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

Qu Feiyan's grand-nephew, Qu Cheng, stood blocking the steps of the palace with the Sacred Flame Token in hand. The lotus pattern on his robe was soaked with blood, yet he still smiled arrogantly. But in an instant, he rebuked, "Fifth Prince, have you forgotten the Empress Dowager's last will and testament? 'The throne shall be passed to the eldest grandson, Qi Han, and the princes shall not interfere in politics.' Do you intend to follow the example of the Western Xia's Meicang clan and become a traitor?" Shi Chengyou's mountain-breaking blade suddenly slashed at Qu Cheng, the wind of the blade carrying the Liao Kingdom's "bone-corroding poison," but it was deflected the moment it touched the Sacred Flame Token.

"You wicked monk! What nonsense are you spouting? Humph!" He sneered and cursed, then clapped his hands. Suddenly, a hundred black-clad assassins surged into the hall, each holding a poisoned dagger. They were the remnants of Nakasin's "Western Xia assassins" from back then.

Just then, the copper rings on the palace door suddenly exploded, and Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade flew in through the air, its blade energy cleaving through the formation of the assassins. He then used the "Dragon Capture Technique" to pull Shi Qihan from behind the dragon throne to in front of him.

Immediately afterward, Shi Feiyang said sarcastically, "Your way of treating guests, which is so unfilial to the imperial uncle, is even more ruthless than Liang Yimai of Western Xia." Suddenly, Ming Yugong's chilling aura caused the candlelight in the hall to freeze into ice flowers.

Shi Chengyou's cleaver, carrying a poisonous wind, slashed down as he angrily cursed, "Shi Feiyang! You old bastard! I didn't let Nakasin poison you back then, but today I'll use your skull as a drinking vessel!" His sword strikes even incorporated the strangeness of the "Blood River Whip," suggesting that he had secretly learned a fragment of Nakasin's poison technique.

Shi Feiyang leaped into the air and unleashed the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms" mid-air. He struck out with the move "Flying Dragon in the Sky," striking down from above. The palm wind and sword energy collided and exploded in the caisson ceiling of the palace, causing shards of glazed tiles to fall like a torrential rain.

He then seized the opportunity to unleash the "Six Dragons Riding the Wind" technique, splitting his palm force into six streams that sent all the surrounding assassins flying, but his chest was struck by Shi Chengyou's hidden palm.

"Master!" Li Tieniu cried out in alarm. Suddenly, the green bamboo staff pierced Shi Chengyou's horse's front hoof, startling the horse so much that it reared up. Shi Feiyang seized the opportunity to grab his pulse point, and the silver threads of the Heavenly Silkworm Technique traveled along his meridians. Shi Chengyou's internal organs were instantly crushed, and the blood foam that spewed from his mouth splattered onto the dragon throne, mixing with Shi Qihan's tears.

The Third Prince's shouts echoed outside the palace. The Black Wind Cavalry had already broken through the palace gates and were locked in fierce combat with the Fifth Prince's Imperial Guards. Shi Feiyang shielded Shi Qihan behind him, and with his Xuan Shuang Blade, he unleashed the "Slaying the Mortal World" technique from the Hundred Victories Bladeplay. Amidst the crisscrossing blade energy, a bloody path was torn open.

In the midst of the fierce battle, he suddenly noticed that the firelight in the direction of the Imperial Ancestral Temple was gradually weakening. He knew that Qu Cheng's Sacred Flame Token had taken effect, and the "Blood River Burning Heaven Formation" had ultimately failed. The morning light shone through the windows of the Zichen Palace onto the corpses scattered on the ground.

Shi Feiyang's dark robe was soaked with blood, clinging to his body like a hard shell. Only the left arm protecting Shi Qihan remained dry—it was wrapped in the candy wrapper Zhao Qingyi had given him at the Bianliang night market, which now exuded a faint sweet fragrance through the bloodstains.

"Grandpa Emperor..." Shi Qihan exclaimed excitedly, his little hands tightly gripping Shi Feiyang's clothes. He then asked in confusion, "Second Uncle and Third Uncle... why did they kill me?" Shi Feiyang's fingertips brushed across the child's purple, frozen cheeks. He looked at the Beggar Clan disciples cleaning up the battlefield outside the palace. Li Tieniu's bamboo staff was carrying the Third Prince's head, and the followers of the Sun Moon Sect were sprinkling lime on the steps to cover up the deep, bone-revealing bloodstains.

“Because they forgot,” he said in a low voice, as if speaking to himself, “this dragon throne is not for fighting over, but for protecting the people of the world.” Li Tieniu walked in carrying the Imperial Seal of the State, the four characters “Received the Mandate of Heaven” on it stained with blood, standing out clearly in the morning light.

At this moment, a Beggars' Sect disciple ran up breathlessly to report: "Chief, the Liao Kingdom's Pi Shi army has retreated to Youzhou, and the Song Kingdom's Cangzhou troops have also withdrawn." He suddenly lowered his voice and stammered, "News has come from Bianliang that Princess Qingyi... the princess has locked herself in her residence and refuses to see anyone. She may be ill."

Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade suddenly clattered out of its sheath, the blade's energy cleaving through the spiderwebs at the corner of the palace, revealing the entrance to the secret passage hidden behind it—a passage dug by the Empress Dowager Ling Shuangyue of the Great Tang Empire to prevent palace coups. At this moment, it reminded him of what Zhao Qingyi had said on the painted boat: "No matter how far the road of the martial world is, it is never as far as the human heart."

“Li Tieniu,” he said in a low voice, placing the imperial seal in Shi Qihan’s hand. He watched as the child pressed the inkpad with his tender hand and stamped the bright red seal on the newly drafted edict. He then said in a deep voice, “Keep an eye on Luoyang. I’ll be right back.”

Li Tieniu watched his retreating figure rush out of the palace gate; the arc drawn by his dark robes in the morning light was exactly the same as when he left Bianhe last night.

He suddenly noticed that Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade was left beside the dragon throne. The phoenix hairpin on the hilt gleamed in the sunlight, creating a striking contrast with the Ice Silkworm Jade in Shi Qihan's palm.

Li Tieniu hurriedly grabbed the Xuan Shuang Blade, ran out, and tucked the knife into Shi Feiyang's waist. Outside the palace gates, the Snow-Treading Black Steed was already saddled. As Shi Feiyang mounted, he suddenly remembered Zhao Qingyi's words from the Vermilion Bird: "You old monster, you're even better at sweet-talking than the immortals in storybooks." His black hair fluttered in the wind. This time, the hem of his dark robe was no longer stained with blood, but carried the fragrance of newly blooming peonies from Luoyang—peonies he had specially asked Li Tieniu to pick, as an apology to the sullen princess.

As the sound of hooves faded into the distance, the bells of Luoyang Palace rang out in the morning light. On the new emperor's edict of succession, next to Shi Qihan's small seal, there was a faint handprint that had appeared at some point—it was left by Shi Feiyang with the inscription "The dragon will regret its ascent."

The palm strike was powerful yet did not damage the paper, like a silent promise, imprinted between the land and the beauty, imprinted in this world where blood and fire had just subsided.

……

In late spring, the palace walls of Bianliang, the imperial city, were covered with green vines. Shi Feiyang, dressed in a dark robe, hid behind the willows, watching Zhao Qingyi's phoenix carriage pass by. One of the phoenix hairpins was missing from her hair; it was the one she had thrown to him at the Zhou Bridge, now wrapped in ice silkworm silk on the hilt of his Xuan Shuang blade, trembling gently in the wind. "Xiang Tiange, you really have come," Zhao Qingyi's voice came from within the carriage. Peeking at him through the curtain, she said sadly, "My father wants to marry me to the Prince of Liang of Liao. If you hadn't come, I would have truly become the Liao's queen."

Shi Feiyang's fingertips tightened around the Xuan Shuang Blade, the icy silkworm silk digging painfully into his palm.

He saw the Liao Kingdom's wedding procession already lined up outside the palace gates, the Liang King's golden helmet gleaming coldly in the sunlight. He was also heartbroken, but he remained defiant, saying indifferently, "I dare not interfere in the princess's marriage." His voice was as cold as the blue bricks of the palace wall. As he turned around, he was struck in the back by a brocade pouch thrown from the carriage by Zhao Qingyi—inside was half a bloodstained wolf-head plaque, the very half he had given her at Xiangguo Temple.

“This is the dowry you gave me.” Zhao Qingyi’s voice was choked with sobs as she said, “If you still consider me a friend, take this to Linzhou. There are secret camps of the Western Xia and Liao Kingdoms there. Destroy them, and Father won’t have to send me to a marriage alliance.”

Shi Feiyang stood beneath the palace wall, clutching the brocade pouch, watching the imperial carriage disappear behind the vermilion palace gates.

Willow branches tangled in his hair like countless pulling hands. He suddenly remembered Zhao Qingyi saying at the night market, "Sugar paintings are only sweet when shared between two people," and the words "Jianghu" (江湖, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) were blurred on the painted boat. His heart felt as if it were tightly bound by the silver threads of the Heavenly Silkworm Technique, and he instantly felt so painful that he couldn't breathe.

At that moment, cheers from the Liao envoys echoed from inside the palace gates.

Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade suddenly unsheathed, its blade energy cleaving open a corner of the palace wall, revealing Zhao Qingyi's tearful eyes as she looked back.

His "Shocking Calamity" was suddenly unleashed, his gaze piercing through the palace gates and shattering the King of Liang's golden helmet into ice shards, but he ultimately did not take another step forward.

Because he was a protector of the Tang Dynasty, while Zhao Qingyi was a princess of the Song Dynasty, this palace wall was an obstacle they could not cross.

……

The rain in Linzhou City came with knives.

The leaden-gray clouds hung low, shrouding the entire border town in a damp, cold iron cage.

Outside the abandoned kiln in the north of the city, the wolf-headed banner of the Western Xia secret camp leaned askew in the wind and rain. Three Song soldiers' corpses were tied to wooden stakes under the banner, their intestines dragging in the mud, turned white by the rain. Countless flies buzzed around the corpses, but were startled and scattered by the occasional flash of lightning.

Shi Feiyang's dark robe was soaked through by the rain, clinging to his body and outlining his sculpted features. He lay prone behind a jujube thicket outside the kiln, his black hair plastered to his cheeks by raindrops, revealing half of his face, more handsome than a woman's. A small silver earring dangled from his left ear—snatched from a Liao warrior the night before—and now trembled slightly with his breath, reflecting the flickering torches of the distant secret camp like a poisoned star.

Li Tieniu ran over, muttering under his breath, "Damn it, those Xixia dogs certainly know how to pick a spot." His bamboo cane sank half a foot into the mud, the copper bell at its tip muffled by the rain. Looking at the barbed wire surrounding the secret camp, the caltrops gleaming coldly, he reported to Shi Feiyang, "Elder Qu said there are three tunnels beneath this kiln: one leads to the Liao Kingdom's post station, one connects to the Xixia trading company, and there's another..."

"There's another route that leads directly to the prefectural government office in Linzhou." Shi Feiyang's voice was colder than the raindrops. He held a thorny fruit he had just picked from a jujube thicket between his fingers. The thorns on the fruit's skin were stained with his blood, but the chilling aura of Mingyu Gong condensed them into tiny ice beads. He continued angrily, "The Tibetan 'Blood Knife Monks' are performing rituals inside. Look at the skulls on the flagpoles; they all have cinnabar dots between their brows. They're going to perform a ritual for the 'Blood River Formation.'"

Following his gaze, Li Tieniu saw that on the high platform in the center of the secret camp, seven Tibetan monks were chanting sutras around a bronze cauldron, and the human bone hairpin inserted in the cauldron gleamed with a dark purple light in the firelight.

In the tents further away, one could vaguely see the camellia flag of the "Dali Duan Clan"—even warriors from the Nanzhao Kingdom had joined in, suggesting that the Western Xia had granted them exclusive rights to the Tea Horse Road.

Shi Feiyang suddenly chuckled, his black hair billowing in the wind, revealing his glassy eyes. He then asked, "Li Tieniu, do you know what Princess Qingyi hates most?" He suddenly flicked the thorny fruit at the barbed wire. The fruit hit the barbed wire and exploded, splashing juice onto the faces of the patrolling Xixia soldiers. The soldier screamed and fell to the ground, clutching his face, revealing the sheepskin talisman on the back of his neck—the identification mark of the Liao Kingdom's "Leather Chamber Army."

Li Tieniu replied, "I hate being treated like a commodity to be bought and sold." He twirled his bamboo cane in his palm and said, "Back in the night market of Bianliang, the princess used the Ding Song sword to chop down the human trafficker. His Majesty punished her by making her copy the 'Admonitions for Women' in the Buddhist hall for three months."

Shi Feiyang joked, "So, this secret camp needs to be burned down nicely." Suddenly, three silver threads flicked from his fingertips. The crystalline light of the Heavenly Silkworm Technique drew arcs in the rain and precisely wrapped around the ankles of the three patrolmen.

The moment the silver thread entered their bodies, the three men's internal organs were crushed. Before they could even groan, they collapsed into the mud, their bodies quickly shriveling up and curling up like monkeys.

He dragged Li Tieniu into the nearby drainage ditch. The sewage was knee-deep, mixed with a murky current that was hard to tell if it was rainwater or blood. He whispered, "Remember, kill the Tibetan monks first. Their Blood River Formation requires human sacrifices. The human bones in the cauldron are a 'gift' from the Dali Duan family. They say..."

He suddenly stopped, listening intently to the laughter coming from the secret camp. He then translated the conversation inside to Li Tieniu, explaining in a low voice, "The people inside say it's a magical artifact made from the bones of Song people, which can make Her Highness 'behave herself'." Li Tieniu snapped a section of his bamboo staff with a "crack," the copper bell at the end of the staff emitting a piercing tremor. He cursed angrily, "Those sons of bitches, they're truly despicable!"

Shi Feiyang reached out and gently patted Li Tieniu's shoulder, whispering, "What's the rush?"

His "Shocking Calamity" divine skill suddenly activated, his gaze piercing through the rain and shooting towards the guards at the entrance of the secret camp. The two Western Xia soldiers were holding wine bags and laughing when their heads suddenly felt like they had been hit by a heavy hammer. With a "boom," they exploded into a sky full of ice shards, which mixed with the rain and fell into the mud. They could not even piece together a complete face.

Shi Feiyang licked the blood splattered on the corner of his lips, smiled like a fox who had stolen a chicken, and teased, "The best is yet to come."

……

The first line of defense in the secret camp consisted of twelve Liao Dynasty soldiers from the Pishi Army.

They wore black iron armor, their spiked clubs wrapped with dried human skin, and drank in circles around the tent.

The fire, extinguished by the rain, burned down to embers, casting glimpses of the wolf totem tattoos on their faces. One of them, a bearded man, was boasting in broken Mandarin, "Once we present the Song princess to the Liang king, we can return to the capital and drink with Khitan women..."

Before he finished speaking, Shi Feiyang had already emerged from behind the tent like a ghost.

He didn't draw his sword, but simply spun around to avoid the spiked club that was coming at him. His left hand then casually slipped onto the bearded man's wrist—using the skillful "Shifting Flowers and Jade" technique, he redirected the club's force, causing it to strike his companion's helmet instead. Amidst the crisp sound of shattering armor, white brain matter mixed with blood sprayed all over Shi Feiyang's face.

Shi Feiyang said jokingly, "Tsk, very dirty." He shook his head, and the blood droplets on his black hair drew arcs in the rain. Suddenly, the silver threads of the Heavenly Silkworm Technique in his right hand swelled up, covering the remaining eleven Pi Shi soldiers like a spider web.

The sound of silver threads piercing through the gaps in the armor was like silkworms gnawing on mulberry leaves. A series of muffled thuds rang out. The moment the internal organs of those Liao warriors were shredded, the blood mist that spewed from their mouths condensed into blood beads around Shi Feiyang's body, and was then frozen into tiny blood ice crystals by the Mingyu Gong he was circulating, falling to the ground with a "crackling" sound.

Shi Feiyang then said jokingly, "This move is called 'inviting the enemy into the urn'."

He then smiled and sidestepped the last soldier's short sword, lightly tapping his finger on the soldier's chest. The samurai's sword suddenly turned and pierced his own throat with precision. In his dying moments, his eyes were filled with terror, as if he had seen some kind of monster—Shi Feiyang's skin was as transparent as ice in the rain, and the true energy flowing through his meridians had a faint golden-blue hue, a sign that the Mingyu Gong was operating at high speed.

Li Tieniu's bamboo cane swept through the air with a whooshing sound, stringing the Western Xia soldiers who tried to rush out of the tent together like candied hawthorns.

He then warned, "Chief, there's movement in the tent to the west!" Shi Feiyang looked up and saw seven Tibetan Blood Saber Monks performing a ritual around a bronze cauldron. Suddenly, a three-foot-high green flame erupted from the fire beneath the cauldron, and the human bones inside creaked and rubbed together, slowly rising to their feet and transforming into seven ghostly figures wielding bone spears. He roared, "Well done!" and suddenly unleashed the "Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms" technique, specifically the "Dragon Appearing in the Field" move. The palm strike, carrying rain and ice shards, shattered the foremost ghostly figure. He then coldly snorted, "Let me show you what true evil magic is."

His "Evil Blood Calamity" was activated immediately, and the blood of the Liao warriors on the ground suddenly flowed backward, turning into several blood arrows that shot towards the Tibetan monks.

Just as the leading red-robed monk was about to chant a spell, a blood arrow pierced his throat. The monk's body quickly withered, and the blood-stained knife in his hand fell to the ground with a clatter. His corpse shrank to the size of a monkey and was blown by the wind, rolling twice in the mud.

Seeing the situation was dire, the remaining six monks quickly formed the "Blood River Formation," simultaneously unleashing dark red energy spheres from their palms. These spheres coalesced into a blood dragon in the air, baring its fangs as it lunged at Shi Feiyang. Wherever it passed, the canvas of the tents was corroded, leaving large holes and emitting a pungent, fishy stench.

Shi Feiyang scoffed, "A mere trifle." He then unleashed the "Emperor's Heavenly Thunder" divine skill, instantly freezing the rain around him into ice, which, driven by his true energy, erupted with blinding lightning. The moment the ice and lightning collided with the blood dragon, the entire secret camp trembled. The screams of the Tibetan monks were swallowed by the thunder, their robes turning to ashes in the lightning, their exposed flesh rapidly charring black, as if they had been struck by heavenly lightning.

Li Tieniu cried out, "Chief, be careful!" He suddenly threw his bamboo staff, deflecting a poisoned arrow shot from the shadows. The arrowhead was made of the "peacock feather," a unique material of the Dali Duan family, with a small camellia carved on the shaft. The arrowhead gleamed with a ghostly blue in the firelight—it was coated with the deadly "crane's crest red."

Shi Feiyang used his mysterious "Hidden Body and Name" lightness skill, his black robe brushing past the tent poles as he casually pulled out the blood-stained knife stuck in the ground.

Fresh blood still stained the groove in the blade. As he swung it backhand, the blade flashed like lightning, cleaving through the tent's canvas to reveal the terrified faces of more than ten Dali warriors inside. He said mockingly, "Are you all disciples and grand-disciples of Duan Zhengchun?" His black hair fluttered in the wind as he suddenly unleashed the "Flying Dragon in the Sky" move from the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. The force of his palm ripped half the tent off its hinges, rainwater mixed with fragments of canvas pelting the Dali warriors. He roared, "Tell your prince that Zhao Qingyi is not someone he can lay a finger on! If he dares to send such a 'gift' again, I'll tear down his Dali palace!"

……

Hidden in the central tent of the secret camp was a handwritten letter from Liang Li, the prime minister of the Western Xia Kingdom.

When Shi Feiyang kicked open the tent door, he saw the Western Xia envoy stuffing a letter into a copper tube to send it into the underground passage.

The envoy carried a piece of mutton-fat jade at his waist, engraved with the words "Imperial Marriage." It was the betrothal gift document from Emperor Shenzong of Song, Zhao Xu, to the King of Western Xia—using Zhao Qingyi's marriage to secure the stability of the three cities of Linzhou, Fuzhou, and Fengzhou. After reading the secret letter, Shi Feiyang angrily declared, "I refuse this gift on behalf of the princess." His Xuan Shuang blade, already drawn, gleamed coldly in the firelight. He didn't look at the envoy, but instead used the back of his blade to pick up a copper tube, casually tossing it to Li Tieniu behind him, jokingly saying, "Send this to the generals of the Song court, let them know how their emperor sells his daughter."

Suddenly, the envoy drew a short dagger from his boot, the tip coated with green venom, and thrust it straight at Shi Feiyang's back. This move, "The Viper Emerges from Its Hole," was a signature technique of the Western Xia's "First-Class Hall," so fast that even wind and rain couldn't catch it.

But Shi Feiyang was faster than the wind and rain. He didn't even turn around; he just slightly lowered his left shoulder, and the vortex of Mingyu Gong spun rapidly. The envoy's short dagger turned like a magnet encountering iron, and with a "plop," it pierced into his own lower abdomen.

He stared in horror at Shi Feiyang's back, watching as the other man flicked his fingertip, and the silver threads of the Heavenly Silkworm Technique wrapped around his neck.

"Tell me, when did the Liao and Western Xia agree to make their move?" Shi Feiyang's voice was as soft as rain, yet it sent a chill down the envoy's spine.

Just as the envoy was about to bite his tongue and commit suicide, Shi Feiyang's "Evil Blood Calamity" divine skill was activated. The blood of the Tibetan monks on the ground suddenly turned into blood streaks, drilling into the envoy's body through his seven orifices. The envoy let out a pig-like scream, his body swelling like an inflated balloon, then quickly deflated, finally shrinking into a hairy ball of flesh, still clutching the "Bestowed Marriage" jade tablet tightly in his hand.

Shi Feiyang picked up the jade pendant and smashed it with the back of the Xuan Shuang Blade.

Jade fragments flew in the firelight, much like the sugar painting crumbs Zhao Qingyi ate at the Bianliang night market.

He suddenly remembered that on the back of the Vermilion Bird in Helan Mountain, she laughed and said, "You are better at coaxing people than the immortals in the stories." At that time, her eyes were as bright as the snow on Kunlun Mountain, but now they were about to be tainted by these dirty deals.

At this moment, Li Tieniu approached and warned, "Chief, there's movement in the tunnel!" His bamboo staff struck the ground three times, and the copper bell at the end of the staff vibrated rapidly. He then reported, "It's the 'Iron Falcon' cavalry of Western Xia, at least fifty of them!"

Shi Feiyang's "Shocking Calamity" suddenly swept towards the entrance of the underground passage, where the stone slabs suddenly exploded, revealing the spikes on the cavalry helmets.

He chuckled softly, his black hair billowing in the firelight, revealing the mischievous silver ring, and teased, "Li Tieniu, do you still remember the 'Burning the Linked Ships' technique I taught you?" Li Tieniu suddenly realized and quickly pulled out a tinderbox from his pocket—it had been soaked in Western Xia oil and would not go out when wet.

As he threw the tinder into the oil can in the tent, Shi Feiyang had already unleashed the "Benefiting the Great River" move from the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. The palm wind blew the oil towards the entrance of the secret passage, and flames instantly spread along the oil trail, igniting a fire dragon in the tunnel.

The screams of the Iron Falcon cavalry came from underground, mixed with the neighing of warhorses and the cracking sound of armor exploding.

Shi Feiyang stood on the top of the tent, his dark robe fluttering in the firelight. He watched as the entire secret camp collapsed in the flames, the wolf-head flag burned down to just a charred flagpole. Suddenly, he felt that the scene was very familiar—just like when he burned Nakasin's Blood River Altar at Blackwood Cliff.

At that time, Qu Feiyan said with a smile, "Bad people deserve this kind of ending."

At that moment, Li Tieniu ran over again, shouting, "Chief, look!" He pointed towards the official road outside the secret camp. There, a blurry figure was running in the rain, wearing an ill-fitting men's suit with holes worn through the soles of his boots, and half of a petticoat embroidered with phoenix patterns peeking out from under his skirt.

Shi Feiyang's heart skipped a beat, the pain worse than if he had been struck by a poisoned arrow from the Western Xia.

He used his amazing lightness skill, "leaving after accomplishing his task," to leap down from the tent. His black robe swept across the sparks on the ground, leaving a trail of faint footprints in the mud.

When Zhao Qingyi ran to him, rain mingled with tears streaming down her face. She gazed at the burning secret camp, then at Shi Feiyang's blood-stained face, and suddenly threw herself into his arms. "I knew you'd come," she cried, her voice trembling with sobs, yet her smile was sweeter than a sugar painting. She added excitedly, "Father said that as long as the secret camp is destroyed, the marriage alliance will be called off. I guessed you would do just that!"

Shi Feiyang's fingertips gently gathered her rain-soaked hair, touching the cinnabar mole behind her ear.

The chill from Mingyu Gong made her shiver slightly, but she did not dodge.

He suddenly remembered that on the painted boat on the Bian River, she pressed him, "Who exactly are you?" He couldn't answer then, but now he felt there was no need to say anything.

"Go back," he said, his voice as soft as rain, full of tenderness. "From now on, be a good princess." Zhao Qingyi grabbed his hand and pressed it to her heart. Her heart was pounding rapidly, as if it were about to leap out of her throat.

She said affectionately, "Listen, it's dancing, dancing for you." Looking at Shi Feiyang's handsome, almost otherworldly face, and at the sparks on his black hair, she suddenly felt that the rainy night in Linzhou was brighter than all the lanterns in Bianliang.

Shi Feiyang pulled her into his arms, then took the phoenix hairpin from the hilt of the Xuan Shuang Blade and put it back in her hair. His movements were as gentle as if he were protecting a fragile sugar painting, as if he were afraid that the slightest force would shatter this hard-won sweetness in the wind and rain.

The secret camp in the distance was still burning, the flames reddening half the sky like a giant torch, illuminating their embracing figures.

After a long while, Shi Feiyang gently separated Zhao Qingyi and said with concern, "Go back now, so your father won't worry about you. I'll be there shortly."

Zhao Qingyi nodded affectionately and turned to leave.

The firelight from the secret camp illuminated the night sky of Linzhou City, and Shi Feiyang's dark robe fluttered in the wind. He watched Zhao Qingyi's departing figure, his boot crushing a piece of the Western Xia envoy's bone. Bone fragments mixed with mud splattered on his trouser leg, and he felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

Li Tieniu ran over and whispered, "Chief, this is a secret letter we found in the arms of a Liao warrior." His bamboo cane carried a waterproof oilcloth bundle, the copper bell at the top of the cane heavy with blood. The moment the oilcloth was untied, the sheepskin scroll inside unfolded in the firelight, its surface a mix of Khitan and Western Xia script, interspersed with several camellia-shaped markings from the Dali Duan family.

Shi Feiyang's fingertips traced the words "Yunzhou," and Ming Yugong's chill caused the parchment scroll to frost. He translated the contents of the secret letter between Xia, Liao, and Dali to Li Tieniu, and then explained in a low voice: "The Liao Kingdom wants to borrow a route through Western Xia and, in conjunction with Dali's 'Tianlong Temple,' launch a surprise attack on Yunzhou on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month."

His black hair billowed in the firelight, revealing a silver ring trembling slightly on his earlobe. He chuckled softly, "The Tibetan Blood Blade Monk is in charge of setting fire to Yunzhou City. They have a clear division of labor." Li Tieniu's bamboo staff slammed three deep marks into the ground as he said in a deep voice, "Yunzhou is the northern gateway to the Song Dynasty. Once it falls, the Liao Kingdom's Pi Shi army can reach Bianliang in three days!" He suddenly remembered something and reported to Shi Feiyang, "Elder Qu said that Liang Yongneng's son, Liang Douda, the prime minister of the Western Xia Kingdom, has set up camp in Wild Wolf Valley outside Yunzhou City with three thousand Iron Falcons."

Shi Feiyang drew his Xuan Shuang Blade, the blade's energy cleaving open the tent pillar beside him. Sparks flew onto the secret letter, burning the two characters "Dali" black. He said indignantly, "If Zhao Qingyi knew that her father dared to use Yunzhou as a bargaining chip for peace talks, she would probably tear up the floor tiles of the princess's residence."

His gaze swept across the distant mountains, and the night sky in the direction of Yunzhou was already tinged with an eerie purple light—a sign that the Tibetan Blood Knife Monk was performing a ritual.

He quickly used his unparalleled "Thousand Miles Without Leaving a Trace" lightness skill, his black robe flashing like ink lightning, instantly covering a hundred feet.

Li Tieniu stared in the direction where he had disappeared and suddenly noticed a small phoenix pattern embroidered in the corner of the secret letter—exactly the same pattern as the one on Zhao Qingyi's skirt. He figured it was deliberately embroidered by the Western Xia people to humiliate the Song Dynasty.

The city gates of Yunzhou were ajar at midnight. The Song soldiers guarding the city wore their helmets askew, using their spears as walking sticks. Shi Feiyang used his mysterious "Hidden Body and Name" lightness skill to move along the wall, his black robe blending into the shadows.

He heard snoring from the city tower, mixed with laughter in the Liao language—the city guards were actually Liao spies. Shi Feiyang hurriedly and quietly activated his "Heavenly Silkworm Skill," a crystalline light flowing through his palm. The powerful internal energy formed the Heavenly Silkworm Silver Threads, which slipped through the crack in the door and wrapped around the throat of the westernmost sentry.

The moment the silver thread entered his body, the sentry's internal organs were crushed. He collapsed to the ground without even uttering a sound, his body quickly curling up to the size of a monkey, just like the Western Xia envoy in the Linzhou secret camp.

"Yelü Hongji certainly knows how to spend money," Shi Feiyang scoffed under his breath, then leaped onto the city wall. The ice silk of the Xuan Shuang Blade wrapped around the ankle of a Liao soldier, gently pulling him into the shadows. Just as the Liao soldier was about to draw his sword, Shi Feiyang's "Shifting Flowers and Jade" technique redirected the sword's momentum, and the Liao soldier's sword pierced precisely into his own heart. Blood sprayed onto the city bricks, reflecting Shi Feiyang's handsome yet cold face.

Behind the crenellations of the city tower, a Tibetan monk in a kasaya was hiding, holding a bone flute to his lips—presumably to sound the horn to mobilize his accomplices within the city. Shi Feiyang's "Evil Blood Calamity" was unleashed in response, and the blood of the Liao soldiers on the ground suddenly transformed into blood arrows, piercing the monk's collarbone.

The bone flute in the monk's hand fell to the ground with a clatter, and the corpse shrank into a shriveled mass of flesh. The blood-stained knife mark on the robe was soaked in blood and became indistinct.

Shi Feiyang snorted coldly and then used his unparalleled "Thousand Miles Without Leaving a Trace" lightness skill to fly towards Wild Wolf Valley.

The wind in Wolf Valley, carrying snowflakes, stung people's faces like knives.

The tents of the Western Xia Iron Falcons stretched for miles, the light of the campfires reflecting the wolf-head patterns on their armor, contrasting with the black iron armor of the Liao Dynasty's Pi Shi Army. The Song soldiers, prisoners tied between the tents, let out mournful howls that echoed through the valley, sounding as shrill as wolf howls.

Shi Feiyang lay prone behind a boulder at the valley entrance, his black hair covered in snow, blending seamlessly with his dark robe. He gazed at the tall tent in the center of the valley, where Liang Douda was brandishing a Song soldier's head on his spiked club. Outside the tent, a multicolored flag hung on a flagpole—half a Liao wolf flag, half a Western Xia eagle flag—and tied beneath it was a Tibetan monk in a kasaya, suggesting an internal dispute.

At this moment, Li Tieniu arrived and reported in a low voice, "Chief, the martial monks from Tianlong Temple in Dali have arrived." His green bamboo staff pointed to the mountain path on the right side of the valley, where there were more than a dozen figures dressed in gray monk robes, each holding a monk's knife with camellias engraved on the blade. Li Tieniu then introduced, "The one leading them is Duan Yanqing's grand-disciple, who uses the 'One-Finger Divine Skill,' which is said to be able to strike pressure points from a distance."

Shi Feiyang crushed a piece of ice between his fingertips, the ice shards turning into mist in his palm. He cursed, "The Duan family certainly knows how to be opportunistic." He suddenly chuckled, then added slyly, "They want a share of Yunzhou's benefits, yet they refuse to openly antagonize the Song Dynasty." His "Imperial Heavenly Thunder" technique quietly activated, and the snowflakes around him began to tremble slightly. He added mockingly, "Later they'll learn what it means to try to steal a chicken but lose the rice instead."

Immediately afterward, Shi Feiyang used the "Leave No Trace for a Thousand Miles" movement technique, darting into the Xixia tent area like a black shadow. Just as the Iron Falcon sentries were about to question him, Shi Feiyang's Heavenly Silkworm Technique had already bound their mouths with silver threads. The moment the silver threads tightened, the muffled sound of their throats being crushed was drowned out by the wind and snow.

He casually lifted the lid of the grain tent next to him, and found it piled high with grain from the Song Dynasty—presumably stolen from a post station near Yunzhou.

Shi Feiyang quickly took off the mysterious deerskin bag from his waist and put all the money, food, weapons and horses into the bag.

Iron Falcon's personal guards noticed the disturbance and rushed over with their spears. Shi Feiyang's "Shifting Flowers and Jade" skill deflected the spear tips, causing the spears to pierce the guards' own chests instead. Blood sprayed onto the snow, blooming like red plum blossoms.

Liang Douda's spiked club swung out with a whooshing sound, and snow flew everywhere the club swept past. Shi Feiyang spun around to avoid it, gripped the Xuan Shuang Blade, and unleashed the "Slaying the Mortal World" move from the Hundred Victories Blade Technique, the blade energy slashing straight at the opponent's wrist.

Liang Douda's arm guard was cleaved open, blood gushing out. He roared and unleashed his "Blood River Palm," the palm wind carrying a dark red poisonous mist that corroded large holes in the surrounding tents. He continued to strike and curse, "You Southern Dynasty brat, you've got some skill!" His spiked club swept across, forcing Shi Feiyang to retreat repeatedly, and he added fiercely, "Too bad, you're going to die in this Wild Wolf Valley today, and there won't even be anyone to collect your corpse!"

Suddenly, the Liao army behind him unleashed a barrage of arrows, a rain of arrows like dark clouds descending upon Shi Feiyang, the arrowheads still coated with the Western Xia's "bone-rotting poison."

Shi Feiyang leaped into the air, waving his palms to unleash the "Flying Dragon in the Sky" technique from the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms. The palm wind, carrying snowflakes and ice shards, shook off all the rain of arrows. He then seized the opportunity to unleash "Riding the Six Dragons," splitting his palm force into six streams that shattered the surrounding tents.

The Western Xia soldiers hiding inside were pressed under the canvas, letting out screams of agony.

Upon seeing this, the Dali monks charged forward, brandishing their monk knives. The leading monk, surnamed Duan, flicked his fingertips with a "One-Finger Divine Skill," aiming it at Shi Feiyang's brow.

Shi Feiyang's "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill redirected the force of his finger, and the finger wind actually pierced through the throat of the Liao Kingdom's Pi Shi army behind him. The martial monk surnamed Duan was so shocked that he took three steps back, almost dropping his monk's knife, and exclaimed, "Who are you? How can you know such evil arts!"

Shi Feiyang said coldly, "The one who will take your life." His "Shocking Calamity" divine skill was suddenly activated. His gaze swept over the dozen or so Dali martial monks, and they were instantly frozen into ice blocks, which exploded in the wind and snow. The ice fragments mixed with blood and flesh splattered on Liang Douda's face, scaring him so much that he dropped his spiked club to the ground.

Liang Douda's high tent collapsed in the flames, and the multicolored flag on the flagpole was burned down to just a charred wooden pole. Shi Feiyang stood by the fire, his dark robe stained with blood and snow, his skin transparent as ice in the firelight, the chilling aura of Mingyu Gong causing the surrounding flames to freeze into ice flowers, an incredibly strange sight.

Li Tieniu charged forward, covered in blood, and reported, "Chief, the Liao reinforcements are almost here!" His bamboo staff carried Liang Douda's severed head, the sound of the copper bells on the staff's head particularly jarring in the wind and snow. He then warned, "The brothers' bamboo darts are almost used up, and the oil for the Sacred Flame Tokens is also running low!"

Shi Feiyang watched as the Liao cavalry surged into the valley. The black iron armor of the Pishi Army gleamed coldly in the snow, and their numbers numbered in the tens of thousands.

He cleverly pointed to the cliff on the left side of the valley and advised, "There is an avalanche point there." He then activated the "Emperor's Thunderous Fury" divine skill, and the snow particles around him turned into countless tiny ice lightning bolts. He continued, "When they enter the valley, we will give them a big gift."

Li Tieniu suddenly realized what was happening and immediately led the Beggars' Sect disciples toward the cliff.

Shi Feiyang turned to face the Liao cavalry, unleashing the "Breaking Heaven and Earth" technique from the Xuan Shuang Blade. The blade's energy ripped through the armor of the front-line cavalry, and the ice silk from the blade wrapped around the horses' legs. The horses reared up in pain, throwing their riders to the ground, where they were trampled into a bloody pulp by the hooves of the horses behind them.

The Liao general's "Mountain-Splitting Axe" came crashing down with a whoosh, the cold light on the axe blade reflecting off Shi Feiyang's face.

Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Hidden Dragon, Do Not Use" move from the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms with both palms. The force of his palms collided with the axe blade, causing the valley to tremble.

Taking advantage of the situation, he unleashed his "Double Dragons Taking Water" technique, striking the general's mount with his palm. The horse suddenly knelt on its forelegs, and the general fell to the ground. (End of Chapter)