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

Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade trembled slightly in his sleeve, his fingertips drawing ice patterns on the bricks of the beacon tower. He whispered his plan: "Have Qu Liuxiang lead the disciples of the Sun Moon Sect to disguise themselves as Liao soldiers and launch a night raid on the Western Xia camp. Remember, only kill the Western Xia soldiers, leave them alive for Xiao Talin."

Just after the third watch's gong sounded, shouts of battle suddenly erupted within Shuozhou City. Qu Liuxiang, clad in black, swept past the Western Xia barracks like a ghost, her embroidery needle piercing a sentry's throat, deliberately leaving behind a barely breathing corpse, so that he could scream before dying: "Liao dogs are attacking! Commander Liang, run!"

The torches of the Western Xia camp lit up instantly, and Liang Tiandu's "Armor-Piercing Cone" rushed out of the tent with a poisonous light, just in time to run into Xiao Talin's spiked club coming down—it turned out that the disciples of the Sun Moon Sect had thrown the corpses of Western Xia soldiers into the Liao camp. Xiao Talin was already furious, and now he thought it was a provocation from Western Xia, so he aimed his spiked club straight for Liang Tiandu's heart.

Liang Tiandu's Iron Falcon Guards raised their shields to meet the attack, but the shields were smashed to pieces by the spiked clubs. Splinters of wood mixed with brains splattered on the snow. They roared, "Xiao Talin, you scoundrel! Shi Feiyang is right outside the city. Instead of guarding against the Tang army, you came to attack me. Do you want Shuozhou to fall into the hands of the Han people?"

Xiao Talin's spiked club suddenly turned, smashing it onto the heads of the Liao soldiers who were jeering beside him. His "Frosty Palm" struck Liang Tiandu, the wind from his palm freezing the snow into a layer of frost. He roared, "Nonsense! I saw with my own eyes that you sent men to burn my granary! Today we shall settle this once and for all!"

At that moment, Shi Feiyang's "Emperor's Thunderous Roar" suddenly exploded outside the city. Tang army catapults hurled deafening thunderbolts at the city walls. Xiao Talin and Liang Tiandu's troops were locked in fierce combat, and no one paid any attention to defending the city. Li Wang's Beggar Clan disciples used the "Dog-Beating Stick Technique" to build bamboo ladders and sneaked in through the drainage outlets of the city wall. They carried the heads of Liao soldiers on bamboo staffs and raised the Tang Dynasty dragon flag in the streets and alleys.

Shi Feiyang leaped into the air and roared, "Children of the Tang Dynasty, kill!" He attacked from above, unleashing the "Flying Dragon in the Sky" move from the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, a powerful and unparalleled palm strike that smashed open the city gate.

He landed on his feet and suddenly activated the Heavenly Silkworm Technique. A crystalline light flowed through his palm, and the Heavenly Silkworm Silk formed from his powerful internal energy was flung at the Liao soldiers charging towards him, wrapping around their throats.

As the silver threads tightened, the soldiers' tongues were forcibly ripped out, twitching like red snakes in the snow. Immediately afterward, Shi Feiyang used his unparalleled "Leave No Trace for a Thousand Miles" lightness skill to sweep across the mountain of corpses. The bloodstains swept by the hem of his dragon robe were frozen into ice crystals by the Mingyu skill, gleaming coldly in the morning light.

When Xiao Talin saw the Tang army enter the city, he realized he had fallen into a trap. He suddenly turned his mace to strike Shi Feiyang, but Shi Feiyang used the "Shifting Flowers and Jade" skill to redirect the attack, causing it to hit Liang Tiandu hard in the back.

The blood that Liang Tiandu spat out splattered on Xiao Talin's face. The two of them were simultaneously blasted away by Shi Feiyang's "Dragon Battle in the Wild" palm strike, crashing into the archway of the Shuozhou government office. The archway collapsed with a roar, crushing the two sworn enemies into a bloody pulp.

The snow in Shuozhou City was dyed crimson. Shi Feiyang stood in front of the government office, his Xuan Shuang Blade stuck in Xiao Talin's wolf-head banner, and two strands of hair wrapped in ice silkworm silk—one from a Liao soldier and the other from a Western Xia soldier.

He gazed at the surging crowd, their faces chapped and oozing pus, yet their eyes shone brighter than snow as they stared intently at the dragon flag. He decisively ordered, "Issue my decree: open the granaries and distribute grain. Three days later, march on Yingzhou."

……

The tributary of the Sanggan River outside Yingzhou City was frozen with ice half a foot thick.

The Liao Kingdom's Yelü Feizhen's grain convoy was moving across the ice. The Liao soldiers escorting the grain were wrapped in fur coats, but they couldn't keep out the biting cold wind. They were grumbling and complaining. What they didn't know was that under the ice were experts from the Beggars' Sect and the Sun Moon Cult, waiting for Shi Feiyang's orders.

Su Xiaoman, dressed in red against the cold wind, emerged from the ice cave. A piece of Liao soldier's leather armor, its wolf-patterned pattern still covered in ice shards, was hooked from a golden dart. She shouted, "Pretty boy, Yelü Feizhen's provisions are enough to feed 100,000 Liao soldiers for three months. The brothers of the Golden Wing Alliance have already dug ice caves downstream, just waiting for your order to flood these sons of bitches."

Her left arm was wrapped in bandages, yet her smile was brighter than flames. A golden dart plucked a silver thread from Shi Feiyang's hair, and she teased, "Tell me, wouldn't you say this counts as taking advantage of someone's misfortune?" Shi Feiyang's fingertips traced patterns on the ice, and the resulting ice patterns suddenly transformed into an ice goose, which flapped its wings and flew towards Yingzhou City.

His voice was colder than the ice. His Xuan Shuang Blade pressed against a piece of floating ice as he gave his advice: "Have Lu Feng lead his followers to set off smoke on the west bank of the river, pretending that the main force of the Tang army is here, to lure Yelü Feizhen out of the city to provide relief."

As expected, the Liao soldiers on the walls of Yingzhou saw thick smoke rising from the west bank of the river, and Yelü Feizhen's "Iron Pagoda" heavy cavalry surged out of the city gate like a tide.

Shi Feiyang used his wondrous "Deed Done and Gone" light-footed skill to skim across the ice. His Xuan Shuang Blade slashed at the grain convoy's guard, but the blade's energy collided with the guard's curved saber. Using the skillful "Shifting Flowers and Jade" technique, he redirected the saber, striking the ice—the ice cracked instantly, and the guard, along with his horse, fell into the icy abyss, his screams swallowed by the icy water. Immediately afterward, Shi Feiyang's "Emperor's Heavenly Thunder" exploded beneath the ice.

The ice surface cracked instantly, and the grain carts plunged into the river.

Amidst the screams of the Liao soldiers, the Beggars' Sect disciples formed a bamboo bridge with their bamboo staffs. Li Tieniu used his "Dog-Beating Stick Technique" to sweep away the floating ice, retrieve the grain bags floating on the water, and throw them to the Tang army on the shore.

Su Xiaoman's golden dart blasted through the Liao soldiers' leather armor. Those men, who had just crawled out of the ice cave, were set ablaze by the Golden Wing Alliance's oil and rolled into fireballs in the snow. The stench of burning flesh mixed with the smell of blood was so strong that it was hard to open one's eyes.

Yelü Feizhen's "Iron Pagoda" cavalry reached the west bank of the river, only to discover that the thick smoke was a decoy of burning dry grass. By the time he returned to reinforce the city, the Tang army had already seized most of their provisions. He swung his spiked club at Shi Feiyang, shouting, "Shi Feiyang! I will never forgive you!"

Shi Feiyang snorted coldly: "You? You're not even as good as one of my dogs! Humph!" The "Shocking Calamity" divine skill was suddenly activated, and Yelü Feizhen's mount instantly froze, its front hooves kneeling and throwing him off the saddle.

Then, Shi Feiyang snorted coldly and unleashed "Evil Blood Calamity!" The Liao soldiers' blood suddenly flowed backward, seeping into Yelü Xiezhen's seven orifices through the ice cracks. His body quickly withered and curled up like a monkey, before being trampled into a pulp by the Tang army's hooves.

The granaries of Yingzhou City had been taken over by the disciples of the Sun Moon Cult. Qu Cheng's "Star Absorbing Technique" sucked in the last granary guard, causing his internal energy to flow back into his internal organs. The guard vomited blood and cried out, "Spare me... I'm willing to surrender the city..." Qu Cheng's black palm suddenly shattered the top of his head, and he sneered, "His Majesty said that those who surrender will not be killed, but you have three hundred Han lives on your hands, you don't deserve to live."

Shi Feiyang flew over and, seeing the mountain of grain, ordered his soldiers to distribute half of it to the people. Those people held millet, knelt in the snow, and wept and prayed. Some stuffed frozen cornbread into their mouths, choking and rolling their eyes, but they couldn't bear to spit it out.

Shi Feiyang declared loudly, "The Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun have always been the land of the Han people." His Xuanshuang Blade pointed towards Datong Prefecture, where more cities awaiting restoration lay buried beneath the snow. He then roared to the sky, "I will ensure that there are no more starving people in this land."

The city gate of Datong Prefecture was adorned with a handwritten edict from the Liao emperor, featuring a portrait of Shi Feiyang and a reward of ten thousand taels of gold for his head.

Shi Feiyang changed his black dragon robe into a Liao soldier's fur coat, and when he activated the Mingyu Gong, even his pupils turned into the Liao people's green color.

He mingled among Xiao Talin's remnants, following the flow of people into the city. His silver earring on his left ear was covered by his leather hat, revealing only a bright yellow ribbon—which Su Xiaoman insisted on tying on him, saying that this made him look like a "heart-stealing Liao boy."

Su Xiaoman changed her red dress into the coarse cloth shirt of a Liao shepherdess, concealing a golden dart in her felt hat. She deliberately spoke coquettishly in Liao language, "Pretty boy, your blue eyes are more like a real Liao dog's. When you meet Han Rang, the Liao emperor's favorite minister, you'd better act all lecherous; he's most susceptible to that." Shi Feiyang nudged her with his elbow and whispered, "Have Li Ji lead the Beggars' Sect disciples to set fire to the bell tower. When Han Rang leads his troops to rescue it, then steal gunpowder from the armory." His fingertips touched her felt hat, where the Beggars' Sect's "Lotus Flower" code was hidden. He added, "Remember, the signal is the third watch bell."

Han Rang's mansion was next to the Datong Prefectural Government Office, with a pair of wolf-tooth lanterns hanging on the vermilion gate. When Shi Feiyang followed the "Liao soldiers" into the mansion, he happened to see Han Rang drinking with a Western Xia dancer. The dancer had Emei daggers hidden in her sleeves—she was an Emei disciple sent by Ling Shuanghua, waiting for Shi Feiyang to make a move so that she could cooperate from the inside.

Han Rang's lustful eyes lingered on Shi Feiyang's face as he raised his cup and laughed, "This young man is quite handsome. Can you sing the Liao people's 'Partridge Song'? If you sing it well, I'll reward you with a Western Xia beauty."

Suddenly, Shi Feiyang began to sing a folk song in fluent Liao language, his voice clear and melodious like a nightingale's song. His right hand, however, was forming a hand seal under the table, the silver threads of his "Heavenly Silkworm Technique" silently wrapping around Han Rang's Achilles tendon. He then jokingly said, "If the Great General likes it, this humble servant is willing..."

Before he could finish speaking, the bell tower suddenly rang out, and the firelight illuminated half the sky.

Han Rang cried out in alarm, "Oh no! The Tang army has entered the city!" He had just raised his spiked club when Shi Feiyang's "Shifting Flowers and Jade" technique redirected it, causing it to smash into his own wine jug. At the same time, Emei disciples' Emei daggers shot out from their sleeves, piercing Han Rang's collarbone.

Amidst his screams, Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade was drawn, its blade cleaving open the gates. Outside, Beggar Clan disciples and Sun Moon Cult members were locked in battle with the mansion's soldiers. Green bamboo staffs and embroidery needles intertwined to form a net, piling the Liao soldiers' corpses into a small mountain.

Li Tieniu, carrying a bucket of gunpowder on his bamboo cane that gleamed blue in the firelight, ran over to report: "We've got the gunpowder from the armory! Brothers, blow a hole in the Liaodong dogs' granary!"

The snowy night in Datong Prefecture was stained blood-red by the firelight. Shi Feiyang's "Imperial Thunderclap" exploded in the government office, and ice lightning wrapped with pebbles shot towards the Liao emperor's dragon throne. The Liao officials who knelt and begged for mercy were pierced by ice shards and turned into hedgehogs.

Su Xiaoman's golden dart pierced Han Rang's throat, but she pulled out a secret letter from his pocket. It was written by the Liao emperor to the Tibetan national teacher, saying that he was willing to offer Datong Prefecture as a gift and asked Tibet to send troops to help Liao resist Tang.

Su Xiaoman handed the secret letter to Shi Feiyang, only to see him staring blankly at the mountain of corpses below the city wall. Among the corpses were Liao soldiers, Tang soldiers, and many civilians. She asked in bewilderment, "These Liao traitors are quite cunning. Hey, pretty boy, what are you looking at?" Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade was stuck in the Liao emperor's dragon throne, and ice silkworm silk was wrapped around Han Rang's head. He said decisively, "Pass down the order to give all the dead a proper burial, regardless of whether they are Han or Liao."

His long hair gleamed in the firelight, and the silver earring on his left ear was dazzling. He said in a deep voice, "The people of the world should not kill each other."

Ling Shuanghua emerged from the firelight in her plain white monk's robe, her Emei dagger piercing the air as she carried a map—found in a secret room of the government office, marking the defenses of the last three cities in the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun. Her fingertip pointed to the location of Xijin Prefecture, where a skull was drawn, and she whispered, "Young Master Shi, Xijin Prefecture in Nanjing is guarded by 'One-Finger Divine Skill' warriors from the Dali Duan family. Their 'Dissolving Power Technique' is specifically designed to counter internal energy."

Shi Feiyang stacked the secret letter and map together and burned them to ashes with the blade energy of the Xuan Shuang Blade. His gaze swept over the three beauties, Zhao Qingyi, Su Xiaoman, and Ling Shuanghua, and he reached out to brush away the snowflakes from their temples, saying tenderly, "Tomorrow, we will divide our forces into three routes. Qingyi will lead the Imperial Guards to attack Yizhou, Shuanghua will lead the Emei disciples to take Tanzhou, and Xiaoman and the Beggars' Sect will attack Shunzhou. As for Xijin Prefecture, I will personally go to take it."

The snow was still falling in Datong Prefecture, but it couldn't cover the flames that filled the city.

Standing at the highest point of the government office, Shi Feiyang looked at the city wall covered with Tang army flags and suddenly thought of the dragon throne in Luoyang Palace—no matter how warm the golden bricks there were, they could not compare to the genuine cheers of the people at this moment.

He murmured, "The greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people." His black dragon robe fluttered in the night wind, like a black bird spreading its wings, ready to blow away the ice and snow of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun into the dust of history.

The candlelight in the Datong government office, like stars fallen into the night, cast Shi Feiyang's shadow on the map. The hem of his black dragon robe swept across the table, causing the candle wick to tremble three times in the breeze. Li Tieniu leaned on his bamboo cane on the brick floor, the soft tinkling of the copper bell at the end of the cane mingling with the scraping sound of Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song sword sheath—she had just returned from patrolling the camp, the ice crystals on her black armor still not completely melted, yet she insisted on listening to Shi Feiyang's discussion first.

Elder Qu Cheng of the Sun Moon Sect, his black robes stained with snow, unfurled a defensive map. Vermilion dots marked the Liao soldiers' granaries. He analyzed, "The 'Iron Pagoda' heavy armor formation in Yizhou uses armor made with the Western Xia cold-forging method, which ordinary firearms cannot penetrate. In my opinion, we can use a 'cutting off the fuel supply' strategy—first burn their provisions, then…"

Zhao Qingyi suddenly raised her phoenix eyes, the red silk tassel of the Ding Song sword wrapped around Shi Feiyang's wrist, leaving a faint red mark. She resolutely rejected the idea, saying, "Burning grain is easy, but what about the people of Yizhou? Last month, Yizhou suffered a snow disaster, and the people already had no food. If we burn the Liao soldiers' reserves as well, I'm afraid..."

Shi Feiyang's fingertips covered the back of her hand, the warmth of Mingyu Gong seeping into her frozen veins. Her long hair fell, obscuring half her face, and the silver earring in her left ear swayed, making the candlelight flicker. He leaned towards Zhao Qingyi's opinion, saying, "Qingyi is right. The Liao army's supplies are in the west city, while most of the people live in the east city. We can use a 'feint attack'—pretending to attack the west city to lure them into setting up defenses, while actually sending our elite troops..."

Su Xiaoman's red dress fell from the beam, and a string of Liao coins was hanging from the barbed hook of a golden dart, which she had taken from the government treasury.

She chuckled and said, "Pretty boy, you want the Beggar Clan brothers to do hard labor again? Last time when you dug the tunnel in Yunzhou, Li Tieniu's old leg pain flared up. This time, it's time to let the Sun Moon Cult members stretch their muscles."

She deliberately sat down next to Shi Feiyang, her red dress brushing against his dragon robe, leaving a faint scent of rouge.

Ling Shuanghua's plain white monk's robe fluttered gently by the door. Emei Ci held a pot of hot tea, the steam obscuring her features. She offered a suggestion: "Young Master Shi, the moat of Yizhou is connected to the Sanggan River. If we use the 'borrowing a path to attack Guo' strategy, we can pretend to be Western Xia reinforcements borrowing the river..."

Before she could finish speaking, the teacup suddenly slipped from her hand, but Shi Feiyang caught it steadily with his "Transferring Flowers and Jade" technique. When their fingertips touched, they both recoiled as if burned. The red blush cast on her face by the candlelight was even more vibrant than Su Xiaoman's red dress.

Li Tieniu suddenly coughed twice, tapped his bamboo cane on the ground, and reported, "Your Majesty, the Beggars' Sect disciples have discovered that Yelü Mo, the garrison commander of Yizhou, is a lecherous man, and he keeps seven or eight Western Xia dancers in his residence." He paused, then offered a suggestion, "We could send..."

Zhao Qingyi interrupted him, teasingly saying, "Send Miss Su to seduce him? That's true! Her golden dart is more effective than a honey trap."

Su Xiaoman wasn't embarrassed at all. Her golden dart clattered onto the map, marking Yizhou City. She grinned and said, "Little nun, are you jealous? Last time in Datong Prefecture, who was so nervous that they couldn't even hold their sword steady when they dressed up as dancers?" Ling Shuanghua's face instantly turned red. Her Emei dagger almost overturned the tea table. She protested, "I was... worried about Young Master Shi's safety."

Shi Feiyang, watching the three arguing amongst themselves, suddenly placed the Xuan Shuang Blade horizontally on the table, while simultaneously binding their hair with ice silkworm silk. He decisively declared, "Tomorrow, we will split into three groups. Qingyi will lead the Imperial Guards to attack the North Gate, using the 'Flowers on Trees' formation to create a chariot array, making the Liao soldiers believe that the main force is there. Xiaoman and Li Tieniu will attack the South Gate, using the 'bait and switch' strategy, deliberately releasing some old, weak, and disabled soldiers for Yelü Mo to capture, allowing them to infiltrate the city. Shuanghua and Qu Cheng..."

His words were interrupted by Su Xiaoman's golden dart, the red ribbon at the end of which tied his silver hair. She questioned, "And what about you? Do you want to venture into the lion's den by yourself again?"

Shi Feiyang brushed his fingertips through the tangled strands of hair, the true energy of Mingyu Gong making the ice silk shimmer with a soft light. He teased, "I'm going to meet Yelü Mo's Western Xia dancers. At midnight, I'll use 'Emperor's Thunderous Roar' as my signal." With that, he used the unparalleled lightness skill "Leaving No Trace for a Thousand Miles" to fly out of the government office. The hem of his dragon robe swept across the snow on the threshold, leaving behind a string of ice beads.

The plum blossoms in the back courtyard were in full bloom, their branches heavy with snow, their subtle fragrance wafting in the air. Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song sword leaned against a pillar in the corridor, its red silk tassel entwined by Shi Feiyang's ice silkworm threads, like a red snake that refused to let go.

She gazed at Shi Feiyang's profile as he reviewed official documents. The ice patterns on his black dragon robe shimmered in the candlelight. She stared at him affectionately for a moment, then approached him and whispered, "Feiyang, the 'Iron Pagoda' of Yizhou killed three of my brothers."

Shi Feiyang's pen suddenly stopped, the ink dripping onto the official document and spreading. He placed his palm on her black armor, where arrow marks from last year's battle still remained, and said softly, "After we break the formation tomorrow, I will accompany you to pay respects at the cenotaphs of our brothers. On the day Youyun is reclaimed, I will have the names of the heroes of the Tang Dynasty engraved on every city tower."

Zhao Qingyi gently rested her head on his shoulder, the coldness of the black armor blending strangely with the softness of his skin, and tentatively asked, "If I..."

Shi Feiyang interrupted her, his voice softer than Mei Xiang's, yet carrying an undeniable resolve, and said in a deep voice, "I forbid it. You said you would accompany me to see the wheat ripen in Youzhou." The red silk and the ice silkworm silk intertwined even more tightly, binding their heartbeats into a single rhythm.

……

The medicine stove in the west wing was bubbling away, and Ling Shuanghua was using the Nine Yang Skill to brew the antidote for the Ice Heart Technique. The aroma of the medicine was mixed with her body fragrance, as pure and refreshing as a winter plum blossom.

Shi Feiyang's figure flickered on the window paper. Her hand holding the medicine pestle suddenly trembled, and the pestle rolled to the ground—he was standing at the door, snowflakes falling from his long hair. Ling Shuanghua exclaimed, "Young Master Shi..." She hurriedly went to pick up the pestle, but he pressed her hand down. The warmth of Mingyu Gong spread up her meridians, even warmer than the medicine stove.

Shi Feiyang's fingertips brushed against her frostbite, where scars from the Blood River Array still remained, and he said with concern, "How did your hands get so frostbitten? Tomorrow, let Qu Cheng's men guard the array eye for you." Ling Shuanghua's eyelashes were damp with moisture, like plum petals covered in snow, and she said urgently, "I...I want to go with you."

Suddenly, her Emei thorn fell into the medicine furnace, and the sparks that flew up burned a corner of his dragon robe. The two rushed to catch it, their sleeves getting tangled together. The fragrance of medicine and ambergris mixed together, more intoxicating than any other spice.

The torches in the woodshed crackled as Su Xiaoman distributed oil pouches to the Golden Wing Alliance brothers, golden darts twirling rapidly between her fingers. As Shi Feiyang's dragon robe swept past the woodshed door, she suddenly shoved a hand warmer into his arms, giggling, "Pretty boy, the wind in Yizhou is fiercer than in Datong. If you freeze your dragon body, who will uphold justice for us?"

Before Shi Feiyang could speak, she stood on tiptoe and tapped the silver ring on his earlobe with her gold dart, saying with a playful smile, "If you win, I want you to sing the Liao people's 'Partridge Song' for me on the city wall of Yizhou."

Her red dress suddenly enveloped him, like a flame that refused to be extinguished, and she said affectionately, "If I lose... I will die with you."

When the sound of the clapper reached the government office at midnight, candlelight still shone in Shi Feiyang's central command tent. Yizhou City was circled in red on the map, with the eight characters "drawing firewood from under the cauldron" and "feinting to the east while attacking the west" written next to it. The ink was not yet dry, but it had already been dyed in various colors by Zhao Qingyi's red silk tassel, Ling Shuanghua's medicine, and Su Xiaoman's rouge—just like this land that was about to be recovered, which would eventually lose its blood color and be stained with the warmth of human life.

As the bugle call of dawn tore through the snow and fog, the Liao soldiers in Yizhou City were huddled on the city tower, dozing off.

Zhao Qingyi's imperial guards formed a chariot formation at the North Gate. The wheels were covered with iron plates, and the sound of them rolling over the frozen ground made the city bricks tremble. Behind the chariot formation, however, were only five hundred elite soldiers. The rest were all Beggar Clan disciples in disguise. This was the wonderful effect of "flowers blooming on a tree".

Li Tieniu, carrying a portrait of Yelü Mo on his bamboo cane, shouted from below the city wall, "Yelü Mo! If you have the guts, come out and fight me one-on-one! When your mother was the mistress of the King of Western Xia, why didn't she teach you..." Before he could finish speaking, an arrow suddenly shot from the city wall. Fortunately, it was cleaved in two by Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song sword. The red silk tassel of the sword curled towards the arrow shaft like flames, actually pulling the arrowhead off.

Yelü Mo's spiked club appeared on the city wall. He was embracing a Western Xia dancer, laughing drunkenly, "The women of the Southern Dynasty are quite beautiful. If they'd be willing to drink with this general, Yizhou City..." His words were interrupted by Su Xiaoman's golden dart. A stone, tied to the end of the dart with a red silk ribbon, struck his wine jug, splashing wine all over the dancer. Su Xiaoman's red dress fluttered outside the south gate. Brothers of the Golden Wing Alliance pushed ten carts of "dowry," which were actually full of gunpowder. She angrily cursed, "You old lecher! This old lady is waiting for you at the south gate! If you surrender, all these Western Xia beauties are yours!"

Yelü Mo was indeed fooled, leading half of his "Iron Pagoda" troops towards the south gate, unaware that Ling Shuanghua and Qu Cheng had already led the disciples of the Sun Moon Sect in small boats, sneaking into the east gate along the moat. As the Emei dagger pierced the throat of the Liao soldiers guarding the city, Ling Shuanghua's Nine Yang Skill protected a frightened child, her white robe gleaming softly in the morning light.

Qu Cheng roared, "Send the signal!" His embroidery needle shattered the chain of the drawbridge at the East Gate, and the man in black swept across the city wall like a ghost, planting the Tang Dynasty dragon flag at the highest point of the arrow tower. Shi Feiyang used his unparalleled lightness skill, "Leaving No Trace for a Thousand Miles," and suddenly plummeted from the clouds. His Xuan Shuang Blade cleaved through the oncoming "Iron Pagoda," and ice silkworm silk wrapped around the gaps in its heavy armor.

Immediately afterwards, he unleashed the "Treading on Frost, Ice Arrives" move from the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, the palm force carrying the extreme cold of the Mingyu Gong, causing the heavy armor to freeze instantly, and the Liao soldiers inside screamed as they turned into ice sculptures.

Yelü Mo heard the shouts from the East Gate from the South Gate and realized he had fallen into a trap. He turned his wolf-tooth mace around to go back to help, but his horse's legs were entangled by Su Xiaoman's golden dart.

She cursed angrily, "Old dog! Taste the bitterness of 'drawing the firewood from under the cauldron'!" The red-clad figure swept past the grain bins, and the moment the oil sacks were thrown, Shi Feiyang's "Emperor's Thunderous Fury" had already exploded in the western city granary. The ice thunder, wrapped with sparks, shot into the sky, burning the Liao soldiers' reserves to ashes.

The moat of Yizhou was covered with a thin layer of ice, beneath which currents surged. Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song sword pointed diagonally at the water, its red silk tassel wrapped around her wrist, fluttering in the north wind. She gazed at the Liao soldiers' "Iron Pagoda" heavily armored formation atop the city wall, her phoenix eyes filled with frost—this was the Liao Kingdom's most elite force, their armor three inches thick, impenetrable by ordinary swords and blades. Only by destroying the upstream dam and using the flood to break their formation could they be "cut off at the root."

Li Wang, carrying a Liao soldier's helmet on his bamboo staff, ice shards still dripping from its armor, ran over to report: "Princess, the Beggars' Sect disciples have planted gunpowder on the dike. However, the dike is guarded by 'One-Finger Divine Skill' warriors from the Dali Duan family. Their finger strength can ignite the gunpowder from a distance, and the disciples have been driven back several times when they approached." Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song Sword suddenly drew its sheath, the red silk tassel of the sword flashing like flames across the ice surface, splitting a piece of floating ice in two. She decisively said, "Have the brothers build a dam downstream. When the floodwaters accumulate to about ten feet high, then..."

Before she could finish speaking, a sudden commotion came from beneath the ice. A dozen or so poisoned arrows pierced through the ice and shot towards her, their arrowheads gleaming with a ghostly blue light—these were the "Scorpion Tail Army" lurking in the Western Xia, whose "Dissolving Power Technique" could corrode Xuanjia armor.

Zhao Qingyi's sword swept across, shattering the poisoned arrows into fragments. The venom splashed onto the black armor sizzled, but she forced it into white vapor with her palm strike. She roared again, "Heroes of the Tang Dynasty, form ranks!" Her phoenix eyes swept across the ice cave, where the scorpion-tailed army masks revealed there matched the wax seal on the secret letter found in Datong Prefecture. "So it was the Western Xia dogs who were behind this!"

Shi Feiyang unleashed his "Thousand Miles Without Leaving a Trace," suddenly plummeting from the clouds. His Xuan Shuang Blade cleaved the poisoned arrows that were aimed at him, and his Ice Silkworm Silk wrapped around the throat of a Scorpion Tail soldier as he said protectively, "Qingyi, please retreat. Let me test the Duan family's 'One-Finger Divine Skill.'"

His long hair flew in the wind, and the silver ring on his left ear dazzled people. When he activated the Mingyu Gong, his skin became as transparent as jade, and even the poison needles of the Scorpion Tail Army could be pierced through it. He then jokingly said to the Dali warrior, "Is this all the skill that Duan Zhengchun's disciples have?"

As expected, the Dali warriors on the city wall could not hold back, and more than a dozen golden beams shot towards Shi Feiyang, which was the essence of "One Finger Divine Skill" - "Pointing at the landscape".

Shi Feiyang swung his palms, unleashing the "Flower Shifting and Jade Receiving" divine skill. His palms moved like butterflies flitting among flowers, channeling his finger force towards the ice surface. The ice shattered instantly, revealing the Scorpion Tail Army's hiding place. Immediately afterward, Shi Feiyang coldly snorted, "I refuse to believe I can't reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun. Anyone with the guts, gamble with me, hmph!" He then unleashed "Evil Blood Calamity!"

The blood in the ice cave suddenly flowed backward, seeping into the bodies of the Dali warriors through their fingers. Before they could even scream, their bodies rapidly withered, curled up like monkeys, and fell from the city wall. The blood that seeped from between their fingers condensed into ice particles in the air, striking Zhao Qingyi's black armor with a crisp, jade-like sound.

A sudden, deafening roar erupted from the upstream dam. Li Wang, panting, ran up, his bamboo staff carrying a gunpowder fuse, drawing a line of fire across the floodwaters: "Your Majesty, the dam is complete!" The instant the floodwaters breached the dam, Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song sword severed the downstream dam ropes, and a wave, ten feet high, crashed towards the city walls like a giant dragon. The heavy armor of the "Iron Pagoda" soldiers cracked inch by inch in the flood, and the screams of the Liao soldiers were swallowed by the giant waves, like a group of dead fish washed ashore.

Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song sword drew a silver arc in the air, splitting Yelü Mo's wolf-head banner in two. She then roared with unwavering courage, "Soldiers of the Tang Dynasty, kill!" As the bells of Yizhou City rang, Shi Feiyang was standing on the highest point of the city tower, his black dragon robe fluttering in the wind.

Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song Sword, Ling Shuanghua's Emei Dagger, and Su Xiaoman's Golden Dart all pointed towards the Sanggan River outside the city.

The ice there is melting, revealing the rushing water beneath—like the hot blood of this land, which will eventually break through the ice and surge towards the sea.

"Next stop, Tanzhou." Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade pointed eastward, with three strands of hair wrapped in ice silk, shimmering with iridescent light in the sunlight.

Su Xiaoman suddenly grabbed his dragon robe, tapped his silver ring with her golden dart, and said with a giggle, "What about the promised 'Partridge Song'?"

Shi Feiyang's low laughter mingled with the sound of the wind, clear and melodious like a nightingale's song, more moving than any war song. Zhao Qingyi's red silk tassel, Ling Shuanghua's medicinal fragrance, and Su Xiaoman's rouge suddenly wrapped around his dragon robe at the same time, making this moment of victory eternal.

Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song sword held the head of the Liao general, and the watermarks on her black armor reflected the rising sun, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

She gazed at Shi Feiyang's retreating figure, the red silk tassel of his sword suddenly wrapping around his dragon robe. She stammered, "Feiyang, do you think... if Father Emperor knew we were enemies with Western Xia, would he...?"

Shi Feiyang placed his palm on the back of her hand and said affectionately, "I have said that you are mine. If the Song people dare to touch you, I will send my troops to Bianliang." Zhao Qingyi was extremely excited, tears streaming down her face. She buried herself in Shi Feiyang's arms, her heart filled with happiness.

……

The charcoal brazier in the Yizhou government office was burning brightly, and sparks splashed onto the Tanzhou defense map on the desk, burning a black hole in the vermilion mark of the Duan family warrior.

Shi Feiyang's black dragon robe was draped over the back of the chair, revealing a moon-white brocade robe underneath. When he circulated the Mingyu Gong, the ice patterns on the cuffs flowed in the firelight, making the contours of his profile even more gentle and refined than jade carvings.

Li Tieniu's bamboo cane struck the brick ground three times, the lingering sound of the copper bell at the end of the cane mingling with his rough, hoarse voice: "Yelü Jianji, the garrison commander of Tanzhou, is the younger brother of the Liao emperor. This man is extremely suspicious. In my opinion, we can use a 'feint' tactic, planting flags all over the city to make him think we have an army of 100,000. He will surely collapse without a fight within three days."

Qu Cheng, his black clothes stained with unmelted snow, slapped a wolf-tooth arrow onto the map and analyzed, "Yelü Jianji's 'Iron Pagoda' heavy armored battalion is hidden in a secret passage in the west of the city. My subordinates have discovered that the passage was built by Western Xia craftsmen and is most vulnerable to fire attacks. Perhaps we should use the 'removing the ladder after climbing up' tactic to lure them out of the passage first, then block the entrance with huge stones..." Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song sword suddenly appeared horizontally on the map, its tassel wrapped in red silk around Shi Feiyang's fingers. She had just returned from the refugee camp, her black armor still smelling of herbs. Seeing this, she also analyzed, "A fire attack would harm the civilians. The granaries in Tanzhou are only separated from the houses by a narrow alley; if the fire gets out of control..."

Shi Feiyang gently pinched her red silk, the warmth spreading along the threads. He praised, "Qingyi is right." He turned to look at Su Xiaoman, who was playfully poking holes in Yelü Jianji's portrait with a golden dart, the copper coin tied to the red silk at the end of the dart jingling. Seeing this, Shi Feiyang shook his head with a smile, then chuckled, "Xiaoman, as your informant in the Golden Wing Alliance, do you know which son Yelü Jianji loves the most?"

Su Xiaoman's golden dart clanged and pierced the Tanzhou Prince's Mansion depicted on the map.

She deliberately puffed out her chest, her red dress brushing against Shi Feiyang's brocade robe, and said with a chuckle, "His precious son, Yelü Bao, is obsessed with cricket fighting and goes to the insect market in the east of the city on the third day of every month. We can pretend to be insect sellers and use a 'honey trap'—oh no, a 'capture the king to catch the thief'—to tie him up and force Yelü Hongji to surrender the city. However, the girl selling insects must be quite pretty."

Ling Shuanghua's plain white robe trembled slightly by the door, her Emei thorns holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads, each bead warmed by her body heat. Her gaze fell on Shi Feiyang's silver hair, still damp with Yizhou snow, and she offered a suggestion: "In the Thousand Buddha Pavilion in Tanzhou, there is a junior brother of the Tibetan National Preceptor who is said to be practicing the 'Blood River Great Technique,' which requires the heart of a living person as a catalyst. If we use a 'luring the tiger away from the mountain' strategy, feigning a prison break to rescue Han prisoners, we can surely lure him out of the pavilion."

Shi Feiyang suddenly grabbed the Xuan Shuang Blade, and ice silkworm silk wrapped around the hair of the three of them at the same time. He decisively said, "Tomorrow, we will split into four routes. Qingyi will lead the Imperial Guards to set up a formation at the North Gate and use the 'deceive the heavens and cross the sea' strategy to make the Liao soldiers think that the main force is here; Xiaoman and Li Tieniu will go to the insect market. Remember to 'feign retreat to lure the enemy into a trap' and don't actually hurt Yelü Bao; Shuanghua and Qu Cheng will go to the Thousand Buddha Pavilion and use the 'beating the grass to startle the snake' strategy to lure the Tibetan monks out; I..."

His words were interrupted by Su Xiaoman's golden dart, the red ribbon at the end of which tied his hair. She winked at him and said, "You want to storm the Prince's mansion by yourself again? You're newly married and already trying to claim all the credit?"

Shi Feiyang laughed heartily, the silver ring shimmering like shattered gold in the firelight. He then said with a smile, "I'm going to meet Yelü Hongji's 'Iron Pagoda'." He suddenly leaned close to Zhao Qingyi and whispered in her ear, "The phoenix coronet and wedding gown you mentioned last night, once Tanzhou is recovered, I'll have someone find it for you."

Zhao Qingyi's face flushed instantly, and Ding Songjian nearly knocked over the charcoal brazier. The red silk tassel on the sword tightened even more, almost embedding itself into Shi Feiyang's flesh. (End of Chapter)