King of Hundred Victories Saber

She suddenly laughed softly, ”I thought all Jianghu heroes were rough men, but it turns out they can be so meticulous.”

Shi Feiyang added a piece of combustible ice to the copper furnace, and the flames suddenly brightened: ”Traveling through Jianghu always requires foresight.” His gaze swept over Yun Wuyue’s pale face, ”Moreover, taking care of injured friends is duty bound.”

Footsteps sounded outside the tent, and Miao Menlong lifted the curtain and poked his head in: ”Grand Squad Leader, I’ve made tiger bone soup, Miss Yun should replenish her strength.”

As he came in holding a ceramic bowl, the bell at his waist jingled, ”Miss Yun, this soup contains detoxifying herbs, please drink without worry.”

The combustible ice in the copper furnace emitted a ghostly blue flame, filling the leather tent with a warm glow.

Yun Wuyue looked at the steam rising from the ceramic bowl, the curling white mist blurred her reddened eyes.

When her fingertips touched the bowl’s surface, the intricate cherry blossom patterns caused her heart to tremble—a lifelike eight-layer cherry blossom, whose veins matched the emblem embroidered on the flag of the Heroic Sakura Association.

”Hero Shi...” She suddenly paused, eyelashes casting fine shadows beneath her eyes, ”No, I should call you brother-in-law.” Before the words were finished, Shi Feiyang’s hand trembled slightly as he was adding ice to the furnace, and the ice crystals fell into the fire, splashing sparks.

Yun Wuyue cradled the ceramic bowl to her chest, a mischievous smile characteristic of young girls on her lips, ”I heard my sister Bai Zhi is now a leader of the Naiman Tribe, commanding thousands of warriors with great prestige!”

Shi Feiyang, seeing the longing in her eyes, recalled his wife Bai Zhi’s heroic figure galloping across the prairie, and couldn’t help but smile: ”You little girl, you sure have your ear to the ground.”

He brushed off the frost from his fingertips, his dark, textured outfit reflecting a gentle glow in the firelight: ”But the Bozhou conflict is yet unresolved, at this moment...”

”I want to see the big prairie!” Yun Wuyue suddenly grasped his sleeve, completely forgetting her ankle injury, ”I want to see where the wind bends over the grass to reveal cattle and sheep, I want to watch my sister bend her bow against the great eagles! Brother-in-law, after we subdue Yang Yinglong, will you take me there?”

When she looked up, the corners of her mouth still bore traces of broth, adding a touch of innocence and liveliness compared to usual.

Their relationship slowly transformed from adversaries to friendship, to familial ties.

Shi Feiyang gazed at Yun Wuyue’s shining eyes and, in a trance, seemed to see Bai Zhi when she first entered the Jianghu.

She was like this, possessing unparalleled martial arts skills, yet always loved to stick around and seek out Jianghu stories.

”Okay.” Shi Feiyang raised his hand to brush aside her forelock, ”Once this conflict is settled, I’ll personally protect you as you visit your sister.”

”Really?!” Yun Wuyue excitedly stood up abruptly, but stumbled forward due to her injury pulling her down, and Shi Feiyang grabbed her with a long arm, the icy blue true qi from his palm flowed through her meridians, slightly easing the pain.

She leaned against Shi Feiyang, sticking out her tongue: ”Brother-in-law, you cannot renege, Jianghu people must honor their promises!”

”When have I ever gone back on my word?” Shi Feiyang sighed and shook his head, gently pressing her back into the comfortable bear skin cushion, ”But your rash nature, when we get to the prairie, your sister might need to scold you properly.”

He saw Yun Wuyue’s cheek puffed out like a dumpling and couldn’t help but laugh: ”Speaking of which, when your sister tamed the Snow-Stepping Black Steed back then, she was even more reckless than you by three parts.”

Yun Wuyue immediately became interested, disregarding the faint pain from her wound, edged closer to ask, ”Quickly, tell me! How did my sister tame the fierce steed?” Her eyes shone with admiration, the tiger bone soup in the ceramic bowl gently swayed with the movement, reflecting their overlapping figures.

Shi Feiyang pondered for a while, as if revisiting those rugged years: ”Back then, she had just arrived at the Naiman Tribe, seeing everyone feared that steed, she insisted on showing off. As a result, the horse threw her off three times, but she gritted her teeth and held onto its mane from sunrise to sunset...”

His voice gradually softened, ”Later, that horse recognized her as its master and would only obey her commands.”

”I want to be such a prairie hero too!” Yun Wuyue suddenly clenched her fist, ”Brother-in-law, I also want to be a leader on the prairie!” She blinked her big watery eyes, ”Could you... give me a small tribe? Like my sister, leading tribesmen to gallop across the land!”

Shi Feiyang was at first taken aback, then burst into laughter, a laugh that shook the tent’s tassels to sway with it.

Seeing this, Yun Wuyue became a little annoyed, reached out to pound his shoulder: ”What’s so funny! Even though I’m a girl, that doesn’t mean I’m inferior to men!”

”Alright, alright!” Shi Feiyang chuckled, holding down her hand, ”Once you recover, we will find a pasture rich in water and grass. At that time, you’ll be the leader, and I’ll be your Flower Guardian, how about that?”

The sincerity and warmth in his eyes reflected in the flickering firelight, causing Yun Wuyue’s cheeks to blush.

Outside the tent, night winds passed through the pine forest, bringing the sound of pine waves.

Yun Wuyue cradled the now-cooling ceramic bowl, listening to Shi Feiyang’s tales of the prairie, in a trance almost forgetting the perilous circumstances she was in. At this moment, she was no longer the blood-soaked military strategist carrying secret messages, but merely a girl dreaming of distant lands.

While Shi Feiyang, watching her fall into peaceful sleep, secretly vowed that—no matter the hardships ahead, he would protect this innocence and hope. The night deepened, the wolf howls echoing in the forest, yet isolated by the tent.

Shi Feiyang stood vigil outside the tent, staring at the solitary moon above.

He knew, beneath this surface calm, a greater crisis was looming.

But now, listening to the gradually steady breathing of Yun Wuyue inside, he tightened his grip on the deer skin pouch at his waist—determined to thwart Yang Yinglong and the Five Poison Sect’s conspiracy to preserve this tranquility.

The late-spring night wind swept across Feima Pass’s battlements, the bell on the roof emitted a lonely, clear sound.

Shi Feiyang stood atop the arrow tower, gazing toward the dense forest beyond the pass, the ice-blue true qi condensed from the Bright Jade Technique flickered faintly at his fingertips.

Suddenly a shadow darted in like a night owl, landing revealed Xie Wen, his gray fabric outfit soaked with dew, tightly holding a rolled parchment with secret messages. ”Grand Squad Leader, urgent news came from the Miao Village.” Xie Wen kneeled on one knee, presenting the secret message, his gaze sweeping over Shi Feiyang’s waist where hung a family heirloom jade pendant—still stained with infant Shi Nian’s milk residue.

Shi Feiyang unfolded the secret message, the candlelight cast a mix of shadows and light on his resolute face. After reading the content, he brought the paper close to the flame, watching the fire greedily consume the words before soberly saying, ”You’ve worked hard, leave this position to you.”

Xie Wen, watching Shi Feiyang turning to leave, suddenly spoke: ”Grand Squad Leader, wait. I have no family attachments, standing guard tonight is more fitting for me than others.”

His voice was low, embodying the carefree spirit of Jianghu’s children, yet couldn’t hide a slight undertone of loneliness in his words.

Shi Feiyang slightly paused, moonlight outlining the broad contours of his shoulders and back: ”Brother Xie, Miss Yun is recuperating in the forest, you and she...”

”It won’t work!” Xie Wen hurriedly waved his hand, his usually stern face took on a faint blush, ”That Miss Yun is incredibly wise and sharp, I actually admire women like Madam Lin, gentle and virtuous.”

Recalling Lin Wanqing’s serene smile while brewing tea, his lips unconsciously curled into a smile.

Shi Feiyang laughed heartily, his laughter startled the birds on the city head: ”Alright! Once the battle quiets, we must let Wanqing find you a good match.” With that, he tapped his toe lightly, executing the ”After finishing, wipe the clothes and leave” lightweight technique, vanishing into the night like a shadow.

Xie Wen, watching Shi Feiyang’s retreating figure, felt warmth rising in his heart.

He tightened his grip on the iron knife at his waist, turning to walk toward the city wall’s battlements, his shadow in the moonlight stretched long, intertwining with the shadows of arrows on the wall.

The next day at 7:45 PM, Shi Feiyang finished handling the pass city’s military affairs, walking under the moonlight that cast silver shards everywhere, he came to a small wooden house in the forest.

Yun Wuyue was leaning against the patterned wooden pillar, the Cyan Blade in her hand spun with clear-sparkling sword flowers, yet due to not being fully recovered, her movements were slightly sluggish.

”Miss Yun, this ’Cold Plum Blooming’ lacks three parts of sharpness.” Shi Feiyang’s voice came from the shadow of the trees, startling Yun Wuyue to turn sharply, her sword pointing towards the source.

Upon recognizing the person, Yun Wuyue sheathed her sword, chiding: ”Hero Shi, this skill of scaring people is more advanced than your martial arts.”