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

Black smoke billowed from Mangshan Mountain outside Luoyang City, and seventy-two large cowhide drums painted with evil spirits were beaten with deafening force.

Shi Feiyang raised an eyebrow and said jokingly, "This drumming... could it be someone's putting on a rock concert?"

Before the words were finished, three hundred black-clad assassins charged out of the dense forest to the beat of drums. Each of them carried a bamboo tube that continuously spewed out a foul-smelling white mist, and wherever they passed, the green grass instantly turned into black water.

"Oh ho! You're even using biological weapons, huh?" Shi Feiyang teased again, slamming his bamboo stick into the ground. As he circulated his Mingyu Gong (a martial arts technique), his body shimmered with a glassy sheen, even his hair seemed to be covered in tiny ice crystals. He suddenly pulled out a gas mask and put it on, a crookedly drawn smiley face on it, saying, "Gentlemen, isn't my 'fashion item' way cooler than your poisonous fog?"

The leader of the assassins roared, his iron fan unfolding into a flail covered in barbs. He unleashed the "Whirlwind Sweep" technique and coldly sneered, "Taste the 'Thousand Machines Corroding Mist'!"

The flail swept across, and the white mist instantly transformed into thousands of poisonous needles, the sound of them piercing the air like the hiss of venomous snakes.

Shi Feiyang lightly touched the ground with his toes and used "Lingbo Weibu" to shuttle through the poisonous fog. At the same time, he used "Yihua Jieyu". Just as the barbs on the iron fan were about to touch the corner of his clothes, they strangely changed direction and instead stabbed his own brother, causing him to scream in agony.

"Take this! 'Hundred Victories Blade Technique Slays the Mortal World'!" Shi Feiyang suddenly roared, his palms transforming into fiery blades of light, the golden waves of energy rising from his palms like crashing waves, with the force of "overwhelming mountains and seas".

Three assassins, shields and all, were slammed into the earthen mound. After a muffled thud, flesh and blood mixed with shield fragments exploded like fireworks. Shi Feiyang, however, didn't forget to shake his head at the corpses and sneered, "This year's contestants are no good. They can't even withstand 30% of my power!"

Just then, melodious flute music drifted from the mountaintop.

Shi Feiyang looked up and saw twelve women in white slowly descending on a giant centipede. The sound waves from their jade flutes could even shatter stones into dust—it was a variant of the Five Poisons Sect's "Sad Breeze".

"This is... the Five Poisons Sect's 'Ten Thousand Poisons Listening to the Flute'?" Li Yanling asked in shock, her hand holding the sword trembling slightly.

"What's there to be afraid of?" Shi Feiyang said domineeringly, suddenly pulling out a suona. "Using sound to counter sound, I'm the best at it!" He stuffed the suona into his mouth and began to play the cheerful "Heroes' Song," the silkworm silk transforming into thousands of strings with the melody.

The moment the sound waves collided, a deafening roar resounded throughout the world. Shi Feiyang secretly unleashed his "Lion's Roar" divine skill, causing the giant centipedes to explode one after another, splashing green juice all over the sky.

The women in white paled instantly, simultaneously drawing their poison sacs. "Not good! It's 'Nine Netherworld Fire'!" Ma Wuqing shouted. Purple flames instantly enveloped everyone, and wherever they touched, the air crackled with unbearable force.

Shi Feiyang remained calm and unhurried. He took out a huge bronze mirror and said, "Come on, look in the mirror and see whose face is darker!" He activated the Mingyu Gong and combined it with the wonder of "Dou Zhuan Xing Yi". The light reflected by the bronze mirror collided with the Netherworld Fire and actually deflected all the flames back.

The women in white were unable to dodge in time and were instantly engulfed by their own flames, their shrill screams echoing through the valley.

"Who else wants to see my latest performance!" Shi Feiyang stood in the center of the flames, his clothes fluttering in the wind, like a war god descending to earth, yet he asked with great ease.

However, his response was met with a sickening sound of bones grinding together. A giant clad in human skin crawled out of the ground, leaving deep, bloody footprints with each step. "I am the 'Blood Corpse Grand Duke' of the Netherworld Cult, and today I will take your life!"

"You dare to mess with the Grand Duke Jupiter?" Shi Feiyang mocked, then suddenly pulled out a back scratcher. "Perfect timing!" He then unleashed the "Hundred Victories Saber Technique: Breaking the Universe," his palm wind like the primordial chaos that created the world, containing the fierce power of the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" and the smooth, agile movements of "Tai Chi."

The Blood Corpse Tai Sui swung his fist, only to find that his arm suddenly became uncontrollable. Shi Feiyang used the "Ambidextrous Fighting" technique, combined with the strange methods of the "Nine Yin Manual," to make the Blood Corpse Tai Sui's arm smash into his own head instead.

Shi Feiyang suddenly activated the Heavenly Silkworm Divine Skill, and the Heavenly Silkworm Silk that came out from his left palm shot out like a silver snake, wrapping around the neck of the Blood Corpse Tai Sui.

He yanked hard, tearing the head off. "Done!" he laughed, clapping his hands. But then he saw dust billowing in the distance, and the Yuwen Clan's elite cavalry had arrived, forming a long, single-line formation.

"Madam, watch closely!" Shi Feiyang called out to Li Yanling, then leaped onto the Vermilion Bird. The silkworm threads he spat from his left palm wove into a giant banner in the air, which read, "Welcome the Yuwen family to deliver their heads." He turned to Li Yanling and winked, "Yanling, after the fight, remember to treat me to a Luoyang water banquet, the kind with double the meat!"

Before the Yuwen clan's Xuanjia army even got close, Mangshan was already soaked in blood.

Shi Feiyang stood atop the fiery wings of the Vermilion Bird, his fingertips wielding silken threads that flowed like a cascading river, instantly weaving a three-zhang-long banner. The six blood-red characters, "Specially Cures Ghostly Howls and Wolf Cries," fluttered in the wind. Chu Hongxiao held her jade flute across her chest, only to see Shi Feiyang suddenly pull out a string of candied hawthorns, waving it at the pursuers below, and loudly proclaiming, "Gentlemen, wanna have a bite before we fight? The sugar coating on these hawthorns is much sweeter than your poisonous fog!"

Before the words were finished, eighteen dark figures arrived, stepping on bronze war drums. The leader was covered in black iron scales crawling with corpse worms, and behind him were twelve bone-piercing nails that gleamed with a ghostly blue poisonous light; he was none other than the "Twelve Deadly Guests".

"The King of Hell has issued a decree!" The crimson threads binding the nails instantly swelled, weaving a blood-red cage in the air, sizzling and corroding wherever they passed. Shi Feiyang lightly waved his folding fan, which unfolded into a funhouse mirror. Heavenly silkworm threads, like nimble snakes, shot out from his palm as he mockingly said, "Look in the mirror and see who looks more like a vengeful ghost!" The intense light reflected from the mirror collided with the blood net, unleashing a deafening roar.

Shi Feiyang used the "Lingbo Weibu" technique, his figure transforming into nine layers of illusions, weaving through the rain of nails like a butterfly. Suddenly, he touched the ground with his toes and used the heaven-defying technique "Yihua Jieyu," causing the twelve bone-piercing nails to reverse direction and drive into the face of the fatal guest.

Amidst the flying blood and gore, Shi Feiyang didn't forget to make a few sarcastic remarks: "These nails are no good quality, they're not as handy as the silver needles I use to clean my ears!"

Suddenly, a loud crash of chains tearing through rocks came from underground, and seventy-two burly men, their bodies wrapped in barbed iron chains, burst out of the ground.

Their "meat grinder formation" was like a mobile steel fortress; wherever the chains swept, boulders turned to dust, and trees were snapped in half. A chilling laugh echoed from within the formation: "Li Er, taste the feeling of being pierced through the heart by a thousand chains!"

Suddenly, Shi Feiyang pulled out a brass toilet plunger, and the silkworm silk flowing from his palms magnified it to the size of a city gate. He stepped forward into the raging tide of iron chains, unleashing the "Demon-Slaying Cloud" technique of the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique." The icy blue energy waves rising from his palms collided with the iron chains, freezing the world in an instant.

With a crisp "crack," dozens of iron chains, covered in frost, crumbled inch by inch, and flying iron filings streaked across the night sky like a meteor shower.

"You little brat, you're courting death!" The Ghost-Faced Asura burst from the ground, hurling insults. His spiked club, wreathed in dark demonic energy, cracked open in the ground with every swing, creating spiderweb-like fissures. Shi Feiyang, however, pulled out a rattle drum, its silken threads transforming into countless strings. He mockingly said, "Come on, play some funeral music for me!" The sound waves struck the magic club, distorting space and causing the club to uncontrollably smash towards the Asura himself.

Asura roared and shattered his mask, revealing a hideous face covered in centipede-like scars. His demonic energy surged, transforming him into a three-headed, six-armed demon god phantom. Six spiked clubs cleaved down simultaneously, plunging the entire world into darkness.

Shi Feiyang's pupils contracted sharply. He slammed out both palms, and the silkworm silk that emerged from his palms, stained with blood, transformed into golden chains. He then roared, "Break!"

Chains coiled around the demonic phantom like a dragon, and Shi Feiyang unleashed the ultimate killing move of the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique," "Burning Heaven and Earth." The instant his palms struck out, blinding golden light shone across the heavens and earth, and the demonic energy collided with the blade's light, erupting in a deafening roar.

As the demon-faced Asura screamed and was torn to pieces, blood and flesh splattering everywhere, Shi Feiyang stepped on the Vermilion Bird and swept through the rain of blood, even whistling at the mangled body, saying, "Farewell, and remember to bring Yama a bag of spicy strips!"

The "Iron Pagoda Formation," composed of 30,000 Xuanjia soldiers, finally arrived, their cold armor gleaming so brightly it eclipsed the heavens and earth.

Shi Feiyang pulled out a huge kite, raised his left hand, and the silkworm silk that came out of his palm made it look like a floating fortress. He teased, "Madam, let's fly a kite!" As he poured his inner strength into it, the kite string turned into a giant golden net, which covered the entire iron cavalry.

Immediately afterwards, Shi Feiyang flicked his palms and drew them together, unleashing the divine skill of "Shifting Flowers and Receiving Jade"! With a flip of his hands, the charging momentum of the iron cavalry was instantly reversed, and the sound of them trampling each other was deafening.

As the crimson sunset sank, a faint medicinal fragrance drifted from the smoke of battle on Mangshan Mountain. Li Yanling leaned against a blood-stained spear, her plain white robes wrapped in layers of bandages, yet unable to conceal the breathtaking beauty in her eyes.

She gazed at the figure approaching on the wings of the Vermilion Bird, her fingertips gripping the gun trembling slightly—months had passed since they last met, and Shi Feiyang's blue robe was still stained with the smoke of gunpowder, but his eyes held a sharpness born of battle, and the wicked smile on his lips was as captivating as ever.

"Sister Yanling!" Shi Feiyang called out, lightly touching the ground with his toes. The silkworm silk wrapped around her waist like silver threads, and he suddenly pulled her into his arms. Li Yanling cried out in surprise, crashing into his chest, which carried a faint smell of blood. The jade hairpin in her hair happened to snag on his clothes.

Shi Feiyang said with pity, "Are you trying to break my heart by working so hard?" His warm breath brushed past her ear, and she felt weak all over, even losing her grip on her usually nimble longsword.

"Who...who needs your pity..." she stammered, struggling to back away, but Shi Feiyang held her under his Vermilion Bird wings. Moonlight filtered through the feathers, casting dappled shadows on his excessively handsome face, and the affection in his peach blossom eyes was more intense than the bloodstains covering the Mangshan Mountains. A silkworm thread, seemingly transformed into a ribbon, gently coiled around a strand of her hair, tracing it repeatedly between his fingers.

Shi Feiyang suddenly sighed, his fingertips tracing the scratches on her cheek, and said with pity, "Look at you, you're so thin you're just skin and bones."

Seeing that she was about to retort, Shi Feiyang immediately produced a paper package as if by magic, saying with concern, "The most famous osmanthus cake in Luoyang. I know you must be hungry after the fight." The warm cake was brought to her lips, and Li Yanling, as if possessed, took a bite. The soft, sweet flavor, mixed with the warmth of his fingertips, made her eyes sting. "Li Lang..." her voice was muffled, "Why are you always like this..."

Before she could finish speaking, he gently sealed her lips with a silkworm thread.

Shi Feiyang's aura pressed down on her, and he said with an irresistible domineering air, "Because Miss Yanling's tears are colder than the ice of Yihua Palace, I can't bear to part with them." As he spoke, he lowered his head and put her fingertip, which was bruised from the fighting, into his mouth. When his tongue swept across the wound, Li Yanling trembled all over, and the long sword in her hand fell to the ground with a "clang".

As if sensing its master's affection, the Vermilion Bird suddenly raised its head and let out a long cry, which shook the entire starry sky. Taking advantage of the moment, Shi Feiyang hugged her even tighter. Heavenly silkworm silk wove a dazzling net of light around the two of them, each thread adorned with shimmering points of light, as if they had fallen into the Milky Way.

“Yan Ling,” he said, his voice unusually serious and full of emotion, “in this world of swords and shadows, I only want to protect you. From now on, whether it’s the Iron-Clad Guards or the Yuwen Clan, if they dare to touch a single hair on your head, I’ll string them together like candied hawthorns with silkworm silk!”

Li Yanling finally stopped crying and smiled, gently punching his chest with her small fist, saying coquettishly, "You're always being cheeky..." Even so, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist. Nearby, the clear sound of Chu Hongxiao's jade flute drifted in, mingling with Shi Feiyang's laughter, echoing for a long time in the night sky of Mangshan. The silkworm thread quietly transformed into a love knot, tying it to their clasped hands, stronger than any vow of eternal love.

The night wind of Mangshan swept by, carrying the stench of blood, while the Vermilion Bird leisurely preened its crimson feathers.

Standing among the wings, Shi Feiyang reached out his hand to Chu Hongxiao, who was pouting and refusing to show herself inside the tent, and said affectionately, "My darling, come out quickly, I'll introduce you to a top-notch beauty in the martial world!" Before he finished speaking, the silkworm silk had already transformed into a ribbon and wrapped around her slender waist, gently lifting her out of the tent.

Moonlight shone on Chu Hongxiao's flushed cheeks. She playfully brushed away the restless silk threads, but paused slightly when she saw the figure on the ground.

Li Yanling's fingers, gripping the spear, turned white, and her plain white dress was covered in dust. The amazement in her eyes had not yet faded when it was replaced by a stinging pain—the woman before her had a jade flute slung across her shoulder, and her eyes were full of lively charm. The way she stood side by side with Shi Feiyang was even more fitting than that of Zhuque and Liuyun.

"Yan Ling, this is my wife, Chu Hongxiao." Shi Feiyang smiled, his eyes crinkling, and the silkworm silk playfully wove a peach blossom between the two of them as he introduced, "Hongxiao, this is a great beauty from the Central Plains Escort Agency. She is highly skilled in martial arts and can also make osmanthus cakes!"

Chu Hongxiao curtsied gracefully, her hair ornaments swaying gently. "I've long admired your chivalrous reputation, sister. Meeting you today, I can confirm it's well-deserved." Li Yanling felt a bitter taste in her throat, forcing a smile that was more like a grimace. She said sadly, "Congratulations...congratulations to Young Master Li on winning the heart of your beauty." She turned to leave, but then heard the bodyguards behind her whispering, "Li Er's behavior...he was so attentive to Miss Yanling just now, and now he's married to someone new..."

"The world is going to the dogs! These fickle people have truly disgraced the code of chivalry!"

Shi Feiyang raised an eyebrow, about to speak, when Chu Hongxiao gently pressed down on the back of his hand. She lightly turned her jade flute, the clear and melodious notes dispelling the surrounding chill, and said with heartache, "Why should my husband take it to heart?" Her fingertips brushed against his slightly furrowed brows, her eyes filled with a light more dazzling than the stars, "Like the wind of Mangshan, it blows away the dust, but it cannot blow away true feelings."

The silkworm silk transformed into a swarm of butterflies at just the right moment, landing on her hair and making her exquisite face appear even more gentle. They comforted her, saying, "Look, even they know that a predestined fate cannot be broken apart by anyone."

Shi Feiyang burst into laughter and abruptly pulled her into his arms. The Vermilion Bird, as if understanding his intent, suddenly spread its wings and took flight, the force of the wind it created leaving the whispers below far behind. Inside the tent, the silken threads of the celestial silk automatically draped down, filtering the moonlight into dappled silver spots. "My wife is truly insightful!" he exclaimed, his fingertips tracing the tips of her flushed ears. "Come on, let's ignore those idle gossips."

Chu Hongxiao leaned against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. She gently pressed her jade flute to her lips and softly said, "Then, Sister Yaoyue..." Before she could finish, her words were sealed by a tender kiss. Shi Feiyang's voice was alluringly low and husky: "Take care of the person in front of you first..."

The silken threads silently shrouded the tent completely, with only faint laughter mingling with the clear sound of a jade flute, carried by the Vermilion Bird across the night sky above Mangshan. He held the person in his arms, his gaze fixed on the horizon. He was concerned about the whereabouts of Yaoyue, but at this moment, the warmth in his arms was what he cherished most.

The silkworm silk wove the outline of Yaoyue in his palm, then slowly turned into flowing clouds and dissipated—the journey through the martial world is long, and he will find Yaoyue one day.

The wind and snow from the Qilian Mountains, mixed with sand and gravel, struck Yaoyue's white dress, instantly freezing into ice shards.

She stared at Lianxing, who had suddenly appeared on the mountain path, her brows furrowing deeply. As she circulated her Mingyu Gong, her body shimmered with a lustrous sheen. She sternly questioned, "The affairs of Yihua Palace are numerous and demanding, yet you've abandoned everything to run around aimlessly! If anything happens to the palace, how can you face Master's spirit in heaven?" Lianxing clutched half a frozen osmanthus cake, timidly shuffling closer, stammering, "But...but Shi Feiyang, he..."

Before he could finish speaking, a whooshing sound came from afar, and 193 poisoned bone-piercing nails wrapped in black mist shot towards him.

With a cold snort, Yaoyue waved her jade hand and unleashed the "Shifting Flowers and Replacing Jade" technique. The poisoned nails reversed direction, pinning the 193 black-clad assassins hiding behind the trees into a string of candied hawthorns.

"Now is not the time for sentimentality!" Before Yaoyue could finish speaking, a hidden agent suddenly emerged from the snowdrift, covered in blood, and panting as he reported, "Your Highnesses! Young Master Shi has appeared at Qiaoshan and has been fighting the Iron-Clad Guards for half a day!"

The osmanthus cake in Lianxing's hand fell to the ground with a "plop," and Mingyugong unconsciously circulated, shaking the accumulated snow into powder.

Three days later, Qiaoshan was filled with a pungent smell of blood.

As she stepped over the frozen corpses scattered on the ground, Yaoyue picked up a half-broken Iron Guard token with the tip of her jade shoe and said admiringly, "You do have some skill."

She suddenly recalled Chu Hongxiao's coquettish manner when she handed the jade flute to "Young Master Yaoyue," and couldn't help but chuckle. Unmelted frost still clung to her glistening eyelashes. "Why are you laughing, sister?" Lianxing asked, puzzled, as she crouched down to examine a corpse, the jade bell in her hair jingling softly with her movements.

Yaoyue suppressed her smile, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the jade pendant at her waist, and said with emotion, "Do you know that Chu Hongxiao... once mistook my appearance as a woman disguised as a man for the person she admired?" She vividly described the scene of receiving the token of love, and even the shimmering white halo that appeared when she circulated the Mingyu Gong was tinged with a hint of a smile.

Lianxing laughed so hard she couldn't straighten up, and silkworm threads emerged from her sleeves, playfully curling up the withered leaves on the ground.

Just then, the mountain wind suddenly turned a fishy, ​​sweet smell, and seventy-two masked assassins surrounded them from all directions. Their curved blades were covered with strange runes, which was the "Hundred Ghosts Night Parade Formation" of the Disaster Relief Gang.

"You've come at the perfect time!" Yaoyue exclaimed, raising her jade palm slightly. Her whole being became even more translucent and jade-like, just like a thousand-year-old mysterious ice shrouded in cold mist.

As the curved blade came slashing down, she used the "Shifting Flowers and Receiving Jade" technique, her figure moving like a ghost. The assassins felt their weapons suddenly become incredibly heavy, and the blades all turned towards them.

Lianxing flicked her fingertips, and wisps of icy air transformed into thousands of silver needles, targeting the opponent's acupoints. Those struck were instantly frozen into ice sculptures.

Upon seeing this, the elder of the Disaster Relief Gang at the center of the formation suddenly tore open his clothes, revealing demonic patterns on his chest that emitted black mist. He said in a sinister tone, "Taste the power of the 'Nine Nether Soul Devouring Banner'!"

The moment the black banner unfurled, countless vengeful spirits shrieked and rushed forward, shattering rocks wherever they passed. Yaoyue thrust out her palms, her true energy transforming into two ice dragons, while Lianxing played her jade flute, the sound waves carrying the chilling aura of the Mingyu Gong, freezing all the vengeful spirits into ice crystals.

"Transferring Flowers and Jade, Returning to Emptiness!" Yaoyue and Lianxing shouted simultaneously. The two sisters were of one mind, and two completely different yet perfectly integrated internal energies erupted. All the villains of the Disaster Relief Gang felt their weapons fly uncontrollably into the sky. Before they could react, they were torn to pieces by an invisible suction force.

As the last assassin was frozen into an ice sculpture, Lianxing used her icy aura to draw a funny face on the ice. Yaoyue, watching her sister's childish act, finally couldn't help but chuckle. The jade hairpins in their hair shimmered in the sunlight, resembling the pair of inseparable twin jade flowers in the Yihua Palace.

The setting sun, like blood, stained the white bones of Qiaoshan with an eerie crimson. Yaoyue stared at the messy hoofprints on the ground, her jade-like hands unconsciously clenching. As she circulated her Mingyu Gong, a chill rose from her palms. She scolded, "That brat Shi Feiyang, he certainly knows how to cause trouble."

Before she could finish speaking, Lianxing had already squatted down and used the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" technique to remove half of a blood-stained jade pendant from the crack in the stone.

"Sister! It's Young Master Shi!" Lianxing's voice trembled as she traced the words "Feiyang" on the jade pendant with her fingertips, her eyes glistening with tears.

Seeing this, Yaoyue sighed inwardly, but her face remained cold and expressionless as she said, "It's just a jade pendant. Look at how distraught you are." Although she said this, she secretly activated her Mingyu Gong, taking in the aura within a ten-mile radius.

Suddenly, a long cry of an owl shattered the deathly silence of the mountains. Lianxing looked up sharply, her jade flute held horizontally in front of her chest, and warned, "Sister, there's murderous intent!" Before she finished speaking, countless black poisoned arrows pierced the air, their tails burning with eerie blue flames—these were the Netherworld Sect's "Ghost Fire Soul-Chasing Arrows."

Yaoyue snorted coldly, her palms flying as she unleashed the superior technique of "Shifting Flowers and Replacing Jade," causing the poisoned arrows to change direction and shoot back towards the source of the arrow rain, immediately eliciting screams of agony.

"Is that all the tricks you have? You dare to challenge Yihua Palace? Aren't you just courting death?" Yaoyue raised her eyebrows and cursed angrily, her whole body becoming more and more translucent like jade, just like an ice sculpture wrapped in cold mist.

Lianxing smiled charmingly, and the silkworm silk transformed into thousands of threads, weaving a large net in the air to catch all the remaining poisoned arrows.

"Sister, why don't we turn the tables on him?" Lianxing's eyes flashed with cunning as she whispered, "Following these assassins, we might find Young Master Shi's whereabouts." Yaoyue nodded slightly, secretly calculating in her mind. The two moved swiftly, like ghosts, following the trail of blood.

Along the way, Lianxing couldn't help but bring up the amusing story of Chu Hongxiao's infatuation with Yaoyue's disguise as a man, and asked, "Sister, do you think that if Miss Chu knew the truth, would she be so ashamed that she would want to crawl into a hole in the ground?" As she spoke, she burst into laughter.

Yaoyue rolled her eyes at her, but couldn't help but smile and scolded, "Stop being so glib, or you'll fall into an ambush again." Despite her words, she was secretly on guard, fully activating her Mingyu Gong, bringing every blade of grass and tree around her under her control.

Sure enough, upon reaching a valley, eerie flute music suddenly filled the air. Seventy-two bronze puppets emerged from the ground, their bronze swords gleaming with an eerie green light—the "Underworld Puppet Formation," a technique long lost by the Five Poisons Sect.

"Perfect timing! Fighting can vent the frustration in my heart! Come on!" Yaoyue let out a long roar, and with a light wave of her jade palm, the vortex of true energy suddenly exploded, and the bronze puppets flew uncontrollably toward her.

Lianxing then gently played her jade flute, the sound waves carrying the chilling aura of Mingyu Gong, freezing all the puppet joints wherever they went.

"Break!" the two sisters shouted simultaneously, their two streams of inner force intertwining to form a dazzling light. The bronze puppet instantly shattered into fragments, the flying copper shards shimmering in the setting sun like a golden rain.

After dealing with the puppet, Yaoyue gazed at the twilight in the distance, a determined glint in her eyes. She said, "No matter how many obstacles lie ahead, we must find that brat and get to the bottom of this." Lianxing nodded emphatically, gripping the jade pendant tightly, and said resolutely, "Even if I have to search to the ends of the earth, I will find him!"

The two smiled at each other, and the jade hairpins in their hair gently clinked together in the wind, making a crisp sound.

Their figures gradually blended into the night as they sped off in the direction where Shi Feiyang had disappeared.

Inside the bronze animal-head incense burner of the Prince of Jinyang's mansion, the fragrance of ambergris rose gently, but it could not conceal the stagnant, iron-like atmosphere within the hall.

Shi Feiyang, with Chu Hongxiao in his arms, gracefully landed on Zhuque's back. The silkworm silk transformed into flowing light, wrapping around their waists, making their blood-stained blue robes appear even more dashing and unrestrained. He casually tore off his cloak and threw it on the table, startling Liu Wenjing, who was presenting a memorial, so much so that the tablet in his hand clattered to the ground.

"What's so wonderful about it?" Shi Feiyang walked into the hall and asked loudly, then snatched the luminous cup from Li Yuan's desk, tilted his head back and gulped down the strong liquor. The liquor dripped down his chin, spreading dark marks on his chest. "This life of wandering the Jianghu is more tiring than plucking the feathers of the Vermilion Bird!" He suddenly lowered his voice, a cunning glint in his eyes, and said, "How about we discuss... taking over the entire Sui Dynasty's empire in one fell swoop?"

The deathly silence in the hall was instantly shattered. Liu Wenjing drew his sword with a clang, the blade pointing directly at Shi Feiyang's throat, and rebuked him, "Second Young Master, watch your words! Such treasonous words will surely lead to the extermination of your entire clan if they get out!" Pei Ji's ivory abacus rattled loudly, but cold sweat beaded on his forehead; Changsun Shunde gripped the heavy black iron sword at his waist, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Shi Feiyang, however, walked around the pillar, swaying his wine jug, his boots kicking over the military books and strategies scattered on the ground.

He suddenly stopped in front of Li Yuan, looked at his father's gray beard, and patiently advised, "Father, you see, that old man Yang Guang is suspicious by nature. Last time you were delayed by half a day while escorting grain, he stripped our Li family's hereditary title of two ranks."

He slammed his hand on the table, making the candlelight flicker, and said, "Now that you command 30,000 Xuanjia soldiers, in his eyes you are like a bone spur stuck in his throat! Rather than waiting for him to pull it out, you should learn from King Wu of Zhou and 'follow the will of Heaven and the people'!"

Li Yuan gazed at the mottled bamboo stick at his son's waist—a wild bamboo he had casually broken off in the Zhongnan Mountains when he was eight years old, which had now become a legendary weapon renowned throughout the martial arts world. The mischievous boy in his memory, who used to climb trees to steal bird eggs and hide in the Yihua Palace after causing trouble, now had a light burning in his eyes that was hotter than a beacon fire.

"My lord!" Pei Ji suddenly knelt down, the abacus beads clattering as he urged, "The Sui Dynasty is now in decline, and heroes are rising up everywhere. Li Mi of Wagangzhai already commands 200,000 troops, and Dou Jiande is eyeing us covetously in Hebei. If we raise an army under the pretext of 'abolishing the incompetent and establishing the wise, restoring the Sui Dynasty,' we will surely attract a great many followers!"

Half a scroll of "The Art of War" slipped from his sleeve, and on the apocryphal diagram tucked between the pages, the vermilion characters proclaiming, "The Li family shall be emperor," were as red as blood. Suddenly, Changsun Shunde ripped open his robe, revealing gruesome whip marks on his chest: "Last year, while escorting grain supplies, that old scoundrel Yuwen Shu lashed me thirty times! I swear I will not rest until I avenge this!"

Liu Hongji slammed his tiger-headed golden spear heavily into the ground, the tip of which pierced the blue bricks, leaving spiderweb-like cracks. He exclaimed excitedly, "Second Young Master is right! It's better to live standing than to die kneeling!"

Upon seeing this, Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a kaleidoscope and held it up to his eyes.

The silkworm silk he spat out from his palm transformed into golden threads, weaving a map of the Sui Dynasty's territory in the air. He proclaimed loudly, "Look, everyone!"

He pointed his bamboo stick towards Luoyang and shouted, "Wang Shichong's troops are tied down at Hulao Pass by Li Mi; Yuwen Huaji is busy seizing Yang Guang's beauties in Jiangdu; we only need to take Hedong to take Chang'an!" Suddenly, the kaleidoscope switched, and the scene turned into a rain of arrows. "Just like when I dealt with those bastards from the Netherworld Cult in the martial arts world—find their weakness and kill them with one blow!"

Li Yuan remained silent for a long time before finally clapping his hands and laughing loudly, "Good! As my son says!" He suddenly drew his Xuanjia sword, its blade slicing through the night sky. "Pass down the order: the troops will be mustered at the drill ground at Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow!"

Before the words were finished, a deafening clap of thunder suddenly erupted outside the palace, and a torrential downpour washed over the Jin Yang Palace, leaving it sparkling clean. The next day, on the drill ground, Shi Feiyang, clad in black iron chainmail and holding a bamboo staff, stood on the command platform.

Thirty thousand Xuanjia soldiers, their helmets gleaming, their spears like a forest. Suddenly, he pulled out a suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument) and began to play the joyful "Victory Song." Shi Feiyang's Heavenly Silkworm Silk transformed into countless threads, binding each battle flag, fluttering loudly in the gale.

"Soldiers!" He suddenly slammed his suona on the ground and said loudly, "Follow me, Shi Feiyang, and after we conquer the country, each of you will be rewarded with ten jars of Xinghua Village wine! I'll also give each of you a beautiful wife!"

The soldiers burst into laughter, their battle cries soaring into the sky.

At this moment, dust billowed in the distance, and a scout came to report: "Report! Qu Tutong is leading 50,000 Sui troops to attack!" Shi Feiyang raised an eyebrow and smiled, using a bamboo stick to lift a strand of Chu Hongxiao's hair, and said teasingly: "My dear, watch closely, I'm going to show you how to 'win with fewer troops'!"

He leaped onto the Vermilion Bird, and the silkworm silk wove a huge "Li" character battle flag in the air, fluttering in the torrential rain.

As Qu Tutong's troops entered the valley, they suddenly heard a deafening sound of gongs and drums. Shi Feiyang, standing on the back of the Vermilion Bird, wielding the Zhuge Repeating Crossbow, unleashed a barrage of arrows at the Sui army. The silkworm silk transformed into thousands of arrows, and wherever they struck, Sui soldiers fell from their horses.

Shi Feiyang unleashed his "Shifting Flowers and Receiving Jade!" and shouted again, deflecting all the arrows raining down from the Sui army. Qu Tutong was shocked and brandished his sword, shouting, "Set the mountain on fire!" Before he finished speaking, Shi Feiyang pulled out a huge kite, which was stretched by silkworm silk into a floating fortress.

"The wind is rising!" he laughed, and the kite, carrying dozens of jars of oil, hurtled towards the Sui army camp. Instantly, flames soared into the sky in the valley, and shouts of battle and screams of agony mingled together.

"Break the formation!" Shi Feiyang roared, and the Xuanjia Army charged into the enemy ranks like tigers descending a mountain. He unleashed the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique," and wherever his palm strikes landed, the Sui soldiers' weapons fell from their hands. Chu Hongxiao played her jade flute lightly, and the sound waves, wrapped with internal force, shocked the Sui soldiers who tried to escape, causing them to vomit blood.

The battle raged until nightfall, leaving the valley littered with corpses.

Shi Feiyang stepped on the Sui army's banner, brandishing a blood-stained bamboo stick, and coldly questioned, "Qu Tutong, surrender or die?" Qu Tutong looked at the sharpness in the young man's eyes, sighed, threw down his sword, and knelt down: "Only today do I realize that the general trend of the world cannot be defied by human power."

Shi Feiyang then incorporated the surrendered troops into his own forces, but allowed Qu Tutong to return alone.

Outside Jinyang City, bonfires blazed. Shi Feiyang held Chu Hongxiao in his arms, watching his father, Li Yuan, receive the soldiers' homage. Silkworm threads transformed into fireflies at his fingertips, illuminating his handsome face.

"This empire, I'm determined to have it!" he murmured, a confident smile playing on his lips. Meanwhile, a thousand miles away in the Jiangdu Palace, Yang Guang's hand, clutching the secret report, trembled slightly, the candlelight flickering on the three characters "Li Shimin."

Inside the council hall of the Prince of Jinyang's mansion, thirty-six bronze animal-head lamps illuminated the sand table, and Li Yuan's Xuanjia sword leaned against the tiger-skin chair, its blade reflecting the solemn atmosphere of the room.

Shi Feiyang sat reclining in the main seat, his silken threads deftly weaving Pei Ji's beard. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers and announced loudly, "My dear ministers, I hereby declare—tonight we will not discuss military strategy, but instead play a game of guessing riddles! Whoever guesses correctly will be rewarded with ten jars of Xinghua Village wine!"

"Second Young Master!" Liu Wenjing slammed the copy of "The Art of War" shut in his hand, making the military tally on the table jump. He advised, "Qu Tutong has stationed troops in Hedong, Wang Shichong is eyeing Luoyang, and Li Mi is preparing for war at Wagang. How can we treat such a critical situation lightly!"

Shi Feiyang blinked, the silkworm silk transforming into dice that spun in his palm. He countered, "In Brother Liu's opinion, which tough nut should we tackle first? Hedong City has high walls and thick walls, and Qu Tutong is a cunning old fox; Wang Shichong in Luoyang has Shan Xiongxin, the 'enemy of ten thousand men,' in charge; as for Li Mi..." He suddenly pulled out a cicada shell and pressed it to his lips, "I heard the brothers in Wagang Village are short of salt lately?"

Pei Ji's eyes widened, the abacus beads clicking rapidly as he cautiously said, "My lord, Hedong is the gateway to Guanzhong. If we don't take it, advancing west to Chang'an will be like having a thorn in our side. However, Qu Tutong commands 50,000 elite troops and has the 'Chain Horse' formation to aid him..."

"A chain of horses?" Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled a magnet from his pocket and said dismissively, "Does this thing attract iron?" Seeing everyone's astonishment, he laughed and stood up. Silkworm threads poured out like the Milky Way, weaving the winding Yellow River on the sand table. He said, "Look, everyone! Although the city east of the river is fortified, it relies on the natural barrier of the Yellow River. We won't attack by force, but will learn from Han Xin's 'wooden raft crossing' strategy—build sheepskin rafts and cross the river secretly at night!"

Changsun Shunde scratched his full beard and said nervously, "But that old scoundrel Qututong has set up a 'beacon fire camp' on the riverbank. Once it's discovered..."

"So we must use a feint!" Shi Feiyang suddenly ripped open his shirt, revealing a bellyband painted with ghost faces, and said confidently, "Brother Liu will lead three thousand old and weak men to beat drums and cheer at Puban Ferry, making a show of force; I will lead the elite Xuanjia troops across the river at Longmen and catch them off guard!"

He suddenly pulled out a kaleidoscope and aimed it at the sand table. Silkworm threads transformed into arrows that pierced the air as he declared domineeringly, "If Qu Tutong retreats to defend, we'll use a 'counterattack'; if he holds firm, we'll cut off his supply lines and starve him for three to five days!"

Suddenly, the clear sound of a jade flute rang out in the hall. Chu Hongxiao entered gracefully, lifting her skirt. The lifelike butterflies woven from silkworm silk in her hair were visible. She said softly, "Husband, have you forgotten? News has come from the spies of Yihua Palace that Qututong's grain needs to be transported through Queshu Valley."

She lightly tapped her jade flute, and a winding valley instantly appeared on the sand table. Shi Feiyang's eyes lit up. He used a bamboo stick to lift Chu Hongxiao's chin and exclaimed, "My wife is so thoughtful! Someone, give Military Advisor Chu ten more jars of Daughter's Red wine!" He suddenly turned to Pei Ji, who was wiping his sweat, and winked, "Mr. Pei, can your abacus beads calculate how many sacks we need to prepare?"

Three days later, on the banks of the Yellow River. Shi Feiyang, clad in black iron fish-scale armor and with a wine gourd covered in graffiti hanging from his waist, raised his arms and shouted to his three thousand "actor" soldiers: "Brothers! The drumming later should be as lively as tickling the Vermilion Bird! The flag bearers should wave their flags more gracefully than the flowing sleeves of the Chu maiden!" Before he finished speaking, the silkworm silk suddenly transformed into colorful ribbons, binding everyone's weapons with red silk.

As night fell, Shi Feiyang led the Xuanjia Army silently onto the sheepskin raft.

He bit open the wine gourd, spilled the wine into the Yellow River, and said jokingly, "Old Yellow River, I'll borrow your waterway for a bit! If you succeed, I'll bestow upon you the title of 'Number One River God Under Heaven'!" The Sui army on the opposite bank indeed fell for the trap, and their torches surged toward Puban Ferry like meteors.

Shi Feiyang, however, led his elite troops ashore at Longmen. The Xuanjia Army's horses, their hooves wrapped in soft cloth woven from silkworm silk, made not a sound as they trod on the riverbank. By the time Qu Tutong realized something was amiss, Shi Feiyang had already led his men to Sparrow Rat Valley.

"Fire!" At the Sui army commander's command, a thousand fire arrows pierced the night sky. Shi Feiyang, however, remained calm, pulling out a huge bronze mirror—the very "demon-revealing mirror" he had smuggled from the Persian merchants. A silkworm thread held the mirror high, and the moonlight reflected off its surface, deflecting all the fire arrows back, instantly setting the Sui army's provisions ablaze. (End of Chapter)