Chapter 688: Looking North at the Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 688: Gazing North Across the Rivers and Mountains

Zhao Changhe felt a strange unease... In truth, even Blind Girl didn’t know that one of the purposes of his entry into this secret realm was to deal with her...

Given the current situation, it was nearly impossible to completely avoid using the Eye at the Back of His Head. Even if he didn’t employ its full power as he had this time, it was hard to say how much it enhanced his everyday night vision, far sight, and even his perception of qi. It was always at work. The Eye had infiltrated every aspect of his five senses; to abandon it entirely, he would have to chop off his head...

He carried something that wasn’t his own, yet it functioned as if it were—a deeply unsettling experience.

This wasn’t something Xia Longyuan had to point out; Zhao Changhe had harbored his own misgivings about it long ago. It was a problem that had to be resolved, or one day he might be controlled by Blind Girl without even realizing it. In his exchanges with her, he could ramble about almost anything, but he never brought this up. It was a slippery slope that could not be touched—mentioning it might prematurely rupture their relationship.

He could only secretly prepare to sever the connection.

Operating in secret without Blind Girl knowing was itself an immense challenge. She haunted him like a ghost every day; he didn’t even know if she watched him when he defecated. She had likely seen everything during intimate moments—she knew his size and thickness—and nothing that happened around him could escape her notice. How could he work to cut ties right under her nose?

Xia Longyuan’s soul-piercing final letter had evaded Blind Girl’s surveillance, and in it, he hinted that Zhao Changhe should ponder the Pai Tian Zhen Hai Gong, saying it had a powerful ability to reject foreign elements, which might help with this matter.

Coincidentally, the Pai Tian Zhen Hai Gong possessed a very subtle, hidden attribute—Zhao Changhe had played the role of Wang Daozhong for so long that everyone knew he had grown attached to it. Casually studying the Wang family’s techniques was routine, and Blind Girl was so accustomed to it that she wouldn’t suspect he had any other intentions in delving into this skill.

This time, he was even studying it openly, and Blind Girl found it perfectly natural, even proactively thinking that since he knew this technique, it was fitting for him to handle this matter...

The feeling was indeed a bit strange... But no matter how strange, he had to do it—his life depended on it. His relationship with Blind Girl, when stripped down, was like the one he had described to Yangyang: a god and an ant. He couldn’t afford to think she truly held him in any special regard.

Zhao Changhe clenched his fist and gave it a try.

The repulsive force within his body surged into full operation. The moisture and dampness that had invaded him moments ago were instantly expelled cleanly, along with the trace toxins accumulated from frequent pill-taking and eating. Everything was purged without a trace.

He just realized that the Wang family’s techniques had cosmetic and detoxifying benefits—so why wasn’t Wang Daozhong as handsome as him?

But this repulsive power still needed further refinement; relying on it to expel the Eye at the Back of His Head was impossible for now... Nor could he fall out with her at this moment.

Zhao Changhe took a deep breath, pulled his fist back, and suddenly struck out.

"Boom!" A highly concentrated, compressed burst of energy surged forth, merging the essence of the Xuanwu Fist, Pai Tian Zhen Hai, and part of the Shen Huang Feng Lei Palm. The fist force exploded against a distant reef.

The reef shattered with a roar, waves surged wildly, wind and thunder erupted, and the earth split and the sky cracked. It even seemed to draw lightning, rumbling across the heavens, with flashes of electricity streaking through the sky—a truly wondrous scene.

His new fist technique was perfected—Zhao Changhe’s version of "My Fist."

"Blindie, you’re the writer, you’ve got culture—come up with a name!" Zhao Changhe called out.

Blind Girl did not respond.

Couldn’t even think of a poem—how embarrassing. Name it yourself.

"If you don’t say it, I’ll go ask Wan Zhuang. She’s cultured, hmph." Zhao Changhe said, then suddenly froze. He had inexplicably ended up at sea, and the Dark Steed hadn’t followed him—how was he supposed to get back?

Blind Girl’s gloating voice finally came: "Try flying on your own. You can control qi now, can’t you?"

Zhao Changhe’s face flushed red. He suddenly stamped his foot, creating a massive explosion on the sea surface, and launched himself like a cannonball toward the distant shore.

He relied on violent propulsion to start, then during flight, he attempted to balance airflow and gravity, managing to fly a bit farther than expected—though he wobbled and looked rather embarrassing.

As his breath was about to run out, Zhao Changhe looked around, searching for something to push off again, but found nothing in time.

"Stomp!" A jade foot stepped on his head, and Blind Girl flew past above him, laughing lightly: "See you."

"Thump!" Zhao Changhe tumbled awkwardly into the sea. He popped his head out and cursed at the sky: "Fuck you..."

Before he could finish, he suddenly changed his tone: "White."

Blind Girl: "?"

"Bang!" An irresistible surge of air slammed into him, and Zhao Changhe was brutally driven to the seabed, swaying dizzily.

There was no color at all—Blind Girl was wearing pants. Black warrior trousers, tight at the ankles, making her legs look straight and slender.

Just as he couldn’t understand how Blind Girl’s spirit body could have tactile sensations, Zhao Changhe still hadn’t figured out whether her clothes were illusions or real.

He grumbled as he swam toward the surface, silently asking Long Que: "Little female Que, where did your clothes come from? Oh, damn..."

On the sea surface, a large broadsword chased its owner, hacking wildly. The owner fled across the waves, leaping up and flying crookedly through the air.

...

When he returned to shore, the counties from west of Langya to the eastern coast had already surrendered upon receiving the edict. Zhao Changhe could see the counties replacing their banners with the Han dynasty’s dragon flag, though he didn’t know how subsequent governance would be handled. For now, all he saw was a scene of gloom and misery—cleansing and slaughter. It was painful to watch, but Zhao Changhe knew this was no time for misplaced compassion.

Only by smashing the old could the new be built.

Back in Langya, Cui Yuanyong was still busy, and Cui Yuanyang was foolishly waiting outside the secret realm. When she saw Zhao Changhe descending from the sky, her round little face was stunned, looking utterly adorable.

All of Zhao Changhe’s worries vanished. He stepped forward and hugged her, laughing: "How long have you been waiting here?"

Cui Yuanyang said: "Just half a day or so... They’re holding a victory feast, and it hasn’t started yet. Do you want to join?"

Zhao Changhe actually felt like drinking and singing heartily with his friends, but there were too many things to do—he couldn’t afford to indulge. He sighed and muttered to himself: "When will this ever end."

Cui Yuanyang looked at him with sparkling eyes: "Are you thinking of leaving again?"

Zhao Changhe rubbed her cheeks: "You have to come with me."

Cui Yuanyang was happy but also surprised: "Have to?"

"Yes, at least for the secret realms of the Four Mountains and Four Swords, you must go through them." Zhao Changhe handed her a page of a book: "Take this for now."

Cui Yuanyang’s heart stirred.

By now, everyone knew what this was.

The Celestial Book... He was handing it over as casually as giving a lollipop.

"This records the contents of the Wang family’s secret realm. If you want to find insights or memories from the previous era, this is important to you. Correspondingly, you should also visit the Yang and Li families. For the Yang family, I don’t know if your father can persuade Yang Jingxiu to surrender, but even if not, their style isn’t too extreme—they’ll be fine for now. The Li family is the real trouble, because it’s directly tied to the barbarians. If we’re talking about a war of national foundation, the pressure from the barbarians is the true test."

Cui Yuanyang sighed: "I knew it—your mind is already set on sealing Mount Langjuxu. That can’t be settled in one battle; it requires a long war."

"Not necessarily," Zhao Changhe said. "It’s not that I’m impatient... They’re the ones on the offensive now. Besides, the Eternal Heavenly God was severely wounded overseas, and it’s been a while—he might recover soon... He’s more dangerous than any Huang Yang or Feng Yin. He’s at the Second Realm of Imperial Mastery."

Cui Yuanyang could feel the anxiety and pressure weighing on Zhao Changhe. The best comfort she could offer was obedience: "I understand. I’ll start comprehending the Celestial Book. Brother Zhao, go attend to your own matters."

"Mm." Zhao Changhe rubbed her head and turned to leave.

Outside the courtyard, he saw Xue Canghai and Wan Dongliu drinking. Zhao Changhe was startled: "Just the two of you? Where are Guichen and Xuanchong and his disciple?"

"They’ve already returned to Mount Tai, saying they are people of the world beyond and should no longer meddle in mundane affairs." Xue Canghai smacked his lips: "That’s their way of signaling they won’t compete with the Four Symbols Sect for the state religion."

Zhao Changhe asked: "And you? What does the Blood God Sect say?"

Xue Canghai smiled faintly: "The Blood God Sect has no doctrine. If it has one, it’s killing. We know we can’t be the state religion. If the world is settled, our existence becomes a source of chaos. I don’t know if, when that time comes, you’ll be the one to eliminate us."

Zhao Changhe sneered: "People can never be killed off. You’ll always have your use. If you can’t be the state religion, how about changing your banner?"

Xue Canghai asked curiously: "What banner?"

"The Crimson Cross."

"? What the hell is that?"

Zhao Changhe threw his head back and laughed: "Carve your name on Mount Yanran, seal Mount Langjuxu—countless heads await you in the northern deserts."

A flash of bloodthirsty fervor gleamed in Xue Canghai’s eyes, filled with wild zeal.