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

Half a month later, at the morning court session, the ambergris in the bronze incense burner suddenly turned into icy mist.

To everyone's astonishment, a white figure landed on the steps like a ghost.

Shi Feiyang, his silver hair tied with an ice silk ribbon, swept his glassy eyes over the assembled officials, a half-smile playing on his lips, and said, "Does Your Majesty's new policies lack an assistant who knows how to use underhanded tricks?"

Yelü Shihan abruptly stood up, the Heavenly Wolf Bow already drawn, and roared, "Shi Feiyang! You colluded with Zheng Lingyi to plot rebellion, and you still dare..."

Before he finished speaking, Shi Feiyang flicked her jade-like fingers, and three ice needles shot out of the hall. Screams rang out as ice crystal flowers bloomed from the chests of three Yihua Palace assassins disguised as guards.

"Your Majesty, please be wise," Shi Feiyang said in a loud voice, flicking his sleeve to reveal the Yihua Palace emblem on the cuff, now torn by icicles. He then explained, "Zheng Lingyi isn't very old, probably only a year or two older than you! She's bound to make mistakes! Haven't you made mistakes too? Forgive her!"

Then, he lightly touched the ground with his toes and leaped onto the armrest of the dragon throne, startling Shi Hongyun, who shrank back, but Shi Feiyang put his arm around his shoulder. Shi Feiyang said affectionately, "Your Majesty, don't be afraid, Grandpa will teach you a new trick."

Empress Dowager Ling Shuangyue coughed lightly, her phoenix eyes flashing like lightning, and rebuked, "Master Shi, please show some respect in the imperial court."

Shi Feiyang blinked, then suddenly used the mysterious "Hidden Identity and Name" lightness skill to instantly appear behind Ling Shuangyue, whispering in her ear: "Does the Empress Dowager know why the soles of the Imperial Guard Commander's boots are covered with the icy sand of the Yihua Palace?"

……

That night, piercing screams echoed from the Dali Temple prison.

Holding the Xuan Shuang Blade, Shi Feiyang used the tip of the blade to lift the chin of the Commander of the Imperial Guards of the Tang Dynasty, and said coldly, "Tell me, where are Zheng Lingyi's remaining followers hiding?"

The commander sneered, "You think... you can get away with torture alone..." His words were cut short as the Frost Blade pierced his heart, and icy blue true energy spread along the wound, freezing his internal organs into ice crystals.

Shi Shiyue barged in with a frown, saying with dissatisfaction, "Ancestor, your methods are too ruthless!" Shi Feiyang flicked the ice shards off his knife and suddenly unleashed "Evil Blood Calamity"! The jailer in the corner coughed up blood, and his body quickly shriveled up to the size of a child.

Shi Feiyang sneered, "See that? These people are ostensibly the Imperial Guards of our Great Tang Dynasty, but in reality, they are the 'Ice Soul Death Warriors' of the Yihua Palace!"

……

Three days later, a new imperial edict was posted on Zhuque Street: "The Embroidered Uniform Guard has been reorganized and is now directly under the Emperor's command."

Shi Feiyang stood on the city wall, watching three thousand Jinyiwei guards lined up in their black iron uniforms.

He flicked out the ice silkworm rope in his hand, wrapping it around the wrist of a commander, and instructed, "From today onwards, you must learn not only the Beggar Clan's reconnaissance techniques, but also the Frost Technique of the Flower Palace." He suddenly leaped onto the flagpole and lightly used "Shocking Eyes" to scan the entire area.

The soldiers felt a chill run from their feet to the top of their heads, as if an invisible giant hand had gripped their throats. "Remember," Shi Feiyang's voice echoed through the heavens and earth, "your eyes must see through conspiracies; your blades must sever betrayal!"

Shi Feiyang returned to the palace and played a peculiar "chess game" with Shi Hongyun. The chessboard was decorated with figurines of civil and military officials.

Shi Hongyun watched in bewilderment as his grandfather pushed Pan Renmei's doll into a corner.

Shi Feiyang smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the Pan family appears to be submissive, but in reality..." Before he could finish speaking, three ice arrows suddenly shot in from outside the window.

Shi Feiyang, holding the young emperor, spun around to avoid the attack, using his "Shifting Flowers and Jade" divine skill to redirect the ice arrow and pierce the wall. He stared at the Yihua Palace insignia on the arrow's tail, a cold glint flashing in his glassy eyes, and whispered, "Perfect timing."

He turned to Shi Hongyun and winked, as if to say, "Your Majesty, would you like to see Grandpa perform a magic trick?" Shi Hongyun tugged at Shi Feiyang's sleeve and asked in confusion, "Grandpa, why don't you go back to Yihua Palace to deal with Zheng Lingyi and Shi Fengyi?"

Shi Feiyang crouched down, his glassy eyes reflecting the young emperor's face, and said domineeringly, "Because the real game of chess is never on the chessboard." He pointed to the distant sunrise, where the black flags of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were fluttering in the wind.

A few days later, in the imperial study of the Luoyang palace, the candlelight flickered inside the windproof cover, casting a faint blue light on Shi Feiyang's glassy eyes.

He leaned against the rosewood couch, his long silver-white hair casually falling, playing with a crystal-clear ice silkworm in his hand, when he suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps outside the door.

"Report—" He Quan, the vice leader of the Beggars' Sect, burst in like a whirlwind. His nine-ringed broadsword jingled at his waist, and his tattered blue robe was still stained with wet mud. He clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, saying, "Reporting to Leader Shi, I have dispatched three hundred Imperial Guards to infiltrate Bianliang City as ordered. They will soon be able to launch a surprise attack on that old thief Zhao Guangyi!" Shi Feiyang's slender fingers paused slightly, and tiny icicles formed on his palm from ice silkworms. He teased, "Vice Leader He, your impetuous nature is somewhat similar to mine when I was young." He suddenly stood up, his robes billowing in a gust of cold wind, causing the candlelight on the wall to tilt to one side. He then reminded him, "But to launch an assassination now would be like throwing an egg against a rock."

Elder Li Xing stroked his white beard and emerged from the shadows, asking in bewilderment, "What does the Master mean..."

“Zhao Guangyi murdered his brother and usurped the throne, and then sent people to assassinate our Tang emperor. How could he not know that we harbor resentment?” Shi Feiyang said sadly. He then walked to the window, looked at the waning moon in the night sky, and explained, “His palace must now be guarded every three steps and sentries every five steps. We don’t know how many scoundrels from the martial arts world he has gathered. If our people go there, they will only be throwing their lives away.”

He Quan's face turned red with anxiety, and he asked in confusion, "Are we just going to let that old scoundrel go like this?" Shi Feiyang turned around, a half-smile curving his lips, and pointed out, "To kill someone is to destroy their spirit; that is the best strategy."

His voice suddenly turned icy, and he said coldly, "Vice Chief He, Elder Li Xing, Li Hao, you will go to Liao immediately. We want the Song and Liao to fight each other. Do you understand what I mean?"

Li Hao gripped the Wind-Piercing Blade at his waist and said in a deep voice, "I am willing to obey the leader's orders!"

"Although the Song and Liao kingdoms have an alliance, it's nothing more than a collusion of interests," Shi Feiyang chuckled coldly. With a flick of her jade hand, a map of the Central Plains appeared on the wall. She then pointed out, "Yelü Jing of Liao covets the wealth of the Song kingdom, and Zhao Guangyi fears the Liao cavalry. What we need to do is to stab this fragile alliance in the back."

He Quan, Li Xing, and Li Hao understood immediately, bowed, accepted the order, and turned to leave.

……

In the Liao capital, in the yurt, Yelü Jing leaned back in a tiger-skin chair on a leather rug, a golden bowl filled with mare's milk wine in his hand. He Quan, Li Xing, and Li Hao were led into the tent and immediately smelled a strong, pungent odor.

"What brings you here, Tang envoys?" Yelü Jing's hawk-like gaze swept over the three men as he coldly inquired. He Quan clasped his hands in a respectful bow and said, "Reporting to the Liao Emperor, my master has heard that the alliance between Liao and Song is secure, and has specially ordered us to come and offer our congratulations. However..."

He paused deliberately, then said, "Recently in Bianliang, I heard that Zhao Guangyi is secretly building a chain of horses, saying he intends to flatten the Liao capital!" Yelü Jing's golden bowl clattered to the ground, the wine dripping onto the animal hide. He roared, "How dare you! Zhao Guangyi dares to break the alliance?"

Elder Li Xing spoke up at the opportune moment: "Lord Liao, please calm your anger. We also know this news is hard to believe, but Zhao Guangyi has reinforced the border with 100,000 troops and purchased countless quantities of fine iron from the Western Regions..." Li Hao suddenly tore open his shirt, revealing the hideous whip marks on his back, and choked out, "These were wounds inflicted by Zhao Guangyi's henchmen when I was spying on the Song border. They even boasted that they would make Liao men slaves and Liao women maids!"

Yelü Jing suddenly stood up, his wolf-tooth scimitar drawn half an inch from its sheath, and roared, "This is outrageous! Men, pass on my orders: prepare the troops and horses!"

Just then, a Liao minister hurriedly entered the tent, knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, an envoy from the Song Dynasty requests an audience, saying he wants to discuss the annual tribute."

Yelü Jing sneered, "Perfect timing! Let him in!"

Soon, the Song envoy entered the yurt with a nervous heart. Before he could speak, Yelü Jing splashed a cup of mare's milk wine in his face and angrily rebuked him: "Go back and tell Zhao Guangyi, if you want tribute, ask the mace in my hand if it agrees first!"

The envoy, flustered, replied, "Your Majesty, why do you speak like this? Our Great Song and the Liao have always been friendly nations..."

"Friendship?" Yelü Jing grabbed the envoy's collar and questioned, "Zhao Guangyi is secretly preparing for war and even attempting to annex our Liao Kingdom. Is this what you call friendship?" He Quan and the others exchanged a barely perceptible smile.

……

Inside the imperial palace in Bianliang, Zhao Guangyi was reviewing memorials when he suddenly heard a eunuch report that the Liao envoy had been expelled. His pen snapped in two with a snap. "That old bastard Yelü Jing! How dare he be so disrespectful!" Zhao Guangyi roared, slamming his fist on the imperial desk. "Summon Pan Renmei to the palace!" Half an hour later, Pan Renmei rushed in. Before he could even bow, Zhao Guangyi threw the secret report in front of him, angrily saying, "Look! The Liao are about to rebel!" Pan Renmei picked up the report and said gravely, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, the Liao have always been greedy. Perhaps they think the annual tribute is too little. Perhaps..." "Perhaps what?" Zhao Guangyi interrupted him, roaring, "Increase the annual tribute? What will become of the dignity of my Great Song?"

Just then, another spy came to report: "Your Majesty, there have been frequent unusual movements in Luoyang recently, and it seems that the Tang Dynasty intends to send troops!"

Zhao Guangyi felt a wave of dizziness. He steadied himself by holding onto the dragon throne and angrily shouted, "Shi Feiyang...you've been plotting behind my back!"

Pan Renmei's eyes darted around, and he suggested in a low voice, "Your Majesty, both the Liao and Tang kingdoms are hostile to each other, and our Great Song Dynasty is facing a pincer attack. In my opinion, it would be better to first negotiate peace with the Liao Kingdom and concentrate our forces to deal with the Tang Dynasty..."

"Peace talks?" Zhao Guangyi sneered. "How could that barbarian Yelü Jing give up so easily? Besides, Shi Feiyang is full of cunning schemes. If I negotiate peace with Liao, he will definitely take the opportunity to attack!" The atmosphere in the hall was as heavy as lead. Zhao Guangyi paced back and forth on the dragon throne, thinking to himself, "Shi Feiyang, do you think you can reap the benefits by provoking a conflict between Song and Liao? I, Zhao Guangyi, am not a pushover!"

……

On the border between the Song and Liao dynasties, outside Yanmen Pass, a cold wind howled and yellow sand filled the sky. Yelü Jing personally led 200,000 iron cavalry to completely surround Yanmen Pass.

On the city wall, Song general Zhang Wanzhong stared at the dark, imposing Liao army, his face ashen. "Report—" a soldier rushed in, panting, "The Liao army is shouting in front of their lines, claiming they'll raze Yanmen Pass to the ground and capture Zhao Guangyi alive!"

Zhang Wanzhong gripped his sword tightly: "Pass down the order, defend the city gates to the death!" Before his words even finished, horns roared from the Liao army ranks, and countless cavalry surged forward like a tidal wave. Yelü Jing, wielding a three-pointed double-edged sword, charged forward on horseback, roaring, "Kill! Loot money! Loot grain! Loot women!"

Song soldiers rained down arrows, but could not stop the Liao army's offensive. A fierce Liao general wielded a spiked club and smashed open the city gate in a few blows.

The Liao army swarmed in and engaged in fierce street fighting with the Song army.

On the border of the Tang Dynasty, Shi Shiyue, Shi Shiye, and others had already led an army of 100,000, waiting in the shadows. Shi Feiyang stood atop a hill, watching the beacon fires burning on the Song-Liao border, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Zhao Guangyi," he said sarcastically, "Yelü Jing, this game has only just begun." He turned to his beloved wife, Dilirena, and said, "Send men to closely monitor the Song-Liao war. Once they are both severely weakened, that will be the time for us to send troops." Dilirena held the Sacred Flame Token, its crimson flames leaping in the wind. "Yes, sir! I want to see who will have the last laugh between Zhao Guangyi and Yelü Jing."

As night fell, the beacon fires along the border of the three kingdoms illuminated half the sky.

In the late autumn of Bianliang, the leaves of the paulownia trees fluttered down in the cold wind. Zhao Guangyi played with the jade ruyi he had obtained from the Southern Tang Dynasty in the magnificent palace, while Pan Renmei stood hunched over at the foot of the steps, his face full of fawning smiles.

“Your Majesty, the Liao army has laid a trap at Jinshatan. Only the Yang family generals can break this predicament.” A sinister glint flashed in Pan Renmei’s eyes as he said viciously, “The Yang family has been loyal and brave for generations and will surely be able to share Your Majesty’s burdens.”

Zhao Guangyi slammed the jade ruyi down, his dragon robe sleeve sweeping across the table, and decisively said, "Summon Yang Ye to the palace!"

Half an hour later, Yang Ye, dressed in worn armor, stepped into the hall, knelt down and said, "Your subject Yang Ye pays respects to Your Majesty."

"Minister Yang, the Liao army has invaded our borders. I've heard your Yang family has a good strategy to defeat them?" Zhao Guangyi picked up his teacup and said slowly, his gaze fixed on Yang Ye's eldest son, Yang Yanping, behind him. Yang Ye's heart sank. He clasped his hands and said loudly, "Your Majesty, the Liao army's attack this time is fierce and may be a trap. I request Your Majesty to dispatch other generals. The Yang family is willing to be the vanguard."

Pan Renmei suddenly stepped forward, the jade hairpin on his official hat dazzling everyone, and deliberately mocked, "General Yang, what is the meaning of this? Are you afraid of the Liao army? The Yang family generals are renowned. If you retreat in the face of battle, how will you explain it to the people of the world?"

Yang Ye's eyes widened in anger, his fists clenched so tightly they turned white, but Zhao Guangyi slammed his fist on the table and said, "No need for further words! The seven sons and eight tigers of the Yang family shall set out immediately. If they do not return victorious, they shall bring their heads to me!"

The yellow sand of Jinshatan was kicked up by horses' hooves and flew everywhere. The eight sons of the Yang family, wearing heavy black iron armor, were like eight sharp swords piercing straight into the Liao army's formation.

Yang Yanping brandished his machete, the blade cleaving through the chainmail of the Liao soldiers, blood splattering on his resolute face. He then proclaimed in a booming voice, "Brothers, today we'll show those Liao dogs the power of the Yang family's spear technique!"

Suddenly, the sound of bugles from the Liao army filled the air. Yelü Xiezhen rode out on a black-maned horse, his three-pointed double-edged sword gleaming with a cold blue light. He said arrogantly, "Young man of the Yang family, do you dare to fight me?" Yang Yande spurred his horse forward and swept out with his bronze cudgel. The wind from the cudgel stirred up yellow sand like a yellow dragon emerging from the sea.

As the two horses passed each other, Yelü Xiezhen's knife took an unexpected turn, aiming straight for Yang Yande's throat. However, Yang Yande dodged to the side and struck the horse's belly with the end of his staff. The black-maned horse reared up in pain, throwing Yelü Xiezhen to the ground.

Just then, a barrage of arrows rained down from the Liao army's ranks. Yang Yanzhao opened the black iron shield passed down through the Yang family, and the arrows struck the shield with a clanging sound.

"Not good! It's the Khitan's 'Meteor Chasing the Moon Arrow'!" Before he could finish speaking, he saw his third brother, Yang Yan'an, being pierced through the shoulder by three sharp arrows while saving a soldier. Yang Yan'an bit off the arrow shaft, swung his spear, and sent three Liao soldiers flying. Blood dripped down the spear shaft onto the yellow sand, winding into eerie patterns on the ground.

Yang Ye, observing the battle from the rear, suddenly sensed something was amiss—although the Liao army was retreating steadily, they maintained a strange formation.

He drew his sword sharply from his waist, the blade pointing directly at the Liao army's left flank, and roared to the sky, "Retreat! This is the 'Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation'!"

However, it was too late. Suddenly, countless heavily armored soldiers wielding spiked clubs surged out from the Liao army ranks, the barbs of their clubs coated with a deadly poison that could kill instantly upon drawing blood. (End of Chapter)