King of Hundred Victories Saber

Shi Ying leaned against his shoulder, tears wetting his collar: ”As long as you are by my side, even the hardest days will be as sweet as honey.”

As the morning light brightened, the mist dissipated, and the fragrance of Mandala Flowers grew stronger.

In the courtyard, the family of three tightly embraced, at this moment, time seemed to stand still, all longing, waiting, and caring transformed into endless tenderness and sweetness.

Three days later, within the Grand Hall of the Celestial Demon Sect at Thunder God Rock, Shi Feiyang was holding the little hand of his youngest son Shi Nian, teaching him to recognize the cloud patterns on the sword manual.

Suddenly, the copper bell at the corner of the eaves rang sharply, and a gray figure darted into the courtyard like sparse willow catkins in the wind. ”Flying Eagle Detective” Xie Wen landed on one knee, the eagle on his shoulder flapping its wings fiercely and letting out a sharp cry. In its claws, a secret message tightly grasped still bore the unique cinnabar seal from the Southern Border.

”There is a change in the Five Poison Sect!” Xie Wen’s voice was deep like a drum, and the veins on his forehead throbbed slightly from his urgent rush, ”Lan Xiaodie secluded herself in the Holy Gu Cave for seven days and broke the long-forgotten blood feud memorial upon emerging!”

Shi Ying was just draping a cloak embroidered with a tiger’s head over Shi Nian when she heard this and her fingertips trembled slightly.

Shi Feiyang gently stroked the soft top of the child’s head, but his gaze was as sharp as a blade tempered with ice: ”Tell me about it.”

”Members of the sect saw her kneeling under the sacred tree of Miaojiang, muttering to the void,” Xie Wen unclasped his bloody coat, revealing three deep claw marks on his chest, ”As I approached to investigate, she suddenly unleashed the ’Thousand Spider Poisonous Hand’, had the eagle not warned me...”

He paused, lowered his voice, ”The words she spoke seemed like she was possessed by some Immortal God—’Shi Feiyang is a true hero’, ’The father’s debt should not be repaid by the son’, all words overturning the blood feud from years past!”

Suddenly, Shi Nian began babbling and clumsily slapped the scabbard on Shi Feiyang’s waist with his chubby hand.

Shi Ying took the child, gently shaking the rattle with her slender hand, yet her gaze remained on her husband’s solemn side profile. Outside the courtyard, the Mandala Flowers moved without wind, their fragrance floating around as Shi Feiyang slowly rose, and when the Celestial Frost Blade was unsheathed, it cast a bluish cold light.

The Mid-Autumn wind carried the fishy scent of the Chishui River, causing the copper bell at the corner of the Celestial Demon Sect’s eaves to clatter.

Shi Feiyang stood with arms behind at the Observatory, his gaze piercing the fog like a hawk, locked onto the mountainous layer upon layer to the west.

Where the clouds billowed and purple air faintly rose, was the territory of the Five Poison Sect.

”Xie Wen!” Shi Feiyang suddenly spoke, his voice like a booming bell, causing the green brick beneath him to tremble slightly, ”Lan Xiaodie’s character change, Five Poison Sect’s undercurrent is surging. This is a heaven-sent opportunity for our Celestial Demon Sect to annex the Five Poison Sect and uphold justice in the Jianghu!”

”Flying Eagle Detective” Xie Wen knelt on one knee, the Hai Dongqing on his shoulder let out a sharp cry: ”I am willing to accompany the Sect Leader to Miaojiang!”

But Shi Feiyang waved his hand, and the Celestial Frost Blade shone a bluish cold light in the moonlight: ”Not so. You should immediately use the ’Feixu Qingyan Technique’, return to Chishui River. Order the Celestial Sword Lu Wen Tripod, the Blood Rakshasa, and their disciples to swiftly aid Thunder God Rock, ensuring Shi Ying and the safety of the Grand Headquarter.”

He paused, a hint of worry flashed in his eyes as he analyzed, ”The situation in the Five Poison Sect is unclear, some may seize this moment to launch a surprise attack on the Celestial Demon Sect.” Xie Wen’s heart tensed, deeply aware of the Grand Squad Leader’s correctness. The Five Poison Sect has numerous experts, should anyone harbor ill intent and exploit the situation, the consequences would be unthinkable.

”I obey the order!” He cupped his hands in salute, and his figure leapt lightly like willow catkins, disappearing into the night in an instant.

Shi Feiyang watched the direction Xie Wen left, turned to the Sect Leader of the Celestial Demon Sect and his beloved wife Shi Ying and said: ”Jianghu is like a chess game, a single wrong step could lead to a complete loss. Since I have taken the world as my responsibility, I must leave no measures undone, to protect this wonderful good land, to guard over these thousands of people!”

With that said, he exhibited the Supreme Lightness Technique ”A Thousand Miles Without Stopping”, his form transformed into a ray of light, hurrying toward the Five Poison Sect.

In the night sky, two figures streaked across like shooting stars. One headed toward the Chishui River, the other toward Miaojiang, their destinies soon to whip up storms in the Jianghu. Meanwhile at the Celestial Demon Sect Grand Headquarter, Shi Ying holding her young son Shi Nian, stood on the city head, gazing in the direction her husband left, eyes filled with both worry and determination.

She knew, a great battle was imminent.

Miaojiang’s Mid-Autumn mist was like ink poured, encasing the towers of the Five Poison Sect into a monstrous form.

Inside the Holy Gu Cave, Lan Xiaodie gazed into the copper mirror, haunted by visions over the past two years like a venomous serpent coiling in her thoughts—images of the Jade Emperor’s duster sweeping, amidst the clouds Shi Feiyang leading allies in a bloody struggle, his visage like a deity; Sun Wukong’s Golden Cudgel striking ground, father’s secret meetings with traitors fragmenting like powder.

She clutched the Poisoned Silver Hairpin tightly, its Mandala Flower pattern layering over her memory of Shi Feiyang’s blood-stained robe, her knuckles whitening from the force.

The fading moon of Miaojiang tainted to a grayish-blue by toxic miasma, the flickering candlelight within the Holy Gu Cave cast Lan Xiaodie’s face as if shrouded in frost-tinged white jade.

She wears a moon-white gauze dress embroidered with the Hundred Poison totem, the hem’s silver threads outlined with golden ones, Mandala Flowers lightly rising and falling with her breath, the Green Phosphorus Sword on her waist emanating a cold glow, complementing the red serpent-like gold adornments entwined around her wrist.

Her dark hair tied high into a Nine Poison Pearl Hairpin, a few stray strands falling beside her face pale as paper, accentuating her phoenix eyes filled with an intangible melancholy. Two years ago, Shi Feiyang’s ”Celestial Palace Illusion” haunted Lan Xiaodie like a malignant growth.

At this moment, she leaned against the cold stone wall, her fingertips absent-mindedly caressed the hairpin beside her temples, where its Mandala Flower pattern seemed to come alive, overlapping with the vision of Shi Feiyang’s blood-soaked clothing.

She suddenly laughed, then cried, her gaze sometimes clear, other times befuddled, the usual cool, proud demeanor of the Sect Leader utterly vanished.

”Father... was he really deserving of his fate?” she murmured, her voice as broken as leaves in the wind.

Her mind repeatedly flashed scenes of the Jade Emperor gently waving his duster, amidst the mist Shi Feiyang leading allies against foreign enemies; then saw Sun Wukong’s Golden Cudgel touching ground, revelations of father’s collusion with traitors reappearing in fragments. These images like blades, relentlessly stabbing at her heart.

Suddenly, she began to cough violently, her pale fingers preventing her lips, removing them, found her fingers stained with crimson. ”Why... why do you let me see these...” she weakly slid to the ground, her gauze dress spreading out like a fallen butterfly. The pearls on her hairpin gently swayed with her trembling, as if mirroring her unsteady mind.

Outside, the sound of insects seemed like mocking in her ears. She hugged her arms tightly, curling into a small ball, allowing the anguish to engulf her. The once unwavering quest for revenge now lay shattered and riddled with holes.

Shi Feiyang’s towering figure in her visions felt like a mountain, suffocating her, yet also inexplicably drawing her closer, seeking the truth behind that shining aura.

”Sect Leader!” came the urgent cry of a loyal disciple sweeping through the wind from outside, ”The elders say you’ve lost your mind, they want to establish Hu Langxing as the Vice Sect Leader!” Before the words finished, the hem of Lan Xiaodie’s dress embroidered with the Hundred Poison totem already swept off the poison Gu bottle on the desk, Golden Silk Gu twisting between the shards, emitting green liquid smoking upon the green bricks.

Meanwhile, Shi Feiyang exhibited ”A Thousand Miles Without Stopping” lightness technique across the peaks, suddenly noticing purple mist roiling like a sea of blood above the Five Poison Sect. Amidst the breath of decay accompanied by the buzz of Gu insects, he startled: such evil aura must mean internal strife in the sect!

Inside the Holy Gu Cave, the cave door shattered with a roar. Hu Langxing crushed the green stone to enter, the skull patterns on the Nine-Ring Saber seemed to sneer. Behind him, Tang Qianji’s sleeve concealed twelve Bone-Piercing Nails emitting a ghostly blue gleam, Yue Wuying’s Blood Saber dripped black blood, snaking into bizarre totems on the ground.

”Lan Xiaodie, since you are possessed by inner demons, it’s time to yield the position of Sect Leader!” Hu Langxing laughed wildly, shaking dust from the cave walls, his Nine-Ring Saber slashed out a move ”Black Wind Rolling Clouds”, the melee had yet arrived, the corrupt wind already whipped Lan Xiaodie’s hair into disarray.