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

The bronze cranes in the Hanyuan Hall of Daming Palace let out mournful cries in the wind.

Shi Feiyang, with Jiang Caiping in his arms, hid in the locust grove outside Danfeng Gate. The Xuan Shuang Blade and the Plum Blossom Sword gleamed coldly in the twilight. Fine ice patterns appeared on his glassy skin, and he tightly gripped a copy of the secret letter in his palm—their last bargaining chip, and the key to stirring up the political storm in the court.

Jiang Caiping asked softly, "Shi Lang, will the Imperial Concubine really help us?" Her fingertips traced the mottled marks on the Five Sacred Mountains Decree.

In the distance, the faint sound of the Jie drum from within the palace walls drifted, mingling with the melody of "The Song of Rainbow Feathers" and flowing through the air.

Shi Feiyang suddenly smiled, his laughter startling the crows in the woods. He said excitedly, "Back then, when the Imperial Concubine played the zither in the Pear Garden, I played the flute in harmony outside the wall. This affection can't be buried by cosmetics, can it?" He circulated his Mingyu Gong, and his smooth skin immediately glowed with a warm luster. He then said in a low voice, "Besides, Yang Guozhong is incredibly powerful. He doesn't even respect the Imperial Concubine's brother. How could she sit idly by?"

Jiang Caiping nodded and said in a low voice, "How about this, I'll disguise myself as a palace maid and deliver the message!"

Shi Feiyang nodded with a smile.

Jiang Caiping then broke free from Shi Feiyang's embrace and quietly left.

A secret letter was quietly delivered to Xingqing Palace through Hongxiao, Yang Yuhuan's personal maid. At that moment, Yang Guifei was leaning against the side of the Agarwood Pavilion, gently wiping the pipa strings with her silk handkerchief. The moonlight shone on her gorgeous dress, making the lines "Clouds think of her clothes, flowers think of her face" seem dreamlike.

"Your Majesty, this secret letter..." Hongxiao lowered her voice and whispered a few words.

Yang Yuhuan paused, the pipa strings emitting a piercing sound, and she cursed angrily, "That old scoundrel Yang Guozhong finally couldn't hold back." She stared at the Turkic wolf head totem on the secret letter, a cold glint flashing in her phoenix eyes, and said coldly, "Tomorrow morning at court, I want to see how he tries to deny it."

The next day at 3:45 AM, the atmosphere in Hanyuan Hall was tense. Yang Guozhong, dressed in a python robe and jade belt, slammed the memorial impeaching Shi Feiyang onto the imperial desk: "Your Majesty, please be wise! These two men colluded with the Turks and privately forged weapons; they clearly intended to commit treason!"

Behind him, dozens of imperial censors knelt down in unison, their court robes gleaming coldly in the morning light.

Shi Feiyang and Jiang Caiping calmly entered the hall, their fair skin glowing warmly in the sunlight, like immortals descending to earth.

Shi Feiyang sneered, "Prime Minister Yang, what a grand title you've bestowed. I wonder if the Prime Minister has any witnesses or evidence?" Yang Guozhong sneered, "I have both witnesses and evidence!" With a flick of his sleeve, two Imperial Guards escorted the blood-covered "witness" into the palace.

Yang Guozhong then said coldly, "These are the craftsmen who illegally forged weapons. Now that they have been caught red-handed, Shi Feiyang, what else do you have to say?"

Jiang Caiping sneered, "Prime Minister Yang has probably forgotten that the real witness is currently in Jiangnan pointing out your Tiangong Workshop!" Before she finished speaking, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall. It was Li Bai leading the surviving craftsmen from Jiangnan rushing over.

Yang Guozhong's expression changed drastically, but he still forced himself to remain calm: "Your Majesty, this is clearly the sophistry of a江湖草莽 (jianghu cao, a term referring to outlaws or江湖江湖草莽, a term referring to people from the martial arts world)."

His henchmen suddenly launched an attack; dozens of imperial censors drew their concealed swords and charged straight at Shi Feiyang! At the critical moment, the tinkling of jade pendants came from outside the hall. Yang Yuhuan, dressed in magnificent robes and carrying a secret letter, gracefully entered. The pearls on her phoenix crown shimmered in the morning light. She said to the emperor, "Your Majesty, are you aware that this Turkic wolf head totem is exactly the same as the pattern on the Hu carpet presented by An Lushan?" Her voice was melodious and graceful, yet carried an undeniable authority.

The emperor's expression shifted between light and dark, his gaze moving between Yang Guozhong and Shi Feiyang.

"Your Majesty!" Jiang Caiping suddenly knelt down, the Five Mountains Token glowing faintly in her palm. She said indignantly, "Though the world is far away, it knows loyalty and treachery. If we can protect our country, this humble couple will die ten thousand times over!" The emperor finally slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Guards! Shi Feiyang and Jiang Caiping have rendered meritorious service in protecting the country. Issue an edict to the world to clear their names!" After roaring, he turned and left.

Shi Feiyang watched the emperor and Yang Yuhuan walk away, a complex expression flashing in his glassy eyes. Jiang Caiping gently grasped his hand: "Shi Lang, we did it." Shi Feiyang turned to look at her, his eyebrows arched in a smile, and said firmly, "No, it was the hearts of the people that did it." He led Jiang Caiping out of the hall, the Xuan Shuang Blade and the Plum Blossom Sword gleaming in the rain.

In late spring in Chang'an, willow catkins danced in the air like sorrow, yet they could not conceal the eerie atmosphere that permeated Zhuque Street.

The hooligans hired by Yang Guozhong's cronies ran around the taverns and teahouses, shouting and spitting as they recounted the "truth" that "the charlatan Shi Feiyang colluded with the Turks," leaving the tea drinkers looking at each other in disbelief, their knuckles turning white as they gripped their teacups.

In the slums of Xishi, Li Bai was writing furiously on the muddy ground with a twig.

A wine gourd dangled from his waist, ink mingling with wine dripping from his sleeves. "Have you not heard of the blood-soaked waves of Taihu Lake, where a treacherous minister secretly forged the Overlord's Whip!" he suddenly threw down his pen and roared, his voice piercing the rain, startling the beggars sheltering under the eaves who all looked up. Shi Feiyang leaned against the crumbling wall, his fair skin reflecting the gloomy sky, and teased, "Brother Li's poem is indeed wonderful, but I fear the common people will believe the rumors circulating in the streets more."

"Rumors?" Li Bai laughed wildly and retorted, grabbing a broken bowl from the corner of the wall to scoop up the water. He confidently declared, "Watch me use water as ink to write down the ugly faces of treacherous villains!" He staggered to the street, using the bowl as a pen to scribble wildly on the bluestone slabs: "Yang Guozhong, a true villain, with Turks in his left hand and ruthlessness in his right, crafting swords and bows in the Taihu workshops, he wants to replace the Tang Dynasty with the wolf's palace!"

The writing was washed away by rain before it was dry, but it left a deep impression on the hearts of the onlookers.

Three days later at noon, a sudden commotion broke out at the gates of Chang'an.

Shi Feiyang, dressed in plain white robes, stood with his hands behind his back on the suspension bridge. His fair skin shone warmly in the sunlight, attracting the attention of passing merchants and travelers. Jiang Caiping, holding the Five Sacred Mountains Token, stood beside him, the silver bell on the plum blossom-patterned sword tassel swaying gently with her breath.

"Look! The wanted criminal that the imperial court once issued a warrant for! Now, His Majesty is personally clearing his name!" Someone shouted, and the crowd immediately erupted in uproar.

Dozens of Imperial Guards swarmed in, the captain leading them brandishing a fire-and-water club and shouting, "Shi Feiyang, you have nowhere to escape! Surrender now!" Shi Feiyang laughed loudly, the sound making the iron rings on the city gate vibrate, and retorted, "Escape? Why would I escape?"

He suddenly lunged forward, swift as a ghost. Before the Golden Guards' fire and water clubs could even reach them, he had already sent them all flying with his "Shifting Flowers and Jade" technique. The Frost Blade was drawn three inches from its sheath, and the blade's energy sliced ​​through the armor of a captain, revealing a hidden Turkic wolf-head breastplate.

"Look, everyone!" Jiang Caiping shouted, her plum-patterned sword picking up the falling armor plates. "This is the uniform of Yang Guozhong's private army, with wolf head totems, clearly a symbol of the Turks!" The crowd immediately erupted in a commotion.

An old man who had been forcibly conscripted to work in Jiangnan suddenly rushed out of the crowd, ripped open his clothes to reveal the whip marks on his back, and roared: "What this chivalrous man said is true! I was once captured and taken to the Taihu workshop, where I saw with my own eyes them forging weapons engraved with wolf heads!"

"I've seen it too!" A hawker selling candied hawthorns roared, waving his carrying pole. "Last month in the East Market, I saw with my own eyes arrows with Hu script rolling out of boxes being transported by the Yang family's servants!" The crowd's indignation spread like wildfire.

Seeing this, Shi Feiyang activated his Mingyu Gong to the "Supreme Forgetfulness: Ice Soul Cold Prison," causing his glassy skin to glow with a transparent luster. He transformed his palms into blades, unleashing the "Viewing the Vast Ocean" move of the Hundred Victories Blade Technique. The force of his palm strikes stirred up a cloud of dust, tearing to shreds all the rumor notices posted near the Yang residence. Even more astonishingly, he used his internal force to shatter the stone lion beside the city gate, revealing a secret Turkic letter hidden inside the lion's belly by Yang Guozhong.

"Traitorous minister, selling out the country!" someone shouted, and the people surged toward the Yang residence like a tidal wave. Shi Feiyang, with Jiang Caiping in his arms, leaped onto the city wall. His Xuan Shuang blade flashed like a half-moon in the sunlight, and he said in a resounding voice, "Caiping, look at the hearts of the people of Chang'an. In the end, they are inclined toward the righteous spirit of heaven and earth."

Jiang Caiping gazed at the bustling crowd below the city wall, her beautiful eyes sparkling, and said excitedly, "Shi Lang, do you still remember Li Bai's poem? 'Heaven and earth possess righteous energy, which manifests in various forms.'" Her voice was gentle yet firm, and the plum-patterned sword was gently inserted into a crack in the city wall bricks, startling a flock of swallows carrying mud.

At this moment, Li Bai was sitting on the second floor of the tavern, drinking the wine in his gourd in one gulp.

Looking at the surging crowds on the street, he suddenly grabbed a wolf-hair brush and wrote furiously on the white wall: "How can I bow and scrape before the powerful and wealthy, making me unable to be happy!"

Before the ink was even dry, Beggar Clan disciples used cinnabar to trace the lines of the poem, as if branding Chang'an with a mark of justice.

As Yang Guozhong's sedan chair was smashed to pieces before the enraged crowd, Shi Feiyang stood atop the bell tower, his fair skin reflecting the molten gold of the setting sun. He recalled the night of bloody battle at the Jiangnan water fortress, and Jiang Caiping's resolute act of being shot while protecting evidence. Suddenly, he burst into laughter. The laughter pierced through the layers of palaces, startling flocks of crows returning to their nests, and echoed for a long time over Chang'an.

"Shi Lang, what are you laughing at?" Jiang Caiping asked in a low voice, having appeared beside him at some point, holding a cup of hot tea that she had just received from the people.

Shi Feiyang turned to look at her, his eyes flashing with an unusual light, and said with righteous indignation, "I am laughing at the hearts of the people of the world. In the end, swords are no match for them, and treacherous officials are no match for them."

He took the hot tea, the chill of his fair skin mingling with the steam from the tea, condensing into fine droplets in the air. He then said with emotion, "Listen, the people of Chang'an are cheering. They are not calling for my name, but for the righteous spirit that will never be extinguished in this world."

The cheers from below the city grew louder and louder, becoming an unstoppable torrent.

Shi Feiyang held Jiang Caiping's waist, the Xuan Shuang Blade and the Plum Blossom Sword reflecting each other in the setting sun.

Li Bai's verses are softly sung in the evening breeze, like an inextinguishable torch, illuminating every corner of the world and the imperial court.

Shi Feiyang and Jiang Caiping left Chang'an and returned to Jiangnan. At this time, Shi Feiyang felt quite exhausted and thought of visiting the tombstones of the heroes of the Xiong Ying Society at Piaomiao Peak in Taihu Lake. So he took Jiang Caiping back to Yihua Palace to live in seclusion.

The plum rains of Jiangnan carried the smell of rust, turning the bluestone pavement a dark red. Shi Feiyang, with Jiang Caiping in his arms, swept over the towering horse-head wall. The Xuan Shuang Blade hummed like a beast at his waist, and fine ice patterns appeared on his glassy skin—this was the 103rd time he had sensed killing intent since the Blood Hand Alliance headquarters was destroyed a thousand miles away.

"Shi Lang, the oil-paper umbrella in the southwest corner..." Before Jiang Caiping could finish speaking, three poisoned daggers came flying through the air.

Shi Feiyang lightly touched the eaves with his toes, unleashing the unparalleled lightness skill "Leaving No Trace for a Thousand Miles," his figure as fleeting as a startled swan. The Xuan Shuang Blade drew a blade of light like a half-moon, the ultimate move of the Hundred Victories Blade Technique, "Slaying the Mortal World."

Amidst the crisscrossing blades, the throats of three black-clad assassins simultaneously burst open, spraying blood that stained the wine flag of the "Tongfu Inn" on the street corner.

Suddenly, the carved wooden window on the second floor of the inn burst open. Huang Yinglun, the "Jade-Faced Judge," a junior brother of Yue Qingfeng, a traitor from the Huashan Sect, leaned against the railing, lightly waving his folding fan, and said sarcastically, "What superb kung fu! It's a pity you can't protect this shipment."

Before he finished speaking, dozens of assassins wielding judge's pens poured out of the inn, the pens gleaming with a peacock blue light.

Shi Feiyang burst into laughter, the sound so loud it made the copper bells on the eaves tremble. He mocked, "Can't protect them? I think it's because you can't accept this life-saving money!" He activated Mingyu Gong to the "Supreme Forgetfulness of Emotions: Ice Soul Cold Prison," his glassy skin becoming almost transparent. The cold air spread along the beams and pillars, condensing into spiderweb-like ice patterns wherever it passed.

He transformed his palms into blades, unleashing the "Mountain Splitting" technique of the Hundred Victories Blade Method. The palm wind pressed down like a tidal wave, shattering the entire carved wall into dust.

"Jade-Faced Judge" let out a strange cry, unfolded his folding fan, and twelve bone-piercing nails popped out from between the fan ribs. Shi Feiyang lightly touched the ice shards with his toes and used the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill, his figure moving like a ghost, swaying and pulling.

The poisoned nail instantly changed direction, piercing the assassin's throat. The Frost Blade grazed his throat, raising a fine layer of blood. Shi Feiyang said mockingly, "Is this all the skill you've got? You dare to provoke me? Heh heh!"

A strange flute melody suddenly came from the rooftop. Jiang Caiping's face changed drastically, and she said in a trembling voice, "It's the Soul-Capturing Melody of the Five Poisons Sect of Miao Territory!"

Beneath the green tiles, the water surged like boiling water, and dozens of dark-skinned poison masters emerged from it. They wore toad-skin armor, and the poisonous caltrops in their hands were covered in purplish-black slime, causing the bluestone slabs to sizzle wherever they went.

"Madam, hold your breath!" Shi Feiyang pulled her back hastily, then said in a low, concerned voice, his Xuan Shuang Blade transforming into a shield of light. The "Demon-Slaying Cloud" technique of the Hundred Victories Blade Technique roared forth, and wherever the blade energy reached, poisonous caltrops exploded, green poisonous blood splattering onto the walls, corroding holes the size of bowls. The poison masters let out inhuman roars, their poisoned bone needles raining down like a storm, but Shi Feiyang used "Shifting Flowers and Jade" to deflect them all, sending them piercing his companions' chests instead.

Seeing the situation was dire, the "Jade-Faced Judge" pulled out a bronze whistle and blew it sharply. Instantly, twelve Blood Hand Alliance assassins leaped out from under the eaves on both sides of the street. They wore bronze ghost masks, and the chains wrapped around their waists ended in iron balls engraved with wolf head totems.

"Shi Feiyang, prepare to die!" the masked leader roared, swinging his iron chain. The force of the iron ball tore the wine flags on the street to shreds.

A cold glint flashed in Shi Feiyang's glassy eyes. Instead of retreating, he advanced, forcefully taking the blow. The vortex suction of the Mingyu Gong instantly activated, drawing the iron ball towards his palm like a magnet attracting iron. The masked man tried to pull back but it was too late. The Xuan Shuang Blade "Severing the Edge of Heaven" cleaved out, snapping the iron chain inch by inch. The iron ball fell into the river, exploding into a ten-foot-high column of water.

"Watch out for hidden arrows!" Jiang Caiping suddenly shouted. Three poisoned, bone-piercing nails flew from the shadows, their heads gleaming with a peacock-blue eerie light.

Shi Feiyang snorted coldly, and the "Shocking Calamity" technique was instantly activated. Wherever his icy gaze swept, the air condensed into ice shards, and the bone-piercing nails froze in mid-air, shattering into dust upon landing. However, even more pursuers surged in from all directions.

The "Jade-Faced Judge" pulled out a flare signal, and red fireworks exploded in the rain. Shi Feiyang, arm in arm with Jiang Caiping, leaped onto the roof, his Xuan Shuang Blade flashing coldly, and decisively said, "Let's go! To Qixia Mountain!"

The two figures were faintly visible in the rain, while the pursuers behind them held torches that illuminated the bluestone road in a fiery red, making it look like a giant burning python.

The bamboo forest of Qixia Mountain seemed to weep in the night wind. As soon as Shi Feiyang and Jiang Caiping landed, they sensed twenty-three auras surrounding them.

Shi Feiyang calmly said, "Come out!" He leaned against the mottled ancient pine, his glassy skin glowing warmly in the moonlight, and said jokingly, "Let me see how many more clowns there are."

The night in Jiangnan was so thick it seemed to melt away, and the ancient pines of Qixia Mountain seemed to weep in the wind. Shi Feiyang leaned against the mottled tree trunk, the Xuan Shuang Blade lying across his knees, his glassy skin reflecting the pale blue moonlight, casting a cold halo over the surrounding bamboo shadows.

Jiang Caiping landed silently beside him, the silver bell on the plum-patterned sword tassel remaining completely still. Suddenly, a chilling laugh echoed from the darkness, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue. Twelve scarlet figures emerged from the depths of the bamboo forest, their poisoned whips leaving winding purple trails on the bluestone slabs.

The woman at the head of the group was draped in a dark silk gauze, and her bluish-black fingernails gleamed with a ghostly light like corpse spots under the moonlight. She was none other than Pan Fenglian, the "Poisonous Guanyin" of the Blood Hand Alliance.

"Shi Feiyang, today is your death anniversary! Hmph! Let's see where you can run now! Don't think that the dog emperor can vindicate you; you are nothing!" Pan Fenglian raised her hand and cursed Shi Feiyang, three phosphorescent nails flying from her sleeve. The eerie green phosphorescent light instantly illuminated her twisted mouth, and she said mockingly, "I've heard that your skin is as hard as glass and impervious to swords and spears? Let's see if your ice is harder or my poison is more potent!" Shi Feiyang suddenly threw his head back and laughed loudly, startling the crows roosting in the forest. The sound of their wings shattered the deathly silence of the night. He slowly rose, and as his Mingyu Gong circulated, the icy blue light emanating from his glassy skin washed over the bamboo forest like a tide, even the dew on the bamboo leaves condensed into ice crystals.

After laughing, he said disdainfully, "Someone as petty as you? You dare to talk to me about life and death?"

Before the words were even finished, the twelve female assassins in red simultaneously lashed out with their whips.

The poisoned whip hissed through the air like a venomous snake, its barbs gleaming coldly, weaving a web of death in mid-air. Shi Feiyang lightly touched the ground with his toes, unleashing the profound lightness skill of "Concealing One's Body and Name," his figure transforming into a ghostly afterimage.

His Xuan Shuang Blade was drawn, its blade energy flashing like a startled swan, and the Hundred Victories Blade Technique "Breaking Heaven and Earth" was unleashed with a thunderous roar! The blade shadows blotted out the sky, and the overwhelming shockwaves crashed against the soft whip, producing a deafening clang of metal against metal.

Those soft whips, supposedly capable of cutting through iron like mud, shattered inch by inch under the blade's aura, their sharp barbs flying back like a torrential rain. Before the red-clad female assassins could react, blood blossomed on their necks, and they crashed into the ancient pine trees with screams, their blood trickling down the mottled bark like blooming red plum blossoms in the moonlight.

Upon seeing this, Pan Fenglian abruptly ripped off the black veil. The face beneath was utterly terrifying—half of her face had been devoured by Gu worms, leaving only bare white bones. The writhing swarms of insects moved in and out of her eye sockets, piecing together a twisted, sinister grin, and she said viciously, "Taste my 'Ten Thousand Gu Devouring Heart'!" With a spit, thousands of Gu worms descended like a dark cloud, instantly turning bamboo leaves into charcoal wherever they passed.

Shi Feiyang snorted coldly, and fine swirling patterns appeared on his glassy skin as he instantly unleashed the "Evil Blood Calamity" divine skill! Red light surged from his fingertips, like a soul-snatching rope from hell, seizing the Gu worm nest from afar.

The previously menacing Gu worms suddenly changed direction and surged into Pan Fenglian's seven orifices like a tidal wave. She let out a shrill scream, her body visibly shriveling up, her skin rapidly wrinkling, until finally she shrank into the shape of a withered monkey, falling to the ground with a thud, leaving behind only a pile of twitching Gu worms.

"Run! Escape!" The Jade-Faced Judge, his face deathly pale, ordered a retreat with trembling fear, turning to flee into the bamboo forest. Shi Feiyang lightly touched the bamboo tips with his toes; his movements, as swift and elusive as a ghost, were already at the throat of the Jade-Faced Judge. The blade reflected the Jade-Faced Judge's distorted face, and also the cold glint in Shi Feiyang's glassy eyes: "Yue Qingfeng is already beheaded, are you still so stubborn?"

"Hahahaha!" The Jade-Faced Judge suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. He threatened, "The Blood Hand Alliance and the Turkic Wolf Guard's armies are already outside the city. You have no way to escape! You may kill me today, but who will stop those thousands of troops tomorrow?"

Shi Feiyang's eyes turned cold, and he sneered, "If the Tang Dynasty relied on you, it would have been finished long ago! Humph!" With a light flick of his Xuan Shuang Blade, the Jade-Faced Judge's head flew into the sky, and the blood from his neck splattered onto the bamboo leaves, dyeing the moonlight scarlet.

He gazed at the torches that lit up in the distance, which snaked towards him like a red serpent. The icy blue light emanating from his fair skin intensified. He said with concern, "Madam, it seems that the bloodshed and turmoil in the martial world will never end!"

Jiang Caiping gripped the plum-patterned sword tightly, the tip of the sword picking up a bloodstained bamboo leaf. The silver bell on the sword tassel finally rang out clearly, and she said in a resounding voice, "Shi Lang, how could my husband and I be afraid of such a small battle? With you here, even a thousand mountains and valleys are as flat as flat ground."

Before the words were finished, a deafening battle cry erupted from afar.

Shi Feiyang embraced her waist, and the Xuan Shuang Blade and the Meiwen Sword were drawn simultaneously. The flashes of the blades intertwined under the moonlight, like a pair of twin lotus blossoms in the cold.

Hand in hand, they descended Qixia Mountain and galloped towards Chang'an, for guarding Chang'an was of utmost importance.

The night in Chang'an was as dark as ink, and the glazed tiles of Yang Guozhong's mansion gleamed coldly under the moonlight.

The copper bells on the eaves rang automatically without wind, emitting a faint and eerie sound.

Inside the study, the mutton-fat jade cup on the rosewood desk was shattered into pieces, and the distant mountain shadows on the jade screen were shaken by the palm strike, causing dust to fall and revealing the ferocious animal relief carvings behind it.

Yang Guozhong's triangular eyes flashed with a fierce light, and the python-patterned jade belt buckle dug deeply into his palm, leaving a crescent-shaped bloodstain. He stared at the four words "Shi Feiyang escaped" on the secret report, and let out a low growl like a trapped beast. Suddenly, he slammed his palm on the table, and the secret letter box covering the entire wall opened with a snap, revealing neatly stacked Turkic secret letters inside. The wolf head totem on the wax seal gleamed dark red in the candlelight.

"What a bunch of reckless brutes who don't know their own mortality!" he cursed through gritted teeth, spitting as he spittle landed on the wolf-headed secret letter. He then said sullenly, "Do you really think I can't do anything to you?" Before he finished speaking, the sound of chains dragging on the floor came from the back hall, and twelve assassins covered in crimson Gu worms filed in.

Their eyelids rolled back, drool dripped from the corners of their mouths, and their exposed skin was covered with bluish-black lines from worms crawling across it—these were the "Heart-Eating Gu" assassins, a secret tradition of the Persian Zoroastrian religion. "Do you want them alive?" The leader's voice was like the scraping of rusty iron, and the worms on his chest suddenly raised their heads in unison, emitting a faint hiss.

Yang Guozhong suddenly burst into wild laughter, the sound so loud it caused a swallow's nest to fall from the rafters. He said viciously, "Live? What I want are heads!"

He grabbed the gold plaque engraved with a wolf's head from the table and threw it to the ground. The plaque struck the assassin in the chest and embedded itself in the flesh covered with Gu worms. He said coldly, "If you can't capture Shi Feiyang, you can go and feed the black wolves outside the city!"

At this moment, Shi Feiyang stood beneath the wine flags on Zhuque Street, the Xuan Shuang Blade humming like a dragon's roar at his waist. He gazed at the dark clouds rising in the direction of the Yang residence, his fair skin revealing icy blue patterns, and the veins in his palms throbbing—a sign that Mingyu Gong had sensed the ultimate killing intent.

Jiang Caiping landed silently beside him, her plum-patterned sword drawn three inches from its sheath. The silver bell on the tassel did not ring, but it shook off the snow from the eaves, reminding him, "Shi Lang, there is something strange happening at the Yang residence."

Her beautiful eyes gazed northwest, where the air seemed to be thick with the stench of blood, and she warned again, "It's the evil magic of Persian Zoroastrianism."

Shi Feiyang suddenly smiled and said domineeringly, "Well done! I was just worried about not having a chance to clean up these rats in the gutter." He activated the Mingyu Gong, and his glassy skin instantly became as transparent as ice. The cold air spread along the bluestone slabs and condensed into spider web-like ice patterns on the ground. He then said confidently, "Madam, watch how I use this Hundred Victories Blade Technique to slay all the demons and monsters."

At 11:45 AM, the artificial hill in the back garden of the Yang family suddenly cracked open.

Twelve Heart-Eating Gu assassins emerged like ghosts, their crimson Gu worms gleaming oily in the moonlight.

The lead assassin spread his arms wide, and the wolf head totem formed by the Gu worms on his chest suddenly came to life, its legs rubbing together with a piercing sound: "Shi Feiyang, you really came, hehe! We've already prepared the urn. Come on, the birdcage to hold your head is also ready for you!"

Shi Feiyang lightly touched the ground with his toes, displaying the wondrous lightness skill of "leaving without a trace after the deed is done," his figure as swift as a fleeting shadow. The Xuan Shuang Blade was drawn, its blade energy as fleeting as a fleeting shadow, precisely the "Slaying the Mortal World" technique of the Hundred Victories Bladeplay. The blade flashed, and the leading assassin's arm was severed at the shoulder. There was no blood at the cut, only a dense swarm of Gu worms spewing out, piling up on the ground into a writhing red mound.

"You're courting death!" another assassin roared as he lunged forward, his poisoned bone claws flashing green light. Shi Feiyang neither dodged nor evaded, and as the bone claws reached him, he suddenly used "Shifting Flowers and Receiving Jade." The assassin felt a numbness in his wrist, and the bone claws reversed direction, stabbing towards his own heart.

He hastily used his internal energy to defend himself, but saw a cold glint flash in Shi Feiyang's glassy eyes. The "Shocking Calamity" divine skill was activated in response, and his icy gaze swept over him as if it were a tangible thing, instantly freezing the body of the assassin.

The man let out a shrill scream, his body shattering into countless ice shards under the moonlight, only the Gu worm totem on his chest still wriggling in the ice cracks. Seeing this, the remaining assassins tore open their clothes, revealing bodies covered in Gu worms, and unleashed their "Ten Thousand Gu Devouring Heart" technique, lunging at Shi Feiyang.

Instantly, thousands of Gu worms descended like dark clouds, leaving the artificial rock face covered in erosion marks wherever they passed.

Shi Feiyang snorted coldly, and the "Evil Blood Calamity" was born in response. Red light surged from his fingertips, capturing the Gu worm nest from a distance.

The previously menacing Gu worms suddenly changed direction and surged into the seven orifices of the assassins like a tidal wave.

The screams rose and fell in waves as the bodies of the twelve assassins visibly shriveled, eventually shrinking into twelve withered monkey-like figures that fell to the ground with a thud. Only the wolf head tattoo between their eyebrows was still oozing black blood.

"Well done!" A sinister laugh came from the shadows. Pan Jielian, the new leader of the Blood Hand Alliance, appeared, leaning on a snake-headed cane. Blood was still seeping from the newly put-on human skin mask on her face. She said coldly, "Unfortunately, this is just an appetizer."

Before she finished speaking, countless torches suddenly lit up around the Yang residence, and hundreds of Blood Hand Alliance assassins swarmed in like ants, their weapons coated with deadly poison. Shi Feiyang, arm in arm with Jiang Caiping, leaped onto the roof, his Xuan Shuang Blade flashing coldly as he declared, "Madam, it seems tonight we'll be on a killing spree." He activated his Mingyu Gong to the "Supreme Forgetfulness: Ice Soul Cold Prison," the icy blue light emanating from his glassy skin illuminating the entire night sky, and unleashed the "Severing Reincarnation" move of the Hundred Victories Blade Technique! The sword energy crisscrossed, changing the very color of heaven and earth. The screams of the Blood Hand Alliance assassins rose and fell, severed limbs raining down, blood staining the Yang residence's winding bridge, even startling the koi in the pond to leap from the water.

Seeing that things were not going well, Pan Jielian turned to escape, but was forced back by Jiang Caiping's plum blossom sword "Snowy Plum Blossom Burial".

"Where do you think you're going!" Shi Feiyang roared, unleashing the Xuan Shuang Blade's "Breaking Through Heaven and Earth." The palm strike unleashed a torrent of blood, shattering Pan Fenglian's snake-headed cane into pieces. Her human skin mask was ripped off by the blade's energy, revealing a hideous face gnawed by Gu worms. She let out a final scream, her body shattered into pieces by the blade's energy. Only the ring engraved with a wolf's head rolled to the ground, its joints still twitching slightly.

The sky was beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn. Shi Feiyang stood on the highest watchtower of the Yang residence, the icy blue patterns on his fair skin gradually fading, revealing a warm luster. He gazed at the smoke rising from the direction of the palace gate in the distance, his Xuan Shuang blade drawing a half-moon-like gleam in the morning light, and said jokingly, "Madam, the sky over Chang'an is about to brighten."

Jiang Caiping sheathed her sword, picked up a bloodstained wolf-head token with the tip of the blade, and said with emotion, "But the Turkic wolves are still lingering outside the city."

Shi Feiyang said thoughtfully, "Madam is right! As righteous warriors of the martial world, we are destined to live amidst bloodshed and turmoil!" After saying that, he took Jiang Caiping's hand and headed towards the West Market of Chang'an.

Spiderweb Alley curled up like a dying python in the twilight, with dark red stains seeping from the cracks in the bluestone slabs, whether from aged wine or human blood, it was hard to tell.

Shi Feiyang held Jiang Caiping close, his toes lightly touching the eaves. The Xuan Shuang Blade at his waist trembled like a dragon's roar, and his glassy skin suddenly developed fine ice patterns, like ice crystals cracking on the surface of a lake in winter.

Shi Feiyang suddenly pressed his hand to his chest and said with a premonition, "Madam, something is gnawing at my bloodline." The rhythm of the beating there was contrary to the distant drumbeat. He then analyzed, "This Gu worm uses human blood as a catalyst. Although the assassin is dead, the master is still controlling it."

Before the words were finished, a dark liquid suddenly seeped out from the crack in the wall, and thousands of Gu worms surged out like a tide, gathering into a ferocious wolf head totem under the moonlight. The sound of the worms' legs rubbing together was as piercing as fingernails scraping against a bronze mirror.

Jiang Caiping drew her plum-patterned sword three inches from its sheath, her plain white skirt fluttering in the wind. She exclaimed, "It's the Blood Hand Alliance's 'Thousand-Mile Soul-Chasing Gu'!" She spun around and swung her sword. The Hengshan sword technique "Wind and Snow Plum Blossom Burial" transformed into plum blossoms in the cold. The syphilis seeping from the sword flowers collided violently with the poisonous mist of the Gu worms, exploding into a sky full of purple-black smoke.

As the smoke cleared, the signboard of the tavern at the alley entrance suddenly moved without wind, revealing a hidden leather pouch—embroidered with a lifelike Turkic wolf head, its mouth still stained with fresh blood. "Hahahaha!" Shi Feiyang suddenly threw his head back and laughed, startling the owls under the eaves into fluttering flight.

He activated the Mingyu Gong to the "Supreme Forgetfulness of Emotions: Ice Soul Cold Prison," his glassy skin becoming almost transparent. The cold air spread along the bluestone slabs, condensing into spiderweb-like ice patterns wherever it passed. He angrily cursed, "That Yang Guozhong! He actually uses human blood to raise Gu worms!"

The moment the Xuan Shuang Blade was drawn, its blade energy flashed like a startled swan, but he did not swing the blade. Instead, he flicked his finger and flicked out a line of blood—it was the "Evil Blood Calamity"! The red light at his fingertip surged, capturing the skin from a distance.

The thousands of Gu worms immediately became restless, writhing wildly on the ground, and actually spelling out the four bloody characters "West Market Cellar".

Jiang Caiping's beautiful eyes widened, and she exclaimed excitedly, "So their lair is right under our feet!" Before she could finish speaking, the sound of chains being dragged suddenly came from underground, and twelve corpses covered with crimson Gu worms burst out of the ground. They were the "Heart-Eating Gu" assassins who had been killed by Shi Feiyang earlier!
Shi Feiyang quipped, "Interesting!" Liu Li's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he roared, "Resurrected from the dead? Perfect, let you die again!" He transformed his palms into blades, unleashing the "Mountain Splitting" technique of the Hundred Victories Blade Technique, the palm wind pressing down like a tidal wave.

However, those assassins neither dodged nor avoided; the wolf head totem formed by the worms on their chests suddenly came to life, spewing out a foul-smelling green mist.

Jiang Caiping swung her sword to block Shi Feiyang. The frost flowers condensed on the plum blossom sword collided with the poisonous mist, producing a piercing explosion.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shi Feiyang used the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" technique, his figure moving like a ghost, flicking and guiding, reflecting all the green mist back.

The assassins roared inhumanly, their bone claws tearing through the air, aiming straight for his throat. Shi Feiyang roared domineeringly, "My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens!" Suddenly, he unleashed the "Slaying the Mortal World" technique from the Hundred Victories Blade Technique! The Xuan Shuang Blade drew a blade of light like a half-moon.

Amidst the crisscrossing blade energy, a assassin's arm was severed at the shoulder. No blood flowed from the cut, only a dense swarm of Gu worms erupted forth. These Gu worms quickly reformed upon landing, coalescing into a sharp claw that lunged at Jiang Caiping.

Shi Feiyang cried out in alarm, "Madam, be careful!" He grabbed her and pulled her back quickly, the vortex of suction from her glassy skin activating.

The Gu worms were drawn to his palm like magnets to iron, only to freeze into ice crystals the instant they touched him. He unleashed "Shocking Calamity," and wherever his icy gaze swept, frost instantly formed around the two assassins, their bodies shattering into ice shards scattered on the ground. Only the Gu worm totems on their chests continued to wriggle in the ice cracks.

A piercing scream suddenly erupted from underground, and the remaining assassins clutched their chests. Shi Feiyang's glassy eyes flashed with a cold light: "So the master is nearby!" He unleashed his full power with "Evil Blood Calamity," and the red light at his fingertips transformed into solid chains that pierced straight into the ground.

A moment later, an elder of the Blood Hand Alliance was teleported out, and the wolf-headed Gu worm embedded in his chest was frantically gnawing at his heart.

"Speak! Where is the entrance to the cellar!" Shi Feiyang's voice was so cold it could freeze time.

The elder gave a bitter laugh, spitting out a mouthful of black blood, and threatened, "Do you think... finding the cellar will end everything? The true Gu King... has already laid a net in Chang'an!" Before he finished speaking, the wolf-head Gu worm on his chest suddenly exploded, and thousands of Gu worms rushed over like dark clouds pressing down on the city.

Shi Feiyang, with Jiang Caiping in his arms, leaped onto the roof, his Xuan Shuang Blade transforming into a shield of light. The "Demonic Cloud" of the Hundred Victories Blade Technique roared out, and wherever the blade energy reached, the Gu worms exploded, their green poisonous blood splattering onto the tiles, corroding holes the size of bowls.

However, more Gu worms swarmed in from all directions, spelling out the character "death" on the ground.

Jiang Caiping warned, "Shi Lang, this can't go on!" Her voice was drowned out by the hissing of the Gu worms.

Shi Feiyang suddenly smiled, his fair skin glowing with an unprecedented radiance, and said confidently, "Madam, look at the myriad lights of Chang'an City, how could they be obscured by a mere Gu worm?"

He plunged the Frost Blade into the roof tile, activated the Jade Brightness Technique to its peak, and declared domineeringly, "Today, let these demons and monsters witness what true righteousness is!" Immediately afterward, he roared to the sky, his glassy skin as transparent as ice, and the chilling energy transformed into a tangible tornado that soared into the heavens.

The Gu worms let out a dying scream in the icy cold. The character for "death" on the ground froze and shattered, turning into countless ice crystals that illuminated the mottled bloodstains in the Spiderweb Alley, and also illuminated Shi Feiyang's handsome yet resolute face—the proud spirit of a true hero, willing to defy heaven and earth to protect all living beings. (End of Chapter)