finally telling the truth? Back then, when I stole a sip of her Hundred Flowers Wine, she chased me for three miles, but in the end, she handed me the wine in a jade cup and said, 'Don't do it again.'"

The night wind whipped sand against the rocky cave, and Chu Hongxiao suddenly took out a short flute from her waist, brought it to her lips, and played a broken tune. Shi Feiyang recognized it as "Zhe Gui Ling," but it had a more desolate feel than the version from Yihua Palace.

He took out a bamboo stick and struck the fire pit. The silkworm silk turned into silver threads, weaving a phantom image of someone inviting the moon to play the zither in the firelight.

"Do you know why she always wears white?" Shi Feiyang suddenly asked, using a bamboo stick to lift a strand of Chu Hongxiao's hair. "According to the rules of Yihua Palace, the Palace Master must sever all emotions and love, and wear white clothes as white as snow, untouched by dust. But I have seen the red dress she keeps at the bottom of her trunk, embroidered with twin lotus flowers, the stitches crooked and twisted, as if it had been gnawed by rats."

Chu Hongxiao turned her head sharply, and the short flute fell to the sand. Shi Feiyang picked up the flute and twirled it between his fingertips: "That year, on her birthday, I secretly embroidered this dress. When she found out, there was still half a lotus flower left unfinished."

She hung the skirt in the yard, saying, "It's so ugly even the magnolia flowers would wither," but then she wore it to dance in the moonlight. When I caught her, the tips of her ears were redder than the hem of her skirt.

Suddenly, a wolf howled outside the cave. Chu Hongxiao instinctively moved closer to him, only to see him looking up at the starry sky, a silkworm silk forming a thin chain in his palm, with three pearls strung on it—the very ornament that Yaoyue wore in her hair.

"If she were truly heartless, why would she fight to the death with the Demon of the Qin for you?" Shi Feiyang suddenly grasped her hand, tying the broken string into a bow. "The most foolish person in this world is a hypocritical old woman. When I find her, I will ask her a question in front of the whole world—"

"What do you want to ask?" Chu Hongxiao heard her own heartbeat, which sounded even faster than the desert wind.

Shi Feiyang suddenly grinned, picked up a burning branch with a bamboo stick, and threw it into the sky: "Ask her if she'd like to wear that red dress and accompany me to see all the beautiful flowers in the world!" The burning branch streaked across the night sky, startling a flock of owls.

Suddenly, the Vermilion Bird raised its head and let out a long cry, its voice resounding across the land.

Looking at Shi Feiyang's profile illuminated by the firelight, Chu Hongxiao suddenly recalled the gentle light that occasionally flashed in Yaoyue's eyes when she played the zither—it turned out that some feelings had quietly taken root over the years, just waiting for the spring breeze to come, so that they would break through the soil and bloom into flowers all over the mountains and fields.

She picked up her flute, struck it against his bamboo stick, and blew out a string of cheerful notes.

The pheasant in the fire suddenly fell into the ashes. Shi Feiyang cursed and rushed to rescue it, but when he looked up, he saw Chu Hongxiao's smile—brighter than the stars in the desert.

On the summit of Mount Qiao that night, the wind carried the aroma of charred chicken, the sound of a broken stringed instrument, and a play of light and shadow woven from silkworm silk, yet loneliness was conspicuously absent. For some stories, after a long journey, will eventually reach their most vibrant chapter; and some people, at the end of the sandstorm, will eventually bump into the person they have always longed for.

The night wind, carrying sand and gravel, howled and swirled atop Mount Qiao.

Shi Feiyang was skewering a burnt pheasant with silkworm silk and winking at Chu Hongxiao: "See this? This is called 'Fragrant Beggar's Chicken,' a secret recipe. One bite is better than being a living god!" Before he finished speaking, a sinister gong sound came from the mountains, and thirty-six green Kongming lanterns pierced the night sky, outlining a hideous ghost face pattern in the clouds.

"Hey! Who's holding a funeral here?" Shi Feiyang picked up half a chicken bone with his bamboo stick and waved it at the sky. "Could they be here to freeload?" Chu Hongxiao held her jade flute across her chest and her beautiful eyes scanned her surroundings warily. She saw a dense mass of dark figures emerging from the mountain path. The leader held a long black banner with a pale white skull embroidered on it, dripping with foul-smelling black blood.

"Li Er! Hand over 'The Return of Ten Thousand Poisons' and I'll spare your life!" With a wave of the long banner, a one-eyed old man stepped forward from the crowd. His single eye flashed with an eerie, ghostly blue light, and his right hand was a mutated beast claw covered in poison glands. "I am 'Poison Claw Yama' of the Disaster Relief Gang. Today, I'll show you the power of the 'Netherworld Hundred Poison Hand'!"

"Poisonous Claw? Perfect for adding some seasoning to my roast chicken!" Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out an oil paper package, shook it in the wind, and what fell from the sky was a mixture of chili powder and cumin powder. "Everyone, try my 'Western Region Devil's Seasoning,' guaranteed to make your souls leave your bodies!" The wind and sand swirled up the seasoning powder, instantly filling the battlefield. The members of the Disaster Relief Gang were choked and their eyes were filled with tears, and their formation was thrown into chaos.

"A mere trick!" Venomous Claw Yama roared, slamming out his beastly claws, instantly filling the air with a strong stench of decay.

Shi Feiyang remained calm and composed, wielding his bamboo stick in a "vicious dog blocking the road" formation. Amidst the swirling green shadows, he actually flicked all the poisonous mist from the poisonous claws into the sky.

He raised his left hand, and the silkworm silk that emerged from his palm was like a silver dragon emerging from the sea, wrapping around the opponent's wrist. The moment he injected his inner force, Poison Claw Yama screamed and flew backward, spitting out black blood from his seven orifices. His beast claws melted on the ground into a pool of foul-smelling pus.

"Who else?" Shi Feiyang shouted at the enemy ranks, brandishing his blood-stained bamboo stick. "I need a dishwasher here. If you win, I'll provide meals!" Before he finished speaking, three dark figures pounced like ghosts.

Leading the group was a seductive woman dressed in red, wielding a soft whip covered in barbs, the tip of which emitted a purplish-black poisonous mist; flanking her were a pair of twin brothers, each holding a serrated scimitar with densely engraved incantations on its blade.

"Watch out! This is the Disaster Relief Gang's 'Three Fiends Deadly Formation'!" Chu Hongxiao played her jade flute, the clear and melodious sound transforming into sound waves, attempting to disrupt the enemy formation. Shi Feiyang, however, suddenly pulled out a suona (a type of Chinese wind instrument) and began playing "Little Apple" at the woman with the soft whip: "You are my little apple, I can never love you enough!" The silkworm silk that he produced from his left palm transformed into threads in sync with the music, wrapping around the soft whip, and he yanked it sharply.

The woman couldn't stop in time and ended up whipping one of the twin brothers, leaving him with a bloody wound.

"You brat, prepare to die!" The twin brothers roared in fury, their scimitars flashing like two balls of cold light as they unleashed the "Blood Shadow Chain Slash."

Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Illusory Demon Step," weaving through the flashing blades like a butterfly, and with his bamboo staff, he struck the wrists of the two men with the "Shu Dog Barks at the Sun" technique.

Taking advantage of the moment, the Heavenly Silkworm Silk shot out, wrapping around the throats of the two men like a spider web. As they circulated their inner energy, the two screamed and flew backward, crashing into the mountain wall, their brains splattering. In the center, the poisonous mist suddenly thickened to the thickness of ink.

A man in black robes slowly walked out on a "path" paved with skulls. He wore a bronze mask on his face, with a blood-red gem embedded in his forehead. In his hand, he held a twelve-foot-long "soul-capturing banner," on which countless distorted human faces could be vaguely seen struggling.

"I am the leader of the Disaster Relief Gang, 'Emperor Wuchang'. Li Er, if you do not hand over 'The Return of Ten Thousand Poisons', today will be your death day!"

"Your Majesty?" Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a mirror and looked at the other person. "Are you sure you didn't run off a stage with that look on you?" The Soul-Capturing Banner was suddenly waved, and the black mist transformed into a huge ghost phantom that opened its blood-red maw and went straight for Shi Feiyang.

Shi Feiyang unleashed a move called "Beating a Dog While It's Drowning!" His bamboo staff struck the illusory figure's brow with tremendous force. Heavenly silkworm threads, unleashed from his left palm, rained down like a storm, binding the vital points around the Impermanent Emperor's body. The instant his internal energy surged back, the Emperor screamed, his mask shattering to reveal half a rotting face. "Who else!" Shi Feiyang's bamboo staff lifted the Impermanent Emperor's crown, shouting towards the ravaged enemy ranks, "My performance isn't over yet!"

Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar. Yuwen Chengdu rode a fiery warhorse, his gilded halberd gleaming bloodthirsty red in the moonlight: "Li Er, how dare you rebel? Humph! His Majesty has ordered me to lead my troops to arrest you!" Truly, when one is determined to find fault, one can always find a pretext!

"Perfect timing!" Shi Feiyang shook the crown in his hand. "I was just worried about not having anyone to be my audience! Miss Chu, how about we put on a grand finale for General Yuwen?" Chu Hongxiao lightly raised her jade flute, the clear and melodious flute music intertwining with Shi Feiyang's suona music.

The crimson waning moon turned Qiaoshan into a battlefield of carnage. Shi Feiyang picked up a bloody tumor from a bamboo stick and dangled it: "This thing would probably be too fishy to stew in hot pot, so why not feed it to the Vermilion Bird?" Before he finished speaking, the sound of iron hooves crushing bones suddenly rang out on the mountain path. Three hundred Xuanjia Iron Cavalry surged in like a black torrent. Each warhorse had a cold, gleaming barb embedded in its forehead. They were the "Soul-Hooking Iron Cavalry" of the Yuwen Clan.

"Perfect timing! I'm in for a delicious dinner! Hehe!" Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a kaleidoscope and waved it wildly at the cavalry. "Kids, want to see a moving shadow puppet show?"

The silkworm silk he spat out from his left palm shot out from the tube, weaving countless mirrors in the air and refracting the moonlight into blinding, chaotic light. The iron cavalry formation was thrown into chaos. The warhorses were jolted into rearing up, throwing their riders off. The barbed iron chains became entangled and strangled dozens of men in an instant.

Before the smoke and dust had cleared, twelve experts wearing bronze masks leaped up, stepping over the corpses, their judge's pens gleaming with a poisonous blue light.

The leader swung the chains, and the skull at the end of the chains suddenly opened its blood-red maw: "Li Er, taste my 'Twelve Judgments of Impermanence'!" The judge's pens formed the Big Dipper formation, and the ground cracked inch by inch wherever they passed, actually unleashing the long-lost "Mysterious Ghost Claw".

"Oh ho! The new hell isn't finished yet?" Shi Feiyang wielded his bamboo staff in a "interlocking fangs" style, his emerald shadow flashing as he flicked the poisonous light into the sky. Heavenly silkworm silk transformed into silver snakes, binding the chains, and with a sudden, powerful tug, the twelve men, unable to stop in time, stabbed each other in the vital points, blood gushing into the air like fountains. He didn't forget to shake his head at the corpses: "This batch of hellish employees is incompetent!"

A sudden gust of mountain wind blew aside the black banners behind the iron cavalry, revealing the mysterious guest on the palanquin. This person was dressed in a black robe with nine pythons and wore a jade cicada crown. With a light wave of his folding fan, thousands of silver needles shot through the air, which turned out to be the "Rain of Pear Blossom Needles," a technique lost by the Tang Clan of Sichuan.

"Li Shimin, hand over 'The Return of All Poisons' and I'll spare your life." The voice was like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, with a hissing sound that made one's teeth ache.

"A whole corpse takes up more space!" Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a huge magnet, wrapped it in silkworm silk to form a shield, "Try my 'Star Absorbing Technique Enhanced Version'!" All the silver needles were attracted to the magnet, and he flicked it with his backhand, sending the hidden weapon flying back like a meteor. The black-robed man hurriedly waved his fan to block it, but the fan surface was instantly riddled with holes.

The black-robed man flew into a rage, unfurling his folding fan to reveal a nine-section steel whip, the tip of which was coiled with a live snake. "Taste my 'Nine Netherworld Serpent Whip'!" As the steel whip swung, the venomous snake spewed poisonous mist, instantly corroding the ground and creating countless deep pits.

Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Dog-Tossing-to-the-Sky" technique, using a bamboo stick to pin down the snake's head. Silkworm silk surged into the snake's body like a tidal wave, inflating it into a giant balloon that burst with a "bang," spraying blood and gore across the entire area.

At this moment, three hundred iron cavalry suddenly formed the "Iron Pagoda Formation," both men and horses clad in heavy armor, their spears forming a dense, impenetrable forest. A sinister laugh echoed from within the formation: "Li Er, this formation can even crush city walls!"

Shi Feiyang pulled out a suona and began to play the cheerful "Heroes' Song." The silkworm silk transformed into thousands of strings, resonating with the flute music.

Wherever the sound waves reached, pieces of armor shattered, and cavalrymen bled from their ears and noses, falling from their horses one after another.

Seeing the situation was dire, the man in black robes flicked a bronze compass from his sleeve. As the compass spun, darkness suddenly descended upon the world. "This is the 'Sun and Moon Obliteration Array' I purchased from Persia. Today is your death day!"

Shi Feiyang remained calm and unhurried, pulling out a firefly lantern: "Afraid of the dark? I'll give you a portable streetlight!" The silkworm silk wrapped around the firefly, weaving a huge Bagua diagram in the air. Wherever the light shone, the formation collapsed.

The man in black robes revealed his true identity; he was none other than the "Master of Poisonous Schemes," the strategist of the Yuwen clan.

He pulled out his final trump card—a bronze cauldron emitting green smoke: "This is the 'Bone-Melting Cauldron,' which melts upon contact!"

Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out an iron pot, magnifying it a hundredfold with the silkworm silk: "What a coincidence! I was just thinking of having hot pot!" The bone-dissolving poisonous smoke was completely absorbed by the iron pot, and he even shouted into the pot: "Spicier or more numbing?"

In despair, Bai Xiaosheng ignited explosives all over his body and charged forward. Shi Feiyang, however, used the "Illusionary Demon Step," his silken threads binding him and flinging him like a puppet towards the iron cavalry. Amidst the explosions, the summit of Qiaoshan was a scene of utter devastation. Shi Feiyang dusted himself off and used his bamboo stick to lift a strand of Chu Hongxiao's hair: "Miss, was this show entertaining enough?"

Chu Hongxiao lightly raised her jade flute, the sound carrying a hint of laughter: "Next time, it's their turn to be the audience."

The smoke from the battle atop Mount Qiao had not yet dissipated when the Vermilion Bird spread its massive crimson feathers, leaving behind the carnage of limbs scattered on the ground. Chu Hongxiao, her jade flute resting on her lap, gazed at the bloodstains still stained on Shi Feiyang's handsome face, suddenly finding the crimson stains making his features even more captivating. Her fingertips unconsciously traced the broken string, and finally, unable to contain herself, she spoke: "Aren't you Young Master Shi? Why do those bandits all call you Li Er?"

Shi Feiyang leaned against Zhuque's neck, using a bamboo stick to pick up a blood-stained fragment of black armor. He suddenly brought it close to her nose: "Miss, smell this metallic scent. Is there a hint of gossip mixed in with it?" Seeing Chu Hongxiao frown and pull away, he casually lay down again, his silken fingers weaving gold-rimmed glasses onto his nose: "To be honest—by day I'm the formidable Shi Feiyang, but at night..."

Before the words were finished, a sharp cry of an eagle suddenly came from the sky. Seven giant eagles swooped down, each talon gripping a black-clad assassin. The black gunpowder pouches wrapped around the assassins' waists gleamed eerily in the moonlight.

"Perfect timing! I was just wondering what to do for a midnight snack!" Shi Feiyang sat up abruptly, tapping the Vermilion Bird's feathers with his bamboo stick. "Watch closely, young lady, I'm going to perform an aerial acrobatics act for you!"

He raised his left hand, and the silkworm silk that emerged from his palm was like a silver dragon emerging from the sea, wrapping around the wings of the foremost giant eagle.

Using the momentum, Shi Feiyang leaped into the air, somersaulted, and used his bamboo stick to perform the "Vicious Dog Blocks the Way" move, sending the three assassins flying toward the gunpowder sac.

"Boom!" Flames shot into the sky, and the remaining assassins were filled with shock and anger, simultaneously throwing out their "throat-locking hooks." But he calmly took out a rattle drum, and with a "thump-thump," the silkworm silk transformed into sound waves, which actually shattered the iron hook into dust.

"It's not over yet!" Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a kite, magnifying it dozens of times with the silkworm silk. He pulled the kite string and charged towards the enemy formation. Chu Hongxiao only felt a blur before her eyes, and the assassins were actually entangled into giant "human dumplings" by the kite string.

The Vermilion Bird swooped down at the opportune moment, its sharp claws snatching up the rice dumplings and hurling them far into the valley, their screams echoing through the night. Chu Hongxiao stared in disbelief, nearly dropping her jade flute. Shi Feiyang, dusting himself off with gunpowder, sat back down and suddenly leaned close to her ear: "Now we can reveal the answer—Li Er, of course, is the mischievous second son of Li Yuan's family!"

Seeing her eyes widen, she magically produced a gold medal, the words "Li Mansion" gleaming in the firelight.

"That stone flies..." Before Chu Hongxiao could finish speaking, a sudden burst of hoofbeats came from below.

Three thousand Xuanjia soldiers, carrying the "Yuwen" banner, surrounded the hilltop completely. From the formation, an old man with a dragon-headed cane slowly emerged, his white hair moving without wind. He was none other than Yuwen Tiance, the ancestor of the Yuwen clan.

"Li Shimin!" The old man slammed his cane on the ground, causing the entire mountain to tremble. "Hand over 'The Return of Ten Thousand Poisons,' and I will spare your life!"

"A complete corpse? That's too kind!" Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument) and began playing the cheerful "Step by Step Higher." The silkworm threads he spat from his left palm transformed into thousands of silver snakes, entangling the Xuanjia Army's weapons. His bamboo clubs unleashed a "pack of dogs fighting for food" maneuver, throwing their formation into chaos. He didn't forget to wink at Chu Hongxiao: "See that? This is called 'feinting to the east while attacking the west,' the real killing move is here!"

Before he could finish speaking, the Vermilion Bird suddenly swooped down. Shi Feiyang unleashed a giant net woven from celestial silkworm silk, covering Yuwen Tiance from head to toe.

The old man roared and unleashed his "Mysterious Netherworld Palm," only to see Shi Feiyang pull out a bronze mirror, its surface now adorned with a comical ghost face. The palm strike struck the mirror, but was reflected back, causing Yuwen Tianze to stagger backward, black blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Want to know where the 'Return of All Poisons' is?" Shi Feiyang approached, swinging his bamboo stick, his silkworm silk wrapping around the old man's wrist. "Actually, it's right here..." He suddenly pulled out an oil paper package, inside which was half a moldy sesame seed cake. "Here! Hahaha!"

Before the laughter subsided, the Heavenly Silkworm Silk suddenly exerted its force, and Yuwen Tianze screamed as he was sent flying backward, crashing into the commander's flag behind him and shattering it.

Looking at the figure laughing wildly in the enemy ranks, Chu Hongxiao suddenly realized that the nickname "Li Er" was not an exaggeration.

The night wind ruffled Shi Feiyang's clothes. As he turned, a smile played on his lips. The moonlight bathed his handsome face in a silvery glow. He swung his bamboo staff casually, yet it possessed a myriad of powerful movements. "Remember this," he said, leaping onto the Vermilion Bird and extending his hand to her, "Whether it's Shi Feiyang or Li Er, they are both the mischievous devils who can protect you!"

The moment Chu Hongxiao placed her hand in his palm, she finally understood that in this bloody world of martial arts, the most moving thing was not martial arts manuals, but the cunning yet sincere smile of the person before her. A fierce wind, carrying sand and gravel, swept across the mountain peak like a knife, yet the summit of Qiao Mountain felt even more desolate than the biting wind.

Shi Feiyang leaned against the Vermilion Bird's wings, picking his teeth with a silkworm's silk, watching the dark figures surging like a tide along the mountain path, his bamboo stick spinning in his palm, leaving afterimages. "Miss Chu, look at these people, their formation is more lively than a temple fair."

Chu Hongxiao held her jade flute across her chest, her beautiful eyes wary. She saw seventy-two men in black carrying a pitch-black coffin slowly moving forward. Green, viscous liquid seeped from the coffin's cracks, instantly withering any vegetation in its path. On the coffin sat an old man with a deathly pale face, dressed in a robe embroidered with skulls. As he shook a copper bell in his hand, countless red-headed centipedes crawled out from the ground.

"Is the visitor 'Old Man of a Thousand Centipedes'? I've heard so much about you!" Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a bamboo cricket cage. "I've heard that your centipede-taming skills are unparalleled. I happen to have a 'Victorious General' here. How about a fight?"

After saying that, a large rooster covered in realgar ran out of the cage, walked proudly towards the centipede swarm.

The old man with the thousand centipedes' expression changed drastically. He shook his copper bell frantically, only to see the centipedes turn tail and flee. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shi Feiyang used "luring the dogs into the village," his bamboo stick dancing out thousands of green shadows, and the silkworm silk shooting out like silver snakes, wrapping around the black-clad man's ankle.

"Sweep the two mastiffs horizontally!" With a sweeping motion of the bamboo stick, the seventy-two men, along with their coffins, tumbled down the cliff, the explosion shaking the mountainside.

Before the dust had settled, a piercing eagle's cry suddenly rang out in the air. Twelve experts dressed in golden robes swooped down on giant gyrfalcons, their golden claws gleaming with a ghostly blue light—these were the "Twelve Golden Claw Guards" of the Yuwen Clan.

The leader sneered, his golden claws slicing through the night sky, leaving a trail of purple lightning: "Li Shimin, taste the power of my 'Nine Heavens Thunder Claw'!"

"Lightning Claw? I have a lightning rod here!" Shi Feiyang pulled out an iron pot and placed it on his head, securing it firmly with silkworm silk from his left palm. The moment the lightning claw struck, the iron pot suddenly burst forth with blinding golden light, and a powerful current bounced back along the silkworm silk.

The twelve guards screamed as they fell from the sky, their bodies charred black.

"Who else!" Shi Feiyang shouted, only to see a white-robed scholar slowly walking towards them from afar, gently waving a folding fan in his hand, exuding elegance.

The scholar spoke, his voice as cold as ice: "I am 'Jade-Faced Zhuge,' and I have come to test Li Er's skills." With that, he waved his folding fan, and countless silver needles mixed with a sleeping potion wafted towards him. At the same time, a Bagua diagram suddenly rose from the ground around him.

Shi Feiyang remained calm and took out a kaleidoscope from his robes. Silkworm threads shot out from the tube's opening, weaving countless mirrors in the air. The incense and silver needles struck the mirrors and reflected back, prompting the Jade-Faced Zhuge to quickly wave his fan to deflect them.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shi Feiyang used the "Hound Snatching the Staff" technique, his bamboo stick coiling around the fan handle like a nimble snake, and pulled hard. As the Jade-Faced Zhuge staggered, a brocade pouch fell from his arms.

"Great! There's a treasure hidden inside!" Shi Feiyang snatched the brocade pouch, took out the military treatise inside, and saw that it read "Methods to Break the Formation".

He laughed heartily, "Thank you for your help, brother!" The silkworm threads flowing from his left palm moved rapidly across the array diagram, reversing the formation according to the military manual.

The jade-faced Zhuge Liang was dumbfounded. Before he could react, he was riddled with crossbow bolts fired from the formation.

At that moment, the deafening sound of horses' hooves echoed from the foot of the mountain.

Thirty thousand Xuanjia soldiers formed the "Iron Pagoda Formation," their men and horses all clad in heavy armor, their spears like a forest, raising clouds of dust wherever they went. A powerful voice rang out from within the formation: "Li Shimin, you plotted rebellion, secretly hoarded weapons, and spread rumors to slander His Majesty. Now, the soldiers are here by imperial decree to arrest you. Surrender obediently, or today will be your death day!"

Shi Feiyang looked at the army, which resembled a black torrent, and suddenly pulled out a huge kite, which he magnified dozens of times with silkworm silk.

He turned to Chu Hongxiao and winked: "Miss, let's go fly a kite!"

The sounds of the jade flute and the suona rang out simultaneously. The silkworm silk that Shi Feiyang spat out from his palms transformed into thousands of strings, resonating with the flute's melody. Wherever the sound waves reached, pieces of iron armor shattered, and cavalrymen bled from their ears and noses, falling from their horses one after another.

"One last move!" Shi Feiyang pulled out a sack filled with lime powder, his palms shimmering with a crystalline light, and countless silken threads lifted it high into the air. "The wind is picking up!" he shouted, and the sack was thrown into the air, the lime powder spreading like white smoke.

The Xuanjia Army was immediately blinded and their formation was thrown into chaos.

Taking advantage of the situation, Shi Feiyang used his "desperate move" technique, striking the core of the formation with his bamboo stick, causing the entire Iron Pagoda Formation to collapse with a roar.

At the summit of Mount Qiao, the smoke of battle had dissipated. Shi Feiyang, brandishing a blood-stained bamboo stick, shook his head at the chaotic enemy ranks scattered on the ground: "This year's opponents are no good; they weren't even enough to warm me up."

Looking at the confident smile on his handsome face, Chu Hongxiao couldn't help but lightly raise her jade flute, and the clear and melodious flute sound echoed in the mountains.

A fierce wind howled across the summit of Mount Qiao, carrying sand and gravel. Suddenly, twelve enormous gyrfalcons tore through the clouds, their sharp cries echoing as the leader of the Twelve Golden Claw Guards, clad in black-gold armor, swooped down, his feet treading on lightning.

The Nine Heavens Thunder Claw in his hand crackled with purple lightning, and wherever it passed, the air emitted a piercing explosion, leaving a charred trail in the void.

"Li Shimin! Today I will show you the thunderous wrath of the Yuwen clan!" The leader roared, and his lightning claws slashed down, instantly turning the rocks within a ten-zhang radius into dust.

Just as Chu Hongxiao was about to play her jade flute, Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a large bronze gong, and silkworm silk coiled around the gong mallet like a serpent: "Perfect timing! I've been needing a night watchman!"

The gong boomed, making the gyrfalcon's wings tremble. Shi Feiyang unleashed his "Illusionary Demon Steps," swaying left and right amidst the lightning, his bamboo staff wielding the "Vicious Dog Blocking the Way" technique, the emerald shadows flashing as he guided the lightning claws into the sky. Taking advantage of the moment, the silkworm silk he spat out from his left palm wrapped around the eagle's claws, and with a sudden tug, the leader, unable to stop in time, was swept away and tumbled through the air.

"Is that all you've got?" Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a leather bag full of chili powder, shook it in the wind, and said, "Try my 'Western Region Sunbathing Powder'!" The strong powder was swept up by the gale and rushed straight to the face of the gyrfalcon.

The giant eagle's eyes suddenly stung, and it frantically flapped and spun in the air, throwing the Twelve Guards' formation into chaos.

The leader was furious. He formed a hand seal, and the purple lightning on his lightning claws surged three times: "Thunderous Might!" Terrifying lightning poured down like a waterfall, turning the entire mountaintop into an eerie purple.

Shi Feiyang remained calm. Silkworm threads wove a giant bronze mirror above his head, its surface now covered with comical faces. Lightning struck the mirror, only to be reflected back. The leader's expression changed drastically. In his haste, he swung his claws to block, but with a crack, the lightning claws shattered into pieces.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shi Feiyang used the "Reverse Strike on the Dog's Buttocks" technique, striking the opponent's lower back with the bamboo stick like lightning, and the silkworm silk surged into his meridians like a tide.

"Ah—" The leader screamed as he plummeted from the sky, his black-gold armor covered in spiderweb-like cracks. Shi Feiyang, however, was in no hurry to finish him off. Instead, he pulled out a suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument) and began playing the cheerful "Little Cowherd": "My friend, even jumping off a cliff requires some style!"

The silkworm silk he spat out from his left palm transformed into a ribbon, wrapping around his opponent's ankle and swung it in a beautiful arc through the air, slamming him hard against the rocks. Seeing their leader defeated, the Twelve Golden Claw Guards unleashed their "Twelve Thunder Formations."

Twelve gyrfalcons formed a mysterious formation in the air, their purple lightning weaving into a cage that trapped Shi Feiyang in the center.

Chu Hongxiao played her jade flute urgently, trying to disrupt the formation, but Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a huge kite, which he magnified dozens of times with the silkworm silk that he spat out from his left palm.

"Miss Chu, watch closely!" Shi Feiyang pulled the kite string and rushed into the thunder array, the silkworm silk transforming into thousands of strings in sync with the music.

The sound waves collided with the lightning, erupting in a dazzling display. He unleashed "A Pack of Dogs Fighting for Food," his bamboo staff weaving like a dragon, shattering the lightning array. The Twelve Guards screamed as they plummeted from the sky, their golden claws smashing deep craters into the ground.

As the smoke cleared, Shi Feiyang brandished his blood-stained bamboo stick and shook his head at the leader who was lying on the ground convulsing: "I told you, if you're going to fight me, you'd better prepare a coffin first."

He crouched down, used a bamboo stick to lift the other man's helmet, revealing a face covered in blood. "Next time you're reincarnated, remember to choose a smarter master!" With that, he flicked the silkworm silk and tossed the man far into the valley.

Chu Hongxiao watched Shi Feiyang laughing wildly amidst the enemy ranks, and her jade flute trembled slightly.

The moonlight shone on his handsome face, making his eyes brighter than the stars in the sky.

The morning mist on Qiaoshan Mountain was so thick that it seemed to hang in the air, like a huge gray curtain covering the mountaintop.

Shi Feiyang was weaving a wreath with silkworm silk, intending to put it on Chu Hongxiao, when he suddenly heard a strange copper bell sound coming from the mist. Seven blood-red lanterns slowly drifted through the mist, and the two characters "Death Sent" on the lanterns twisted and deformed in the wind, as if they were alive.

"Heh heh, whose soul-summoning team is this?" Shi Feiyang lightly tapped the ground with his bamboo stick, and the silkworm silk darted into the mist like silver snakes. The mist suddenly surged violently, and twelve experts wearing blue-faced, fanged masks emerged from the mist, each holding a chain with a hideous ghost head at the end, spewing foul-smelling black mist from their mouths—these were none other than the "Twelve Ghost Messengers of the Underworld," feared throughout the martial world.

The leader of the ghost messengers swung the chains in his hand, and the ghosts let out a shrill howl. The black mist instantly transformed into countless ghostly phantoms that rushed towards them.

"Perfect timing! I'm just looking for an audience!" Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a stage mask, magnified it dozens of times with silkworm silk, and put it on his face. He swung his bamboo stick and performed "Disrupting the Doghouse." As the green shadows flew, he actually shattered the illusory image into pieces.

"A mere trick!" the leader of the ghost messengers roared. The twelve ghost messengers simultaneously formed hand seals, and the chains intertwined to form a huge ghost-faced cage. Wherever they passed, even the air seemed to groan in pain.

Chu Hongxiao's jade flute rang out urgently, attempting to disrupt the formation with sound waves. However, Shi Feiyang pulled out a sack full of soybeans and tossed it high into the air with silkworm silk: "Heavenly Maiden Scattering Beans!" Golden beans fell like raindrops, bouncing and scattering on the cage, making a crisp "ding-dong" sound that echoed Chu Hongxiao's flute music.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shi Feiyang used the "luring the dogs into the village" technique, picking up several beans with a bamboo stick and shooting them like hidden weapons at the ghost messengers' acupoints. The silkworm silk he spat out from his left palm transformed into fine threads, which burrowed into the ghost messengers' bodies along the chains, instantly sealing their meridians.

The ghost messengers screamed and flew backward, their masks shattering to reveal faces covered in corpse spots. Shi Feiyang, however, was not satisfied. He took out a rattle drum and shook it vigorously. The silkworm silk wove a huge Bagua diagram in the air in rhythm, absorbing all the remaining black mist.

"Who else!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the fog.

A sinister laugh echoed from the depths of the fog, and an old man in a blood-red robe slowly emerged, leaning on a white bone staff. The hem of his robe was embroidered with dense patterns of human skin, making him none other than the "Human Skin Tai Sui," who had disappeared from the martial arts world for many years.

"Li Shimin, you destroyed my Twelve Ghost Messengers, today I will make you pay for your blood debt!" The old man waved his white bone staff, and the ground suddenly cracked open, with countless arms extending from the ground, each hand wrapped in human skin that emitted a foul stench.

"Human skin? I hate wasting things!" Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a huge sewing basket, and the silkworm silk turned into silver needles that flew through the air, actually sewing those human skin arms into huge rag dolls.

Shi Feiyang unleashed his "Old Dog Begging for Mercy" move! The bamboo stick struck the puppet heavily, causing it to collapse and crush the human-skinned Tai Sui beneath it. The silkworm silk that he spat out from his left palm surged forth like a tide, binding the old man's entire body.

Shi Feiyang approached, swinging his bamboo stick: "I heard you like collecting human skin?" He suddenly pulled out a clown mask, "How about I give you a new skin?" The silkworm silk he spat out from his left palm instantly transformed into a mask and forcibly stuck to the old man's face.

The human-skinned monster let out a shrill scream, its entire body of human skin began to twist and deform, and finally it turned into a bloody, mangled monster.

Shi Feiyang wrinkled his nose in disgust, then used the Heavenly Silkworm Silk to toss the monster far into the valley.

“Miss Chu,” he turned to Chu Hongxiao, whose jade flute trembled slightly, raising an eyebrow, “did this play suit your taste?” The morning mist gradually dissipated, and sunlight shone on his handsome face, making his cunning eyes sparkle. (End of Chapter)