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

Chapter 500. Silver Ring Reflecting Snow on the Return Journey - The Moon Returns to the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun
At the city gate tower of Shunzhou, there was a wooden plaque that read "Traitor of the Great Tang Dynasty" and featured a portrait of Shi Feiyang. It was riddled with arrows by Liao soldiers.

Su Xiaoman, dressed in red, was hidden in the culvert behind the drawbridge. A barbed golden dart held a Liao soldier's beard, plucked from the face of the centurion guarding the city gate. She darted to Shi Feiyang's side and whispered, "Pretty boy, Yelü Sha, the garrison commander of Shunzhou, that old dog is the most cowardly. We just need to..."

Shi Feiyang interrupted her, saying, "Have the Beggars' Sect disciples feign an attack on the city outside. Once Yelü Sha leads his troops out of the city, lower the drawbridge to cut off his retreat. Yelü Sha will definitely fall for this 'closing the door to catch the thief' trick."

Su Xiaoman nodded and flew away to relay the order.

As the bugle call of dawn sounded, Li Tieniu's green bamboo staff emerged like a dense forest, and the Beggar Clan disciples sang the "Lotus Flower Ballad" with deafening force, but deliberately did not use their full strength to attack the city, only placing the cloud ladder halfway up the city wall.

Yelü Sha indeed led three thousand personal guards out of the city gate. His spiked club swung towards Li Tieniu, unaware that Su Xiaoman's golden dart had already become entangled in the chains of the drawbridge. Su Xiaoman cursed angrily, "Old dog, your death is near!" Her red dress swept across the drawbridge like flames. The moment the golden dart shattered the chains, Shi Feiyang unleashed a move from the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, "Flying Dragon in the Sky." The fierce palm force struck Su Xiaoman's spiked club, causing his tiger's mouth to split open.

The drawbridge in Shunzhou City collapsed with a crash, completely cutting off the Liao soldiers' retreat.

Those people, seeing the Tang Dynasty dragon flag suddenly raised on the city wall, were instantly trapped.

Yelü Sha's heavily armored "Iron Pagoda" charged through the encirclement, only to have its horses' hooves entangled by the Tang army's hook-and-sickle spears. His wolf-tooth mace cleaved open the head of a Tang soldier, splattering brains onto Shi Feiyang's dragon robe, only to have them frozen into an ice shell by Ming Yugong.

He pleaded, "Shi Feiyang, if you spare my life, I am willing to cede Shunzhou and offer ten Xia Kingdom dancers!"

Shi Feiyang pressed his Xuan Shuang Blade against Yelü Sha's throat, his icy silkworm threads binding his meridians, and roared, "Last year, Shunzhou suffered a severe drought, and you stole the last rations from the people, causing three thousand to starve to death. How many dancers do you think should be used to atone for these wronged souls?" His "Shocking Calamity" was suddenly activated, and Yelü Sha's eyes instantly froze, rolling out of their sockets. Amidst the screams of the Liao soldiers, the gates of Shunzhou were breached by the Tang army.

Su Xiaoman's golden dart pierced the last Liao soldier who was stubbornly resisting, only to discover that the city wall was covered with densely packed names—those of Han Chinese civilians killed by Yelü Sha. She suddenly grabbed Shi Feiyang's dragon robe, pointed the golden dart at the drum tower in the center of the city, and reminded him, "Pretty boy, there's a roster of Liao dogs on that!" Shi Feiyang then used his mysterious "Hidden Body and Name" lightness skill to leap onto the drum tower. His Xuan Shuang Blade cleaved open the iron box that locked the roster. Inside, on the parchment scroll, besides the names of Liao soldiers, there was also a secret agreement between the Dali Duan family and the Western Xia, agreeing that if Shunzhou fell, they would encircle the Tang army at Xijin Prefecture.

His fingertips traced the three characters "Duan Zhengxiang," and the ice patterns suddenly froze the parchment scroll. He thought to himself, "It seems I should send the Duan family a big gift."

……

In the imperial palace of Xijin Prefecture, the glazed tiles gleamed blood-red in the setting sun. The Liao emperor's dragon throne was covered with a human skin rug, said to be made from the hides of rebellious Central Plains people. Shi Feiyang's black dragon robe fluttered outside the palace; his Mingyu Gong was at its peak, his skin as transparent as ice, able to penetrate even the bloody stench within the palace.

He gazed at the Tibetan monks and Dali warriors inside the hall, the silver earring in his left ear trembling slightly from the sound of the bell—this was the final battle for the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun; victory would mean all sixteen prefectures would belong to the Tang Dynasty, defeat would mean the Central Plains would never have peace.

Qu Cheng, his black clothes stained with blood and a blood nerve wrapped around his embroidery needle, flew over and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Sun Moon Sect's 'Star Absorbing Technique' is no match for the evil energy of the Blood River Formation. The blood of those monk soldiers can corrode internal energy, and more than half of our disciples have already perished."

Shi Feiyang's gaze fell on the Blood River Formation in the center of the hall, where Duan Zhengchun was holding a blood-stained blade, about to sacrifice the Liao Emperor's grandson to the flag. He whispered his plan: "Have Qu Liuxiang lead her followers to use gunpowder to blow up the base of the formation. Li Tieniu will lead the Beggar Clan disciples to protect the civilians on the outer perimeter. Shuanghua, use the Nine Yang Skill to protect the child's heart meridian."

Ling Shuanghua's plain white robe billowed like a white lotus in the blood mist. The heat of the Nine Yang Skill collided with the cold air of the Blood River Array, condensing into a layer of icy mist around her. Her Emei daggers deflected the blood python that lunged at the child, but her own arm was corroded by the blood mist, the flesh instantly festering to reveal the stark white bone.

Su Xiaoman warned, "Little nun, are you out of your mind?" Her red dress shot into the formation like an arrow, and the golden dart blasted open the blood python's seven-inch spot, but Duan Zhengxiang's "One-Finger Divine Skill" struck her shoulder. The force of the finger penetrated the flesh and left a bloody hole in the bone.

She hurriedly shouted, "Pretty boy, use 'Evil Blood Calamity'!"

At the same time, Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song Sword attacked from the flank, the red silk tassel of the sword wrapped around Duan Zhengxiang's wrist, and she slapped his chest with her palm, cursing: "Duan, you scoundrel, how dare you aid and abet evil!" Her black armor was already covered with poisoned blood, but she still fought bravely against the enemy.

Shi Feiyang unleashed his "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms," leaping into the air and striking with "Flying Dragon in the Sky," a powerful palm strike that shattered the Blood River Formation's barrier. Landing firmly on the ground, he followed with "Dragon Appearing in the Field," protecting the three beauties. Immediately after, he unleashed "Dragon Fighting in the Wild," a fierce palm strike aimed directly at Duan Zhengxiang. Their palm and finger strikes clashed violently, but in an instant, Shi Feiyang's Heavenly Silkworm Technique's silver threads had already wrapped around Duan Zhengxiang's meridians, penetrating his dantian, severing the internal force of his "One Yang Finger" and forcing it back into his internal organs.

Duan Zhengxiang felt a sharp pain in his chest and cursed angrily, "Shi Feiyang, your sorcery!"

However, his internal organs were instantly shredded by his own internal force. As he spat out blood, Shi Feiyang's Mingyu Gong formed a vortex, drawing all the blood energy of the Blood River Formation into his body. He then unleashed "Emperor's Heavenly Thunder," shattering the Blood River Formation into pieces.

Shi Feiyang's skin became increasingly translucent amidst the blood and qi, like white ice shrouded in cold mist, yet he maintained the fluidity of his palm strikes, declaring with righteous indignation, "The greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people." Suddenly, he used his palm as a blade, the blade's energy cleaving the flagpole of the sacrificial banner. The wolf-headed banner fell in the blood mist, revealing the Tang Dynasty dragon banner behind it. Suddenly, the bells of Xijin Prefecture rang out—the victory bells tolled by the Beggars' Sect disciples.

Shi Feiyang held the rescued child in his arms, his black dragon robe fluttering in the blood mist. Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song sword, Ling Shuanghua's Emei dagger, and Su Xiaoman's golden dart protected him simultaneously. Blood splattered on the faces of the three beauties, yet their smiles shone brighter than the rising sun over Xijin Prefecture—the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun had finally been completely recovered. Shi Feiyang stood atop the highest point of the palace, gazing at the land of the Sixteen Prefectures covered by Tang army banners. His long hair flew in the wind, and the silver earring in his left ear dazzled. The child in his arms clutched his dragon robe, giggling, the clear, bell-like laughter echoing throughout this land that had been lost and regained.

Shi Feiyang's black dragon robe gleamed in the sunlight as he proclaimed in a loud voice, "By imperial decree, the Great Tang Dynasty shall henceforth reduce taxes and levies, and treat all ethnic groups equally. Anyone who disobeys shall be punished with the Xuan Shuang Blade."

In the distance, at Yanmen Pass, the snow was melting, revealing tender green shoots beneath. Zhao Qingyi, Ling Shuanghua, and Su Xiaoman flew over, excitedly embracing Shi Feiyang. The three beauties looked at each other, then at Shi Feiyang, and smiled brightly—the ice and snow of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun had finally been melted into spring by their passionate blood. With the recapture of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, the Tang Empire's territory had increased by two-thirds.

However, after the Tang Dynasty reclaimed the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, a combined army of 200,000 from the Liao, Xia, Tubo, and Dali forces besieged Chang'an. The Song Dynasty sent envoys to demand the return of the cities, using the pretext of "Zhao Qingyi's sacrifice" to exert pressure. In the Zichen Hall of the Luoyang Imperial Palace, the gilded dragons on the beams and pillars gleamed coldly under the candlelight.

Shi Feiyang's black dragon robe trailed across the gold-brick floor as he gazed at the map on the table. The territory of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun was stained crimson with cinnabar, while the outer perimeter marked by the Liao, Xia, Tubo, and Dali allied forces was densely packed like ants, and even the ancient road west of Chang'an was circled in black.

The chief eunuch's voice trembled as he held the memorial, stammering, "Your Majesty, the Song envoy is still crying and making a scene outside the palace, demanding... demanding that you cede Zhuozhou and Yizhou to pay off his debt." Shi Feiyang stared at the memorial; the vermilion seal of "Emperor Huizong of Song, the younger brother of the emperor" stung his eyes. He roared, "Tell Huizong that Zhao Qingyi is my empress, not a prefecture to be traded. If he wants cities, let him come and take them himself."

The palace gates were suddenly pushed open, and Zhao Qingyi's Ding Song sword was slung across her pregnant belly, the red silk tassel of the sword stained with snow. She had just returned from the city tower, where the people were cursing "Shi Feiyang is a coward".

As she entered, she said sadly, "Feiyang, the allied forces number 200,000 and are pressing in. The garrison in Luoyang has less than 50,000 troops. If you..." Before she could finish, Shi Feiyang grabbed her hand. His palm was warm, and he was using the "Yin-Yang Harmony" technique from the Lotus Sutra to help her clear the stagnation in her internal energy during her pregnancy.

Shi Feiyang's fingertips traced the pulse points on her wrist. The yang energy of midnight flowed slowly down her Ren meridian, merging with the yin energy to form a warm current. He said calmly, "Qingyi, have you ever seen me afraid of anyone? I want to show them what 'feigning madness' really means."

Su Xiaoman, dressed in red, burst through the palace doors. A golden dart spun rapidly in her palm. Her pregnant belly was more prominent than Zhao Qingyi's, yet she couldn't shake her impulsive nature. As soon as she entered, she shouted, "Pretty boy! Ling Shuanghua has uncovered the Allied Forces' supply route map at the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters. The Tibetans' barley is stored in the meadows of Zhongnan Mountain, and the Western Xia's fodder is hidden on the south bank of the Wei River!"

She slammed the sheepskin scroll onto the table, wrapped the red silk ribbon at the end of the dart around Shi Feiyang's dragon robe belt, and said with a face full of anger, "Let's burn it!"

Ling Shuanghua's plain white robe then drifted in, her Emei thorns adorned with a string of Buddhist prayer beads, each bead warmed by her body heat. She had just finished performing a "holy healing ritual" on the wounded soldiers, her fingertips still carrying the scent of medicine. She reported, "Your Majesty, Qu Cheng and Qu Liuxiang have already laid a trap in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, waiting for the allied spies to fall into it." Her gaze fell on Shi Feiyang's long hair, where three strands of black hair—the three of them—were still entwined in the silken threads. She paused, then added, "But... is the abdication truly necessary?"

Shi Feiyang suddenly took off his dragon robe, revealing a coarse cloth short jacket underneath, the kind often worn by Beggar Clan disciples. He picked up a green bamboo staff and used his "true qi condensation" finger strength to carve a lotus flower on the staff head, and said in a deep voice: "Although Nianyun is young, Empress Liu Dan oversees the country, Qu Cheng and Qu Liuxiang hold the seal, and Li Tuo supervises. The three powers are in a balance, which is enough to stabilize the court."

He handed the bamboo staff to Li Tieniu, the elder of the Beggars' Sect, whose staff had just smashed the Song envoy's sedan chair outside the palace; the copper bell on the staff was still ringing softly. He then said meaningfully, "Tieniu, Li Xian, come with me on a journey through the martial world." Li Tieniu's bamboo staff tapped on the gold bricks, and he said firmly, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this old beggar's 'Dog-Beating Stick Technique' will surely turn the allied forces' provisions to ashes!"

Su Xiaoman pointed her golden dart at his nose, her pregnant belly rising and falling beneath her red dress. She said arrogantly, "You pretty boy, how dare you! If you leave, I'll take Qingyi and Shuanghua to the allied camp and tell them where you are!"

Shi Feiyang said affectionately, "When I return, this time we cannot use conventional tactics against the multinational coalition." With that, he used "Lotus Shadow Illusion," his figure leaving three afterimages in the candlelight, simultaneously planting kisses on the foreheads of the three women. Then, he flew outside the hall, his figure in coarse clothes blending into the Beggars' Sect disciples, the rhythm of his green bamboo staff striking the ground being the Beggars' Sect's "Lotus Fall" code.

The candles in the Zichen Palace suddenly went out all at once; Qu Cheng had used the "Star Absorbing Technique" to absorb the candlelight's essence. Zhao Qingyi gazed at the empty palace gate. The red silk tassel of the Ding Song Sword wrapped around Ling Shuanghua's Emei Dagger, which then hooked onto Su Xiaoman's golden dart—the three weapons clashed in the darkness, making a crisp sound, as if making a silent vow.

On the official road west of Luoyang, the snow was crushed into ice by the wheels of vehicles. Shi Feiyang, dressed in a coarse cloth shirt covered in mud, carried a tattered bag on a bamboo cane. Inside the bag was a handwritten copy of the Lotus Sutra, with a lotus handkerchief embroidered by Zhao Qingyi tucked between the pages.

Li Tieniu's snoring made the car roof tremble.

Shi Feiyang then used his "condensed true qi" finger strength to repair the hole in the tarpaulin. The true qi that sprang from his fingertips was like silver threads, sewing the canvas into a crooked lotus flower. A moment later, Li Xian, an elder of the Beggars' Sect, ran over to report: "Your Majesty, Black Stone Ferry is just ahead. The Allied Forces' patrol team is checking things there."

He lifted the carriage curtain again, letting in a blast of cold wind, carrying with it the curses of the people. His voice trembled as he said, "People say... they say you abandoned the Empress and the princes, that you're heartless..."

Shi Feiyang suddenly activated his "Concealing Aura" technique. The "Lotus Hidden in Mist" technique from the Lotus Manual allowed his aura to completely blend into the cold wind outside the car. Even Li Tieniu was surprised to find that there was no one beside him for a moment.

He gazed at the wolf-head flag of the allied forces in the distance, twirled his bamboo cane in his palm, and praised, "Well said." He paused, then added, "The more fiercely they curse, the more the allied forces will believe that I have truly fled."

At the Black Stone Ferry checkpoint, Liao soldiers' spiked clubs lay across the road, and the leading centurion was pasting a portrait of Shi Feiyang onto a tree trunk. In the portrait, his long hair was flying, and the silver earring on his left ear was so dazzling that it made people dizzy.

The centurion lashed his iron whip at a beggar, demanding in a stern voice, "See this pretty boy? Capture him and get a reward of ten thousand taels of gold! Aren't you Beggars' Sect all in cahoots with him? Why don't you hand him over?"

The beggar suddenly raised his head, revealing himself to be Li Xian in disguise. His bamboo staff was wrapped around his iron whip, and he laughed, "Sir, you jest. That coward Shi Feiyang has already run away with the gold and silver. Why would he care about the life or death of our Beggars' Clan?"

Shi Feiyang's "Lotus Steps" footwork swept silently past the checkpoint, and the "True Qi Condensation" finger strike of the green bamboo staff struck the Liao soldiers' knees from a distance. The three Liao soldiers suddenly knelt down, and the centurion's iron whip lost its aim and struck his own horse's face instead.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Li Tieniu drove the carriage through the checkpoint. The axle ran over a Liao soldier's finger, and the sound of bones cracking mingled with the laughter of the crowd. "Damn it! Chase after him!" Amid the centurion's roar, Shi Feiyang was already sitting on the carriage shaft, tapping the wheels with his bamboo cane to keep time, humming the Beggars' Sect's "Lotus Flower Ballad".

Li Xian suddenly pointed behind them, where the allied cavalry were chasing after them, raising dust as their hooves shook the ice. Shi Feiyang whispered, "What's the panic?" He then unleashed the "Lotus Palm Technique" – "Lotus Fury" – slamming his hand onto the ground. The ice shards kicked up by his palm struck the pursuers like a rain of arrows. He then devised a plan: "This is called 'luring the tiger away from the mountain.' Let's draw some troops away for the Luoyang garrison."

With his bamboo cane, he lifted the oil can under the carriage can and shouted, "Tie Niu, light it!" As soon as Li Tie Niu lit his tinderbox, Shi Feiyang's palm wind blew it towards the oil can, and the flames spread along the oil stains on the ice, forming a wall of fire in front of the pursuers.

Shi Feiyang watched the cavalry circling in front of the wall of fire, then suddenly chuckled and said, "Tell your marshal that I am waiting for him in Youzhou."

……

Outside Youzhou City, the Sanggan River flowed with a dark green hue beneath the ice. The allied forces' provisions and supplies were hidden in the dense forests along its banks. The Liao soldiers' tents stretched out in rows, and campfires illuminated the banner bearing the name "Yelü Hongji." Shi Feiyang lay prone on an old elm tree. The "concealment" effect of the Lotus Sutra made him blend into the tree bark, and even a passing owl failed to notice his presence.

Li Tieniu's voice came from the tree hollow. He had just dug a tunnel using the "Dog-Beating Stick Technique" leading directly to the outer perimeter of the granary. He approached Shi Feiyang and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Tibetans' barley granary is at the far east end, guarded by three hundred axemen. Their 'Blood River Palm' can injure people from a distance. The Xia Kingdom's haystacks are piled on the west slope, guarded by the 'Armor-Piercing Cone' battalion, whose armor is very thick."

Shi Feiyang used the "Lotus Shadow Illusion" footwork to glide among the treetops, his figure under the moonlight leaving a series of afterimages, just like a blooming white lotus flower.

He landed on the roof of the Tibetan granary tent, and gently lifted a piece of felt with his bamboo staff. Inside, sacks of barley were piled higher than a person. The guards were gambling around the campfire, and the skull on the scabbard gleamed menacingly in the firelight.

Immediately afterwards, Shi Feiyang unleashed a move called "Lotus Blossoms." The palm wind swept past the tent, and the vortex formed by the rotating airflow actually swirled up the guard's tinderbox. The small flame spun in the air and landed precisely in the gap of the barley bag.

His "Yin-Yang Harmony" technique was activated simultaneously. The Yin energy at noon flowed down the Du meridian, merging with the Yang energy to form a cool internal force that protected him from being choked by the smoke and fire. The barley bag first emitted blue smoke, then burst into flames with a "boom".

Amidst the screams of the guards, Shi Feiyang had already reached the Western Xia haystack. The guards here reacted even faster, unleashing a barrage of poisonous spikes from their armor-piercing darts.

Shi Feiyang's "True Qi Condensation" formed a protective shield on his body. The poisonous thorns bounced off the shield, but the green bamboo staff was flicked out with the finger force of "Lotus Heart Sword Rain", striking the throats of five guards from a distance. Their necks suddenly tightened as if they were being strangled by lotus stems, and their tongues stuck out.

"Fire! The Tang army is raiding our camp!" Li Tieniu's roar came from the dense forest, and the Beggars' Sect disciples were creating chaos by banging on empty oil drums.

Li Xian's "Dog-Beating Stick Technique" blocked the retreat of the Tibetan soldiers. Wherever the green bamboo staff swept, the sound of leg bones breaking echoed. Shi Feiyang used the "Lotus Steps" footwork to shuttle through the sea of ​​fire, picking up a burning barley sack with his green bamboo staff and throwing it accurately into the allied army's stable.

The startled warhorse broke free of its reins and charged into the tent area, engulfed in flames. The Tibetan soldier's "Blood River Palm" struck the galloping horse, but was deflected by Shi Feiyang's "Lotus Fury" palm wind, which struck his own granary, causing even more flames to soar into the sky.

Suddenly, the Tang army on the walls of Youzhou City beat their war drums, and the defending general personally led his cavalry out to fight.

The allied soldiers were busy putting out fires, so how could they stop the Tang army, which was like a hungry tiger?

Before the Liao soldiers could even put on their heavy "Iron Pagoda" armor, they were dragged off their horses by the Tang army's hook-and-sickle spears. The horses' hooves trampled the frozen ground, turning the corpses into a bloody pulp that, mixed with the melting snow, formed a dark red river on the ground.

Shi Feiyang stood atop an old elm tree amidst the flames. His coarse cloth jacket was torn by sparks, but the "holy healing method" of the Lotus Sutra was quietly repairing his flesh, the wounds glowing with a faint lotus-shaped halo. He gazed in the direction of the retreating allied forces, his bamboo staff pointing southwest—that was the territory of Dali. Duan Zhengzhong's sons would soon taste the bitterness of their "divide and conquer" scheme.

The cracking of the ice on the Sanggan River mingled with the wails of the allied forces, weaving a bloody net outside Youzhou City. Shi Feiyang lightly tapped his bamboo staff on the branches of an old elm tree, the "Yin-Yang Harmony" technique from the Lotus Sutra quietly circulating—the Yin energy at noon descended along the Ren meridian, merging with the Yang energy accumulated at midnight in the Dantian, transforming into a cool internal breath that kept the scorching heat waves from the sea of ​​fire at bay.

He watched as the Tang cavalry tore through the allied forces' formation like a tidal wave, and the Liao soldiers' "Iron Pagoda" heavy armor was like a turtle flipping over under the hook-and-sickle spears. Suddenly, he remembered Zhao Qingyi's words: "Military achievements in chaotic times are all made of piled-up bones." A faint layer of lotus-white mist rose from his palm.

Li Tieniu's bamboo staff, carrying the severed head of a Tibetan soldier, its armor frozen into icy shards, served as a reminder: "Your Majesty, it's time to go! If we wait any longer, the allied reinforcements will arrive." The residual force of his "Dog-Beating Stick Technique" had not yet dissipated; through the snow swept by the tip of his staff, half a face trampled by horse hooves was revealed—it was the Tibetan axe-wielder who had gambled most fiercely the previous night.

Shi Feiyang's "Lotus Shadow Illusion" footwork swept across the sea of ​​fire, the hem of his coarse cloth short jacket brushing against the burning grain piles, and sparks left a trail of afterimages behind him, just like a blooming fire lotus.

With a flick of his fingertips, he extinguished the sparks on Li Tieniu's shoulder from a distance, and said in a deep voice, "Li Xian, lead the Beggars' Sect disciples south along the Sanggan River and set up a 'Lotus Flower Fall' contact point outside Yanmen Pass. Tell the brothers to keep a close eye on anyone wearing Seven Star Sword Technique attire."

Li Xian was about to respond when he saw Shi Feiyang's green bamboo staff suddenly point westward, where the horizon glowed with an eerie purple light—the signal for the Western Xia's "Ten Thousand Gu Formation." He said worriedly, "Your Majesty, the Western Xia people are probably going to..."

Shi Feiyang calmly said, "They dare not venture too far alone. The Liao army has just suffered a defeat, and the Western Xia people will only watch from the sidelines. This is called 'watching the fire from across the river.'" His "Concealing Aura" technique allowed his voice to blend into the sound of the wind, and even Li Tieniu beside him almost missed it.

His long hair shimmered with gold in the firelight, and the icy light emanating from the silver earring on his left ear reflected the lotus handkerchief embroidered by Zhao Qingyi more than three months ago. He then said, "Let's go to Dali and give Duan Zhengzhong a 'gift'."

In March, the remaining snow on the Shu Road piled up like white patches in the mountain valleys.

Shi Feiyang changed his coarse cloth shorts into a blue cloth shirt common in Sichuan. He carried a medicine basket on a bamboo cane, which contained herbs he had collected along the way. The "Holy Method of Healing Wounds" in the Lotus Manual required herbs as an adjunct. He deliberately hid half a page of the Lotus Manual at the bottom of the basket, with the corner still stained with fire ash from Youzhou.

Li Tieniu tapped his bamboo cane on a loose stone step, the sound of the copper bell at the end startling crows on the cliff. He ran over and whispered, "Black Wind Pass is just ahead. I heard that the people from the Horse Trading Hall often rob people there. The old beggar's informant said that they're looking for a 'young man' in a white shirt, and they're offering more money than they could rob ten cartloads of tea."

As Shi Feiyang's "Lotus Steps" footwork traversed the icy boardwalk, the moment his shoes touched the wooden planks, the inner energy of the "Lotus Sutra" condensed into an air cushion beneath his feet, preventing even the thinnest wooden planks from breaking.

He gazed at the black mist at the end of the plank road, where the wind carried a sweet, cloying stench, much like the bloody aura of the Tibetan "Blood River Technique," but even more sinister. He analyzed, "The Horse Trading Hall openly trades horses, but secretly acts as a henchman of the Dali Duan family. What they're looking for is probably the Seven Star Sword Sect."

Suddenly, the sound of chains dragging on the ground came from the black mist. Three men draped in yak hides blocked the way, their curved knives branded with horse-shaped marks—the insignia of the Horse Trading Company. The one-eyed leader licked his chapped lips, stared at the herbs in Shi Feiyang's medicine basket, and roared, "This Shu Road is our company's territory! If you want to pass, leave your toll!"

His gaze swept over Li Tieniu's bamboo staff, and he suddenly sneered, "An old beggar from the Beggars' Sect? You dare to meddle in our business?"

Li Tieniu's bamboo cane slammed into the stone steps, leaving a shallow dent, as he angrily shouted, "Open your one eye and see whose territory this is!"

Shi Feiyang suddenly pressed down on the man's cane, causing the sleeve of his blue cloth shirt to slip down, revealing a pale blue lotus birthmark on his wrist. He said to the man, "Good sir, we are itinerant doctors, and we only have this much herbal medicine..."

Before he could finish speaking, the sound of chains rattling came from the black mist. A "young man" dressed in a moon-white shirt was dragged out, his hands tied behind his back to the chains. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he still held his neck straight. Although the sword at his waist had been taken away, the seven-star pattern on the tassel was still clearly visible.

"This brat's got some nerve!" One-Eyed Dragon slapped the "boy's" face with his scimitar and threatened, "Chief Hu said that as long as you're willing to wear the red wedding dress and obediently come back to Calabash Village with us, he'll spare your brothers whose legs were broken."

The "young man" suddenly spat out bloody saliva, which hit the one-eyed man's single eye. He cursed angrily, "Even if I, Tu Pengpeng, die, I will never marry you human traffickers!" Although her voice was weak, it carried a crispness of courage and wisdom, which was the unique vocal technique of the Seven Star Sword Sect in the Southwest.

Shi Feiyang's "Lotus Palm Technique" quietly activated, and a layer of white mist rose from his palm—Tu Pengpeng's left shoulder was obviously dislocated, and at least two ribs were broken. If she didn't receive timely treatment with the "Holy Healing Method," she probably wouldn't make it to Hulu Village.

So Shi Feiyang walked over and said to the bandit, "Good sir, this 'young man' is badly injured. If he dies on the way, Chief Hu will surely blame us, won't he?" He gently stirred the herbs in the medicine basket with his "True Qi Condensation" finger technique, and the smell of the herbs suddenly became pungent. The one-eyed bandit hesitated, touched the blood on his eye, and spat, "You're quite the doctor. Since that's the case, come back to the stronghold with us and treat this brat's wounds. If you heal him, we'll reward you with two strings of cash; if you don't, we'll skin you alive and hang you on the stronghold gate!"

Just as Li Tieniu was about to lash out, Shi Feiyang secretly poked him in the lower back with his bamboo cane. The wind lifted Shi Feiyang's blue cloth shirt, revealing a patch sewn inside—a lotus flower embroidered by Su Xiaoman with the Golden Wing Alliance's gold thread, barely noticeable unless one looked closely.

He said respectfully, "You flatter me, sir. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Let's go now."

The suspension bridge at Huluzhai swayed into a dark shadow in the twilight, and the skull wind chimes on the iron chains swayed and emitted a ghostly "wailing" sound.

Shi Feiyang followed the horse traders through the gate of the village, his eyes glancing at the wooden buildings on both sides—people were tied to each pillar, men and women, young and old, mostly dressed in the clothing of the people of Sichuan.

Only the easternmost pillar had a man dressed in the Seven Star Sword Sect's attire tied to it, his chest wound still bleeding from a sword wound. He was Tu Pengpeng's fellow disciple.

The one-eyed man pointed his scimitar at the large house in the center of the stronghold, where a plaque reading "Hall of Gathering Righteousness" hung above the door, the characters crooked and illegible, as if written in blood. He turned to Shi Feiyang and shouted, "Doctor Yang, come with me. Chief Hu is waiting inside."

Shi Feiyang had mastered the "Concealing Aura" technique to its fullest extent, making his footsteps as light as a falling leaf. He deliberately loosened the strap of his medicine basket, and half a page of the Lotus Sutra slipped out from the bottom of the basket, blown by the wind to the feet of an old servant sweeping the floor. The old servant's broom suddenly paused, and his fingers quickly formed a lotus hand seal in his sleeve, which was the Beggars' Sect's "Lotus Drop" code.

Inside the Hall of Righteousness, Hu Sanchuan's spiked club was stuck in the ground, blood still dripping from its tip. His fat face was shiny with oil as he embraced a bound woman and drank with her. The woman's clothes were torn to shreds, and her exposed arms were covered with whip marks.

Hu Sanchuan stared at Shi Feiyang with his beady green eyes, then suddenly grabbed a bone with meat on it and threw it at him, demanding, "Are you that doctor surnamed Yang? Let me see if this brat can be saved?"

Tu Pengpeng was thrown to the ground, her moon-white shirt soaked in blood. Her Seven Star Sword Manual slipped from her bosom and was snatched away by Hu Sanchuan's men.

Her voice was hoarse, but she still gritted her teeth and cursed, "Let me go! My master is the head of the Seven Star Sword Sect! If you dare to touch me, my master will definitely raze your den of thieves to the ground!" The stubbornness in her eyes was somewhat like that of Su Xiaoman when she was sixteen or seventeen years old.

Shi Feiyang quietly activated his "healing holy method," placing his right hand on Tu Pengpeng's wrist. The yin energy at noon slowly descended along her meridians, merging with the remaining yang energy in her body. He then respectfully said to Hu Sanchuan, "Don't worry, Chief, this... young man only has a dislocated shoulder and broken bones; it's nothing serious."

His left hand appeared to be arranging herbs, but in reality, he was using his "condensed true qi" finger strength to carve a lotus flower on the table—the petals pointed towards the east wall, the direction in which the Seven Star Sword Sect disciples were imprisoned.

Hu Sanchuan suddenly slammed his spiked club onto the table, scattering the herbs from his medicine basket all over the floor. He roared, "Enough nonsense! Heal him! After we're done, I'll give him to the Second Prince of Dali in exchange for ten Tibetan warhorses!"

Shi Feiyang gently twisted his fingertip over Tu Pengpeng's dislocated joint. Under the activation of the "Yin-Yang Harmony" mental technique from the Lotus Sutra, the dislocated bone snapped back into place. Tu Pengpeng groaned in pain, but took the opportunity to write the number "three" in his palm—the number of his imprisoned fellow disciples.

The beautiful young girl, who was suffering, realized—Shi Feiyang was a good person! He had a kind face! His eyes radiated kindness!

He suddenly increased the force of his medicine grinder and said with feigned surprise, "The chieftain has connections with the prince of Dali? I heard that the Duan brothers have been arguing fiercely over a book called 'The Lotus Sutra' recently."

Hu Sanchuan's interest was piqued, and he grabbed the wine jug and took a swig. His beady eyes narrowed into slits as he retorted, "You also know about the Lotus Sutra? The Second Prince Duan said that whoever can get the sutra for him will be appointed as the 'General Manager of Horse Trade' of Dali. At that time, I will be in charge of all the trade routes in the entire southwest!"

As night fell, Shi Feiyang, under the pretext of "changing medicine," followed One-Eyed Dragon to the woodshed where Tu Pengpeng was being held.

Li Tieniu was squatting on a haystack behind the woodshed, silently knocking out two patrolling guards with a move from the "Dog-Beating Stick Technique"—"Beating Two Dogs with a Stick." Seeing Shi Feiyang arrive, Li Tieniu approached and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Beggars' Sect disciples on the east wall are in position. Shall we make our move now?" His green bamboo staff pointed to the night sky, where a shooting star streaked across the sky—the agreed-upon signal.

Shi Feiyang's "Lotus Palm Technique" suddenly struck the wooden lock of the woodshed. The palm wind, like a lotus in full bloom, stirred up the airflow, and the pins inside the lock jumped out on their own. His fingertips touched Tu Pengpeng's ribs, and the white mist of his "Healing Holy Technique" seeped into her body through his fingers. He whispered, "Wait a little longer. Hu Sanchuan hasn't taken out the contact token from Dali yet. We have to 'steal' it."

Tu Pengpeng's face gradually regained its color, and she gritted her teeth and said, "Thank you for saving me, senior. But my three fellow disciples..."

Shi Feiyang comforted them, "They're alright. The Beggars' Clan brothers have already dug a tunnel under the east wall. In a moment, wait for my command. You use the 'Meteor Chasing the Moon' move of the Seven Star Sword Technique to cleave open the fence, and we'll go through the tunnel. This is called 'Golden Cicada Shedding its Shell.'" As he spoke, he used the "Lotus Shadow Illusion" footwork, leaving several afterimages in the woodshed. The hem of his blue cloth shirt swept across the firewood, revealing lotus flowers embroidered with gold thread underneath.

Tu Pengpeng greatly admired Shi Feiyang's wisdom and courage. When she looked at Shi Feiyang, her eyes shone with an unusual light.

……

Just as the clapper sounded at midnight, a fire suddenly broke out in Juyi Hall—Li Tieniu had used a "fire attack" tactic to set fire to Hu Sanchuan's wine cellar.

Hu Sanchuan's roar, the screams of his henchmen, and the crackling of flames mingled together, turning the entire Hulu Village into chaos.

Shi Feiyang unleashed his "Lotus Fury," a fierce palm strike that cleaved open the woodshed door. He took Tu Pengpeng's hand and, with a "lotus-like step" movement, led her through the sea of ​​fire. The air currents generated by his palm strikes parted the flames, creating a path through the wall of fire.

At the entrance to the tunnel beneath the east wall, three disciples of the Seven Star Sword Sect, rescued by the Beggar Clan, were using swords retrieved from the corpses to perform the "Seven Stars in a Row" sword technique to fend off their pursuers. Tu Pengpeng also picked up a sword; its shadow in the moonlight bloomed like a lotus flower, and the "Sword Shadow Lotus" move bore a striking resemblance to Shi Feiyang's "Lotus Sword Technique."

With the tip of her sword, she picked up a brocade box that had fallen from Hu Sanchuan's arms. Inside was a jade pendant engraved with the Dali royal mark. She said to Shi Feiyang, "Senior, please look! This is evidence of their collusion!"

Shi Feiyang glanced at it, said nothing, and suddenly pointed his green bamboo staff at the village gate, where the drawbridge was slowly rising—the Beggars' Sect disciples had used a "stealing the beams and replacing the pillars" trick to replace the drawbridge's mechanism.

He shouted, "Go!" Then he used "True Qi Condensation" to strike the throat of the last pursuer from a distance. As the man clutched his neck and fell to the ground, he saw the hem of Shi Feiyang's blue cloth shirt revealing the edge of a black dragon robe, which gleamed with an icy light in the firelight.

The firelight of Hulu Village illuminated half the sky. Shi Feiyang led the group south along the Shu Road. Tu Pengpeng's Seven Star Sword Technique drew streaks of cold stars in the night, intertwining with Li Tieniu's green bamboo staff and the Beggar Clan disciples' dog-beating sticks.

Shi Feiyang gazed towards Dali in the distance, the brocade box carried on his bamboo cane swaying gently in the wind.

The jade pendant inside reflected the moonlight, resembling ice crystals in the snowy landscape of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun.

As Tu Pengpeng fought her way through the crowd, she observed Shi Feiyang for a while. Sensing that he was disguised and didn't look like an old man, she asked in surprise, "Who exactly are you, senior?" Her sword tip traced a seven-star pattern on the ground. Suddenly, she remembered her master's words: "In the Tang Dynasty, there is a master surnamed Shi who can transform lotuses with his palm." Shi Feiyang's "Concealing Aura" technique dissipated, and his voice regained some of its original clarity. He sincerely said, "When you return to the Seven Star Sword Sect, tell your master that 'Lian Sheng' is thanking him for the fragments of the 'Lotus Sutra' he gave me years ago."

His "Lotus Shadow Illusion" footwork unfolded once more, his figure gradually fading into the morning mist, leaving only a sentence drifting on the wind.

(End of this chapter)