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

Snowflakes fluttered like goose feathers amidst the ruins of the Daming Palace in Chang'an.

Shi Feiyang, draped in a black fox cloak, used the Mingyu Gong technique flowing in his palm to evaporate the falling snow into white mist. He gazed at the mottled "Li" character banner on the palace wall, and the silkworm silk that came out of his palm unconsciously wrapped around half a jade pendant—a broken piece of jade left by Yang Jinghao. At this moment, it was gently touching the other half in his arms, emitting a subtle resonance.

"Shi Feiyang!" A clear shout shattered the deathly silence. Yang Jinghao, dressed in plain white armor, had ice crystals condensing on her soft sword that reflected a cold light. Behind her, three hundred armored cavalrymen stood in formation like a forest, the sound of their hooves crushing the snow startling crows.

Her phoenix eyes were frosty, yet the tip of her sword trembled slightly: "This is our final battle." Shi Feiyang raised an eyebrow and chuckled, flicking a snowflake away with his bamboo staff: "I naturally must accept the little phoenix's challenge. However—"

He suddenly unleashed the "Flower Transference and Jade Grafting" technique, the silkworm silk emanating from his palm swirling like a reversed Milky Way, actually drawing back all the cavalry's arrows. "How about playing a game with me first?" Before the words were even finished, Yang Jinghao had already unleashed the ultimate killing move, "Blood Sacrifice to Xuanyuan." The soft sword, soaked in her heart's blood, transformed into a hundred-foot-long blood dragon, roaring as it came.

Shi Feiyang's body shimmered with a brilliant light, his Mingyu Gong reaching its peak, making him resemble a sun shrouded in cold mist. He unleashed "Eternal Calamity Returns to Emptiness" with both palms, the vortex of true energy colliding with the blood dragon, causing the world to lose its color in an instant.

"Take this!" Yang Jinghao's face flushed red, but just as her attack was about to reach Shi Feiyang, she suddenly changed her thrust into a point. Shi Feiyang's pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively used his silkworm silk to block, only to see the soft sword pierce through the silk curtain and accurately strike his "Shanzhong" acupoint on his chest—a life-saving acupoint that Shi Feiyang had taught Yang Jinghao three years ago.

"Why?" Shi Feiyang staggered backward, the silkworm silk he had spat out from his palm hanging limply.

Yang Jinghao threw away the soft sword, tears mingling with snow water as they slid down her cheeks: "Because you said this place was for me." She opened her palm, the half of the jade pendant gleaming with a warm light, "I lost, I lost because I never really thought I would kill you."

Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves echoed in the distance. Wang Shichong's military flag appeared and disappeared in the wind and snow, and the war drums boomed like muffled thunder. Shi Feiyang suddenly burst into laughter, and the light of his Mingyu Gong surged, enveloping both of them simultaneously: "With foreign enemies at hand, we'll settle our score later!"

The silkworm silk he spat out from his palm darted out like a nimble snake, instantly turning the weapons of three hundred cavalrymen into iron balls. "Little Phoenix, would you like to dance with me a song of 'Repelling the Enemy in the Snow'?" Yang Jinghao bit her lip and remained silent, but had already grasped the bamboo stick he offered.

The two stood back to back, their silken threads intertwining with the soft sword to form a net.

Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Transferring Flowers and Jade!" Mingyu Gong's true energy merged with Yang Jinghao's blood energy, transforming into a gigantic dragon and phoenix phantom that soared into the sky.

Under this oppressive force, Wang Shichong's army's warhorses knelt and neighed. As the last enemy soldier fled, Shi Feiyang pulled out a kaleidoscope, and the silk threads emanating from his palm refracted seven colors, turning the snow-covered ground into a dreamlike scene.

"Do you remember when you said you wanted a rainbow in Zhongnan Mountain?" He put the two halves of the jade pendant back together, and the silkworm silk instantly wove into a jade chain. "Now, I'm giving you the whole world as a betrothal gift." Yang Jinghao looked at the smile on his handsome face and finally smiled through her tears.

In the distance, four ladies—Qiu Shuhui, Huo Chenxi, Li Yanling, and Chu Hongxiao—ridden on vermilion birds through the snow, while Chu Hongxiao's jade flute played joyful tunes.

Shi Feiyang put his arm around Yang Jinghao's slender waist, and the warmth of Mingyu Gong dispelled the chill in the air: "Come on, I'll take you to see Chang'an City, which is woven from celestial silkworm silk. There is a Phoenix Palace there, with my own little phoenix."

Nestled in Shi Feiyang's arms, Yang Jinghao's radiant smile was as sweet as honey. With no troops needed in winter, Shi Feiyang spent his time in his mansion, enjoying a carefree and blissful life with his wives Yang Jinghao, Qiu Shuhui, Huo Chenxi, Li Yanling, and Chu Hongxiao.

On the gilded bronze tiles of the Taiji Hall, the remaining snow was being evaporated into white mist by the warm spring sun.

As Li Yuan, dressed in a bright yellow python robe and wearing dragon boots, stepped over the white marble steps, the gilded scales on the thirty-six dragon-carved pillars in the hall seemed to come alive, shimmering with golden light with each step. Shi Feiyang leaned against the ranks of officials, his hand holding a silkworm silk scroll that was being rolled into the shape of a kite when suddenly a "clang" came from above—the crisp sound of the jade belt buckle at Li Yuan's waist striking the armrest of the dragon throne as he sat down.

"My son Shimin..." Li Yuan's voice was filled with expectation, but it stopped abruptly when he met Shi Feiyang's cynical gaze. Suddenly, this "Li Er" pulled out a sandalwood abacus from a deerskin bag that was invisible to ordinary people, and started clicking the beads with a deafening sound that even drowned out the bells and drums outside the palace.

"Father!" Shi Feiyang raised an eyebrow and laughed, the abacus beads bouncing all over the hall. "This country is like a plate of braised pork; it only tastes good when the fat and lean meat are evenly distributed! Look—" He unleashed a silkworm silk from his palm, coiling the abacus beads in mid-air to form a map of Chang'an. "Give me the title of 'Carefree King,' and choose Jiangdu's Lean Horse Lane as my territory. The girls there can sing 'Jade Tree Backyard Flower,' which is much more interesting than the court!"

The entire court of officials and soldiers froze, except for Cheng Yaojin, who was suppressing a laugh so hard his face turned red and his beard trembled. Li Yuan's temples throbbed, and just as he was about to explode, he suddenly heard the sound of clothes rustling in the air outside the hall.

Like a fleeting shadow, Hong Fu Nu leaped into the hall, her long sword carrying a man bound in chains. Snow dust settled on her shoulders, making her crimson cloak even more striking. "Your Majesty, it really is Young Master Li here!"

Li Jing followed closely behind, thrusting his iron spear into the ground, which created spiderweb-like cracks on the gold brick.

The man bound by chains raised his head, a hideous scar on his left cheek running from his brow bone down to his jaw—it was none other than Li Shimin, who had disappeared three years ago! "You audacious madman!" The Minister of Justice jumped out, his tablet pointing directly at Shi Feiyang's nose. "Impersonating the heir to the throne, what is your punishment?" The armored soldiers in the hall instantly drew their swords, the gleaming blades making Shi Feiyang's fair skin appear even more translucent, as if one could see the golden true energy flowing through his veins.

Shi Feiyang, however, leisurely picked at his ear with a pick, the silkworm silk from his palm flicking the abacus beads precisely at the Minister's forehead: "Did you hear me clearly, sir? I said I was 'Shi Feiyang' as soon as I walked in, it was you who insisted on pinning the 'Li Shimin' label on me—" He suddenly leaned closer to Li Yuan and lowered his voice, "Besides, if it weren't for this imposter's conquests, would you have been able to sit on this dragon throne?"

Li Yuan's face turned ashen. He slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "Men! Seize this madman and his accomplices!" Three hundred Xuanjia soldiers immediately poured into the hall, their bright armor reflecting a chilling killing intent in the sunlight.

Shi Feiyang remained calm and unhurried. "Wait!" He suddenly raised his hands, but grinned as the armored soldiers approached. "Since you insist that I abdicate, how about we play a game of 'The Real and the Fake King of Qin'?" His Bright Jade Skill suddenly activated, and the luster of his crystal-clear body intensified, actually absorbing all the candlelight in the hall into his mouth. "The loser must pour tea for the winner as an apology!"

Hong Fu Nu drew her longsword three inches from its sheath, the sword energy cleaving through the pillar beside Shi Feiyang: "Spreading heresy! Take this!" She unleashed the "Nine Strikes of Startling Swan," a secret technique passed down by the "Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust," the tip of her sword like a shooting star chasing the moon, aimed straight for Shi Feiyang's throat.

Shi Feiyang neither dodged nor evaded. With a light wave of his palms, he unleashed the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique: Slaying the Mortal World." The palm wind was like a blade of energy, which actually split the sword energy in two. Then he used "Shifting Flowers and Jade!" The silkworm silk that came out of his palms shot out like a nimble snake and wrapped around Hong Fu Nu's long sword.

He suddenly exerted his strength, twisting the sword, which could cut through iron like mud, into a twisted shape: "Sister Hongfu, this sword can be modified into a cooking utensil, why don't you send it to Jiangdu to brew tea?" Upon seeing this, Li Jing swept his iron spear horizontally, using the "Nezha Third Prince Spear Technique", the spear shadows flying like pear blossoms.

Shi Feiyang pulled out a kaleidoscope, and the silkworm silk from his palm magnified it tenfold. Sunlight, passing through the prism inside the tube, reflected a seven-colored Buddhist light on the tip of the gun: "General Li, look! Buddha says you should lay down your butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot..."

Before he could finish speaking, the spear tip grazed his nose, but was deflected three inches by the vortex suction of Mingyu Gong. At this moment, the five ladies, Qiu Shuhui, Li Yanling, Yang Jinghao, Chu Hongxiao, and Huo Chenxi, were already engaged in battle with the armored soldiers.

Chu Hongxiao played "General's Command" on her jade flute, the sound waves transforming into sharp blades that slashed the helmets of the armored soldiers to the ground; Li Yanling's Dragon Roar Sword, combined with the Dog-Beating Stick Technique, alternated between "Beating the Dog's Head" and "The Dragon Regrets," forcing the Xuanjia Army into a series of defeats; Qiu Shuhui and Huo Chenxi's Heavenly Silkworm Skill was even more remarkable, wherever the crystal light touched, the armored soldiers' weapons froze, turning into ice sculptures that shattered and fell to the ground.

Yang Jinghao dared not use the "blood sacrifice to Xuanyuan" lightly, otherwise the Taiji Hall and all the civil and military officials would be destroyed.

"Your Majesty, look how exciting this battle is!" Shi Feiyang, retreating as he fought, pulled out a wine flask, took a swig, and said, "How about we make a three-point agreement—"

He suddenly unleashed the "Transferring Flowers and Jade, Reversing Heaven and Earth" technique, causing a vortex of true energy to lift all the floor tiles in the Taiji Hall. "I'll spare your lives, but you'd better stop chasing after me, okay?"

Li Yuan gazed at the mess on the ground, then at the slumped-over Qin King, and suddenly sighed, "So be it... Now that Shimin has returned, you..."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Before he could finish speaking, Shi Feiyang had already grabbed his four wives and leaped out of the palace. The silkworm threads he spat out from his palm transformed into a giant kite, soaring into the clouds to the astonishment of the crowd. "Shi Feiyang!" Yang Jinghao suddenly pressed a soft sword against his throat. "Do you really intend to wander the martial world?"

Shi Feiyang raised an eyebrow and smiled, the silkworm thread emanating from his palm gently wrapping around her wrist: "Little Phoenix, the martial world is much more fun than the imperial palace—" He took out half a jade pendant, combining it with the other half in her arms, "Let's go to Jiangdu and open a 'Carefree Inn,' you be the proprietress, and I'll be the waiter, how about it?"

Looking at the sly smile in his eyes, Yang Jinghao couldn't help but chuckle softly. In the distance, Hong Fu Nu and Li Jing had already caught up to the corner of the palace, while Shi Feiyang, with his arm around Yang Jinghao's waist, shook the wine pot on the kite: "Hold on tight! We're going to create a legend in the martial arts world that's even more interesting than being an emperor!"

Inside the Taiji Hall, Li Yuan gazed at the lingering shadow of the kite in the sky and shook his head helplessly. The real Li Shimin was helped to his feet, looking in the direction where Shi Feiyang had disappeared, and touched the scar on his face—where the cool touch of the silkworm silk seemed to still linger.

From then on, a legend spread throughout the martial arts world: a remarkable man named Shi Feiyang, accompanied by five beautiful wives, wove a carefree world in this chaotic era using silkworm silk and an abacus. The strife in the imperial court was ultimately just a sip of wine in his jug, which he turned the page with a laugh.

After leaving Chang'an, Shi Feiyang instructed his wives to disguise themselves as scholars and search for Yaoyue's whereabouts, while he himself returned to Yihua Palace to see if Palace Master Yaoyue and Lianxing had returned.

Having shed his busy official duties and the smoke of battle, Shi Feiyang felt relaxed and at ease.

He neither walked nor rode a horse, but sat on the Vermilion Bird, lying leisurely in the tent on its back.

The Yihua Palace, located on the northwestern frontier, is a desolate place with no inhabitants for miles around. This is the wisdom of Palace Master Lü Sangqing back then. Whether it is martial arts practitioners or imperial troops, it is extremely difficult to attack the Yihua Palace.

Therefore, regardless of whether Yaoyue and Lianxing are in Yihua Palace, the palace remains stable, and everyone keeps an eye on each other. The young palace master, Hua Wuque, is only a few years old, but under the care of countless beautiful palace maids, he is growing up, learning literature and martial arts. Previously, Shi Feiyang had taken over a hundred concubines in the peach blossom grove of Yihua Palace; these beautiful palace maids were all moved to tears upon seeing Shi Feiyang's return.

The winds of the Northwest wilderness swept across the withered poplars with yellow sand, but when they touched the peach blossom grove of the Yihua Palace, they were quietly tinged with rouge.

Shi Feiyang leaned against the golden tent atop the Vermilion Bird's back, a peach petal between his fingers, examining its patterns against the sunlight. The magical bird seemed to sense its master's contentment; with a flap of its wings, it shattered the clouds in the sky, scattering them into flowing gold dust in the glass goblet before the tent.

"Sisters, look! It's my husband's Vermilion Bird!"

"My husband is back! Tonight, the Flower Palace is going to be in chaos!"

"Hehe, isn't our beauty hoping for chaos in the Flower Palace?"

"Haha!" A crisp exclamation pierced through the peach grove.

Shi Feiyang raised an eyebrow and looked over. He saw over a hundred beautiful women dressed as palace maids rushing from the depths of the flower path, their silk skirts brushing against the dew-laden grass tips, startling a flurry of butterflies. He thought to himself, "The martial world is so much better! So free! So comfortable! And so many beautiful women!"
The head maid, Green Calyx, held up a gold-embroidered cloak, the pearls hanging from the jade hairpin in her hair trembling slightly, making the watery light in her eyes even more crystalline: "When you left, you said you were going to gather the clouds from the horizon to make a rainbow dress, and we servants have been waiting for you in the peach grove every day..."

Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Xue, dressed in pink, rushed to the front of the tent: "Does my husband know that we have been copying the 'Heavenly Silkworm Heart Sutra' that you left behind seven times a day, and even our fingertips have formed ice crystals!" She raised her hand, and her ten jade fingers indeed shone with a glassy luster, like transparent coral in the sunlight.

Shi Feiyang chuckled softly, and the silkworm threads that emerged from his palm, like nimble snakes, darted out of the tent, gently curling the stray hairs at Lü'e's temple: "Silly girl, you hurt your fingertips while practicing martial arts, who will make me a flower wreath?" These words were like a pebble thrown into a spring lake, causing the women to rush forward, and in an instant, a "rain of flowers" fell outside the tent—Jiangxue handed over grape wine from the Western Regions, Chenxiang held up a newly made fox fur coat, and the most charming Qingdai even peeked under Zhuque's wing, looking up and saying, "Husband, the incense in your tent needs to be changed. I made some new rose-scented cakes last night, and I added three more night-blooming jasmine flowers than the one you praised last year..."

Suddenly, the clear sound of jade bells grew louder as they approached. A young palace maid carrying a jade bottle stumbled in: "Young Palace Mistress Hua heard... heard that Father has returned, and insists on..." Before she could finish speaking, three-year-old Hua Wuque stumbled into the tent, her slender arms tightly hugging Shi Feiyang's waist.

The child was exquisitely beautiful, with a cinnabar birthmark between his eyebrows that was exactly like Shi Feiyang's. But at this moment, he pouted and tugged at his sleeve: "Father broke his promise. He said he would take Wuque to see the white deer on the snow mountain..."

Shi Feiyang thought to himself: Yaoyue is truly despicable. She clearly killed Hua Wuque's father, Jiang Feng, yet she made Hua Wuque call her "father." Despite these thoughts, he smiled and picked up Hua Wuque. The silkworm silk that emerged from his palm transformed into golden sugar paintings that bloomed on the child's palm: "We'll go tomorrow."

He gently stroked Hua Wuque's nose, but caught a glimpse of the pain in the eyes of Lü'e and the others—these women had been taken in by him as "concubines of the Yihua Palace," yet they hadn't even received the title of "wife." How could they not be heartbroken to see him so tender towards Hua Wuque and his son? As dusk settled over the peach grove, the women lit thirty-six lotus lanterns outside the tent. Jiang Xue knelt, clutching her zither, her fingertips just brushing the strings when Shi Feiyang stopped her: "Tonight, we won't play 'General's Command,' but 'Phoenix Seeking Its Mate.'"

He looked at the hundred or so graceful women standing outside the tent, and suddenly laughed loudly, "You always say I'm biased, so today I'll be fair—"

The silkworm silk he spun from his palm poured out like moonlight, tying a luminous pearl to each person's hair. "Whoever can make me fall asleep to the sound of the zither, I will accompany her to the Star-Picking Tower to watch the sunrise tomorrow." Inside the tent, the candlelight flickered, and the rose-scented cakes with indigo wafted a sweet aroma.

Shi Feiyang closed his eyes, feigning sleep, yet he felt countless gentle hands massaging his shoulders, rubbing his legs, and trimming his nails. Lü'e's fingertips, dipped in peppermint balm, gently pressed against his temples: "My lord, do you know that the jade pendant you left behind last time, we servants have taken turns wearing it close to our bodies, and now it's so warm you could raise fish in it..."

Jiang Xue's zither playing suddenly went out of tune. She hurriedly looked up and saw Shi Feiyang with a smile on his lips, clearly awake.

At the third quarter of midnight, the Vermilion Bird suddenly let out a clear and melodious cry. When Shi Feiyang opened his eyes, he met Green Calyx's tearful eyes—she had been kneeling all night, and her silk skirt was soaked with dew. He sighed softly, and a silkworm thread from his palm gently lifted her up and placed her beside him: "Silly girl, don't be so silly in the future."

Green Calyx trembled, but then she saw his fingertips brush against her swollen knee, and the chill of Mingyu Gong transformed into a warm current that seeped into her skin: "Tomorrow, have the kitchen stew some soup to replenish your qi and blood, and you and Jiangxue can share it."

Suppressed sobs came from outside the tent. Shi Feiyang looked up and saw that although the other women were envious, none of them competed for her. He suddenly remembered what Yaoyue had said, "The women of Yihua Palace do not know jealousy." Now he realized that they were not unaware of jealousy, but rather that they had turned their deep affection into silent service.

As the morning mist drifted over the peach grove, Shi Feiyang was already sitting atop the Star-Picking Tower. Lü'e leaned on his shoulder, gazing at the gradually reddening clouds on the horizon, when she suddenly pointed to the distant snow-capped mountains: "Husband, look! White Deer!" The snowlight made her cheeks blush, and the luminous pearl in her hair and the jade pendant at Shi Feiyang's waist shone brightly, like two stars in the sky.

Faint music drifted from the foot of the mountain; Jiang Xue was playing "The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate" in the peach grove. Shi Feiyang, holding the woman in his arms, suddenly chuckled: "They say there is no true affection in the imperial family, but little do they know that hidden deep within these flowers are a hundred hearts brighter than the moon."

Green Calyx looked up at him and saw the morning sun shining on his glass-like skin, turning the tenderness in his eyes into gold—a light more dazzling than Mingyu Gong.

The winds of the northwestern wilderness, carrying sand and gravel, swept across the barren hills, but abruptly changed their nature when they reached the territory of the Yihua Palace—peach trees spread out like pink clouds all over the mountains, even the wind was broken up and sprinkled with petals, making people's faces glow with spring. It was late spring, and the last red petals on the branches overlapped with the new green, and dewdrops condensed on the petals, reflecting a seven-colored halo, as if some immortal had overturned a rouge box, dyeing this world with a hundred tender emotions.

In the center of the peach blossom grove is a winding flower stream, its water tinged pale pink by the petals, dotted with tiny sepals. Occasionally, a koi carp leaps out of the water, startling the clouds and mist that fill the stream.

The peach trees on both sides of the stone path are all over a hundred years old, with gnarled branches like coiled dragons. However, the palace servants used silkworm silk to make various flower racks, and the hanging wisteria and roses climbed up the branches, weaving a natural flower canopy overhead.

As dusk fell, some palace maid hung glass lanterns on the branches, their warm yellow light filtering through the petals, bathing the entire peach grove in an amber dream. Most enchanting was the "Drunken Peach Slope," where hundreds of peach trees leaned in the same direction, as if nodding in greeting to the wind.

The petals fell on the bluestone slab and piled up three inches thick, making a rustling sound when stepped on. Among the startled butterflies were rare "peach blossom butterflies," whose wings were marked with patterns like a beautiful woman's furrowed brows, and scattered golden dust with each flap of their wings.

Hua Wuque often chased butterflies here. When he fell into the flower pile, a palace maid would always laugh and use a net woven from silkworm silk to catch him, making the little guy giggle and startling peach petals all over the tree.

As the moon rises, the peach blossom grove transforms into a crystal world. Palace maids who have mastered the Mingyu Gong dance beneath the trees, their shimmering light reflecting off the moonlight. As their robes brush against the blossoms, petals twirl and fall, like countless pink butterflies fluttering around the fairies.

Green Calyx danced the "Rainbow Feather Dance" for Shi Feiyang here. Heavenly silkworms spun petals around her, weaving a celestial pattern. A drop of wine he casually tossed out condensed into ice crystals in mid-air, making all the peach blossoms in the forest look like shattered diamonds.

With the arrival of spring rain, the peach grove is breathtakingly beautiful. Large raindrops pound on the petals, but are blocked by the transparent dome woven from silkworm silk, forming a crystal-clear rain curtain overhead.

Shi Feiyang loved to lie in the tent on Zhuque's back, watching the raindrops roll down the edge of the tent like a beaded curtain, and listening to the palace maids laughing softly under the flowers. Jiangxue would sit in the stone pavilion sheltering from the rain with her zither in her arms, water droplets condensing on the strings, and the "Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake" she played carried a moist floral fragrance. Qingdai would hold up a glass cup to catch the rainwater, saying she wanted to brew tea for Shi Feiyang. Her earnest appearance was more captivating than any famous tea.

This peach blossom grove holds the soul of the Flower-Shifting Palace. Every petal is imbued with the longing of the palace maids, and every wisp of fragrance is wrapped in unspeakable tenderness. When Shi Feiyang's Vermilion Bird soars over the treetops, it brings not only a shower of petals but also a hundred pairs of eyes yearning for him—they gaze at the handsome Shi Feiyang, their fingertips tracing the branches he touches, and suddenly feel that the entire grove of peach blossoms has become the eyes and brows of the one they love.

The peach blossoms in the late spring grove were still glistening with dew, and Shi Feiyang's robes had already swept past the white jade archway of the Yihua Palace. He stood with his hands on his hips and looked back. More than a hundred concubines were clinging to the palace gate, reluctant to leave. Lü'e even stuffed some newly made rose-scented cakes into his deerskin bag, which made Jiangxue laugh and scold from the side: "Be careful not to attract bees and butterflies on the way!"

Shi Feiyang raised an eyebrow and chuckled. He wove a whistle from his fingertips, the silk of the Heavenly Silkworm coiling around flower petals. While Yaoyue and Lianxing were away from the Yihua Palace, he had spent months enjoying the company of his hundred-plus concubines. Now, seeing their faces beaming with contentment, he smiled and flew away. This was because a spy from the Yihua Palace had sent word that Yaoyue and Lianxing had mysteriously gotten lost and ended up in Yangzhou.

After Yang Guang's death, Jiangdu was renamed Yangzhou.

The peach blossoms in late spring were still covered with morning dew. Shi Feiyang hummed a Yangzhou folk song as the hem of his robe, embroidered with twin lotus blossoms, swept past the white jade archway of the Yihua Palace. Suddenly, a cold wind blew by, and the petals swirled eerily in the air. From behind the distant sand dunes came a hoarse roar: "Shi Feiyang! Prepare to die!" Seventy-two puppets wrapped in human skin burst from the ground, their bronze masks gleaming with blood and rust in the sunlight.

The leader was an old man wearing a bronze demon mask, whose black blood dripped from his judge's pen, corroding deep pits in the sand.

"A new broom sweeps clean, Shi Feiyang! Today, I will use your blood to sacrifice for my Disaster Relief Gang!" With a wave of his hand, the puppets creaked and groaned, the sound waves causing the peach blossoms to fall in the air, forming a blood-red rain.

Shi Feiyang slowly and methodically picked at his ear with an ear pick, his Mingyu Gong quietly activating, his glass-like skin glowing with a faint blue light: "Old ghost, your 'Hundred Ghosts Soul-Locking Array' is even more pathetic than last year's—"

He suddenly pointed at a puppet and laughed, "Look at this human skin, it has more patches than Cheng Yaojin's pants!" Before he finished speaking, the ground exploded, and countless skeletal hands wrapped in rotting flesh burst out of the soil, with unrotted brocade still embedded between their fingers. It was the "Yellow Spring Guide" made by the Disaster Relief Gang using living people.

Old Man Chang grinned and wielded his brush, causing the talisman to ignite with eerie green flames in the air: "Taste the flavor of 'A Hundred Ghosts Weeping at Night'!" Shi Feiyang, however, pulled out a rattle drum, unleashing his Mingyu Kung Fu. The suction force of the vortex in his palm surged, instantly enlarging the drum tenfold.

With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed the extraordinary technique of "borrowing flowers and connecting jade," whereupon the sound waves condensed into solid chains that bound the skeletal hands and tore at each other. Rotting flesh peeled away like mud, revealing stark white bones twitching on the sand, causing the Burning Flower Cult members lying in ambush in the distance to vomit on the spot.

"A mere trick, not worth mentioning!" Shi Feiyang exuded a chilling aura as he unleashed "Mountain Splitting" from the Hundred Victories Blade Technique. Using his palm as a blade, the overwhelming palm wind, carrying blade light, swept across the land, causing the air to explode wherever it went, shattering all the bronze masks of the seventy-two puppets.

The old man's pupils suddenly contracted, and he swiftly tapped the ground with his judge's pen, summoning an even more ferocious "Ghost Devouring Heaven Array," from which the wails of ten thousand ghosts echoed from the earth.

Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a kaleidoscope, circulated his Mingyu Gong to the "Supreme Forgetfulness of Ice Soul Cold Prison" level, and his whole body was like an ice sculpture shrouded in cold mist: "Old man, have you ever seen a kaleidoscope that can set off fireworks?"

He unleashed the "Transferring Flowers and Jade, Returning to Emptiness" technique with both palms. The vortex of true energy formed a suction force like a black hole, not only sucking away the human skin from the puppet's body, but also condensing the ghostly energy surging from the ground into ice crystals.

Seeing the situation was not good, an old man tried to escape, but Shi Feiyang instantly closed in and lightly touched his Tanzhong acupoint with his fingertip. "I'm very generous, old man. Since you're here, I'll give you a little gift!" Shi Feiyang chuckled evilly, and the extremely cold true energy of Mingyu Gong penetrated his body.

An old man was instantly frozen into an ice sculpture, his eyes still rolling in terror beneath the demon mask.

Shi Feiyang kicked the ice sculpture and laughed, "This design is not bad. I'll put it at the entrance of Yihua Palace as a guardian beast!" After saying that, he used the "Slaying the Mortal World" move of the Hundred Victories Blade Technique. Wherever his palm wind passed, the remaining puppets turned into dust.

Gasps of breath came from behind the distant sand dunes, and the Burning Flower Cult members were shocked to realize that the elite members of the Disaster Relief Gang, who had been so aggressive just moments before, had been slaughtered in the midst of laughter and conversation.

Shi Feiyang patted off non-existent dust, took out a wine flask from his deerskin bag, and took a swig: "Anyone else want to wait in line to freeze? I'll give you a buy-one-get-one-free deal, plus a free photo opportunity with the ice sculpture!" Before he finished speaking, the sky suddenly turned as dark as night, and eighteen bronze Buddhist banners burning with karmic fire burst forth from the ground.

Shi Feiyang threw his head back and laughed loudly, the wine jug drawing a graceful arc in the air, his glass-like skin becoming even more dazzling in the firelight: "Well done! I haven't used the Hundred Victories Blade Technique in a long time. Now that the enemy has attacked, it's a good time to test my 'Burning Heaven and Earth' Blade Technique!"

Before the karmic fire ignited by the eighteen Buddhist banners had been extinguished, the sound of dragging chains suddenly came from behind the sand dunes. Twelve men clad in red copper scale armor strode across the sand, their human skin lanterns, which oozed black oil, hanging from their waists. They were none other than the "Twelve Vajra" protectors of the Burning Flower Sect.

The leader's neck was twisted like a snake, and a sinister smile hung from the corners of his mouth, which split open to his ears: "Shi Feiyang, quickly hand over the 'Ten Thousand Poisons Return to One' manual, or else you'll taste the flavor of my sect's 'Thousand Cuts and Ten Thousand Slices Formation'!"

Before the words were even finished, the twelve people simultaneously formed hand seals, and countless crimson chains suddenly shot out from the sand. The chains were covered with barbs, and their tips glowed with an eerie blue light. They were forged from meteorite iron from the Sui Emperor Yang's treasury mixed with Western Region corpse poison.

Shi Feiyang, however, remained calm and unhurried, pulling out a bronze mirror and holding it up to the blazing sun: "Your chains are all polished to a high shine. Want me to help you advertise? 'Fenhua Brand Back Scratcher, a must-have for home and travel!'"

"You're courting death!" the Vajra Protector roared, and the chains lunged forward like serpents.

Shi Feiyang used the "Flower Transfer and Jade Connection" technique, his figure flashing like a ghost, and the chains actually intertwined with each other.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, he unleashed the Hundred Victories Blade Technique, "Severing the Edge of Heaven." As his palm struck, the air was torn apart with a piercing, sharp sound, and several chains snapped inch by inch.

As the broken chain flew through the air, Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a folding fan. The moment the jade-bone fan unfolded, a portrait of himself was prominently displayed on the fan: "Admire my original work, and I'll give you a 20% discount!" The Vajra Protectors were furious and unleashed their "Burning Heaven Palm" attacks.

A blazing wave of fire swept in, but Shi Feiyang activated the Mingyu Gong to the "Ice Soul Cold Prison" level, and the suction force of the Mingyu Gong's true energy vortex reversed the fire. The flames actually condensed into a fire phoenix and rolled back, burning the twelve Vajra warriors so badly that they fled in terror.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shi Feiyang leaned forward, lightly tapped his fingertip, and the cold air instantly froze the meridians of several people: "Don't run away! Come, come, experience the Yihua Palace ice sculpture service for free!" Just then, a drum-like tremor suddenly came from underground.

The Five Poisons Sect's "Five Altar Poison Masters" emerged from the ground, each riding a different venomous beast: the Azure-Scaled Python, the Crimson-Tailed Scorpion, the Black Miasma Spider, the Azure Fire Toad, and the Purple Lightning Centipede. The leader of the altars was a one-eyed old woman, holding a venomous python in her arms, its three-zhang-long tongue flicking: "You little bastard, if you don't hand over the 'Ten Thousand Poisons Return to the Source' manual, today I'll let you taste the exhilarating pain of 'Ten Thousand Poisons Devouring the Heart'!" The venomous beasts roared in unison, and the poisonous mist they spewed instantly enveloped an area of ​​ten zhang in radius.

Shi Feiyang pulled out a snuff bottle and took a deep drag: "This taste... is three points worse than my concubine's rouge!" He used the Hundred Victory Blade Technique "Demonic Cloud Sweep," his palm wind carrying blade energy crisscrossing, actually slicing countless gaps in the poisonous mist.

As the venomous python lunged, he skillfully used the "Shifting Flowers and Jade" technique, flinging the python's body towards the red-tailed scorpion, causing the two beasts to instantly turn on each other. Immediately afterward, Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Burning Heaven and Earth!" technique from his Hundred Victories Blade Art, the palm strike carrying the force to incinerate everything. The venomous beasts exploded under the blade's energy.

Amidst the bloodshed, Shi Feiyang pulled out a glass bottle: "Your poisonous blood is quite good. Take it back to my kitchen as seasoning!" Just as the five Poison Masters were about to unleash their deadly formation, Shi Feiyang's body suddenly shone with a brilliant glassy light, and he unleashed the "Eternal Return to Emptiness" technique from the Bright Jade Skill. The powerful suction force pulled all five of them, along with the remains of the poisonous beast, into five ice sculptures of different shapes.

A series of wails echoed from afar, the arrival of the "Thirty-Six Yin Fiend Envoys" of the Disaster Relief Gang. These men were half-human, half-ghost, and the sound waves from their bone flutes could shatter a person's internal organs. Suddenly, Shi Feiyang pulled a suona from his deerskin bag and played the cheerful "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix": "Come, come, come, let's see whose instrument is louder!"

With the Yin Sha Envoys' formation disrupted, Shi Feiyang seized the opportunity to unleash the ultimate killing move of the Hundred Victories Blade Technique, "Severing Reincarnation." Wherever the palm wind passed, space seemed to be torn apart, and the thirty-six Yin Sha Envoys, along with the bone flute, instantly vanished into thin air.

Shi Feiyang patted off non-existent dust and shook his head at the wreckage scattered on the ground: "These days, the quality of villains is getting worse and worse."

Just then, blood rained down from the sky. An old man wearing a golden skull crown walked through the blood, with nine human-faced snakes coiled around his body—he was none other than the "Blood-Faced Yama," the supreme leader jointly elected by the three evil sects.

His laughter shook the sand in the air: "Shi Feiyang, no matter what, today we must obtain the 'Ten Thousand Poisons Return to One' manual!"

Shi Feiyang pulled out a wine flask and raised it to the sky in a toast: "You've come at the perfect time! I haven't had enough wine to go with my snacks yet!" He activated the Mingyu Gong technique at high speed, his glassy skin becoming almost transparent, like a war god descending to earth.

Blood rained down on Shi Feiyang's shoulder, and in an instant, it was evaporated into white mist by Mingyu Gong.

Nine human-faced snakes around the Blood-Faced Yama flicked their tongues, and Shi Feiyang's glassy reflection was mirrored in their snake eyes.

"I've heard that you've gathered the three great evil sects. Are you planning to hold a martial arts ugliest contest?" Shi Feiyang shook the wine pot, and the remaining wine inside suddenly froze. "You should have said so earlier. My Yihua Palace can lend you three hundred bronze mirrors."

Before the words were finished, the nine human-faced snakes suddenly transformed into a sky full of blood shadows.

Blood-Faced Yama formed hand seals and chanted, "Blood sacrifice to the eight wastelands, all souls return to their rightful place!"

The world instantly plunged into darkness, as countless wronged souls crawled out from the earth, their weapons glowing with a sinister blue stench. Shi Feiyang, however, remained unperturbed, pulling out a hollowed-out sachet and waving it at the blood mist: "Fellow ghosts, this is ambergris, a tribute from the Western Regions. Want some?"

Distracted by the fragrance, the wronged spirits seized the opportunity to unleash the Hundred Victories Blade Technique, "Breaking the Universe." His palm strikes were like a tidal wave, and his blade energy cleaved through the blood mist, creating a vacuum. The human-faced snake pounced, and the stone head opened its blood-red maw, spewing venom that hissed and crackled wherever it touched the sand.

Shi Feiyang activated the Mingyu Gong, his true energy swirling with suction force, drawing all the venom into his palm. He then struck out with his backhand, "Transferring Flowers and Jade - Spring Returns to the Cold Prison," and the frozen ice spikes shot back towards Blood-Faced Yama.

"Interesting." Yama sneered, suddenly tearing off his golden mask. Beneath it was a face riddled with holes, countless centipedes crawling out of the openings, forming a bizarre incantation: "Taste my 'Ten Thousand Poisons Corroding Bone Array'!"

With a wave of his hand, centipedes appeared like a dark cloud pressing down on the city, filling the air with a nauseatingly sweet and pungent smell. Shi Feiyang, however, pulled out a cricket jar and suddenly opened it: "Brothers, extra meal!" What rushed out of the jar was a "poisonous golden toad" secretly raised by the Yihua Palace. With a single, massive mouth, it swallowed a large number of centipedes whole.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, he unleashed the "Burning Heaven and Earth" technique of the Hundred Victories Blade Technique. The palm wind was wrapped with fierce blade energy, and wherever it passed, the centipedes turned into ashes.

Blood-Faced Yama was filled with shock and rage. He plunged his hands into the ground and roared, "Blood River, appear!" Suddenly, a scarlet river gushed forth from the ground, its waters churning with white bones and severed limbs, emitting a suffocating stench.

Shi Feiyang pulled out a huge strainer and began scooping in the blood river: "Let's see what treasures we can get... Hey, this jade thumb ring is pretty good!" He activated the Bright Jade Technique, and the cold air spread along the blood river, instantly freezing the entire blood river into an ice sculpture.

Seeing the situation was dire, Blood-Faced Yama attempted to escape by transforming into a blood mist. Shi Feiyang, however, would not allow him to succeed, unleashing the ultimate killing move of the Hundred Victories Blade Technique, "Severing Reincarnation." His palm wind tore through space, and his blade energy materialized into a tangible halo, striking directly at the core of the blood mist.

The Blood-Faced Yama let out a furious roar of resentment, and vanished into nothingness within the halo of light, leaving only a skull dripping with black blood.

Shi Feiyang picked up the skull and carved words on it with silkworm silk: "This is the true face of the Blood-Faced Yama. A ticket is required to view it." He waved the skull at the trembling remnants of the evil sect in the distance: "Who else wants to be on my collection shelf?"

Before the words were even finished, those people had already fled in a panic.

Shi Feiyang dusted off non-existent dust from his body and shouted to the sky, "Beauties of Yangzhou, your humble servant is here! Anyone who dares to block my way again, don't blame me for turning him into an ice sculpture and placing him as a street lamp at the entrance of the Yihua Palace!"

Having said that, he leaped into the air atop the Vermilion Bird, leaving behind a scene of utter chaos and a stunned crowd of martial artists. (End of Chapter)