Chapter 1225 - 318: Frozen Snow Locks Suzhou, Schemes Shake the Jianghu

As Wu Zhong narrated the inside story of the Heroic Sakura Association, he put down the teacup, leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, fingers interlocked under his chin, eyes focused and sharp, like a hawk eyeing its prey.

When Xiao Lingling mentioned Shi Feiyang having something akin to a Qiankun, Lu Bing’s pupils contracted suddenly, his body sat up straight with a jolt, the robe sweeps the tea cups on the table obliviously.

The sound of porcelain shattering echoed, yet he remained unfazed, muttering to himself: "What a Shi Feiyang..."

Suddenly, he sprang up, pacing back and forth in the hall, the heels of his boots pounding heavily on the blue bricks, hands clasped behind his back, sometimes clenched into fists and sometimes relaxed, his face fluctuating between shadows and light, fully revealing the excitement and calculations in his heart.

"Once I obtain his Qiankun Bag, let’s see how he defies the Imperial Court then!" Lu Bing halted his steps, suddenly turning, his right hand slashing through the air as if it were Shi Feiyang’s neck.

When he turned his head towards Wu Zhong, a sinister smile appeared on his face, but devoid of laughter in his eyes, "Since you’ve submitted, atone for your mistakes. Where are Liao Pei and Lie Quan now?"

As he spoke, he reached out and toyed with the golden fragrance pouch at his waist, seemingly casually yet deforming the patterns on the pouch.

Xiang Yushan snorted coldly, finally speaking, "Lord Lu, such bold words. Shi Feiyang wouldn’t have survived in the Jianghu until now if he were easy to deal with." His tone was unfriendly, every word dripping with sarcasm.

Lu Bing’s step paused, slowly turning his head towards Xiang Yushan, the corner of his mouth curled into a cold smile, though a trace of ferocity flashed in his eyes.

The two locked gazes for a moment, sparks seeming to fly in the air. Finally, Lu Bing let out a light chuckle, the smile not reaching his eyes, summoning a household while issuing commands, using his nails to scrape the chair’s armrest, wood chips scattering down: "Immediately convey my order to gather three thousand Jinyi Guards and set out for Piaomiao Peak at dawn tomorrow!"

As everyone agreed one after another, Lu Bing sat back in his armchair, crossed his legs, continued to spin the jade thumb ring, a confident smile on his face, yet the knuckles clutching the thumb ring turned white from exertion, indicating his heart was far from tranquil.

In his eyes, this confrontation between the Imperial Court and the Jianghu was already a victory within reach.

Early the next morning, the northern wind whipped up snowflakes like fragments of jade, dyeing Taihu Piaomiao Peak in a desolate white.

Icicles as thick as an arm hung from the cliff on the brink, glinting with a chilling light under the overcast sky, occasionally snow slipped down, plunging into bottomless gorges, startling a few harsh caws from ravens.

The armor of thirty thousand Ming soldiers and three thousand Jinyi Guards glinted coldly amid the wind and snow, the warships lined up like black flood dragons, pressing the lake’s surface till it creaked.

Lu Bing stood at the ship’s bow, the golden dragon embroidered on his robe distorted by the cold wind.

His fingers gripping the jade-inlaid whip were pale as he sneered, "Little Piaomiao Peak, dare to oppose the Imperial Court? General Wei, after conquering this mountain, I’ll surely request honors for you before His Holiness!" Wei Xiaodao bowed, the clash of iron armor crisp: "Following Lord Lu’s orders!"

Wu Zhong shrunk his neck standing at the ship’s edge, his Adam’s apple rolling as he eyed the approaching snowy mountain.

Xiao Lingling discreetly tugged at his sleeve, only to be brushed off with an unflinching face.

"All of you, pull yourselves together!" Kang Fusheng suddenly roared, "Anyone who cowers will not blame my ’Fossil Divine Technique’ for being merciless!"

His palm turned a bluish gray, smacking the ship’s side with splinters flying, leaving five distinct finger marks.

Once the fleet docked, the Jinyi Guards eagerly charged towards the mountain path.

Snow creaked under the armor, yet couldn’t mask the rustling sounds coming from afar.

"Beware of an ambush!" Lv Yuan’s "Cold Ice Palm" was just initiated when screams erupted from the front.

One hundred seventy-plus Jinyi Guards’ footing collapsed, exposing a pit filled with bamboo stakes.

Blood splattered across the white snow, staining the bamboo stakes a hideous red, over a hundred bodies piled like pierced burlap sacks.

"Wu!" Lu Bing’s whip lashed Wu Zhong’s back, the robe swelling as intimidation radiated, "This is how you lead the way?"

Wu Zhong’s knees buckled, collapsing into the snow: "Lord, your discernment! I stayed at the forefront, it was these brothers eager for merit..."

"Rubbish!" Kang Fusheng kicked his chest, sending Wu Zhong flying a dozen feet like a severed kite, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Xiao Lingling’s face turned pale, her nails digging deep into her palms, daring not to advance.

Just then, the piercing sound rose abruptly. Deep in the forest, Heroic Sakura Association disciples bent bows and nocked arrows, the tails covered in poison glinted ghostly blue in the snowglow.

"Release the arrows!" Miao Menlong instinctively shouted but was staggered by Lu Bing’s backhand slap: "Is it your turn to issue orders?"

Before the words were out, the arrow rain arrived. The Jinyi Guards hastily raised shields but couldn’t stop the poisoned Bone-Piercing Nails. Amid screams, over a hundred clutched their throats and fell, black blood oozing from their seven orifices, meandering into bizarre patterns on the snow.

"Miao Menlong! Aren’t you the Divine Archer?" Lu Bing grabbed his collar, "Shoot up the mountain, probe the realities!" Miao Menlong gritted his teeth, drawing a feathered arrow, the bowstring vibrating sending over a hundred arrows through the mist.

But as the arrows sank into the forest, they hardly made a sound, stirring even a minor echo.

The fog unknowingly thickened to impenetrability, the Jinyi Guards clenching their weapons, only dim silhouettes were visible of each other.

"Stars... why are there so many stars..." A Jinyi Guard suddenly muttered to himself, staggering to grasp the void above.

His pupils dilated instantly, his skin blackened and rotted visibly, collapsing into a pus-covered corpse as he hit the ground.