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

Chapter 522. The Ice Mark of Luo River Leads to the Shadow of a Hero; The Sword's Tassel Ties the Red Makeup Amidst the Smoke of War.
The mist from the Valley of Heartbreak still clung to Huang Rong's skirt. As she stepped into the west gate of Xiangyang, she encountered Shi Feiyang's black armor reflected in the blood-red moat.

Before the wall formed by the corpses of thirteen Mongol soldiers, Lu Youjiao's dog-beating stick carried Subutai's wolf-head banner, while Mei Jinghong's gold thread was wrapped around the victory report of "Thirteen Victories," fluttering in the morning breeze.

"Brother Shi!" Guo Jing's Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms shook the frost on the city wall, and when his iron palm struck Shi Feiyang's shoulder, it was deflected half an inch by the icy aura of the Xuanjia armor. The old hero, looking at the corpses of over 30,000 Mongol soldiers in the barbican, his white hair gleaming silver in the morning sun, exclaimed, "Good lad! These thirteen battles have shown the spirit of our Great Song!"

Huang Rong twirled her dog-beating stick three times in her sleeve, and inside the brocade pouch held by her silver hairpin was the antidote for the "love flower poison" that she had just brought back from the Valley of Heartbreak.

Her gaze swept over the peach blossoms embroidered on Shi Feiyang's black armor, then glanced at the warm jade hairpin in Guo Fu's hair that was the same style as Shi Feiyang's. The smile on her lips suddenly froze—a strand of Shi Feiyang's hair was still entwined in the carving of the hairpin.

"Fu'er, come with me." Huang Rong's voice was unreadable, yet it caused Guo Fu's Qingfeng sword to suddenly slip half an inch from its sheath. She followed her mother into the warm pavilion of the marshal's mansion. The silver charcoal in the brazier was burning bright red, reflecting the ever-blooming pearl flower in her mother's hair—the one Guo Jing had bought for her in Zhangjiakou years ago, which she even wore during their wedding ceremony.

"Mother!" Guo Fu's golden thread suddenly wrapped around her mother's wrist, her fingertips tracing circles in her palm as she coaxed, "Look at the handkerchief I embroidered! Brother Shi said it's even more beautiful than the sunset on Peach Blossom Island." She unfolded the handkerchief like a treasure, revealing a pair of lotus blossoms embroidered crookedly, their hearts adorned with Shi Feiyang's black-armored ice patterns. Huang Rong's silver hairpin suddenly touched the stitches of the handkerchief, scolding, "Who told you to live with him?" Sparks from the charcoal brazier splattered onto the handkerchief, burning a small hole, and she angrily added, "Although your father and I didn't have a wedding ceremony back then, we had Hong Qigong as our witness, and the Beggar Clan brothers as our witnesses! What about you?"

Guo Fu's Qingfeng sword clattered to the ground, the red silk tassel of the sword tangling around her mother's skirt. She still pouted, "Mother, you're lying!"

She suddenly raised her voice, tears welling up in her eyes, and choked out, "That day in Niujia Village, weren't you and Dad also..." Before she could finish speaking, her mother's "Orchid Flicking Acupoint" struck her "silent acupoint."

Looking at her daughter's flushed face, Huang Rong suddenly recalled how she herself had argued with Huang Yaoshi in the same way back at Iron Palm Peak. She used her silver hairpin to release her daughter's pressure points, her voice softening slightly as she gently said, "Silly girl, people in the martial world are gossipy; you shouldn't act like this..."

"I don't care!" Guo Fu suddenly threw herself into her mother's arms, the gold thread wrapped around her pearl flower, and continued to whine, "Brother Shi's 'Shocking Calamity' can freeze thousands of troops to pieces, but he wouldn't hurt a single hair on my head; his 'Evil Blood Calamity' can make enemies bleed to death, but he will use ice to warm my hands."

She pulled a sachet from her sleeve, inside which was a rubbing of Shi Feiyang's ice-pattern design, and said playfully, "Mother, this is the real one." Acting coquettishly was always Guo Fu's most effective way of dealing with her mother, and after a round of coquettishness, Huang Rong had no choice but to comply.

As Huang Rong's fingertips touched the ice patterns on the rubbing, she suddenly recalled the night Xiangyang fell, when Guo Jing's palm strike also contained such tenderness.

She gazed out the window at Shi Feiyang teaching Song soldiers the "Nine Palaces Divine Leg Technique." The icy aura of his black armor swirled in the morning light, even coating Guo Fu's discarded Qingfeng sword with ice flowers. She sighed helplessly, "So be it! So be it! So be it."

Huang Rong suddenly embroidered the character "囍" (double happiness) on her handkerchief with her silver hairpin, and proposed a strategy: "In a few days, let Chief Lu and Chief Mei be our witnesses and complete the ceremony." Her gaze swept over the red mark on her daughter's earlobe, and she suddenly laughed, saying softly, "But you still need to learn your 'golden thread binding' skill from me." Guo Fu suddenly wrapped her golden thread around her mother's wrist, snatched the antidote for the "love flower poison," and said domineeringly, "This is for Brother Shi!" As she turned around, the hem of her skirt swept across the charcoal brazier, and the sparks she set off landed on the stove that Shi Feiyang had brought. The words "eternal union" were reflected in the openwork of the stove lid.

Suddenly, the bugle outside the commander's mansion sounded mournful. Qu Kan ran in, covered in sweat, and reported: "The Mongols have retreated! Subutai's son, Subuhan, has retreated to a place thirty miles away. However, that bastard is very vicious; he has buried 'bone-dissolving water' at the water source!"

Shi Feiyang leaped into the air, using his unparalleled "Thousand Miles Without Leaving a Trace" lightness skill to fly onto the city wall. Seeing the fish suddenly turning white in the moat, Guo Jing, Huang Rong, Qu Kan, Lu Youjiao, Mei Jinghong, Guo Fu, and others also flew out and arrived on the city wall.

Shi Feiyang recalled the four words "the best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans" from Sun Tzu's Art of War, so he reached out and carved "drawing the firewood from under the cauldron" on the city brick. He then gave a plan: "Chief Lu, lead the Beggars' Sect disciples to dig a new well in Nanshan; Chief Mei, use plum blossom darts to notify each neighborhood to store water; Chief Qu, it's time for your 'bitter flesh ruse' to come into play."

Guo Jing came over, furious, and roared, "I'm going to meet that treacherous villain, Subuhan!" He then reached into his robes and took out a new defense map, unfolded it, and said loudly, "Feiyang, what do you think of this 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao' strategy?"

Shi Feiyang nodded and said, "Father-in-law, launch a feigned attack from the front, while I lead three hundred elite troops to secretly cross the Chencang pass from the back mountain." He pointed to the secret passage in the South Mountain, where Mei Jinghong's disciples had already laid the mechanisms of the "chain scheme" under the vines, and then jokingly said, "This is called 'waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out.'"

Guo Fu suddenly drew her Qingfeng sword, its tassel wrapping around Shi Feiyang's black armor. She said affectionately, "I'll go with you! Mother's 'substituting one for another' means having someone take the fall for you." Huang Rong nodded, then handed Shi Feiyang a brocade pouch, saying with concern, "My dear son-in-law, inside is a newly drawn map of Nanshan. At the mountain spring on the map, a peach blossom is drawn in vermilion."

Shi Feiyang nodded, put his arm around Guo Fu, and used his "Thousand Miles Without Leaving a Trace" lightness skill to float away.

Huang Rong, Guo Jing, Lu Youjiao, Mei Jinghong, Qu Kan, and others also urgently split up and took action.

……

Outside the Mongol army's camp, Subuhan watched the smoke rising from the chimneys of Xiangyang and sneered.

His spiked club was wrapped with the skulls of Song soldiers, while the Tibetan lamas under his tent chanted the "Rebirth Mantra" and poured "bone-dissolving water" into the well.

Suddenly, Qu Kan's maniacal laughter echoed from outside the tent: "Subuhan, you brat! Do you dare to take my 'beauty trap'?" Subuhan was about to strike with his spiked club when Shi Feiyang emerged from the flames in his black armor, his icy aura freezing the "bone-melting water" into an ice sculpture. Guo Fu's Qingfeng sword pierced diagonally through his back.

Shi Feiyang quipped, "Sun Tzu said, 'Know yourself and know your enemy.'" As he spoke, his hands and feet moved without stopping, unleashing the "Sword Twenty-Three" divine skill, instantly freezing the Tibetan lama within the still sword energy domain.

Guo Fu gripped her sword and stabbed these traitors who aided and abetted evil to death one by one. Then she whispered in Shi Feiyang's ear, "Husband, this is called 'capture the king first,' right? Hehe!" When the new well in Nanshan gushed forth clear spring water, Shi Feiyang's black armor was stained with Su Buhan's blood.

Guo Jing personally erected a stone tablet by the spring.

Huang Rong quietly pulled Guo Fu away and whispered, "You really married the right person!" Guo Fu chuckled sweetly and said, "He's better than your man! My father is still a bit dim-witted!" Huang Rong rolled her eyes at Guo Fu and scolded, "Don't talk nonsense! No matter how dim-witted your father is, he's still your father! Without him, where would you be? Get lost!" Lu Youjiao, carrying a water bag of a Mongol soldier on his dog-beating stick, laughed heartily in the morning sun.

Guo Fu laughed and walked over, took Shi Feiyang's arm, and went back to the mansion for their honeymoon.

The bugles of the Mongol soldiers sounded mournfully thirty miles away, yet they dared not approach Xiangyang any further. The large banner bearing the character "Song" on the city wall fluttered in the spring breeze, and the soldiers and civilians in the city cheered and shouted everywhere: "Having fought a hundred battles in the yellow sands, clad in golden armor, Shi Lang's ingenious plan brought peace to the world!"

While inspecting the city, Guo Jing remarked with emotion, "I never imagined that Fu'er could marry someone even more outstanding than Guo'er." Huang Rong sweetly replied, "Brother Jing, Guo'er is indeed very outstanding, but Shi Feiyang has a sense of national responsibility and a concern for the world, which is the most precious quality!"

Guo Jing turned his head and smiled, "Can we leave Xiangyang and go back to Peach Blossom Island to be with my father-in-law?"

Huang Rong shook her head and said, "Given Shi Feiyang's ambition and character, he will definitely not just defend one city. He will surely fight desperately to repel the Mongol army and continue to reclaim the cities lost by our Great Song Dynasty. We cannot let Fu'er take this risk with him. Therefore, we must stay in Xiangyang and keep an eye on Shi Feiyang." Guo Jing nodded, put his arm around Huang Rong, and continued on his way.

The next morning, Guo Jing and Huang Rong found it strange that Guo Fu came to eat breakfast alone, and asked in unison, "Where's Fei Yang? Hasn't he gotten up yet?"

Guo Fu smiled and said, "He is a former emperor, and he's very ambitious! He said that simply holding onto Xiangyang is not enough; we need to relieve the siege of Xiangyang by attacking Wei. He said that his former capital was in Luoyang, so he wants to take back Luoyang and become the retired emperor again. In that case, the siege of Xiangyang can be lifted."

Guo Jing and Huang Rong jumped up, exclaiming in unison, "What?"

Guo Fu smiled, sat down, and lowered her head to eat her breakfast. After taking a bite of a steamed bun, she looked up and said, "Mother, I'm pregnant, so I can't go to Luoyang. Please have Uncle Lu take the Beggars' Sect disciples to quickly gather information from Luoyang!"

Guo Jing and Huang Rong stared blankly at Guo Fu, completely unable to react.

As dusk deepened over Mount Funiu, Shi Feiyang's black armor was bathed in the last rays of the setting sun, ice patterns swirling on its surface like the undried waves of the Luo River in winter. He had just rounded the Mongol outpost when he saw a faint light emanating from a dilapidated temple beside the mountain path, from which he could vaguely hear the clash of weapons, mixed with a woman's shouts and a man's smirks.

Shi Feiyang used his profound "Hidden Body and Name" lightness skill to skim across the fallen branches. The wind stirred up by his black armor blew open the temple door, just in time to see Yelü Qi's iron pen clashing with the curved swords of two Mongol generals. The Khitan nobleman's brocade robe was covered in dust, and although his "Meteor Chasing the Moon" brushstrokes were exquisite, they were no match for his opponent's "Yin Wind Blade"—the blade's momentum carried the evil aura of the Black Wind Cult, and its blade light gleamed with a poisonous, eerie blue.

When Yelü Qi saw Shi Feiyang appear, he exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Shi!" His iron pen suddenly spun rapidly, the pen handle pointing towards the "Quchi" acupoint of the Mongol general on the left, but it was blocked by the other party with the hilt of his sword.

Behind him, Yelü Yan was wielding twin swords, clashing with a Mongol general. Her skirt was torn by the wind of the blades, revealing a bloody gash on her calf. The former Jin princess, Wanyan Ping, looked even more disheveled; the tassel of her willow-leaf sword was entangled in the chains of another Mongol general, and blood was seeping from an arrow wound on her shoulder. Behind a haystack at the corner of the temple, Da Wu and Xiao Wu were standing on tiptoe, peering inside.

Wu Dunru's iron sword spun rapidly in his palm, while Wu Xiuwen added something to the fire. Suddenly, thick smoke drifted towards Shi Feiyang's direction—the firewood was mixed with "bewitching incense" from the Western Regions, the very trick they had used to prank Yang Guo back then.

Wanyan Ping warned, "Brother Shi, be careful!" Suddenly, her willow-leaf knife slipped from her hand and plunged straight into Wu Xiuwen's wrist.

The princess of the fallen kingdom had a burning rage in her eyes. The force of her blade cleaved the thick smoke in two as she angrily cursed Da Wu and Xiao Wu: "A true man acts with integrity and uprightness. What kind of hero uses such despicable means!"

Shi Feiyang used his "Transferring Flowers and Jade" skill to redirect the thick smoke. A vortex of icy air condensed in his palm, diverting the effects of the bewitching incense outside the temple. Seeing the panicked expressions of Da Wu and Xiao Wu, he suddenly remembered Guo Jing's words: "The Wu brothers are mediocre in talent, yet they always retain a petty air." He didn't point it out, but simply said, "The rear guard of the Mongol army is approaching; we shouldn't linger here."

Immediately afterwards, he unleashed the Divine Dragon Claw technique, using the move "Dragon's Roar to the Nine Heavens." He reached out and grabbed, snapping the necks of two Mongol generals. With another grab, he crushed the shoulder of another Mongol general. Then, with a turn and a kick, he sent the screaming Mongol general flying more than a hundred feet, where he fell and died with broken bones all over his body.

Yelü Yan suddenly slashed at Wu Dunru with her twin swords. The light of the blades reflected on her flushed face as she angrily shouted, "You call yourselves Uncle Guo's disciples! Brother Shi is fighting a bloody battle in Xiangyang, and you're here stabbing him in the back!" Her "Mandarin Duck Sword Technique" was originally a family secret, but when she used it now, it even carried a bit of Guo Fu's spoiled and willful nature. The wind from her blades swept across Wu Dunru's hair bun, shaving off several strands of his hair.

Yelü Qi suddenly thrust his iron pen between the two, the tip drawing an arc on the ground, and then admonished, "Sister Yan, you must not be rude."

When he turned to Shi Feiyang, he said with complicated emotions, "Brother Shi, please don't be offended. They were just confused for a moment." In the instant the iron pen stopped moving, Shi Feiyang caught a glimpse of the Mongolian-style spurs on the soles of his boots—an item that only officers of the Imperial Guard with the rank of centurion or above could wear.

Shi Feiyang's Xuanjia Ice Pattern twitched slightly, but he simply bent down to pick up Wanyan Ping's willow-leaf knife, used ice energy to seal the acupoints on her shoulder to stop the bleeding, and then turned his head to say, "Does Young Master Yelü know that the Mongol soldiers on the front mountain have already set up the 'One-Character Long Snake Formation'?"

He drew a topographical map on the ground with his fingertips, and the lines formed by the icy air marked three hidden sentry posts. He then pointed out, "The pine trees on the left side of the mountain are signal trees, and there are archers hiding in the valley on the right. If we want to go around, we need to use a 'feint to the east and attack the west' strategy."

Wu Dunru suddenly sneered, pointed his iron sword at Shi Feiyang's black armor, and roared, "Stop playing tricks here! With your skills, do you think you're afraid of a few Mongol soldiers?"

His "Arhat Fist" stance was impeccable, but Wu Xiuwen secretly tugged at his sleeve—the latter saw the murderous aura flowing within Shi Feiyang's ice patterns and recalled the corpses of 30,000 Mongol soldiers outside Xiangyang City thirteen days ago.

Shi Feiyang said calmly, "Brother Wu, you are mistaken. Sun Tzu said, 'The best strategy is to attack the enemy's plans.' If you can avoid their strength and attack their weakness, why bother with a head-on confrontation?"

He unleashed his "Heavenly Silkworm Skill," and the powerful silver silkworm threads formed from his true energy suddenly flew out, shimmering with crystal light as they wrapped around a night owl on the eaves. He then said thoughtfully, "This bird is just what I need."

Suddenly, Wanyan Ping drew her willow-leaf dagger, its gleam reflecting on her pale face. She asked earnestly, "What does Brother Shi mean?" Hope ignited in the eyes of this princess of a fallen kingdom. Her father and brothers had all died under the iron hooves of the Mongol army. Now, hearing of a plan to defeat the enemy, her knuckles gripping the hilt of her dagger had turned white.

Shi Feiyang tied the owl's legs with silk thread, and a thin layer of frost condensed on the bird's feathers. He advised, "Young Master Yelü can take your sister and Miss Wanyan and break through along the mountain path on the right." He pointed to a stream on the map and said earnestly, "The stream can conceal our tracks. When we reach the fork in the road, head west. There are spies from my Plum Blossom Gang there." Suddenly, the silkworm thread in his hand loosened, and the owl, carrying a burning tinderbox, soared into the sky. He explained, "This bird will distract the Mongol soldiers. This is a 'golden cicada shedding its shell' strategy."

Da Wu and Xiao Wu exchanged a glance, then suddenly took off running down the mountain path to the left, throwing out a shout from afar: "Let's scout ahead!" Before Wu Dunru's shout had even faded, the two had already disappeared into the dense forest—they deliberately ran towards the main camp of the Mongol army, hoping to lure the enemy to surround and attack Shi Feiyang.

Yelü Yan twirled her twin swords rapidly in her palms, then suddenly shoved the scabbards into Shi Feiyang's hand. Her pretty face flushed red, and she said sincerely, "I'll go with you!" The pearl hairpin that Yelü Qi had bought for her was still tucked behind her ear, but now it shone with a resolute light. She then said shyly, "Sister Guo Fu said that Brother Shi's back should be protected by someone."

Shi Feiyang nodded, pushed the steel knife back to Yelü Yan, and walked out of the temple first. His icy gaze pierced through the twilight, and he saw the figures of more than ten Mongolian masters flashing among the shadows of the trees. The sound of the leader's "Vajra Palm" breaking a pine tree came from the air. The palm wind carried the true energy of the "Great Handprint" of the Tibetan Tantric sect. He was obviously one of the "Thirteen Fiends" of the Mongolian Khan's personal guard.

Shi Feiyang retreated into the temple and whispered, "You go first! I'll hold them off for a moment, then I'll be there." His Xuanjia ice patterns suddenly turned blue, and the "Supreme Forgetfulness Ice Soul Cold Prison" of Mingyu Gong began to operate. The surrounding temperature dropped several degrees instantly, and even the sparks in the fire condensed into ice crystals.

Yelü Qi suddenly pointed his iron pen at the ice line and said slyly, "Brother Shi, what do you mean by this?" His pen tip drew sparks on the ice surface, and he said in a way that was both true and false, "The Mongol army is powerful, and we should join forces to resist them."

Even so, Tiebi unconsciously retreated half an inch towards the temple gate—the spurs on his boots gleamed coldly in the firelight, clearly indicating his unwillingness to confront the Mongol guards directly. This was because his father had once been the Prime Minister of Mongolia.

Wanyan Ping, however, held her willow-leaf dagger behind her back and pushed Yelü Yan towards the temple exit, urgently saying, "Young Master Yelü, hurry up and go!"

The eyes of this princess of a fallen kingdom burned with the flames of revenge. Though the emblem of the Jin dynasty on her scabbard was faded and worn, it was more resolute than any oath. Then, she turned to Shi Feiyang and said, "Brother Shi is right. Now we should use the 'substitution' tactic to save as many lives as possible!"

The "Thirteen Fiends" outside the temple had already reached the gate. The leader, "Black Fiend" Hachir, struck the ice line with his "Heart-Splitting Palm," sending ice shards flying everywhere. His Mongolian curses were mixed with vulgar Chinese swear words, and the bloody smell carried by his palm strike was even more pungent than the rotting corpses of Funiu Mountain—ironclad evidence of the recent massacre of nearby villages.

Shi Feiyang grabbed Wanyan Ping and threw her out through the large hole in the temple roof. He then shouted, "Run!" He immediately unleashed the "Mountain Splitting" move of the "Hundred Victories Saber Technique," and the fierce, icy palm wind, accompanied by waves of ice, completely sealed the temple door shut.

His "golden eyes" peered through the wall, watching the figures of Yelü Qi and his sister and Wanyan Ping disappear into the dense forest. Suddenly, the ice patterns on his black armor bloomed into a peach blossom—it was embroidered by Guo Fu, and although the stitches were shallow, it was more durable than any other armor.

Shi Feiyang roared, "You monsters, you've come to the Central Plains to burn, kill, and plunder! I won't let you scoundrels get away with this! Humph!" His angry voice echoed in the temple, and he suddenly unleashed his peerless divine skill, "Sword Twenty-Three!" A sword energy domain suddenly expanded.

In the frozen space-time, Hachi'er's "Heart-Splitting Palm" froze in mid-air. His primordial spirit had just emerged from the top of his head when it was cleaved in two by Shi Feiyang's palm strike.

The twelve Mongolian masters within the sword energy field were frozen in a still space, all maintaining their charging posture. The icy energy had seeped into their seven orifices, freezing their internal organs into glass.

Shi Feiyang then used his "Deeds Done and Departure" light-foot technique to fly out of the dilapidated temple. The ice sculptures behind him suddenly shattered, turning into ice shards all over the ground.

He looked at the coded message coming from the depths of the dense forest—the "Jin Wuzhu Spear" mark left by Wanyan Ping—and knew that they had not gone far, but had instead set up an ambush on the mountain path ahead.

Suddenly, Wanyan Ping's willow-leaf knife emerged from behind the tree, and she exclaimed with delight, "Brother Shi!" Her knife tassel was adorned with Yelü Yan's pearls, and she added shyly, "We have been waiting here for a long time." Her shoulder was now bandaged with clean strips of cloth, clearly done by Yelü Yan. She then introduced the plan provided by Yelü Qi: "Young Master Yelü said that the 'narrow passage' ahead can be used to 'catch the thief by closing the door.'"

Yelü Qi was carving on the stone wall with his iron pen when he heard this, he just nodded slightly and did not reply.

Shi Feiyang's Xuanjia Ice Pattern stirred slightly—he saw that Yelü Qi had deliberately marked a wrong fork in the path map he had drawn, which was the shortcut to the Mongol army's side camp. He was obviously still hesitating whether to lure the enemy into a trap.

Shi Feiyang saw through the plan but didn't point it out, praising, "This plan is excellent." He then pointed to the narrow pass of "One Line Sky," where icy air condensed into a topographical map in his palm, taking the opportunity to refine the plan. He said in a deep voice, "The narrowest part here can only allow one person to pass at a time. We can use the 'cutting off the fuel supply' method." His fingertip pointed to the boulder at the top of the cliff, and he instructed, "Have Miss Yelü take ropes to the top of the cliff. When the Mongol soldiers enter the pass, we will use the 'cutting off their retreat' method."

Wanyan Ping nodded, then turned to look at Yelü Qi and said sincerely, "Does Young Master Yelü have any objections?" Her sword flashed, reflecting on his face, and she said teasingly, "If you are unwilling, you can wait here, and Brother Shi and I will go there."

Yelü Qi paused on the stone wall with his iron pen, then finally sheathed it and said in a low voice, "Brother Shi's plan is brilliant, I will obey." As he turned around, the spurs on his boots scraped against the gravel, but the soft sound was masked by Shi Feiyang's "Transferring Flowers and Jade" energy. This Khitan nobleman ultimately chose to cooperate temporarily, unaware that Shi Feiyang had already planted the "Heavenly Silkworm Skill" silver threads that would track him in the ice patterns on the soles of his boots.

The moonlight slanted across the narrow pass, casting shadows on Shi Feiyang's black armor and Wanyan Ping's willow-leaf dagger, like cold stars on either side of the Luo River. As the remnants of the "Thirteen Fiends" of the Mongol army stepped into the pass, Yelü Yan on the cliff top suddenly cut the ropes, sending boulders crashing down and completely blocking their escape. Shi Feiyang coldly snorted and unleashed a powerful palm strike, "Breaking Heaven and Earth!" His palm strikes unleashed icy waves, freezing the first thirty Mongol soldiers into ice sculptures.

Wanyan Ping's willow-leaf blade danced wildly like a golden snake, its light entwining with the opponent's weapon. Every move was aimed at vital points such as the throat and heart—it was the "Dragon-Slaying Technique," a secret technique passed down by the Jin royal family, specifically designed to break through the heavy armor of Mongol soldiers.

Yelü Qi's iron pen joined the fray at the last moment, its tip aimed at the "Shanzhong" acupoint of the last Mongol soldier. His "meteor chasing the moon" brushstrokes suddenly accelerated, becoming several times more ferocious than when dealing with the outposts—clearly, he was only going all out because he saw that the Mongol soldier had no way to retreat.

Shi Feiyang chuckled inwardly, still seeing through their schemes but not revealing them, and swiftly slashed down the Mongol soldiers. The pass of Funiu Mountain was already half-filled with the corpses of Mongol soldiers, and a thin layer of blood ice had formed on Shi Feiyang's black armor.

When the seventh wave of enemy soldiers surged in, Shi Feiyang stopped using the Hundred Victory Blade Technique. The ice patterns flowing on his Xuanjia suddenly accelerated—that was the start of his "Nine Palaces Divine Leg" technique. The surrounding air currents rotated with his toes, forming an invisible vortex.

Just as Wanyan Ping's willow-leaf knife slit open the throat of a Mongol soldier, three centurions simultaneously swung their spiked clubs at Shi Feiyang's back. She hurriedly warned, "Be careful!" These Mongol soldiers' "Mad Demon Staff Technique" carried the evil aura of the Black Wind Cult, and the "Bone-Melting Powder" tempered at the ends of their clubs gleamed with a ghostly blue light in the sunlight, clearly indicating that they were aiming to kill.

Shi Feiyang's figure suddenly shrank by half, and the ice wave brought up by his 360-degree spinning kick rose up like a wall.

His left boot grazed the leftmost centurion's wrist, guiding the spiked club toward his companion's face; the toe of his right shoe drew an arc in mid-air, delivering a precise kick to the middle centurion's "Qi Hai" acupoint—the force, mixed with the icy energy of the Mingyu Gong, caused the opponent's armor to cave in half an inch, spitting out blood as he flew backward, crashing into the cliff wall and turning into a pile of flesh.

Yelü Yan's twin swords suddenly stopped in mid-air. She watched Shi Feiyang turn around and kick, the ice patterns on his black armor leaving afterimages as he spun, more agile than the most nimble eagle on the grassland.

Just as the 40th Mongol soldier's scimitar was about to strike Shi Feiyang's shoulder, his side kick, delivered with lightning speed, struck the soldier squarely in the temple with the sole of his boot. Brain matter mixed with bone fragments splattered onto the cliff face, and the flying corpse conveniently blocked three cold arrows shot from behind.

Wanyan Ping exclaimed, "What skill!" Her willow-leaf knife nearly slipped from her hand. She had seen Yelü Qi's "Meteor Chasing the Moon" calligraphy and recognized Yang Guo's "Beauty Fist," but she had never seen such a leg technique that combined strength and grace—Shi Feiyang's flying kick carried the ferocity of "splitting mountains," while his sweeping back kick concealed the skillful power of "shifting flowers and jade." Each kick was like a dance of death, yet it was breathtakingly beautiful.

Shi Feiyang's front whip kick suddenly changed direction, the toe of his shoe lightly touching the shield of a Mongol soldier, using the recoil to spin and rise. The change-of-direction kick was like a nimble snake emerging from its hole, bypassing the sword formation of two enemy soldiers, and striking the throat of the thirty-ninth centurion.

The centurion's "indestructible body" had only reached 70% when his throat was frozen by the icy air. With a muffled hoarse sound, his eyeballs bulged out of their sockets, a sight more terrifying than any torture Wanyan Ping had ever witnessed.

Yelü Yan's cheeks suddenly flushed. She noticed that Shi Feiyang's boots were stained with the blood of Mongol soldiers, but he deliberately avoided the small flower at her feet when he landed—a wild chrysanthemum that she had casually tucked into her hair the night before, which had fallen during the fight.

As Shi Feiyang turned around and kicked up a cloud of dust, Yelü Yan clearly saw his gaze linger on her wound for a moment. A warmth seeped from the icy pattern, even more comforting than the medicine her brother had given her.

"Watch out for the flanks!" Wanyan Ping's warning had barely left her lips when Shi Feiyang's soaring kick shattered the skull of the 500th Mongol soldier. His figure stretched out like an arrow in mid-air, the ice patterns on his black armor reflecting the sunlight, casting a winged shadow on the cliff face.

As he landed, he deliberately tilted the toe of his boot half an inch toward Wanyan Ping, deflecting a hidden arrow aimed at her shoulder—the "bone-corroding powder" on the arrowhead was the same kind that had injured her during the day.

Shi Feiyang's whip kick swept across the waist and abdomen of the tenth rank of Mongol soldiers. With a "crack" of bone breaking, he suddenly condensed icy energy into the soles of his boots. As the kicked corpses fell, they all avoided the small space where Yelü Yan and Wanyan Ping were standing, as if an invisible barrier was protecting them.

The blood of more than 1,300 Mongol soldiers stained the pass red, but not a single drop splashed onto the clothes of the two girls.

Wanyan Ping's fingertips suddenly turned icy cold. She remembered the day her kingdom fell, when Emperor Aizong's personal guards protected her as she broke through the encirclement, but none of them could be like Shi Feiyang, who, even in the heat of the moment, still cared about others.

When Shi Feiyang's front whip kick broke the neck of the last Mongol soldier, she saw a corner of the brocade handkerchief peeking out from the inside of his black armor. The crooked double lotus flowers embroidered on it were clearly the stitches of a woman—her heart suddenly felt as if it had been cut by a willow leaf knife, both numb and itchy.

Yelü Yan's twin swords clattered to the ground.

She watched Shi Feiyang's retreating figure as he finished his attack; the ice patterns on his black armor were slowly fading, revealing the peach blossoms embroidered by Guo Fu.

Just as Shi Feiyang launched his flying kick, the peach blossom was directly in her direction, as if silently declaring something. She suddenly remembered Guo Fu's famous saying, "Only I can lean on Brother Shi's back," and her cheeks burned so hot they could fry an egg.

Shi Feiyang lightly tapped the ground with the sole of his boot, drawing the last wisp of icy energy back into his body. The corpses of over a thousand Mongol soldiers had piled up into a small mountain, and the wind in the pass carried a heavy stench of blood. Yet, he turned to the two girls, revealing a faint smile, and said softly, "I'm sorry to have startled you." The ice patterns on his black armor suddenly shimmered, condensing into two ice flowers on the ground, which landed right at their feet.

Wanyan Ping hurriedly picked up the willow-leaf knife, not even noticing the scabbard hitting her knee. Watching Shi Feiyang turn and clear the pass, she suddenly realized her heart was beating even faster than during the fight.

The ice flowers gradually melted in the sunlight, and the water stains spread out on the ground in shapes that resembled the imprint of the half of the Jin Dynasty jade seal she hid under her pillow—her last thought. But now, she inexplicably felt that perhaps she could live on in a different way.

Yelü Yan rubbed her hands against the hem of her skirt several times before daring to pick up the twin swords from the ground. As her fingertips touched the hilts, she suddenly felt something cold—it was the wrist guard that Shi Feiyang had conjured for her with ice energy during the fight.

A small "swallow" character was engraved on the ice wrist, obviously hastily carved during the gap in the roundhouse kick.

Her knuckles trembled as she tucked the wristband into her sleeve, as if she were holding some burning treasure.

Shi Feiyang was using his palm strike to cleave through the pile of corpses blocking the pass, the shadows of two young women reflected in the ice patterns of his black armor. He naturally noticed Yelü Yan's subtle movement as he hid his wrist guards, and also caught a glimpse of Wanyan Ping's trembling fingertips as she stroked her scabbard, but he only quickened his pace of clearing. Some feelings are like the spring snow of the Funiu Mountains, seemingly heavy, but in reality, they melt at the slightest touch, needing neither to be pointed out nor to be delved into.

When the pass reopened, the setting sun cast long shadows of the three men.

Wanyan Ping's willow-leaf dagger moved half an inch closer to Shi Feiyang's side, while Yelü Yan's skirt occasionally brushed against his black armor.

The distant bugle calls of the Mongol soldiers drifted on the wind, but could no longer dispel the subtle atmosphere quietly brewing in the pass—a stirring of desire, hidden in the cracks of swords and shadows, had already taken root and sprouted in a fleeting moment of movement.

Shi Feiyang was the first to step out of the pass, the ice patterns on his black armor flowing in the twilight, as if guiding the way ahead.

(End of this chapter)