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

Yang Guo's heavy sword was stuck in the top of Möngke's golden tent, and Xiaolongnu, dressed in white, nestled beside him.

Shi Feiyang didn't greet Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu, but silently observed Guo Xiang's deep affection for Yang Guo.

He saw Guo Xiang staring blankly at the two figures, the golden light of the setting sun falling on her face, turning her fourteen-year-old dreams into an eternal silhouette.

"We won!" Guo Fu's cheers came from the arrow tower. Shi Nianxiang in her arms suddenly giggled and patted her mother's shoulder with her little hand.

When Guo Xiang looked up, she saw Yang Guo smiling slightly at her. His eyes behind the mask shone like the starry sky. Suddenly, she felt that all the bloodshed and smoke of Xiangyang City were worth it because of this smile. Even if she used up all her golden needles, even if they were separated by thousands of miles, being able to see him in this chaotic world and watch him fight side by side with his beloved was the greatest luck in her life.

Shi Feiyang took Shi Nianxiang from Guo Fu's arms. The little guy was poking at the ice patterns on his black armor with his finger, his eyes brighter than the stars.

He recalled his first encounter with Guo Fu in Xiangyang City. Her sharp rebuke, "You Mongol spy, I'll kill you!", with her sword pointed at his throat, still echoed in his ears. In the blink of an eye, their child was already laughing amidst the flames of war.

The battle at the East Gate was nearing its end. Guo Jing unleashed the "Regretful Dragon" move from the Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms, knocking the last Mongol commander off the city wall. The shockwave from his palm struck the plaque bearing the words "Xiangyang," and in the dust that fell, Huang Rong's Dog-Beating Stick carried the head of the Tibetan National Preceptor. The head's eyes were still wide open, as if it could not believe that it had been defeated by a Han Chinese.

Yang Guo avoided Guo Xiang's affectionate gaze and walked up to Shi Feiyang. Suddenly, Shi Nianxiang reached out her small hand and grabbed Yang Guo's mask, as if she wanted to see what this one-armed hero looked like.

Yang Guo's voice, though muffled by the mask, was still gentle. He praised, "This child is blessed. He was born amidst a great victory; he will surely become a pillar of society." His right hand gently stroked the baby's head, the calluses on his palm brushing against the little one's baby hair, his movements incredibly tender.

Little Dragon Girl's silver bell suddenly rang three times; that was her unique way of giving blessings.

She took out a jade bracelet from her sleeve, engraved with the pattern of "two swords united," and placed it in the baby's small hand, gently saying, "This was carved in the ancient tomb back then, as a keepsake for the child. And also to thank Master Shi for protecting me back then!"

Shi Feiyang laughed and said, "You're welcome! Lady Long is my goddess! I wish you and Hero Yang a long and happy marriage and many children!"

Xiaolongnu nodded with a smile, took Yang Guo's hand, jumped onto the Condor, and drifted away.

Guo Fu walked to Shi Feiyang's side and whispered, "When the world is at peace, we'll take Nianxiang to Peach Blossom Island. We'll also tell her how her father, grandfather, and Uncle Yang defended Xiangyang City."

Shi Feiyang's icy energy condensed into a small warship model in his palm. Inside sat his family of three, along with Guo Jing, Huang Rong, Yang Guo, and Xiaolongnu, and even Wanyan Ping and Yelü Yan, who were far away in Suzhou.

He handed the model to Shi Nianxiang, and the little guy grabbed the mast of the warship, his giggles echoing on the city tower where the smoke of battle had not yet dissipated.

As night fell, the torches of Xiangyang City formed a starry river. Guo Jing and Huang Rong came to say goodbye, as they were going to accompany Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu to the Mount Hua Sword Tournament. They entrusted Shi Feiyang to protect Xiangyang City for them until their return.

Shi Feiyang stood on the arrow tower, holding Shi Nianxiang in his arms, with Guo Fu nestled beside him. The three figures were reflected on the city bricks by the torchlight, clinging tightly together, inseparable. They watched Guo Jing and Huang Rong leave with Guo Xiang, feeling a heavy weight on their shoulders.

A night breeze swept through Xiangyang, bringing with it the moisture of Jiangnan. Shi Feiyang looked down at Shi Nianxiang, who was fast asleep in his arms; the little one still had a smile on her lips.

The family of three then returned to the Guo residence in the city.

Inside the room, a calming sandalwood incense burner, its smoke curling and swirling around the cobwebs on the beams, completely washing away the stench of blood left from the battle.

Guo Fu had just placed Shi Nianxiang into the cradle when Shi Feiyang swept her up in his arms. The coolness of her black armor seeped through her pale yellow battle robe, but was warmed by the warmth of his palms. Her hairpin brushed against his chin, the jewels tinkling as if counting his rapid heartbeats.

Guo Fu said shyly, "Put me down, my little boy is watching." Her fingertips pressed against his chest, but she couldn't bear to push him away forcefully.

Shi Nianxiang kicked her little legs in the cradle, blowing bubbles, her big, dark eyes staring straight at them, her little fists clenched around the corner of the swaddling clothes embroidered with the words "Peace". Shi Feiyang carried Guo Fu to the bedside, and with a soft thud as his black armor bumped against the edge of the bed, he lowered his head and kissed the corner of her lips.

Guo Fu's lips still carried the sweet taste of peach blossom tea. He deliberately bit them lightly with his teeth, causing her to moan softly. Her fingertips pinched his waist—the black armor there was as thin as a cicada's wing, and he could clearly feel the warmth of her fingertips.

The twilight outside the window gradually deepened. Shi Nianxiang was fast asleep, her little face rosy like a ripe apple. Moonlight shone through the window frame, casting a layer of silver frost on Shi Feiyang and Guo Fu. Shi Nianxiang smacked her lips in the cradle, as if she were having a sweet dream.

Time flies, and half a year has passed, but Guo Jing, Huang Rong, and Guo Xiang have not yet returned to Xiangyang City.

After six months of peace, Xiangyang City was once again greeted by Kublai Khan's army.

The arrow tower trembled for three whole months under Kublai Khan's "Huihui cannons".

On Shi Feiyang's black armor, the ice patterns had been stained dark gray by the smoke of gunpowder, yet they still gleamed coldly in the morning sun.

He stood on the west city tower, the copy of "The Art of War" in his palm wrapped in a brocade cover embroidered by Guo Fu, with a baby's footprint tucked between the pages—the footprint of Shi Nianxiang when he turned one year old, which he was now repeatedly stroking with his fingertips.

Guo Fu, her willow-leaf dagger piercing an enemy banner with a hole cleaved in the wolf's head on it, earnestly explained the situation: "The Mongol soldiers outside the North Gate have changed their banners. Kublai Khan has incorporated Ariq Böke's remnants into the 'Kheshig Army,' intending to use us to eliminate all dissidents."

A silver hairpin adorned her hair, the pearl at the tip reflecting the bloodstains on the city wall—the marks of the wound she sustained last night when shielding Shi Feiyang from stray arrows. She then murmured, "Nianxiang is crying and making a fuss in the mansion; she must be missing her father."

Shi Feiyang nodded, having no time to speak with Guo Fu. He used "Thousand Miles Without Leaving a Trace" to sweep across the crack in the arrow tower, the wind whipped up by his black armor carrying away the dust from Guo Fu's temples. He tossed out a sentence from mid-air: "Sun Tzu said, 'Lure them with profit, seize them when they are in chaos.'"

His palm strike traced the Mongol army's defenses on the city bricks, the icy air condensing the brick fragments into ice crystals. He then declared domineeringly, "Kublai Khan is eager to consolidate his throne, so let's make him 'haste makes waste'." His icy patterns suddenly pointed to the granary in the northeast corner, and he gave a plan: "Have the Beggars' Sect disciples disguise themselves as Mongol soldiers and sprinkle 'grain-dissolving powder' on their granaries at night."

Guo Fu tapped her fingertip on the ice crystal granary and laughed out loud: "This 'counter-espionage scheme' is just like my mother's handiwork." She took out a brocade pouch from her sleeve, inside which was a crooked little figure drawn by Shi Nianxiang, and said happily: "Nian'er said that this is Daddy fighting the Mongol soldiers, and insisted that I bring it to you."

As night fell, Yelü Qi of the Beggars' Sect led his disciples infiltrated the Mongol camp. Their dog-beating sticks carried sacks soaked in "grain-dissolving powder," the copper rings at the ends wrapped in cotton cloth, making no sound. As the first rays of dawn pierced the clouds, a stench suddenly emanated from the Mongol soldiers' granaries—the wheat intended for the army had turned into a dark green slime overnight, crawling with maggots.

Inside Kublai Khan's golden tent, a gilded wine cup was smashed to the ground. The new Khan, his wolf-skin boots crunching over the broken porcelain shards, glared at the kneeling generals outside the tent and roared, "Three days! I only need three days!"

His "Mongolian wrestlers" were tying Ariq Böke's former men to pillars, the sound of whips lashing against the ground mingling with the chanting of the Tibetan national teacher. He then coldly ordered, "If we fail to capture Xiangyang, you will all be fed to the dogs!"

The battle at the West Gate Tower reached its climax on the third day. Kublai Khan's "Ironclad Chain Horses" surged in like a tide, their hooves shattering the ice on the moat, sending ice shards mixed with blood flying through the air.

Shi Feiyang led followers of the Sun Moon Cult, Beggar Clan members, Plum Blossom Clan members, and Song soldiers out of the city to meet the enemy, but they suffered repeated defeats. The Mongol cavalry was simply too formidable. The Song soldiers were afraid of death, and often retreated step by step in fear at the sight of the Mongol iron cavalry charging.

The followers of the Sun Moon Cult and the Plum Blossom Gang were good at fighting in skirmishes, but in a head-on battle, they were no match for the Mongol cavalry. The Beggars' Sect disciples excelled at intelligence gathering and surprise attacks, but a single charge by the Mongol cavalry resulted in countless of them being trampled to death.

Left with no other choice, Shi Feiyang had to hold off the Mongol army alone.

He unleashed the "Mountain Splitting" move from the "Hundred Victories Saber Technique," slashing it towards the cavalry formation. The icy air condensed into a wall of ice several feet wide outside the black armor, freezing the warhorses in the front row into ice sculptures. The shockwave from his palm struck the armor of the "Ironclad Linked Horses," producing a deafening clang of metal against metal.

Immediately afterwards, he unleashed the "Emperor's Heavenly Thunder" divine skill, and the Mingyu Gong's icy energy suddenly transformed into thousands of thunder pearls, exploding within the horse formation. Those thunder pearls, imbued with the chilling power of the Mingyu Gong, shattered upon contact with the armor, and fragments of armor, flesh, and ice crystals cascaded across the moat, creating a scarlet path on the ice surface.

In this way, they covered the retreat of the Sun Moon Cult members, Beggar Clan disciples, and Plum Blossom Clan disciples into the city. Shi Feiyang caught a glimpse of Guo Fu directing female soldiers to move rolling stones in the arrow tower. Her pale yellow battle robe was soaked with sweat, but she still smiled brightly. In her arms, Shi Nianxiang was waving her little fist, as if cheering for her father.

In a normal fight, Shi Feiyang would have been on the verge of death. Fortunately, he had cultivated the Sacred Heart Technique.

As the Mongol cavalry trampled forward, unleashing a volley of arrows from their crossbows, Shi Feiyang unleashed "Sword Twenty-Three," expanding his sword aura domain to freeze the arrows in a static space. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he used "Leaving No Trace for a Thousand Miles," flying up to the city wall and hiding behind the battlements.

Guo Fu, along with the martial arts masters and Song soldiers, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The Mongol army completely surrounded Xiangyang. In order to preserve their strength, Shi Feiyang no longer led his troops out of the city to fight, but instead ordered the Song soldiers to defend the city, and ordered the members of the Sun Moon Sect, the Beggars' Sect, and the Plum Blossom Sect to cooperate in the defense.

In late autumn, the food supplies in Xiangyang City were gradually running out.

Shi Feiyang was counting the remaining rice in the granary of the government office. The last few grains of rice at the bottom of the granary were frozen into ice crystals by his icy energy.

Guo Fu's willow-leaf knife suddenly cleaved open the cellar door in the backyard, revealing dozens of jars of peach blossom wine hidden inside—the dowry her mother, Huang Rong, had brought from Peach Blossom Island years ago, which she opened without hesitation.

She declared boldly, "Liquor emboldens us; let the brothers drink before we kill!"

Just then, Guo Fu suddenly clutched her lower abdomen, her face flushing. Shi Feiyang was startled and used his profound "Hidden Body and Name" lightness skill to instantly appear beside her. He carefully probed her meridians with icy energy and asked anxiously, "Fu'er, what's wrong?"

His voice was filled with an unprecedented panic, more nervous than when facing a thousand troops. Guo Fu grabbed his hand and pressed it to her belly, where a faint throbbing was felt. She said coquettishly, "Silly girl, we're going to have another baby."

Her cheeks glowed softly under the oil lamp, and she said, "When this child is born, I will definitely let him see how his father defended Xiangyang."

Shi Feiyang burst into laughter, his heart overflowing with happiness.

The following spring, just as the peach blossoms in Xiangyang were beginning to bloom, Guo Fu gave birth to her second son amidst the flames of war. Shi Feiyang wrapped the infant in the ice patterns of his Xuanjia armor, looked at the little guy's wrinkled face, and smiled at Guo Fu, saying, "Let's name him Nian Song, remembering the land of the Great Song Dynasty and our home."

The full moon banquet was held in the courtyard of the government office. The people brought their own bowls and chopsticks, and even if it was just a bowl of thin porridge, they drank it with great relish.

Wearing tiger-head shoes, Shi Nianxiang wobbled and rushed into her father's arms, clinging tightly to her younger brother's swaddling clothes, causing the whole courtyard to burst into laughter.

Guo Fu, her pale yellow battle robe adorned with wild chrysanthemums given to her by the common people, watched Shi Feiyang clumsily changing Shi Niansong's diaper. Suddenly, all those flashing swords seemed like distant background. "Your Majesty, the Mongol soldiers are challenging us at the East Gate again!" Cheng Duoyuan, his broken axe slung over his shoulder, bloodstains still on the blade, said angrily, "They say... they say we're like grasshoppers trapped in a daze."

Shi Feiyang was fully dressed in his black armor, the ice patterns reflecting the smiling faces of his two sons. He said domineeringly, "Tell them that even a grasshopper can kill an elephant."

He lowered his head and kissed Guo Fu's forehead, then placed a kiss on each of the two children's cheeks, and said affectionately, "Wait for me to come back for the full moon celebration."

The fighting at the East Gate was more brutal than ever before. Kublai Khan's "Huihui cannons" had already blasted down half of the city wall. Mongol soldiers charged in, stepping over the corpses of their comrades. The Tibetan "Secret Sect Suicide Squad" used the "blood sacrifice ritual" to dissect prisoners alive, hanging their hearts and livers on the siege ladders. The stench of blood permeated the city walls, making even seasoned Tang soldiers nauseous.

Shi Feiyang flew over and used the "Transferring Flowers and Jade" divine skill to lure away the three Mongol centurions with their spiked clubs. The fierce palm wind of the "Slaying the Mortal World" technique slid up the club handle and twisted their wrists.

He caught a glimpse of Kublai Khan's golden helmet below the city wall and smiled at Mei Jinghong beside him, "Father-in-law, it's time to use the 'capture the king to capture the thief' tactic." Ming Yugong condensed ice energy into an ice arrow in his palm and instructed, "Protect Fu'er and the child for me."

He unleashed "Leave No Trace for a Thousand Miles," transforming into a streak of ice. His black armor grazed the heads of the Mongol soldiers, and the chilling force of the ice patterns formed by his Mingyu Gong froze the enemy troops along the way into ice blocks. He then unleashed "Severing the Edge of Heaven" from the "Hundred Victories Blade Technique," and the fierce blade energy cleaved through Kublai Khan's personal guards.

"Having fought a hundred battles in golden armor, Shi Lang's brilliant plan brings peace to the world!" A deafening cheer suddenly erupted in Xiangyang City. Guo Fu stood on the arrow tower, holding Shi Niansong in her arms, while Shi Nianxiang rode on Cheng Duoyuan's shoulders, waving a large banner with the character "Tang" in his hand.

People poured in from all directions, carrying kitchen knives and carrying poles, their shouts shaking the city bricks: "Let's fight the Mongol soldiers!"

Shi Feiyang's spirits suddenly lifted, but Kublai Khan had already slipped away. The icy energy of Mingyu Gong surged wildly within Shi Feiyang's body. "Shocking Calamity" swept over the surrounding Mongol cavalry, its chilling gaze shattering their very souls. Their heads, beneath their helmets, suddenly exploded into ice shards, black blood splattering onto Shi Feiyang's black armor, hissing white smoke rising from them. The Mongol army's formation crumbled in an instant.

Shi Feiyang then unleashed the "Evil Blood Calamity" divine skill, spreading the black blood from the Mongol soldiers' corpses. The Mongol soldiers stained with blood suddenly vomited blood, their corpses curling up into monkey-like shapes, piling up into a small mountain below the city gate.

Looking at the routed enemy troops, he turned to Cheng Duoyuan and smiled, "General Cheng, it's time to hold a victory celebration banquet. Bring out all the wine I've been hiding."

As night fell, the lights of Xiangyang were brighter than ever before.

Shi Feiyang sat in the courtyard of the government office, holding Shi Niansong in his left arm and Shi Nianxiang by the hand in his right. Guo Fu was pouring him a glass of peach blossom wine. The common people were parading in the streets, and the sounds of gongs and drums were mixed with the laughter of children.

Guo Fu's fingertips traced the outline of Shi Feiyang's black armor. Her tone was playful, but her eyes held a deep worry. She said sadly, "The grain jars are all empty. Tomorrow, the brothers will be starving." Suddenly, Shi Feiyang untied a deerskin bag from his waist. The bag gleamed faintly in the moonlight, invisible to the naked eye. With a gentle shake, the rice jars overflowed, the wine jars were full, and the courtyard was piled high with money and grain. Guo Fu was speechless, stunned, and remained speechless for a long time.

Shi Feiyang loudly summoned General Qin Mu and ordered him to take some soldiers to distribute money and grain to all the soldiers and civilians in the city. Qin Mu asked in surprise, "Your Majesty, the city has been without food for a long time. Where did you get so much money and grain?"

Shi Feiyang did not answer, but raised his wine cup and said meaningfully, "To Xiangyang, to the people, to our home." The aroma of peach blossom wine filled the courtyard. Shi Nianxiang snatched her father's wine cup and licked it. She stuck out her tongue because of the spiciness, which made Shi Niansong giggle.

Qin Mu came to his senses and ordered his guards to quickly mobilize the people in the city to come and distribute money and grain.

Immediately, cheers erupted throughout the city: "Having fought a hundred battles in the yellow sands, clad in golden armor, Shi Lang's brilliant plan brings peace to the world!"

Moonlight filtered through the peach trees in the courtyard, casting long shadows of Shi Feiyang and his family.

Shi Feiyang was full of confidence. He knew that Kublai Khan's army would come again and that the bloody battle of Xiangyang was not over yet. But as long as Guo Fu was by his side, as long as he heard the laughter of his two children, and as long as he had the support of the people of the city, he had enough courage to protect the safety of Xiangyang.

……

The arrow towers of Xiangyang City groaned in despair under Kublai Khan's "Huihui cannons".

The city wall at the southeast corner had collapsed into a slope, and the corpses of Mongol soldiers were piled up like firewood at the breach. Black blood flowed down the patterns of the city bricks and froze into winding blood snakes on the ice of the moat.

On Shi Feiyang's black armor, the ice patterns had turned dark gray from the smoke of gunpowder. He looked at the endless Mongol army camps outside the city with a worried expression.

At this moment, a Beggars' Sect disciple delivered three reports—from Yangzhou, Jinling, and Suzhou respectively—all stained with blood.

Guo Fu already knew the situation and whispered, "Husband, Ariq Böke's navy has passed Guazhou Ferry. According to the Beggars' Sect disciples, the decks of the Mongol warships are wide enough for horses to run on, and the iron hooves of the Kheshig army have shattered the ice on the Yangtze River."

A silver hairpin adorned her hair, the pearl at its tip reflecting the cracks in Shi Feiyang's black armor—the marks left from when he shielded her from stray arrows last night. She said sadly, "The new Tang emperor, Shi Niantang, is crying and making a scene at the Jinling Palace. Sister Wanyan must be too busy to comfort him."

Shi Feiyang said firmly, "Xiangyang was entrusted to me by your father, and I cannot abandon Xiangyang!"

He paused, then continued, “Sun Tzu said, ‘If you prepare for the front, you will be weak in the rear; if you prepare for the rear, you will be weak in the front.’ Kublai Khan and his rival Ariq Böke have temporarily made peace, and then Ariq Böke is attacking our rear. This is a ‘feint to the east while attacking the west’ strategy, which aims to prevent us from being able to defend both ends. Xingqing Prefecture is the former capital of Western Xia, and the Helan Mountains are easy to defend and difficult to attack, making it a perfect retreat route for us.”

Guo Fu's fingertip touched "Xingqing Prefecture" on the ice crystal map, and she suddenly grabbed his hand: "You want to send Nian Tang to the Northwest?"

Her voice trembled, but she forced herself to remain calm and said, "That is your foundation; it cannot be lost." The hem of her pale yellow battle robe brushed against the tips of Shi Feiyang's boots, and the fragments of city bricks she was wearing fell to the ground. She offered a suggestion: "I will defend Xiangyang with you, and let Qin Mu and the others protect the children as they leave."

At this moment, Cheng Duoyuan's axe suddenly cleaved open the tent flap, blood still dripping from the blade. He entered without regard for etiquette and roared, "The Mongol soldiers at the East Gate have gone mad!"

The black-faced general's armor had been hacked to pieces. He reported, "Kublai Khan has given a death order to attack every hour. The corpses are almost level with the city walls!" His gaze swept over the ice crystal map in Shi Feiyang's hand. Suddenly, he knelt on one knee and pleaded, "This humble general is willing to lead three hundred personal guards to fight our way out and save Jinling!"

Shi Feiyang helped Cheng Duoyuan up, and the icy air flowed over his wound, instantly stopping the bleeding.

He nodded and said, "General Cheng must use the 'golden cicada shedding its shell' strategy." He took out a tiger tally from his bosom; the character "Tang" on it was warm from his body heat. He then gave the plan: "Have Yuchi Fu lead the Beggars' Sect disciples to disguise themselves as Mongol soldiers and break out through the waterway at night to Suzhou to pick up Yelü Yan. Qin Mu and Luo Zhan will go to Yangzhou and Jinling respectively, and tell them that I... I ordered them to 'abandon the city and preserve their strength'."

Guo Fu took off the jade pendant from her waist. The dragon and phoenix patterns on the jade had been polished to a shine by her caresses. She said to General Cheng Duoyuan, "Give this to Nian Tang." Her fingertips traced the crack in the jade pendant, which was from when Shi Nian Tang was a baby and dropped it during his first birthday celebration. She then said emotionally, "Tell him that his father and mother did not abandon him, but rather wanted to protect more children like him."

The tassels of the jade pendant brushed against Shi Feiyang's black armor, and the ice patterns shimmered with a gentle red light.

With tears of emotion streaming down his face, the valiant general Cheng Duoyuan turned and left.

Just as the clapper sounded at midnight, dozens of "corpses" suddenly floated up in the western waterway of Xiangyang City.

Those were disciples of Yuchi Fu's Beggars' Sect, their faces smeared with pig's blood, reeds tied around their waists, drifting downstream towards the Yangtze River. The Mongol patrol boats had barely approached when they were overturned by dog-beating sticks that flew out from the "corpses," the copper rings at the tips jingling in the night, as if bidding farewell to their brothers breaking through.

Qin Mu swung his sword, cleaving through the enemy ranks at the east gate and creating an opening for Cheng Duoyuan's personal guards. He turned back and roared, "Your Majesty, rest assured! Even if it costs me my life, I will protect the young master to Xingqing Prefecture!"

Luo Zhan, his spear adorned with a large banner bearing the character "Tang," raised it amidst the fighting at the North Gate. He deliberately allowed the banner to be riddled with arrows, inciting the Mongol soldiers to scramble for it, thus providing cover for Wanyan Ping's messenger's escape. His spear tip pierced the throat of a Mongol centurion, and he said to the messenger, "Tell the Empress that once I reach Jinling, I will make those evil masters taste the power of the 'Armor-Piercing Spear'!"

Inside Kublai Khan's golden tent, a gilded wine cup was smashed to the ground. The Mongol Khan gazed at the flames of Xiangyang and sneered at the Silver Wheel Dharma King beside him, "Shi Feiyang has indeed fallen for the trap." His wolf-skin boots, treading on a map of Jiangnan, the iron studs on the soles blurring the characters for "Yangzhou," continued in a deep voice, "Let the evil masters of Jiangnan make their move and send Ariq Böke a grand gift."

……

The painted boats on Slender West Lake shattered into pieces under the "Yin Wind Whip" of Li Wufu, the protector of the Black Wind Cult. Suddenly, Empress Dowager Mei Qile of the New Tang Dynasty swirled her iron ruler, leaving three afterimages. She unleashed the first move of "Three Variations on Plum Blossom," "Budding," striking the protector's "Quchi" acupoint. The pregnant Empress Dowager's slightly protruding belly, however, caused the hem of her pale yellow palace dress to sweep away the throats of three cult members as it fluttered. Blood splattered onto the medicine pouch for pregnancy support, mingling with the mugwort inside.

Although Mei Qile had some pain in his lower abdomen, he still angrily cursed, "How dare the disciples and grand-disciples of the Black Wind Demon run wild in Yangzhou?" The iron ruler suddenly changed its move to "Rage," and the ruler broke off the whip tip of the protector, and then scooped up the black demon token in his heart.

The skull engraved on the token suddenly shot out a poisoned needle, but Mei Qile used the "four ounces deflect a thousand pounds" technique of the Tai Chi Sword Sect to deflect it towards the Blood Blade Sect monk next to him. The needle tip pierced through the skull, and the brain matter that came out splattered on the ice surface as specks of white plum blossoms.

Li Wufu unleashed his "Soul-Searching Palm of Yin Wind," suddenly striking her lower abdomen, the palm wind carrying the stench of rotting bones. Mei Qile touched the floating plank with her toes, her body leaning back like a plum blossom in bloom, the iron ruler piercing through her opponent's wrist with a backhand motion.

At the same time, she struck his dantian with her "Falling Petals Palm". Amid Li Wufu's screams, she glimpsed two Blood Blade Sect disciples raising their knives to slash at the children in the cabin. Suddenly, the iron ruler flew out of her hand, and the red silk at the end of the ruler wrapped around the enemy soldier's ankle and was violently pulled into the ice cave. Two scarlet blobs immediately rose on the surface of the lake.

On a painted boat on the Qinhuai River, Wanyan Ping, wielding a willow-leaf dagger, was locked in combat with Handali, the vice-leader of the Blood Blade Sect, using the "Blood Blade Technique."

The former Jin princess's leather armor was soaked in blood, yet she still maintained her royal dignity. Her blade flashed like a cold moon across the long street, forcing back all the Five Poisons Sect demons who had infiltrated the palace. Handali's "Breaking the Rules Blade Technique" came slashing down with a bloody aura, the wind from the blade whipping her hair into the air, revealing her snow-white neck.

Wanyan Ping snorted coldly and cursed, "Back in Yanmen Pass, this is how I killed your master." She suddenly used the "Golden Bell Acupoint Breaking Technique" to strike the opponent's pulse point, and the silver bell on her fingertip rang out exceptionally clearly in the midst of the battle.

Just as Handari's "blood-red aura" was about to protect her, she kicked up the ambergris on the table with her toe. In the instant the ash blinded his eyes, the willow-leaf knife had already pierced his throat. The pearl on the tassel of the knife hit the armrest of the dragon throne, and the sparks that flew up ignited the scattered scriptures.

Two Qingcheng Sect masters suddenly leaped down from the beam, their "Heart-Shattering Palm" aimed straight at Shi Niantang behind the dragon throne. Wanyan Ping swiftly broke the knee of the man on the left with a "step-and-side kick," while simultaneously striking the Baihui acupoint of the man on the right with the back of her blade, her movements as fast as lightning.

As she turned, her skirt swept across the entrails scattered on the ground. Suddenly, she noticed that one of the demons had the Five Poisons Sect's snake-shaped symbol embroidered on his sleeve. She swung her willow-leaf knife backhand, the blade piercing through three layers of the ship's cabin and striking the Five Poisons Sect leader, who was hiding in the shadows, right in the heart.

In front of the arrow tower at Panmen Gate in Suzhou, Yelü Yan displayed the "Mandarin Duck Sword Technique" and fought fiercely against Gongsun Yuan, the master of Duanhun Valley, with his "Soul-Hooking Claw."

The red silk used to tie the hair of the former Liao princess was torn to shreds by the claws, but it only made her eyes sharper. The moment her left hand parried the claws with a knife, her right hand had already cleaved open the opponent's breastplate. Blood spurted onto the "Tang" banner, blurring the words "Land of Fish and Rice".

Yelü Yan said disdainfully, "The 'Bone-Melting Powder' of Broken Soul Valley is truly better seen than heard about." She then used a "Cross Cleave" to sever the spines of three of her followers. As their bodies fell from the city wall, she suddenly spun around to avoid the poisonous sand that was attacking them. The poisonous sand stuck to the city bricks, corroding them with countless tiny holes, but the soles of her boots were lined with ice silkworm silk from the Flower-Shifting Palace, so they remained unharmed no matter how the poisonous sand corroded them.

Duan Cheng, a high-ranking official from Dali, unleashed his "One-Finger Divine Skill," attacking from the shadows with his finger aimed directly at her brow.

Instead of retreating, Yelü Yan advanced, feinting with her left hand while simultaneously slashing at the enemy's ribs with her right. Her "Mandarin Ducks Playing in the Water" swordplay severed the meridians of both Diancang disciples. She then noticed her guards transporting provisions through a secret passage and suddenly shouted, "Pour the last two carts of wheat in front of the city gate!"

Before she finished speaking, the Mongol soldiers slipped and fell on the wheat grains, their brains splattering as she kicked them repeatedly.

As the fighting at Slender West Lake subsided, Mei Qile had already recaptured three warships. Her iron ruler was stuck into the corpse of the Black Wind Sect protector, and the bloodstains on the hem of her palace dress froze into a dark red ice shell, yet she still personally steered the ship upstream to break through the encirclement.

The children in the cabin held the dry rations she tossed to them, watching the pregnant Empress Dowager stand at the bow of the ship, the red silk on the iron ruler fluttering in the wind, like a red plum blossom blooming in a sea of ​​blood.

The imperial palace on the banks of the Qinhuai River was finally cleared away, and Wanyan Ping used a willow-leaf knife to display the head of the deputy leader of the Blood Blade Sect.

Shi Niantang, seated on the dragon throne, was toying with the poisoned needles she had thrown. Though the pearl hairpins at her temples were gone, her profile, illuminated by the torchlight, was breathtakingly beautiful. As the last Five Poisons Sect member was nailed to a vermilion pillar, she gently stroked the carvings on the dragon throne, as if whispering to Shi Feiyang, "Jinling City, I have protected it for you."

In the morning light at Panmen Gate in Suzhou, Yelü Yan's "Mandarin Duck Swords" were planted side by side on the crenellations of the city tower. She bent down to pick up a red silk ribbon that had been torn in half, tied it to the hilt of the sword, and smiled slightly as she looked at the smoke rising from the entrance of the secret passage.

The Mongol soldiers below the city gate were still shouting, but no one dared to take another step closer—the corpses corroded by the "bone-dissolving powder" and the heads shattered by the "Mandarin Duck Blades" had long since piled up on the frozen surface of the moat into a chilling fortress.

The figures of the three heroines are now reflected in the waters of the Yangtze River, the Huai River, and the Grand Canal, respectively.

Although their martial arts styles are different—Mei Qile's iron ruler embodies the elegance of the Plum Blossom Gang, Wanyan Ping's swordsmanship carries the sharpness of the Jin royal family, and Yelü Yan's double skills combine the strength and gentleness of the Mongols and the Han people—their determination to protect their homes and land is exactly the same.

When their weapons were stained with the blood of the Jiangnan heretics, no one would doubt that these wives of Shi Feiyang not only possessed stunning beauty, but also had the same unyielding spirit as their husbands.

At this time, the battle in Xiangyang was extremely fierce. The fierce generals and elite cavalry that Shi Feiyang had ordered had already returned to Yangzhou, Jinling, and Suzhou. The few remaining Song soldiers were mostly cowards who only shouted but dared not engage the Mongol cavalry.

Only Shi Feiyang and a few Beggars' Sect disciples dared to truly confront the Mongol cavalry. At this moment, he unleashed the "Breaking the Universe" technique of the "Hundred Victories Saber Technique" with both palms. The fierce saber energy cleaved through Kublai Khan's "Huihui Cannon," and the Mingyu Gong ice energy condensed into an ice wall in mid-air, temporarily blocking the enemy's offensive.

He looked in the direction where Qin Mu and the others had disappeared, and then smiled at Guo Fu, saying, "I used the 'substitution trick' to let them break through the encirclement. We will guard Xiangyang, which will be a good opportunity to contain Kublai Khan's main force." Xuanjia turned to the Mongol soldiers surging like a tide and gave them another plan, saying, "When they reach Xingqing Prefecture, we will use the 'secret crossing of Chencang' to launch a surprise attack on them."

Guo Fu stood back-to-back with him, holding a willow-leaf dagger. Her pale yellow battle robe fluttered in the rain of blood as she declared resolutely, "Back then, you said we would live and die together." Her fingertips traced the ice patterns on Shi Feiyang's black armor as she boldly declared, "This time, I will stay with you until the very last moment." Shi Nianxiang and Shi Niansong were protected by their wet nurse in the arrow tower. The two children were not afraid of the sounds of battle; instead, they giggled and patted the window as if cheering for their parents.

Kublai Khan's golden helmet gleamed on the battlefield. He looked at the "Tang" banner atop Xiangyang City and sneered to his confidants, "No matter how powerful Shi Feiyang is, he can't stop 100,000 iron cavalry." He pointed his mace at the city wall and roared, "Pass down the order: the city must be breached before dawn!" The cheers of the Mongol soldiers shook the earth. They charged forward, stepping over the corpses of their comrades, filling the gaps between the city bricks with pieces of flesh.

Shi Feiyang unleashed his "Emperor's Heavenly Thunder" divine skill, transforming ice into thunder and attacking the enemy formation. The ice energy transformed into thousands of thunder pearls, blasting the Mongol soldiers in the front row to pieces.

His black armor had turned blood red, and the ice patterns were covered in blood plasma, turning dark red, yet it still gleamed coldly in the morning sun.

He looked up to the sky and roared, "The great hero Guo Jing once said that when Xiangyang falls, it will be the day we die for our country. But we cannot let our children repeat the same mistakes. Xingqing Prefecture in the Northwest is their hope."

Guo Fu's willow-leaf dagger suddenly protected his back, and with a flash of light, three Mongol soldiers who had ambushed him fell to the ground.

She declared boldly, "If you die, I will lead the children to raze the Mongol camp to the ground."

Her voice carried a hint of laughter, but tears streamed down her face, landing on Shi Feiyang's black armor and instantly freezing into tiny ice crystals. She choked out, "But now, we all have to live to see the children grow up in Xingqing Prefecture."

The fighting continued into the seventh day, and the breach in Xiangyang City grew wider and wider, with Mongol troops having already entered the inner city. The setting sun dyed the moat a deep crimson. Guo Jing descended from the sky, wielding the "Flying Dragon in the Sky" technique from the "Eighteen Subduing Dragon Palms," striking down with unparalleled ferocity, sending dozens of Mongol soldiers flying.

Huang Rong's dog-beating stick leaned against the pile of bricks, the copper ring at the end of the stick already flattened. With her last bit of strength, she stuffed the "Martial Arts Manual of Yue Fei" into Guo Xiang's arms. The bloodstains on Green Calyx Skirt dried into dark brown scabs in the wind.

"Xiang'er, take the book with you." Huang Rong's voice sounded like it had been sanded. She suddenly grabbed Guo Xiang's hand and pressed it onto the parchment of the Nine Yin Manual. "Go to Zhongnan Mountain to find your Brother Yang and tell him... Xiangyang City is gone, but this flame cannot be extinguished."

City bricks fell behind her with a rustling sound, and the cheers of the Mongol soldiers had already penetrated three lines of defense. Suddenly, she pointed her dog-beating stick at the east gate and said in a low voice, "Your sister and brother-in-law are over there, hurry up!"

Guo Xiang's tears fell onto the parchment scroll, blurring the diagram of the "Nine Yin White Bone Claw". She saw Guo Fu's pale yellow battle robe rising and falling amidst the Mongol soldiers' blades, Shi Feiyang's black armor had turned blood red, and the ice patterns were covered in blood and turned dark red, yet still gleamed coldly in the midst of the fighting.

She cried out sadly, "Sister!" Then, she used the "Orchid Finger Technique" to push away two charging enemy soldiers. Suddenly, she threw the golden needle at the Mongol centurion behind Shi Feiyang, and excitedly exclaimed, "Brother Yang said that golden needles can save lives in emergencies!" (End of Chapter)