Chapter 694: Why Not Control This Star River

Chapter 694: Why Not Govern This River of Stars

Huangfu Qing was deeply satisfied that he had chosen not to consult his father-in-law of the Cui clan on this matter, turning instead to her.

Though she had been "defeated and conquered" by him, and even her current half-step into the Boundless Realm had been achieved with his aid, that did not mean he surpassed her in sheer martial strength and comprehension.

Particularly regarding martial comprehension, she, the Suzaku, stood as one of the peak grandmasters of this epoch; Zhao Changhe's time practicing martial arts was ultimately too brief, and accumulation and experience were things raw genius could never replace. If he practiced solely by groping in the dark of his own imagination, he risked straying down a perilous path.

Huangfu Qing felt that Zhao Changhe had begun to hesitate in his martial cultivation, losing that seamless, torrential momentum he usually possessed, as well as the bloody courage and tyranny he displayed in battle, becoming over-cautious.

This was wrong; martial arts could not afford to lose that fundamental spirit.

When you conquered me, you were so domineering; yet when governing mere martial arts, you fail?

"Governing the Four Symbols, perhaps you are wary of the Night Emperor; governing the Blood Fiend, you do not wish to follow Master Lie's old path, deeming it not grand enough; governing the realm, you fear repeating Xia Longyuan's tragedy. Is that so?"

"Indeed... and I also feel none of them truly fit my path..."

"Where is your tyranny?"

"Ah?"

"When it comes to women, why don't you consider choosing just the single one who suits you best?"

"Ah?"

"Given your temperament, shouldn't your answer be that you want them all?"

"...Can martial arts be thought of in the same way? There isn't even a primary one..."

"In your harem, who is primary? Me?"

Zhao Changhe played dead.

Huangfu Qing said, "So given your temperament, what exactly is your martial path hesitating for? Shouldn't it be that all things in heaven and earth are for my use?"

Zhao Changhe's heart stirred slightly.

All things in heaven and earth are for my use—this certainly suited his taste. Yet with no primary focus, could one truly achieve a breakthrough?

This was completely different from women... If a comparison had to be made, it was like holding a large bundle of threads in one's hand; normally, one would select a single thread to thread through the needle's eye, drawing the other tied threads along with it, which was easy to understand. But if one tried to stuff a whole bundle of threads in all at once, could they ever fit?

Then he heard Huangfu Qing say, "In fact, this is governing heaven and earth... The reason it is difficult lies precisely in its vastness. Since you possess such a foundation, why not give it a try? First, you must form this resolve within yourself; if you have never even thought of it, then it will remain forever impossible to achieve."

Zhao Changhe said, "I only have a superficial brush with each discipline, can that even be considered a foundation?"

"Records from the previous epoch state that Gaozu of Han claimed he could not match Xiao He in administration, nor Han Xin in strategy, nor Zhang Liang in planning, yet he was the one who ruled the realm. What makes you think you must personally master every single element? You yourself only need a passing familiarity; what you ought to master is us, who have mastered them."

"Oh..." Zhao Changhe's eyes widened.

Put that way... the vision clicked.

"In truth, governing heaven and earth is not necessarily a perfect concept in itself, but phrasing it this way makes it easier for you to comprehend." Huangfu Qing smiled. "Personally, I believe that even heaven and earth can collapse, and epochs can be reshaped, so this particular world is not worth governing all that much. What you should govern is a grander heaven, transcending the limitations of this world—like a silver river beyond the sky, descending from past the nine heavens, plunging into the mortal realm to destroy everything... That is what your manifestation should achieve. If we must speak of governance, it should be governing the river of stars, only not the river of stars belonging to this world."

Zhao Changhe was deeply shaken by her words. Looking into Huangfu Qing's eyes, he saw a depth that concealed an unknowable wealth of wisdom.

Originally, Zhao Changhe felt that Suzaku's mind was entirely consumed by the concept of the Night Emperor, but from these words, it was clear that her thinking had already broken free.

Once broken free, it became a vision of infinite vastness. She was, after all, the Venerable Suzaku, one of the greatest in the realm, not merely someone who existed for bedroom playfulness.

"My thinking broke free because you pulled it out," Huangfu Qing smiled. "It was you who made me feel that the intent of the Night Emperor was too small... yet how can you limit yourself so much here, forgetting where your own advantage lies? Have you been homogenized by the mundane, or is it because it is too difficult, and you have lost your heroic ambitions out of fear of hardship?"

Zhao Changhe dazed for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "It's more accurate to say it was because I was too rushed, like Zhu Bajie eating the ginseng fruit, sampling each thing superficially and losing the capacity to reflect."

Huangfu Qing bit her lower lip, a seductive glint in her eyes: "Just like how you consume us? Swallowing without chewing."

Zhao Changhe: "..."

Instead of responding to Huangfu Qing's flirtation, he offered a solemn bow: "Changhe is fortunate to have found a kindred spirit in Madam."

Huangfu Qing blinked, a slight smile gracing her lips.

Hearing him call her 'Madam' sounded truly wonderful.

Zhao Changhe stood up straight and exhaled a long breath. Huangfu Qing could perceive that even his vital spirit had shifted slightly, as if he had gained some insight on the spot.

For a courageous and fierce man like Zhao Changhe, he was never afraid of a target being too high or too difficult; what he feared was confusion and a lack of direction. Once a direction was set, the process of charging forward valiantly was itself what he relished, and that very force of his valiant advance was also his most captivating trait.

Huangfu Qing deeply loved that spirit of his—including the very spirit he once possessed when he wished to conquer the Venerable Suzaku, which was highly alluring. She wondered if this meant she was simply asking for trouble; if Tang Wanzhuang ever found out, she would probably die of laughter.

Throwing a tantrum with Chichi was nothing, a squabble among family would pass, but Tang Wanzhuang was her rival for life.

Dispelling the image of Tang Wanzhuang that had inexplicably crossed her mind, Huangfu Qing said seriously, "We join hands to aid one another, what need is there for such courtesy. I also have a matter requiring your counsel."

Zhao Changhe asked, "Is it about breaking through that final threshold? Or do you feel your current speed cannot keep up?"

These two matters could be viewed as one, because without truly breaking into the Boundless Realm, everyone's hard attributes remained somewhat weak. The problem they faced was defeating an opponent but being unable to catch or kill them, which would leave endless future trouble if allowed to accumulate.

Huangfu Qing said, "Previously it was said that to break into the Boundless Realm, one had to go to the extreme south to truly witness the Nanming Primordial Fire. I now feel that may not be the case. I have already grasped its intent; whether I see the source of the fire or not does not seem to have such a tangible meaning. What I lack to break through should be that I have not seen enough varieties of special flames..."

Before her voice could fade, a page of a book appeared before her eyes. It was the Heavenly Book brought back from Yangyang when leaving Langya; clearly, this item should be shared by everyone now, rather than him using it solely for his own breakthrough.

Huangfu Qing froze, "The Heavenly Book?"

Zhao Changhe said, "Within the Heavenly Book lies the Page of Nature, which contains many different intents of fire, and it will continue to collect and record them as I come into contact with more. A few days ago at the Cui clan, I witnessed the Flame of Extinction, and the Heavenly Book recorded it. It should be useful to you."

Huangfu Qing stared blankly with a peculiar expression for a long time. Was this what they called a pillow delivered just as one dozed off?

His fortune was truly bizarre. In the past, she thought his fortune was tied to his ambiguous status as Xia Longyuan's crown prince, but now it appeared it had absolutely nothing to do with Xia Longyuan; it was his own momentum.

As the saying goes, when the time comes, heaven and earth lend their strength together.

Then Zhao Changhe said, "Then again, when facing those with unique attributes like Feng Yin or An Mie, even if everyone breaks into the Boundless Realm, will our speed definitely keep up? I think it's highly unlikely. I intend to head to Kunlun to find Yu Xu, and at the same time meet the Thief Saint to see if I can unearth anything else..."

Huangfu Qing frowned, "You are going to Kunlun?"

"Yes... I believe you can handle the affairs in Shanxi. Using this window of time, I want to make a trip to both Kunlun and Sichuan."

Huangfu Qing's brow furrowed tightly.

Going to Kunlun and Sichuan was, theoretically, something that ought to be done. But this was far more dangerous than going to the Cui clan... Taking Kunlun as an example, they had both been there, and the two had cemented their bond there; Huangfu Qing knew well that the vastness of Kunlun still hid an immense number of secrets, with more than just one or two secret realms, and perhaps more than just one or two pairs of divine and demonic eyes watching it.

Though Yu Xu and Li Shentong were both considered orthodox, everyone held a different stance; this was not something that could be clearly distinguished by good and evil. For instance, the reason Yu Xu previously claimed to shelter criminals might not be as simple as he stated. Should his intentions be hostile, even those in the Boundless Realm could perish there without returning, and Zhao Changhe had not even broken through yet.

But Huangfu Qing also knew that if they were to wage a decisive battle against the Hu people, these unstable factors had to be sorted out clearly and could not be left ignored.

And Zhao Changhe currently lacked accumulation, yet the situation forced him forward without any time to settle down. Looking at it from another angle, his path to the Boundless Realm might truly only be realized in that sort of place; his path was too difficult, and ordinary battles could hardly achieve it.

Huangfu Qing pondered for a long time, before speaking with great reluctance, "If you absolutely must go, you should still see Tang Wanzhuang before you leave... Whether regarding cultivation or the general situation, she will have more insights."