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

On the day the watchtower of Snow Eagle Fortress was completed, Mei Xile's golden thread connected the handprints of the leaders of various tribes together.

Shi Feiyang waved his finger and carved the two characters "同心" (meaning "united hearts") on the plaque. The snow droplets shaken off by the sword fell on Mei Qile's hair and actually bloomed into a real plum blossom.

At this moment, Mei Jinghong, holding the secret letter from Xiangyang, tapped his pipe against the railing and said heavily, "The messenger from the great hero Guo Jing has arrived. He says he wants us to go to Xiangyang to help them attack the Mongol army from both sides."

Shi Feiyang's gaze fell on Mei Qile's swollen belly, where the icy energy of Mingyu Gong was gently protecting the new life inside.

He recalled the years spent in the Divine Dragon Pagoda, and the vows made on the icy shores of the Luo River, and suddenly understood—the so-called resurgence was never about rebuilding a castle, but about protecting those around him who were more important than the empire itself.

Mei Qile's golden thread suddenly wrapped around his wrist, pressing their hands onto the two characters "同心" (meaning "united hearts") on the plaque. Her palm glowed with a red light that blended with his ice patterns, weaving a barrier in this world that was even more indestructible than the Sword Domain.

The medicinal herb fields on Qingluan Peak welcomed their third snowfall, and Mei Qile was leading thirty Jurchen women to dry angelica root.

Her deerskin coat was stained with medicinal residue, but gold thread tied the curved knife at the woman's waist into a peace knot. The women who originally only knew how to shoot the medicinal seedlings with arrows were now humming the tune of "Rainbow Feather Dress Dance" with her.

A Jurchen girl with braids asked in broken Mandarin, "Young Master, can this medicinal root really be exchanged for a Mongol warhorse?"

Shi Feiyang laughed, "The Tibetan lamas love to stew snow lotus with angelica. One horse can be exchanged for ten catties. We've made a profit." Just as his fingertips touched the medicinal seedlings, Mei Qile's golden thread wrapped around his wrist and placed a piece of warm jade in his palm—the jade was scalding hot from being warmed by her, and the words "Nian Tang" were engraved on it.

Mei Qile suddenly tiptoed and used the silver scissors at the end of the gold thread to cut away the snowflakes in his hair, saying warmly, "Yesterday, Nianfu said she wanted to paint your black armor on the medicinal herb field. She secretly used rouge to paint your ice patterns, which are even more beautiful than the palace powder of Chang'an."

Shi Feiyang's Adam's apple bobbed, and the frost-like vapor that had formed in his lungs suddenly melted away.

He thought of the peach blossom wine brewed by Biyan in the Divine Dragon Pagoda, and the sword tassel fluttering on the city wall of Xiangyang, but he felt that neither could compare to the temperature of her fingertips at this moment—that temperature climbed up along the golden thread, even making the dragon patterns on the Xuanjia armor blush red.

As dusk fell, Zhuque returned carrying a hundred carts of grain. Mei Qile wrapped her golden thread around the foremost grain sack, and on the barley cakes peeking out of the sacks, plum blossoms were drawn with ghee. Her nose brushed against Shi Feiyang's black armor as she excitedly said, "They were made by the surrendered Mongol soldiers from Black Stone Village. They said that following the young leader meant getting cakes to eat, which was better than being a 'Blood Eagle Guard'."

Shi Feiyang's "Golden Eyes" swept across the distant beacon tower, where the guards were singing "Chilichuan" in both Chinese and Mongolian. He grasped Mei Qile's hand, pressed her fingertips against his heart, and said with emotion, "Listen, the pulse here is more real than the domain of 'Sword Twenty-Three'."

Mei Qile's golden thread wrote the character "home" in his palm, and a bead of blood seeped from his fingertip, spreading across the ice patterns. He said warmly, "Father said that all 70,000 disciples of the Plum Blossom Gang consider this place their home." Shi Feiyang nodded, feeling a warmth in his heart.

In the newly built school, Mei Qile stood below the stage, holding Shi Nianfu in her arms. The child's hands clapped the bamboo slips of the Analects, his voice tinged with Jurchen. Shi Feiyang watched the children of various ethnicities reading together under the plaque bearing the character "Tang," and suddenly understood—the so-called empire was never built with city bricks, but with the hearts of the people. Mei Qile's golden thread wrapped around his waist, pulling him toward the watchtower. The medicinal fields of Qingluan Peak shimmered silver in the moonlight, the new shoots of angelica growing with snowflakes on their tips, just like her fingertips clutching his sleeve on the icy shore of the Luo River years ago.

Her voice was as soft as melting snow as she said tenderly, "Nian Tang said he wanted to learn your 'Mountain Splitting Technique.' I taught him the starting stance of 'Falling Petals Palm,' but he insisted on using your sword stance, saying that's how he resembles his father."

Shi Feiyang nodded and said, "Let's go to Chang'an in the spring."

Mei Qile shook her head and said, “I won’t go. No matter how beautiful the peonies in Chang’an are, they can’t compare to the sweet plum blossoms of Liaodong. Husband, let’s go to Xiangyang! Home is warm, but staying at home for too long will wear down your fighting spirit. If we hold Xiangyang, the people of the Central Plains will still have a foothold. If we lose Xiangyang, the whole world will be trampled by the Mongol cavalry.”

Hearing his wife's generous and passionate words, Shi Feiyang's head was buzzing. He nodded with tears in his eyes, and then used his unparalleled lightness skill, "Leaving No Trace for a Thousand Miles," to fly towards Xiangyang.

The Vermilion Bird, carrying the White Tiger, flew high into the sky and also flew to Xiangyang to assist Shi Feiyang and help Guo Jing protect Xiangyang.

A new plaque has been added to the arrow tower of Xiangyang City. The three large characters "Jingwu Gate" were written by Guo Jing himself, and the powerful strokes of his brush made the plaque tremble slightly. Huang Rong's dog-beating stick tapped rapidly on the city bricks, the tip of the stick carrying the roster sent by Mei Qile, the ink still carrying the dampness of the Luo River.

She said sadly, "I heard that Shi Feiyang is coming to Xiangyang. There are actually thirty-seven gangs in the martial arts world coming to Xiangyang to seek revenge." Her silver hairpin traced the three characters "Kunlun Sect" and she cursed angrily, "That old fox He Jingang actually dares to collude with the enemy."

Guo Jing's iron bow was aimed directly at the Mongol camp outside the city. The arrowheads of the black iron arrows were covered in white frost—that was the icy energy brought by Shi Feiyang's disciples from the Plum Blossom Gang, which allowed the arrowheads to penetrate three layers of iron armor.

He said in a deep voice, "Rong'er, pass on my order to thoroughly investigate disciples from all sects who have entered Xiangyang, especially those from the Kunlun Sect."

Guo Fu's Qingfeng sword suddenly shot out from behind the arrow tower, its tassel entwining around Huang Rong's Dog-Beating Stick. She asked anxiously, "Mother, when will Shi Laoyao return?"

She still clutched the fragment of the ice-carved rose tightly in her hand, which hadn't melted in the warm wind of Xiangyang. She exclaimed, "Miss Mei said he killed the leader of the Black Wind Sect in Luoyang. He was truly incredibly brave!"

Huang Rong said cryptically, "You silly girl, where are you keeping your worries? This happened so many years ago! How many times have you told your mother about it?" Guo Fu's pretty face immediately turned red, and she lowered her head shyly.

Huang Rong sighed again, "Alas! In three months, the Mongol Khan will personally lead the expedition to Xiangyang. If Shi Laoyao is truly capable, he should appear at this moment."

Just then, Lu Youjiao came running up breathlessly to report: "The Mongols' 'flying cannons' have been transported to Shili Slope. They are ten times more powerful than the five wheels of the Golden Wheel Monk back then."

Shi Feiyang swooped down, his "Golden Eyes" scanning the cannon barrels on Shili Slope, and decisively said, "We'll destroy it tonight."

Guo Jing and Huang Rong were stunned.

Lu Youjiao stepped forward excitedly, saying, "Master Shi, we've finally been waiting for you! Oh, by the way, the gunpowder will spontaneously combust when it comes into contact with beeswax. Oh, by the way! Miss Guo is waiting for you at the arrow tower." Shi Feiyang decisively replied, "I'd better go and dismantle the Mongol soldiers' flying cannons first!" With that, he used his unparalleled "Thousand Miles Without Leaving a Trace" lightness skill and disappeared into the twilight. Just then, Guo Fu chased after the little beggar to the temple gate, raised her Qingfeng sword, and roared to the sky, "Old Shi! Where have you been? My mother said she wanted to celebrate your victory! The Black Wind Cult has been wiped out, and you have made a great contribution!"

Shi Feiyang's moon-white brocade robe swayed in the twilight, revealing the outline of his black armor. He said loudly, "I'll drink the celebration wine for the young lady after I dismantle the flying cannon." With that, he vanished into thin air.

When the Kunlun Sect's men arrived in Xiangyang, they brought twelve sedan chairs with snow-capped mountain patterns embroidered on the curtains that gleamed silver in the sunlight.

He Jingang's "Winter Plum Sword" tassel lightly swept across the Xiangyang city gate, the tip of the sword deliberately striking the "Jingwu Gate" plaque, shaking off the dust, and he shouted loudly: "Hero Guo, I, He Jingang, have come here to help defend Xiangyang."

Guo Jing suddenly raised his iron bow, the arrowhead of the black iron arrow pointing directly at the first sedan chair: "I appreciate Headmaster He's sincerity. Xiangyang City is too small to accommodate the twelve sedan chairs of the Kunlun Sect."

Huang Rong flung her dog-beating stick, the tip of which knocked something out of the sedan curtain and onto the ground—a wolf's fang, the symbol of the Black Wind Cult.

She added sarcastically, "Sect Leader He, this thing is quite unique. Is it the Mongolian 'Broken Camp' hidden inside?"

The twelve sedan chairs exploded simultaneously, and the Kunlun disciples hidden inside quickly drew their longswords. The wolf head insignia on the scabbards were identical to those of the Black Wind Cult. He Jingang's "Winter Plum Sword Technique" suddenly turned towards Guo Jing's back, and the poisoned needles in the sword tassels, carrying a blue mist, shot towards Huang Rong's face—this was a poison technique he had learned from the Black Wind Cult, capable of killing on contact with blood.

Guo Fu cursed angrily, "Shameless!" She suddenly stood in front of Huang Rong with her Qingfeng sword, but Guo Jing quickly pushed her aside. Guo Jing then slapped her with his palm, knocking He Jingang's sword off course and dispersing the poisonous mist and needles.

Guo Fu then emerged from behind Guo Jing and angrily berated He Jingang: "My father treated you well, yet you repay kindness with enmity!"

Just then, the poison needles that He Jingang fired again were suddenly drawn by an invisible force to the Kunlun disciples next to him. Those people screamed and fell to the ground, their faces as blue as a frozen lake.

But Shi Feiyang returned, flying out from the crowd. His sleeves drew a silver arc in the air as he used the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" technique to draw away He Jingang's poison needles.

Just as He Jingang's sword tip was about to touch Guo Jing's throat, it suddenly turned to his own abdomen. As the blade passed through his body, he saw the black armor patterns peeking out from under Shi Feiyang's tattered straw hat, and suddenly realized something: "It's you... from the Black Wind Cult..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was struck by Shi Feiyang's "Shocking Calamity" divine skill, and his head was frozen into ice shards.

Shi Feiyang, known for his ruthless and decisive nature, coldly declared, "Those who treason shall die!"

"Having fought a hundred battles in the yellow sands, he wears golden armor; Shi Lang's ingenious plan brings peace to the world!" The people of Xiangyang City suddenly cheered. They recognized "Dragon Armor Hero" and threw the steamed buns in their hands at the Plum Blossom Gang disciples.

Guo Fu happily took Shi Feiyang's hand and went home. When Da Wu and Xiao Wu saw this, their eyes blazed with fury, and their bulging eyeballs almost fell to the ground.

Guo Jing and Huang Rong exchanged a smile, finally breathing a sigh of relief. They were truly worried that Guo Fu wouldn't be able to escape Yang Guo's shadow. Now it seemed they no longer needed to worry.

The candlelight in the Marshal's Mansion illuminated the table full of delicacies. Guo Fu tugged at Shi Feiyang's sleeve and pulled him toward the head seat.

Her pale yellow skirt brushed against Lu Youjiao's dog-beating stick, and the resulting gust of wind swept up the osmanthus cake on the table, which landed right in Shi Feiyang's palm.

Guo Fu scolded playfully, "Sit down quickly!" She pinched Shi Feiyang's hand with her fingertips, leaving a faint red mark. The force was a little girl's spoiled manner, but her eyes shone with a light brighter than candlelight. She then said affectionately, "This dish, 'Jade Flute, Who Hears the Falling Plum Blossoms,' was made by me personally. Would you like to try it?"

Her silver chopsticks pierced through the four strips of meat, precisely picking out the tenderest piece without even splashing sauce onto Shi Feiyang's moon-white brocade robe. Guo Fu's hand reached under the table and grasped Shi Feiyang's hand. Her palms were damp with fine sweat, even hotter than the July heat of Xiangyang.

Suddenly remembering something, she took out a brocade pouch from her sleeve, which contained dried peach petals, and said, "This is new tea from Peach Blossom Island. My mother said that brewing it can relieve the coldness in your Xuanjia."

Huang Rong lightly flicked the dog-beating stick under the table, and Guo Jing laughed heartily. A drop of wine from his beard dripped onto the beef. He hurriedly helped Shi Feiyang out of his embarrassment, smiling and saying, "Brother Shi, please don't be offended. My daughter... my daughter is just impatient."

His gaze swept over Guo Fu's hand, which was constantly putting food on Shi Feiyang's plate, and the wine in the iron bowl suddenly rippled.

Lu Youjiao's pipe struck the ground, sparks flying, and the ash from the pipe landed on the tip of Shi Feiyang's boot. He praised, "Miss Guo's craftsmanship is even more heartwarming than the Beggars' Sect's 'Jade Dew Nectar'."

He suddenly raised his voice so that all the heroes in the hall could hear him, and laughed, "Back in the day, when Master Guo was pursuing Chief Huang, he didn't receive this kind of treatment!"

Guo Fu's ears turned bright red, but she stubbornly held a whole beggar's chicken to Shi Feiyang's mouth and said arrogantly, "Eat yours!"

Her sword suddenly flashed, not to injure anyone, but to slice open the fattest part of the chicken's skin. The arc of the sword light as it cut across the chicken bone was just as sharp as the move she used to stab the Mongol soldier atop Xiangyang City, only this time the blade was imbued with a sweet, honeyed aura.

Da Wu and Xiao Wu clenched their fists under the table until they turned white; Wu Dunru's chopsticks snapped in two with a "crack"; and Wu Xiuwen's knuckles turned blue from gripping his wine cup so tightly. Guo Fu, however, seemed oblivious, still gazing tenderly at Shi Feiyang. Huang Rong's eyes lingered on her daughter and Shi Feiyang's overlapping sleeves, and she asked slyly, "Brother Shi, what do you think of this method of defending the city compared to Liaodong?"

Before Shi Feiyang could speak, Guo Fu interrupted, "Of course Xiangyang is better! The watchtower here is two zhang higher than that of Snow Eagle Fortress." Suddenly, she lowered her voice and whispered, "I drew a blueprint of the watchtower, with the most suitable spot for you to meditate marked on it."

Shi Feiyang's black armor, adorned with ice patterns, gleamed faintly. Looking at the mountain of food piled in his bowl, he suddenly remembered the dried venison Mei Qile had made for him in Liaodong. Guo Fu's affection was like the blazing sun of Xiangyang, so direct that no one could hide from it; while Mei Qile's tenderness was like the snow of Liaodong, silently filling his heart.

Guo Jing shouted, "Fu'er! Don't be rude!"

Guo Fu suddenly tiptoed and tucked a peach blossom petal into Shi Feiyang's ear. Her hair brushed against his neck, and her voice was as soft as the spring waters of Jiangnan: "Tomorrow I'll take you to see the moat of Xiangyang. The lotus flowers there are more beautiful than those on Peach Blossom Island." The tassel of her green sword wrapped around the sash of his black armor, tying a knot that only the two of them understood, and she said affectionately, "My mother said this knot is called 'Eternal Union'."

Amidst the laughter filling the hall, Shi Feiyang looked at his reflection in Guo Fu's eyes, and at her disheveled appearance as she almost spilled the whole bowl of soup trying to pick up a piece of tofu for him. He suddenly understood why the Sunflower Saintess said, "Love is the most tormenting thing"—it turns out that even the most powerful martial arts can never protect a wildly beating heart.

When Guo Fu finally stopped eating, Shi Feiyang's bowl was piled higher than the table. Suddenly remembering something, she took a hand warmer from her sleeve, put it in his arms, and said tenderly, "It's cold guarding the city tower at night, take this with you."

The mandarin ducks embroidered on the stove, one wearing black armor and the other holding a green sword, have crooked stitches, clearly indicating that the embroiderer is a beginner.

After dinner, Huang Rong deliberately arranged for Guo Fu to lead Shi Feiyang on a patrol of the city, and to take a medicine box to treat the wounded soldiers. The two of them arrived hand in hand in front of a dilapidated temple, where suddenly the sound of clashing weapons came from inside, faster than the wind.

Shi Feiyang pulled Guo Fu into his arms, using his mysterious "Hidden Identity and Name" lightness skill to press himself against the wall, tossing the medicine box into the haystack. The torches inside the temple illuminated more than a dozen figures—Tibetan Tantric warriors—who were using the "Great Handprint" to smash the wounded soldier's head, splattering brain matter onto the gold paint of the Buddha statue.

Guo Fu cursed angrily, "These bastards!" Her Qingfeng sword was instantly drawn, but Shi Feiyang grabbed her wrist.

His "golden eyes" swept over the token at the warrior's waist. It belonged to the private army of the Tubo Grand Master, who was taking advantage of the night to slaughter wounded soldiers in an attempt to weaken Xiangyang's fighting strength.

He leaned close and whispered, "Wait." He traced the character "忍" (endure) in her palm with his fingertip, then added, "Their scimitars are coated with 'Dissolving Power Powder'."

The Tibetan warrior's "great handprint" suddenly turned towards the hidden door behind the Buddha statue, where three heavily wounded Dali warriors were concealed. The leader grinned maliciously and clapped his hand out, black energy emanating from his palm, and said chillingly, "Duan Zhixing's dogs dare to help the Han people defend the city!"

Guo Fu could no longer restrain herself with her Qingfeng sword. The sword flashed like lightning, severing the warrior's wrist tendon in one strike. She then shouted, "Dali is an ally of my Great Song Dynasty. How dare you be so presumptuous!" With a swing of her sword, she split the Tibetan wolf head in two.

Shi Feiyang's sleeves fluttered in the wind as he used the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" technique, cleverly diverting the palm strikes of the other two warriors towards each other with his overflowing internal energy.

The two men's "Great Handprint" struck the other man squarely in the chest, the spurting black blood colliding in mid-air and splattering all over Guo Fu. She remained unfazed, her swordsmanship growing ever more ferocious, forcing the remaining warriors to retreat step by step.

"What a fine daughter of the Guo family!" A Dali warrior in the corner suddenly shouted in admiration, the sword energy of the Six Meridians Divine Sword shooting out from his fingertips, striking the last warrior in the throat. His Duan family brocade robe was stained with blood, but he bowed to Guo Fu in gratitude: "I am Duan Zhengyou, thank you for saving me, young lady." Guo Fu's cheeks suddenly flushed red, and as she sheathed her sword, she noticed that Shi Feiyang's sleeve was wiping the bloodstains on her shoulder.

"Thank you... thank you, Prince Duan." Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, a stark contrast to her earlier fierceness. Shi Feiyang said in a low voice, "It's time to go. Madam is waiting for your reply." He picked up his medicine chest, his robe sweeping across the wolf-head token on the ground, crushing the fragments to dust.

As they walked out of the dilapidated temple, the moon suddenly peeked out from the clouds, illuminating Guo Fu's pretty face. Bloodstains still clung to her eyelashes, frozen into tiny red ice crystals. Shi Feiyang couldn't help but reach out to wipe them away, but she turned her head away.

"Shi Laoyao," Guo Fu's voice was as soft as moonlight, "you...you really don't think I'm annoying?"

Shi Feiyang gazed at her and said affectionately, "Being able to protect the people you cherish is never something to be hated." He recalled the ashes of the Tang Dynasty palace and said with emotion, "It's far better than those things that couldn't be protected."

Guo Fu suddenly shoved the Qingfeng sword into his hand, turned and ran into the city. Her pale yellow skirt spread out in the moonlight, like a startled butterfly.

Shi Feiyang gripped the sword, its hilt still warm from her presence, more fiery than the ice-carved rose, more intense than the flames of war in Xiangyang. Before the Buddha statue in the dilapidated temple, Duan Zhengyou watched their retreating figures, then suddenly laughed at the warrior beside him, "That beggar's eyes are even more sincere than Yang Guo's." His Six Meridians Divine Sword's energy ignited a torch, illuminating the "Covenant between Dali and the Song Dynasty" hidden behind the Buddha statue; the ink shimmered with the light of loyalty in the firelight.

Shi Feiyang held Guo Fu's sword, standing in the moonlight outside the dilapidated temple. He knew he couldn't hold this sword for long, but as long as he could escort its owner a little further, he would be willing to do so even if her sword were pointed at his chest in the future.

The wind in Xiangyang carried the stench of blood, but it could not dispel the warmth in his palm, a bond that belonged to this lifetime.

With the Mongol army besieging Xiangyang, Shi Feiyang was no longer the ragged "Old Man Shi" who served by Guo Fu's side. Guo Jing witnessed the exquisite skill he displayed in "Shifting Flowers and Jade" and his mastery of military strategy, so he invited him to join the army as a staff officer and respectfully called him "Hero Shi".

At this moment, Shi Feiyang's black armor was still hidden in his bag. On ordinary days, he would wear a soldier's armor, and his Seven Star Sword would be disguised as an ordinary iron sword. The red silk tassel of the sword was always wrapped around his wrist—it was a new silk thread that Guo Fu had secretly changed for him, which was more flexible than before.

Guo Fu's pale yellow battle robe was stained with blood as she shouted from afar, "Feiyang, the catapults at the North Gate are about to give way!" Her Qingfeng sword was wrapped with strips of cloth, indicating that she had just been injured.

When Da Wu and Xiao Wu were seriously injured while guarding the West Gate, she volunteered to guard the North Gate. Although she was still impatient, her swordsmanship became more and more precise.

Shi Feiyang was setting up oil barrels on the city wall when he heard Guo Fu's words. He immediately leaped down, using his "Thousand Miles Without Leaving a Trace" lightness skill to traverse the rain of arrows and land beside Guo Fu. He used his iron sword to deflect the wolf-tooth arrows fired by the Mongol soldiers towards the city wall. Just as the arrowheads embedded themselves in the brickwork, he suddenly grasped Guo Fu's injured wrist and said with concern, "The wound is deep. Let's go back to the rear tent to treat it."

Guo Fu broke free from his grasp, used the tip of her sword to knock down a Mongol soldier who had scaled the city wall, and said defiantly, "I'm not going back! My parents are fighting a bloody battle at the East Gate, how can I back down?"

Shi Feiyang pulled her back, using his palm as a sword, and unleashed "Sword Twenty-Three," enveloping both of them in a domain of sword energy.

At this moment, the Mongol army's "Huihui cannons" bombarded the city tower. Amidst the flying bricks and stones, the sword energy field remained as solid as an impenetrable wall, and Shi Feiyang and Guo Fu were unharmed. His iron sword and Guo Fu's Qingfeng sword accidentally clashed, and the red silk tassel of his sword became entangled in her hilt, forming a knot that was difficult to untie.

Shi Feiyang tore off a corner of his battle robe to bandage Guo Fu's wound, his movements even more meticulous than when he treated Li Ruitong's sword wound years ago.

He said tenderly, "If anything happens to you, how can I face General Guo? Listen, Miss Guo, your life belongs not only to you, but also to Xiangyang—your father needs you, and we all need you."

Guo Fu's face was flushed in the firelight; this was the first time she had heard the usually silent "Master Shi" speak so frankly.

She suddenly remembered that day on the pleasure boat when he said, "I've found something to care about." It turned out that the thing he cared about was related to her.

After bandaging Guo Fu's wounds, Shi Feiyang swayed and broke out of the sword energy domain. He then used the "Ten Thousand Blades Piercing the Clouds" divine skill from the Sacred Heart Manual. Based on his own icy power, he raised his palm, turning ice into a blade, and shot straight into the sky. It pierced through the clouds and pierced diagonally through the back of the three thousand Mongol soldiers with the "Huihui Cannon," freezing the three thousand enemy soldiers and freezing the "Huihui Cannon" into ice.

The soldiers and civilians of Xiangyang cheered again: "Having fought a hundred battles in the yellow sands, wearing golden armor, Shi Lang's brilliant plan brings peace to the world!"

This time, Huang Rong was the one leading the shouts!

The Mongol army was forced to retreat thirty miles.

During a night patrol, Guo Fu saw Shi Feiyang sitting alone on the city wall, carving words on bricks with an iron sword. In the moonlight, she could see that it was the four characters "Wealth doesn't last three generations," the strokes vigorous yet tinged with sorrow.

"What are you writing?" she asked softly, her footsteps crunching on the snow.

Shi Feiyang sheathed his iron sword and said sadly, "I'm thinking about how to make this world a place where there are no more brothers killing each other."

His gaze fell on the Mongol camp outside Xiangyang City, and he said thoughtfully, "I used to think that power could bring peace, but I later realized that true peace is like General Guo, fighting for those you protect."

Guo Fu held his hand; his palm was calloused, yet unusually warm.

She said affectionately, "No matter what the future holds, I will defend Xiangyang with you." Her fingertips caressed the red silk on his wrist, and she said tenderly, "This silk thread was made by my mother using Shu brocade. She said it can ward off evil spirits... and also bind our fate together."

Shi Feiyang excitedly embraced Guo Fu, then flew onto the Qiankun tent on the back of the Vermilion Bird, overjoyed and blissfully intoxicated. The Vermilion Bird soared among the blue sky and white clouds, occasionally letting out a long cry, as if blessing the perfect couple.

The following evening, the two awoke from their drunken stupor. The Vermilion Bird carried them as it flew diagonally down. Shi Feiyang, with Guo Fu in his arms, emerged from the Qiankun tent and leaped onto the city wall of Xiangyang. Reluctantly, they parted ways, each returning to their own home.

Seeing Guo Fu return unharmed, Guo Jing and Huang Rong were somewhat relieved. The couple wanted to ask Guo Fu if she had gone with Shi Feiyang to scout the enemy's situation the previous night, and how the scouting had gone. However, Guo Fu had already returned to her room and closed the door.

After returning to her room, Guo Fu slept for a full day and night before recovering from her exhaustion. That evening, she ate dinner alone, bathed and changed, and went out to inquire about her parents from her maid. The maid told her that her master and mistress had gone to help Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu deal with matters concerning the Ancient Tomb Sect and the Quanzhen Sect.

Guo Fu felt immense pressure, realizing that the heavy responsibility of defending the city had fallen on Shi Feiyang's shoulders.

Moonlight spilled over the glazed tiles of the general's mansion, and her Qingfeng sword leaned against the pear wood table.

At this moment, Shi Feiyang came in, and Guo Fu got up affectionately and stuffed the last piece of osmanthus cake into Shi Feiyang's mouth. Her fingertips were still covered with sugar frosting, which he gently licked off with his tongue—the texture was softer than the candied fruit from Peach Blossom Island.

Guo Fu's ears flushed red instantly. As she turned, the hem of her skirt brushed against his black armor, and the dragon pattern within the ice-patterned armor seemed to glow with a peach-blossom hue. She nestled in Shi Feiyang's arms and whispered to him about her parents' aid to Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu, then added with considerable worry, "Tomorrow we're going to patrol the city. The protective amulet I sewed for you isn't finished yet. Right now, you, my husband, are the only truly powerful general in Xiangyang. Be careful!"

Shi Feiyang gently parted her and said, "Don't worry, Madam, this isn't my first time fighting a war!"

Guo Fu interrupted him, saying in a spoiled manner, "Call me Fu'er!"

She tiptoed and tied the sash embroidered with twin lotus blossoms around his waist, the knot more secure than the barbican of Xiangyang. Her pretty face flushed red as she said affectionately, "My father calls my mother Rong'er, Yang Guo calls Xiaolongnu Aunt, so you have to call me Fu'er!"

The silvery sound struck the palace lanterns under the corridor, shattering into golden light scattered on the ground.

"Mmm!" Shi Feiyang nodded vigorously, then put his arm around Guo Fu and went to Guo Fu's boudoir, reveling in their honeymoon.

……

As the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, Shi Feiyang's black armor was already adorned with peach blossoms. Guo Fu's gold thread wrapped ninety-nine times around the dragon pattern, finally tying a love knot, and she said tenderly, "That way, when you leave the city gate, I can see you from the city tower."

Shi Feiyang suddenly understood why the Sunflower Saintess said, "Love is the most tormenting thing"—it turned out that even the most powerful martial arts couldn't stop the fire she had stuffed into his heart. He pulled Guo Fu into his arms, kissed her, and then turned and left.

……

The creaking sound of the Guo Mansion's gate hinges turning had barely faded when Shi Feiyang's black armor was already bathed in the first rays of dawn. The dragon-patterned ring at his waist gleamed faintly; the "net of heaven and earth" he had laid out last night according to Sun Tzu's Art of War was now quietly tightening with the creaking of the city gate opening.

Lu Youjiao's Beggar Clan disciples had already mingled behind the vegetable stalls at the morning market, while Mei Jinghong's Plum Blossom Gang members had transformed into water carriers and woodcutters. Even Qu Kan, the leader of the Sun Moon Divine Cult, had set up a fortune-telling stall on a street corner under the guise of a fortune teller.

"Husband, wait!" Guo Fu's melodious voice came from inside the door. She ran to him carrying a food box, and the peach blossom that Shi Feiyang had pinned in her hair the night before was still tucked in her hair. Guo Fu's heart was filled with unease as she did not see Shi Feiyang for half an hour.

She caught up with Shi Feiyang and said tenderly, "Husband, this is freshly baked hibiscus cake. Have some while you're on patrol."

Her fingertips touched the ice patterns on his black armor, and suddenly she remembered something. She took out a pair of wrist guards embroidered with twin lotus flowers from her sleeve and said warmly, "Mother said you always use your palm strikes, so you should protect your wrists."

Shi Feiyang pulled her into his arms, the sweet scent of peach blossom cake filling his nostrils.

He looked at the dark circles under her eyes and said affectionately, "Stay home and be good, don't run around." Guo Fu scolded her stubbornly, "Who wants to run around?" Her Qingfeng sword suddenly came out of its sheath, the tassel wrapped around his wrist, and she said with a clang, "I'll go with you! It's a good time to try out the 'Yue Nu Sword Technique' I practiced yesterday."

Before the words were finished, a sharp sound of shattering porcelain suddenly came from West Street, followed by a woman's terrified scream—it was the warning signal agreed upon by the Beggars' Gang.

Shi Feiyang's black armor suddenly turned blue with ice patterns. He pushed Guo Fu into the doorway and shouted, "Go back!" He used his unparalleled lightness skill, "Leaving No Trace for a Thousand Miles," and shot towards the street corner like an arrow. Where his black armor swept past, the morning frost actually condensed into ice flowers.

In front of the silk shop on West Street, more than thirty thugs had overturned the stalls.

The leader, "Soul-Severing Blade" Li Tianxiao, kicked a flower seller to the ground. The wolf head tattoo of the Black Wind Cult on his back gleamed fiercely in the morning light. He grinned maliciously and said, "Where is that brat Shi Feiyang? With Guo Jing and Huang Rong gone, this Xiangyang City is ours!"

"Is that so?" Shi Feiyang's voice came from the icy mist. The dragon patterns on his black armor moved in the morning sun, and the icy aura emanating from his body had already caused the surrounding temperature to drop by three points.

He said coldly, "The remnants of the Black Wind Demon dare to run wild in Xiangyang?" Li Tianxiao's Soul-Severing Blade suddenly slashed out, the blade wind carrying poisonous mist, and he cursed angrily, "Boy, you're courting death! Taste my 'Bone-Melting Blade'!" Behind him, Qian Tong, the "Poisonous Scorpion Palm," and Mo Qing, the "Soul-Chasing Dart," attacked at the same time, their palm winds and dart shadows weaving a deadly net, which was actually the Black Wind Sect's "Three Yin Soul-Snatching Formation."

Shi Feiyang unleashed his "Shocking Calamity" divine skill, his icy gaze sweeping across Qian Tong's face. The vicious man's poisonous palm, which was about to strike, suddenly froze, ice flowers rapidly condensing in his pupils. Then, his entire body shattered into ice shards scattered on the ground with a "crack," without even uttering a sound.

"Something's wrong!" Li Tianxiao exclaimed in surprise, his sword strike faltering as he suddenly sensed something amiss—the vegetable vendors and woodcutters around him had all stood up straight, Lu Youjiao's dog-beating stick was tapping on the stone steps, Mei Jinghong's golden thread was wrapped around the eaves, and even the fortune teller Qu Kan had put away his divination stall, revealing the Sun Moon Sect token at his waist.

Shi Feiyang lectured, "Sun Tzu's Art of War says, 'Make the real appear real, and the real appear empty.' Do you think Xiangyang City is a weak point without Guo Jing and Chief Huang? Heh heh!" He then unleashed his "Nine Palaces Divine Leg," a 360-degree spinning kick that created an ice wave that turned the five thugs into ice sculptures.

Suddenly, Cui Ming, the "Bloody Hand Butcher," rushed out of the alley. His iron claws were stained with blood, clearly indicating he had just killed a Beggar Clan disciple. Oblivious to his own mortality, he lunged at Shi Feiyang, roaring, "You brat surnamed Shi, don't try to be so tough! My 'Vampire Claw' is designed to break your ice technique!" The claw's force had barely touched Shi Feiyang's clothes when a strange suction pulled it aside. Shi Feiyang used his "Flower Shifting Jade" divine skill, and the iron claw actually pierced Cui Ming's own heart instead.

Qu Kan, the new leader of the Sun Moon Cult, exclaimed, "Excellent skill!" He then used the "Star Absorbing Technique" to absorb all the internal energy of the thugs. His Black Blood Divine Needle was then shot out, the sun and moon mark on the needle tip shimmering in the morning light.

He roared again, "Brother Shi, hand over these remnants of the 'Five Poisons Sect' to me!"

Mei Jinghong's "Falling Petals Palm" swept in with peach petals, and as the palm wind passed, "Iron-Headed Monk" Xuan Nan's head exploded like a watermelon.

The old hero's golden thread wrapped around the tip of the "Death-Defying Scholar's" pen, and with a gentle pull, the poisoned judge's pen pierced the scholar's own throat.

He roared, "The blood debts of the Black Wind Sect in the past must be settled today!"

Lu Youjiao unleashed his Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms with a thunderous roar. The force of "Flying Dragon in the Sky" turned "Dwarf Tiger" Wang San into a bloody pulp, while the palm wind of "Dragon Appearing in the Field" protected the fleeing civilians. As he fought, he relayed a message: "Brother Shi, don't worry, the old beggar has your back!"

Shi Feiyang unleashed the "Slaying the Mortal World" technique from the Hundred Victories Saber Method, its sharp blade energy cleaving through Liu Yan, the "Poisonous Spider Woman," the grand-disciple of "Red Serpent Fairy" Li Mochou.

Just as the woman's poisonous threads were about to entangle his black armor, they were frozen into brittle pieces by the icy air. As she watched her fingers turn into ice shards, she screamed shrilly, "Are you human or a ghost?!" Shi Feiyang coldly replied, "The one who will send you to meet the King of Hell!" He then unleashed the "Emperor's Heavenly Thunder" divine skill, turning ice into lightning and attacking the enemy. The ice and lightning exploded among the thugs, instantly lifting more than thirty remnants of the Black Wind Cult into the air, their internal organs and fragments splattering across half the street.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Li Tianxiao made a feint with the Soul-Severing Blade and tried to escape.

Shi Feiyang used "Deal Over and Leave" to block his way, placed his icy palm on his back, and said mockingly, "The Black Wind Sect's score is not settled yet."

His Mingyu Gong true energy flowed along the opponent's meridians, and Li Tianxiao's scream suddenly got stuck in his throat. His whole body quickly froze, and finally turned into a ferocious ice sculpture, which then cracked into ice shards all over the ground.

Suddenly, Guo Fu's scream echoed from the end of the alley. It turned out that Gongsun Xie, the leader of the "Iron Sword Sect," had taken advantage of the chaos to sneak around to the back door and attempted to kidnap Guo Fu. (End of Chapter)