King of Hundred Victories Saber

"You’re crazy!" Shi Feiyang turned around at the sound, only to see a striking crimson spreading across Yun Wuyue’s pristine white garment.

His form was like lightning, employing the "Thousand Miles Without Staying" Lightweight Technique, instantly sealing the major acupoints on her body. The Bright Jade Technique transformed into icy blue True Qi pouring into her, yet it couldn’t stop the gushing blood, like melting snow in spring, staining his trembling fingertips.

The foam at Yun Wuyue’s lips mixed with a smile, but her eyes grew clearer: "Does Brother Shi know that this Peacock Feather is tempered with ’Thousand Mechanisms Guide’?" She coughed, blood splattering onto Shi Feiyang’s clothes, "The antidote... has already been within me. After I die, take the blood from my heart, it can summon the souls of ten thousand Gu to break the rebel siege..."

Her trembling hand touched Shi Feiyang’s dust-covered face, fingertips gently wiping the new scar at his eye corner: "You promised to take me to see the grand landscapes... to see snow in the Northern Border, to see willows in Jiangnan..."

Before finishing her words, another violent cough erupted, blood splattering out. "But, Yun’Er is afraid she won’t keep her promise..."

Shi Feiyang felt a sharp pain in his heart, those shared memories flashing through his mind like a lantern: On the Miao Ling mountain path, she blocked a fatal blow for him; in the dense forest, she leaned against his shoulder counting stars; and that day on the grassland, she rode a horse, smiling brighter than the sunrise, saying she wanted to be the most awe-inspiring leader.

"No!" His voice trembled, holding her tightly in his arms. "What I, Shi Feiyang, have promised, never goes unfulfilled! You hold on, we’ll head back to Feima Pass now, quietly to heal you!"

However, Yun Wuyue gently shook her head, the Miaojiang Secret Manual fell from her embrace, its pages ruffling open in the wind, revealing yellowed notes.

Her breath was weakening: "When you return to the grassland, tell my senior sister... the younger sister misses her... I really wanted... to become an eagle on the grassland like her..."

She gazed at Shi Feiyang’s shocked and painful eyes, struggling to pull a smile: "Yet, now like this is alright... To die in your arms, better than..." before finishing the sentence, her hand drooped lifelessly, and those eyes that once held the brilliance of countless stars gradually lost their light.

Shi Feiyang held the gradually cooling body, wailing up at the sky.

The icy blue True Qi from the Bright Jade Technique burst forth like an enraged dragon, dispersing a little of the pervasive smoke in the sky.

He bowed his head, dropping a kiss on her brow, softly whispering: "Yun’Er, wait for me. Once the rebellion is quelled, I’ll take you to see the snow in the Northern Border and the willows in Jiangnan, traversing this grand land..."

At this time, the sky suddenly showered fine rain, washing away the bloodstains on the battlefield.

On the smoke-covered walls of Zhangyi City, Shi Ying led the Red Phoenix Camp female soldiers across the scorched earth.

The twilight was falling, the setting sun stretching Shi Feiyang’s silhouette very long. He stood at the center of the ruins holding Yun Wuyue’s corpse, his icy blue True Qi fluttering like a candle in the wind, each ripple seemed a silent cry of blood.

"This is..." Shi Ying’s Cyan Frost Sword clattered to the ground, she staggered forward but froze upon touching the cold True Qi barrier. Shi Feiyang slowly lifted his head, his usually resolute face now pale as paper, blood veins filling his eyes, his voice hoarse like sandpaper rubbed repeatedly: "She is Bai Zhi’s younger sister..."

Before the words faded, the icy blue True Qi suddenly exploded, shaking the surrounding broken walls and ruins, causing dust to fall.

Lan Xiaodie stepped on the scattered bricks, the Five Poison Totems on her Green Phosphorus Sword glowing eerily in the twilight.

She stared at Yun Wuyue’s serene face, her fair hand unconsciously grasping the silver bell at her waist, its sound breaking into sobs in the wind: "She said heart’s blood could summon the souls of ten thousand Gu!" "Absurd!" Shi Feiyang suddenly shouted out, the corpse in his embrace swaying gently with his violent trembling.

He knelt in the rubble, his dark combat outfit stained with blood and dirt, "Must I, Shi Feiyang, rely on drinking a departed friend’s blood to win? How would that be different from those treacherous villains!" He lowered his head, burying his face in Yun Wuyue’s hair, his voice gradually coming undone, "Yun’Er said she wanted to be an eagle on the grassland... How can I let her not rest in peace even after death..."

Shi Ying crouched down, reaching out to touch the cold body, but froze halfway.

She looked at Shi Feiyang’s red-rimmed eyes, recalling the youth in the Miaojiang dense forest years ago, brimming with confidence; now so fragile like a startled bird. The silver bell at her waist again issued a mournful sound, she choked, saying: "Our Heroic Sakura Association people would rather die in battle than do such... such things that disturb peace in the underworld."

Lan Xiaodie gently caressed the bloodstained hem of Yun Wuyue’s clothes, suddenly drawing out a scorpion tail dart, slashing her fingertip.

Blood dripped onto the scorched earth of the ruins, instantly absorbed without a trace: "But if the rebels’ siphon poison plan remains, more will perish in Zhangyi City. We must find another way!" Her gaze turned to Shi Feiyang, firm as iron, "Hero Shi, Miss Yun’s wish, we shall fulfill, but not in this manner."

Shi Xiong suddenly knelt down with a ’thud’, slammed his White Rainbow Treasure Sword heavily on the ground: "I don’t understand such grand principles! But Miss Yun died for us, even if it means sacrificing this life, I must find another way!"

His voice echoed on the deserted city walls, startling a few crows, fluttering towards the blood-red setting sun.

Shi Feiyang slowly got up, carefully cradling Yun Wuyue’s corpse against his chest.

Unsure when the rain began, merging with the tear stains on his face, dripping onto Yun Wuyue’s pale cheek.

He gazed at the distant glow of the rebel campfire, the icy blue True Qi suddenly regathered, no longer carrying violence: "Pass the order, the whole army to rest for thirteen days." His gaze swept over everyone, "We will break this poisonous plan without compromising our path of righteousness." That night, Shi Feiyang carried Yun Wuyue’s corpse into the dense forest near Feima Pass. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows upon him.

He softly laid her in a worn-out tent, the place they once hid from pursuers.

The surrounding wild fruits fragrant, reminiscent of the past.

He plucked a leaf, placing it in her palm, softly spoke: "Wait for me to return, and take you to see the eagle on the grassland..."

Three days later, in the council hall at Feima Pass, the Wudang Seven’s Sword Array diagram and the Shaolin Stick Monk’s Vajra Exorcism Array simulation covered the long table.

Yun Wuyue’s Miaojiang Secret Manual was thumbed through, pages worn at the edges, the five poison specimens tucked within swayed gently in the passing wind.

Shi Feiyang looked at the terrain model winding on the sand table, suddenly slammed a palm, nine golden saber energies shattered the black flag representing the rebels: "Since their siphoning technique relies on water flow, let us use their method to counter them!"

Shi Ying’s Cyan Frost Sword traced an arc over the map: "Redirect the Jialing River to destroy their aqueducts!"

She turned to Lan Xiaodie, "But the flow direction..."

Lan Xiaodie took out the Hundred Gu Map from the Five Poison Sect, her fingertips tapping a spot on the diagram: "Here is a natural gorge, if an ’Dragon Attracting Array’ were placed at the mouth, then the cliff blasted with gunpowder..."

Her gaze met with Shi Feiyang’s, "But someone needs to infiltrate the enemy camp, to sabotage their array center."

Shi Feiyang grasped the Hundred Victories Saber at his waist, icy blue True Qi coursing along the blade: "I will go."

He looked at the Heroic Sakura Banner hanging on the wall, "Yun’Er defended our righteousness with her life, in this battle, we must show the rebels that true heroes never bow to villainy."

The rebels were utilizing Western Xia’s siphon theory to accelerate the flooding of Guan City, causing the Imperial Court’s artillery to fail from dampness, thus gaining battlefield advantage. Shi Feiyang knew the severity of this matter; if not stopped in time, the Imperial Court’s army would fall into a passive situation.

He led the group to investigate the terrain thoroughly, studying the construction and operating principle of siphon devices.

After deliberation, Shi Feiyang decided to tackle the source by sabotaging the siphon device’s water pipes.

The torrential rain in Qian land seemed like the River of Heaven upside down, the dark rivers of Bozhou City’s outskirts roaring like caged beasts within Western Xia’s ancient pipes.

Shi Feiyang’s dark suit clung tightly to his body, rainwater tracing down the embroidered hero’s cherry blossom pattern of silver threads.

On one knee, his palm pressed against the damp green bricks, the Bright Jade Technique in motion, fingertips emitting icy blue True Qi that formed frost on the brick surface: "These ancient pipes span three dynasties, the joints must be the key points." He turned gazing at the rain-drenched crowd, his gaze like lightning, "Brother Miao, fetch the third bamboo section of copper ring; Brother Shan, cut off West Slope Watchtower’s surveillance!"