Chapter 1237: Intrigue and Change Hidden in the Forbidden Palace, Heroic Women Guarding Peace

Chapter 1237: Chapter 320: Intrigue and Change Hidden in the Forbidden Palace, Heroic Women Guarding Peace

At the critical moment, the hoofbeats of the Northwest Salt Gang roared like thunder. Xue Hong Mountain led the disciples of the Salt Gang, darting forward with his palms flying and the “Shadow-Clapping Technique” unfolding. Countless tiny palm shadows struck the Hake soldiers like a swarm of bees.

Those palm shadows seemed shapeless but accurately hit the enemies’ chests. The faces of the warriors changed drastically, their heart and lungs were twisted by tangible palm shadows, each clutching their chest in painful struggle, with blood gushing from their seven orifices, blooming like bizarre red plums in the snow.

Xue Tielong and Xue Qiuchun, brother and sister, combined their swords, their moves as fluid as flowing clouds and cascading streams.

They focused on the Holy Sect’s chanters, and where their sword qi passed, the chanting voices abruptly ceased.

Altai panicked at the sight, abandoning Yili with his scimitar, charging straight towards Xue Hong Mountain.

Yili seized the opening, her long sword like a meteor chasing the moon, stabbing directly at his back.

Altai sidestepped to avoid, only to see Shi Xiong’s silver spear attacking from the side.

He swung his knife to block, but unexpectedly Liu Guihua’s Spirit Snake Whip wrapped around the knife’s blade, and Xie Wen’s short blade was already pressed against his throat.

Altai gazed at the battlefield surrounded by enemies, finally showing a fearful expression: “Impossible… the power of the Holy Sect…”

“Evil cannot prevail over righteousness. We represent justice, the power of the evil sect ultimately cannot withstand the will of the people!” Yili swung her long sword, golden sword qi piercing Altai’s chest. As the leader fell, the Hake soldiers instantly fell into chaos.

The Naiman Iron Cavalry, under Qi Meizhen’s leadership and command, deployed the “Miao Blade Armor-Breaking Seventeen Forms” battle formation, cutting down the Hake cavalry, flooding into the city like tides. The night sky over Qinglong City was stained crimson with blood, and this heart-stopping battle finally came to a close.

Yili stood atop the city wall, gazing at the land that had been baptized by war, her heart filled with myriad emotions.

From a beauty of the Martial Arts to a bloodstained female leader, she had gone through numerous trials of life and death.

According to the planned arrangement, Yili appointed Qi Meizhen as queen of the Hake Tribe.

From this point, Yili’s Naiman Tribe along with its subordinates Kerchin, Ordos, and Hake Tribe had a total population of two hundred seventy thousand, becoming the largest tribal alliance on the great grassland.

The flames of Qinglong City had yet to extinguish, the ruins steaming with the smell of blood.

Yili stepped onto the city wall through the scattered armor. Her golden armor, covered with dark red bloodstains under the moonlight, resembled a War God returning from the Xiuluo Scene.

She looked at the burning tents in the distance, suddenly recalling how when she first entered Jianghu, she was just a little junior sister from the Hengshan Sect who smiled at flowers, now she had to bear the life and death of thousands. “Your Majesty, Qi Meizhen Great Khan is already waiting at the City Lord’s Mansion,” Bai Zhi’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

This Miaojiang woman was surrounded by the buzzing of poisonous insects, the silver ornaments in her hair stained with enemy brains, yet still breathtakingly beautiful.

Yili nodded slightly, sheathing her blood-stained long sword: “Pass the order, leave Jin Liufu to guard the city gates, Shi Xiong to reorganize the surrendered troops. Let this great grassland remember that wherever the Naiman Iron Cavalry reaches, it is royal land.”

Three days later, the sound of hoofbeats hurried along the green stone road of Wulang City.

Yili’s mount trod over the laid red carpet, only to find a welcoming team already lined up at the city gates.

Shi Feiyang stood at the front clad in a dark cloak. When their eyes met, the gaze of the Heroic Sakura Association’s Grand Squad Leader instantly transformed from sharp to gentle: “You’ve worked hard, my queen.” Before the words fell silent, he noticed Wu Zhong leaning on a cane among the ranks.

This Iron Palm Hero’s right arm was broken from the wrist, black blood seeping through the wrapped white cloth, yet he still stood up straight with effort.

Shi Feiyang tightened his throat, stepping forward to grip his intact left hand: “Brother Wu, your Iron Palm is more heartbreaking to me than that dog head of Lu Bing!”

Wu Zhong grinned, wind leaking through his half-missing teeth: “Grand Squad Leader, rest assured, the Demon Subduing Divine Palm of my left hand can still smash the skulls of the Imperial Court’s dog scoundrels!” Supporting the one-eyed Miao Menlong, Xiao Lingling approached, the scabbard of the Mandarin Duck Saber already tattered.

Miao Menlong’s only remaining eye glistened with tears, kneeling on one knee: “Grand Squad Leader, though this eye is blind, my archery…”

Before he finished speaking, Shi Feiyang had already pulled him up, tiger eyes filled with tears: “Brother Miao, every Peacock Feather you shot down is a blade pierced into the heart of the Imperial Court by the Heroic Sakura Association!”

Bandaged all over, Shan Zhi suddenly staggered forward, the red tassel of the Plum Blossom Darts still tied at his waist: “Grand Squad Leader, Jianghu calls us traitors, but as long as you say the word…”

Shi Feiyang sharply wrapped the four into his arms, the dark cloak enveloping these four battered bodies: “Infamy? Let them curse! When we change the day and break into the Forbidden City, those history books under heaven will be written by us!”

At this moment, the horn on the city tower suddenly sounded.

Yili ascended slowly up the steps, the moonlight bestowed a layer of sacred halo to her battle armor.

Shi Feiyang released his brothers, knelt on one knee, and held her blood-stained hand: “My queen, you truly achieved the hegemony of this grassland.”

Yili looked at her husband, her eyes and brows full of exhaustion and pride: “Without your feat of slaying Lu Bing, without all the brothers risking their lives, how would there be today’s Naiman Alliance and glory?” The sound of hoofbeats came from afar, Xiang Kun’s jade flute wrapped with bandages, Liao Pei’s iron cane still dripping with blood.

Behind them were the disciples of the Heroic Sakura Association — those once reviled as “traitors” by Jianghu, now escorting the Central Plains’ relocated people, forging a new path of life on the grassland.

Shi Feiyang tightened his grip on Yili’s hand, looking at the hard-won peace, suddenly recalling how years ago in Jiangnan, while listening to the rain, she once said she longed for a land without strife.

“Look, this is our Jianghu.” Shi Feiyang’s voice, mixed with the evening breeze, drifted across the infinite grassland.