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

Shi Feiyang let out a long roar, "Attack!" He swung his bamboo stick with great force.

The Xuanjia Army charged into the enemy ranks like tigers descending a mountain, while Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique," causing weapons to fall from their hands wherever his palm strikes.

Qu Tutong charged forward on his "Lightning Steed," his long spear aimed straight for Shi Feiyang's throat.

"Well done!" Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a slingshot, and the silkworm silk turned into a pellet, which "snap" hit the Lightning Steed's rump.

The warhorse, in pain, reared up and threw Qu Tutong to the ground.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shi Feiyang pounced forward, his silkworm silk wrapping around the other man like a spider web: "Old Qu, your horse needs some worms!"

Qu Tutong was so frightened that he wet his pants.

However, Shi Feiyang still spared Qu Tutong's life, allowing Qu Tutong to continue as his opponent. Knowing one's enemy is the key to victory. If he were to choose a different opponent, Shi Feiyang would have to study the new adversary for months, which wouldn't be worthwhile.

On the day Hedong City fell, Shi Feiyang ordered that no one be plundered. He rode his Vermilion Bird around the city walls three times, his celestial silkworm silk weaving giant characters for "rice" and "salt" in the air: "Listen up, folks! Tomorrow the granaries will be opened, and everyone will receive a bag of salt! However—"

He suddenly pulled out a wooden fish and struck it with a deafening sound, "You have to listen to me tell you a story from 'The Heroic Tale of Li Er' first!"

The people burst into laughter, and looking at the handsome young general, they felt a strange sense of security.

As Shi Feiyang recounted the story of "Qin Qiong Selling His Horse," no one noticed that the silkworm silk in his sleeve was quietly repairing the damaged city wall—this was probably his unique method of "winning the hearts of the people": ruthless methods combined with a compassionate heart, and a touch of cunning that made people chuckle. Li Yanling, the head镖师 (chief镖师) of the Central Plains Escort Agency and a beautiful young martial artist, was deeply moved upon hearing that Shi Feiyang had won widespread popularity after conquering Hedong City, treating the people like his own children. She recalled their many journeys together, how he had repeatedly rescued her from the blades of Li Song's Iron-Clad Guards, and remembered her deep affection for him and his unwavering care for her.

She finally made up her mind and led her bodyguards to Hedong.

As dusk gilded the city walls of Hedong with a honey-colored hue, Li Yanling reined in her chestnut horse, gazing at the large banner bearing the character "Li" fluttering atop the city tower. Her fingertips unconsciously caressed the jade pendant at her waist. The smooth, warm jade now felt so hot it made her palms tingle.

A child's clear, melodious song drifted from afar: "Li Lang conquers the city without disturbing the people, the silkworm weaves a peaceful spring." The song brushed past her reddened eyes, startling a flock of white doves that fluttered towards the sunset. "Chief镖师, are we really going to join the army?" Old Zhou, the镖师, trembled slightly as he gripped the reins. "I heard that Young Master Li already has several wives who are as beautiful as angels..."

Li Yanling turned around abruptly, her Dragon Roar Sword drawn three inches from its sheath, the cold light making the beauty mark at the corner of her eye even more striking.

"Shut up!" Her voice trembled, yet it was sharper than a sword blade. "Do you remember the Iron Guard's arrow rain? He used silkworm silk to weave a spider web to protect me in his arms, but his own back was grazed by three bloody marks from crossbow bolts."

She touched her chest, as if she could still feel the burning heat of his body. "He said, 'Yan Ling's tears are colder than the ice of Yihua Palace.' This affection is something that ten cities in Hedong cannot buy!"

Before the words were even finished, the whip lashed the horse's rump, and the chestnut horse neighed as it charged toward the city gate. The apricot-yellow flag of the "Central Plains Escort Agency" fluttered in the wind, startling the fallen leaves. The autumn sun gilded the gray walls of Hedong City, and thirty-six black-and-red battle flags fluttered atop the city walls.

Shi Feiyang leaned back in his chair, skillfully carving a date pit into the shape of a bird with silkworm silk in his hand. Suddenly, he heard the sound of horses' hooves approaching like a sudden rainstorm outside the city. His fingertips trembled slightly, and the silver threads of the bird's tail feathers snapped straight.

"Report! Chief Escort Li of the Central Plains Escort Agency has arrived with three hundred cavalry!" The guard's shout startled the crows roosting under the eaves. Shi Feiyang suddenly stood up, the silver ornaments on his black armor clanging crisply, even the pearl on his crown swaying: "Prepare the horses! No, prepare my Vermilion Bird!"

He leaped up the steps in a few strides, but when he caught a glimpse of his crooked jade crown in the bronze mirror, his ears turned red, and he hurriedly retied it with silkworm silk. Pei Ji, carrying an abacus, hurried after him, the beads clattering incessantly: "Your Highness, according to etiquette, you should be greeted at the Prince's residence..."

"Etiquette?" Shi Feiyang turned around and smiled slyly. The silkworm silk snatched away half of his memorial. "Right now, I just want to be like Zhuo Wenjun's husband and welcome her with drums in the street!" After saying that, he stepped on the silver silk and soared into the air. As his clothes fluttered, he even brought down a string of copper bells from the eaves. The tinkling sound startled the people of the whole city, who looked up and stared.

Outside Hedong City, Li Yanling's chestnut horse suddenly reared up. She gripped the reins tightly, gazing at the figure approaching in the air, enveloped in a streak of light, her throat tightening. Memories surged like a tide—the warmth of the silkworm silk he used to bandage her wounds when Luoyang fell, the silver threads wrapped around his fingers as they watched the sunrise together atop Mount Tai, and his parting words, "Wait for me." The Dragon's Roar sword trembled slightly in its sheath, as if sensing its master's emotions.

"Yan Ling!" Shi Feiyang lightly touched the ground with his toes, and the Vermilion Bird landed in front of her horse like a red cloud. The silkworm silk transformed into hundreds of silver threads, gently lifting her hand, "My eyes have gazed until they are worn out from looking into the autumn waters."

The smile in his eyes was gentler than the spring waters of Jinyang Lake, but when he touched the old jade pendant at her waist, his breath caught in his throat—it still bore the teeth marks from when he bit through the silkworm's silk. Three hundred bodyguards dismounted in unison. Old Zhou, scratching his beard, muttered, "Goodness, Young Master Li is even more handsome than Pan An in the paintings." Before he finished speaking, Shi Feiyang had already pulled open his cloak and wrapped it around Li Yanling, scolding, "The autumn wind is chilly; be careful not to catch a cold." The silkworm's silk silently wrapped around the jade hairpin in her hair, neatly securing a few stray strands of her black hair.

In front of the Prince's Mansion, Chu Hongxiao, dressed in a moon-white skirt with a jade flute slung across her waist, was weaving a welcoming floral canopy with silkworm silk.

Seeing the two approaching hand in hand, she moved gracefully, her silver hair transforming into twin lotus blossoms that landed on Li Yanling's shoulder: "I've long heard that your Dragon Roar Sword is unparalleled in the Central Plains, and seeing it today, it is indeed even more dashing than the rumors suggest." She smiled sweetly, the hair ornament in her hair swaying gently, making Li Yanling's ear tips blush.

Looking at the gentle woman before her, Li Yanling suddenly felt ashamed of herself: "Miss Chu is truly a celestial being..." "What are you saying, sister?" Chu Hongxiao took her arm: "My husband often says that your heroic spirit when you wield your sword is more dazzling than the Qionghua flowers in Yihua Palace."

During the banquet, Shi Feiyang was toasted by the officials in turn, but he always took the opportunity to put food into Li Yanling's bowl.

"Try this sesame chicken. I specially asked the chef to make it your favorite spicy flavor." He rolled up a piece of chicken with silkworm silk, but halfway through, Chu Hongxiao gently flicked it with her jade flute. "Your Highness, please don't be biased. I want to eat it too."

The three exchanged smiles, prompting all the guests to raise their glasses and shout, "Double happiness!" After several rounds of drinks, Li Yanling, slightly tipsy, rose and murmured, gazing at the swaying lanterns in the courtyard, "Back then, under the barrage of arrows from the Ironclad Guards, I thought I was doomed..."

Shi Feiyang suddenly grasped her hand, the silkworm threads coursing through her veins, bringing a familiar warmth: "Do you remember what I said? 'If Yan Ling dies, I will weave a galaxy for you with silkworm threads.'"

A look of reminiscence crossed his eyes, "That time, I was shot in the back with three arrows while protecting you, but thinking of you in my arms, who was safe and sound, I didn't feel any pain."

Chu Hongxiao leaned against the door frame and chuckled softly, her jade flute playing delicate notes: "My husband's sweet words are more beautiful than my music."

She stepped forward slowly, and the silkworm silk gently tied the three women's wrists together. "From now on, we will be like these silver threads, intertwined and never separated again." As night deepened, Shi Feiyang lay drunk on the bed, yet he still held the two women's hands tightly. Li Yanling tucked him in, and Chu Hongxiao whispered, "Sister, do you know? These days, my husband has been drawing your likeness on the wall every day with silkworm silk."

Li Yanling felt a lump in her throat and suddenly felt a tightness around her waist.

Shi Feiyang turned over and embraced her without her noticing, murmuring as if in a dream, "Yan Ling... don't go..." Silk threads escaped from his fingertips, gently pulling Chu Hongxiao into his arms as well.

Moonlight filtered through the silver-threaded window screens, casting the intertwined shadows of the three figures like an eternal painting, flowing silently through the autumn night of Hedong City. Inside the Hedong Prince's Mansion, red candles flickered. Chu Hongxiao, barefoot, walked on the soft Persian carpet, her jade flute lightly playing, the silken threads deftly weaving a pattern of twin lotus blossoms on the beams. The glass lamp swayed gently on the silk threads, making the floral ornament between her brows appear even more radiant.

“These curtains need some more gold thread,” she murmured to the air, the silk threads swirling around her fingertips suddenly transforming into two mandarin ducks with their necks intertwined. “Sister Yanling has a fiery temper, so the most vibrant silks are needed to accentuate her spirited nature.”

"Madam is talking nonsense again." The maid held up the red silk, unable to suppress a laugh. "The whole city knows that Young Master Li has postponed the auspicious time three times in order to wait for Miss Li. Yesterday, I even saw him drawing Miss Li's image on the wall with silkworm silk, drawing and erasing, erasing and drawing again..."

Chu Hongxiao's cheeks flushed, but she pretended to be angry and tapped the maid's head with her flute: "Don't talk nonsense! Sister Yanling's marksmanship is superb, and she will definitely help my husband achieve great things."

Despite saying that, she quickened her pace, carefully applying the secret beauty cream of Yihua Palace to the bridal handkerchief—made with Tian Shan snow lotus and thousand-year-old ginseng, which could keep makeup from fading for three days.

Three days later, the city gates opened wide, and the air was filled with the sounds of ceremonial music. Li Yanling, dressed in fiery red, rode slowly in on her jeweled horse adorned with red decorations. Her hands, gripping the reins, were slightly sweaty, but when she saw the familiar figure on the city wall, she suddenly held her breath.

Shi Feiyang arrived through the air, his black armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight, yet unable to conceal the burning passion in his eyes. He spread his arms, his robes fluttering as the silken threads cascaded like a silver river: "Yan Ling, you've finally decided to take me, this 'wandering rogue'?"

Li Yanling's spear clattered to the ground, and tears instantly blurred her vision.

Those memories buried deep in her heart surged back like a tide: his figure shielding her from arrows in the rainstorm, his focused eyes as he wove a wreath for her with silkworm silk under the moon, and his parting words, "When I conquer the world, I will come to marry you."

"You liar!" She sobbed, throwing herself into his arms, her fists pounding his chest but finding it as soft as cotton. "Every time I was in danger, you would suddenly appear. How could I ever forget you..."

Shi Feiyang smiled and hugged her tighter, his chin rubbing against the top of her head: "Do you still remember when you said you wanted to learn how to use the Heavenly Silkworm Silk at the top of Mount Tai?" He suddenly raised his hand, and silver threads flowed from his fingertips, weaving a shimmering heart above their heads. "Now I'll teach you. The first move is called 'Love Threads Entanglement'."

"Enough!" Chu Hongxiao moved gracefully, picked up two cups of Hele wine with her jade flute, and smiled in her eyes. "If we keep being so lovey-dovey, the wedding banquet will get cold."

The silkworm silk suddenly transformed into ribbons, tying the three wrists together. "According to the rules of the Flower Shifting Palace, the three of you must drink together for the ceremony to be complete."

At the wedding banquet, the aroma of wine mingled with laughter. Relying on her high alcohol tolerance, Li Yanling insisted on having a "three-hundred-round battle" with Shi Feiyang, holding up a wine jar.

Shi Feiyang pretended to be drunk and staggered into her arms: "Heroine Yanling, spare me! My heart has long been captivated by your swordplay."

Chu Hongxiao then used silkworm silk to weave butterflies that landed on his shoulders, eliciting laughter from all the guests. As the moonlight climbed into the wedding tent, Shi Feiyang, sandwiched between two warm and soft beauties, suddenly sighed, "So, having the empire is not as good as having beauties on both sides!"

"You chatterbox!" Li Yanling punched him lightly, then snuggled closer into his arms.

The silkworm's silk quietly wove the character "囍" (double happiness) on the window frame, locking the entire room's enchanting beauty into this autumn night in Hedong.

As the candlelight flickered, the intertwined shadows of the three people lingered on the wall, like a painting that would never fade.

On the fifteenth of August, the Yellow River's waves reached a height of three zhang (approximately 10 meters), and the turbid waves crashed against the riverbank with a thunderous roar.

Shi Feiyang, clad in black iron armor but with a red silk ribbon embroidered with cartoon tigers around his waist, was squatting on a sheepskin raft, attaching copper bells to each raft with silkworm silk: "We're not smuggling ourselves across the border, we're delivering Mid-Autumn Festival gifts to the Yellow River Dragon King!"

Pei Ji, clutching his abacus, huddled in a corner, trembling as he asked, "Second Young Master, can this sheepskin raft carry the Xuanjia Army?"

Before he finished speaking, Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a whistle and blew it three times, imitating the cry of the Vermilion Bird. In the distance, from the reeds, three hundred men wearing red headscarves pushed sheepskin rafts out in single file—these were none other than the "White Streaks in the Waves" secretly trained by Chu Hongxiao.

"Watch closely!" Shi Feiyang tucked the bamboo stick into his waistband and formed hand seals to unleash the Mingyu Kung Fu.

His body shimmered with a glassy luster, and wisps of cold air rose from his palm as he gently pressed it against the water's surface.

In an instant, the three-zhang-high wave mysteriously split in two, creating a waterway about ten zhang wide in the middle of the river.

"Let's go!" With Shi Feiyang's order, the Xuanjia Army stepped onto the sheepskin rafts as if walking on flat ground.

Suddenly, Shi Feiyang pulled out an erhu from his pocket and began to play "Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon" with a swaying head.

The silkworm silk he spat out from his palm transformed into invisible threads, linking three hundred rafts together. They rose and fell on the water in rhythm with the music, and from a distance, they looked like a giant silver dragon dancing under the moonlight.

The Sui army on the opposite bank suddenly noticed the anomaly and immediately sounded the drums of war. "Fire!" With this command, a thousand fire arrows pierced the night sky, weaving a net of fire across the river. Shi Feiyang, however, remained calm and unhurried, pulling out a huge kaleidoscope and aiming it at the fire arrows.

The silkworm threads he spat out from his palm shot out like nimble snakes, weaving a large silver net in the air that caught all the rockets.

Immediately afterwards, Shi Feiyang used the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill! Then he shouted loudly and flipped his wrist.

The silver net suddenly trembled, and a thousand rockets, like swallows returning to their nests, shot back towards the Sui army camp.

In an instant, flames shot into the sky from the opposite bank, accompanied by screams of agony.

At this moment, the Sui army's "chained cavalry" finally moved out. Dozens of warhorses, linked together with iron chains, trampled the moonlight as they rushed down the riverbank, the water splashed up by their hooves shimmering like silver in the night. Shi Feiyang, however, took out a magnet, magnified it a hundred times with silkworm silk, and gently attracted it to the chained cavalry.

With a loud crash, the iron rings on the chains came loose, and the warhorses were thrown into chaos.

"Haha!" Shi Feiyang laughed triumphantly, "Old Sui's stuff is not even as good as the little magnet I stole in the martial arts world!"

He suddenly leaped onto the highest sheepskin raft and unleashed the "Hundred Victories Sword Technique." Wherever his palm strikes, the splashes of water condensed into ice arrows, shooting towards the Sui soldiers on the shore. Chu Hongxiao stood on another raft, gently playing her jade flute.

The melodious flute music, imbued with inner strength, caused the river to undulate with the rhythm, tossing the Sui army's warships about. Watching his wife's heroic figure, Shi Feiyang couldn't help but shout, "My lady, what superb martial arts! After we conquer the land, I'll build you the biggest stage in the entire world!"

Just then, a strange movement came from the bottom of the river. A huge black shadow broke through the waves—it was the "Ironclad Giant Whale" secretly trained by the Sui army. This giant whale was covered in iron armor, and the water column it spewed from its mouth was ten zhang high.

Shi Feiyang's eyes lit up, and he suddenly pulled out a firecracker: "I was just worried about not having any fireworks to watch!" The silkworm silk transformed into a fuse, and after lighting the firecracker, Shi Feiyang accurately threw it into the giant whale's mouth. With a loud "boom," the armored giant whale was blown to pieces.

Shi Feiyang stood amidst the flying debris, striking a cool pose: "This is what you call 'firing cannons at the Yellow River whale'!" By the time the Xuanjia Army stepped onto the opposite bank, the sky was already turning a pale white.

Shi Feiyang, waving his blood-stained bamboo stick, looked at the Sui army fleeing in panic in the distance and smiled at Pei Ji beside him, "Mr. Pei, quickly calculate how much ferry fare we saved this time?" In the morning light, his handsome face was covered with water droplets, and his smile was even brighter than the rising sun.

Shi Feiyang stepped on the broken bricks on the city wall of Hedong, used a bamboo stick to lift the Sui army's "Ping Liao" banner, and looked down at the 30,000 Xuanjia soldiers standing in neat formation. Suddenly, he took out a rattle drum and shook it loudly: "Pass down the order! The entire army will rest for three days and have three meals of braised pork every day!"

The soldiers roared in approval, their shouts startling the crows roosting on the city walls. Pei Ji, carrying an abacus, trotted forward, the beads clicking audibly: "Second Young Master, although Hedong has fallen, Qu Tutong's remnants have retreated to Huoyi, forming a defensive alliance with Song Laosheng. Wang Shichong of Luoyang has already dispatched Shan Xiongxin with the 'Flying Tiger Army' westward, and Li Mi of Wagang..."

"Stop!" Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a kaleidoscope and pointed it westward. The silkworm silk wove a map of Guanzhong in the air. "Let's play a Monopoly game! First step, eat up this piece of fat meat, Huoyi."

He lightly tapped the sand table with his bamboo stick. "Old Song is brave but reckless. Let's send Liu Wenjing with the old and weak soldiers to provoke him outside the city and lure him out."

Liu Hongji scratched his full beard: "But Huoyi's city walls are strong. If he holds out to the death..." "That's why we need 'bait'!" Shi Feiyang pulled out a kite in the blink of an eye, and the silkworm silk that came out of his palm turned into a long line that wrapped around Pei Ji's belt. "Mr. Pei, please disguise yourself as a wealthy merchant and take some 'gold and silver treasures' through Sparrow Rat Valley. Old Man Song will be tempted by the wealth and will definitely come out of the city to plunder. Our Xuanjia Army will ambush him on the way!"

As everyone in the hall stared in disbelief, Chu Hongxiao lightly turned her jade flute, playing a cheerful melody.

She laid out a Bagua formation on the sand table: "Husband, there is a Longmen Mountain southeast of Huoyi. If we set up an ambush there..."

"Brilliant!" Shi Feiyang slammed his bamboo stick into the ground, making the floor tiles tremble slightly. "Strategist Chu is right! Changsun Shunde and Liu Hongji, each of you take five thousand elite troops and ambush on both sides of Longmen Mountain. When Song Laosheng chases after us, we'll 'close the door and beat the dog'!" He suddenly pulled out a ghost mask and put it on. "Remember, be as ruthless as I was when I snatched Miss Chu's osmanthus cake!"

Shi Feiyang stood in the tent, his eyes blazing as he stared intently at the sand table depicting mountains and rivers. He tapped lightly with a bamboo stick in his hand, as if conversing with the mountains and rivers, or perhaps plotting a momentous game of chess in his mind.

Outside the tent, the autumn wind rustled, causing the military flags to flutter wildly, as if they too were excited about the upcoming battle.

"This Iron Wall Triple Formation of Old Man Song seems impregnable, but in reality it is full of loopholes." Shi Feiyang's lips curled up slightly, revealing a confident smile, a smile with a hint of cunning, just like a fox eyeing its prey.

He turned to look at the generals in the tent, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping across their faces before finally settling on Liu Wenjing. "Lord Liu, you are known for your wisdom and resourcefulness. Tell me first, how do we break through this first line of defense?"

Liu Wenjing bowed slightly, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said solemnly, "Second Young Master, the walls of Huoyi are tall and sturdy, and the city walls are covered with 'Thunder God Stones' and 'Fire Oil Tanks'. If we force an attack on the city, our army will suffer heavy casualties. In my opinion, we can follow the example of Liu Ye in the Three Kingdoms period and build 'Thunderbolt Carts' to attack the city walls from a distance with huge stones, first breaking through their defensive equipment, and then looking for an opportunity to attack the city."

Shi Feiyang shook his head slightly, a hint of disapproval flashing in his eyes: "This plan is ingenious, but it will take a long time. Moreover, how could Song Laosheng sit idly by and watch us build siege weapons? Furthermore, although the 'Thunderbolt Cart' is extremely powerful, it is slow to move. Once it is attacked by the enemy with rockets, it will surely be reduced to ashes."

After saying that, he took out a small bamboo tube from his pocket, shook it gently, and a crisp sound came from the tube. "I have a plan that can make this city wall defense line useless."

Everyone looked puzzled, their eyes fixed on the bamboo tube in Shi Feiyang's hand. Shi Feiyang smiled mysteriously and handed the bamboo tube to Chu Hongxiao beside him. Chu Hongxiao understood immediately and gently opened the bamboo tube. A colorful little insect flew out of the bamboo tube, circled once in the tent, and then landed on Shi Feiyang's outstretched fingertip.

“This is the ‘Gold-Eating Gu’ that I obtained from a Gu Master in the Southern Frontier when I was in the Yihua Palace.” Shi Feiyang gently stroked the little insect’s wings, his eyes full of affection. “This Gu feeds exclusively on metal and reproduces extremely quickly. Just place it at the base of the city wall, and the city wall will collapse within three days due to damage to its foundation.”

Upon hearing this, everyone looked astonished. Pei Ji couldn't help but exclaim, "Second Young Master's plan is truly a stroke of genius! But this 'Gold-Eating Gu' is so precious, what if..."

"Don't worry, Mr. Pei." Shi Feiyang waved his hand and said nonchalantly, "Although this 'Gold-Eating Gu' is precious, what is a little price to pay in order to take down Huoyi? Besides, I have my own way of controlling them and will not let them get out of control." After saying that, he took out a small jade flute from his pocket and gently played it. The "Gold-Eating Gu" actually danced gracefully on Shi Feiyang's fingertips in rhythm with the flute music.

Having dealt with the city wall defenses, Shi Feiyang turned his attention to the outer traps on the sand table. He frowned, pondered for a moment, then turned to Changsun Shunde: "General Changsun, you are a veteran of many battles, what are your thoughts on these outer traps?"

Changsun Shunde clasped his hands and said loudly, "Second Young Master, although these outer traps are dangerous, they are not insurmountable. Our army can first use cattle and sheep to probe the area. After triggering the traps, we can fill the trenches with planks and straw and then pass through."

Shi Feiyang nodded slightly, but added, "This plan is feasible, but it is too time-consuming and resource-intensive. I have a plan that can be resolved quickly." With that, he took out a huge kite from his pocket, on which was painted a majestic Vermilion Bird, lifelike in appearance.

"This kite..." Everyone looked puzzled, not understanding what Shi Feiyang meant by this.

Shi Feiyang laughed and explained, "This kite is no ordinary one; it was crafted by me from celestial silkworm silk and black iron, making it incredibly sturdy. I will personally ride this kite, soaring through the air over the outer traps, directly to the walls of Huoyi City. Then, I will use celestial silkworm silk to lower ropes, allowing you generals to lead your elite troops down the ropes for a surprise attack on the enemy." Everyone present looked shocked upon hearing this. Liu Wenjing quickly dissuaded him, saying, "Second Young Master, this plan is far too dangerous! If the enemy shoots arrows at it, your life will be in danger!"

Shi Feiyang laughed nonchalantly, "Lord Liu, there's no need to worry. I have the Mingyu Skill protecting me, and ordinary arrows can't harm me in the slightest. Besides, I also have this bamboo stick and the Heavenly Silkworm Silk, which will surely keep me safe."

After saying that, he waved the bamboo stick in his hand, which drew a sharp arc in the air and made a whooshing sound.

Seeing that Shi Feiyang had made up his mind, the others stopped trying to dissuade him and began to prepare for his surprise attack.

Having dealt with the city wall defenses and the outer traps, everyone turned their attention to the ambush plot orchestrated by Song Laosheng in collusion with the "Twelve Constellations".

Shi Feiyang frowned, pacing back and forth in the tent. After a long while, he suddenly stopped, a resolute glint in his eyes: "These 'Thousand Poison Bees' and 'Earth-Walking Rat Soldiers' are troublesome, but not invincible. I've decided to personally lead an elite force to ambush them outside the city, luring them out." Chu Hongxiao's heart tightened upon hearing this, and she quickly stepped forward to grab Shi Feiyang's arm: "Husband, this plan is too dangerous. You are the commander-in-chief; how can you personally risk your life?"

Shi Feiyang gently patted Chu Hongxiao's hand, comforting her, "Don't worry, Madam, I know what I'm doing. This time, I'll bring General Changsun and General Liu Hongji with me. They are both brave warriors and will definitely be of great help. Besides, I also have the Mingyu Skill and the Heavenly Silkworm Silk, which will ensure my safety." Seeing that Shi Feiyang was determined, Chu Hongxiao no longer tried to dissuade him, but her eyes were full of worry.

With everything prepared, Shi Feiyang led the elite Xuanjia Army out of the city under cover of night, setting up an ambush in a valley outside the city. He was dressed in black iron armor, with silkworm silk tied around his waist, and held a bamboo stick, quietly waiting for the enemy to arrive.

At dawn, a buzzing sound suddenly came from the valley, like ten thousand horses galloping.

A hint of excitement flashed in Shi Feiyang's eyes, and he whispered, "They're here!"

A dense swarm of poisonous bees flew towards the valley like a dark cloud, and wherever they passed, the grass and trees withered.

Following the poisonous bees was a swarm of ghostly "ground rat soldiers," wielding sharp blades and darting swiftly across the ground, emitting piercing cries. Upon seeing this, Shi Feiyang shouted, "Attack!" With that, he leaped out of the ambush, brandishing his bamboo staff and unleashing the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique." Wherever his palm strikes, the poisonous bees fall to the ground.

Changsun Shunde and Liu Hongji also led the elite Xuanjia Army to attack from both sides and engaged in fierce fighting with the enemy.

"Shift the flowers and graft the jade!" Shi Feiyang shouted, and the Heavenly Silkworm Silk shot out like a nimble snake, entangling all the poisonous bees and "Earth-walking Rat Soldiers." Then, with a sudden flick, he threw them towards the enemy army. The enemy army was immediately thrown into chaos, and they began to fight amongst themselves.

Seeing the situation was dire, Song Laosheng hurriedly led his remaining troops back to Huoyi. Shi Feiyang, of course, would not let such a golden opportunity slip by, and led the Xuanjia Army in hot pursuit.

At this moment, a violent tremor suddenly came from the city wall of Huoyi, followed by a loud "boom," and a large section of the wall collapsed. It turned out that the "Gold-Eating Gu" had completely gnawed away at the foundation of the city wall, and the wall could no longer bear its own weight.

Upon seeing this, Shi Feiyang was overjoyed and led the Xuanjia Army to charge into Huoyi through the collapsed city wall.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Song Laosheng had no will to fight anymore and had no choice but to abandon the city and flee.

In the Battle of Huoyi, Shi Feiyang used ingenious strategies to break through Song Laosheng's Iron Wall Triple Formation, and his fame spread far and wide.

Standing atop the city wall of Huoyi, he gazed upon the peaceful and prosperous lives of the people within the city, his heart filled with satisfaction.

Yaoyue and Lianxing hurried along the faint bloodstains, and the night wind in the Qilian Mountains suddenly became sticky and viscous.

Lianxing's slender waist trembled slightly as three hundred crossbow bolts, coated with "bone-corroding and heart-draining poison," grazed past, instantly turning any rock they touched into green pus. "A modified version of Tang Clan's 'Rain of Pear Blossoms'?" Yaoyue lightly raised her jade palm, using "Flower Transfer and Jade Reception" to deflect the remaining crossbow bolts back.

A sinister laugh echoed from the depths of the dense forest, and seventy-two strange figures dressed in human skin emerged to the beat of drums. Each of them held a chain with a bronze human head mask attached to the end of it, which was the "Hundred Ghosts Soul-Locking Array" that had been lost for a hundred years by the Disaster Relief Gang.

Suddenly, the bronze masks emitted a sharp shriek in unison, the sound waves causing blood to seep from Lianxing's ears. "Sister, close your eyes!" Yaoyue's body shimmered with a glassy luster, her Mingyu Gong activated to its limit, her entire being resembling an ice sculpture cast by moonlight.

She unleashed the "Frosty Prison Ice Palm" with both palms, and the icy blue air waves rising from her palms collided with the sound waves, instantly freezing the twelve monsters into ice sculptures.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lianxing played the "Nine Heavens Phoenix Song" on her jade flute, and the silkworm silk transformed into thousands of golden needles, piercing the acupoints of the remaining monsters.

Before they could catch their breath, the ground suddenly cracked open with a spiderweb-like pattern, and countless arms emerged from the earth.

These arms were covered in lividity, and their fingernails were as black as ink; they were the "Earthbound Corpse Array" of the Southern Xinjiang witchcraft religion.

With a light touch of her toes, Yaoyue leaped onto the treetop using her lightness skill, and with a palm strike, unleashed "Shifting Flowers and Receiving Jade," throwing the captured corpse hand back into the formation. Lianxing, on the other hand, flung out Heavenly Silkworm Silk, binding the sorcerer at the eye of the corpse formation, and pointed her jade flute at the opponent's brow, the cold air seeping in through the flute and instantly freezing him into an ice block.

As the last corpse exploded into pieces, a blood-red mist suddenly drifted in from the sky.

From within the mist came the thunderous roar of a thousand horses; it was none other than the Yuwen Clan's "Blood Mist Iron Cavalry Formation."

Where the iron cavalry trampled, grass and trees were reduced to charcoal. Yaoyue and Lianxing exchanged a glance, their palms pressed together, and the internal energy of the Mingyu Gong merged.

"Take this! 'Transferring Flowers and Jade, Reversing Heaven and Earth'!" The two sisters shouted in unison, and the blood-red mist surged upwards, causing the iron cavalry to fall and be thrown into chaos.

Taking advantage of the moment, Lianxing unleashed her Heavenly Silkworm Silk, binding the Iron Cavalry Commander. Yaoyue struck out with her Jade Palm, instantly freezing him with icy energy. When the bloody battle ended, Lianxing drew a comical face on the ice sculpture, causing even the usually aloof Yaoyue to chuckle.

However, they didn't notice a pair of eyes watching them intently from the shadows—Mr. Rat, one of the twelve constellations, licked his lips and pulled a messenger pigeon from his sleeve. The "Li" banner atop Huoyi City was still dusty, and Shi Feiyang was already in his central command tent, toying with a bronze wine vessel captured from the Sui army. He leaned back in a tiger-skin chair, the silkworm threads unraveling the dragon-patterned design on the vessel into gold threads, when suddenly the tinkling of jade pendants came from outside the tent, and four ladies, accompanied by a fragrant breeze, gracefully entered.

"What treasure is my husband tinkering with now?" Chu Hongxiao lightly turned her jade flute, and as her eyes darted around, the silkworm silk had already wrapped around the golden thread between his fingers.

Shi Feiyang raised an eyebrow and smiled, then wove the gold thread into a butterfly and placed it in her hair: "I've been thinking about making some 'secret weapons' for the four ladies—like this gold thread, which can be used for embroidery and also for slitting throats, how wonderful!"

Li Yanling slammed the Dragon Roar Sword to the ground, causing ripples to spread in the grape wine in the jar: "Stop talking nonsense! I heard you're going to attack Chang'an, are you ready?" Shi Feiyang suddenly stood up, grasping her and Chu Hongxiao's soft hands in his hands respectively. As he circulated his Mingyu Gong, his palms shimmered with a glassy luster: "Naturally, I must first open up the Ren and Du meridians for the ladies—here, one 'Xu Fu Immortal Pill' for each of you, guaranteed to boost your power!"

He pulled out the deerskin bag invisible to mortals and poured out four pills glowing with red light. Huo Chenxi held the pills and raised an eyebrow: "How do you know they aren't the candies you secretly hid?" Shi Feiyang pretended to snatch them: "Fine, don't eat them! I traded these with the secret manual of the Yihua Palace to a Persian merchant..." Before he could finish speaking, Qiu Shuhui had already tossed the pills into her mouth, instantly feeling a surge of heat rising from her dantian, and her acupoints felt faintly hot.

"Good lad, you're really something!" Li Yanling felt the surging true energy within her body and couldn't help but punch him in the chest. Shi Feiyang seized the opportunity to grab her waist, and the silkworm silk transformed into ribbons to bind all four ladies at the same time: "Once the ladies have mastered the 'Heavenly Silkworm Skill,' we'll form the 'Four Beauties of Hedong' team and make the Sui army tremble with fear!"

Just then, a scout came to report: "Report! Sui general Qu Tutong, in conjunction with the 'Twelve Constellations,' has set up the 'Nine Nether Gate Formation' at Tongguan, vowing to annihilate our army!" Shi Feiyang laughed loudly upon hearing this, casually snatched Chu Hongxiao's jade flute, and whistled. Zhuque arrived at the sound, flapping its wings and chirping outside the tent: "Well done! I was just worried about not having any opponents to spar with the ladies!"

Beyond Tongguan Pass, yellow sand filled the sky. Qu Tu was clad in black armor, with the four celestial messengers of the twelve constellations – Dragon, Tiger, Snake, and Rat – standing beside him.

The "Tiger Elephant" wielded a steel mace with wolf teeth, its blade engraved with corpse patterns—the very weapon Yuwen Chengdu used to carry. The "Dragon Elephant," on the other hand, carried a bronze coffin on its back, black blood seeping from the cracks in the lid, through which the Lord of the Western Regions' Corpse Forest could be vaguely seen lying.

"Li Er, you have received the Emperor's favor, yet you have betrayed His Majesty. This is an outrage against Heaven!" Qu Tutong raised his arm and shouted, "Today I will show you the might of the Sui Dynasty!" Before he finished speaking, the bronze coffin exploded with a bang, and the Master of the Corpse Forest, wrapped in amber, jumped up. Countless illusory skulls appeared in the black mist that his palms released.

Shi Feiyang picked at his ear and laughed at the Master of the Corpse Forest, "Brother, you think you can scare me with just a makeover? I used to gamble with zombies in the mass grave!" He raised his palms, and the silkworm threads that came out of his palms slithered into the seven orifices of the Master of the Corpse Forest like serpents. Then, with a flick of his wrists, he used the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill! The corpse of the Master of the Corpse Forest turned around and slapped his palms toward the Twelve Constellations.

"A mere trick!" "Dragon Elephant" roared as he drew his soft sword from his waist. The blade was wrapped with fragments of Emperor Yang of Sui's dragon robe. "Take this! 'Dragon Soars Through the Nine Heavens'!" Wherever the sword energy passed, the yellow sand swirled into a giant dragon.

Shi Feiyang remained calm and took out a kaleidoscope, aiming it at the dragon's head.

The silkworm silk that he spat out from his palm refracted in the tube, splitting the sword energy into seven streams, which shot towards the seven granaries of the Sui army.

At this moment, the four ladies had already used their "Heavenly Silkworm Skill" to charge into the enemy ranks. Chu Hongxiao played the "General's Command" on her jade flute, and the Heavenly Silkworm Silk transformed into thousands of golden needles, specifically targeting the enemy's vital points; Li Yanling's Dragon Roar Sword was wrapped in Heavenly Silkworm Silk, and it could even weave an electric net in the air, deflecting all the venomous fangs of the "Snake Elephant"; Qiu Shuhui's sleeve arrows were wrapped in Heavenly Silkworm Silk, turning into tracking hidden weapons that hit their mark every time; Huo Chenxi danced in the air on Heavenly Silkworm Silk, each step striking the enemy's Tanzhong acupoint, and wherever she passed, Sui soldiers were frozen into ice sculptures.

Seeing the situation was dire, Qu Tutong spurred his horse to flee. Shi Feiyang, however, was not about to let him go. Riding on the Vermilion Bird, he gave chase: "Old Qu, we haven't had enough fun yet!" He suddenly pulled out a huge kite, its wings stretched by silkworm silk, making it look like a floating fortress. "Try my 'Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens'!" The kite carried him as he charged towards Qu Tutong. Wherever his palm strikes, the Sui soldiers' weapons were thrown from their hands, rolled into iron balls by the silkworm silk.

Immediately afterwards, Shi Feiyang used the "Shifting Flowers and Receiving Jade!" technique, pushing out with both palms. The vortex of true energy formed a suction force that pulled the entire "Nine Nether Gate Formation" into the air.

The twelve constellation messengers screamed as they were sucked into blobs of flesh, while the corpse of the Lord of the Corpse Forest exploded into a rain of blood. Qu Tutong closed his eyes in despair, only to hear Shi Feiyang's mocking tone: "What? Not playing anymore? I haven't had enough yet!"

On the day Tongguan fell, Shi Feiyang sat atop the Vermilion Bird, gazing at the Sui soldiers kneeling in surrender below. Suddenly, he pulled out a bronze gong and banged it loudly: "Those who surrender will be spared death, and will even get to watch me perform my 'Heavenly Silkworm Magic Trick'!" (End of Chapter)