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

Shi Feiyang activated his Mingyu Gong to the "Supreme Forgetfulness: Ice Soul Cold Prison" level, instantly freezing the snow around the field into an ice wall that trapped the Mongol soldiers inside. Standing on the ice wall, his black armor gleaming coldly in the moonlight, he resembled a judge from hell, roaring, "Do you know that buried beneath this land are the bones and blood of Tang soldiers?" The leader of the Mongol soldiers was a burly man who had practiced "Iron Shirt." He laughed wildly and tried to break through the ice wall, but Shi Feiyang's Mingyu Gong's chilling aura froze his path.

Then, Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Viewing the Vast Ocean" move from the "Hundred Victories Saber Technique," crushing the man into countless fragments.

The other Mongol soldiers were so frightened that they knelt down and begged for mercy, but Shi Feiyang closed his eyes and swung his sword to kill them—he didn't want to see their faces, afraid of being reminded of his descendants who had fought for power and profit. The common people didn't know Shi Feiyang's real name; they only called him "Dragon Armor Hero."

They secretly left food for Shi Feiyang through the crack in the door and scattered lime on the roads Shi Feiyang might take to mark the movements of the Mongol soldiers.

There was a blind old woman who waited under the locust tree in the Zichen Palace every day, saying she wanted to mend the "Dragon Armor Warrior's" battle robe.

Every time Shi Feiyang passed by, he would leave some loose silver coins, but he never dared to see the old woman—he feared that his tears would remind her of her deceased loved ones. Since Shi Feiyang returned to Luoyang, the Mongol soldiers had become much more restrained. They couldn't find Shi Feiyang's whereabouts, but for Shi Feiyang, killing them was as easy as turning his hand.

The name "Dragon Armor Hero" gradually spread throughout the Central Plains.

The Mongol generals then asked the powerful martial arts sects "Wuwei Sect" and "Tianying Sect" to help them find Shi Feiyang's whereabouts, promising a large reward to "Wuwei Sect" and "Tianying Sect" if they could get the head of "Dragon Armor Hero".

The remaining snow in Luoyang froze into iron in the first month of the lunar calendar, and the wolf-head banners of Mongol soldiers still hung on the broken pillars of the Zichen Palace ruins.

Shi Feiyang huddled under the broken offering table in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. His Xuanjia armor was wrapped tightly in tattered cloth, with only the tip of his Seven Star Sword occasionally piercing through the fabric, reflecting the pale moonlight outside the eaves. This was his third month back in Luoyang. The reputation of the "Dragon Armor Hero" had struck fear into the hearts of the Yuan soldiers, but it had also attracted the covetous eyes of江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) villains. Outside the offering table came the sound of boots crunching through the snow, lighter than the iron boots of the Mongol soldiers, yet carrying the chilling glint of weapons.

Shi Feiyang's Mingyu Gong quietly circulated, and the jade color on his skin flowed in the shadows. Fine ice seeped from the wood grain of the offering table—he was a member of the "Wuwei Sect." When their "Xuanyin Finger" was cultivated to the seventh level, the sound of their footsteps would reveal the cold air from the Sanyinjiao acupoint.

“That guy is inside.” A hoarse voice came through the crack in the door. It was Gongsun Tu, the leader of the Wuwei Sect. His “Mysterious Yin Finger” had pierced the chests of three anti-Mongol heroes, and the wind from his finger always carried the smell of rotting flesh. Then, he whispered, “The Mongol general promised that if we obtain the head of the Dragon Armor Hero, we will be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold, and we can choose any brothel in Luoyang.”

"Don't worry, Sect Leader," said Vice Sect Leader Ximen Qiaomai, his Poison Sand Palm rustling softly in his sleeve. "Our three hundred disciples have the Imperial Ancestral Temple completely surrounded. Even if he had wings, he would have a hard time escaping."

Shi Feiyang's lips curled into a cold smile. He activated his Mingyu Gong, and in an instant, his entire body was covered in ice crystals. Three of these ice crystals transformed into three rhomboid ice darts. His clothes were coated with "Bone-Dissolving Powder" that he had taken from the Mongol soldiers, and these ice crystal darts were essentially coated with the same powder. Suddenly, the offering table was overturned by a tremendous force. Gongsun Tu's "Mysterious Yin Finger," carrying black energy, pointed directly at Shi Feiyang's heart. Before the finger even arrived, three black holes had already been corroded into the ground.

Shi Feiyang roared, "Well done!" He used the profound lightness skill "Hidden Body and Name" to leap onto the beam like a ghost. The black armor wrapped in tattered cloth unfolded in the moonlight, ice patterns flowing, and three ice darts shot out, accurately hitting the throats of three "Wuwei Sect" disciples.

Their necks froze instantly, and the blood mist they spat out condensed into blood beads in the air, turning into blood ice as they fell.

"Cast the net!" Ximen Qiaomai's Poison Sand Palm struck the beam, and dozens of black nets soaked in anesthetic came from all directions.

Shi Feiyang unleashed his "Shifting Flowers and Jade" divine skill. Just as the net was about to touch his black armor, it suddenly changed direction, binding the twenty disciples beside him into a tangled mess. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shi Feiyang swung his palm and unleashed the "Viewing the Vast Ocean" technique from the Hundred Victories Saber Style. With its icy energy, the fierce palm wind swept across the area, shattering the black net along with the people within it. Ice shards and blood mingled, splattering all over the statue's face.

Gongsun Tu cried out in alarm, "What kind of evil technique is this?" He unleashed his "Mysterious Yin Finger," aiming straight for Shi Feiyang's back. The force of his finger was so powerful that it left three white marks on Shi Feiyang's armor. Shi Feiyang's Bright Jade Skill was rapidly circulating, his skin as transparent as jade. Suddenly, Gongsun Tu's finger was sucked in by a tremendous force—it was the suction force of the Bright Jade Skill's true energy vortex. When he tried to pull his hand away, his finger bones had already been frozen and cracked by the icy air, the "crack" sound being particularly loud in the hall.

Shi Feiyang sneered, "Xuan Yin Finger? What a load of crap!" He suddenly grabbed Gongsun Tu's pulse point with his left hand, and pressed the ice dart between his eyebrows with his right hand, shouting, "Back in Chang'an, I killed someone far more treacherous than you."

His "Shocking Calamity" divine skill was activated instantly, and his icy gaze pierced Gongsun Tu's pupils like a sharp blade. The sect leader screamed, and ice shards spurted from all seven orifices at the same time. His entire body shattered from the center of his brow, eventually turning into ice fragments scattered all over the ground. Only the iron ring of the Xuan Yin Finger was still trembling.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ximen Qiaomai's Poison Sand Palm struck, its palm as black as ink and carrying a deadly poison. Shi Feiyang used his "Shifting Flowers and Jade" divine skill, redirecting the palm force towards the Third Elder of the "Wuwei Sect." The old man's "Entangling Silk Capturing Hand" was about to lock Shi Feiyang's wrist when the Poison Sand Palm struck him squarely in the face, instantly causing his entire face to fester and reveal his stark white skull.

Shi Feiyang sneered, "Vice Sect Leader, what skill!" He spun out an ice dart, severing Ximen Du's right arm. The blood spurting from the severed arm was frozen into blood ice by his Mingyu Gong, and pierced through Ximen Qiaomai's chest like a spear.

The sect leader looked down at the blood-red ice on his chest, black blood gushing from his mouth. He asked in bewilderment, "You...you're not human...you...are you a god?" Before he could finish speaking, his entire body was frozen into an ice sculpture, and then shattered with a crash.

The oil lamp on the offering table was overturned by the force of the air, and the flames licked at the tattered curtains, illuminating the corpses scattered on the ground.

The disciples of the "Wuwei Sect" were so frightened that they could barely hold their swords. Shi Feiyang's "Evil Blood Calamity" was activated in response to his command, and his eyes turned blood red. The nine hundred and fifty disciples closest to him suddenly clutched their throats and vomited blood. The blood flowed through their fingers and turned into blood leeches when it hit the ground, turning back to devour its master.

Moments later, all of these people bled to death, their corpses curled up into shriveled monkey shapes and piled up at the feet of the statue.

Shi Feiyang shouted again, "Who else?" His black armor was soaked in blood, and the blood droplets in the ice patterns condensed into blood diamonds under the effect of Mingyu Gong, emitting an eerie light in the firelight.

The remaining disciples of the "Wuwei Sect" dropped their weapons and fled, only to be intercepted by his "Heavenly Silkworm Skill"—silver-white silkworm threads shot out from his palms, wrapping around their ankles, penetrating three-tenths of an inch into their skin, sealing their Zusanli acupoints. Those people fell to the ground groaning in agony, their internal energy being reversed by the silkworm threads, shattering their heart meridians.

The crossbeam of the Imperial Ancestral Temple suddenly broke, the work of Yin Qiansheng, the enforcement elder of the "Wuwei Sect." Her "Iron Wire Fist" was incredibly powerful, and a single punch smashed down half of the roof. Shi Feiyang leaped up, unleashing the "Flying Dragon in the Sky" move from the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, striking from above and sweeping out. The force of his palm and fist collided, and Yin Qiansheng's right arm broke off at the shoulder, the severed arm still in the posture of a punch.

As she watched the blood gushing from her severed arm freeze into ice, she suddenly laughed shrilly, "Dragon Armor Hero, can you kill them all? The Mongol army... Ah!"

Shi Feiyang's ice dart pierced her throat, and the icy energy spread along her blood vessels, freezing all her internal organs.

Looking at the corpses scattered on the ground, he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest—these people, though they had committed many evils, were still born of parents. If it weren't for the Mongols' enticement, perhaps they wouldn't have ended up like this.

Beneath the tattered black armor, his fingers trembled. This was the first time since returning to Luoyang that he had felt the weight of killing so intensely.

……

In the alleys of Luoyang before dawn, the snow was stained dark red by the smell of blood.

Shi Feiyang was using Mingyu Gong to freeze the wounds of a Mongol soldier when he suddenly heard the sound of weapons clashing from the end of the alley. He used the mysterious lightness skill "Hidden Body and Name" to leap over the low wall and saw seven remnants of the Wuwei Sect besieging a beautiful girl dressed in pink.

The beautiful girl's longsword danced like falling petals, a technique known as the "Falling Petals Swordplay" of the Plum Blossom Gang.

Her "plum blossom needle" flicked from between her fingers, striking the eyes of two villains, but was blocked by the third person's "iron shirt".

The villain lunged forward with a sinister grin, his fist about to touch the beautiful girl's shoulder, when suddenly he screamed in agony—his fist was drawn to his temple by an invisible force, and his brains splattered out, killing him instantly.

The beautiful girl noticed that Shi Feiyang's hands were waving, and she cleverly knew that Shi Feiyang had saved her. She hurriedly said, "Thank you for saving my life, senior!" The beautiful girl's voice was as clear as a silver bell. Her hair was disheveled, and the pearl flowers had fallen into the snow. Her face, which was exposed, had a bit of the charm of Guo Biyu.

Shi Feiyang recognized the plum blossom token on her waist and knew that she was from the Plum Blossom Gang of Jiangnan. This gang was known for its resistance against the Mongols, and its leader, Mei Zhongyang, had a relationship with Guo Jing.

"Young Master, run!" At this moment, the beautiful girl's three followers rushed at the remaining villains. Although their "plum blossom darts" were accurate, they were no match for the opponent's "poisonous sand palm." In a short while, all three fell to the ground, their skin turning black at a visible speed, and the blood bubbles they spat out contained fragments of internal organs.

The beautiful girl's longsword suddenly broke, caused by Qian Baitong, the leader of the "Wuwei Sect," using his "Mighty Eagle Claw Technique."

Qian Baitong's claws tore open her sleeves, revealing her snow-white arms.

He teased, "Little beauty, come back to the main altar with grandpa, and I'll make sure you're happy!" Just as his claws were about to grab the beautiful girl's throat, Shi Feiyang's ice dart pinned him to the wall—the ice dart pierced his palm, freezing him firmly in the crack between the bricks.

Immediately afterwards, Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Evil Blood Calamity" divine skill, his eyes turning bloodshot. Qian Baitong suddenly clutched his stomach and vomited blood. Soon, the stream of blood flowing from his mouth grew thinner and thinner until he shrunk to the size of a monkey, his skin withered like tree bark.

The beautiful girl turned pale with fright, dropped her longsword, and stammered, "You...you...you're Dragon Armor Warrior?"

Shi Feiyang did not answer, but used Mingyu Gong to seal the wound on her arm.

As the icy air seeped in, the beautiful girl winced in pain, but introduced herself: "My name is Mei Qile, the young leader of the Plum Blossom Gang." Looking at the corpses scattered on the ground, her eyes suddenly reddened, and she said sadly, "My father sent me to Luoyang to contact the anti-Mongol righteous men, but I never expected..."

Shi Feiyang pulled a small jade bottle from a mysterious, unseen deerskin pouch at his waist. Inside was the "Shaohuan Pill," a famous life-saving elixir refined by Shaolin. The pill was completely transparent, gleaming with a jade-like color. He said in a low voice, "Taking this will cure all poisons."

His gaze fell on the Mongolian patrol team at the alley entrance, their wolf-head banners appearing and disappearing in the morning mist. He then said with concern, "This place is not safe to stay for long."

Mei Qile took the jade bottle, but did not take it immediately.

She stared at Shi Feiyang's black armor wrapped in tattered cloth, and asked in confusion, "Senior, your martial arts are so high, why do you need to conceal your identity?" Her fingertips traced the ice patterns under his tattered cloth, and she said with curiosity, "The patterns on this armor seem to be... the style of the Tang Dynasty."

Shi Feiyang froze, his nose stung, and he turned to leave.

Mei Qile suddenly grabbed his sleeve: "Senior, don't rush off, okay?"

Shi Feiyang shook his head, gently separated Mei Qile's hand, and used the miraculous "Deeds Done, Departure" lightness skill to instantly disappear into the morning mist.

Mei Qile picked up the plum blossom needle from the ground, looked at the "Lesser Rejuvenation Pill" in the jade bottle, and suddenly clenched her fist—she had to find this Dragon Armor Hero, not only to repay his kindness, but also to find out his relationship with the Tang Dynasty.

The ancient books of the Plum Blossom Gang record a story of an iron-blooded emperor who said his black armor could freeze and his palm strikes could kill.

……

In a dilapidated temple west of Luoyang, cobwebs covered the eye sockets of the Buddha statues.

Mei Qile was healing his injuries with the "Lesser Rejuvenation Pill," and the warmth of the pill had just spread to his dantian when the temple door was suddenly kicked open. Seven men dressed in black eagle-patterned clothing barged in. The leader was Yin Wufu, the nephew of Yin Tianwei, the leader of the "Sky Eagle Sect." His "Eagle Claw Grappling Hand" was notorious in the martial arts world.

Yin Wufu cursed, "Little girl from the Plum Blossom Gang, you've come to my doorstep." His claws instantly crushed the porcelain bowl on the offering table, and he roared, "Your father killed my third uncle, and today you will pay with your life!" The six disciples behind him simultaneously drew their curved swords, the eagle patterns on the blades glowing red in the torchlight.

Mei Qile drew her longsword once more, unleashing the "Falling Blossom Sword Technique" with its "Ten Thousand Plum Blossoms" move, the sword tip trembling like a sea of ​​flowers. Yin Wufu's "Eagle Soaring Through the Sky" claw technique pierced through the air, the claw wind tearing apart all the sword blossoms, his fingertips only inches from her throat.

Mei Qile angrily retorted, "I will avenge my father myself, I don't need your fake kindness!" She fired her "Plum Blossom Needles" in a backhand motion, but Yin Wufu caught them with his sleeve. The villain grinned maliciously and threw the needles back, all three striking Mei Qile's calves. She staggered and fell to the ground, watching helplessly as Yin Wufu's claws came lashing out. Just then, a beam in the dilapidated temple suddenly snapped, and Shi Feiyang's black armor gleamed coldly in the firelight. He used his "Shifting Flowers and Jade" divine skill to deflect Yin Wufu's claws, which instead dug into his own shoulder, so deep that bone was visible.

Yin Wufu screamed and retreated, watching as the wound on his shoulder instantly froze, the chill spreading along his blood vessels, terrifying him to the point of losing his soul.

Yin Wulu, the deputy leader of the "Sky Eagle Sect," rebuked Shi Feiyang: "It's you again, you charlatan!" He hurled a "Thunderbolt Fireball" at him, the fuse of the gunpowder hissing. Shi Feiyang leaped into the air, unleashing the "Flying Dragon in the Sky" move from the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms." The fierce palm wind swept the fireball into the air, blasting a large hole in the temple roof. Debris and flames poured down, smashing two Sky Eagle Sect disciples into a bloody pulp.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Mei Qile shot out a "plum blossom needle," which struck Yin Wulu's wrist. The sect leader's "thunderfire bomb" fell to the ground, severing his own left leg. He clutched his broken leg and howled in pain. The blood at the wound quickly congealed into ice, and his face turned ashen.

Shi Feiyang snorted coldly, and the "Shocking Calamity" divine skill was activated in response. His icy gaze swept over the remaining four disciples. They suddenly covered their eyes, screamed, and rolled on the ground. Their eyeballs popped out of their sockets and turned into ice beads when they hit the ground.

Moments later, the four people's bodies began to shatter, from their limbs to their torsos, and finally turned into ice shards scattered on the ground, with only their clothes still retaining their human form.

Seeing his companion's miserable state, Yin Wufu hurriedly knelt down and begged for mercy: "Great hero, spare my life! The Mongol soldiers sent us. They said if we captured someone from the Plum Blossom Gang, they would give our Heavenly Eagle Sect three thousand taels of silver!" His forehead hit the ground, blood streaming down his face, and he said in a trembling voice, "I will never dare to do it again..."

Shi Feiyang sneered again, "Shameless scoundrel, what face do you have to live in this world?" His "Evil Blood Calamity" was unleashed in response, and black blood suddenly gushed from Yin Wufu's seven orifices. His body shriveled at a visible speed, his skin clinging to his bones, until he shrank into a half-foot-long dried-up monkey, still clutching the claw that had torn his shoulder. Mei Qile witnessed this scene, her stomach churning, but she forced herself not to vomit—she finally understood why the "Dragon Armor Hero" was known in the martial arts world as a ruthless killer; such methods were simply torture from hell.

The sound of Mongol soldiers' horns echoed outside the dilapidated temple, signaling the arrival of reinforcements from the "Wuwei Sect" and "Tianying Sect." Shi Feiyang hoisted Mei Qile onto his back, using his "Thousand Miles Without Leaving a Trace" lightness skill to rapidly merge into the air, the shouts of battle behind him gradually fading into the distance.

Mei Qile pressed close to his back, feeling the vibrations of the Xuanjia Ice Pattern. "Senior, who exactly are you?" Mei Qile's voice trembled, and he asked with curiosity, "Your martial arts do not seem to be from the Central Plains."

Shi Feiyang stopped on the bank of the Luo River. Moonlight shone on the ice, reflecting the image of his black armor—in that reflection, the outline of the Tang Dynasty palace could be vaguely seen. He said sadly, "A person... who has lost his home and country, yet is still guarding the shadow of the past."

Mei Qile stared at his profile, and suddenly an illustration from the Plum Blossom Gang's ancient books flashed into her mind: in the painting, an emperor in black armor stood on the city wall of Luoyang Palace, with a girl in a pale yellow dress beside him. Her heart suddenly raced. It turned out that the records in the ancient books were not fictional. This dragon-armored knight was none other than the Tang Dynasty emperor Shi Feiyang.

In the distance, the torches of the Mongol army camp twinkled like stars.

Shi Feiyang knew that the destruction of the "Wuwei Sect" and the "Tianying Sect" would only invite more persecution.

However, as he held Mei Qile in his arms, he clenched his fists—in this life, he might not be able to protect the Tang Dynasty, but he must protect those who are still fighting, and protect those vibrant and passionate lives.

The ice on the Luo River suddenly cracked, which was caused by Shi Feiyang's Mingyu Gong.

He placed Mei Qile on the ice boat and carved the words "Go to Jiangnan to find Guo Jing" on it with ice darts. The ice boat drifted eastward with the current. Mei Qile looked back and saw Shi Feiyang's black armor gradually shrinking under the moonlight, eventually turning into a black dot and disappearing into the ruins of Luoyang.

Unbeknownst to her, Shi Feiyang was standing on a broken pillar in the Zichen Palace, gazing at the pale dawn in the east.

On his black armor, the ice patterns gradually deepened, where not only the bloodstains of the Mongol soldiers were congealed, but also his longing for the Tang Empire, his regret for the Tang Empire, and his endless love for protecting this land.

Killing can never fill the void in one's heart.

That night, Shi Feiyang killed a group of Mongol soldiers, only to find a teenager among them carrying a Han Chinese peace lock in his pocket.

Shi Feiyang's Seven Star Sword stopped in front of the boy's throat. Suddenly remembering his own early days in the martial world, he cursed angrily, "Get out." He sheathed his sword, his voice as cold as ice, and said chillingly, "Tell your Khan that the Central Plains is not a place for you to stay."

The boy scrambled away, dropping the safety lock on the ground. Shi Feiyang picked it up and discovered that the lock was engraved with the words "Chang'an"—the design he had personally chosen when he recaptured Chang'an. He put the safety lock away and placed it in the mysterious deerskin pouch at his waist, invisible to ordinary people.

Afterwards, he sat on the city wall, looking at the waning moon in the sky, and suddenly felt very tired.

The treasures in the deerskin bag are still there, as are his martial arts skills, but everything he was protecting is gone.

He remembered Li Ruitong always saying, "Husband, power is the strongest liquor; too much of it will drive you crazy."

He didn't believe it then, but now he understands that not only will the drinker go crazy, but the person who brews the wine will also suffer the consequences.

After wandering the Central Plains for half a year, Shi Feiyang's pain gradually subsided, and he unknowingly arrived at Zhongnan Mountain. He heard that there was an ancient tomb there, inhabited by a handsome man and a beautiful woman, so he wanted to go in and hide away for a few days to find some peace and quiet.

That night, as he approached the ancient tomb, he suddenly heard the soft clanging of weapons coming from the woods. The sound was different from the brute force of the Mongol soldiers; it carried a lively rhythm, much like the silk and bamboo music of Jiangnan.

Shi Feiyang's curiosity was piqued, and he used his unparalleled "Thousand Miles Without Leaving a Trace" lightness skill to approach silently, hiding behind an old pine tree to peek.

Under the moonlight, a man and a woman were practicing swordsmanship. The man wore a long black robe and held a long sword. His movements were agile, but his swordsmanship carried an air of arrogance. The tip of the sword sliced ​​through the snow, and the snow particles he stirred up formed a white rainbow around him.

Shi Feiyang's gaze fell on the man's face, and he couldn't help but secretly praise, "What a handsome young man."

The man had sword-like eyebrows that swept into his temples, a high nose bridge, and a hint of untamed joy at the corners of his mouth. His eyes, in particular, shone like cold stars, carrying an indomitable spirit. His handsomeness wasn't the effeminate kind; rather, it possessed the heroic air of a江湖儿女 (jianghu hero, a person of the martial arts world), much like his own younger self, yet with a purer, more genuine quality. Looking at the woman, Shi Feiyang was even more astonished, speechless.

She wore a plain white dress, the hem of which swept across the snow without leaving a trace. Her skin was as white as jade, almost translucent in the moonlight. Her features were exquisite, yet she possessed a cool and aloof air, like a snow lotus atop a snow-capped mountain, beautiful but untouchable. Her swordsmanship was light and agile, the cold glint of her sword tip blending seamlessly with the moonlight—it was Xiaolongnu's "Jade Maiden Swordplay," each move imbued with an ethereal beauty untouched by worldly concerns.

"Guo'er, this 'Flowers and Moonlight' move should be faster." Xiaolongnu's voice was clear and cold like a spring, yet it carried a tenderness towards the man. Her plain white skirt swirled, intertwining with Yang Guo's black robe, like a plum blossom blooming in the snow.

Yang Guo's longsword suddenly swept across, and the resulting gust of wind blew Xiaolongnu's hair up. He reached out and tucked the stray hairs behind her ear, his movements natural and intimate, his eyes full of longing. He was a young man just beginning to experience love, without any of the harshness of the martial world.

Looking at them, Shi Feiyang suddenly thought of himself and Li Ruitong. Back in the Mingsha Mountain, they had fought side by side, caring for each other just as much. But what happened later? Power, country, and hatred, like a dull knife, slowly severed the threads of their bond.

The young couple before him were so innocent and affectionate that Shi Feiyang felt both envious and heartbroken.

“What a perfect couple…” he murmured to himself, his voice choked with emotion.

Yang Guo's handsomeness is like the unpolished edge of a rising sun, untouched by the world's trials; Xiaolongnu's beauty is like the pure, unblemished moon. Their beauty is not isolated, but rather complements and enhances each other, like a sword and its sheath, a zither and its strings—neither can be missing.

At that moment, a dark figure flashed by like a ghost; it was none other than the madman Ouyang Feng.

Shi Feiyang, hiding behind a tree, witnessed Ouyang Feng knock down Xiaolongnu and take Yang Guo away.

Before long, Zhen Zhibing, that scoundrel, approached again with his shifty eyes.

When that scoundrel reached out to cover Xiaolongnu's pretty face with a handkerchief, Shi Feiyang angrily used his "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill. With a flick of his fingertips, Zhen Zhibing, who was taking off his pants, suddenly twisted, as if pulled by an invisible thread, and crashed into a boulder three zhang away with a "bang".

"Ouch!" Zhen Zhibing screamed repeatedly, clutching his crotch and rolling on the ground, his face covered in blood and tears. Xiaolongnu sat up in shock, suddenly realizing what was happening. She angrily threw out her jade bee needles, intending to nail the shameless Zhen Zhibing to death, but Zhao Zhijing, who had arrived at the scene, deflected them with his sword.

Shi Feiyang raised his sleeve to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, thinking to himself: Thank goodness! I, Shi, protected Xiaolongnu's innocence; otherwise, that brat Yang Guo would have been cuckolded for life. This thousand-year-old demon may not be able to protect the vast land, but surely protecting Xiaolongnu's innocence is enough? Hehe! From today onwards, I will no longer conquer empires; I will be Xiaolongnu's bodyguard.

As Zhao Zhijing, that scoundrel, dragged Zhen Zhibing away, Shi Feiyang had already disappeared into the shadows of the trees. Yang Guo returned and was met with Xiaolongnu's angry rebuke. She said that if someone hadn't secretly saved her, her purity would have been defiled by Zhen Zhibing.

Immediately afterwards, the sound of her slapping Yang Guo was as crisp as tearing silk.

"Auntie!" Yang Guo cried out, his voice trembling with sobs. Little Dragon Girl, however, had already leaped out of the woods, her white figure like a kite with a broken string in the moonlight.

Shi Feiyang followed without thinking. He used his unparalleled lightness skill, "Leaving No Trace for a Thousand Miles," to step on the fallen leaves without making a sound.

For three days, Xiaolongnu stood by the stone tablet in front of the ancient tomb, while Shi Feiyang watched over her from the cliff not far away for three days.

He watched as Xiaolongnu used her jade bee needle to carve words on the monument. The handwriting was delicate yet resolute; it was a farewell letter left for Yang Guo.

As she turned to leave, Shi Feiyang noticed that half of a jade pendant was showing in her sleeve—its texture was similar to Li Ruitong's Sun Pendant, except that it was engraved with the Jade Maiden Sword pattern of the Ancient Tomb Sect.

"Thank you for your help that day, senior." Little Dragon Girl suddenly spoke, her voice as calm as still water. She had actually already noticed that someone was following her, but this person had always kept a distance of three zhang, showing neither malice nor greed, which instead aroused her curiosity.

Shi Feiyang emerged from behind the cliff, his ragged clothes making him look like a beggar elder. He said respectfully, "Miss, there's no need for thanks. I just can't stand such sordid things." His gaze fell on her jade pendant, and he suddenly remembered what Li Ruitong always said: a woman's jade pendant hides her most tender thoughts.

The Little Dragon Girl, naturally aloof, nodded slightly and turned to head towards Xiangyang.

Shi Feiyang continued to follow behind. He didn't know why he wanted to protect her. Perhaps it was because her aloofness was just like Li Ruitong when they first met, or perhaps it was because he saw a kind of purity in her that had not been tainted by the world—something he could never find in the Tang Dynasty palace.

Xiaolongnu followed closely behind Zhao Zhijing and Zhen Zhibing, who were participating in the martial arts tournament, while Shi Feiyang kept a close eye on Xiaolongnu.

The three groups were not far apart, but no matter how fast Zhen Zhibing and Zhao Zhijing walked or how high they flew, Xiaolongnu always followed them at a leisurely pace, about thirty feet away. Shi Feiyang also followed about thirty feet behind Xiaolongnu.

Zhen Zhibing and Zhao Zhijing were surprised by Xiaolongnu's martial arts skills, and Xiaolongnu was surprised by Shi Feiyang's martial arts skills.

However, Xiaolongnu could sense that Shi Feiyang meant her no harm.

The town was filled with the fragrance of locust blossoms in late spring. On this day, Xiaolongnu sat by the window in a restaurant, her plain white skirt draped over the bluestone slabs like a newly fallen cloud. The plain noodles in front of her remained untouched, while her jade bee needle twirled between her fingers—this was the first time she had seen so many people since coming down from Zhongnan Mountain. Strands of hair at her temples were ruffled by the wind, revealing earlobes more lustrous than mutton-fat jade.

Thirteen thugs dressed in "Tianyuan Sect" uniforms kicked open the wooden door. The leader, a scarred man, brandished a ghost-headed knife that gleamed coldly in the sunlight. Seeing that Xiaolongnu was as beautiful as a fairy, he walked up to her and flirted, saying, "Young lady, you're so pretty, how about having a drink with me?" The twelve henchmen behind him couldn't contain themselves any longer and reached out to touch Xiaolongnu's cheek. The two characters "Tianyuan" on their sleeves were crooked and covered in grease.

Little Dragon Girl's Pure Heart Sword suddenly slid out from her waist. The sword light was lighter than a locust petal, yet it precisely sliced ​​off the tassel of Scarface's hat.

She was kind and didn't hurt anyone, but she still angrily shouted, "Get out!" Her voice was colder than well water. The tassel on her hat, lifted by the tip of her sword, fell into the bowl of noodles, and the splashed soup condensed into tiny ice beads on the hem of her skirt—this was Shi Feiyang's Mingyu Kung Fu secretly helping her, to prevent the hot soup from staining her clothes.

Scarface slammed his ghost-headed dagger down on the table, instantly splitting it in two. He roared, "You bitch, you won't listen to reason, so you'll have to drink the penalty cup!" He then unleashed his "Mountain-Splitting Blade Technique," aiming a vicious blow at Little Dragon Girl's shoulder. But just half an inch from her clothing, he abruptly changed direction, the hilt slamming heavily into his own nose, causing blood to gush out like a fountain. Several henchmen cried out in unison, "Boss, what happened to you?"

The henchman on the left stepped forward, iron ruler raised. Just as the ruler was about to fall, Scarface stumbled and knocked it aside. The ruler clattered onto the knee of the henchman on the right, who rolled on the ground clutching his leg. Shi Feiyang sat in the corner diagonally opposite, his tattered straw hat pressing down on his brow bone. His fingers, hidden in his sleeve, moved with the "Flower Shifting Jade" divine skill. A thin layer of ice had formed on the blue bricks under the table.

Little Dragon Girl's Pure Heart Sword drew three silver arcs, her fair wrist deflecting the weapons of the henchmen, while Cold Moon Peek forced Scarface to retreat repeatedly. Her gaze swept over the villains who had suddenly turned on each other, her brows furrowing slightly—their actions seemed to be guided by invisible threads, yet she couldn't discern who was behind it all.

She couldn't help but glance at Shi Feiyang, who returned her a smile: Since you're willing to be Xiaolongnu's bodyguard, you must protect her until Yang Guo appears.

Scarface, clutching his bleeding nose, stammered, "These guys are tough! Retreat!" He led his remaining soldiers in a staggering escape. As they passed Shi Feiyang, Shi Feiyang lightly flicked his tattered sleeve, and Scarface suddenly slipped, grabbing a pillar and biting into a mouthful of wood chips, causing the diners in the restaurant to burst into laughter.

Xiaolongnu sheathed her sword, her gaze falling on Shi Feiyang. She asked in surprise, "Was it senior who helped you?" Shi Feiyang picked up his rough porcelain bowl and drank, the wine condensing into tiny ice crystals. He humbly replied, "Miss's martial arts are so advanced; there's no need for others to interfere." His gaze swept over the jade pendant at her waist, where the jade sword pattern gleamed softly in the sunlight. He then advised, "These people are of dubious origin; Miss, you'd better leave as soon as possible."

Xiaolongnu nodded slightly and was about to get up when she saw that the locust tree outside the restaurant was covered with black crows—Jiang Mai, the sect leader of "Tianyuan Sect," along with his deputy Jiang Sheng and elder Jiang Li, were blocking the town's exit.

The three men's "Heart-Locking Palm" technique caused locust blossoms to fall in a flurry, carpeting the ground with a dark purple hue.

Jiang Mai shouted angrily from afar, "You little bitch, you hurt my disciple and you think you can just leave?" His black iron staff slammed on the bluestone slab, the skull on the staff spewing out poisonous smoke, and he threatened, "If you know what's good for you, come back to the main altar with me and become my seventh concubine, or don't blame me for being ruthless!" Behind him, Jiang Sheng had already drawn a soft whip, the tip of which was wrapped with barbs that gleamed with a blue poisonous light in the sunlight.

Xiaolongnu drew her Suxin Sword once more, the white silk tassel of the sword slightly blackened by the poisonous smoke. She said coldly, "I'm looking for Yang Guo, it's none of your business." Although she was innocent to the point of being naive, she knew that she had to fight. She then used the move "Jade Maiden Shuttle" to dodge Jiang Sheng's soft whip, the tip of her sword pointing towards his wrist. However, it was intercepted halfway by Jiang Li's iron claws, the claw wind carrying the smell of rotting flesh.

Jiang Li's iron claws tore open the hem of Xiaolongnu's skirt, revealing her calves, which were as white as carved jade. He said mockingly, "Why not submit to our sect leader? I guarantee you'll live a life of luxury!" The iron claws, carrying the chilling power of the "Heart-Locking Palm," struck Xiaolongnu's heart. Wherever the palm wind passed, the locust flowers withered.

Beneath Shi Feiyang's tattered straw hat, his eyes suddenly turned cold. His Mingyu Gong technique circulated within his sleeve, the chill seeping from between his fingers condensing into icicles on the corner of the table—these people were not only lecherous, but their palm techniques also contained the "Bone-Melting Poison" from the Western Regions, even more insidious than the "Blood Nerve" of the Jin Dynasty. (End of Chapter)