Chapter 1020 - 278: A Cunning Plan Lures the Enemy In, Feiyang’s Blade Breaks the Foe

As he landed, Shi Feiyang’s knees bent slightly, utilizing the momentum to dissipate the impact; his movements were graceful and fluid, then gently he set Xue Qiuchun down.

When Xue Hong Mountain landed, his legs gave way, and his knees thudded heavily against the frozen ground beside the severed limb of a child, emitting a dull sound.

His aged hands trembled violently as he stroked over countless mutilated corpses, and turbid tears fell in large drops onto the child’s tightly shut eyelashes, with his shoulders constantly twitching. Suppressed sobs filled his throat: "I caused this... it was me!"

Xue Tielong’s face was full of sorrow; veins bulging on his clenched fists, he raised them high and then hammered them into the frozen ground. The blood from his split knuckles splattered, mixing with the dirt and glowing with an eerie blue under the moonlight. Then, powerless, he collapsed, sitting on the ground, clutching his head, his body curling into a ball.

Shi Feiyang gazed at the scene of devastation and with the circulation of the Bright Jade Technique, a white mist began to rise from his palms.

He took a deep breath, straightened his back, and walked slowly to the other side of the hill. As he unfastened the mysterious deerskin bag from his waist, his movements were calm and strong, the pots and pans inside clinking with a clear sound.

He squatted down, skillfully manipulating the combustible ice, his fingers nimbly adjusting its position. With a "puff", a blue flame leapt up, flickering in the cold wind. He stared intently at the flame, his gaze deep and determined, dispelling both the darkness and the bloodshed.

In the flickering blue light from the combustible ice, Guo Xiangyu silently handed over half a piece of dry food, her gaze gentle yet firm, reflecting the distant, unextinguished flames of battle, like the last warm light on a cold night. As dawn broke, Xue Hong Mountain and others returned, their strides heavy with blood and mud.

The half-rolled, plain white mourning cloth at Xue Hong Mountain’s waist was soaked with morning dew, every step feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds, still bearing the dark red marks from bandaging the injured Salt Gang disciples the night before.

The way he looked at Shi Feiyang was filled with the bewilderment of a trapped beast and the questioning sharpness of an unsheathed blade. After a moment of his throat bobbing, he hoarsely said, "Young Master Shi, it’s widely said in the Jianghu that your Bright Jade Technique has reached perfection, and the Hundred Victories Saber Technique is unmatched. So why did you flee in panic before that demon Qi Yin?"

He suddenly stepped forward half a step, crushing a piece of blood-stained bone under his boot, "Could it be that the lives of my Northwest Salt Gang mean nothing more to Young Master Shi than mere weeds?" Before he finished speaking, Xue Tielong could no longer contain himself, the broken blade at his waist let out a soft ringing sound.

Guo Xiangyu raised her delicate hand lightly, blocking in front of Shi Feiyang, her jade-like fingers emitting a cold lustre in the morning light.

She laughed coldly, her voice like ice shards striking a cup: "Elder Xue, such words are excessive! If my Young Master wished to take Qi Yin’s life, it would be as easy as retrieving it from his pocket. Last night, that demon led the elite of the Western Holy Sect out in full force. If the Young Master had tangled with him, who would have looked after these heavily injured brothers?"

Suddenly she turned, and in her gaze towards Shi Feiyang were gentle waves like spring water, "The Young Master has his heart set on the world, willing to bear this misunderstanding to ensure everyone’s safety—such magnanimity, how could ordinary people match it?"

Shi Feiyang stood with his hands behind his back, the morning breeze lifting the edges of his blood-stained clothes, revealing at his waist an ancient jade inscribed with the characters "Chivalry."

He slightly nodded at Guo Xiangyu, and in that slight nod was more trust than a thousand words could convey.

When he turned back, his expression was as serene as an ancient temple bell: "Elder Xue, do you know the strategic principle of ’Making the real seem fake, and the fake seem real’?"

He flicked a blood droplet that had congealed on the Celestial Frost Blade, "My feigned defeat was to lure Qi Yin into arrogance. Once he lets his guard down, that will be our moment to strike decisively." At this point, he suddenly gripped the leather pouch at his waist, inside which lay the Holy Sect’s defensive map, retrieved from Blood Venerable the previous night: "Moreover, with the elite of the Western Holy Sect fully deployed last night, if we had forcefully fought, we might have killed a few, but at the cost of our lives. Even though I may have some skills, I am not willing to make such a mutually destructive trade."

His voice was deep like a bell, each word striking at the heart of Xue Hong Mountain.

The blood drained rapidly from Xue Hong Mountain’s face, first turning bright red, like a rough man whose acupoint had been struck; then pale as paper, like punctured window paper; finally turning grayish-blue, as if frost-stricken dry grass.

He suddenly staggered half a step, leaning on a broken sword, mumbling, "I was confused, I was confused..."

Xue Tielong was so ashamed he wished the ground would swallow him, yet he fiercely gave himself a slap in public, the crisp sound startling the cold crows from the treetops.

Seeing this, Shi Feiyang sighed softly and took out a bottle of green porcelain medicine from his bosom. The bamboo painted on the bottle glimmered faintly in the morning light: "Let’s not dwell on the past. Hero Xie’s Nine-Turn Golden Healing Pill is most effective for injuries, everyone, please focus on healing first."

Having said that, he tossed the medicine bottle to Xue Qiuchun. When he turned around, the hem of his garment stirred up a gust of wind, and as the tent flap unfurled, it revealed a half-torn painting of the "Jianghu Chivalry" hanging inside—a masterpiece by his master, Master Yuan Chi.

Guo Xiangyu moved gracefully, holding a leather pouch containing venison soup simmered with snow water.

As she handed the bowl to Xue Hong Mountain, her sleeve slipped, revealing a jade pendant tied with a red string on her wrist—the very token Shi Feiyang had given her when he rescued her from the "Northwest Four Beasts."

"Elder, please drink it while it’s hot. This soup has wild ginseng from Changbai Mountain, it’s the best for replenishing qi and blood." Her voice was as gentle as willow catkins in spring, yet it stirred great waves within Xue Hong Mountain’s heart.

Guo Xiangyu’s heart was already as light and fluttery as the willow catkins in spring, entirely tied to Shi Feiyang.

When she spoke to Xue Hong Mountain just now, her tone remained polite, but her gaze frequently drifted toward Shi Feiyang’s tent. If not for the presence of others, she might have already rushed over.

Once she finished speaking, she could no longer contain her concern and turned eagerly towards the tent, as if chased by thousands of troops.

Her eyes were full of care and affection, so intense that they could overflow like a pot of aged wine with the slightest touch.

The closer she got to the tent, the faster her heart beat, and her cheeks gradually flushed, resembling the splendid evening glow, which made her already stunning beauty even more captivating.

The moment she lifted the tent flap, a moist vapor greeted her face, as if stepping into an Immortal Realm.

The flickering candlelight cast a hazy and romantic shadow in the tent, where Guo Xiangyu’s silhouette appeared ethereal and lovely, like a fairy stepping out of a painting. She moved gracefully, every step filled with endless tenderness and longing, until she reached Shi Feiyang’s side.

Her gaze was deep and focused as she carefully prepared hot water for Shi Feiyang, every action from fetching water, boiling it, to adjusting its temperature was meticulously carried out, as if caring for a rare treasure. When she picked up a soft towel, ready to wipe Shi Feiyang, his cheeks flushed instantly, frantically waving his hands, stammering, "Miss... Miss Xiangyu, this... this isn’t proper. I... I’ll do it myself."

Saying this, he even lay down in the bathtub with his clothes on, clutching his collar tightly as if holding onto the last line of defense.

Guo Xiangyu watched Shi Feiyang’s shy and endearing appearance, her heart rippling with sweet joy. She smiled gently, her smile filled with pampering and heartache, softly saying, "Young Master, don’t be stubborn. You’ve been through so much, braving wind and rain with countless hardships and dangers, let Xiangyu take good care of you just this once. To me, you’re more important than anything."

Shi Feiyang lowered his head, not daring to meet Guo Xiangyu’s gaze, murmuring, "Miss Xiangyu, I... I understand your kindness. But men and women shouldn’t touch each other; it’s really... really embarrassing."

His voice grew softer, yet within his heart surged a warm current, being cared for in such a manner, moved by such concern, how could he not be touched.

Seeing this, Guo Xiangyu didn’t insist further, simply sitting quietly by his side, her eyes never straying from Shi Feiyang.

She gazed at him with such tenderness, handing him towels and adding hot water, her eyes filled with such intense affection that it was as if her devoted gaze would melt Shi Feiyang.

Outside the tent, Xue Qiuchun took in the scene entirely, feeling as if she had been ruthlessly stabbed in the heart, the pain was overwhelming.

She only felt that her heart was being tightly squeezed by an invisible hand, and a mix of emotions such as bitterness, loss, and jealousy surged into her heart, a trace of pain flashing in her eyes.

She bit her lip, her fingernails almost digging into her palm, thinking silently to herself, "This Guo Xiangyu, what right does she have to be so close to Young Master Shi? Why can she stay by Young Master Shi’s side and care for him so attentively? I care for Young Master Shi too, I also want to..."

The more she thought about it, the more upset she became, her eyes gradually moistening, but her stubborn nature refused to let the tears fall.

Lightly stepping, her expression filled with loss and unease, she slowly walked over to Shi Xiong’s side.