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

Chapter 523. The Frozen River and Iron Horse Trample the Poetic Soul; Sword's Courage and the Heart of the Qin Reflect the Cold Moon.
Yelü Qi was already standing at the pass, wiping the bloodstains on the ground with his iron pen, the spurs on his boots deliberately rubbing against the gravel, the sound particularly jarring in the silent pass. Seeing Shi Feiyang come out, he asked with a smile, "Brother Shi, what are your plans for the next step? The Mongol army has deployed 100,000 troops in Luoyang. With our strength alone, I'm afraid we will find it difficult to shake their foundation."

Wanyan Ping's willow-leaf dagger suddenly pointed north, the Jin Dynasty emblem on the scabbard gleaming faintly in the moonlight.

She said firmly, "Brother Shi said he wants to take back Luoyang, and I am willing to go with him." Her fingertips traced the hilt of her sword, where her father and brothers' names were engraved, and she said resolutely, "Even if it costs me my life, I will let the Mongols know that even those who have lost their country still have backbone!"

A warmth suddenly seeped from Shi Feiyang's icy patterns. He looked in the direction of Luoyang, and the icy aura on his Xuanjia armor and the bloody light on Wanyan Ping's blade mingled together, weaving a strange band of light in the twilight.

He recalled Sun Tzu's teaching of "know yourself and know your enemy," and knew that Yelü Qi's hesitation and Wanyan Ping's decisiveness were both pawns that could be used—the journey north to Luoyang required not only martial arts skills but also mental fortitude.

The hooting of owls echoed from the distant dense forest, a signal from Mei Jinghong's Plum Blossom Gang disciples. Shi Feiyang knew that the Mongol soldiers lured away by Da Wu and Xiao Wu had been drawn away, and the silver threads on Yelü Qi's boots were trembling slightly as he walked towards the Mongol flank camp.

Shi Feiyang's palm strike drew the final line of ice at the pass, sealing the bodies of the Mongol soldiers beneath the ice. Then he said in a deep voice, "Let's go. The dawn of Luoyang should be lit by our own hands."

Wanyan Ping walked alongside him, sword in hand. The glint of the sword and the icy air intertwined on the mountain path, like two inextinguishable torches.

Yelü Qi, holding an iron pen, followed at a distance with his sister Yelü Yan. The spurs on their boots left messy marks on the gravel. In the night of Funiu Mountain, the human heart was more unpredictable than that of the Mongol soldiers.

Shi Feiyang led Wanyan Ping out of Funiu Mountain. Looking back at the dense forest behind them, he knew that Yelü Qi would eventually choose his own path. As for the hidden dangers, just as Sun Tzu's Art of War says, "Military tactics are like water, which have no constant shape," only by adapting to change can they carve out a bloody path in this chaotic world.

The morning mist at the Yellow River ferry crossing had not yet dissipated, but Shi Feiyang's black armor was already bathed in the first rays of dawn. Ice patterns flowed across his armor, coating the reeds on the bank with a layer of frosty white. Just as he untied the ferry's mooring rope, he saw Yelü Yan suddenly press his hand to the twin swords at his waist, his fingertips pointing into the mist—where a dozen or so cold stars were piercing the sky, carrying the distinctive whistling sound of the Black Wind Sect's "Soul-Chasing Darts."

Wanyan Ping exclaimed, "It's a Mongol spy!" Her willow-leaf dagger was instantly drawn, its blade flashing a golden arc in the mist, knocking down the first three darts. The moment the dart tips sank into the ground, she suddenly let out a soft cry—the tails of those darts were actually wrapped with the "blood curse talisman" of the Tibetan Tantric sect, which immediately turned into wisps of black smoke upon landing, spreading towards the three of them.

Shi Feiyang unleashed his "Nine Palaces Divine Leg" technique, a 360-degree spinning kick that created an ice wave that froze the black smoke into ice crystals.

His front whip kick aimed at the reeds on his left. The sole of his boot had just touched the ground when he suddenly felt his foot slip—there was a trap hidden there. The spikes under the trapdoor gleamed with a poisonous blue, clearly the work of the evil Central Plains sect, "Hell's Gate."

Shi Feiyang warned, "Watch out for the traps!" His change of direction kick drew an arc in the air, his right foot precisely striking the edge of the flip board, while his left foot used the reaction force to spin up and deliver a flying kick that struck the secret agent hiding behind the reeds right in the heart.

The man staggered backward, revealing the wolf head insignia of the Mongol imperial guards beneath his black robe, and blood and foam mixed with bone fragments gushing from his throat.

Yelü Yan's twin blades danced like silver snakes as she used the "Separating Phoenix" move of the "Mandarin Duck Blade Technique" to deflect the curved blades of the two spies. At that moment, the enemy suddenly threw out a handful of lime—the "Bewitching Powder" of the "Heavenly Fate Sect." The powder dispersed in the fog, making it even harder to defend against than the poisoned arrows of the Mongol soldiers.

Shi Feiyang turned and swung his leg in time, the icy air freezing the lime into snow particles.

His hand naturally pressed down on Yelü Yan's shoulder, pushing her towards the ferry, and he roared, "Get on the boat!"

Suddenly, the ice patterns on Xuanjia's armor glowed red. He unleashed the "Emperor's Heavenly Thunder" divine skill, turning ice into lightning and attacking the reeds. Explosions rang out one after another, and the secret agents hiding in the shadows were blown to pieces by the ice lightning.

Wanyan Ping suddenly swung her willow-leaf dagger back, the blade flashing as it entangled the secret agent's chain. Using the momentum, she spun around and leaped onto the ferry.

Just as she was about to untie the rope, she saw three Mongolian masters rushing towards her, their "water-skimming" skills following the style of the Liaodong "Black Water School." The iron claws on the soles of their boots drew three streaks in the water, heading straight for Shi Feiyang's back.

Wanyan Ping cried out, "Brother Shi, be careful!" Her knife tassel suddenly lashed out and wrapped around the ankle of the expert at the front.

She jerked her sword tassel back sharply, causing the expert to lose his balance. Shi Feiyang's spinning kick struck him squarely in the face, the crisp sound of his nose shattering particularly jarring in the mist. Yelü Yan's twin swords also closed in at this moment, her "Mandarin Duck Sword Technique" in the "Phoenix Harmony" style intertwining with Shi Feiyang's palm strike, creating a strange synergy. Suddenly, the opponent's iron claws changed their attack, grabbing at her hair bun—the "Bone-Corroding Powder" tempered on the claw tips was the same deadly poison that had injured her calf during the day.

Shi Feiyang used his "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill, condensing icy energy into a vortex in his palm and redirecting the force of the iron claw towards the nearby spy. As the Mongolian expert screamed as his companion's iron claw pierced his chest, Shi Feiyang had already pulled Yelü Yan onto the ship's railing. The ice patterns on his black armor brushed past her temples, and the wind he stirred up knocked off the pearl hairpin in her hair—a gift from Yelü Qi, which now rolled onto the deck and was caught steadily by Wanyan Ping's willow-leaf knife.

Shi Feiyang decisively said, "Go!" He then used his palm as a knife and unleashed the "Viewing the Vast Ocean" technique from the Hundred Victories Knife Method. The fierce knife energy cleaved through the ferry's mast, and the icy energy traveled along the wooden pole, freezing the hidden explosive fuse into ice threads.

Watching the Mongol spies futilely firing arrows on the shore, he smiled at Wanyan Ping and said, "Your 'golden hook fishing' is well done; this is called 'the best strategy is to subdue the enemy without fighting.'"

Wanyan Ping's cheeks suddenly flushed, and she hurriedly handed the pearl hairpin to Yelü Yan. When her fingertips touched the other's palm, she was surprised to find that both of them were burning hot.

She gazed at Shi Feiyang's back as he stood at the bow of the boat. The ice patterns on his black armor swirled in the morning light, turning the Yellow River's waters a bluish-green hue. Just moments before, when the tassels of his swords intertwined, she inexplicably thought of the two oars on Peach Blossom Island, which, too, moved to the left and right, perfectly in sync.

Yelü Yan put the pearl hairpin back into her hair, but deliberately moved half a step closer to Shi Feiyang. She watched him use ice energy to repair the cracks in the ferry. With a flick of his fingers, the broken pieces of wood automatically pieced themselves back together, just like the "Lu Ban technique" of a master craftsman from the Central Plains.

As Shi Feiyang's fingertips brushed against the back of her hand, she suddenly remembered Guo Fu's words in Xiangyang City, "Brother Shi's palm has peach blossoms." At this moment, she felt that it was even more exciting than her brother's "shooting star chasing the moon."

When the boat reached the middle of the river, Shi Feiyang suddenly pointed to the south bank.

The Mongolian spies there were lighting signal flares, the orange-red smoke columns standing out conspicuously in the fog.

Shi Feiyang reminded him, "They are calling for reinforcements." Ice patterns condensed into a map in his palm, and he cleverly added, "There is a Mongol navy at Sishui Pass ahead. We need to use a 'feint attack' tactic."

Wanyan Ping suddenly pointed her willow-leaf dagger at the reeds on the north bank and bravely said, "I'll lure them away." A resolute glint burned in the eyes of this princess of a fallen kingdom as she said resolutely, "My 'Jin Kingdom Secret Pass Map' records a waterway that can circle around to the back of Sishui Pass." Her fingertips traced the words "Revenge" engraved on the scabbard, but at this moment she felt that perhaps there was something more important than revenge.

Yelü Yan twirled her twin swords three times in her palms, then said defiantly, "I'll break through head-on with Brother Shi." She lightly tapped her feet on the deck, and the splashing water was frozen into ice crystals by Shi Feiyang's icy aura. She then teased, "Sister Guo Fu once said that to deal with jackals, you must use 'bravery to win'."

Shi Feiyang's black armor suddenly warmed, and ice patterns wove an invisible barrier between the two of them. He looked at the Mongol navy that was getting closer and closer to the south bank, and turned to Wanyan Ping and said, "Your 'golden cicada shedding its shell' plan is very good, but remember, as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood."

When the bugle sounded at Sishui Pass, Wanyan Ping's willow-leaf dagger had already drawn a sky full of flashes of light in the reeds on the north bank.

The Mongol navy's warships were indeed lured in that direction, and Shi Feiyang took the opportunity to lead Yelü Yan's ferry through the checkpoint.

The ice patterns on the Xuanjia armor swirled in the sunlight, reflecting a bluish-green hue onto Yelü Yan's twin blades—a color clearer than the sky over the grasslands, suddenly reminding her of Guo Fu's words about "springtime in Xiangyang."

Yelü Qi had been observing coldly the whole time. After the boat passed Sishui Pass, Shi Feiyang suddenly sat down on the deck and traced the ice patterns on the black armor onto paper. When Yelü Yan leaned over to look, she discovered that the patterns were exactly the same as the waterway map of the Yellow River.

Shi Feiyang quipped, "This is called 'going with the flow'." He pointed his finger at Luoyang on the map, and ice vapor condensed into a small "Tang" character. He then solemnly said, "What we want is not a city or a battlefield, but justice in this world."

Yelü Qi finally understood: Shi Feiyang wanted to restore his Great Tang Empire!

When he suddenly realized what was happening, he was also greatly surprised and deeply shocked!

Yelü Yan's fingertips touched the character "Tang," and the warmth of her palm melted the ice patterns. She looked at Shi Feiyang's gaze as he looked up, and her reflection was mirrored in the ice patterns of his black armor, like twin flowers on the grassland.

In the distance, the signal arrows of Wanyan Ping rang out, three arrows forming the character "胜" (victory) in mid-air. Yelü Yancan laughed, finding the journey north to Luoyang much warmer than he had imagined. Shi Feiyang watched the two signal arrows converge on the horizon, knowing the challenges ahead would only intensify. At that moment, the glint of blades mingled with ice patterns on the deck, and three figures were reflected in the ripples of the Yellow River.

……

The setting sun over Sishui Pass was like blood, and Shi Feiyang's black armor reflected the broken halberds on the gate tower. Ice patterns flowed on the armor, just like the ice crystals that had frozen on the Yellow River in winter.

Just as Wanyan Ping's willow-leaf blade cleaved through the last lock, a dense rain of arrows suddenly shot out from the arrow towers on both sides of the pass. The fletchings of those arrows were dyed black and red—the mark of the Mongol "Thirteen Wings" elite.

Each wing consisted of three hundred riders, all of whom were seasoned veterans.

Shi Feiyang cried out in alarm, "Not good!" He immediately unleashed his "Nine Palaces Divine Leg," a 360-degree spinning kick that created an ice wave that rose like a wall, freezing the rain of arrows in front into ice crystals. He caught sight of Yelü Yan's twin swords clashing with the scimitars of two "Black Wing" knights. The knight's "Mountain-Breaking Axe" carried the true energy of the "Great Handprint" of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism, and the force of the axe blade as it cleaved down caused her skirt to stick to her legs.

Wanyan Ping swung her willow-leaf blade back, the gleam reflecting the chains of the third "Black Wing" knight. Using the momentum, she spun to Shi Feiyang's side and whispered, "The secret passage is in the basement of the gate tower!" Her fingertips pressed a mark into the stone wall. The bricks there suddenly caved in, revealing an opening just wide enough for one person to pass through. Wanyan Ping said urgently, "Hurry, the Thirteen Wings' 'City-Burning Crossbows' are coming!"

Just as Shi Feiyang's change-of-direction kick sent the fourth knight flying, the "Red Wing" commander's iron spear shot out like a poisonous dragon, aiming straight for his back.

The spear tip was coated with "bone-dissolving water," gleaming with an eerie green light in the sunlight, clearly intended to kill with a single blow.

Yelü Yan warned, "Brother Shi, be careful!" Suddenly, the twin swords flew from her hands, piercing straight into Qianhu's eyes. She herself threw herself against Shi Feiyang's back, using her body to block the sharpness of the iron spear—the "Protecting the Master" stance of the "Mandarin Duck Sword Technique" was originally a life-saving move of the Khitan royal family, but now, when used, it carried a resolute and tragic beauty.

As the tip of the iron spear pierced Yelü Yan's breastplate, Shi Feiyang's back kick struck Qianhu squarely in the chest.

The Mongolian nobleman's ribs pierced through his back, and the blood droplets that splattered were condensed into blood crystals by the icy air in mid-air. Yelü Yan's skirt was already soaked with blood, resembling a wolfsbane flower blooming on the grassland.

Shi Feiyang scolded, "Are you crazy!" He then pulled her into his arms, and his icy aura quickly enveloped her wounds.

He watched the blood foam spilling from her lips, and the ice patterns on his Xuanjia armor suddenly glowed red. He swung his palms and unleashed the "Emperor's Heavenly Thunder" divine skill, turning ice into lightning. He attacked the city gate tower, blasting the city wall into a blast, and the beams and pillars of the gate tower rattled loudly.

Yelü Yan said sweetly, "It's good to be able to protect you." Her fingertips traced the dragon pattern on his black armor, and she laughed out loud. Her head tilted on Shi Feiyang's shoulder, her breathing gradually weakened, and the pearl hairpin at her temple rolled off, landing right at Wanyan Ping's feet.

Wanyan Ping's willow-leaf blade slashed at the surging "Thirteen Wings" knights, the blade flashing with an unprecedented sharpness.

She picked up the beaded flower and stuffed it into her bosom, while pressing her other hand firmly against the mechanism on the stone wall, and said resolutely, "Brother Shi, quickly lead Miss Yelü into the secret passage!" Her willow-leaf dagger struck a knight in the throat, and she bravely declared, "I'll hold them off here!"

Shi Feiyang unleashed his "Heavenly Silkworm Skill," and powerful silver silk threads formed from his true energy suddenly flew out, shimmering with crystalline light as they wrapped around Wanyan Ping's wrist. He calmly said, "Let's go together!" He pulled Yelü Yan into the cave entrance, icy energy condensing into an ice wall behind them. He then added, "Sun Tzu said, 'The whole army is paramount.' No one can be left behind!" The torches in the secret passage flickered, casting the shadows of the three on the stone walls. Yelü Yan's breathing grew weaker and weaker. Shi Feiyang removed his black armor and wrapped it around her. The icy energy of his Mingyu Skill flowed along her meridians, freezing the "bone-melting water" that had invaded her body into ice crystals.

"Her injuries..." Wanyan Ping's voice trembled as she looked at Yelü Yan's pale face and suddenly felt the pearl hairpin in her arms burning hot. Only then did she remember that Shi Feiyang's icy aura could kill or save lives.

The poisonous blood that he had frozen was now slowly flowing out along the silver threads, congealing into blood ice on the ground.

Shi Feiyang suddenly pressed his palm against the stone wall, and the icy air flowed along the cracks in the stone, marking the forks in the secret passage.

He said in a deep voice, "Ahead is the old road of the Jin Dynasty, which leads to the outskirts of Luoyang." Seeing Wanyan Ping's hesitant expression, he encouraged her, "If you want to take revenge, young lady, the commander of the thousand households who captured Zhongdu back then lives in the Mongol army camp in Luoyang."

Wanyan Ping nodded and said, "Save Miss Yelü first." Her fingertips brushed across the torch, and a spark landed next to Yelü Yan's wound. She then said considerately, "I know a kind of herb that can cure 'bone-dissolving water,' which is in the crevice at the end of the secret passage."

As the first rays of dawn shone through the secret passage, Yelü Yan's face finally regained color. Shi Feiyang's icy aura condensed into a thin layer of ice on her wounds, like a natural bandage. The paste made from the herbs that Wanyan Ping had gathered was emitting a faint fragrance, which, mixed with the icy aura of Shi Feiyang's black armor, created a strange sense of peace.

Yelü Yan's eyelashes trembled, and she suddenly grabbed Shi Feiyang's wrist, asking anxiously, "Brother Shi... my brother, he..." Before she could finish speaking, the sound of horses' hooves came from outside the secret passage. The rhythm was steady, and it was Yelü Qi who had arrived.

Shi Feiyang's icy aura suddenly turned cold. He hid Yelü Yan behind a boulder and said to Wanyan Ping, "Take her along the side path and meet her at the dilapidated temple in the eastern suburbs of Luoyang." He drew the four characters "luring the tiger away from the mountain" on the ground with his palm and whispered, "I'll go and meet Young Master Yelü."

Wanyan Ping suddenly drew her willow-leaf dagger, its blade flashing in the morning light. She said resolutely, "I'll go with you." Her fingertips traced the hilt, still tinged with the chill of Shi Feiyang's icy breath. She added sadly, "A person of a fallen kingdom is not afraid to kill a few more Mongol dogs."

Looking into her resolute eyes, Shi Feiyang suddenly recalled the palace maids of the Tang Dynasty when Luoyang fell. Warmth seeped from the ice patterns on his black armor. He gently patted her shoulder and said with concern, "Be careful." The ice condensed into the character "安" (peace) on her scabbard, and then gave her a plan: "The diagram of the secret passage is hidden in the herbal medicine bag."

Yelü Qi used his iron pen to part the vines at the exit of the secret passage, revealing Shi Feiyang standing in the morning light. The ice patterns on his black armor reflected the rising sun, making him look like an ice sculpture. Shi Feiyang looked at the spurs on the soles of the Khitan nobleman's boots—the mud clinging to them was exactly the same as the soil in the Mongol "Thirteen Wings" camp.

Yelü Qi's iron pen spun rapidly in his palm, but his gaze unconsciously drifted behind the boulder. He asked with suspicion, "Brother Stone, are you alright? And Sister Yan…?"

Shi Feiyang said calmly, "Miss Yelü is healing her injuries in the dilapidated temple." As he circulated his Mingyu Gong, icy energy condensed into a vortex in his palm. He then said jokingly, "Young master, you've come at the right time. The remnants of the Thirteen Wings have headed northwest. We can take advantage of their victory and press our advantage."

Yelü Qi's iron pen suddenly stopped in mid-air, the spurs on his boots scraping sparks from the gravel. He looked at the still-damp bloodstains on Shi Feiyang's black armor and suddenly laughed, "Brother Shi's plan is brilliant, I will gladly oblige." But the smile did not reach his eyes, and the tip of the iron pen had already quietly pierced Shi Feiyang's "Qihai" acupoint.

Shi Feiyang, still seeing through the situation but not revealing it, gently used his "Transferring Flowers and Jade" skill, and Yelü Qi's iron pen inexplicably pierced into the stone wall, frightening him so much that he trembled all over, broke out in a cold sweat, obediently put away the iron pen, his legs shaking, and sat down on the ground.

In the distant, dilapidated temple, Wanyan Ping was feeding Yelü Yan medicine.

Sunlight streamed through the window and fell on the two of them. Yelü Yan suddenly grabbed Wanyan Ping's wrist and whispered, "My brother... he can't be trusted." Her gaze turned to the direction Shi Feiyang had left, tears still clinging to her eyelashes, and she choked out, "It's our turn to protect Brother Shi's back."

Wanyan Ping tapped her willow-leaf knife lightly on her knee, the character "An" on the scabbard gleaming faintly in the sunlight.

She recalled the diagrams of mechanisms Shi Feiyang had hidden in the herbal medicine bag, those "illusory and real" drawings made with ice energy, and suddenly realized that some feelings had already quietly blossomed amidst the clash of swords and shadows—just like the morning light, though late, it would eventually illuminate the way forward.

……

Three rays of morning light filtered through a dilapidated temple on the eastern outskirts of Luoyang, illuminating the map Shi Feiyang had spread out. He used icy energy to draw a circle around the Longmen Grottoes on the map; the icy patterns on his black armor rippled gently with his breath, like the ripples on the Luo River. Yelü Yan's twin swords rubbed against the rusty wall, while Wanyan Ping sharpened her willow-leaf knife under an old locust tree outside the temple, the gleam of the blade reflecting on her increasingly resolute profile.

Shi Feiyang's fingertip touched the Yi River on the map, and the icy air drew a winding line along the river. He then gave a plan: "Young Master Yelü said that there is a granary for the Mongol army in the Longmen Grottoes. He said he is willing to lead three hundred Beggar Clan disciples to launch a feint attack from the front, while we sneak in from the waterway on the flank. This is called 'feinting to the east while attacking the west'."

Yelü Yan's twin swords suddenly clattered to the ground. She looked at the lingering ice patterns on Shi Feiyang's black armor, and the patterns were strikingly similar to the mark left by Yelü Qi last night—both were the two characters "会合" (meaning "convergence") carved in Khitan script.

However, hidden within Shi Feiyang's ice patterns were subtle vortices, a unique mark of Mingyu Gong.

“My brother…” Yelü Yan’s voice trembled. When she picked up the twin swords, she found her palms were covered in cold sweat. She remembered the spurs on her brother’s boots outside the secret passage last night, and the evasive look in his eyes when he looked at Shi Feiyang. Those overlooked details came flooding back at her now, and she said in a trembling voice, “He never used Khitan to send messages, saying that it was the language of a fallen kingdom.”

Suddenly, Wanyan Ping's willow-leaf dagger slashed towards the temple gate, the wind from the blade splitting a fallen leaf in two. Looking at the broken leaf, she suddenly said, "The Mongol soldiers at Longmen Grottoes are remnants of the 'Thirteen Wings,' and the commander leading them is a former subordinate of Prince Yelü."

A cold glint flashed in the eyes of the princess of the fallen kingdom as she said angrily, "I saw their military tally in the secret passage. The wolf head pattern on it was missing a fang—that was the mark of the Yelü family's personal guard."

Shi Feiyang's ice patterns circled on the map, circling the location of the Longmen Grottoes into the shape of a death row cell. He recalled Yelü Qi's words last night that "the granary is poorly guarded," and those overly detailed patrol routes, and sneered: "Sun Tzu said, 'Warfare is based on deception.' He's trying to use someone else to do his dirty work."

Yelü Yan asked sadly, "Then what should we do?" Suddenly, she said resolutely, "I'll go and question him!"

Shi Feiyang shook his head and said, "No." He placed his hand on her shoulder, and the icy energy flowed through her meridians, calming her agitated emotions. He then analyzed, "Since he has set a trap, he must have a backup plan. Why don't we turn the tables on him and let him think he has succeeded?" Bingwen drew an arrow on the Yi River downstream on the map and then suggested, "The current here is rapid, so we can use the 'flooding the seven armies' strategy."

Wanyan Ping patted her willow-leaf knife in her palm and said decisively, "I'll go and inform the Plum Blossom Gang's spies to build a dam there."

She traced the mark "Noon" on the scabbard with her fingertips, and said fiercely, "Once the Mongol soldiers enter the cave, we'll flood it and turn them into bait for fish and shrimp."

Yelü Yan lightly touched the ground with her toes, and the dust she kicked up was frozen into ice crystals by Shi Feiyang's icy aura. She said thoughtfully, "I'll go see my brother and pretend to agree to cooperate." She rubbed her fingertips on the ice patterns on Shi Feiyang's black armor, and added, "I'll say that Brother Shi is worried about a trap and wants to personally lead the elite troops to infiltrate. I'll have him move all the ambush troops to the west side of the cave—that's a dead end."

Shi Feiyang nodded, then said with concern, "He is still your brother. Unless absolutely necessary, spare his life."

Moved to tears, Yelü Yan resolutely turned and left.

At midday, the sun was blazing, and Yelü Qi's iron pen was carving on the stone wall outside the Longmen Grottoes.

His "shooting star chasing the moon" brushstrokes were faster than ever before, and the Khitan script codes he carved concealed the location of the traps—explosives were buried in the dead end on the west side, and iron nets were laid in the waterway on the east side, just waiting for Shi Feiyang to fall into the trap.

As Yelü Qi finished his iron-pen strike, he saw Shi Feiyang leading a dozen or so Plum Blossom Gang disciples toward him, the ice patterns on his black armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

He hypocritically praised, "Brother Shi is indeed a man of his word." His gaze swept over the people behind Shi Feiyang, but he didn't see Yelü Yan and Wanyan Ping, and a sense of unease crept into his heart. Shi Feiyang gently pressed his palm against the stone wall, freezing the last stroke of the code with icy air, and said mockingly, "Young Master Yelü's 'chain scheme' is indeed ingenious." He leaned closer to Yelü Qi and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "But you forgot, the Khitan character for 'death' has an extra hook compared to the character for 'life'."

Yelü Qi's expression suddenly changed, and he subconsciously pointed his iron pen at Shi Feiyang's throat.

But then Shi Feiyang waved his palms, using the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill to guide his iron pen in another direction. The icy waves from his sleeves froze his iron pen onto the stone wall—the icy air contained silver threads of the "Heavenly Silkworm Skill," which were spreading along the pen shaft towards his palm.

Yelü Qi sensed something was wrong and shouted, "Attack!" An explosion immediately came from the dead end on the west side.

But the expected screams did not occur. Instead, there were cries of alarm from the Mongol soldiers. The explosives there were frozen by the ice, and only some rubble was blown up. The real ambush troops had been lured to the waterway on the east side by Wanyan Ping's willow-leaf knife.

"Miss Wanyan's 'luring the tiger away from the mountain' tactic was brilliant," Shi Feiyang exclaimed, executing a 360-degree spinning kick that created an ice wave that froze the charging Mongol soldiers into ice sculptures. Looking at Yelü Qi's horrified eyes, he teased, "Your sister said she'd spare your life." He then spun around and delivered a powerful back kick, striking Yelü Qi squarely in the back of the knee, but before he fell, he sealed his pressure points with icy energy, adding coldly, "Go check on the lower reaches of the Yi River; your former 'Thirteen Wings' are feeding the fish in there."

The battle raged fiercely in the waterway. Wanyan Ping's willow-leaf saber danced like a golden snake, its blade flashing as it entangled the chains of the Mongol soldiers, each strike aimed at the weakest point of the iron net. Shi Feiyang raised his palm and unleashed the "Viewing the Vast Ocean" move from the Hundred Victories Saber Technique, the saber energy cleaving through the last section of the iron net.

Wanyan Ping then kicked the commander in the face, the movement carrying a hint of Shi Feiyang's fierceness. She exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Shi! You've come at just the right time!" Instantly, tears welled up in her eyes, and her cheeks inexplicably burned.

Shi Feiyang reached out to wipe away her tears, then spun around and unleashed the "Slaying the Mortal World" move from the Hundred Victories Sword Technique.

In an instant, more than a thousand Mongol soldiers were cleaved into pieces by the sharp blade energy.

Yelü Yan's twin swords also arrived at this moment. Her "Mandarin Duck Sword Technique" intertwined with Shi Feiyang's palm wind, forcing the last few Mongol soldiers into a dead end.

As the sun set, Shi Feiyang walked to Yelü Qi's side. The Khitan nobleman looked at the corpses of Mongol soldiers strewn across the ground, at the trusting gaze his sister cast upon Shi Feiyang, and at the cold light on Wanyan Ping's blade that resembled the ice patterns on Shi Feiyang's black armor. Suddenly, he threw his iron pen to the ground.

"I've lost." Yelü Qi's voice was weary as he looked at the Mongol soldiers' corpses floating downstream of the Yi River. "Kill me or torture me, it's all up to you." Shi Feiyang gently tapped his shoulder with his ice-like acupoints, releasing his pressure points, and advised, "Your sister said that the eagles of the grasslands shouldn't be caged. The Mongol Khan has long suspected you; going back will only lead to your death. It's better to take your old troops to Xiangyang; the great hero Guo is there and can protect you." Yelü Yan's tears suddenly fell.

She threw herself into her brother's arms and discovered that he was clutching half a Khitan-script token in his palm—it was something they had broken when they were children, and he had always carried it with him. It turns out that some matters of national duty, and some familial bonds, cannot be severed after all.

Wanyan Ping's willow-leaf blade gleamed in the twilight. Looking at the ice patterns on Shi Feiyang's black armor, and the three figures reflected within them, she suddenly understood that some victories don't require bloodshed. Like the ripples of the Yi River at this moment, though they have witnessed battle, they will eventually return to calm. And those quietly growing emotions, like pebbles at the bottom of the water, become increasingly gentle and warm under the erosion of time.

As the outline of Luoyang emerged into the night, fresh bloodstains stained Shi Feiyang's black armor, mostly obscured by peach blossoms embroidered in gold thread by Yelü Yan. Wanyan Ping's willow-leaf dagger gleamed coldly in the moonlight, the character "An" on its scabbard polished to a shine by her fingertips. The road north to Luoyang was still long, but as long as the three walked side by side, even the greatest challenges would eventually turn into ice shards beneath their palms, dust in the wind.

……

The lingering snow on the walls of Luoyang had not yet melted, but Shi Feiyang's black armor was already bathed in the moonlight of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

Ice patterns flowed across his armor, refracting the shimmering light of the Luo River into countless cold stars, much like the battle plan he was currently strategizing in his mind—the defensive layout of the thirteen city gates unfolded in his mind, each pass marked with the weaknesses of the Mongol army's defenses.

That was the result of combining Wanyan Ping's "Map of the Secret Passages of the Jin Dynasty" and Yelü Yan's "Records of the Khitan Army Defense".

Wanyan Ping pointed her willow-leaf dagger at the night sky, its light cleaving through the fireworks of the Lantern Festival, revealing the gleaming muzzles of cannons in the shadows. She offered her advice: "The 'Huihui Cannon' at the southeast corner tower is the most troublesome. The garrison there is the 'Black Wing' battalion of the 'Thirteen Wings,' and the commander of a thousand, Sahamu, is Subuhan's personal guard. He is used to using the 'Yinfeng Blade' to chop off the heads of laborers for amusement." This princess of a fallen kingdom wore a warm jade hairpin given to her by Shi Feiyang in her hair, the ice patterns on the hairpin's tip swirling in the firelight.

Yelü Yan took out the "Khitan Army Token" left by Yelü Qi from her bosom. The bronze wolf head gleamed coldly in the moonlight. She said softly, "My brother said that this token can mobilize the surrendered Khitan soldiers in Luoyang. Most of them were forced into the army, and they will definitely defect as soon as they see this wolf head."

Shi Feiyang gently pressed his palm on the city brick, and the icy air flowed along the cracks in the brick, carving the four Khitan characters "虚虚实实" (meaning "illusion and reality") into the darkness.

He gazed at the campfires of the Mongol soldiers on the opposite bank of the Luo River; the flames flickered in the cold wind, much like prey waiting to be caught.

After a moment of contemplation, he offered a plan: “Sun Tzu said, ‘Lure the enemy with profit, seize him when he is in chaos.’ Tonight, we will stage a ‘bitter ruse.’”

Wanyan Ping and Yelü Yan nodded, their gazes towards Shi Feiyang filled with increasingly intense emotions.

……

Just after the first beat of the clapper at midnight, a deafening battle cry suddenly erupted from the west gate of Luoyang.

Wanyan Ping's willow-leaf dagger, wrapped with gunpowder from the "Secret Passage Map of the Jin Kingdom," exploded in flames on the haystack of the city gate tower. She used the "Dragon Slaying Technique" to pierce through Sahamu's "Yin Wind Blade," actually cutting a notch in the poisoned blade.

Shi Feiyang flew over and roared, "Traitor, don't run away!"

His black armor was deliberately stained with the blood of surrendered Khitan soldiers, and the icy waves he created with his palms "cut down" a number of his own men. He reached out and grabbed Yelü Yan, carrying her away towards the Luo River, while shouting in Mongolian: "Subuhan, the commander of a thousand households, has ordered that these two Khitan female traitors be captured alive!"

Sahamu caught up as expected, his sharp blade carrying the evil aura of the Black Wind Cult, even cracking the ice of the Luo River.

He watched Shi Feiyang's "disheveled escape," and noticed the bloodstains on Yelü Yan's skirt—stained with chicken blood, indistinguishable from real blood under the moonlight. Suddenly, Saham burst into wild laughter: "Shi Feiyang is nothing special! Capture him, and the Great Khan will reward you handsomely!"

The three hundred cavalrymen of the "Black Wing" battalion pursued them to the center of the Luo River, but Shi Feiyang floated down from the air, using his palm as a sword, and unleashed the peerless divine skill "Sword Twenty-Three," his sword energy domain suddenly expanding. In the frozen space-time, Sahamu's "Yin Wind Blade" froze in mid-air, and just as his primordial spirit was about to escape, it was cleaved in two by Shi Feiyang's palms using the "Severing the Edge of Heaven" technique of the Hundred Victories Blade Technique.

Ice vapor swirled within the area, freezing the entire cavalry unit to the ice. Moonlight shone on the ice sculptures, making their狰狞 faces resemble demons from hell.

Then, the three hundred Blackwing cavalrymen in the sword energy field shattered into ice shards all over the ground, along with their horses.

Shi Feiyang's icy patterns solidified into a map of the Luo River in his palm. He pointed his fingertips towards the granary in the northwest corner and instructed, "This is called 'closing the door to catch the thief.' Miss Wanyan, take fifty Plum Blossom Gang disciples and use the 'fishing in troubled waters' tactic to sneak into the Mongol soldiers' kitchen and put 'awakening powder' in the meat soup." When he turned to Yelü Yan, warmth suddenly seeped from the icy patterns, and he gave her a plan: "Miss Yelü, take the token to the east gate. When the surrendered Khitan soldiers see the wolf head mark, they will naturally turn against you."

Yelü Yan nodded tenderly, then added, "You must be careful too." She lightly touched the ice with her feet, and the splashing ice droplets landed on his shoulder. She reminded him, "The 'Buddhist Extermination' Dharma King of the South Gate knows the 'Great Seal.' I saw him smash living people into mincemeat in the secret passage."

Wanyan Ping whispered, "Young Master Shi, if you encounter danger, use this signal, and my men will come to your aid through the secret passage."

As she turned around, the warm jade hairpin in her hair touched the scabbard, and the soft sound reminded Shi Feiyang of Guo Fu's laughter in Xiangyang City. Both were so crisp, yet they carried a different kind of longing.

……

(End of this chapter)