CHAPTER 323: CHAPTER 143: BATTLE OF WITS: THE UNDERLYING CURRENTS BETWEEN LV YUAN AND SHI FEIYANG

Under the eaves of every household, red lanterns hang high, their vivid red like burning flames gently swaying in the cold wind, resembling the brightest stars in the night sky, not only illuminating the way home but also warming the heart of every wanderer.

On the lintel, Spring Festival couplets and "Fu" characters are pasted densely, the fragrance of ink wafting everywhere.

The calligraphy on the couplets is either vigorous and forceful, or graceful and lively. Each stroke reveals the people of Suzhou Prefecture’s beautiful wishes for the New Year, a cultural imprint inherited through millennia, carrying the profound historical heritage of this city.

The marketplace is bustling with activity, filled with a dazzling array of New Year goods that leaves one dazzled.

On the stalls, fresh fruits in bright colors, emitting alluring aromas; the dewy vegetables, looking fresh and tender; various meats and seafood neatly displayed, with vendors enthusiastically touting their wares.

In addition, there are various Suzhou specialty New Year snacks, such as plum blossom cake, begonia cake, sweet porridge, etc. The pastries are adorned with colorful sugar granules, exuding a sweet aroma that makes one’s mouth water.

People shoulder to shoulder, scrambling to buy New Year goods, preparing to welcome the arrival of the New Year.

Children wear brand-new clothes, laughing and running through the crowd, clutching candied haws and cotton candy in their hands, their faces brimming with pure, joyful smiles, and their clear laughter echoing above the market.

During the Spring Festival, traditional activities like dragon and lion dances, making sticky rice cakes, and setting off firecrackers are carried out one after another.

The dragon and lion dance teams are in grand procession, with the dragon, controlled by the dancers, sometimes soaring, sometimes coiling, its agile body seemingly breaking through the sky; the majestic lions leaping and somersaulting, drawing rounds of applause from the onlookers.

In the workshop making sticky rice cakes, people work together swinging wooden mallets, the "bang bang" of the pounding brisk in rhythm, with the aroma of rice cakes permeating the air. As night falls, fireworks bloom, the colorful lights instantly illuminating the night sky, decorating the entire Suzhou Prefecture in a dreamlike manner, also lighting up the hearts of people filled with joy. In this city full of traditional charm, the Spring Festival is not only a festival but also the inheritance of Suzhou Prefecture’s millennia-old culture and the emotional sustenance of the people of Suzhou.

Shi Feiyang and Gong Simeng, hand in hand, strolled through the streets and alleys, lovingly savoring the warmth of home and the joy of the festival, spending an unforgettable Spring Festival together.

Holding the little sister, picked up from the street, Little Yu Yan, Gong Simeng occasionally glanced at Shi Feiyang, her eyes full of tenderness, silently hoping in her heart to soon give Shi Feiyang a son, to make this happiness more complete.

In the Central Plains Kaifeng Prefecture, the chill of winter shrouded every corner.

The streets were ravaged by cold winds, with few pedestrians, forming a stark contrast with the prosperity of Suzhou Prefecture.

The buildings in Kaifeng Prefecture appeared particularly stern in the cold wind, the ancient city walls standing silently, witnessing the passage of time.

Xie Zhichuan returned to Divine Sword Manor in Kaifeng Prefecture, dining in the dimly lit hall with Zhong Renwang, Ding Hong, Zhong Wanqiang, Zhong Wanwang, and other sect leaders and their disciples who came to freeload a meal.

However, their minds were not on the New Year’s Eve dinner but were plotting nefarious deeds.

Zhong Renwang’s expression was unusually somber, his eyes glinting with cunning and sinister light. He said in a low voice, "According to our intelligence, after the battle in Ningxia, Shi Feiyang participated in several battles in the Northwest Region. The Heroic Sakura Association’s power has expanded to more than twenty thousand people, overwhelmingly large, with the intention of uniting the Jianghu. This situation is extremely unfavorable to us! If we let them develop, will we have a place in the Jianghu in the future?" His words were like the cold winds of a winter night, chilling to the bone.

Ding Hong harbored deep hatred in his heart because his son, Ding Peng, was killed by Shi Feiyang on Heng Mountain.

At this moment, he vividly described Shi Feiyang’s "brutality and villainy," doing his utmost to slander, trying to arouse the righteous indignation of the martial artists present. His words were full of incitement, making people deeply loathe Shi Feiyang.

Some sect leaders, some fearing the growth of Heroic Sakura Association’s power, some swayed by Zhong Renwang’s words, echoed his sentiments. Their faces were filled with confusion and entanglement, pondering the future path. Xie Zhichuan sat aside, his expression twisted, secretly calculating how to leverage the Imperial Court’s power to completely eradicate Heroic Sakura Association and avenge his private grudges.

After some plotting, they decided to send Huashan Sect Leader Zhou Zihan to the capital, to connect with Central Army Commander Kang Fusheng, Commander of the Imperial Guard Xiang Yushan, Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard Lv Yuan, Cai Kun, and Xiang Laixiang.

Their aim was to obtain a Holy Decree, mobilize the Imperial Court’s army, eliminate the Heroic Sakura Association, cut off Shi Feiyang’s head, and display it to the Nine Provinces, thereby completely removing this threat.

However, their plan was not without flaws.

The Heroic Sakura Association had spies placed in various Jianghu sects, like keen falcons, constantly watching the surroundings.

Zhong Renwang’s vicious scheme just formed, the news quickly reached Shi Feiyang like a shooting star through pigeon post.

Upon hearing this, Shi Feiyang’s hand, holding a teacup, suddenly paused, spilling a bit of tea.

His sword-like brows immediately knit tightly into the shape of the character ’川’, yet there was no trace of panic or cowardice in his eyes; instead, they burned with fierce determination and resilience, akin to an unextinguishable beacon in the cold night.