Chapter 1199 - 313: Bozhou Pacification Reveals Heroic Spirit, Cleverly Thwarting Plots to Protect the People (Part 3)

And Shi Feiyang and the heroes of the Heroic Sakura Association excel in counter-killing.

Those from the Imperial Court’s Jinyi Guard, Jianghu Gang, and Martial Arts sects who were counter-killed by Shi Feiyang and the heroes of the Heroic Sakura Association are countless.

There was a brief silence inside the camp. The night at the Bozhou camp was so dense it couldn’t be dispelled; the tallow candle flickered eerily in the bronze crane lamp, twisting the shadows of the several people inside the tent into demons with vicious fangs.

Li Changgeng tightly clutched the shattered jade ring, blood beads oozing between his fingers, staining the words "Shi Feiyang" on the wolf brush with a hideous and terrifying hue: "Brat! Dared to ruin the Imperial Court’s thousand-year plan! Yang Yinglong was originally a pawn prepared for his route to the underworld, yet he became his stepping stone instead!" With a sudden wave of his sleeve, bamboo slips scattered across the table, "Jianghu hero fame? Merely a trick to deceive the ignorant masses!"

To convince the commanding General Guo Dunyi, Li Changgeng felt he had to publicly lose his temper; otherwise, it would be difficult to intimidate Guo Dunyi.

Kang Fusheng hadn’t removed his armor, and the dragon pattern on the scabbard of the Brocade Spring Saber flickered red in the firelight.

He stomped heavily, crushing the battle report, the iron teeth on the boot sole turning the words "great victory" into powder: "Why should you worry, my lord! Shi Feiyang commands the tiger and wolf soldiers of the Heroic Sakura Association and also colludes with the Five Poison Sect and Celestial Star Sect — clearly raising bandits to fortify himself! If he is not eliminated early, with one call, the entire Southwest will surely raise the banner of rebellion!"

He suddenly drew out half of the blade, the cold light reflecting bloodshot in his eyes, "I am willing to lead three thousand Forbidden Army tonight to raze his lair!"

Xiang Yushan stroked the python-patterned leather belt; his triangular eyes had a predatory gleam like a snake spitting its tongue: "Reckless! The Heroic Sakura Association liaises with Shaolin and Wudang; if forces are rashly used, it will instead confirm the ’Imperial Court cannot tolerate Jianghu’ infamy."

His fingertips grazed the map on the table, the route from Bozhou to Miaojiang marked by a deep groove made by his nail, "We want to make him utterly disgraced, with no place to bury his corpse!" Lv Yuan toyed with a gilt token, his eerie laughter shaking the tent, causing dust to fall: "Is General Guo still trapped by compassion?" He suddenly approached Guo Dunyi, his fetid breath spilling onto the other’s face, "Back then, those three infamous words ’extraneous’ by Yue Wumu cost countless lives; with our evidence of ’rebellion,’ why fear Shi Feiyang’s hundredfold defense?"

He pulled out several sheets of paper covered in handprints, swaying them in the candlelight to cast sinister shadows, "These Jianghu scoundrels have long been compensated; when the time comes, they will confidently accuse Shi Feiyang of hiding imperial robes and intending to usurp authority, even the Three Pure Ones descending couldn’t save him!"

Li Changgeng violently stabbed the wolf brush into the inkstone, ink splattering like blood everywhere: "Good! First, cut off his supply lines, then shatter his people’s morale!"

He grabbed a letter filled with words of conspiracy, watching the flames greedily swallow the characters, his lips curling into a snake-like smirk, "Have the Blood Shadow Guard pose as bandits and rob his supplies. Send people to infiltrate the Five Poison Sect, spreading rumors that ’Shi Feiyang intends to annex various sects’ — let’s see, without supplies, without morale, how he plans to resist the Imperial Court!"

Kang Fusheng couldn’t hold back from stomping his foot, "If he is besieged in a lonely city, I am willing to lead the Divine Strategy Camp’s cannons to obliterate him!" Xiang Yushan merely gave a sinister smile: "Why exert such effort? The Jinyi Guard’s Imperial Prison has means to make people talk."

He produced a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve, inside which the sound of writhing bugs was like blood weeping, "If the Saintess of the Celestial Star Sect or the Sect Leader of the Five Poison Sect were to cry out ’Shi Feiyang treason’ on the torture devices..." Guo Dunyi looked at the twisted faces of the crowd, his back beneath the iron armor already drenched in cold sweat.

Outside the tent, the fierce wind howled, whipping dry leaves against the curtain, as if countless wronged souls were wailing for the impending bloody storm.

Li Changgeng crushed the burned letter into powder, the grey remnants billowing onto Guo Dunyi’s face with the wind: "General Guo, you mustn’t lose your nerve in this grand play — the first merit for pacifying the rebellion is before your eyes!"

Finally persuaded, Guo Dunyi said in a deep voice: "I’ll leave everything to Lord Imperial Envoy’s command; my troops are at your disposal."

Outside, the night wind whistled, stirring the fallen leaves on the ground.

In the distance, the Heroic Sakura Association’s camp was brightly lit, Shi Feiyang was drinking and laughing with everyone, unaware of the conspiracy against them that was uncoiling like a poisonous snake.

And amidst this whirlpool of power and intrigue, the title "Hero of the World" at this moment has become a Life-Ending Talisman, waiting only for the right time to drag Shi Feiyang and the heroes of the Heroic Sakura Association into an inescapable abyss.

When the spy sent a flying pigeon embroidered with the Heroic Sakura Association’s mark, Shi Feiyang was leaning against the ancient cypress by Yun Wuyue’s grave, wiping the Celestial Frost Blade.

The moonlight fell on the letter, revealing words like "embezzling military funds" and "buying internal agents," the ice-blue True Qi suddenly surged in his palm, scorching the edge of the paper with charred black veins.

"Such an undercutting strategy." He looked towards the Ming Army Camp in the distance, a cold smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

As the Bright Jade Technique circulated, the cold around him condensed into frost flowers, falling gently onto his dark clothes.

Inside the discussion tent, Liao Pei’s Long Arm Fist shook the table to a humming resonance: "These Imperial Court scoundrels! Clearly afraid of us growing stronger, resorting to such despicable means!"

Lie Quan’s Heaven and Earth Saber sparked against the ground, the dragon pattern on the scabbard seemingly ready to break through the earth: "Grand Squad Leader, let’s charge into the camp now and show them that the Heroic Sakura Association’s blade isn’t for show!"

Shi Feiyang raised his hand to signal everyone to quiet down, his gaze sweeping across the heroes in the tent. Lan Xiaodie’s fingers played with the Five Poison Sect’s insect control string, Xie Wen’s eagle on his shoulder issued a vigilant cry, Miao Menlong’s precious eagle bow was already nocked with three armor-piercing arrows.

Shi Feiyang took a deep breath, ice-blue True Qi swirling in his palm into the form of a sword, "If we raise arms now, we’ll fall right into their scheme. The Imperial Court wants us to bear the name of rebellion."

"Are we just going to let them frame us?" Blood Rakshasa’s Soft Sword spun a chilling sword flower in his hand. Shi Feiyang suddenly laughed, his laughter clear like the clash of gold and stone, "They want to destroy my reputation, I will return the world a truth instead."