Chapter 731: Tiny Star River

Chapter 731: The Little Star River

Forget about going to Kunlun to challenge them one by one—Zhao Changhe’s next target wasn’t even Kunlun to begin with. Where would he find the leisure for that?

He didn’t quite dare, either. If he ran off to Kunlun at this time, Zhao Changhe suspected he’d end up dead in a most unsightly manner.

Winter was about to end. Zhao Changhe would stake his head on it: right now, Temür was consolidating the spoils of his raid on Batu, sharpening his blades and feeding his horses, waiting only for the snow to melt. Within ten days of spring’s arrival, without a doubt, news would come of Temür’s army at Yanmen Pass and Li’s forces emerging from Longyou in a pincer attack. There was no need to question it.

There simply wasn’t enough time for the newborn Great Han to organize its military. All they could manage was to reorganize and train the surrendered troops from the Wang and Yang families. Though their numbers had swelled, the time was too short—what effect could a mere month of drilling have? Even marching and assembling might eat up half that time…

And with increased numbers came an acute shortage of military pay and provisions. Before leaving the capital, Chi Wan Zhuang and the others had been tearing their hair out over this. The so-called sweet potato strategy couldn’t possibly be realized in such a short span. He had no idea how many solutions they’d found by now.

In any case, that would be the most arduous campaign since the founding of Great Han. If they couldn’t weather it, the nation would be wiped out in one blow. Everyone had to make every possible preparation in this brief window.

He didn’t know how Vermilion Bird’s Three Jin strategy was progressing. As for Zhao Changhe’s journey to Miao territory, his real target wasn’t the Miao—it was Bashu.

Li Shentong was now the master of Bashu… Zhao Changhe hoped he could apply some pressure on Longyou; that was the strategic point. Originally, Zhao Changhe had trusted Li Shentong’s character. But according to Chi Wan Zhuang’s opinion, no matter why Li Shentong had raised his army in the first place, he could no longer act on impulse. He had to be responsible for his entire faction. Just because he hated the barbarians and aristocratic clans didn’t mean he would necessarily lend a hand to the imperial court. If the new dynasty appeared too weak, there was even a chance Li Shentong might harbor other thoughts.

That was the significance of coming to Miao territory—to let Li Shentong know that the new dynasty’s situation wasn’t as dire as he imagined. If he dared make a move, they could strike him from behind. Only then would there be a foundation for negotiation and cooperation, not just appeals to righteousness.

As for Kunlun, for now it was in chaos. Neither side was likely to get involved in the Hu-Han conflict, so it could be set aside for the moment. There was personal enmity directed at Zhao Changhe, but that was a separate matter.

If not for the accidental discovery of the Nine Abyss and other issues, Zhao Changhe wouldn’t have lingered in Miao territory. Once things were settled here, he should have headed north to Bashu to find Li Shentong. But with the existence of unknown demons like the Nine Abyss, and Blind Girl seeming nervous, Zhao Changhe decided to stay put for now and focus on training.

Breaking through to the Imperial Realm before venturing out would obviously be the safest. Unfortunately, the Imperial Realm wasn’t so easy to breach. At least for now, Zhao Changhe, whose cultivation hadn’t yet reached two and a half years, was still a breath short.

Using the body as a foundation to resonate with the star river—the theory was certainly correct. He had now pushed his body refinement to great completion. Not only had the weakness in defense been patched, but his strength and blood energy had also made considerable progress. But as for becoming one with the star river, where every move could summon the resonance of the stars—he was still a layer short of that level.

Just a little bit.

“Clang, clang, clang—” By the thatched hut, Yue Hongling, who had felt the Miao territory had no use for her, had returned and was sparring with Zhao Changhe.

As it turned out, Blind Girl’s private agenda hadn’t affected Sisi at all. On the contrary, it had inexplicably shrouded her in an extremely mysterious aura—even the Chaos Chronicle dared not give a definitive evaluation, offering instead an unprecedented symbol. What did that mean? Now the Miao were terrified, which actually made Sisi’s path to unification much easier.

Not just outsiders—even Yue Hongling felt a bit creeped out. The first thing she said when she returned and saw Zhao Changhe was: “Their Spirit Clan’s ancestral god might be on a higher level than we imagined. It can even influence the Chaos Chronicle.”

Zhao Changhe said: “Actually… don’t hold the Chaos Chronicle in too much awe. The person who writes that thing—I think their literary skill isn’t great. They often can’t come up with poems.”

“Is that a matter of literary skill? It’s the feedback of the Heavenly Dao! Even if it were written like a child’s scribble, what does it matter?”

“Mm, mm…” Zhao Changhe couldn’t complain to anyone about how dumb Blind Girl had become. He was bursting with a bellyful of old grievances, so he could only lower his head and start sparring with Yue Hongling.

Both of them were now at the half-step Imperial Realm, both missing that same layer. They hoped to find the feeling through sparring. This kind of practice couldn’t be dual cultivation anymore—it had to be real combat.

Then Zhao Changhe discovered that Yue Hongling was definitely the most terrifying opponent he had ever faced at the same level.

Without relying on divine weapon power, he simply couldn’t get the better of Yue Hongling. Even with all his tricks, they were evenly matched. Partly it was because they knew each other’s moves too well, but also because Yue Hongling’s combat ability was absolutely top-tier in this world. The phrase “challenging above one’s level”—she was originally its representative…

With a “clang,” Yue Hongling’s sword traced across Zhao Changhe’s chest, leaving only a shallow mark.

Seizing the moment, Zhao Changhe slanted his blade toward her wrist.

Yue Hongling’s afterimage flickered, and she was already behind him, but the Star River Sword was already waiting for her there.

Yue Hongling had no choice but to parry the Star River Sword and retreat several zhang, shaking her head: “We know each other too well. Sparring like this won’t add much practical insight. It’s not very useful.”

Zhao Changhe shrugged.

Yue Hongling sighed: “Actually, I can’t beat you anymore, can I? You didn’t even use the divine power of the Star River Sword or the Dragon Sparrow.”

Zhao Changhe laughed: “Why are you hung up on that? Even if I win by relying on external objects, it’s nothing to brag about. I see your sword spirit has also taken human form. That battle killing the Black Miao King really helped it grow. This is a sword spirit that grows with you. In the end, its power won’t be any less than the Star River’s.”

Yue Hongling said: “But that’s a long way off. War is imminent. I hope to quickly boost my combat power. Since breaking through to the Imperial Realm is so difficult, upgrading the sword first might not be a bad choice. Why don’t you let Little Sparrow come play with me? I feel that more contact with a mature blade spirit will help stimulate my sword spirit.”

Zhao Changhe reached out again and yanked the female Little Sparrow out.

This time, the Dragon Sparrow didn’t feel as awkward as when it had been drawn as a blade before. Sitting cross-legged in midair, it said with great exasperation: “I’m not responsible for babysitting! That little brat Star River is already annoying enough, and now there’s an even smaller one!”

Zhao Changhe was taken aback: “What, you mean you and Star River usually communicate?”

The Dragon Sparrow said: “Of course we do. That little fish stares at people all day with those wooden eyes, cold and unblinking. I don’t know who she’s offended. When I talk to her, she doesn’t answer, and then she turns around and shows me her butt. What’s so interesting about that shriveled little butt…”

Zhao Changhe: “…”

Redefining “communication.”

So it turned out you were the one bothering her all along! She couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge you, and you have the nerve to say she’s annoying you?

Come to think of it, earlier he had felt Star River was still an infant. But according to the Dragon Sparrow, she had grown up?

Zhao Changhe handed the Dragon Sparrow over to Yue Hongling to babysit, then took out the Star River Sword and sat by the hut to study it.

He probed his spirit into the sword. Inside, the sword world was like a miniature starry sky. A little girl of about three or four lay on the star river, her arm pillowing her head. She wore black clothes, and her pitch-black pupils stared unblinkingly at the higher stars in the night sky.

Feeling her master’s spiritual presence, the little girl turned her head to look. Zhao Changhe’s heart clenched.

That stillness, that indifference, that utterly lifeless gaze on a little girl’s face—the contrast was beyond words.

But this was the Star River Sword.

The Dragon Sparrow was a wild blade spirit born from war and slaughter, symbolizing tyranny and ferocity… well, though it seemed to have been raised a bit crooked, its essence of wildness and ferocity remained. The Star River Sword, forged from the Night Emperor’s sword blank, was inherently defined by its night-sky attributes: stillness, vastness, the serene moon shining through the ages, unchanging. That was how it should be.

If the Night Emperor had been female, she might have been like this in life—a larger version.

Zhao Changhe suddenly wondered if Blind Girl had been like this when he first met her. Even Blind Girl usually wore black… Was this a commonality of the Heavenly Dao’s cycles, or did Blind Girl also have night-sky attributes? He had once suspected a connection between the Night Emperor and Blind Girl, but probing had seemed to disprove it. Now the suspicion arose again.

But Blind Girl now had much more human warmth. It rather evoked the feeling of “if only life were as it first met.”

Ah, speaking of which—if the Night Emperor was the larger version of the Star River Sword Spirit, and the Star River Sword Spirit was forged by him… unlike the Dragon Sparrow, which had been through countless hands, if he was considered Star River’s father and needed to find her a mother, then would Star River’s mother count as the Night Emperor?

Seeing her master studying her, the little girl didn’t speak, just quietly met his gaze. When Zhao Changhe snapped out of it and spoke first with an apologetic tone: “Little Star River, sorry. Daddy has been too distracted and hasn’t had a proper talk with you.”

Star River seemed startled. She tilted her head in slight confusion: “Dad… dy?”

Then she scratched her head: “You are my master.”

Zhao Changhe swore that when the female Little Sparrow called him master, he felt a bit of YY, but he absolutely wouldn’t feel that toward this one—he didn’t even want her to say it. He crouched in front of the little girl, ruffled her hair: “I forged you with my own hands. How could there be master and servant?”

In Star River’s eyes, it was her master who was being strange. A sword spirit’s thinking was certainly different from a human’s. She was more inclined to see him as her master. What were “father” and “mother”? She had no concept. But since Zhao Changhe said so, she didn’t argue. She just sat there quietly, looking at him with a hint of puzzlement in her still eyes.

Zhao Changhe was utterly charmed. He wanted to slap himself twice. Such an adorable child, his own flesh and blood—and he had let her grow to three or four without even a glance!

Wait… The Star River Sword had been forged less than two months ago. How was she already three or four?

The sword spirit and master were connected in spirit. Though Star River didn’t understand many of Zhao Changhe’s thoughts, making the connection imperfect, she could clearly sense his affection. A warm emotion inexplicably arose in her.

Sensing her master’s confusion about her age, she took the initiative to speak: “A sword spirit needs its master to nourish it with sword intent. The more you use me with Star River Sword intent, the faster I grow… Although you usually use me for sneak attacks, hiding in the shadows and quicksand is indeed one of my images. But Master, could you use that less? Overusing it might skew my growth…”

Zhao Changhe immediately thumped his chest: “I’ll use it less, definitely less! I’ll never bury you in sand again!”

“No need for that…” Star River’s little face was very serious: “I grew fastest during the battles with Huang Yang and Feng Yin. At that time, Master used me as a medium to draw on the power of the stars—both wielding this sword and commanding the star river. Moreover, that intent of ‘under the night sky, I alone am supreme; all demons and monsters have nowhere to hide’ made me grow a great deal…”

Zhao Changhe remembered. When he had repelled Huang Yang and Feng Yin ambushed him, he shot an arrow at the sky and shouted, “The Heavenly Book is here, come and take it!” At that moment, he had indeed felt the Star River’s aura change along with his.

This wasn’t just a sword of the starry sky. It was the Night Emperor’s sword, an imperial sword blank… even at the Heavenly Emperor level. The Star River Sword intent contained a large part of “presence.” If he only used it for sneak attacks, he really would raise it crooked.

Zhao Changhe broke out in a cold sweat. Good thing he had checked. If he had raised this adorable child crooked, he would never forgive himself.

Wait…

Both wielding this sword and commanding the star river…

Outside the sword, Zhao Changhe’s physical body suddenly stood up.

He had been worrying about how to use the body to resonate with and command the star river. But the key had always been in his hands.

He had a medium! He could first use the medium, and once he was proficient, he could break free from it—that would be a natural breakthrough. Why had he been racking his brains?

Zhao Changhe happily picked up Star River and lifted her high twice: “Thanks, Little Star River. You’ve solved a big problem for me.”

A faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on Xinghe's perpetually expressionless face, as if being lifted high was rather amusing. Of course, helping its master was the best outcome, so the master wouldn't always rely on that stinky Dragon Sparrow for the main attack, leaving it only fit for sneak strikes—that smug look on Dragon Sparrow's face was utterly detestable.

But unfortunately, the master's primary cultivation remained the blade; swordsmanship had always been merely a supplementary aid from the start. Though the world spoke of him as a master of both blade and sword, Zhao Changhe was still primarily known for his blade. Steering him toward a sword-centric path was unlikely—the master was a man of deep attachments, and Xinghe knew he would never abandon Sister Dragon Sparrow.

Not that it mattered; Xinghe wasn't competing for that. It yearned more to grow. For a sword spirit, growing meant becoming stronger, and a sword spirit that didn't aspire to divine rank was no good. With its current foundation, both it and Dragon Sparrow had the potential for divine rank—whether they achieved it depended on the master's growth.

Just then, Zhao Changhe withdrew his spirit from the sword and suddenly called out into the void: "Blindie."

Blindie was speechless: "Don't keep calling me for no reason. Am I your chat companion?"

Before the words faded, Xinghe came hurtling straight in.

Blindie paused, and saw a sky full of falling stars, the Milky Way hanging upside down.

She yawned, waved a hand casually, and all the visions vanished without a trace. Zhao Changhe was flung back by an invisible wall of air, nearly landing on his rear, stumbling several steps before steadying himself.

"With your level of strength..." Blindie yawned again, turning to leave: "You're wasting my ti—wait, no."

She suddenly turned back: "How did you know my position?"

Zhao Changhe steadied himself and smiled faintly: "By observing the aura."

"Your skill in observing auras couldn't possibly discern mine."

"I observed the threads of causality, faint and indistinct in the void. With no one else around, who else could it be but you?"

Blindie was silent for a long moment, then said quietly: "You can already see the threads of causality?"

"I can see some very illusory threads, but I can't tell if they're truly causal threads—just a guess." Zhao Changhe laughed: "Isn't that a significant improvement?"

"Though it's a clever trick combining the way of qi and the way of causality, for someone just starting out, managing this is no small feat... You should know that the strength of the target you observe also affects the result. Being able to see my faint threads—even most demon gods couldn't do that, and that's with me unguarded. It's quite remarkable." Blindie grew serious: "Logically, your talent for such matters is extremely ordinary—how did you progress so quickly?"

Zhao Changhe said: "Actually, many forget that my true talents lie in body forging and comprehension of techniques; even my blade talent, which I rely on to dominate, was only average at first—it came from splitting countless blades every day until I truly mastered it."

Blindie said: "So you mean, ever since I told you about the threads of causality, you've been simulating them endlessly in your own sea of consciousness?"

Zhao Changhe nodded: "The Heavenly Book has a slow-display effect, which is quite helpful for getting started. Over this period, I've probably simulated it over a thousand times..."

"..." Blindie was rather impressed by his relentless determination: "So what was the meaning of that thrust you aimed at me?"

"I can simulate that thrust infinitely in the Heavenly Book... To command this galaxy, it is right before my eyes."

Blindie sneered. This was not just him practicing the command of the galaxy—he was also trying to spy on her own counter-strike just now.

Sure enough, Zhao Changhe soon pulled a long face: "Hey, you can't cheat, can you? Hiding your own attack completely—what's that supposed to mean? I'm being open with you, and you play it like this?"

Blindie said leisurely: "Whether you're open or not means nothing to me. I am the Book of Chaos. If you try to spy on me, it's like stripping me naked right in front of me—do you think I wouldn't know? You only pretended to be open because you knew that, hoping I'd allow it."

Zhao Changhe sighed: "You could use a different metaphor."

Blindie sneered: "That's just your little scheme. Now go practice your galaxy command—don't expect to pry into my affairs."

As she spoke, her figure vanished again into the void.

But then Zhao Changhe suddenly called out: "Little Xinghe looks quite a bit like you."

Blindie stumbled, nearly falling out of the void, but quickly replied flatly: "I think I'm not the blind one—you are. Which part of those features resembles me?"

"You won't let me see your eyes either."

"..."

"Actually, what I meant by 'like' is mainly the temperament. Back when you entered my dreams, you hung in the night, serene and lofty, like a goddess of the dark."

Blindie's voice remained flat: "If that's the case, the Nine Nether is more fitting. And why did you say 'back when'? Isn't it still the same now?"

"You're nothing like that now, are you? Have you ever seen a goddess of the dark sweating like a yellow bean?" Zhao Changhe said with pain: "Your aura is completely gone."

Blindie suddenly laughed: "Isn't that a good thing?"

Of course it was good—unlike your little Xinghe, no need for wild guesses.

Blindie re-entered the void, letting out a deep sigh. Zhao Changhe's intuition was terrifyingly sharp; she really should talk to him as little as possible.

Little Xinghe... Blindie's divine sense entered the sword, looking at the little girl lying on the galaxy, and smiled faintly.

Little Xinghe stared back at her, a trace of confusion flickering in its pitch-black, night-like pupils.

Then the sword body began to tremble, and the starlight within started to flicker. It was Zhao Changhe repeatedly simulating that thrust just now, the stars responding, shining brilliantly.

Blindie sighed. With this man's talent, the realm of command might truly be just around the corner. But if he always relied on a medium to drive it, it would only be a "false" breakthrough. The real hurdle—Blindie now looked along the threads of causality and found a dozen or so, scattered and varied.

A man with over a dozen ways to break through to command.