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

The autumn wind swept past the Meridian Gate, carrying ginkgo leaves. Shi Feiyang took off his black cloak, and the strands of hair tied up with his jade crown were still damp with the rain from Jiangnan.

Su Dai gazed at his tall, straight back through the silk curtain, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the lotus pattern on the carriage window—when that vermilion carriage drove through the long street, she clearly saw the scene of people enjoying food and drink, but she didn't know what kind of ruthless methods were hidden beneath the mask of this "benevolent ruler".

"Yue Shan, settle Miss Su in Donkey Market Alley." Shi Feiyang stroked the jade dragon hook at his waist, his gaze sweeping over the kneeling Imperial Guard commander. "From today onwards, Fuxing Inn will be converted into Jishi Pharmacy. Make sure the manager, Shi Huiyu, takes good care of her."

He deliberately emphasized the name "Shi Huiyu," and the young doctor in the shadows trembled slightly, but dared not look up.

Su Dai bowed her head in greeting, the handkerchief hidden beneath her wide sleeves already crumpled from being gripped tightly: "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty."

As she looked up, she caught a glimpse of Shi Huiyu's handsome face out of the corner of her eye—those phoenix eyes that were exactly like Shi Feiyang's, and at that moment they were cautiously stealing glances at the emperor's face.

Three days later in the Qianqing Palace, the bronze crane incense burner emitted wisps of ambergris. Shi Feiyang slammed the secret memorial onto the gold brick, the words "Ortai's cronies forming private factions" circled bright red in vermilion: "Zhang Tingyu, look at this utter absurdity!"

He suddenly grabbed the paperweight from the desk, smashing the jade lion on the ground and cracking it. "The Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou embezzled military funds, yet he claims it has nothing to do with Ortai?"

Zhang Tingyu knelt amidst the shattered jade, his white beard swaying with his trembling body: "Your Majesty, please understand. Although I, your younger brother, served in the same court as Ortai, but..."

"Enough!" Shi Feiyang slammed his hand on the table, the Mingyu Gong technique emanating from his palm, instantly freezing the ink in the inkstone. "I have approved your resignation. To be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple?" He sneered, grabbing a vermilion brush and fiercely crossing out the words on the imperial edict. "To not personally express your gratitude is to disregard the majesty of Heaven!"

That night, the candles in the Hall of Mental Cultivation burned all night. Shi Feiyang held Hu Zhongzao's "Collection of Poems on the Path of Perseverance," his gaze lingering on the line "A lifetime without sun or moon." Wei Nianhua held the correspondence between Echang and Hu Zhongzao, the chain of the farewell hook dragging on the blue bricks with a grating sound: "Your Majesty, the words 'turbid stream' clearly allude to the Manchus being barbarians."

"A rat who attacks others with underhanded means, does he deserve to be called a scholar?" Shi Feiyang threw the poem into the brazier, watching the signature "Disciple of Ortai" twist in the flames. "Issue the decree: Hu Zhongzao shall be executed by slow slicing, and E Chang shall be forced to commit suicide."

He suddenly turned his head, his cold glint in his eyes sending a chill down Wei Nianhua's spine. "The memorial tablet of Ortai shall be removed from the Temple of Worthies immediately. Furthermore, all officials and servants throughout the land shall receive a pay raise, with an average increase of fifty taels of silver per person. County magistrates shall receive an additional one hundred taels of silver annually, prefects two hundred taels, and governors and viceroys three thousand taels each. From this day forward, anyone who falls into corruption and depravity shall have their entire family confiscated and be exterminated! This entire task shall be overseen by you, the Grand Secretary!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Wei Nianhua received the decree and left.

Shi Feiyang then summoned Bai Zhen and He Shen to accompany him to the large iron building on Zhuque Street—the headquarters of the Money Gang—to visit his two beloved wives, Zhou Weirou and Lin Ruoxue, who were hiding there. The twilight on Zhuque Street was punctuated by the gilded plaque of the Money Gang headquarters. Shi Feiyang arrived bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, the five-clawed golden dragon embroidered on his black brocade robe appearing and disappearing in the light and shadow. Bai Zhen's iron claws and He Shen's crescent-shaped scimitar were always by his side.

The three approached the door, and the copper-studded gate swung open with a crash. Shi Taishan, the leader of the Golden Coin Gang, knelt down with a thud, his forehead slamming heavily against the bluestone slab: "This humble commoner was blind and ignorant, unaware that our distinguished guest was..."

"Get up." Shi Feiyang raised his hand to help him up, his gaze passing over the trembling gang leader and landing on the hanging flower screen wall inside the door.

In the twilight, two graceful figures shattered the golden dappled light on the ground. Lin Ruoxue's moon-white silk dress was embroidered with silver butterflies, and the pearl hairpin in her hair trembled slightly as she ran; Zhou Weirou's crimson dress trailed on the ground, and the jade bracelets on her wrists clinked together with a clear, melodious sound. The tears welling up in their eyes were brighter than the newly risen moon. "Tiange!" Lin Ruoxue threw herself into his arms, her delicate hands tightly clutching his clothes. "Where have you been these past few days? Ruoxue has been praying for you in the Buddhist hall every day..."

Her voice was choked with sobs, and warm tears fell onto Shi Feiyang's neck, sending a shiver down his spine.

Zhou Weirou stood half a step away, biting her lip, her eyes red but trying hard to hold back her tears. It wasn't until Shi Feiyang reached out and put his arm around her waist that she finally choked out, "Do you know how scared Rou'er was... scared that you would suddenly disappear like that snowy night that year..."

Shi Feiyang lowered his head and kissed away the tears from Lin Ruoxue's eyes, then gently wiped away Zhou Weirou's tear stains, and said with a smile, "Silly Madam, haven't I returned?" His voice was deep and gentle, but it terrified Shi Taishan behind him—the two of them were so intimate with the emperor, they were clearly the emperor's concubines!

Inside the secret room, a hundred gold bricks gleamed dazzlingly in the candlelight.

Shi Taishan trembled like a leaf: "This humble subject is ignorant and begs Your Majesty's forgiveness! This gold..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shi Feiyang had already put his hands behind his back and looked at the "Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" painting on the wall: "Does Chief Shi know that there are as many gangs in the world as there are fish crossing a river?"

He suddenly turned around, his cold gaze causing Shi Taishan to slump to the ground. "It's better to guide than to block. If you can take the Money Gang as an example, follow the right path, and care for the people..." Before he could finish speaking, Lin Ruoxue had already tiptoed to adjust his hair ornament, while Zhou Weirou placed a warm teacup into his palm, her eyes full of affection: "What the Emperor says is absolutely right. Chief Shi will certainly obey."

As Shi Feiyang led the two beauties out of the secret room, Xiang Ruixiang and Xiang Ruiyun, the two children, were peering out from behind the door frame.

Eight-year-old Ruixiang rushed over and hugged his leg: "Daddy! Did you go fight bad guys?"

Shi Feiyang smiled and picked up the child, saying, "That's right, Daddy chased away all the bad guys who were bullying you."

Xiang Ruiyun timidly tugged at Zhou Weirou's skirt, only to be pulled into Shi Feiyang's arms.

Lin Ruoxue and Zhou Weirou then realized that their husband, "Xiang Tiange," was actually the former prince, the Fourth Prince Hongli, who is now Emperor Qianlong.

Overwhelmed with emotion, they embraced their two children, Xiang Ruixiang and Xiang Ruiyun, and followed Shi Feiyang into the palace, where they temporarily resided in the Imperial Garden, enjoying worldly riches and honors.

The night in the Imperial Garden was exceptionally gentle. Lin Ruoxue leaned on Shi Feiyang's shoulder, gazing at the starry sky: "So you are the Fourth Prince. Do you still remember that year in Jiangnan, when you said you were a failed scholar?"

Her fingertips traced the dragon tattoo on his chest, her voice a mixture of reproach and longing. Zhou Weirou buried her head in the crook of his neck, the scent of jasmine mingling with ambergris in her hair: "Whether you are Xiang Tiange or His Majesty, in Rou'er's heart, you will always be the one who picked plum blossoms for me..."

Shi Feiyang held his wife and children in his arms, listening to the distant sound of the night watchman's drum.

Moonlight streamed through the carved window lattice, casting a soft, silvery glow on the ground.

He suddenly remembered the unapproved memorials in the court and the need to rectify the bureaucracy, but amidst Zhou Weirou's whispers and Lin Ruoxue's light laughter, he cast all his worries aside—at this moment, the country and the beauty were both so real in his hands.

In the Jishi Pharmacy in Donkey Market Alley, Shi Huiyu was teaching Su Dai how to identify medicinal herbs. When he mentioned that "dragon's blood can stop bleeding and promote tissue regeneration," Su Dai suddenly remembered the bloody battle in Tongbai Mountain, and the silver needle at her fingertips fell "plop" onto the medicine grinder.

The autumn rain drizzled in Donkey Market Alley, and water droplets condensed on the bamboo curtain of Jishi Pharmacy, filtering the noise outside into blurry fragments.

Su Dai's fingertips, holding the silver needle, turned slightly white as she stared at the back of Shi Huiyu's neck, which was exposed when he bent down to pick up the needle—there was a cinnabar mole there, as red as the blood splattered on her skirt on the battlefield of Tongbai Mountain.

“Miss Su’s hands are trembling again.” As Shi Huiyu straightened up, the celadon medicine pot reflected two almost overlapping faces. The hand that handed over the silver needles had distinct knuckles, and the thin calluses at the base of the thumb were exactly the same as Shi Feiyang’s hand holding the jade dragon hook.

The moment Su Dai took the needle, she caught a glimpse of the curve at the corner of his phoenix eyes, and her heart skipped a beat—those eyes were clearly the deep pool in which she had drowned during her spring night on the pleasure boat.

"Perhaps...perhaps I'm tired from studying medical books these past few days." She turned her face away, her gaze falling on the "Dragon's Blood" label on the medicine cabinet.

The shouts of battle from Tongbai Mountain suddenly rang in my ears. Bai Zhen's iron claws tore through the air, and Wei Nianhua's parting hook gleamed with a cold, eerie blue light.

Su Dai subconsciously pressed the throwing knife hidden at her waist, but instead touched the warm jade that Shi Feiyang had given her before leaving. A chill crept up her fingertips to her heart.

Shi Huiyu began grinding the medicinal herbs. The sound of the pestle striking the bluestone mingled with his gentle voice: "This dragon's blood needs to be combined with notoginseng and frankincense..."

He suddenly stopped and turned to look at her pale face. "If Miss Su is not feeling well, please go and rest."

That concerned expression was exactly the same as when Shi Feiyang held her in his arms on the pleasure boat.

Su Dai shook her head, trying to appear calm, but as she turned to get the medicine, she knocked over the bronze mirror on the table.

In the instant the mirror flipped, two figures intersected in the mercury-like luster—Shi Huiyu's profile as he bent over to pick up the fragments overlapped with Shi Feiyang's posture as he bent over his desk reviewing memorials, even the shadows cast by his eyelashes under his eyes were exactly the same.

She bit her tongue to keep from crying out, her nails digging deep into her palms.

"Be careful not to hurt yourself." Shi Huiyu's voice was cool like mint, and his warm fingers had already grasped her wrist.

Su Dai stood frozen in place, smelling the faint scent of ambergris on him, exactly the same as the scent she had in the brocade quilt on the pleasure boat that night. Memories flooded back like a tide: the warmth of Shi Feiyang's body when he held her in his arms, the deep whispers in her ear—all now felt like needles, pricking her eyes until they burned.

"Thank you, Manager Shi." She abruptly pulled her hand back, bumping into the medicine cabinet as she stepped back. The aroma of angelica and chuanxiong mixed with the panicked atmosphere filled the air.

Shi Huiyu gazed at her bright red ear tips, thoughtfully rubbing his palm, where the warmth of her wrist still lingered.

The rain outside the window suddenly intensified, its patter on the green tiles masking the rapid beating of their hearts.

Late at night, Su Dai lay on the couch in the back room of the pharmacy, gazing at the net of moonlight woven between the window lattices.

She took out the secret letter from her bosom. Chen Jialuo's vigorous handwriting gleamed coldly in the moonlight: "You must find out the whereabouts of Fourth Brother Wen. The 70,000 brothers of the Red Flower Society await your reply." The jade pendant left by Shi Feiyang by her pillow was faintly glowing with a warm light, much like the tenderness in his eyes when he looked at her.

The night watchman's clapper startled the stray dogs at the alley entrance, and Su Dai gripped the dagger hidden under her pillow.

She suddenly remembered Shi Huiyu saying when he was grinding up the blood-blood medicine that it was "as white as congealed blood, and would heal wounds without leaving a trace." But what about the wounds in her heart? Those mornings and evenings spent with Shi Feiyang, that infatuation she knew was being used yet still willingly indulged in—how could any of that be healed?

From next door came the rustling sound of Shi Huiyu turning the pages of a medical book. Amidst the turning of the pages, Su Dai could hear her own heart pounding like a drum. Two similar faces flashed alternately in her mind: one was the Red Flower Society she was to serve, the other was the emperor she had fallen deeply in love with. And Wen Tailai's life hung precariously in the center of this confusing web of truth and falsehood, like a taut string that could snap at any moment.

The autumn rain had not yet stopped, and the water droplets from the eaves of the pharmacy dripped onto the bluestone slabs, spreading out countless tiny ripples.

Looking out at the thick darkness of the night, Su Dai finally pressed the dagger to her heart—for Brother Wen, for the Red Flower Society, she had to gamble everything, even if the stake was her already battered heart.

The Imperial Palace. Three days later, at the morning court session, the newly appointed scholars knelt before the imperial steps.

Looking at the official robes of the poor scholar, patched upon patched, Shi Feiyang suddenly remembered Shi Huiyu's coarse cloth long gown, faded from washing.

“Liu Yong,” he threw down his examination essay, “your saying ‘the ruler is the guiding principle, and the law is the binding force’ has some originality.” When the young man looked up, Shi Feiyang clearly saw the mournful faces of Ortai’s followers.

Late at night, Shi Feiyang stood on the roof of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, watching the lights of the capital city fall like stars.

Su Dai's embroidered handkerchief was still tucked in her bosom, carrying a faint scent of jasmine.

He gripped the jade dragon hook tightly, its cold light piercing the night sky: "Ortai and Zhang Tingyu are nothing more than pawns that have crossed the river on the chessboard."

The distant sound of a night watchman's clapper startled crows, which flew past the plaque inscribed with "Upright and Honorable." "This land will ultimately belong to the Aisin Gioro clan! But the inequality between people must be changed!"

In the back room of Jishi Pharmacy, Shi Huiyu was wiping his silver needles in front of a bronze mirror when he suddenly noticed that the reflection in the mirror was gradually overlapping with the portrait of the emperor in the Imperial Study.

The autumn wind outside the window swept up fallen leaves, scattering his hesitant words "ancestors" into the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms throughout the city.

On an autumn night, the Donkey Market Alley resembles a silk painting soaked in ink, with the thick darkness enveloping everything within it.

On the bluestone path, the occasional low chirping of autumn insects adds to the tranquility and mystery.

Dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit, Shi Feiyang, accompanied discreetly by Bai Zhen and Heshen, walked steadily toward the Jishi Pharmacy. Moonlight shone on his sharply defined face, casting a hazy silver glow on his cold, handsome features.

Bai Zhen quietly pushed open the side door of the pharmacy, and the three of them slipped inside like ghosts.

Walking along the dimly lit corridor, a faint medicinal fragrance filled the air, mixed with a subtle hint of feminine perfume. Shi Feiyang's heart skipped a beat, and the image of Su Dai's beautiful face appeared in his mind.

Pushing open the door to the inner room, the warm yellow candlelight flickered, and Su Dai was leaning against the soft couch, her black hair cascading down like a waterfall, and a moon-white gauze dress loosely draped over her body, vaguely outlining her graceful figure.

Hearing the sound, she raised her beautiful eyes slightly, her gaze filled with surprise and tenderness. She said coquettishly, "Your Majesty, you've finally come! I've been waiting for you so long." With that, she moved gracefully and nestled into Shi Feiyang's arms like a willow swaying in the breeze.

Shi Feiyang held her tightly, feeling the soft body in his arms and smelling the faint fragrance in her hair. His heart was filled with joy and satisfaction. He said softly, "Dai'er, I've missed you terribly too."

Su Dai raised her head, her large, watery eyes gazing at him affectionately. Her lips parted slightly: "Your Majesty, I think of you day and night, of your warm embrace, of your gentle words. As long as I can stay by Your Majesty's side, I feel that everything in this world is worthwhile."

Shi Feiyang lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead, saying, "Silly girl, with me here, I will protect you for the rest of your life." Su Dai buried her face in his chest and murmured happily, "Dai'er doesn't need any protection. Dai'er just wants to be with Your Majesty forever, to be Your Majesty's little shadow, and I will be content."

The two sat embracing, with Su Dai nestled against Shi Feiyang's shoulder like a docile kitten.

Her slender fingers gently played with the hem of Shi Feiyang's clothes as she said sweetly, "Your Majesty, would you like to tell me some interesting things about the palace? I find it extremely boring to stay here every day except for thinking about Your Majesty."

Shi Feiyang chuckled and gently pinched her nose, saying, "Alright, I'll tell my little Dai'er all about it." So, Shi Feiyang began to recount the strange tales and anecdotes of the palace. Su Dai listened with great interest, sometimes giggling and sometimes frowning in annoyance, looking extremely adorable.

When the story got interesting, Shi Feiyang deliberately kept the other person in suspense, and Su Dai shook his arm impatiently, saying coquettishly, "Your Majesty, please don't keep me in suspense, tell me quickly."

Shi Feiyang was amused by her appearance and laughed heartily. He gave her a light peck on the lips before continuing his story.

Just as the two were immersed in this sweet and warm atmosphere, Bai Zhen knocked softly on the door, his voice tinged with urgency: "Master, there's been progress in the interrogation of Wen Tailai!" Shi Feiyang, who was currently enjoying Su Dai's tender embrace, was furious upon hearing this and shouted sharply: "Get out!"

The anger contained in that voice made Bai Zhen and Heshen tremble outside the door, and they dared not make a sound.

Su Dai was startled by the sudden shout, but she was sensible enough not to ask any questions. She simply hugged Shi Feiyang tighter and said softly, "Your Majesty, don't get too angry. Dai'er will help you calm down." As she spoke, she reached out her jade-like hand and gently stroked Shi Feiyang's chest.

Shi Feiyang felt her concern, and the anger in his heart gradually subsided. He looked down at her with eyes full of love: "Dair, it's so good to have you."

Time slipped away quietly amidst their tender affection, and before they knew it, it was four in the morning.

Shi Feiyang gently released the sleeping Su Dai from his arms, his eyes filled with reluctance. He carefully covered her with the blanket, placed a deep kiss on her forehead, and whispered, "Dai'er, wait for me."

After Shi Feiyang left, Su Dai slowly opened her eyes, and the tenderness in her eyes was instantly replaced by determination.

She quickly got up, changed into a black night outfit, and followed them out with a light and graceful movement.

In the darkness, she was like a black ghost, closely following Shi Feiyang's figure, with only one thought in her mind: no matter what, she must find out where Wen Tailai was being held and complete the mission Chen Jialuo had given her, even if there was an abyss ahead, she would not hesitate.

The cold autumn wind swept across Su Dai's cheeks like a knife, but her heart was burning hot.

She gazed at the familiar figure ahead; every step Shi Feiyang took seemed to be etched into her heart.

Under the moonlight, his back was tall and resolute. Su Dai bit her lip, her eyes reddening slightly. "Your Majesty, how many secrets do you still have that I don't know? Will you blame me for following you like this? But I'm so scared, scared of losing all clues about you, scared that I'll never be able to be held gently in your arms again like before..."

She followed cautiously behind, afraid of being discovered if she wasn't careful.

With each step, he carefully observed his surroundings, looking like a frightened fawn. Shi Feiyang walked through the long alley and turned into a more secluded path, and Su Dai's heart jumped.

The withered trees by the roadside swayed in the wind, making a whistling sound, as if telling of her inner unease and anxiety.

Suddenly, Shi Feiyang stopped in his tracks. Su Dai's heart tightened, and she hurriedly hid in a corner, not daring to breathe.

She watched as Shi Feiyang warily surveyed his surroundings, his cold gaze filling Su Dai with both heartache and fear.

"Your Majesty, have you noticed something? Was Dai'er too careless?" She gripped the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, her nails almost digging into her flesh, her heart filled with self-blame and worry.

Fortunately, Shi Feiyang did not notice her and continued walking forward.

Su Dai breathed a sigh of relief, but dared not slack off in the slightest, and quickly followed again.

And so they walked through block after block, finally arriving at a seemingly ordinary yet somewhat mysterious mansion.

Shi Feiyang paused briefly at the door and gently knocked on the door knocker. After a short while, the door slowly opened, revealing an unfamiliar face.

Hiding in the shadows in the distance, Su Dai was filled with doubt and curiosity. "What is this place? Why would the Emperor come here? Is this place related to Wen Tailai?" Her heart was beating faster and faster.

Watching Shi Feiyang enter the courtyard and the door close behind him, Su Dai hesitated for a moment, but finally mustered her courage and quietly approached the courtyard. She pressed herself against the wall, straining her ears to listen for any sounds inside, praying incessantly for clues about Wen Tailai, while also hoping that Shi Feiyang was safe and sound.

The chill of the autumn night, like an invisible spiderweb, bound Su Dai tightly to the mottled courtyard wall. Her fingertips traced the dried bloodstains in the cracks of the wall; the dark brown marks were like incantations etched by time, telling of the bloody storms that had once raged here.

Moonlight streamed through the broken window frame, casting dappled shadows on her exquisite face, as if the lines of fate were quietly revealing themselves.

Beneath her night clothes, her hand holding the throwing knife was already soaked with cold sweat, but she was completely unaware, her heart filled with worry and trepidation for the person inside the wall.

"Wen Tailai, are you really unwilling to confess?" Shi Feiyang's voice, carrying the pressure of an emperor, pierced through the window paper like an ice pick, striking straight into Su Dai's heart.

She closed her eyes, as if she could clearly see his frown. Those eyes that usually gazed at her gently must now be filled with a cold glint, and the Mingyu Gong true energy surrounding him must have turned a chilling icy blue.

A sudden, dull thud echoed in the room as something heavy fell to the ground, followed by Wen Tailai's heavy, rapid breathing, each breath like a hammer blow striking her heart. "Hongli, you treacherous dog! You want me to betray the Red Flower Society? Only if I, Wen Tailai, breathe my last!" Wen Tailai's roar was filled with unyielding pride, and Su Dai's eyes welled with tears. She knew her fourth brother Wen's unyielding spirit and understood the torment he was enduring.

"Suffocate? I won't let you die a quick death!" Shi Feiyang's cold laugh was filled with chilling killing intent. The crisp sound of his jade boots rolling over the blue bricks grew louder as he approached, each sound like a blow to Su Dai's heart. She tiptoed and looked through the crack in the window. She saw Shi Feiyang raise his hand and grab Wen Tailai's shoulder, wisps of white steam rising from his palm—a chilling true energy capable of inflicting unbearable pain.

Wen Tailai let out a painful groan, and the veins on his forehead bulged like gnarled vines, but he still forced a loud laugh: "If you have the guts, then kill me! My family's leader, Chen Jialuo, will definitely take your dog's head and avenge our brothers!"

That laughter was filled with a resolute determination to face death, yet it also made Su Dai's heart ache so much that she almost suffocated.

"Chen Jialuo?" Shi Feiyang exerted force suddenly, and the sound of Wen Tailai hitting the wall was dull and alarming, causing Su Dai to tremble uncontrollably.

Gazing at Shi Feiyang's cold, demonic profile in the moonlight, she felt an overwhelming surge of sorrow and inner turmoil. Just last night, those hands had gently stroked her hair, whispering comforting words; now, they had transformed into sharp blades, piercing her own brother.

“Let me tell you, none of the remnants of the Red Flower Society will escape.” As Shi Feiyang leaned down, the jade hook grazed Wen Tailai’s neck, its cold metallic gleam stinging Su Dai’s eyes. “That woman named Luo Bing is quite interesting…”

Su Dai's breathing suddenly stopped, and her heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand.

Her fingernails dug deep into her palm, drawing blood, but she was completely unaware.

Wen Tailai suddenly roared, "You dare touch her! If anything happens to Bing'er, I'll haunt you even as a ghost!" The chains rattled, the sound of his desperate struggle. "She's just a foolish girl who's given her heart to the wrong person. If you want to kill or torture her, come at me!"

"A misplaced affection? Haha! Perhaps she's having a good time with that pretty boy Yu Yu right now!" Shi Feiyang's laughter was full of sarcasm and disdain, yet it pierced Su Dai's heart like a sharp arrow.

Su Dai felt a chill run down her neck.

A short while later, Shi Feiyang stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Su Dai quickly leaped up a tree and hid herself.

The east was beginning to lighten, and the outline of the capital city gradually became clear in the morning light, but in Su Dai's eyes, it was full of desolation and bleakness.

She took out Chen Jialuo's blood-written letter from her bosom; the dark red characters seemed to be burning her heart.

The morning sun shone through the drafty tree branches, casting its light on her pale, paper-white face. The tenderness of last night and the coldness of this moment created a stark and painful contrast.

She sadly pondered a solution and decided to come back the next night to find out what was going on.

Late the next night, Su Dai hurried along the mottled brick wall, the dagger under her night clothes digging painfully into her ribs.

She arrived at the ventilation shaft of "Black Scale Prison," one of the three major secret prisons in the capital.

The roof tiles clicked softly underfoot as Su Dai held her breath and lay prone on the roof ridge. Inside the dilapidated temple, candlelight flickered, and the conversation of two jailers drifted on the wind: "Master Wen's chains have been reinforced with three more chains, and his kung fu... tsk tsk, Lord Zhang Zhaozhong said..." Before they could finish speaking, the bone-piercing nail at Su Dai's fingertip, poised to strike, froze in mid-air—familiar footsteps sounded outside the temple.

Bai Zhen appeared like a ghost, his black cloak sweeping across the fallen leaves: "The orders are to transfer the wanted criminals tonight."

He reached out and took the token from the jailer. Moonlight brushed against his profile, making Su Dai's throat tighten. She suppressed the turmoil in her heart and watched as the black prison cart was carried out. The sound of the wheels rolling over the bluestone slabs was just like the sound of swords cutting through flesh in the bloody battle at Tongbai Mountain.

The moment the prison cart turned into the alley, Su Dai quietly followed. She hurried along the damp wall, but Shi Feiyang's whisper from the day before kept echoing in her ears: "If Su'er is feeling down, I'll take you to see the new Persian dancers who have entered the palace tomorrow."

The warmth of his fingertips as they brushed against her cheek contrasted sharply with the chilly night wind.

Upon reaching Xuanwu Gate, the prison cart suddenly stopped in front of a seemingly ordinary residence. Su Dai held her breath, watching as Bai Zhen inserted the token into the crack of the door. With a roar as the mechanism activated, a bronze door slowly rose from the ground beneath the residence.

Her pupils constricted sharply—this was the "Netherworld Prison" specially built by the Sticky Rod Office to imprison martial arts masters!
As the last jailer disappeared through the bronze gate, Su Dai bit her tongue, suppressing the urge to rush in.

She took out the blood-written letter that Chen Jialuo had given her before his departure, the dark red characters gleaming coldly in the moonlight: "I want to see him alive or dead."

The sound of the night watchman's clapper came from behind, startling the owls under the eaves.
Su Dai suddenly turned around, hid at the street corner, pondered for a while, and finally determined where Wen Tailai was being held.

Under the waning moon in Liulichang, Su Dai leaned her oil-paper umbrella against a century-old locust tree. Hidden at the third bamboo joint of the umbrella rib was the "Nine-Turn Secret Code" personally taught by Chen Jialuo—the most secret communication code of the Red Flower Society, which could only be revealed by applying a special powder.

Her fingertips trembled slightly as she gently sprinkled the arsenic powder from her bosom onto the umbrella, revealing dark brown characters that appeared like blood: "Literary Prisoner in the Netherworld, immediate aid." Late on the third night, Su Dai returned to the intelligence liaison point. The sound of the night watchman's drum startled crows, and three dark figures swept across the rooftops.

Su Dai's heart tightened, and she immediately recognized them as the "Three Heroes of Night Hawks" from the Beijing branch of the Red Flower Society.

The elderly man at the head of the group lifted his bamboo hat, revealing a hideous scar on his face: "Miss Su, the Grand Master has ordered that thirty-six men launch a full-scale attack on the Netherworld Prison at midnight three days from now." He placed a token engraved with two eagles into her hand, and as he turned, the wind stirred by his robes swept away the undried medicinal powder on the umbrella. (End of Chapter)