Chapter 1123 299: Fierce Sakura Roars Across the Wilds, Jade Blade and Mysterious Frost Reflect True Heart (Part 2)

In the tent, a general sneered: "Master Lan, don't exaggerate. How could such an extraordinary person be easily used by us?"

Lan Qin'Er glanced at that general and sneered, "With great rewards, there will definitely be brave men. As long as Marshal Yang is willing to pay the price, why worry about not being able to enlisting her?"

Yang Yinglong pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Alright! As long as I can kill Shi Feiyang and his group, not only gold and silver, but even my own life I am willing to give!" He turned to his personal guards and shouted, "Go, bring ten gold bricks!"

Soon, the personal guards entered, carrying the gold bricks.

Yang Yinglong pushed the gold bricks in front of Lan Qin'Er and said in a deep voice, "Master Lan, I entrust this matter to you. You must invite Yin Jiuniang, and if successful, I will reward you heavily."

Lan Qin'Er gracefully bowed low: "Marshal Yang, rest assured, I will not fail you. However, during this period, Marshal Yang should also make early preparations. Hailong Village is our army's last barrier, and we need to deploy heavy troops and set up traps to prevent enemy attacks."

Yang Yinglong nodded and said, "Exactly what I intended. The terrain of Hailong Village is treacherous, easy to defend and hard to attack. I will order conscription of laborers immediately, work day and night, to make it an impregnable fortress. Shi Feiyang, I want to see how you'll break through my Hailong Village!"

His voice was filled with hatred and unwillingness, and his single eye shimmered with a mad light.

Another general in the tent stepped forward and said, "Marshal Yang, the Wudang Seven, Eighteen Shaolin Stick Monks have great martial prowess, and they are assisted by the members of the Heroic Sakura Association. Even if Yin Jiuniang agrees to come, she might have difficulty coping."

Yang Yinglong snorted coldly, "What are you afraid of? I still have a trump card. Once Yin Jiuniang holds them off, I will personally lead the elite to raid the Ming Army Camp. Without the vanguard of the Heroic Sakura Association, Guo Dunyi's soldiers are nothing to fear."

He clenched his fists, the scars on his face twisting and contorting, "If we win this battle, Bozhou is safe; if we lose..."

His voice suddenly fell into a low tone, "We will fight to the last man!"

All the generals in the tent shouted in unison: "We will follow Marshal Yang to the death!"

The sound shook the tent top, startling the night owls outside. Under the flickering candlelight, the shadows of the people projected onto the tent, like a group of fierce ghosts waving their claws, foretelling an impending bloody storm.

Yang Yinglong sat alone inside the tent, gently caressing the belongings of his deceased son on the table, tears in his solitary eye, silently vowing in his heart: "Chengye, you can rest in peace. I will make Shi Feiyang and the others pay for their blood debts with blood!"

After the storm came the blizzard, Yang Yinglong sent Lan Qin'Er, carrying a large sum of money, to invite martial arts experts for assistance, which would take several months.

In the meantime, Shi Feiyang, leading the heroes of the Heroic Sakura and the three thousand disciples of the Heroic Sakura Association, stationed at the pass, dared not advance rashly.

The parties were in a ceasefire, and the Eighteen Stick Monks, Wudang Seven, and Emei Female Hero used this leisure to teach the Heroic Sakura Association disciples martial arts, instructing them in swordsmanship, saber techniques, and archery, and sparring with the Heroic Sakura heroes, bringing joy and benefit to each one's martial arts skills.

The blizzard fell like goose feathers, dyeing the pass into a silver-white world.

The red flag of the Heroic Sakura Association flapped loudly in the strong wind, contrasting interestingly with the white snow.

Shi Feiyang, clad in a dark cloak, stood at the city tower, gazing at the mountains in the distance shrouded by the wind and snow, brow furrowed and pensive.

Guo Xiangyu, in a light pink gown with a snow-white fox fur cloak, like a red plum blossoming in the snow, walked lightly to his side and said softly: "Feiyang, the snow and wind are so fierce, be careful not to catch cold."

Shi Feiyang turned his head, looking at her cheeks flushed by the cold wind, eyes full of tenderness. He reached out to tuck the hair blown loose by the wind behind her ear and said softly, "Xiangyu, you must take care more. Don't catch a cold in this dreadful weather."

Their gazes met, as if the surrounding wind and snow had frozen at this moment, leaving only the deep affection in each other's eyes.

Inside the council hall, the candle flames flickered.

Shi Feiyang spread out the map, carefully analyzing the situation.

Guo Xiangyu sat beside him, occasionally jotting down notes, sometimes resting her chin in thought, her intelligent eyes revealing her wit.

"Feiyang, I think Yang Yinglong will definitely lay many ambushes at Hailong Village this time." She pointed to the mark on the map, her tone firm, "We cannot advance rashly, we must plan carefully."

Shi Feiyang nodded and looked at her approvingly, "Xiangyu, having you by my side is truly my fortune. In this world, I'm afraid it's hard to find another woman as intelligent and understanding as you."

Guo Xiangyu's cheeks flushed red, she looked down with a faint smile, "You just know how to make me happy. I'm only doing my modest part."

Suddenly, Shi Feiyang took her hand, speaking sincerely: "Xiangyu, when the war ends, I will take you to live in seclusion in the mountains. Find a tranquil place, plant flowers and grass, practice martial arts, and live a life that belongs only to us both."

Guo Xiangyu lifted her head, her eyes shimmering with tears of emotion, "Feiyang, I've waited for this day for so long. No matter where, I'll be willing to be with you."

In their leisure time, Guo Xiangyu would always grind ink for Shi Feiyang. Watching him wield the brush, writing strategic deployments, her gaze was full of admiration and affection. Sometimes, she would playfully dab a dot of ink on his face with the brush, then run off laughing.

Shi Feiyang would then put down his brush, chase after, and embrace her, gently kissing her forehead, "You little rascal, let's see how I'll deal with you."

One day, Shi Feiyang taught Guo Xiangyu the Hundred Victories Saber Technique. He stood behind her, correcting her posture hand in hand, his warm breath brushing past her ear, "Xiangyu, you must strike fast and fierce, with power from the waist, and channel the energy to the saber tip."

Guo Xiangyu, with him so close, became so nervous she kept making mistakes, almost dropping the saber from her hand.