Chapter 757: Heroes Should Not Have Short Lives

Chapter 757: Heroes Should Not Die Young

Since the Sea Emperor could die, so too could the Dao Lord.

Gods can die.

But Jiuyou had never before imagined such a death. For she could not comprehend why anyone would scatter the power they had cultivated all their life for such a cause—how was that any different from suicide?

Perhaps the foundation was not destroyed, and with slow, quiet cultivation it could be restored, maybe even better than Han Wubing’s state back then when his very foundation was crumbling. But how long would restoration take? Yuxu was already old; once his power scattered, his condition would be worse than his old friend Ye Wuzong’s, his lifespan hanging by a thread. Would it be too late to start anew?

This was suicide!

You spent your whole life cultivating—was it for this?

Yet he was smiling, laughing with such joy, and finally burst into loud laughter.

It was the delight of a lifetime’s shadows lifting, the broad-minded ease of a burden shed.

Zhao Changhe lifted Yue Hongling from the ground. At that moment, her mind also relaxed; in her man’s arms, she no longer forced herself to stay awake and fell into a deep sleep. Zhao Changhe checked briefly, found no serious issue, and carried her before Yuxu, speaking softly: “Elder...”

Yuxu chuckled, his voice weak but his spirit high: “I thank the King of Zhao for his righteous aid this time. Yuxu is deeply grateful.”

“No, I mean, this...”

“Oh, this was my own affair, so of course I had to fight it myself. I’m already sorry for dragging you all into such injury.”

Yuxu trembled as he reached into his bosom and pulled out a small jade bottle: “This medicine works wonders for Lady Yue’s internal injuries...”

Zhao Changhe shook his head, somewhat speechless, and did not take it: “Keep it for yourself. As if you don’t have internal injuries. I should be giving you some medicine instead.”

With that, he produced another jade bottle from his ring and set it beside Yuxu, hesitating as if to speak.

He didn’t know what to say, but Li Shengtong spoke up: “Old man, can you walk?”

Yuxu tried to rise, found he could, and smiled: “Still have a bit of power left. The situation is better than I expected.”

Li Shengtong showed a hint of a smile: “I’ll go with you to Kunlun for a few days. You brew wine for me to drink.”

“Admit that your brewing skill is inferior to mine?”

“I concede, I concede. Let you win and see you gloat. Winning means you have to brew more, understand?” The big man took the old Daoist’s withered arm, helped him rise on a cloud, and they departed leisurely.

From start to finish, Li Shengtong said not a word about Yuxu’s injury, as if how long he might live didn’t matter—only whether he could go back and brew wine.

Nor did he say anything more to Zhao Changhe, as if he felt a bit embarrassed about “tricking” Zhao Changhe into coming to Chang’an, though Zhao Changhe didn’t mind... Watching their retreating figures, Zhao Changhe knew there would be no problem with “borrowing people” for the northern expedition. No further exchange was needed; Li Shengtong would naturally appear when he should.

This jianghu... wasn’t so bad.

Zhao Changhe watched until their figures vanished, then turned around. Outside, it was bustling; the disciples of the Louguan Sect, whom he had inexplicably sent to Chang’an earlier, were now hurrying back.

Zhao Changhe exchanged a smile with Huangfu Qing, paid no attention to these Daoists, and quickly vanished with Yue Hongling in his arms.

The sky was just beginning to lighten. Many golden bald spinning tops appeared at the stalls, and children played with them joyfully. The Dai family’s local sales strength was indeed impressive...

Yuxu’s departure had instantly collapsed the Daoist faction in Chang’an, but it seemed the Buddhist faction was even more frantic, unable to seize the vacancy. Both Buddhist and Daoist lines had crumbled; apart from Jiuyou’s faction, there were no strong figures left in Guanlong.

If Blind Girl had simply beaten Jiuyou to death, Guanlong might have been settled in one battle... But the most disappointing fight was precisely hers.

She seemed to have bound Jiuyou, but it had no effect at all. Jiuyou easily broke through the blockade, giggling as she retreated from the cage: “My dear sister, if I am your heart-monkey, then anyone in the world might conquer me, but not you. Don’t waste your effort.”

Blind Girl hadn’t expected to seal her for long; she only wanted to prevent her from rescuing the Dao Lord. Seeing this, she didn’t bother to argue, saying calmly: “So you’ll go back to being the Miss Li? In the current situation, with few demon gods involved, the Li family has no Buddhist or Daoist support. Without you, they’ll either become lackeys of the barbarians or be wiped out by the Han in one battle. Are you sure you still want to wade into such mundane waters?”

Jiuyou said: “What if I continue? Will you, like this time, target me for his campaign to unify the realm?”

“Who unifies the realm is not within my purview. Only one thing is an exception: if you provoke me...” Blind Girl said calmly: “Zhao Changhe’s northern expedition is inevitable. If you stab him in the back, I will consider it a provocation and act.”

Jiuyou was taken aback, then giggled: “Stabbing him in the back is a provocation to him, not to you. Ha... fine, fine, fine...”

Blind Girl’s forehead seemed to bulge with veins—how a soul could have veins was anyone’s guess.

In theory, Jiuyou’s backstabbing in matters of conquest had nothing to do with her. But this was something Zhao Changhe had specifically asked her to do two days ago, and she had agreed, simply because she didn’t want Jiuyou to succeed in anything. But to argue every detail? How ridiculous would that be?

She didn’t want to say more and turned to leave: “Gods can die, even you and me. Don’t think I can’t do anything to you... One day, someone else will kill you. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Jiuyou called after her: “Oh, you found a man and entrusted to him what you can’t do yourself. I know that mindset. Many families, because of such unrealistic expectations, put too much pressure on the man. Be careful—that’s not good.”

Now you’re a relationship counselor? Blind Girl nearly stumbled, too annoyed to retort, and vanished.

Not even Blind Girl, nor Jiuyou herself, fully understood why their conflict, which touched the very foundation of this world and the two sides of the Dao—so lofty and grand—had somehow devolved into talk of men and women. Perhaps it was just especially amusing to strike at that self-righteous sister from this angle...

Jiuyou didn’t want to think too much and drifted back to the Li residence.

From the perspective of worldly chaos, she was determined to preserve the Li family and drive a nail into the unification of the entire divine land.

As for divine and demonic matters... Jiuyou gazed westward. Poxun was severely wounded, the Dao Lord dead. On the surface, it seemed a great victory for Zhao Changhe or Blind Girl, but in a sense, wasn’t it also a great victory for her, Jiuyou?

Now Zhao Changhe’s eyes were on the north. This western region, thousands of miles away—wasn’t it ripe for the taking?

...

Zhao Changhe did not return to the embassy but slipped into the secret place of the Four Symbols Sect’s Ghost Sheep.

They needed to heal, and not on someone else’s turf.

He laid the blood-soaked Yue Hongling on the bed. He and Huangfu Qing exchanged glances, both a little helpless and a little admiring.

Yue Hongling—she always said the least and did the hardest work. Though she had broken through to the Imperial realm before Zhao Changhe, he was full of cheats. Among everyone, Yue Hongling’s combat power might have been the lowest, yet the decisive sword strike came from her.

It wasn’t even her affair; she didn’t even know Yuxu, yet she fought as if it were her own... Perhaps, when facing one who had fallen to demonic influence, that was simply what she had to do.

In contrast, Huangfu Qing’s role in this battle was somewhat passive, so aside from minor shocks, she was the least injured... But that was normal for her; one couldn’t expect a Four Symbols Sect Venerable to go all out for the Daoist sect. If not for her dear husband, Huangfu Qing wouldn’t have participated at all.

Such desperate effort naturally came with severe backlash—a fatal counterattack from a second-level Imperial realm. If not for the formation sharing the burden, the injury wouldn’t have ended with just a faint... Perhaps it was precisely because of such desperate effort that her growth had been so legendary.

“How do you plan to treat her?” Huangfu Qing said sourly. “This time it’ll have to be dual cultivation, right? But she’s unconscious. How will you force it?”

Zhao Changhe said helplessly: “You’re a Four Symbols Sect Venerable? Next time, join the Maitreya Sect, okay?”

Huangfu Qing said: “Why do we always think that way? You know yourself.”

“For a Four Symbols Sect Venerable, the first thing to think of isn’t the Spring Return Art?” Zhao Changhe raised his hand, and a soft green light appeared in his palm, gently pressing it against Yue Hongling’s forehead: “Just guard me.”

Huangfu Qing was somewhat amazed by the seemingly endless life force in that green light, which even stirred her own insights into life and death: “The Azure Dragon’s Spring Return—it can actually serve as a reference for me.”

Zhao Changhe said irritably: “The Four Symbols are inherently intertwined, each containing the others.”

“Then why is it that Chichi learned from me for so long, and she can use a bit of everyone’s attributes except my fire?”

They were silent for a moment, then Zhao Changhe said gravely: “If you weren’t so harsh with her, maybe it wouldn’t be like this.”

Amid the banter, the green light enveloped Yue Hongling. The wounds on her body healed completely, her slightly furrowed brow relaxed, and the chaotic meridians inside were smoothed in an instant. Though she hadn’t woken, she seemed perfectly fine. The Spring Return Art, now at the Imperial realm, had rendered medicine unnecessary.

Huangfu Qing admired: “If you used this on Yuxu now, could he live a few more years?”

“Have you changed your opinion of Yuxu?”

“Heroes always earn goodwill, no matter who they are. Such a man should not die young—that would be an injustice of heaven.”

“Yuxu wasn’t really injured; if anything, it was more from Li Shengtong’s collision... What he needs now is to rebuild his power. I can’t help with that. But if I happen to meet Wubing, maybe he could give Yuxu some advice. Speaking of which, Wubing has been missing for a long time. I wonder where he’s gone—maybe he’s also in Kunlun...”

Zhao Changhe’s voice trailed off, and he said no more, focusing on treating Yue Hongling.

Huangfu Qing didn’t disturb him, sitting cross-legged nearby to heal herself and guard him.

Zhao Changhe’s mind sank into the Heavenly Book, drawing on the subsequent cultivation of the Spring Return Art while asking softly: “Blind Blind, how did your battle go?”

“Don’t bother me. I’m thinking about how to word this Chaos Chronicle.”

“If you’re writing the book, can you do me a favor? Don’t worry, it won’t break the rules.”