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

Ling Shuanghua's prayer beads suddenly scattered and were caught by Shi Feiyang's "Transferring Flowers and Jade". When their fingertips touched, both of them pulled their hands back as if they had been burned. Only Su Xiaoman stood with her hands on her hips and laughed loudly: "Pretty boy, you're biased! I want a phoenix crown too!"

On a snowy night in Yizhou, the red candles in the back office burned brightly. Shi Feiyang's dragon robe was hung on a clothes rack by Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song sword, the red silk tassel of the sword hanging down, intertwined with Ling Shuanghua's Buddhist beads and Su Xiaoman's golden dart, like a three-colored snake. He had just finished reviewing official documents, and the ink in his inkstone was still wet when Zhao Qingyi brought him a bowl of ginger soup. With her black armor still on, she brought it to his lips and said tenderly, "Drink slowly, it's hot."

Her phoenix eyes held the light of candlelight, a thousand times gentler than the fierceness on the battlefield. The cold iron of her black armor brushed against his cheek, causing a strange itch. She then reported, "Today, the children in the refugee camp said they wanted to eat the plum blossom cakes you make."

Shi Feiyang grabbed Zhao Qingyi's wrist and nodded, saying, "Have the imperial chefs teach them how to make it tomorrow." He suddenly pulled Zhao Qingyi into his arms, the ambergris mixed with her herbal scent, brewing into a mellow wine in the tent. He then said affectionately, "But the sugar in this cake must be wrapped with the red silk from your sword tassel to make it sweet."

Suddenly, the tent flap was lifted, and Su Xiaoman, dressed in red amidst the wind and snow, rushed in. A roasted wild rabbit was hanging from a golden dart hook. She chuckled and said, "Pretty boy, Ling Shuanghua brewed ginseng soup at the pharmacy, but she's been dragging her feet and won't bring it over. She must be trying to keep it all for herself!"

She tossed the rabbit onto the table, deliberately sat down on the other side of Shi Feiyang, her red dress pressed against Zhao Qingyi's black armor, and said with a playful grin, "I bet she's wondering who should keep you company tonight..."

Before the words were finished, Ling Shuanghua, dressed in a plain white robe, was already lingering at the door, a bowl of ginseng soup held up by an Emei thorn, the steam blurring her features. Shi Feiyang released Zhao Qingyi, reached out and pulled Ling Shuanghua into the tent. The ginseng soup spilled onto the three of them, scalding Su Xiaoman so much that she jumped up and down, but her smile was brighter than a red candle.

"You..." Ling Shuanghua's words were choked by Shi Feiyang's kiss. The heat of the Nine Yang Skill and the chill of his Mingyu Skill intertwined, condensing into a thin mist in the tent. Her long robe was caught on Zhao Qingyi's sword tassel, and Su Xiaoman's golden dart ripped open her belt. The pure white was intertwined with crimson and scarlet, which was even more breathtaking than the battle on the battlefield.

When the third red candle burned, Shi Feiyang suddenly stood up. His Xuan Shuang Blade traced ice patterns in the tent, binding the three beauties' hair into a love knot. He said affectionately, "Before we set off for the expedition tomorrow, I want to be with you all..."

His words were cut short as Zhao Qingyi pressed her Ding Song sword against his heart, while the red silk tassel of the sword wrapped around his neck. Zhao Qingyi's phoenix eyes glistened with tears, the cold iron of her black armor pressed against his skin, and she said tenderly, "We'll talk after we've conquered Tanzhou. I want you to come back alive, and on the city wall of Tanzhou, to place the phoenix crown on our heads."

Su Xiaoman's golden dart suddenly cut her finger, and drops of blood fell onto the love knot. She said very seriously, "This is the blood oath of the Golden Wing Alliance. If you dare not come back, we will..." Shi Feiyang gently pinched her chin, his long hair brushing against her red lips, and teased, "What will we do?"

Su Xiaoman said jokingly, "I'll strip you of your dragon robe and hang it on the city wall of Yizhou as a target!" As soon as she finished speaking, Ling Shuanghua lightly touched her acupoint with her Emei dagger, making her laugh so hard she couldn't straighten up, but she held on tightly to Shi Feiyang's brocade robe and refused to let go.

……

The insect market in Tanzhou was even more bustling than the sunshine after a snowfall. Yelü Bao, wrapped in a mink coat like a ball, was squatting in front of a cricket stall, poking at the "Iron-Headed Green" crickets in a jar with his finger. Behind him were eight Western Xia Iron Hawks, their armor-piercing spikes gleaming with a ghostly blue light.

Disguised as a petty thug, Su Xiaoman approached Yelü Bao and smiled, "Young master, what do you think of this 'Golden-Winged King'?" She had changed her red dress into a pink skirt, concealing golden darts in her sleeves, and held a cricket jar in her hand. Her voice was sweet enough to melt snow. She deliberately leaned closer, her pink skirt brushing against the toes of Yelü Bao's boots, and coaxed, "My father said that there isn't another one in the entire Tanzhou that can defeat it."

Yelü Bao's eyes widened instantly. He reached out to take the jar and said eagerly, "How much? I'll buy it!" Just as his hand touched the jar, Su Xiaoman's golden dart blocked his palm, and the red silk at the end of the dart wrapped around his wrist—the red silk was soaked in anesthetic, and it blushed when it touched his skin.

Su Xiaoman's smile concealed a knife as she said, "If you truly desire it, young master, why not come with me to the backyard? There's a 'Jade Kirin' there, which belongs to me..."

Before she could finish speaking, Li Tieniu's bamboo cane suddenly emerged from the crowd, its copper bell at the tip ringing—the signal to attack.

The moment the Iron Falcon of Xixia was drawn, it was entangled by the Beggar Clan disciple's "Dog-Beating Stick Technique." Su Xiaoman's golden dart dragged Yelü Bao into the alley, her pink skirt leaving a red trail in the snow, but she deliberately slowed her pace so that the Iron Falcon could keep up—this was the beauty of "feigning indifference to lure the enemy into a trap."

The morning bell of the Thousand Buddha Pavilion had just rung. Ling Shuanghua, dressed in a plain white robe, blended in with the worshippers, her Emei dagger concealed in her sleeve, her fingertips clutching a slip of paper—a "prison break route map" written by Shi Feiyang, the ink still carrying his warmth. She gazed at her junior brother, the Tibetan National Preceptor, atop the pavilion, who was refining a heart using the "Blood River Technique," the blood mist swirling among the Buddha statues, causing the worshippers to retreat in fear.

Ling Shuanghua raised one palm to her chest and chanted, "Amitabha." Suddenly, her Nine Yang Skill erupted, her white robe billowing like a white lotus, protecting the child trapped in the blood mist behind her. She then questioned sharply, "Master, aren't you afraid of falling into the deepest hell by practicing your skills on a living person?"

The Tibetan National Preceptor's junior brother swung his blood-stained blade, accompanied by a foul stench, and roared, "How dare you, little nun, interfere in my affairs!" The blood energy of the Blood River Formation suddenly surged, and blood seeped from the eyes of the Buddha statue. It then said viciously, "Today, I will make you a sacrifice to the Blood River!"

Qu Cheng's black clothes fell from the beam like a ghost, and the embroidery needle shot towards the blood knife, but was corroded into iron filings by the blood aura.

But Qu Cheng roared, "You evil monk, take this!" He deliberately retreated out of the pavilion, his black robe sweeping across the incense burner, sparks flying onto the blood mist and igniting a bluish flame—this was precisely "beating the grass to scare the snake," luring the evil monk out of the pavilion.

In the council hall of the Prince of Tanzhou's mansion, Yelü Jianji suddenly slammed his spiked club on the table and roared, "Useless! You can't even keep an eye on your own son!"

He stared at the note delivered by the secret agent, which read, "Summon the city at noon, or you will not see Yelü Bao." Enraged, his beard bristled, and he roared, "Pass on my order: the 'Iron Pagoda' heavy armored battalion will accompany me to rescue the young master!"

Shi Feiyang used his mysterious "Hidden Body and Name" lightness skill to hide behind the eaves of the Prince's Mansion, where the cold air from his Xuan Shuang Blade froze a snowflake.

He watched as Yelü Jianji's heavily armored battalion charged out of the city gate, a smile playing on his lips—this "luring the tiger away from the mountain" plan had finally succeeded.

Just as the noon bell rang, the north gate of Tanzhou City suddenly burst open. Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song sword was the first to be drawn, its red tassel wrapped around the legs of the "Iron Pagoda" horse, and the snow on the black armor melted with hot blood, forming a small river on the ground.

Looking at Shi Feiyang, who was charging at the forefront, she suddenly remembered the phoenix crown he had mentioned last night. The power of the Ding Song sword increased by three points, cleaving ninety-three Liao soldiers in two, armor and all. She then roared, "Children of the Tang Dynasty, kill!"

Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Regretful Dragon" palm strike, a fierce palm wind slamming towards the city gate. Ice silkworm silk wrapped around the gaps in Yelü Jianji's heavy armor. When the "Frost Arrives, Ice Reaches" palm force was activated, the heavy armor instantly froze, and the Liao soldiers inside screamed as they turned into ice sculptures.

His Xuan Shuang Blade cleaved through the blood energy of the Blood River Array, his long hair gleamed in the sunlight, and the silver earring on his left ear dazzled people—this was exactly what he had promised Zhao Qingyi: to live and see her wear the phoenix crown.

Suddenly, Su Xiaoman in the alley snapped Yelü Bao's ropes, kicked him to the ground, and threatened, "Go back and tell your father that if he doesn't surrender the city within half an hour, next time he'll be the one with the dog's head tied up!"

Her golden dart pierced the throat of the last Iron Falcon, her pink dress stained red with blood, yet she smiled brighter than ever before, teasingly saying, "That pretty boy said he'd pin a golden hairpin on me on the city wall."

The night market in Tanzhou was even more bustling than during the day. Liao soldiers and Tibetan monks played drinking games in the taverns, while Dali warriors flirted with dancers. No one noticed Ling Shuanghua in a corner, dressed in coarse cloth. Her Emei daggers were hidden in her medicine basket, and her fingertips were bluish-black—she had been using the Nine Yang Skill to expel poison for three consecutive days to find out the city's defenses, and her meridians were already damaged.

An old man selling medicine suddenly approached, revealing half of a Beggars' Sect token from his sleeve, and whispered, "Young Master, would you like to buy some snow lotus? Chief Li said that the junior brother of the Tibetan National Preceptor is practicing the 'Blood River Technique' at the City God Temple, and every night at midnight he has to sacrifice three children alive." His voice was extremely low, and the packet of arsenic in his medicine basket suddenly fell to the ground, rolling an inch or so.

Ling Shuanghua's Emei dagger flashed out of its sheath, pinning the arsenic packet under the table. Her fingertips, however, touched the tattoo on the old man's wrist—the scorpion pattern of the Western Xia "Scorpion Tail Army." Her plain white robe suddenly billowed, and the heat from her Nine Yang Skill forced the silver needles in her medicine basket out, shooting them all toward the old man's throat. She cursed angrily, "So, the sacrifice for the Blood River Formation was sent by you!"

The old man's mask was pierced by silver needles, revealing a face covered in tumors—he was none other than the junior brother of the Tibetan National Preceptor. His blood-red blade slashed down with a stench, the Sanskrit characters on the blade glowing red, and he said viciously, "Little nun, you have good eyesight, but unfortunately you'll become my nourishment today!" Suddenly, the blood energy of the Blood River Formation surged in from all directions, and the Liao soldiers and Dali warriors in the tavern were instantly controlled by the blood energy, rushing towards Ling Shuanghua like mad dogs.

Shi Feiyang floated over and unleashed the "Treading on Frost, Ice Arrives" move from the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms! A fierce palm wind suddenly slammed in from outside the window, instantly freezing the beams and pillars of the tavern, and the blood energy was frozen into ice crystals that fell down in a flurry.

His Xuan Shuang Blade pressed against the back of the Tibetan National Preceptor's junior brother, the Ice Silkworm Silk wrapped around his meridians, and he coldly questioned, "Using children to practice martial arts, do you deserve to be called a Buddhist disciple?" His long hair brushed against Ling Shuanghua's monk's robe, shielding her behind him, and the silver earring on his left ear made the Tibetan National Preceptor's junior brother's mind go blank.

The Tibetan national teacher's junior brother's blood-red blade suddenly spun, transforming into a blood python that lunged at Shi Feiyang. However, Shi Feiyang used the "Shifting Flowers and Jade" divine skill to redirect it, instead striking the Tibetan monk's own dantian. Shi Feiyang then unleashed the "Evil Blood Calamity," causing the Tibetan monk to bleed from all seven orifices simultaneously. His body withered faster than the Dali warriors of Yizhou, finally shrinking into a fist-sized blood ball, which was then cleaved in two by Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade. What rolled out of it were not internal organs, but hundreds of blood-sucking worms—the seeds of the Western Xia's "Ten Thousand Gu Formation."

Su Xiaoman's red dress fell from the roof beam, and a golden dart pierced the last Liao soldier controlled by blood energy. The end of the dart was wrapped with a string of copper coins.

She stood on her feet and reported, "Pretty boy, you sure know how to pick up bargains! The Beggars' Sect disciples have already set fire to the granary, and the Liao soldiers in Tanzhou are only now realizing that the grain has been replaced with sand." Her shoulder was still wrapped in bandages, but she deliberately bumped into Ling Shuanghua and teased, "Little nun, shouldn't I get the credit this time?"

Ling Shuanghua sheathed her Emei daggers, the bloodstains on her plain white monk's robe frozen solid. Her fingertip pointed to the secret passage in the corner, from which came the chanting of Tibetan monks. She whispered, "Young Master Shi, the children in the City God Temple have been rescued, but... the key to the Blood River Formation is in the underground chamber, requiring the combined power of the Nine Yang Technique and the Ice Heart Technique to break it."

Shi Feiyang nodded, gripped the Xuan Shuang Blade, and cleaved open the stone door of the secret passage. A wave of blood rushed out. The altar inside did not contain children, but the corpses of the Western Xia "Scorpion Tail Army." Their hearts had been removed, and their chest cavities were filled with gunpowder.

Shi Feiyang suddenly realized and said, "So it was a series of schemes." He then used the "Emperor's Heavenly Thunder" divine skill, and the ice thunder blasted the gunpowder into ice mist. Blood energy condensed into blood crystals in the mist, which were burned into white vapor by Ling Shuanghua's Nine Yang Skill.

……

The Tibetan national master's junior brother from the Thousand Buddha Pavilion was finally lured out of the pavilion, only to see Shi Feiyang's "Emperor Heavenly Thunder" explode in mid-air. Ice lightning wrapped in blood mist shot towards him, shattering the blood energy of the "Blood River Great Technique" into dust.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ling Shuanghua's Emei dagger pierced his heart. The heat of the Nine Yang Skill seeped into the wound, evaporating all the evil blood into mist. She then angrily cursed, "This is what you owe the people of Tanzhou."

The city gates of Tanzhou opened at dusk. Yelü Jianji threw his spiked club to the ground and wept bitterly, clinging to Yelü Bao's leg. Shi Feiyang, clad in a black dragon robe, stood atop the city tower, followed by Zhao Qingyi, Ling Shuanghua, and Su Xiaoman. The three beauties' hair, entangled in ice silkworm silk, fluttered in the evening breeze.

"By imperial decree, open the granaries and distribute grain to appease the people." Shi Feiyang's voice echoed throughout Tanzhou. Xuan Shuang Blade pointed eastward toward Shunzhou, and he loudly issued another decree: "In three days, march on Shunzhou."

Su Xiaoman suddenly grabbed his dragon robe, tapped his silver ring with her golden dart, and said relentlessly, "Where are the phoenix crowns? You promised!" Shi Feiyang took out a brocade box from his bosom, inside which lay three phoenix crowns, their pearls shimmering in the setting sun—they were made by the imperial craftsmen last night and delivered overnight.

He first put it on Zhao Qingyi, the red silk complementing the phoenix crown; then he put it on Ling Shuanghua, the plain white monk's robe making the pearls even more lustrous; finally, he put it on Su Xiaoman, the golden darts and ornaments jingling.

Shi Feiyang's fingertips brushed over the three women's phoenix crowns as he asked affectionately, "Do they look good?" Tender feelings spread across their smiling faces.

Zhao Qingyi's phoenix eyes sparkled with starlight as she excitedly exclaimed, "Beautiful!" Ling Shuanghua's Emei dagger lightly touched Shi Feiyang's dragon robe, the white robe intertwined with black, and she solemnly said, "Young Master Shi, it's time to attend to official duties."

Su Xiaoman's golden dart suddenly pointed towards Shunzhou, her red dress blazing like fire in the setting sun. She teased, "Pretty boy, next stop, let's go to Shunzhou to make a ruckus in the wedding night!" Shi Feiyang looked at the three beauties' smiling faces and suddenly chuckled, saying meaningfully, "With three imperial consorts, why should I worry about not conquering the world?" Zhao Qingyi, Su Xiaoman, and Ling Shuanghua were all deeply shaken, finally realizing that their husband was not only going to reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, but also aiming to conquer the world and become the second Qin Shi Huang!
As the evening bell tolled in Tanzhou, Shi Feiyang's dragon robe and the phoenix crowns of his three beautiful concubines stood side by side on the city tower.

The love knot, bound together by silkworm silk, trembled gently in the wind.

...The west wing of the Tanzhou government office was originally the treasure pavilion of Liao general Yelü Jianji, but now it has been converted into a warm pavilion by Shi Feiyang.

The rosewood window frames, covered with silk gauze, kept out the cold winds from beyond the Great Wall, allowing only three rays of moonlight to shine through. These rays landed on Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song sword, Ling Shuanghua's Emei dagger, and Su Xiaoman's golden dart, making the frost flowers on the weapons sparkle like broken diamonds.

Shi Feiyang's black dragon robe was loosely tied, and his silver hair was bound with a red silk ribbon—the ribbon had been taken from Zhao Qingyi's sword tassel and was now knotted by Su Xiaoman's golden dart. He had just finished revising the defense map of Shunzhou, and the ink in his inkstone was still steaming. Zhao Qingyi had already brought him a bowl of lotus seed soup, gently stirring it with a jade spoon. She had personally removed the cores from the lotus seeds, afraid that they would be too bitter for him.

Zhao Qingyi said tenderly, "Feiyang, the moat of Shunzhou is covered with thin ice. If we use 'water warfare', I'm afraid it will be..." Before she could finish speaking, Shi Feiyang took the spoon he was feeding her into his mouth. His phoenix eyes instantly turned red, and the shoulder armor that was still on brushed against his silver hair.

She said shyly, "You..."

Shi Feiyang pinched her wrist with his fingertips and praised, "My Qingyi, your skills are getting better and better. We'll discuss the matter of Shunzhou tomorrow, tonight..."

He suddenly turned his head and saw Su Xiaoman using a golden dart to tug at the waist of his dragon robe, the copper coins tied to the red silk at the end of the dart jingling.

Su Xiaoman muttered, "That pretty boy is biased!"

She pushed past Zhao Qingyi in her red dress, stuffed a piece of glistening roasted rabbit leg into his mouth, and chuckled, "Ling Shuanghua brewed ginseng soup at the pharmacy, saying it was to nourish you, but who knows if she's planning to hog it all?"

She deliberately snuggled into his arms, her red dress embroidered with twin lotus blossoms in gold thread—something she had stayed up all night to embroider. Ling Shuanghua's plain white robe swayed gently by the door, an Emei thorn holding a glass lamp, the light casting a soft glow on her face.

She had just finished changing the wounded soldier's dressing, and her fingertips still smelled of herbs. When she saw Shi Feiyang looking over, she hurriedly handed him the bowl of ginseng soup and stammered, "Young Master Shi... oh no, Your Majesty, this ginseng soup has snow lotus added, which can... can dispel the cold."

Shi Feiyang pulled her into his arms, spilling ginseng soup on the three of them's clothes, scalding Su Xiaoman so much that she stomped her feet, but she laughed brighter than a glass lamp.

Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song sword had been drawn at some point, its red tassel wrapped around Shi Feiyang's long hair, intertwined with Su Xiaoman's golden dart and Ling Shuanghua's Buddhist beads, gleaming strangely in the candlelight.

Seeing this, Shi Feiyang was amused and laughed, "You guys..." His laughter shook the snow off the windowpanes. He suddenly lowered his head, kissed Zhao Qingyi's sword tassel, bit Su Xiaoman's golden dart, and finally put Ling Shuanghua's prayer beads in his mouth, then said jokingly, "Tonight, whoever sings 'Partridge Song' for me first, I will..."

Before he could finish speaking, the door to the warm pavilion was suddenly kicked open. Li Tieniu, carrying a Liao soldier's helmet on his bamboo cane with a copper bell ringing rapidly at the top, reported, "Your Majesty! The spies from Shunzhou have returned, saying that Yelü Hongji's younger brother, Yelü Qi..."

His words caught in his throat as he looked at the four tangled figures. His bamboo staff clattered to the ground, and he stammered, "Old...old beggar didn't see anything!" Su Xiaoman's golden dart whizzed past Li Tieniu's ear and embedded itself in the doorframe: "If you look again, old beggar, I'll take that copper bell off and use it as a chamber pot!" Shi Feiyang, his black dragon robe neatly arranged and red silk still wrapped around his long hair, reached out and grabbed Li Tieniu's tattered sleeve, demanding, "Tianniu, what's Yelü Qi doing?"

Li Tieniu touched his ear and stammered, "He...he dug three trenches outside Shunzhou City and invited a master of the 'Ten Thousand Gu Formation' from Xixia, saying that he wanted to...to make sure we never returned."

Shi Feiyang nodded and instructed Li Tieniu to summon all the generals for a meeting.

……

New charcoal was added to the brazier in the warm pavilion, making the red glow on the defense map of Shunzhou flicker.

Qu Cheng, his black clothes stained with snow, placed a crossbow bolt coated with Gu poison on the map and explained, "This was picked up from the trenches in Shunzhou. The arrowhead is wrapped with 'Bone-Eating Gu,' which can penetrate the meridians upon contact with blood, and will surely cause the intestines to rupture within three days." Li Tieniu tapped the trenches on the map with his bamboo cane and offered a suggestion, "Old beggar, look, we can use the 'filling the trenches' method. Have the brothers carry sandbags to fill the three trenches before charging."

Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song sword suddenly pointed at Shunzhou City on the map, and she said decisively, "No. Yelü Qi is the most cunning. He will definitely have buried landmines under the trenches. If we fill them halfway, he will..." Shi Feiyang held her hand down, his fingertips gently stroking the calluses on her hands from sword practice. She paused, then said, "Yelü Qi's mother was a princess of Western Xia. He believes most in Western Xia's 'Ten Thousand Gu Formation'."

Shi Feiyang released Zhao Qingyi's hand and then reached out to draw ice patterns on the map, circling Shunzhou City into a circle.

He said thoughtfully, "We can first use a feint attack, setting up an assault posture at the north gate to lure him to move his main force there; then we can use a covert maneuver, sending elite troops to infiltrate through the sewers at the south gate; finally..."

Su Xiaoman chimed in, "Finally, we'll use the 'capture the king to catch the thief' strategy!" She slammed her golden dart onto the map of the Shunzhou Prince's Mansion and then offered another plan: "My brothers from the Golden Wing Alliance have discovered that Yelü Qi goes to the 'Drunken Spring Pavilion' in the west of the city every night at midnight. Let's disguise ourselves as prostitutes... oh no, as bartenders, and kill him with one stab!"

Her golden dart suddenly flew towards Ling Shuanghua, but was gently deflected by her Emei dagger. The two weapons clashed in the air, producing a crisp sound.

Ling Shuanghua's plain white monk's robe brushed against the Ten Thousand Gu Formation on the map, and she offered a suggestion: "The 'Bone-Eating Gu' of Xixia is most afraid of sulfur. We can have the Beggar Clan disciples scatter sulfur powder in the trenches, and then use 'fire attack'. Sulfur will produce poison gas when it comes into contact with fire, which is just right to suppress the Gu worms." Her gaze fell on Shi Feiyang's long hair, where the red ribbon knot was a little loose. She reached out to tie it, but he grabbed her fingertips.

Shi Feiyang praised, "Shuanghua's method is excellent." He drew a circle in her palm with his fingertip, causing her to hastily withdraw her hand, her cheeks blushing like Su Xiaoman's red dress. He then said in a deep voice, "Li Tieniu will lead the Beggars' Sect disciples to prepare sulfur, Qu Cheng will lead the Sun Moon Cult followers to build rockets, Qingyi's Imperial Guards will form ranks at the North Gate, and Xiaoman's Golden Wing Alliance will ambush at 'Drunken Spring Pavilion'..."

The three beauties asked in unison, "And what about you?" Zhao Qingyi's red silk tassel on her sword, Su Xiaoman's golden dart, and Ling Shuanghua's Emei dagger all pointed at him at the same time, then withdrew at the same time. The shyness cast on their faces by the candlelight was more touching than any love words.

Shi Feiyang calmly said, "I will go and meet the 'Master of Ten Thousand Gu' of Western Xia. At midnight, use 'Imperial Thunderclap' as the signal." The generals, Qu Cheng, Li Tieniu, and others took their leave. After a moment's thought, Shi Feiyang also used his unparalleled "Leave No Trace for a Thousand Miles" lightness skill to fly out and personally investigate the relevant military situation.

Only the three beauties remained in the warm pavilion. Suddenly, Zhao Qingyi drew her Ding Song sword, the red silk tassel of which wrapped around Su Xiaoman's golden dart. She said sternly, "Go to 'Drunken Spring Pavilion,' and don't you dare smile at him." Su Xiaoman's golden dart brushed aside the red silk, but she teased Ling Shuanghua, laughing and saying, "Little nun, you should be minding your own business. Don't use your Nine Yang Skill to warm the pretty boy's hands. If you burn his dragon claws, I won't forgive you."

Ling Shuanghua lightly tapped their weapons with her Emei dagger and said softly, "Stop arguing. Tomorrow... I'll prepare more antidotes tomorrow." The snow outside the window fell heavier and heavier, but the candlelight in the warm room burned brighter and brighter, casting the shadows of the three beauties on the wall like a flowing painting—a painting with the red of sword tassels, the gleam of golden darts, the white of monk's robes, and a faint ink line, which was Shi Feiyang's long hair, tightly binding their fates together.

Life in Tanzhou suddenly slowed down.

Every day at dawn, Shi Feiyang would first accompany Zhao Qingyi to practice swordsmanship at the training ground. Her "Flying Dragon in the Sky" sword technique was becoming more and more elegant, and the red silk tassel on her sword could always accurately entangle his Xuan Shuang Blade. At dawn, he would go to Su Xiaoman's Golden Wing Alliance to watch her train her brothers. Her "Divine Dragon Swings its Tail" dart technique was becoming more and more fierce, but she would always stop at the last moment, letting the golden dart graz his dragon robe. At mid-morning, he would go to Ling Shuanghua's pharmacy to watch her grind medicine. Her Nine Yang Skill made the fragrance of herbs fill the whole room, but she would always grind the pestle louder when he got close.

That afternoon, Su Xiaoman took Shi Feiyang to the insect market in Tanzhou. Jin Biao was carrying a cricket jar, inside which "Iron Head Green" was fighting fiercely.

She deliberately made him squat in front of the stall, while she stood behind him, the hem of her red dress covering a corner of his dragon robe, attracting the attention of passersby—no one would have guessed that this "young master" squatting on the ground watching crickets was actually the Tang emperor who had conquered half of Youyun.

After a while, Su Xiaoman tapped the side of the jar with her golden dart and teased, "Pretty boy, look at this 'Golden-Winged King,' doesn't it look like me? How fierce it is when it fights!" Shi Feiyang tapped her nose with his fingertip and said jokingly, "Only Yelü Qi from Shunzhou would dare to be as arrogant as you..."

Before he could finish speaking, she covered his mouth, the golden dart dangling in front of his eyes. She scolded, "Don't mention that Liao dog!"

Su Xiaoman nuzzled his cheek with her nose and said domineeringly, "Tonight I want to light 'love incense' in your room and listen to you sing 'Partridge Song'." The two returned to the government office hand in hand. Zhao Qingyi was trying on her newly made phoenix crown in front of the bronze mirror. Pearls swayed in her hair, even brighter than the sword light on the training ground.

When Shi Feiyang came in, she hurriedly tried to take it off, but he held her hand down.

Shi Feiyang praised, "Beautiful." His fingertips brushed against her earlobe, where the red mark from last night's bite still remained, and he said with some guilt, "It's just that this phoenix crown should be paired with a more vibrant wedding dress. It's a pity we've been at war all this time!"

Zhao Qingyi's phoenix eyes instantly filled with tears. She reached out and hugged his waist, saying shyly, "Feiyang, after we recover Shunzhou, we..."

Shi Feiyang gently kissed her forehead and said affectionately, "We'll hold our wedding ceremony on the city tower of Shunzhou. We'll let all the people of the city come and witness it."

In the pharmacy in the west wing, Ling Shuanghua was using an Emei thorn to pry open a snow lotus fruit, the glistening flesh reflecting off her plain white monk's robe.

Shi Feiyang used the mysterious movement technique of "Concealing One's Name and Body" to stand silently behind her until she brought the fruit to her mouth. Then he suddenly opened his mouth and bit into it, and exclaimed, "Shuanghua's skills are even better than those of the imperial chefs."

Ling Shuanghua's hand trembled, and the Emei thorn almost pricked her. Her cheeks turned as red as ripe apples, and she stammered, "Your Majesty... why are you here?" Shi Feiyang's fingertips brushed against the hem of her robe, where a small plum blossom was embroidered, which she had secretly embroidered last night. He teased, "I've come to see my imperial concubine. Is she secretly making me ginseng soup again?"

The pharmacy door was suddenly pushed open, and Su Xiaoman, dressed in red, rushed in, her voice surprisingly serious: "Pretty boy! Zhao Qingyi hung red silk in your room, saying she wanted to..." Her words caught in her throat as she looked at the plum blossom on Shi Feiyang's fingertips, then suddenly burst out laughing, chuckling, "This little nun's heart is fluttering with spring fever!" Ling Shuanghua's Emei dagger clattered onto the medicine grinder, and Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song sword also peered in from outside, its red tassel brushing against Shi Feiyang's long hair—the three beauties and one man were entangled together again, just like last night. But this time, no one disturbed them; only the fragrance of herbs in the pharmacy mingled with the scent of plum blossoms outside the window, brewing the most mellow wine in the spring of Tanzhou.

The battle report from Shunzhou finally arrived. Li Tieniu's bamboo staff carried the severed head of a Western Xia "Ten Thousand Gu Master," his eyes wide open as if he had witnessed something horrifying before his death. He said sadly, "Yelü Qi's 'Ten Thousand Gu Formation' has been set up outside the city. The brothers who went to scout the formation all returned... empty shells." The candlelight in the warm pavilion suddenly dimmed. Shi Feiyang's Xuan Shuang Blade traced ice patterns on the map. He calmly said, "Tomorrow, we will split into four groups and proceed according to the original plan." His gaze swept over the three beauties, noticing that they were all holding weapons, their fingertips white. He suddenly smiled and teased, "What? Scared?"

Zhao Qingyi twirled the Ding Song Sword in her palm and said with a resounding voice, "My man, Zhao Qingyi's man, has never known the meaning of the word 'fear'." Su Xiaoman slapped the map with her golden dart and said calmly, "Don't worry, pretty boy, the waiters at 'Drunken Spring Pavilion' have been replaced by my men. I guarantee Yelü Qi will not return alive."

Ling Shuanghua, carrying a bag of sulfur powder on her Emei thorn, offered her suggestion: "The sulfur is ready, we are just waiting for His Majesty's 'Imperial Thunderclap'."

Shi Feiyang suddenly reached out and pulled the three women into his arms. His black dragon robe wrapped them together, and ice silkworm silk bound their hair in a tight knot. He said affectionately, "Remember, no matter what happens, you must come back alive." His voice was warmer than a burning ember, and he added reverently, "I am waiting for you on the city wall of Shunzhou..."

The three beauties said in unison, "Wait to put the phoenix crown on us!" Zhao Qingyi's red silk tassel, Su Xiaoman's golden dart, and Ling Shuanghua's Emei dagger all simultaneously etched a small "heart" character on his dragon robe.

As the evening bell tolled in Tanzhou, Shi Feiyang stood atop the city wall, gazing in the direction of Shunzhou. Suddenly, Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song sword, Su Xiaoman's golden dart, and Ling Shuanghua's Emei dagger were drawn simultaneously, tracing three arcs of light in the moonlight, like three birds returning to their nest, landing beside him.

Shi Feiyang pointed his Xuan Shuang Blade eastward, his hair, wrapped in ice silk, trembled slightly in the wind. He sighed, "The snow in Shunzhou should melt by now. Once it melts, we'll plant wheat." Soft footsteps sounded behind him, and the figures of the three beauties gradually became clear in the moonlight.

Zhao Qingyi's sword tassel wrapped around his wrist, Su Xiaoman's golden dart hooked onto his dragon robe, and Ling Shuanghua's Emei dagger pierced his long hair—their shadows overlapped on the city wall, like an impregnable fortress, guarding this land regained after being lost, and also guarding their burning heartbeats. From the distant direction of Shunzhou, the faint sound of bugles drifted, as if in response to their promise. (End of Chapter)