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

Chapter 494. Yin and Yang Judgment within the Blood River Formation; Life and Death Together Before the Sword of Ding Song.

From the depths of the secret passage came the sound of a stone door opening. The Second Prince, Shi Qiying, swung his mountain-splitting axe with a whooshing sound, the poisoned blood on the blade gleaming eerily blue under the ever-burning lamp. Shi Qiying called out his name and cursed, "Shi Feiyang, you usurper and traitor!" Behind him followed thirty Dali warriors, the camellia marks on their knives blooming in the blood. He added viciously, "Today, I'll make you and this demoness pay homage to the Buddha!"

Shi Feiyang cursed sadly, "How could my Shi family produce such an unfilial descendant? I let you enjoy the fruits of my labor, wealth and glory, but you want my old life! What use is such a worthless wretch to me? What use is he?" With another cold snort, the "Shocking Calamity" divine skill was unleashed. The thirty Dali warriors trembled, their bodies turning to ice, instantly shattering into countless ice shards on the ground. Shi Qiying was so frightened that his legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground.

Shi Feiyang drew his sword and stabbed Shi Qiying in the chest. Blood splattered everywhere, and Shi Qiying died on the spot. Shi Feiyang cried out in grief: he had actually killed the great-grandson of his great-great-grandson with his own hands!
At this moment, Su Xiaoman remained silent, simply gazing at Shi Feiyang quietly. She offered no words of advice, nor did she offer a handkerchief to wipe his tears. Subsequently, the two left the ancient tomb, each using their lightness skills to fly to the Longmen Grottoes to search for secret letters exchanged between Shi Qiying and the Tubo, Dali, Xia, and Liao kingdoms.

The Vairocana Buddha in the Longmen Grottoes has a compassionate gaze under the moonlight, while Shi Feiyang's moon-white brocade robe is stained with blood.

Su Xiaoman's red dress fluttered in the wind, and her golden dart held Shi Qiying's secret letter, which read in vermilion ink, "Cease Hexi and borrow troops from Tibet"—the ink was still wet, so it was obviously just written.

She said jokingly, "Shi Feiyang, it seems your Tang Dynasty isn't so peaceful after all." She tossed the secret letter to Shi Feiyang, her fingertips lightly tracing the ice silkworm jade on his wrist, and teased, "That Princess Zhao lowered her status for you, and Miss Ling expended her inner strength for you, and what about me?"

She suddenly tiptoed, used a golden dart to lift the red silk in his hair, and said teasingly, "Should I burn this thing so you won't always be thinking about the gentle land of Bianliang?" Shi Feiyang turned to the side and swung his palm, unleashing the "Regretful Dragon" of the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms". The fierce and sharp palm wind sent the remnants of the Tubo army flying in the distance, but it suddenly subsided when it touched Su Xiaoman's red clothes.

He said sadly, “Little girl,” his voice colder than the ice of the Luo River, “there are some things you can’t understand.”

Su Xiaoman looked up at the sky and sighed, "I don't understand! I don't understand anything!"

Suddenly, her golden dart pressed against her own heart, the tip piercing her red dress. The blood that seeped out looked like tiny cinnabar dots in the moonlight. She said sincerely, "I only know that if you like someone, you should snatch them away. Unlike them, one hides it away, and the other pretends to be aloof!"

Shi Feiyang raised his palm, channeling his Heavenly Silkworm Skill. A crystalline light flowed through his palm, and the powerful internal energy formed ice silkworm threads that entangled her golden dart. He said thoughtfully, "You wouldn't have fallen in love with me so quickly, would you? Is that possible? We've only known each other for an hour!"

Su Xiaoman didn't say anything and turned away shyly.

Shi Feiyang reached out and turned her body around, asking in a low voice, "Do you know," his fingertips brushed against the blood droplet on her chest, the chill of Mingyu Gong freezing the blood droplet into ice crystals, and said solemnly, "the people of this world are far more important than romantic love."

Su Xiaoman suddenly laughed, her laughter more joyful than the waves of the Luo River, and teased, "Shi Feiyang, you're lying." Her golden dart broke free of the ice silkworm silk, and she said jokingly, "Your eyes can't lie. The way you look at me is no different from the way you look at them."

Shi Feiyang knew in his heart that Su Xiaoman had probably been following him for a long time, knowing his every move. However, in the process, he was concerned about the common people and always thinking about weakening the power of other countries, so he hadn't noticed Su Xiaoman in the vast crowd. Perhaps, Su Xiaoman was the flower girl who had bumped into him many times on the streets of Bianliang!
At that moment, the sound of bells rang out from the distant Yingtian Gate, and the dragon flag of Luoyang Palace rose in the morning sun. Shi Feiyang gazed at that bright yellow and suddenly remembered Zhao Qingyi's tearful eyes on the Rainbow Bridge in Bianliang; he remembered Ling Shuanghua's plain white robe in the morning mist of Xiangguo Temple.

A sudden chill rose from his palm, crushing the ice crystals on Su Xiaoman's chest and turning them into a misty spray. He said meaningfully, "Little girl, the journey through the martial world is long; you should find someone more reliable than me." With that, he drifted away.

Su Xiaoman watched his figure disappear at the end of the cave, his red robes fluttering in the wind like a flag that refused to fall. She picked up the ice silkworm jade fragments from the ground and suddenly noticed that a strand of her red silk was still wrapped around Shi Feiyang's black hair—he must have deliberately hooked it when he turned around.

……

On the steps of Luoyang Palace, Shi Feiyang's black dragon robe was covered in dust, and the ice silkworm jade at his waist and the Imperial Seal of the State complemented each other.

His grandson, the young emperor Shi Qihan, was assassinated by Shi Qiying and other masters from various countries. Left with no other choice, Shi Feiyang now had to become emperor himself. He didn't want to be emperor; he longed for the freedom of the martial world. But fate always seemed to make him emperor! Now, he had to once again muster the ruthlessness of "Emperor Qianlong" to reform the bureaucracy of the Tang Empire.

At this moment, as Shi Feiyang looked at the members of the imperial family and ministers below the steps, he suddenly recalled what Su Xiaoman had said in the ancient tomb in Mangshan: "What's the point of having a vast empire if you don't have someone you love to share it with?"

Li Tieniu's bamboo cane was extended from outside the hall, with a secret letter on the tip, stamped with Zhao Qingyi's phoenix seal. "Chief, news has come from Bianliang," he said in a very low voice, and then reported, "Princess Zhao has offered her residence as a hostage in exchange for the Song army's reinforcements to Luoyang. They are currently encamped at Shili Slope outside the city."

Shi Feiyang's fingertips traced the phoenix pattern on the secret letter, and he suddenly recalled the scene at Jinming Pond, where her Ding Song Sword and his Xuan Shuang Blade were intertwined. Outside the hall, a report came from the Emei Sect: Ling Shuanghua's Nine Yang Skill had broken the "Blood River Formation" of the remnants of the Tubo army, and she was leading her wounded disciples to Luoyang.

"Issue my decree," Shi Feiyang's voice echoed in the hall, carrying an undeniable power, and he declared loudly, "Treat the Song soldiers well and treat the Emei disciples generously." He paused, his gaze turning towards Bianliang, "Furthermore, prepare a generous gift and send it to the Golden Wing Alliance, saying... thank you for Miss Su's 'sabotage'." The setting sun shone through the windows of Luoyang Palace, casting a long shadow on Shi Feiyang's dragon robe.

He knew that sitting on the dragon throne was easy, but sitting firmly on it was difficult. Zhao Qingyi's passion, Ling Shuanghua's profundity, and Su Xiaoman's liveliness were like three different stars, shining in his night sky, illuminating the country and warming the years.

The songs of Luo River drifted from outside the palace, mingling with the shouts of the Beggars' Sect disciples and the chanting of the Emei Sect, weaving together a strange melody.

Looking at the sky outside the palace, Shi Feiyang suddenly felt that the world might not be black and white, and that one could truly have both power and beauty—as long as he had enough courage to balance the scales called "responsibility".

The Xuan Shuang Blade trembled gently beside the dragon throne, its blade entwined with three different threads: Zhao Qingyi's red silk, Ling Shuanghua's white gauze, and Su Xiaoman's gold thread. They intertwined in the wind, like countless invisible threads, tightly binding the fate of this land with that of the three women.

In the twilight of Luoyang, Shi Feiyang's black hair gleamed on the dragon throne, and the silver ring on his left ear swayed like tiny stars.

After the civil and military officials dispersed, he summoned Qu Cheng, Li Tieniu and others, and instructed them that from now on, some of the elites of the Sun Moon Sect would be incorporated into the Imperial Guard, and the Beggars' Sect would be the Imperial Guard of the Tang Empire in the Jianghu.

He appointed Qu Cheng as the Commander of the Imperial Guard of the Tang Dynasty. He also appointed Li Wang, an elder of the Beggars' Sect, as the Assistant Commander of the Imperial Guard, responsible for managing the Imperial Guard's finances and provisions. This arrangement allowed the disciples of the Sun Moon Sect and the Beggars' Sect to supervise each other. Both were leaders of major martial arts sects, and while they had to give each other face, they were also bound to be at odds, thus creating a system of checks and balances.

The imperial edict appointed Li Tieniu, an elder of the Beggars' Sect, as the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and Lu Feng, an elder of the Sun Moon Sect, as the Assistant Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Next, Shi Feiyang issued an edict to establish the Cangsheng Academy, recruiting scholars from all over the land to study there and selecting talented individuals to serve as officials. All those admitted to the Cangsheng Academy would enjoy the待遇 (treatment/benefits) of a half-county magistrate, receiving a government salary, which would not only allow them to enjoy a comfortable life but also support their families. The news spread, and within a month, over ten thousand people had enrolled in the Cangsheng Academy.

Qu Cheng, the commander of the Imperial Guard, and Li Tieniu, the commander of the Imperial Guard in the Jianghu, would each visit the Cangsheng Academy in the middle of each month to lecture on the dangers of the Xia, Liao, Dali, Tubo, and Song dynasties, the dangers of the Jianghu, and the living conditions of ordinary people.

Li Ji, an elder of the Beggars' Sect, is the ambassador of the Cang Sheng Academy.

Every three days, Shi Feiyang would go to Cangsheng Academy to give lectures, talking about patriotism and the unification of the world.

To ensure the stability of his empire, on the very day he donned the dragon robe, he decreed the selection of thirty exceptionally beautiful women from among the palace maids to be his concubines. He had no choice but to be a groom every day, as he needed many descendants to inherit his great cause for the Tang Empire.

Following this, the most important measure was introduced: all officials of the Tang Dynasty could receive an annual allowance of one hundred taels of gold and two hundred taels of silver from the court as a form of filial piety and integrity fund to support their household expenses. Immediately, talented individuals from all over the land flocked to the Cang Sheng Academy to study, hoping to become officials in the Tang Dynasty.

In addition to referencing the Ming Dynasty's Six Ministries and Grand Secretariat system, the local administration adopted the Qing Dynasty's system of Governors-General, Provincial Governors, Provincial Treasurers, and Military Commanders, with military power mutually checking and balancing each other. Three months later, the court gradually stabilized, and good news came from Shi Feiyang's thirty concubines—all were pregnant, though it was still unknown whether they would have more sons or daughters. Shi Feiyang resumed his habit from when he was "Emperor Qianlong," deciding to travel incognito to inspect the prefectures and counties of the Tang Dynasty as the court gradually stabilized.

……

The wind in the Hexi Corridor carries sand grains that feel like knives cutting into people's faces.

The wind lifted the corners of Shi Feiyang's dark robe, revealing the ice silk of the Xuan Shuang Blade at his waist. The silk threads shimmered with a faint silver light; they were the ones he had peeled from the throat of the Xixia envoy the night before, still carrying the lingering scent of blood.

Li Tieniu, standing beside him, pointed ahead and said, "Your Majesty, Xiaoguan Pass is just ahead." His bamboo staff, planted firmly in the yellow sand, had its copper bell at the end muffled by the wind and sand. He gazed at the Liao wolf banner atop the distant city wall and suddenly lowered his voice: "Your Majesty, the Golden Wing Alliance says that Yelü Xiezhen, the Southern King of Liao, personally led the 'Heavenly Wolf Camp' to garrison here, and the camp houses the 'Buddha's Relic' of Western Xia—said to be able to command the various Tibetan tribes."

Shi Feiyang's "Golden Eyes" pierced through the wind and sand, shooting towards Xiaoguan.

In the shadow of the city gate tower, twelve men in black surrounded a girl in red. The girl's golden dart drew an arc in the sunlight, and the barb on the tip of the dart caught on the ear of a Liao soldier, causing the soldier to howl in pain.

"This little girl is quite feisty." Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade trembled slightly in its sheath. The hem of his lake-blue silk robe swept across the yellow sand, revealing half of his fair ankle, which was frozen by the wind and sand and had a jade-like luster—the unique glow of the Mingyu Gong when it circulated.

The girl in red was none other than Su Xiaoman. Her double buns were disheveled by the wind, and camellia petals at her temples were covered with sand, yet she still smiled with her eyes crinkling. "The Liao dogs' claws are quick," she cursed, her golden dart suddenly turning, the tip of which held a sheepskin map, and she added mockingly, "What a pity, the 'Buddha's relic' you're looking for was switched by me three days ago."

Yelü Xiezhen's black iron armor gleamed against the city wall as his spiked club whistled through the air and slammed down on Su Xiaoman. The force of the blow, carrying the Liao Kingdom's "bone-chilling cold," froze the surrounding yellow sand into ice particles. As he struck, he cursed, "Little brat from the Golden Wing Alliance, you dare touch my things? You've got a death wish!"

Shi Feiyang hurriedly used his unparalleled "Thousand Miles Without Leaving a Trace" lightness skill. His lake-blue figure flashed past like lightning, and the icy light of the Xuan Shuang Blade drew an arc in the yellow sand. The skillful force of the "Shifting Flowers and Jade" divine skill led the wolf-tooth club to smash into the flagpole next to him.

The flagpole collapsed with a crash, smashing onto the tents of the Sirius Camp and kicking up a cloud of dust.

Su Xiaoman exclaimed with delight, "Pretty boy, you've come at the perfect time!" Her golden dart spun rapidly in her hand, and she suddenly tossed an oilcloth bag to Shi Feiyang, then said seriously, "This is a secret letter from Tibet. See how they plan to divide the spoils with Western Xia."

The moment Shi Feiyang caught the oilcloth bundle, the silver threads of his Heavenly Silkworm Technique suddenly surged at his fingertips, wrapping around the throats of the three Liao soldiers who had launched the sneak attack. The instant the silver threads tightened, the soldiers' internal organs were shredded, and blood sprayed onto the yellow sand, blooming into eerie flowers.

He said loudly, "King Yelü," his long hair cascading in the wind like a waterfall, the silver earring on his left ear dazzling people, and then said jokingly, "Your 'Heavenly Wolf Camp' is far inferior to Yelü Hongji's Pishi Army."

Yelü Xiezhen trembled with rage, but seeing the Beggars' Sect disciples swarming in, he dared not confront Shi Feiyang at this moment. Shi Feiyang pulled Su Xiaoman into his arms, used his unparalleled "Thousand Miles Without Leaving a Trace" lightness skill, and flew away.

……

The two arrived at the ancient city ruins west of Xiaoguan, where the crumbling walls resembled a group of silent giants in the twilight.

Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade was stuck in the half-broken Buddhist shrine, the blade reflecting the shadow of Su Xiaoman's red dress. She was using a golden dart to pry open a loose floor tile, revealing a bronze lock engraved with the camellia seal of the Dali Duan family.

Su Xiaoman straightened her slender and graceful body and introduced, "This city was built during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han." Her fingertips traced the patterns on the lock, and she suddenly used the tip of a dart to pick out a strand of hair. She then said seriously, "Look at this lock core. It is made of 'Midnight Soul-Severing Silk,' exactly the same as the mechanism in Tianlong Temple."

Shi Feiyang quietly activated his Mingyu Gong, and the cold air in his palm condensed the bronze lock into white frost.

He quipped, "The Duan family of Dali is certainly willing to spend a lot," then suddenly chuckled, his lake-blue sleeve sweeping through Su Xiaoman's hair, brushing away a grain of sand. He then cursed, "To exchange for the exclusive rights to the Tea Horse Road with Tibet, they're even willing to lend their ancestral mechanical arts." Suddenly, the floor tiles clicked, and poisoned arrows shot out from the surrounding broken walls at the same time. The barbs on the arrowheads were wrapped with Tibet's "Blood Lotus Poison," gleaming with a dark purple hue in the twilight.

Su Xiaoman's red dress suddenly unfurled, like a blooming flower, and the arc of the golden dart perfectly protected Shi Feiyang's back. She whispered, "Young Master Shi," her dimples brimming with laughter, and then playfully added, "Compared to Princess Zhao's Ding Song Sword, how does my 'disruptive' skill compare?"

Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Dragon Appears in the Field" move from the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms," creating a powerful and unparalleled palm wind that swept through the yellow sand, forming a barrier that shattered the poisoned arrows upon impact. He teased, "Young lady, always worrying about other people's private affairs, be careful you won't be able to get married."

At this moment, chanting came from the depths of the ruins, and twenty Tibetan Blood Blade Monks filed out, each carrying a bronze bowl filled with dark red liquid. The stench mixed with the sand and dust rushed in, making Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade gleam coldly.

The leading red-robed monk licked the rim of his alms bowl, his blood-red blade gleaming purple in the twilight, and said coldly, "Shi Feiyang, hand over the secret letter, and this old monk will let you die a quick death."

Su Xiaoman suddenly grabbed Shi Feiyang's sleeve and pointed her golden dart at the pagoda behind the monk: "Look at the shadow of the pagoda's spire, they're setting up the 'Blood River Formation'!"

Her red dress fluttered in the wind as she suddenly pulled a firework tube from her sleeve, which shot into the sky with a "whoosh"—it was the signal from the Golden Wing Alliance, exploding into a golden camellia in the twilight. Shi Feiyang also instantly unleashed his "Emperor's Heavenly Thunder" divine skill, condensing nearby water vapor into ice lightning that struck his enemy, exploding among the monks. The ice lightning struck the bronze alms bowl, causing the blood within to suddenly boil and flow backward up the monk's wrist.

The monks screamed and scratched their chests, their flesh peeling away from their bones, revealing skeletons that quickly turned black, as if struck by lightning.

Su Xiaoman teased, "Pretty boy, your move is even more powerful than Miss Ling's Nine Yang Skill!" Her golden dart pierced the throat of the last monk, and she suddenly tiptoed and kissed Shi Feiyang on the cheek, then playfully said, "This is a reward for you!" Shi Feiyang's ears burned, and he was about to lash out when he noticed a piece of sheepskin on the hem of Su Xiaoman's red dress—torn from a Tibetan monk's robe, with the location of the secret meeting between Western Xia and Dali drawn on it, at Crescent Lake north of the ancient city.

He then took out the Vermilion Bird and the White Tiger from a mysterious deerskin bag hidden from mortals at his waist. Su Xiaoman was so frightened that she fell to the ground.

Shi Feiyang smiled and helped the trembling Su Xiaoman up, introduced her to the Vermilion Bird and the White Tiger, then picked up Su Xiaoman and sat her in the tent on the back of the Vermilion Bird. The White Tiger also jumped on, and together they rode the Vermilion Bird to Crescent Lake.

The waters of Crescent Lake shimmered silver in the night breeze, reflecting the figures of Shi Feiyang and Su Xiaoman. His lake-blue silk robe was draped over the reeds by the spring, and the ice silk of the Xuan Shuang Blade was wrapped around her golden dart.

The two argued over a piece of sheepskin map, their spittle nearly splashing into the spring.

Su Xiaoman said, "The Western Xia wants to use the route through Tibet to launch a surprise attack on the Song Dynasty from the Qilian Mountains." She pointed her finger at the red dot on the map and then said thoughtfully, "The Duan family of Dali is responsible for containing the Song army in Hezhou, while the Liao Kingdom will send the Tianlang Camp to provide support. They have a very clever plan."

Shi Feiyang's fingertips traced the characters "Hezhou," and Ming Yugong's chill caused the parchment scroll to frost over.

He said in a deep voice, "The garrison commander of Hezhou is a man of Zhang Dun of the Song Dynasty's New Party." He suddenly chuckled, his black hair falling down to cover half of his face, and said jokingly, "Last year he wanted to marry Zhao Qingyi to the Tibetan king, but now he's probably already a traitor."

Suddenly, the reeds by the spring rustled, and twelve Dali warriors filed out.

The leading monk, surnamed Duan, held a luminous pearl in his palm, which illuminated the camellia mark on his monk's knife with exceptional clarity. He feigned respect and said, "Young Master Shi, Miss Su," as his "One-Finger Divine Skill" condensed into a point of golden light at his fingertip, and then added, "Lord Duan invites you."

Su Xiaoman's golden dart suddenly shot out, grazing past the Duan-surnamed monk's ear and embedding itself in the jujube tree behind him.

She said coldly, “Go back and tell Duan Zhengchun.” Her red dress shone like a burning flame in the moonlight, and she added domineeringly, “If you want to marry the Western Xia princess as your backer, first ask my Golden Wing Alliance if they agree!”

Shi Feiyang raised his palm, using it as a blade. The blade's energy cleaved through the oncoming finger wind. He said mockingly, "Lord Duan's 'Six Meridian Divine Sword' is not yet fully mastered." He unleashed his "Flying Dragon in the Sky" palm wind, which caused the warriors' tiger's mouths to split open. He then retorted, "You dare to come to the Central Plains and cause trouble?"

The monk surnamed Duan's dagger suddenly transformed into three afterimages, which was the "One Finger Transformation into a Dagger" technique of Dali.

Shi Feiyang swung his palms, using the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" technique to redirect the blade's momentum. His finger strikes even pierced the throats of the two Western Xia envoys—they had been lying in ambush by the spring, seemingly intending to reap the benefits.

"Pretty boy, look at that sand dune!" Su Xiaoman suddenly exclaimed, pulling Shi Feiyang down with her. Just as the two rolled to the edge of the spring, a huge crater exploded where they had just been standing. The Tibetan "Blood Shadow Guards" emerged from the sand, and the "Bone-Rotting Curse" played on their bone flutes caused the reeds to wither instantly.

Shi Feiyang's "Evil Blood Calamity" divine skill activated instantly, and the blood of the Dali warriors on the ground suddenly flowed backward, turning into blood arrows that shot towards the Blood Shadow Guards. The assassins screamed and fell to the ground, their corpses quickly shriveling up to the size of monkeys, and were blown by the wind, rolling on the sand.

He whispered, "Su Xiaoman," then, gripping the Xuan Shuang Blade, he picked up a Tibetan token and questioned, "Do you know who the master of the 'Blood Shadow Guard' is?"

Su Xiaoman, whose golden dart was carrying the secret letter from the martial monk surnamed Duan, suddenly burst out laughing upon hearing this: "Besides Liang Helin, the prime minister of the Western Xia Kingdom, who else can afford to support so many assassins? You pretty boy, have you forgotten what our Golden Wing Alliance does? Hurry up and give me the reward!"

She tossed the secret letter to Shi Feiyang. The moonlight illuminated the four characters "January 15th" on the paper, which matched the date on the Tibetan secret letter perfectly. Shi Feiyang laughed and said, "Alright, I'll reward you with a thousand taels of gold. Let's go! When you return to Luoyang another day, just tell the brothers of the Golden Wing Alliance to come and collect the money. Haha!" With that, he put his arm around Su Xiaoman, jumped onto the back of the Vermilion Bird, and rode the Vermilion Bird towards the Qilian Mountains.

……

The Qilian Mountains' canyons resembled a giant silver python in the moonlight. Shi Feiyang's Snow-White Black Steed and Su Xiaoman's Rouge Horse rode side by side, the sound of their hooves striking the ice startling a flock of night birds. He had changed from his lake-blue silk robe into a dark, fitted outfit, the jade silk at his waist clinking crisply against her golden dart pouch. "Ahead lies the Western Xia's 'Suoyang Pass'," Su Xiaoman introduced, her fingertip tracing a red circle on the map. Suddenly, she poked Shi Feiyang's waist with the tip of her dart, teasingly adding, "If Princess Zhao knew you were with me, wouldn't she send people to hunt you down?"

Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade gleamed coldly in the moonlight, its blade reflecting her mischievous smile. "Little girl," he suddenly pulled on the reins, causing the horse to rear up, and said in a feigned threat, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll dump you on those bald Tibetan monks."

Suddenly, boulders rolled down the cliffs on both sides of the canyon. Yelü Xiezhen's spiked club whistled through the air as it slammed into Shi Feiyang. The force of the club, combined with the Liao Kingdom's "Frosty Palm," cracked the ice surface. "Shi Feiyang, prepare to die! This time, you're outnumbered! Humph!" he roared, followed by thirty Western Xia Iron Falcons, their armor gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

Su Xiaoman's Rouge Horse suddenly reared up, and her golden dart shot out like a meteor. The oil sack wrapped around the tip of the dart exploded in mid-air. Shi Feiyang used "Emperor's Thunder" to detonate it, and a fire dragon immediately ignited in the icy valley.

Su Xiaoman cleverly said, "Pretty boy, watch my 'fire attack'!" Her red dress was like a leaping flame in the firelight. Suddenly, she leaped up from her horse and her golden dart pierced the throats of two Iron Falcons.

Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Dragon Fighting in the Wild" move from the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms," the palm wind colliding with the spiked club, causing Yelü Xiezhen to stagger backward. He then seized the opportunity to strike with "Double Dragons Taking Water," splitting his palm force into two streams, one shattering the Iron Hawk's formation, and the other firmly catching Su Xiaoman.

In the midst of the fierce battle, he jokingly said to Su Xiaoman, "Little girl, your horsemanship is far inferior to Zhao Qingyi's." Su Xiaoman's golden dart suddenly pointed at Yelü Xiezhen's waist, where a bronze pot was hanging. The wisps of steam rising from the pot's spout shimmered green in the firelight. She said urgently, "Be careful of his 'Bone-Dissolving Powder'!" Her fingertip wrote the words "Spring" on Shi Feiyang's palm. Suddenly, she used the golden dart to cut open the horse's belly, and the explosive pack that rolled out inside his chest hissed on the ice.

Shi Feiyang's "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill suddenly activated, drawing Yelü Xiezhen's spiked club toward the explosive charge. With a deafening roar, a ten-foot-wide crack appeared in the ice, and the Iron Hawks fell into the ice hole one after another, their screams swallowed by the sound of the ice cracking.

Yelü Xiezhen's black iron armor was still covered in sparks from explosives. Just as he was about to leap out of the rift, Shi Feiyang's Xuanshuang Blade pierced his throat.

Su Xiaoman raised her head and said, "Pretty boy, look!" Her golden dart held up a secret letter that had fallen from Yelü Xiezhen's arms. It was written in Xixia script, "Borrowing the route through Dali, we will share Hexi," and was stamped with the double seals of the Southern Court of Liao and the Prime Minister of Xixia.

Shi Feiyang praised, "Su Xiaoman, you're much smarter than Zhao Qingyi!"

Su Xiaoman laughed triumphantly, then said, "I will prove that I am prettier and smarter than her, hehe!"

Shi Feiyang was so amused that he laughed until tears streamed down his face. The two embraced, laughing loudly, and jumped onto the back of the Vermilion Bird, riding it towards Fengling Ferry.

……

The ferry at Fenglingdu swayed in the morning mist. Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade rested against the gunwale, the blade reflecting the shadow of Su Xiaoman's red dress. She was using a golden dart to pry open a sandalwood box. Inside, the Buddha's relic gleamed with a faint purple light in the morning glow, and the Sanskrit inscriptions on it were actually a curse from the Western Xia.

Su Xiaoman asked incredulously, "Is this what they fought so hard for?" She tapped the relic with her golden dart, then suddenly threw it into the river, saying jokingly, "It's not as pretty as my family's heirloom luminous pearl."

Shi Feiyang's fingertips traced the note she had left at the bottom of the box, which read, "See you in Chang'an on the fifteenth of the first month." The handwriting was somewhat childish, yet powerful. He asked curiously, "Is the headquarters of the Golden Wing Alliance in Chang'an?" Then he suddenly chuckled, folded the note into a paper boat, and put it into the river.

Su Xiaoman's red dress fluttered in the morning breeze. Suddenly, she tiptoed and lightly bit his lips, teasingly saying, "Pretty boy, if Princess Zhao and Miss Ling knew you were on the same boat as me, wouldn't they be jealous?" Her golden dart suddenly shot out, grazing Shi Feiyang's ear and embedding itself in a willow tree on the shore. She then said affectionately, "This is my token. Remember to come find me in Chang'an." With that, her pretty face flushed, she floated away.

Shi Feiyang watched her leap onto the opposite bank, her red dress growing smaller and smaller in the morning mist. Suddenly, he noticed a camellia in his hair—it had fallen from her temple, probably because she had deliberately stuck it there when she bit him.

The moment the ferry left the shore, he raised his palm, using it as a blade. The blade's energy cleaved the oncoming poisoned arrows, the Western Xia wolf emblem on the arrowheads gleaming brightly in the morning light. A moment later, Li Tieniu ran to the opposite bank to meet Shi Feiyang, then reported, "Your Majesty, news has arrived from Luoyang." His green bamboo staff emerged from the mist, its copper bell at the end stained with half a piece of blood-stained clothing. He exclaimed excitedly, "Princess Zhao is personally leading the Imperial Guards to reinforce Hezhou, and Miss Ling is deploying defenses in Chang'an with her Emei disciples."

Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade gleamed coldly in the morning light, the blade reflecting the red in his eyes. He gazed towards Chang'an, where the sky was just beginning to lighten, and preparations for the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth of the first lunar month were likely underway.

“Tell Elder Qu,” his voice was colder than the river wind, “that we will meet in Chang’an on the fifteenth of the first month.” The ferry left a long trail on the river, and Shi Feiyang’s long hair flew like a waterfall in the wind, the silver earring on his left ear making people dizzy.

He knew that under the lanterns of Chang'an, there were not only the girls of the Golden Wing Alliance, the sword shadows of the Emei Sect, and the phoenix carriage of the Princess's Mansion, but also the poison of Western Xia, the swords of Dali, the curses of Tubo, and the wolves of Liao Kingdom—this storm sweeping across Hexi would eventually meet its fiercest battle in the lanterns of Chang'an.

His Frost Blade had long yearned to drink blood.

……

On the night of the Lantern Festival in Chang'an, lanterns stretched from the Zhuque Gate all the way to Qujiang Pool, like a flowing galaxy. Shi Feiyang's black dragon robe was stained with gold dust, and the jade silkworm at his waist clashed with the Imperial Seal of the State, producing a clear and melodious sound.

He stood on the city tower, his black hair tied up with a bright yellow ribbon, and the silver earring on his left ear shimmering in the lamplight—this sight drew whispers from the crowd watching the ceremony below: "Our new emperor is even more handsome than Pan An in the paintings."

Zhao Qingyi walked over and said, "Feiyang, the envoy of the Tibetan king requests an audience." Her phoenix palanquin stopped at the foot of the steps, and she had changed into a crimson palace dress. The luminous pearl on her hairpin made the "Phoenix" banner shine brightly. She held a secret letter between her fingers, her knuckles white—it had just been taken from the Western Xia envoy, and it read, "On the fifteenth of the first month, burn Chang'an."

Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade trembled slightly within his sleeve. He gazed at the throng of people below and suddenly noticed twelve black-clad assassins hidden among them, each carrying a camellia dart from the Dali Duan family at their waist. Shi Feiyang said calmly, "Tell the envoy," his "golden eyes" sweeping over the tavern where the assassins were hiding, "If you want peace talks, first hand over the 'Blood Shadow Guards' hidden in Taibai Tower."

Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song sword suddenly drew its sheath, the red silk tassel of the sword entwining his dragon robe and jade belt. "Feiyang," she said in a deep voice, her phoenix eyes gleaming with unwavering authority, "I have already deployed the Imperial Guards to surround Qujiang Pool. As long as you nod, we can wipe out these rebels in one fell swoop." Her fingertips traced his silver ring, and she added fiercely, "This world will ultimately be yours. Why bother getting entangled with these Jianghu people?"

Shi Feiyang gently used "Shifting Flowers and Receiving Jade" to redirect the sword's momentum, while the silver threads of the Heavenly Silkworm Skill in his palm quietly wrapped around her wrist.

“Qingyi,” his voice was lower than the copper bells on the city tower, full of patriotism, “Do you know how many innocent people are in Taibai Tower?” He suddenly chuckled, his long hair falling to her cheek, and teased, “Back in the night market of Bianliang, you weren’t this heartless.”

Zhao Qingyi's face flushed instantly. She sheathed her sword with a clang and said tenderly, "I just don't want you to get hurt again." Her fingertips poked at the dragon tattoo on his chest, and she scolded him, "Last time in Hezhou, if I hadn't arrived in time with the wound medicine, you would have become a sacrifice to the Tibetan monk!"

Suddenly, the sound of a golden dart piercing the air came from below the city gate. Su Xiaoman, dressed in red, streaked across the sea of ​​lights like a meteor. A piece of paper was attached to the barb of the golden dart, which landed precisely in Shi Feiyang's hand. "Pretty boy," her voice, laced with laughter, came from the direction of Taibai Tower, and she added, "The daughter of the Tibetan king is on the top floor, waiting to use 'Aphrodisiac Powder' to scheme against you."

Shi Feiyang smiled and nodded at her, then took Zhao Qingyi's hand and turned to leave.

……

The eaves of Taibai Tower are adorned with hundreds of revolving lanterns, each depicting the story of "Zhaojun's Departure from the Frontier".

Ling Shuanghua's plain white robe was hidden in the lantern light, her Emei dagger trembling slightly at her fingertips. With the enhancement of the Nine Yang Skill, she had just used the "Four Symbols Palm" to shatter a hidden compartment on the third floor—where thirty jars of Xixia "Bone-Dissolving Powder" were concealed, their fuses connected to fireworks below. "Miss Ling is more well-mannered than Princess Zhao," Su Xiaoman teased, her golden dart tracing an arc in the lantern light. Suddenly, she used the tip of the dart to lift the hem of Ling Shuanghua's robe, revealing a moon-white undergarment. She added mockingly, "Tsk tsk, to save that pretty boy, you even dared to reverse the Emei 'Ice Heart Technique,' aren't you afraid of going berserk?"

Ling Shuanghua's face was as white as the snow outside the building, but she didn't look at Su Xiaoman; instead, she stared towards the top floor. Her fingertips were flushed an unnatural red—a sign that she was forcibly using the Nine Yang Technique to suppress the cold poison.

"Although Young Master Shi's 'Emperor's Thunderous Roar' can counteract poison," her voice was colder than the icicles on the eaves, and she said sarcastically, "Tibet's 'Heart-Eating Gu' requires the Ice Heart Technique to neutralize, and your Golden Wing Alliance's poison cannot cure it."

Suddenly, the sound of shattering porcelain came from the top floor. Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade burst out of the window, its blade energy cleaving through the oncoming poisonous smoke. "Ling Shuanghua," his voice, infused with internal energy and tinged with obvious panting, came through, "Take Su Xiaoman and leave first!"

Ling Shuanghua's Emei thorn suddenly pierced her left shoulder, and blood splattered on the lantern, turning "Zhaojun's Departure from the Frontier" into an eerie red.

Her Nine Yang Skill suddenly erupted, and her white robe billowed like a white lotus in the lamplight, forcibly forcing out the Gu worms that had invaded Shi Feiyang's body.

“Young Master Shi,” her voice was as soft as a sigh, urgent, “this Gu worm is afraid of heat, use your ‘Emperor’s Thunderous Fury’…”

Before she could finish speaking, she collapsed into Su Xiaoman's arms, her veins throbbing beneath her white robe as if countless small snakes were wriggling within them.

(End of this chapter)