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

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted it so much he wanted to bite his tongue. Such a direct question was almost equivalent to flirting on the grasslands. Shi Feiyang twirled a strand of silver hair between his fingers and smiled, "I've cultivated some special skills, and that's how I became like this."

What he didn't mention was that this silver hair was a mark left after taking Xu Fu's elixir; a thousand years had etched this icy white color onto his body, incongruous with his age. Börte looked at his eighteen-year-old face and suddenly remembered the half-arm exposed from his sleeve when he was practicing his internal energy earlier. The skin was so transparent that you could almost see the blue veins, yet a composure beyond his years was gathered in his palm.

"A man like Young Master Shi must have many beautiful women around him, right?" she asked cautiously, her heart pounding in her throat.

Shi Feiyang paused slightly, took out the ice silk pouch from his bosom, and gently stroked the twin lotus flowers on it with his fingertips. He said, "My wife is at Blackwood Cliff, pregnant." The gentleness in his tone was something Börte had never heard before. It was as if the surrounding wind and sand softened when that person was mentioned.

Börte's heart sank slightly, but she quickly smiled again and said, "Madam must be a beauty to be worthy of Young Master Shi." She lowered her head and swallowed the last bite of the flatbread, then suddenly remembered something.

She took out a crescent-shaped jade pendant from her bosom and explained, "This is my Uyghur royal family's 'guiding jade,' which can help me find my way in the Blackwater Maze. If you don't mind, please accept it, as a way of repaying my life-saving grace."

The jade pendant is engraved with a fine star map, which is the other half of the clue to the location of the Heart Lamp.

The moment Shi Feiyang took the jade pendant, Börte's fingertips deliberately brushed against his palm, then recoiled as if electrocuted. Gazing at the flickering sparks in the campfire, she suddenly felt that this desert adventure might be more precious than finding the Heart Lamp—at least it allowed her to taste the thrill of love again seven years after her tribe's extinction, even if this feeling was destined to be hidden in the folds of the camel's wool felt, fading away with the wind and sand.

Shi Feiyang put the jade pendant into his pocket, then suddenly noticed the blush on Börte's earlobe. A knowing glint flashed in his glassy eyes, but he simply said, "Thank you. Tomorrow I will take you to find the entrance to the Blackwater Maze City, where your people's treasures may be hidden."

His silhouette as he turned to add firewood stretched long in the campfire, his silver hair fluttering gently in the night breeze, like the phrase Qu Feiyan often uttered on the Blackwood Cliff: "Ice Soul Reflects Fire Lotus, the Journey of the Martial World is Not Far Away."

After resting for a night, the two entered the underground palace where Li Yuanhao and his fierce generals practiced their evil divine skills. Thirty-six bronze lamps hung upside down from the palace's dome, their oil being congealed black blood, casting an eerie purplish-red hue over the entire space.

Börte followed Shi Feiyang into the hall. Her boots crushed not dust, but layers upon layers of Uyghur incantations, each step causing a dull ache in the sacred fire mark on her heart. "Be careful!" Shi Feiyang warned anxiously, suddenly gripping her wrist. He unleashed the "Viewing the Vast Ocean" technique from the Xuan Shuang Blade, the blade sweeping across the void, shattering three floating corpses into a bloody mist.

The corpses were dressed in the sacred fire-patterned robes of the Sun Moon Cult, but had wolf-head nails embedded in their chests, clearly indicating that they were undead warriors who had been sacrificed to the living.

Börte's Burning Heart Zither suddenly emitted a mournful cry, its strings automatically taut and pointing towards the dark corner, whispering a warning: "There are water stains and footprints in the southwest corner, the 'Bloodless Footprints' of the Western Xia's 'Black Water Four Fiends'!" Her fingertips brushed the scorched zither, and she suddenly remembered the words of the clan elders, "Their bone knives are soaked in the blood of Uyghur girls..." Before she could finish speaking, four dark figures pounced out from the lamplight. The leader, Crimson Fiend, brandished the Blood River Whip, its blade made of the sinews of living people, sizzling as it passed, and sharply threatened: "Shi Feiyang, you killed my third brother, today I will use this Uyghur girl's blood to consecrate the whip!"

Shi Feiyang spun around, shielding Börte behind him, and unleashed the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill, causing his Blood River Whip to entangle the bone knife of Chi Sha's companion. Immediately afterward, his Xuan Shuang Blade unleashed the "Slaying the Mortal World!" technique from the Hundred Victories Blade Method, shattering Qing Sha's bone knife into fragments, the blade flying backward and piercing Chi Sha's heart.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Börte flung out the strings of her Burning Heart Zither and wrapped them around Bai Sha's neck. The zither cracked, and she roared, "Pay back the blood debt of my people!" Suddenly, Hei Sha's bone knife slashed down from above, the blade gleaming with a ghostly blue poisonous light.

Shi Feiyang used the mysterious lightness skill of "Concealing One's Body and Name" to move sideways like a ghost. His bone knife struck the bronze lamp post, but the sparks that flew up ignited Börte's clothes.

"Be careful!" he said with concern, suddenly turning around. His Mingyu Gong icy light enveloped her, extinguishing the flames with his body heat. His fingertips traced her burning wrist, asking tenderly, "Are you hurt?" Börte gazed at his face so close to hers, her own terrified expression reflected in her glassy eyes. Her heart pounded like a drum, and she stammered, "I...I'm alright." Suddenly, she saw the Black Fiend's bone knife attack again, and she desperately slammed her Burning Heart Qin against his wrist, quickly warning, "Young Master Shi, left side!"

Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade had already severed Hei Sha's arm, but when he saw the scorch marks on Börte's skirt, a hint of heartache flashed in his eyes. He suddenly pulled her behind him, unleashing the Hundred Victories Blade Technique. Wherever his palm wind passed, the bronze lampposts fell with a crash, smashing into the remaining Xixia assassins.

The Blood River Heart Lamp appeared behind the collapsed lamppost, with the corpses of thirty-six disciples of the Sun Moon Cult suspended in the bloody light, each clutching half a wolf-head patterned brick. Börte recognized one of them as her father's personal guard, her nails digging deeply into her palms, and she said sadly, "Their... their souls were used to activate the Heart Lamp..."

“Börte, play the ‘Uyghur Requiem’ on the Burning Heart Qin.” Shi Feiyang’s voice was as steady as a lone plume of smoke in the desert as he said, “I will block the backlash from the living soul.” He suddenly took out the guiding jade given to him by Börte. The jade pendant resonated with the star map of the Heart Lamp, and Uyghur coded messages appeared on the stone walls of the underground palace. He also said, “It’s time to put to use the contingency plan left by your royal family back then.”

Börte's fingertips trembled on the zither, but she finally pressed the first note. The music flowed like a clear spring over a river of blood, and tears welled in the eyes of the suspended corpse, while the wolf-head nail in its heart clattered to the ground.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shi Feiyang used the "Heavenly Silkworm Skill". A crystalline light flowed through his palm, and silvery-white silk-like things wrapped around the Heart Lamp. Li Yuanhao's soul condensed from the lamp wick, holding a fragment of Qu Yanzhong's Natal Sacred Flame Token in his hand.

"Shi Feiyang, do you think you can break my Blood River Formation by rescuing Börte?" Li Yuanhao's son, Li Bingkuo, let out a shrill cry. The Blood River suddenly boiled. He threatened, "The Fire Silkworm Gu in her body is already connected to the Heart Lamp!"

Suddenly, Börte felt a sharp pain in her chest. Looking down, she saw a wolf's head mark appearing on her palm—a sign that the Fire Silkworm Gu was activating. Shi Feiyang immediately grasped her hand, channeling his Primordial True Qi into her body like icicles. He said in a deep voice, "Look at me. Don't let the blood light cloud your judgment." His crystal-clear eyes shone even brighter in the blood-red light as he added, "Do you remember what I said in the Haloxylon ammodendron forest? Ice and fire are meant to coexist."

The Shang tone of the Burning Heart Zither suddenly changed, resonating with Shi Feiyang's true energy. Börte looked at the fine sweat on his forehead and suddenly remembered how he forced the Gu to work for her. Her fingertips unconsciously dug into his palm, and she said with genuine emotion, "Young Master Shi, if anything happens to you, I will destroy myself with the Burning Heart Zither to protect you."

"Nonsense." Shi Feiyang suddenly chuckled, taking advantage of her momentary distraction to slip the last "Resurrection Pill" into her mouth, teasingly saying, "You still have to take me to find the Sacred Fire Altar of the Falcon Clan, how can you leave before me?"

As he turned, the Frost Blade had already severed the wick of the Heart Lamp, and fragments of the Sacred Flame Token flew towards Börte like meteors. In the instant the Heart Lamp shattered, Börte saw Shi Feiyang's back stained dark red with blood, yet he still maintained his protective posture.

She caught the flying fragment of the Sacred Flame Token, and the crimson flames on the fragment merged with the mark on her palm, while the wolf head pattern on her chest gradually faded away.

At this moment, Shi Feiyang shouted again, "Börte, catch!" He threw the guiding jade to her, but he himself was blasted away by the backlash from Li Bingkuo's soul and crashed into the stone wall covered with incantations. Börte cried out and rushed over, seeing the black blood spilling from the corner of his lips. She suddenly remembered the ancient legend of her tribe: "If you meet a true lover, the fire lotus will bloom."

She tore open her clothes, took out the Uyghur jade lotus pendant she wore close to her body, and pressed it against his chest: "Use my blood to sacrifice to your Ice Silkworm!" The blood dripped onto Shi Feiyang's palm, but it congealed and did not melt, merging with the blue light of the Ice Silkworm to form a strange purple-gold color.

Li Bingkuo's soul let out a final shriek, transforming into countless drops of blood, which were absorbed by the jade lotus pendant. Shi Feiyang opened his eyes amidst excruciating pain and saw Börte's tear-streaked face. He suddenly reached out to wipe away her tears and said tenderly, "Why are you crying? The heart lamp has been broken; your people can rest in peace now."

His voice carried the weariness of someone who had survived a close call, yet he still couldn't resist teasing, "But you, you tore your clothes. You'll have to find a new one when you get back."

Börte burst into laughter through her tears, then suddenly noticed that the blood droplets on his palm had congealed into the shape of a fire lotus. She said, "Young Master Shi, do you know that in our Uyghur tribe, the fire lotus symbolizes... symbolizes..." Her voice suddenly lowered, and the tips of her ears turned redder than the crimson flames of the Sacred Flame Token. Shi Feiyang stared at the fire lotus in his palm, suddenly recalling the twin lotus blossoms Qu Feiyan had embroidered on the ice silk pouch, and the words she had spoken at Blackwood Cliff: "Ice Soul Reflecting Fire Lotus."

He gently pushed Börte's hand away, stood up, straightened his clothes, and said thoughtfully, "It's time to go. The snow has already reached the underground palace."

The two walked towards the exit of the underground palace one after the other. Börte gazed at Shi Feiyang's back and noticed a snowflake on his silver hair, which surprisingly complemented the blood-red mark of the fire lotus on his palm. She suddenly understood that some feelings of attraction are destined to be nothing more than a fleeting glimpse in the desert, while in his eyes, there was already his own fire lotus, blooming forever for him in the wind and snow of Blackwood Cliff.

The snow fell heavier and heavier. Börte touched the jade lotus pendant on her chest and suddenly chuckled. This adventure in the underground palace had shown her something more fiery than the Blood River: the tenderness in Shi Feiyang's eyes; something more resilient than icicles: his determination to protect others.

The setting sun over Helan Mountain dyed the desert sands blood red. Suddenly, Börte's mount snorted and its front hooves sank into the soft sand dunes.

Shi Feiyang reined in his black horse, Ta Xue, and turned around. His silver hair was lifted by the wind and shone with a mother-of-pearl luster in the setting sun. He said with concern, "Come, come down and take a look. There is a Uyghur guiding lamp buried under the sand."

She gazed at his outstretched hand, and as the calluses on his palm lightly touched her wrist, she suddenly recalled the moment in the underground palace when these hands had shielded her from the cold glint of the bone knife.

“Young Master Shi’s hands are colder than the snow in the northern desert,” Börte said softly, her fingertips inadvertently tracing the icy silk patterns on his palm, and then said affectionately, “yet they make one feel more at ease than any heater.”

Shi Feiyang paused slightly, recalling Qu Feiyan's often-quoted phrase "ice and jade give off warmth," but he simply smiled and said, "Are all Uyghur girls so eloquent?" As he turned around, grains of sand from his robes fell into her hair, but he didn't notice the blush that instantly appeared on the tips of her ears.

As dusk fell, the sound of camel bells mingled with the whistling of sand. Börte suddenly pointed to a pile of stones among the dunes and explained, "Those are our tribe's 'Fire Lotus Roadmarks.' Under every seven piles of stones lies a water bag."

As she squatted down, the jade lotus pendant around her neck slipped out of her clothes. It was the one Shi Feiyang had put on her in the underground palace. She sighed and said, "My father said that wherever the fire lotus blooms, a noble person will surely come to your aid."

Shi Feiyang gazed at her bent-over profile, the jade lotus pendant refracting a seven-colored halo in the sandy light. He suddenly recalled the scene when she used her own blood to reconnect his life force during the battle in the underground palace. At that time, her eyes were more intense than the crimson flames of any sacred fire token. He couldn't help but say with emotion, "Börte, do you know that you are more precious than the fire lotus?"

These words were like a spark falling into a sand dune. Börte's fingers tightened suddenly, and grains of sand fell from the stone tower. She said excitedly, "Young Master Shi... do you know that in the legends of the Uyghurs, the fire lotus only blooms for those who are truly sincere?"

She suddenly looked up, her eyes reflecting his glassy pupils, and said with genuine emotion, "I have never seen anyone like you... someone who can make ice and fire coexist." From afar came the exclamations of a camel caravan, and three Western Xia warhorses galloped in, the wolf head patterns on the knights' sleeves gleaming coldly in the twilight.

Shi Feiyang had already drawn his Xuan Shuang Blade, but when he saw Börte draw her Burning Heart Zither, he suddenly chuckled and said, "How about I protect you this time?"

The snow on Helan Mountain came suddenly, and the caravan lit a campfire in a sheltered spot. Börte watched Shi Feiyang bandage the wounds of a Beggar Clan disciple and suddenly noticed that the ice silkworm on his fingertips was drawing a star map—it was Qu Feiyan's ice silkworm message.

"Is Madam well at Blackwood Cliff?" she finally couldn't help but ask, her voice as soft as snowflakes falling on a campfire.

Shi Feiyang paused, his fingertips tracing the ice silk threads, his glassy eyes softening in the firelight, and he said with a happy expression, "She always says the child kicks so hard, it's like he's practicing my Hundred Victories Sword Technique."

Börte gazed at the tenderness in his eyes and suddenly recalled the love she had witnessed in the Uyghur palace—a prince and a shepherdess gazing at each other across the sand dunes, never uttering the word "love" throughout their lives. But the man before her, amidst the clash of swords, wove his longing into every thread of icy silk.

"Young Master Shi, do you know," she suddenly took off the jade lotus pendant, placed it in his palm, and said passionately, "that this is a token of love from my clan?"

The snowlight illuminated her earnest face as she said affectionately, "I know you already have someone you love, but I just want you to know that I will forever cherish the sparks of love I've shared along the way." Shi Feiyang gazed at the jade lotus in his palm and suddenly remembered the two characters "A-Xue" that Qu Feiyan had embroidered on the corner of the pouch.

He gently pushed the pendant back, the ice silk thread taut between them like a transparent bridge, and said tactfully, "Börte, you should have your own fire lotus, blooming in a place where there is no river of blood."

Snowflakes gently landed on his silver hair, like a layer of fine diamonds. Börte suddenly chuckled softly, picked up a withered twig, and traced the outline of a fire lotus on the sand. She said with deep affection, "I used to think that a fire lotus had to be as fiery as fire, but after meeting you, my lord, I understand that the coexistence of ice and fire is the most wondrous fate in the world."

When she looked up, she saw that next to the fire lotus on the sand, there was another ice flower, shimmering in the campfire.

The sound of camel bells faded into the snowy night. Shi Feiyang stared at Börte's figure curled up on the camel hair blanket and suddenly recalled the moment when she stood in front of him when they broke through the underground palace.

Some encounters are destined to be fleeting glimpses in the sandstorm, yet they add a touch of color to this journey through the Western Xia Dynasty that is even more vivid than the Blood River.

Under the scorching midday sun, Camel Bell Lane in Xingqing Prefecture was shimmering with heat. Shi Feiyang, wearing a bronze mask, walked side by side with Börte on the bluestone path.

Hidden within her Uyghur long skirt was a burning heart zither, and the fire lotus pattern embroidered on her cuffs complemented the wolf-head flags of the Western Xia market.

After walking for a while, she whispered, "Young Master Shi, the 'Western Xia Military Supplies Depot' you mentioned, could it be that three-story pavilion covered with glazed tiles?"

His glassy eyes peered through the gaps in his mask at the wolf guards patrolling the street corner, and he said with certainty, "That's right. Pay attention to those laborers carrying grain; the character 'Xia' is engraved on the heels of their shoes—this is the code of Yipintang."

He suddenly stopped in front of the "Blackwater Bank," his fingers lightly tracing the wolf head relief on the door frame, and prompted, "Börte, keep a close eye on the east window on the second floor. A secret message will be sent out in three breaths."

Börte's burning heart zither trembled slightly in her sleeve.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of a mechanism mixed in with the music of the zither, and exclaimed, "It's the 'Plum Blossom Sleeve Arrow'!" As she turned around, the Burning Heart Zither had already deflected three poisoned crossbow bolts, and the strings swept past Shi Feiyang's waist, warning, "Young Master Shi, there are seven swordsmen in the east pavilion!"

Shi Feiyang had already used the mysterious lightness skill of "Concealing One's Person and Name" to leap onto the eaves. His Xuan Shuang Blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight. He roared, "The Seven Fiends Blade Formation of Yipin Hall, I want to see how it compares to the Four Fiends of Black Water."

He suddenly lowered his voice and turned to Börte, saying, "Once I break the array's core, you use the Burning Heart Zither to shatter the glazed tiles and lure the wolf guards away."

Inside the attic, seven swordsmen wielded wolf-headed swords in a Big Dipper formation, the sand whipped up by their blades carving incantations into the ground. Suddenly, Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade slashed down, unleashing the "Slaying the Mortal World" technique from the Hundred Victories Swordplay. The blade's energy cleaved through the formation's corners, only to reveal that the swordsmen's armor absorbed the energy. He hurriedly warned, "It's the Uyghur 'Blood Scale Armor'! Börte, play 'Fire Lotus Armor-Breaking Melody' on your Burning Heart Qin!"

Börte's fingertips danced across the strings of her zither, the Burning Heart Zither emitting a piercing, metallic sound. The glazed tiles shattered in response, sparks flying onto the swordsmen's armor, leaving scorch marks on their blood-scaled armor. Taking advantage of the moment, Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Viewing the Vast Ocean" technique from his Hundred Victories Swordplay. The wind from his blade crashed like raging waves against the shore, sending three swordsmen flying backward, their wolf-headed swords clattering to the ground.

He and Börte then flew away to explore other important places in the Xia Kingdom.

……

The iron gates of the Armory slowly opened in the twilight. Börte gazed at the mountain of repeating crossbows piled high in the storeroom, then suddenly gripped Shi Feiyang's hand tightly, saying sadly, "The arrowheads of these crossbows are the very 'Wolf Fang Armor-Piercing Arrows' used to slaughter my Uyghur tribe." Her voice trembled, and the jade lotus pendant on her chest seemed to burn with heat. Shi Feiyang's fingertips lightly traced the Xixia script on the crossbow mechanism when he suddenly heard the soft twang of a bowstring above him. He hurriedly reminded him, "These are the 'Heavenly Wolf Crossbows' of the Sixth Rank Hall; every bolt is coated with snake venom."

Shi Feiyang quickly turned around and shielded Börte behind him. He swung his Xuan Shuang Blade repeatedly, and the "Mountain Splitting" blade energy shattered the crossbow bolts into powder. "Börte, go and destroy the poison sacs in the crossbow bolts. I'll hold off the pursuers."

The iron gate slammed shut, and twelve experts from the First Rank Hall burst through the wall. The leader, wielding a nine-ringed Blood River Whip, was none other than Tuoba Hong, the commander of Li Yuanhao's personal guards. He said coldly, "Shi Feiyang, you destroyed my Blood River Formation. Today, I will use this Uyghur girl's blood to consecrate the whip!" The Blood River Whip made a whistling sound as it picked up crossbow fragments from the ground and used them as weapons.

Shi Feiyang used his "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill, and the fragments suddenly changed direction, piercing the foreheads of three experts. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Börte leaped onto the crossbow rack, and threw her Burning Heart Qin at the poison sac, but was struck on the shoulder by Tuoba Hong's whip!
"Watch out!" Shi Feiyang's voice rang out with the clang of a blade, the Xuan Shuang Blade already having severed three of the opponent's whip rings. Tuoba Hong's Blood River Whip suddenly swelled, its body wreathed in living blood leeches, and he sneered, "Taste my Western Xia's 'Blood River Secret Manual'!"

The blood leech flew towards Shi Feiyang, but was frozen into a blood clot by the icy light of Mingyu Gong. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shi Feiyang pressed forward, swung his sword, and unleashed the "Breaking Heaven and Earth" technique of the Hundred Victories Swordplay. The sharp sword wind shattered the opponent's breastplate, and he pressed his palm and sword against the opponent's throat, demanding sharply, "Tell me, where exactly is your Xia Kingdom's gunpowder depot?" Tuoba Hong trembled and told the truth, his legs shaking so badly that he lost his footing and knelt on the ground.

Shi Feiyang extracted the information, but then slashed with his sword, sending Tuoba Hong's head flying and his mangled corpse falling to the ground. Shi Feiyang and Börte then flew towards the gunpowder depot. Inside the tunnels of the gunpowder depot, the smell of sulfur was so strong that it was difficult to open one's eyes.

Börte stroked the Uyghur incantations on the stone wall and suddenly exclaimed, "Young Master Shi, these incantations are my clan's 'Fire Lotus Seal'! Li Yuanhao actually used the living souls of my clansmen to guard the gunpowder!"

Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade gleamed coldly in his palm. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a mechanism coming from deep within the tunnel. He said urgently, "It's the Yipintang's 'Earth Fire Formation.' There's a trapdoor every ten steps."

He suddenly took Börte's hand and said tenderly, "Follow my steps and step on the ice silkworm marks." At the end of the tunnel, eight experts from the First-Class Hall, each holding a bone knife, formed the "Eight Trigrams Fire Formation." The incantations on the bone knives resonated with the stone walls, and burning sulfur blocks began to fall from the top of the tunnel.

Börte's Burning Heart Zither suddenly emitted a clear and melodious sound, resonating with the Uyghur seal. The burning sulfur blocks gradually extinguished, prompting, "Young Master Shi, the weakness of the fire formation is in the Displaced Position!" Shi Feiyang then unleashed his "Hundred Victories Blade Technique - Demon-Slaying Cloud," his palm wind cleaving through the Displaced Bone Blade Hand's defense.

The man's bone knife suddenly split into three pieces, revealing the hidden dart inside. Shi Feiyang said angrily, "The Western Xia First-Class Hall truly has despicable methods." He turned to avoid the sneak attack, but saw Börte being thrown away by the shockwave, her back slamming into the stone wall covered with incantations.

"Börte!" Shi Feiyang's voice was filled with panic for the first time. The icy light of Mingyu Gong surged, instantly freezing all the bone knives. The moment he caught her, he noticed the bloodstains at the corner of her lips and quickly used the "Emperor's Heavenly Thunder" divine skill, turning ice into lightning, which struck the enemy and exploded like thunder.

The remaining enemy experts were so shocked that they pressed themselves against the stone wall, trembling all over.

Shi Feiyang roared, "If anyone dares to hurt her again, I will have the Western Xia's gunpowder depot send you on your way ahead of time!" Börte looked at the icy coldness churning in his glassy eyes, and suddenly chuckled, "Young Master Shi, I'm fine... Look, the fire lotus sealed in your palm has actually bloomed into ice flowers..." Her fingertips traced the mark on his palm, where the patterns of the fire lotus and ice shards had somehow merged together.

……

The setting sun in Xingqing Prefecture dyed the city walls blood red. Shi Feiyang and Börte stood on the city wall, gazing at the Western Xia army camp in the distance.

Her zither, Burning Heart, was already broken and tattered, yet she still held it tightly, and said with some sadness, "Young Master Shi, do you think Miss Qu is also gazing at the same setting sun at this moment?"

He suddenly removed his bronze mask, his crystal eyes reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun. He said with certainty, "She must be blaming me for my late return, yet she's mending my new ice silk sachet." He turned abruptly, noticing the grains of sand in her hair, and advised, "Börte, you should return to your Uyghur homeland. Your people are waiting for you to rebuild your home." Börte's fingertips lightly traced the jade lotus pendant. Suddenly, she grasped his hand tightly, placing the pendant in his palm, and said sadly, "I understand. Your heart is on Blackwood Cliff, beside that girl who can make ice and fire coexist. But I have no home anymore. My home and my people have been slaughtered by Li Yuanhao!"

Her voice was as soft as the wind and sand, and tears streamed down her face as she said, "But please remember, deep in this desert, there will always be a fiery lotus blooming for you."

The twilight in Xingqing Prefecture dyed the desert sands amber. Shi Feiyang gazed at the fire lotus ornament in Börte's hair and suddenly recalled the scene when she shielded him from the Blood River Whip during the battle in the underground palace. At that time, her Uyghur dress was soaked in blood, yet she still smiled and said, "The fire lotus should bloom in blood." Now, her tears fell into his palm, hotter than the snowmelt of the desert.

“Börte,” he suddenly removed his bronze mask, his glassy eyes reflecting her sand-covered face, and said thoughtfully, “In Uyghur legends, do fire lotuses always grow towards the sun?”

His fingertips gently brushed against the corners of her moist eyes, and he hung the jade lotus pendant back around her neck. The silk threads shimmered faintly in the setting sun, and he said affectionately, "Look, isn't my palm your sun?"

Börte's breath hitched. She stared at his palm, clear as jade, where the bloodstains from their battle in the underground palace still lingered. She suddenly remembered the legend of the "Twin Lotuses" told by the clan elders—the day the ice lotus and the fire lotus coexisted was the day the desert would welcome spring rain. She suddenly threw herself into his arms, the jade lotus pendant pressed against his heart through his clothes, and said affectionately, "Brother Shi, since the Uyghurs were wiped out, I have no longer feared death... until I met you."

Shi Feiyang's arms suddenly tightened, and the neighing of the snow-covered black horse and the sound of camel bells echoed among the sand dunes. He smelled the scent of jujube blossoms in her hair and suddenly remembered Qu Feiyan on the snowy night at Blackwood Cliff, when she had also nestled against him like this and said, "The crimson flames of the Sacred Flame Token are to melt the ice of the Bright Jade Skill."

At this moment, Börte in his arms was like a stubborn fire, igniting a warm oasis in his cold world. "We should go," he said softly, his voice three times gentler than usual. "There's an old post station at the foot of Helan Mountain; the Beggars' Clan brothers must be getting impatient." He helped her onto her horse, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against the Burning Heart Zither at her waist. Among the scorch marks on the zither, there were still fragments of his ice shards embedded from when he broke through the underground palace's formation.

……

The wind and snow raged in the Helan Mountains at midnight, and Shi Feiyang's snow-covered steed, Wuzhui, carried the two of them into a karst cave.

Dry wood was used to light a campfire in the cave. Börte watched his profile as he knelt down to bandage her shoulder wound. His long, silvery hair fell to his chest, reflecting the flickering firelight, making it even more dazzling than the moonstone of the Uyghur royal family.

"Does it hurt?" Shi Feiyang's fingertips gently touched the gauze on her shoulder, asking softly, where there were still traces of blood from Tuoba Hong's whip. He suddenly took out a silk pouch embroidered by Qu Feiyan and poured out a "Heart-Protecting Pill." "This is a pill that my wife nurtured with the crimson flames of the Sacred Fire Token. It can protect the heart meridian."

Börte gazed at the tenderness in his eyes and suddenly chuckled, "Brother Shi, do you know that when you mention 'my wife,' a glimmer of light appears at the corners of your eyes?" She suddenly grasped his hand, pressed it against her heart, and said affectionately, "Here, I'm already bound by your ice silkworm silk, unable to break free." The wind and snow outside the cave suddenly intensified, and three warhorses with green bamboo-patterned saddles broke through the snow curtain.

The voice of Li Hao, a four-bag disciple of the Beggars' Sect, came through the wind and snow: "Sect Leader Shi! Elder He has arrived with a secret report from Youzhou!"

As Shi Feiyang stood up, Börte had already donned her Uyghur battle cloak, her zither resting at her waist. She said with concern, "I'll guard the cave entrance for you. With this heavy snow, don't let the brothers get cold." Her fingertips traced the calluses on his palm as she said firmly, "Don't worry, I can hear the sounds of mechanisms within twenty paces and distinguish whether they're from the Western Xia or the Liao." (End of Chapter)