King of Hundred Victories Saber

Shi Feiyang’s heart suddenly sank; he wanted to refute, but her herb-scented fingers pressed against his lips.

”Do not deceive me, nor deceive yourself.” Her tears burst forth, turning into ice beads on her cheeks, ”The fourth Elder of the Wuyue Clan is merely the vanguard; if my grandmother hears the news... thousands of masters lying in wait deep in the desert will emerge, and the Heroic Sakura Association...”

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly coughed violently, and blood seeping through her fingers dripped onto his dark-colored gown, spreading like bright red plum blossoms.

”I forbid it!” Shi Feiyang suddenly shouted, his voice shaking the land, causing the ice shards around to fall.

He cradled her face, his eyes, bloodshot and burning with almost insane stubbornness: ”I, Shi Feiyang, have wielded my saber in the Jianghu since the age of eighteen, never knowing the meaning of ’retreat’! Back then, I single-handedly fought against thirty thousand marauders of the Black Wind Stronghold and carved a path out; now, even if the Wuyue Clan comes in full force, I can use the Celestial Frost Blade to cut a blood path for you!”

Guo Xiangyu gazed at the determination in his eyes, her tears breaking free like a flood. She suddenly grasped his wrist, her nails digging deeply into his palm: ”But how can I just watch you sacrifice the entire Heroic Sakura Association for me? Those children... some are even younger than me, they shouldn’t... because of my lineage...”

Her voice suddenly ceased, her breathing and coughing violent, staining much of his gown red.

Shi Feiyang pressed her head against his chest, listening to the weak and erratic heartbeat, as if countless steel blades were gouging at his heart. Memories surged like tides—her spirited figure wielding a bamboo saber when they first met, her clever playfulness while grinding ink, the meticulous stitches spelling ’Peace’...

”Xiangyu, tell me, how can I bear it?” His voice carried a vulnerability he had never shown before, ”You are my only weakness in this life, and also my lifelong armor. Without you, even if I conquer the world, what does it matter?”

Guo Xiangyu painfully raised her head, using her last strength to wipe the bloodstains from the corner of his eyes: ”Do you remember what you said, the ninth move of the Hundred Victories Saber Technique ’Eternal Life’?” Her lips curled into a pale smile, ”Thinking of it now, the name seems fitting... if I could live and die with you, it would...”

”Quiet!” Shi Feiyang suddenly sealed her lips with a kiss, dominating yet gentle, carrying the taste of blood.

He turned with her in his arms and walked towards the depths of the snowy plains, the Celestial Frost Blade carving a cold arc in the moonlight: ”Since I dared to take on this ’trouble,’ I have full confidence to protect you. The brothers of the Heroic Sakura Association will hold the passes, while I will ensure the Wuyue Clan knows—those who dare to touch Shi Feiyang will pay for their blood debt even if it takes chasing them to the ends of the earth!”

The cold wind howled, yet it could not dispel the figures of the two embracing.

On the ice plains, their overlapping footprints extended into the distance, like a tragic painting engraved with love and vows.

The northern wind carried ice crystals like thousands of steel knives slicing across the snowy plain, yet Guo Xiangyu in Shi Feiyang’s embrace seemed unaffected by the chill; her pale fingers trembled as they caressed his blood-stained cheek, using her last breath to imprint a light kiss on his lips.

The scent of medicine mixed with the smell of blood lingered, akin to her unfinished emotions tangled bitterly in the cold night.

”Promise me...” Her voice was as faint as a wisp in the roaring wind, almost inaudible, ”To protect the Heroic Sakura Association, and protect yourself. If there is a next life...” Her words left unfinished, her head drooped powerlessly onto his shoulder, the blood at the corners of her mouth glowing eerily red in the moonlight, like a red plum blossom about to wither, beautiful yet resolute.

Shi Feiyang felt his heart as if gripped fiercely by an invisible giant hand, making breathing difficult.

He buried his face in her hair, tears scorching as they fell upon her thin shoulder: ”No! I don’t want any next life! I want only this life, only for you to stay by my side! You promised to see with me the misty rains of Jiangnan, the frosty snow of the Northern Border, and bear children with me; how can you abandon these vows?” His voice was filled with despair and defiance, echoing on the desolate snow plain.

Guo Xiangyu managed a smile, yet it was more heartbreaking than if she cried.

She painfully raised her hand, fingertips lightly touching his face, as if trying to engrave his visage into her bones: ”Feiyang, don’t be like this... you know, I have no choice. The influence of the Wuyue Clan is unfathomable; I cannot allow you and the Heroic Sakura Association to be dragged into endless ruin because of me.”

Her gaze was full of reluctance and heartache, ”Promise me, live well, feel the splendid flowers of spring, the high-hanging moon of autumn, embrace the beauty of this world for me...”

”I refuse!” Shi Feiyang suddenly roared, his voice shaking the ice shards around to fall, ”Without you, what meaning does everything in this world hold for me? If you leave, I will follow you; these Jianghu grudges, worldly ambitions, I will abandon entirely!”

He held her hand tightly, as if by this he could retain her fading life.

Guo Xiangyu shook her head, tears slipping down, freezing into ice crystals on her cheeks: ”Silly Feiyang... you carry the trust and expectations of the brothers from the Heroic Sakura Association, how can you be so willful? If you truly love me, then promise... to live well.”

Her gaze was earnest and resolute, as if wishing to carve her last words into his heart.

Shi Feiyang looked into her eyes and finally nodded slowly, tears blurring his vision: ”Okay, I promise you. But remember, without you, Shi Feiyang will never live alone in this life. If I cannot find you, nothing in this world will be worth my longing.”

He tremblingly took out a crystal-clear Xu Fu Immortal Pill from the deerskin pouch at his waist.

The Immortal Pill emitted a soft glow, holding the hope of resurrection.