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

As the dust settled, Shi Feiyang tore off a piece of his clothing to bandage Bai Jieru's wounds: "If you had said you'd follow me, you wouldn't have had to suffer like this." The warmth of his fingertips seeped through the fabric, and Bai Jieru's heart pounded like a drum, but she forced herself to remain calm: "Who asked you to meddle! 'The Return of All Poisons'..."

"A young lady's life is far more precious than any secret manual!" Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled her into his arms. "Why don't we join forces, rob the Shadow Tower's treasure vault, and go to Yangzhou to live a carefree life?" Bai Jieru was about to retort when she saw the sincere light shining in his eyes. The morning mist outside the dilapidated temple gradually dissipated, and sunlight shone through the crumbling walls onto the two of them, making their tender feelings even more intense.

On the carved sandalwood bed, Shi Feiyang sat with his legs crossed, toying with half a piece of osmanthus cake in his hand, listening to the rustling footsteps coming from outside the door. The servant sent by Ye Wumian to poison the soup had just put it down when a green bamboo stick coiled up like a nimble snake and lifted the bowl into the air.

Shi Feiyang tilted his head back and opened his mouth, the cake and the poisonous soup colliding in mid-air, turning into a cloud of purple smoke. "The Night Lord's skills are far inferior to those of the cooks at the Flower Palace!" Thirteen days later, in the council hall on the highest floor of the Shadow Tower, Ye Wumian coughed up blood and angrily smashed a teacup, causing the "List of a Thousand Gold" on the jade table to rattle. The newly recruited "Thirteen Shadow Assassins" each possessed unique skills—the "Soul-Chasing Life-Taking" technique with the Judge's Pen could strike acupoints from a distance, the "Iron-Hearted Yama" wielding a meteor hammer had its hammer surface coated with Western Region corpse poison, and there was also the "Thousand-Machine Scholar" skilled in using mechanical crossbows, with a twelve-shot Zhuge Repeating Crossbow hidden in his sleeve.

Half a month later, at midnight, the gilded candlestick in the luxurious suite suddenly shattered, and twelve dark figures burst through the window. Shi Feiyang was adjusting his hair in front of the bronze mirror when he casually flicked his bamboo stick, and the candlelight condensed into a fiery snake, rushing straight at the assassin who was using a hidden weapon.

"Perfect timing! Saves me from thinking about Miss Bai all the time! Fighting and relaxing, that's what makes life wonderful! It's rare to have so many people to play with tonight, everyone's happy, that's what's truly good!" Shi Feiyang rambled on as he used "Luring the Dogs into the Village," drawing a strange arc with his bamboo stick to lead everyone into a pre-set trap.

Bai Jieru stood in the shadows, holding a soft sword, her moon-white skirt billowing in the wind. She watched Shi Feiyang stroll leisurely amidst the flashing blades, sometimes using "stick to poke a mangy dog" to deflect the judge's pen, sometimes using "drowning and beating a dog" to knock away the meteor hammer, her glassy skin glowing with a ghostly blue light in the night.

As the "Thousand-Machine Scholar" unleashed a volley of crossbow bolts, Shi Feiyang activated his Mingyu Gong technique, creating a vortex that altered the trajectory of the arrows, directing them towards the other assassins. "Watch closely, young lady!" Shi Feiyang suddenly spun around and closed in, using his bamboo staff to brush aside stray hairs from Bai Jieru's temple. "This move, 'Sichuan Dog Barking at the Sun,' doesn't it resemble how you look when you're getting ready in the morning?"

He deliberately slowed his movements, drawing a heart shape in front of her eyes with his emerald green bamboo stick. Bai Jieru's jade-like face flushed crimson, and she thrust out her soft sword, avoiding vital points; the blade barely grazed the brocade on his shoulder. "Miss Bai, don't make a mistake!" The ten poisonous fingernails of the Netherworld Claw gleamed with an eerie light, suddenly grabbing at Shi Feiyang from behind.

Bai Jieru's heart tightened, and her soft sword flashed like a startled shadow, blocking the fatal blow for him. Amidst the clanging of metal, Shi Feiyang seized the opportunity to grab her wrist, the vortex suction of the Mingyu Gong pulling her closer: "You should have said you couldn't bear to part with me. How about we learn from Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin and do a 'double sword combination'?"

The Shadow Thirteen's attacks grew increasingly fierce. The Judge's Pen, a weapon of soul-reaping, aimed at Shi Feiyang's Tanzhong acupoint, while the Iron-Blooded Yama's Meteor Hammer crashed down with the force of thunder. Suddenly, Shi Feiyang released Bai Jieru and unleashed the "Shifting Flowers and Jade - Reversing Heaven and Earth" technique with both palms, deflecting all the attacks.

Taking advantage of the chaos, he unleashed the "Breaking the Universe" technique of the Hundred Victories Blade Technique. His palm strikes, like blades crisscrossing, cleaved the ground into a trench over ten feet deep. Bai Jieru watched him fight valiantly, remembering how he had secretly wrapped the antidote in osmanthus cake and slipped it into her room late three nights ago.

At this moment, Shi Feiyang dodged another attack and winked at her: "Miss Bai, I heard you like the largest Osmanthus Pavilion in Yangzhou. Hehe, I've already booked three floors for you!" The soft sword was slightly hot in her hand. Finally, she gritted her teeth and swung the sword, unleashing the "Nine Transformations of the Netherworld," a secret technique of the Shadow Pavilion. It worked in conjunction with Shi Feiyang's Dog-Beating Stick Technique, with sword light and bamboo shadows intertwining into a net.

Sleepless Night watched from the shadows as her daughter fought side-by-side with her enemy, a metallic taste rising in her throat. The new Shadow Thirteen had suffered over half their casualties under the combined attack of the two; Thousand Machine Scholar's repeating crossbow was knocked away by a bamboo stick, and Iron-Blooded Yama's meteor hammer was stuck between beams.

Shi Feiyang suddenly grabbed Bai Jieru by the waist and spun her around, wielding his bamboo stick in a "pack of dogs fighting for food" style, knocking all the remaining hidden weapons toward the roof.

"Enough!" Ye Wumian roared as he appeared, a black rope flying out from his sleeve like a serpent coiling around him.

Shi Feiyang remained calm and composed, circulating his Mingyu Gong to the "Ice Soul Cold Prison" level, and lightly tapped the black rope with his fingertips.

A chill instantly spread, freezing Ye Wumian's black rope into an ice sculpture. "Father-in-law, don't be anxious. After this fight, I've already prepared the betrothal gifts!" Before he finished speaking, the bamboo stick had already struck his vital points.

Bai Jieru felt both embarrassed and anxious as she watched Shi Feiyang's antics, but her soft sword unconsciously shielded him from Ye Wumian's counterattack.

Moonlight streamed through the broken windowpanes, bathing the three in a strange yet enchanting scene, while a subtle, budding romance had already quietly taken root amidst the clash of swords.

The black iron chandelier on the top floor of the Shadow Tower exploded with a deafening roar, and Ye Wumian's silver hair danced wildly like a ghost in the shockwave.

He gazed at his daughter, Bai Jieru, being held in Shi Feiyang's arms, his veins bulging beneath his dark robes like a lurking python: "Jieru, you actually stand shoulder to shoulder with this demon? Do you know the Shadow Tower's century-old reputation..."

"Old man, you're mistaken!" Shi Feiyang brandished his emerald green bamboo stick and pulled a gold-inlaid jade ring from his deerskin bag. "Look at this ring, carved with mandarin ducks playing in the water. It's the prized possession of the largest gold shop in Yangzhou. I've already prepared the betrothal gifts. How about we follow the example of Qin Qiong and Shan Xiongxin, and become friends through a fight?"

Night Sleepless's pupils contracted sharply, and eighteen poisoned silver threads suddenly shot out from his sleeve, weaving an impenetrable net of death in the air.

Shi Feiyang lightly touched the ground with his toes and leaped into the air using the "Puppy Playing with a Ball" technique. The bamboo stick transformed into countless afterimages, which was the "Pack of Dogs Fighting for Food" from the "Dog-Beating Stick Technique". The silver thread collided with the bamboo stick, bursting out a piercing metallic clang. Sparks splashed onto Bai Jieru's moon-white skirt, burning off small scorch marks.

Immediately afterwards, Shi Feiyang thrust out with both palms, "Shifting Flowers and Receiving Jade!" The vortex suction force formed by the Mingyu Gong actually pulled the silver thread in the opposite direction.

Ye Wumian snorted coldly, and a dark blue poisonous mist rose from his palm. It was the "Netherworld Bone-Eating Palm," a technique that had been lost to the Dark Shadow Tower for a long time.

Shi Feiyang activated the Mingyu Gong to the "Ice Soul Cold Prison" realm, his glassy skin frost-like, and he held his bamboo staff horizontally in front of his chest, adopting a defensive stance like a mother dog protecting her cubs. The moment the two forces collided, the entire pavilion trembled.

Bai Jieru watched as the shockwave tore Shi Feiyang's clothes apart, revealing fine cracks on his glass-like skin, and a sudden pang of pain shot through her heart. She remembered the osmanthus cake he had secretly brought her last night, which contained a Tian Shan snow lotus that could cure all poisons; she remembered how he had always used his bamboo stick to shield her from the most fatal attacks during the chaotic battle. At that moment, Shi Feiyang roared and unleashed a powerful strike, his palm like a blade, "Breaking Heaven and Earth!" The blade's energy cleaved through the poisonous mist, creating a gap.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ye Wumian leaned forward and used his ten fingers, like hooks, to aim straight for Shi Feiyang's face.

At the critical moment, Bai Jieru suddenly blocked the two with her sword. The "Soul-Chasing Blue" poisonous mist on her soft sword collided with the Netherworld Bone-Corroding Palm, exploding into a purple-black mushroom cloud in the air.

“Father!” Bai Jieru’s voice trembled with sobs, “He…he’s not a bad person!” Ye Wumian’s fingertip hovered just three inches from her throat, his eyes filled with disbelief. Taking advantage of the moment, Shi Feiyang pulled a kaleidoscope from his deerskin bag and refracted the sunlight into seven-colored blades of light, shooting them at Ye Wumian: “Father-in-law, look at this changing light and shadow, doesn’t it look like the fireworks at our wedding?”

Ye Wumian was completely enraged, his aura surged, and he forcefully broke through Shi Feiyang's Mingyu Gong defense. He unleashed "Nine Heavens of the Netherworld" with both palms, and nine layers of palm shadows pressed down like a tide.

Shi Feiyang's expression was solemn. He integrated the Dog-Beating Stick Technique with the Hundred Victories Saber Technique. Sometimes the bamboo stick moved like a snake emerging from its hole, and sometimes it transformed into a giant blade that could split the heavens and the earth. However, he was still forced to retreat step by step by the force of the palm.

Seeing Shi Feiyang's swaying figure, Bai Jieru suddenly plunged her soft sword into the ground and formed a forbidden hand seal of the Shadow Tower with her jade hands: "Netherworld Blood Sacrifice!" In an instant, blood light emanated from her body, and she used her own blood as a catalyst to forcibly reverse her father's palm force.

"Jieru! No!" Ye Wumian and Shi Feiyang exclaimed at the same time.

Blood and cold light collided, and the entire Shadow Tower began to collapse. Shi Feiyang gritted his teeth and used "Severing Reincarnation" to send Ye Wumian flying with his last bit of strength. At the same time, he used the vortex formed by Mingyu Gong to protect Bai Jieru in his arms.

As the rubble fell, he didn't forget to take out a piece of osmanthus cake and stuff it into her mouth: "When you see the King of Hell later, just say we died from overeating..." Bai Jieru felt bitter inside, but she smiled like a flower.

Ye Wumian was sent flying several meters, crashing into a carved screen and shattering it. Amidst the flying redwood splinters, he sprang up like a ghost, his white hair standing on end, looking like a wildcat whose tail had been stepped on. The Gu worm tattoo on his chest glowed eerily, twisting and writhing with his rapid breathing: "Shi Feiyang! Today I'll make you know the consequences of offending the Shadow Tower!"

Shi Feiyang picked at his ear, slowly took out a piece of osmanthus cake, broke it in half, put one half in his mouth, and handed the other half to his opponent: "Uncle, calm down and try this famous Yangzhou snack? I heard that sweets can improve one's mood—your face looks worse than soot from the bottom of a pot." Before he finished speaking, Ye Wumian had already unleashed the "Netherworld Ten Killing Array" with both palms, and ten black waves of energy carrying a putrid stench rushed towards him.

"Good heavens, this smell is even stronger than my outhouse!" Shi Feiyang pinched his nose and activated the Mingyu Gong. His glassy skin glowed with a faint blue light, and the bamboo stick in his hand danced into a green shield, which was the "Hungry Dog Blocking the Road" from the "Dog-Beating Stick Technique".

The air blast collided with the bamboo stick, and amidst the explosion, he suddenly flicked a string of firecrackers out of his sleeve, the fuse sizzling as it burned: "Even the New Year isn't this lively, let's add some fireworks to liven things up!"

The crackling explosions startled Ye Wumian, who froze in mid-air. He roared and drew his "Nine Nether Soul-Seizing Whip," ghostly flames shooting from the eye sockets of the nine skulls: "You little brat, you're courting death!" Amidst the mournful wails, Shi Feiyang pulled out a suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument) and began playing a terribly off-key rendition of "The Little Cowherd" at the skulls: "Come, come, play a funeral song for these old bones!"

"Shut up!" Ye Wumian was so angry that his face turned purple, and the whip danced wildly like a venomous snake.

While dodging, Shi Feiyang took out a powder compact from his deerskin bag and puffed it on the other man's face the moment he took a breath: "Old man, your face is so pale. This is a whitening powder puff made with the secret recipe of Yihua Palace. It will surely make you look eighteen again!"

Bai Jieru could no longer bear to watch. She drew her soft sword like a silver streak in the sky: "Father! Shi Feiyang, you..."

Before she could finish speaking, Shi Feiyang had already flashed behind her, using a bamboo stick to lift a strand of her hair: "Girl, save me! Father-in-law is trying to break up this loving couple!"

"Who is your father-in-law!" Ye Wumian shattered the pillar with his whip, and the entire pavilion began to tilt. "If I don't grind you to dust today, I, Ye Wumian, will not rest until I have done so!" His aura surged, and he forcibly broke through the Mingyu Gong's protection. His skull whip transformed into a hundred-foot-long black python and crashed down on him.

Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a huge folding fan with a portrait of himself smiling crookedly painted on the fan, and the words "Handsome young man with a jade tree in the wind" written on it: "Father-in-law, wait! Let's talk things out - you see, I can make girls happy, I can make osmanthus cake, and I can also..." Before he could finish speaking, the tip of Ye Wumian's whip had already wrapped around his ankle.

"Enough!" Bai Jieru's cheeks flushed crimson, her soft sword held between the two men. "Father, although Shi Feiyang's actions are absurd, but..."

“But he is highly skilled in martial arts, of noble character, and most importantly—” Shi Feiyang took the opportunity to put his arm around her waist and waved the abacus at Ye Wumian, “I’ve calculated it. In addition to mountains of gold and silver, the betrothal gifts also include a year-round supply of pastries from Yihua Palace. You can eat eight meals a day!”

Ye Wumian glared at the clattering beads on the abacus, then at his daughter's hesitant expression, his throat tightening with rage. His trembling finger pointed at the two of them, and suddenly he coughed up a mouthful of black blood—he had been driven to vomiting blood by sheer rage.

Seeing this, Shi Feiyang immediately pulled out a porcelain bottle and shoved it into his hand: "I should have told you you needed it. This is a secret Qi-regulating pill from the Yihua Palace, specially for treating shortness of breath and chest pain!" Amidst the deafening crash of the collapsing pavilion, Bai Jieru stomped her foot, both amused and exasperated, while Shi Feiyang was still fiddling with his abacus in the ruins: "Don't rush, don't rush, let's calculate how many tables we need for the wedding banquet..."

The moment he embraced Bai Jieru's slender waist, Nightless Night's Netherworld Corrosive Palm grazed their hair, striking the bluestone slab and creating spiderweb-like cracks.

"Hold on tight!" Shi Feiyang whispered, brandishing his bamboo stick and using the "puppy playing with a ball" technique. His toes lightly touched the eaves, and his fair and rosy face was reflected in the night. "Our posture is just like that of Hong Fu Nu and Li Jing eloping!"

Bai Jieru was both shy and anxious, but her soft sword instinctively deflected the poisoned hidden weapon shot from behind: "What time is it now? Stop joking!" Before she finished speaking, three dark figures blocked her way like ghosts.

Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled a kaleidoscope from his deerskin bag, which refracted a seven-colored halo under the moonlight: "Look! It's even more beautiful than the night lights of your Shadow Tower!" The dark figure was none other than "Thousand-Machine Scholar" from the new "Shadow Thirteen Killers," and he simultaneously activated the twelve-shot Zhuge Crossbow in his sleeve.

Shi Feiyang used his Mingyu Gong to create a vortex, causing the arrow to change direction mid-air and instead shoot towards the pursuing troops. "This move is called 'using their own methods against them,' and it's similar in effect to Qin Shubao's 'Returning Spear'!"

He waved triumphantly to Ye Wumian, and used a bamboo stick to lift Bai Jieru's skirt. "Miss, be careful, your skirt will be stained with blood, or it won't look pretty!" The pursuers surged like a tide, but Shi Feiyang suddenly turned into a brothel.

Amidst the mingled scents of perfume and blood, he pulled Bai Jieru into the pavilion adorned with red lanterns: "May I borrow your esteemed space?" The middle-aged woman was about to reprimand him when she caught sight of the gold ingot Shi Feiyang tossed out, and immediately burst into laughter: "Please come in, sir! We've reserved a top-tier room for you!"

When Ye Wumian kicked open the door, he saw Shi Feiyang pouring tea for Bai Jieru, with sliced ​​candied fruit on the table: "Father-in-law, you've come at the right time. How about trying this Yangzhou honey-glazed pastry?" The poisonous nails of the Netherworld Claw grazed past Shi Feiyang's ear, but he blocked them with the candied fruit he had picked up with a bamboo stick.

The poisonous fog collided with the frosting, exploding into a dazzling display of colorful smoke in the air. "Shi Feiyang!" Ye Wumian trembled with rage, "Today I'll tear you to pieces..." Before he could finish, Shi Feiyang suddenly grabbed Bai Jieru and spun her around, a dozen fireworks rolling out of the deerskin bag he flung out. With a "Boom!" amidst the sky ablaze with fireworks, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "These fireworks are much better than your old Netherworld Palm!"

As the torrential rain poured down, the two finally took refuge in a dilapidated temple deep in the mountains.

Bai Jieru leaned against the mottled wall, her long, soaked hair dripping water, her moon-white skirt stained with mud. Shi Feiyang opened the deerskin bag, and an exquisite lacquerware food box rolled out: "If you had known it was going to rain, I should have brought an oil-paper umbrella—but there's plenty of osmanthus cake!"

He took off his outer robe and draped it over Bai Jieru's shoulders, her glass-like skin gleaming with a warm glow: "When we return to Yihua Palace, I'll build you a crystal palace, so you can watch the raindrops dance on the roof when it rains."

Bai Jieru paused, her hand holding the pastry still. "Why... are you so good to me?" Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled out a small bronze mirror, reflecting their images together. "Look, how well-matched we are! You're responsible for being beautiful, and I'm responsible for... making you laugh!" He suddenly lowered his voice. "Actually, the day you blocked the Netherworld Palm for me, my heart was pounding like a little rabbit."

A thunderclap boomed outside the cave. Bai Jieru looked at his serious expression, her cheeks redder than the candlelight. Shi Feiyang took the opportunity to pull out a sachet from the bottom of the food box: "This is a secret poison-repelling incense from the Yihua Palace. Wear it—in case your father-in-law comes after you, it will be good for your self-defense."

Before he finished speaking, the sound of chains being dragged came from outside the cave.

Shi Feiyang immediately put his arm around Bai Jieru's waist and used a bamboo stick to lift a strand of her hair: "Looks like I need to show off our affection again to annoy my father-in-law!" He suddenly leaned closer and whispered in her ear: "Girl, cooperate with me in putting on a good show later?"

Before Bai Jieru could react, Shi Feiyang had already pinned her against the rock wall.

Outside the cave, in the rain, Ye Wumian's roar mingled with the footsteps of the pursuers, growing ever closer. Inside the cave, Shi Feiyang magically produced a sweet osmanthus cake and stuffed it into Bai Jieru's mouth: "Have something to eat first. After we win this battle, I'll treat you to every restaurant in Yangzhou!"

The rain poured down, large raindrops pounding the bluestone slabs and splashing water half a foot high. Shi Feiyang, holding Bai Jieru, had just taken shelter in the City God Temple when the copper bells under the eaves suddenly rang out without wind, emitting a sickeningly loud ringing sound. Ye Wumian slowly appeared, stepping through the puddles, his dark robes fluttering in the wind. Behind him, the "Thirteen Shadow Assassins" stood like ghosts on either side, their weapons gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light.

"As expected, experience counts! Father-in-law's tracking skills are even more reliable than the carrier pigeons trained by the Yihua Palace!" Shi Feiyang chuckled, opening an oil-paper umbrella, but only managing to shield Bai Jieru, his own shoulders immediately soaked through. "But with so many people, are you here to celebrate our wedding or to confiscate our property?" Ye Wumian's pupils suddenly contracted, and eighteen poisoned silver threads shot out from his sleeve, weaving a net of death in the air: "Those who insult my Shadow Tower will be killed without mercy!"

Bai Jieru cried out in surprise and swung her sword to block, but Shi Feiyang remained calm and composed. He used the Mingyu Gong to create a vortex suction force, and the silver thread actually turned in the air, counterattacking "Thousand Machine Scholar" of the "Thirteen Shadow Kills".

"This trick is called 'inviting the enemy into the trap,' just like Li Mi's scheme to lure the enemy back then!" Shi Feiyang brandished his bamboo stick and used the "vicious dog blocking the road" technique, accurately striking the poisonous nail of the Netherworld Ghost Claw. Amidst the flying sparks, he suddenly pulled out a firecracker, which exploded with a "bang" at the feet of the Soul Chaser. "Even the New Year isn't this lively!" The scene instantly descended into chaos.

While fighting, Shi Feiyang pulled out all sorts of strange and unusual things from his deerskin bag: first, he sprinkled out a handful of chili powder, which made everyone's eyes water.

Next, Shi Feiyang threw out a kaleidoscope, which refracted a blinding light with the help of lightning; the most amazing thing was that he took out a rattle drum, and with the "dong dong" sound, several assassins involuntarily started to dance strange steps to the rhythm.

"Shi Feiyang! You scoundrel, how dare you insult my Shadow Tower like this! I will tear you to pieces!" Ye Wumian was burning with rage, his aura surging, and the Netherworld Bone-Corroding Palm that rose from his palm corroded a pit more than ten feet deep in the ground. "If I don't grind you to dust today..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shi Feiyang suddenly staggered back half a step, deliberately exposing his bare chest.

Bai Jieru's heart nearly leaped into her throat, but just as Ye Wumian's palm strike was about to touch Shi Feiyang, he suddenly thrust out with both palms, unleashing "Shifting Flowers and Jade - Reversing Heaven and Earth." The powerful suction force repelled all the power of the Netherworld Bone-Corroding Palm. Ye Wumian's expression changed drastically, and he hastily raised his sleeve to block, but was still forced back three steps, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. "This move is called 'Using the enemy's own methods against them,' even more ingenious than Qin Qiong's 'Returning Spear'!" Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shi Feiyang grabbed Bai Jieru and spun her around, his bamboo staff creating countless afterimages as he unleashed "A Pack of Dogs Fighting for Food," sending all the remaining assassins' weapons flying.

Bai Jieru was held in his arms, smelling the scent of rain and osmanthus cake on his body, her jade-like face flushed like a sunset.

Looking at the unprecedented tenderness in his daughter's eyes, Ye Wumian's Netherworld Whip fell limply to his side. He suddenly remembered twenty years ago, when Xiao Jieru had also laughed and rushed into his arms for candied hawthorns.

The torrential rain washed away the mess on the ground, and he finally sighed, "So be it! So be it! Shi Feiyang, if you can't protect her, I will haunt you even as a ghost!" Three months later, the Shadow Tower was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers. Shi Feiyang wore a wedding dress embroidered with twin lotus flowers, but the green bamboo stick was still hanging from his waist.

When he lifted Bai Jieru's red veil, he suddenly pulled out an exquisite food box from his sleeve: "Knowing that you love osmanthus cake, I specially asked the kitchen to make eighty-one different varieties!"

Bai Jieru rolled her eyes at him, but a smile played at the corners of her eyes: "Always so glib." Before she finished speaking, a familiar cough came from afar. Ye Wumian stood with his hands behind his back, followed by the "Shadow Thirteen Killers" carrying congratulatory gifts.

Shi Feiyang immediately went up to him and handed him a red envelope stuffed with silver notes: "Father-in-law, please come in. We have prepared your favorite Daughter's Red wine at the banquet!"

In this world, the love, hate, and grudges that once filled the martial arts world have finally transformed into the silhouette of a perfect couple holding hands under the moon.

Shi Feiyang's deerskin bag always contained little trinkets to please his wife, as well as countless legends of the martial arts world.

Inside the Netherworld Hall of the Shadow Tower, the black iron lamps flickered with a ghostly blue light. Bai Jieru leaned against the bronze window engraved with dark patterns, gazing at the familiar figure in the courtyard, a gentle smile unconsciously curving her lips.

Shi Feiyang was holding a green bamboo stick, teaching a group of Shadow Guards how to combine his self-created "Eighteen Styles of Butterfly Play" and "Dog-Beating Stick Technique".

As the bamboo sticks were swung, the movements were as fierce as "surging waves like snow, chilling to the bone." The "stick picking up a mangy dog" move was sharp and fierce, but it also transformed into the "puppy playing with a ball" movement, which was as graceful as a startled swan and as nimble as a swimming dragon. The moves were acrobatic and humorous, but they also contained the sharpness of "pushing the dog to the sky." The Shadow Guards tried to suppress their laughter, but their eyes were full of smiles. Occasionally, a few muffled laughs would be heard, which would ripple through the usually gloomy pavilion.

She sighed softly, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the skull pattern on the window frame, her thoughts drifting like the poem, "When shall we trim the candle by the west window together, and talk of the night rain in Bashan?"

Just then, Shi Feiyang suddenly darted over like a nimble ape, using his "Phantom Steps." The wind he created upon landing whipped up a strand of her hair, and the bamboo stick in his hand was still in the "backhand poke" position: "My wife, are you looking on with such longing eyes that you're hoping I'll use my 'vicious dog blocking the road' move to pull you into my arms?"

Bai Jieru's cheeks flushed red, and she drew her soft sword, twirling it in a flourish: "You smooth talker! Why don't you use your 'Dog-Beating Stick Technique' to take a few moves of my 'Thirteen Netherworld Ghostly Cries Swords' and see if 'Bamboo Shadows Sweep the Steps Without Moving the Dust' or 'Sword Light Like the Moon's Soul Approaching the Sky'!"

Having said that, the tip of the sword trembled like "the jade of Kunshan shattering and the phoenix crying," which was the killing move "Soul Destroyed by Naihe."

Shi Feiyang laughed loudly, his bamboo stick transforming into countless afterimages: "'Interlocking teeth' defend like a city wall, 'luring the dog into the stronghold' attack like a cunning rabbit! My wife's 'Nine Transformations of the Netherworld' sword technique reminds me of 'Swift as Yi shooting down nine suns, graceful as emperors riding dragons'!" When the two exchanged moves, it was like "the loud strings crashing like a sudden rain, the soft strings whispering like private words," seemingly dangerous, but actually containing the tacit understanding of "though we have no colorful phoenix wings to fly together, our hearts are connected by a single thread of understanding."

In the heat of battle, Shi Feiyang suddenly put down his weapon and took out a osmanthus cake from his pocket: "'Food and sex are the greatest desires of humankind.' With your face as beautiful as a lotus and eyebrows as delicate as willow leaves, would you like to try this 'crispy and fragrant cake, just like a fairy in the moon'?"

Bai Jieru's face flushed as she sheathed her sword: "You always mix up the Book of Rites and poetry, which is just as unconventional as your 'Eighteen Styles of Butterfly Play'."

The misty rain of Jiangnan is like ink staining rice paper. Bai Jieru stands in the dark corridor, gazing in a daze at the hazy scenery of "the drizzle on the heavenly street is as soft as butter" in the rain.

Shi Feiyang silently donned a black fox cloak, his "Snow-Treading Without a Trace" light-foot technique, and traced an arc like "dogs fighting for food" in the rain with his bamboo stick: "'Dark clouds roll like ink but fail to obscure the mountains, white rain leaps like pearls and scatters into the boat,' my wife's sorrow of 'the wutong tree accompanied by fine rain' is better transformed by me with the skill of 'transplanting flowers and grafting jade' into the joy of 'spring breeze turning the south bank of the Yangtze River green again'?"

As she turned, her eyes sparkled, and she drew her soft sword in a restraining move called "Netherworld Claw": "'Kill one person in ten steps, leave no trace for a thousand miles,' does Shi Lang dare to take my 'Netherworld Bone-Eating Palm' and the poison of 'Soul-Chasing Blue'?"

Shi Feiyang lightly flicked the tip of her sword with his bamboo stick, using the skillful force of "an old dog begging for mercy" to deflect the sword: "If we can 'be a pair of lovebirds in heaven,' even if I'm poisoned by the love that 'is most fleeting in the human world,' I would gladly accept it!"

Suddenly, he knelt on one knee, and the jade pendant in the brocade box shimmered in the rain: "This jade pendant is engraved with 'Flowers bloom on the branches of intertwined trees,' just like our 'meeting in the golden autumn breeze and dewy night.' If we encounter a powerful enemy in the future, your 'Thirteen Netherworld Swords' combined with my 'Hundred Victories Blade Technique' will surely allow us to 'annihilate enemy ships and fortresses with a laugh'!"

Bai Jieru gazed at the butterfly shadows intertwined on the jade pendant, then suddenly pointed her sword at his chest: "'Mountains may crumble, rivers may run dry'—that's easy to say. Be careful, I'll use the 'Severing the Horizon' sword technique to teach you 'a hidden sorrow and resentment'!"

Shi Feiyang seized the opportunity to grasp her wrist, his fair skin gleaming slightly: "Even if my wife uses the killing move 'Severing Reincarnation,' my heart, which has seen the ocean, can no longer be satisfied with a river, can only think of 'I wish to find a single-hearted person to stay with until our hair turns white.'"

Through the rain curtain, the figures under the eaves gradually blurred into a watercolor painting.

The emotions hidden in poetry, martial arts, and playful banter are like fine wine, growing richer and more mellow in the cellar of Shadow Tower over the years, turning this once cold and ruthless place of assassins into a gentle haven where "only mandarin ducks are envied, not immortals."

The osmanthus blossoms in the back garden of the Shadow Pavilion were in full bloom. Bai Jieru leaned against the vermilion railing of the winding corridor, her slightly protruding belly beneath her moon-white skirt adorned with a gold-embroidered design of a hundred sons and a thousand grandsons. Shi Feiyang knelt on the bluestone slab, his head pressed against her belly, and suddenly exclaimed, "Wife! Our little darling just kicked my head! With that force, is he trying to learn Qin Qiong's trump card?"

Bai Jieru, both embarrassed and annoyed, pinched his ear: "Nonsense! If you go to see Yaoyue this time and act up again like you did last time with Ye Wumian..."

Before he finished speaking, Shi Feiyang had already taken out a jewel-encrusted rattle drum and shook it, making it jingle: "Don't worry! I've already prepared a gift for the child. Once we find that old sister Yaoyue, I'll make sure she gives us an even more luxurious full moon gift!"

Three days later, Shi Feiyang set off, stepping on the golden ginkgo leaves scattered on the ground.

When he followed the clues to an ancient temple, fiery clouds were churning on the horizon, staining the eighteen Vajra statues crimson like blood. The three large characters "Blood Zen Temple" on the temple gate plaque were crooked and twisted, as if written in blood.

"Amitabha!" The blood-stained kasaya fluttered in the wind as the Blood-Handed Monk stepped out, his feet resting on the corpses of eighteen monks. The ordination scar on his head gleamed with an eerie blackish-purple hue. "Shi Feiyang, you have colluded with evil sects and defiled the martial world. Today, this old monk will use the 'Vajra Subduing Demon Formation' to uphold justice on behalf of Heaven!"

Shi Feiyang, waving his emerald green bamboo stick, circled around the demonic monk. Suddenly, he pulled out a wooden fish from his deerskin bag and struck it with a deafening thud: "Master, this robe needs washing. It's dirtier than my kitchen rag! Or should I borrow some scented soap from the Yihua Palace?"

Before the words were even finished, the eighteen demonized Vajras simultaneously swung their giant Zen staffs, and the ground instantly cracked open with spiderweb-like patterns.

"Well done!" Shi Feiyang used the "Puppy Playing with a Ball" technique to dodge left and right, his bamboo stick suddenly transforming into thousands of afterimages—a brilliant move reminiscent of "A Pack of Dogs Fighting for Food." The monk's staff collided with the bamboo stick, and the sparks that flew out condensed into blood-red lotus flowers in the air. The Blood-Handed Monk unleashed his "Blood Demon Art" with both palms, and wherever the blood mist from his palms passed, the bluestone bricks instantly turned to dust.

"This palm technique is just like Cheng Yaojin's three-stroke axe!" Shi Feiyang activated his Mingyu Gong, his glassy skin glowing with a faint blue light, and unleashed the "Horizontal Strike of the Double Hounds" with his bamboo staff. The moment the two forces collided, the entire ancient temple trembled.

Shi Feiyang deliberately created an opening, pretending to be forced to retreat repeatedly by the blood mist.

Seeing this, the Blood-Handed Monk laughed wildly: "A mere trick! Taste my 'Blood Prison Tathagata Palm'!" However, just as his palm wind touched Shi Feiyang, Shi Feiyang suddenly used "Shifting Flowers and Receiving Jade," and the blood mist changed direction, rushing towards the three nearest Vajra statues. The demonized Vajra let out inhuman roars, corroded by its own demonic power, riddled with holes.

"The master's demonic arts and Buddhist internal energy clashed with each other, just like Guan Yu and Qin Qiong fighting—he lost his composure first!" Shi Feiyang joked as he took out a kaleidoscope from his deerskin bag and refracted the sunset into seven-colored light blades, shooting them at the Blood Hand Monk.

In his panic, the demonic monk used "Blood Fiend Protection," but due to the conflict between the two internal forces, cracks appeared in the protective energy.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Breaking the Universe" technique of the Hundred Victories Blade Technique, slashing out with his palm as a blade, the blade energy crisscrossing with overwhelming force.

The Blood-Handed Monk met the attack with both palms, the two powerful forces colliding and the resulting shockwave uprooting the surrounding trees. In the midst of the fierce battle, Shi Feiyang suddenly reached into the deerskin bag and found the rattle drum he had prepared for his unborn child, and began shaking it at the demonic monk.

"Ring—ring—"

Amidst the crisp sounds and flashing swords, in the instant the Blood-Handed Monk was distracted, Shi Feiyang had already pounced forward, his bamboo staff striking the major acupoints on the monk's body: "Master, you've gone mad from practicing this 'Blood Demon Art.' Why don't you come back to the Shadow Tower with me and let my father-in-law take a look at you? He's quite skilled at treating 'madness'!" The Blood-Handed Monk roared as he unleashed his trump card, "Blood Sacrifice to Ten Thousand Buddhas," causing blood to seep from all the Buddha statues in the ancient temple.

Shi Feiyang remained calm and composed, circulating his Mingyu Gong to the "Ice Soul Cold Prison" level, his skin becoming almost transparent. He unleashed the ultimate move of the Hundred Victories Blade Technique, "Severing Reincarnation," and wherever his palm strike landed, space seemed to be torn apart, as a massive blade of light slashed towards the Blood Hand Monk.

The demonic monk let out a shrill scream amidst the flashing blades, his blood-stained robe torn to shreds.

As Shi Feiyang leisurely picked up the rattle drum, the fiery clouds on the horizon turned a vibrant pink, like a baby's cheek. He chuckled as he looked at the clouds, "Little darling, when Daddy finds Yaoyue, I'll definitely tell you this story of 'The Rattle Drum Trick on the Demonic Monk'!"

In the teahouses and taverns of Yangzhou, the storyteller slammed his gavel with deafening force: "Ladies and gentlemen! Shi Feiyang has colluded with the Demonic Sect in an attempt to overthrow the imperial court. The current emperor has issued a secret decree, offering a reward of ten thousand taels of gold for his head!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Shi Feiyang, who was enjoying osmanthus cake in the corner, couldn't help but burst out laughing, sprinkling crumbs onto the beard of the old man sitting next to him: "This story is even more outlandish than my mother-in-law's Netherworld Whip. I don't even know which way the gates of the Demonic Sect open!"

However, he did not know that at that moment, the Jade-Faced Prince was leaning against the window of the carved building, playing with a jade-inlaid folding fan in his hand, with a smile on his face.

Behind him stood twelve royal assassins clad in heavy armor made of black iron, with nine-section steel whips wrapped around their waists, gleaming with a faint blue light. These were improved versions of the "Prisoner Dragon Whip," which Yang Lin had once renowned in the martial arts world.

“Go tell ‘Thousand Changes’ to proceed according to plan.” The prince’s fingertips lightly traced the window frame, leaving five white marks on the wood. “Let Shi Feiyang taste what it means to be ‘besieged on all sides’.”

Three days later, a cloud of yellow sand suddenly billowed up on the official road. Shi Feiyang was eating the sugar painting he had just bought when he suddenly saw dozens of black ropes hanging down from the locust tree in front of him, the iron hooks at the ends of the ropes gleaming coldly.

"Heh heh, this looks just like the bandits Qin Qiong encountered when he sold his horse!" Before he finished speaking, arrows rained down from the mountain hollows on both sides, their fletchings tied with hemp cloth soaked in tung oil—the very same treacherous scheme Li Mi used to burn down the granary. Shi Feiyang activated his Bright Jade Skill, his glassy skin glowing with a ghostly blue light, and unleashed "Shifting Flowers and Receiving Jade!" The true energy he pushed out from his palms formed a huge vortex.

The arrows suddenly changed course mid-air, shooting towards the pursuing troops. Taking advantage of the moment, he pulled a giant kite from his deerskin bag and shouted with a grin, "Gentlemen, this is called 'using the wind to its advantage,' it's much more fun than your broken arrows!"

The jade-faced prince's face was ashen beneath the mask. He abruptly ripped off the mask, revealing a gentle, jade-like face, and brandished his longsword with seven flourishes: "Shi Feiyang, do you know the meaning of 'openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass'?"

At his command, the eighteen assassins formed a "dragon coiling formation," their nine-section steel whips moving so tightly that they carved deep trenches into the ground.

Shi Feiyang waved his emerald green bamboo stick as he circled the formation, then suddenly pulled out a copper gong and banged it loudly: "This formation looks like a wonton stall, I'll add some 'seasoning'!"

As he spoke, he pulled out a handful of chili powder and sprinkled it into the formation. The assassins immediately burst into tears, their steel whip techniques became chaotic, and Shi Feiyang seized the opportunity to use the "Dog-Beating Stick Technique" technique, specifically the "Gathering of Dogs Fighting for Food" move. The bamboo stick coiled around the steel whip like a nimble snake, and with a sudden tug, he pulled three assassins together.

"You rascal!" The Jade-Faced Prince drew his longsword, its blade gleaming like frost—the long-lost "Nine Forms of Dragon Control." Just as the sword tip touched Shi Feiyang's brow, Shi Feiyang suddenly pulled a rattle drum from his robes, its jingling sound accompanied by a "puppy playing with a ball" agility. Disrupted, the prince's attack was thwarted, and Shi Feiyang seized the opportunity to close the distance, using a bamboo stick to lift the prince's hair ornament: "Your Highness, this hair ornament is even more exquisite than my wife's rouge box. May I borrow it to play with?" (End of Chapter)