Chapter 879: Star River Has Just Grown Up

Chapter 879: The Star River Has Only Grown Up

Zhao Changhe and Yue Hongling had been through too much together; they could tell at a glance that the little girl’s words were just an excuse.

She had actually been spying to see if her master and master’s husband were doing anything shameful, and when caught, she casually used Longque as a scapegoat.

But what were you even spying for? When you were the Star River, didn’t you see enough inside the sword? You really did see everything… Thinking of this, Zhao Changhe’s face turned a little green. In the past, it was always him who had seen others naked, leading to a series of problems; he had never imagined that two girls had seen him completely naked from start to finish. How was that supposed to be calculated?

Yue Hongling’s face was even more alternating between pale and flushed. How dignified and pure she had been as a master, but once Ling Ruoyu remembered her memories as the Star River, how mortifying it became.

They had done every position, even with others present, and the Star River had watched the entire process.

When it was just a sword, it was nothing. But when she became her disciple, raised for over a decade, then…

Yue Hongling wanted very much to turn around and find Huangfu Qing, to exchange notes on social death, to ask how she had gotten through it when Xia Chichi discovered that Zhuque was Huangfu Qing…

“Yu’er…” Yue Hongling said sternly.

Hearing her master’s unfriendly tone, Ling Ruoyu trembled in fear: “Mas, master…”

“What did I teach you? Sisters should love each other, and you bury someone in the ground?” Yue Hongling began to make things difficult for her disciple. “This is called harming one’s fellow disciple! Come here! Ten strikes of the board!”

In truth, Ling Ruoyu had no idea what the couple was thinking. She had really just come to see how her proud and dashing master kissed a man; as for what she had seen before, she had mostly forgotten… After all, back then, as the Star River, she was just a sword and couldn’t understand the affairs between men and women; it was like a human watching blades rub together. How was she supposed to know that even this would get her into trouble?

Now, as a human, she had become curious about such matters, which was why she came to spy.

“Master, no…” Ling Ruoyu wanted to cry but had no tears. “Longque insulted me first… She cursed me all the way to my face…”

“If she curses you, why don’t you curse her back?”

“I can’t out-curse her. Master said that as martial artists, we should act rather than talk, not be like some maids who are glib but lack action, only to wait in vain… Eh…” Ling Ruoyu’s voice grew softer as she spoke, and she stepped back step by step.

Now that Ling Ruoyu had awakened the Star River’s memories, she understood all the gossip her master had muttered behind others’ backs that she once couldn’t comprehend… And she could even confirm it with what had happened in the past two days—she understood it all too well.

Yue Hongling’s social death was even more severe; it was practically a collapse of her persona. She dared not look at Zhao Changhe beside her: “Ling! Ruo! Yu!”

Ling Ruoyu turned and ran, but how could she outrun her master? Yue Hongling shot after her and grabbed her disciple by the scruff of the neck.

“Master, spare me!” Ling Ruoyu struggled. “I need to go see if Longque is dead…”

Longque wouldn’t die, but I think you’re about to die…

Zhao Changhe stood with his hands in his sleeves, watching Yue Hongling pin her disciple down. The crisp sound of spanking echoed through the night sky, and the little disciple waved her arms and struggled, wanting to cry but having no tears.

He felt that it wasn’t Longque or Ling Ruoyu who was about to die, but Yue Hongling herself.

“Um… ahem.” Zhao Changhe finally stepped forward and hugged Yue Hongling’s waist. “It’s just a little scuffle between kids, what’s the big deal…”

Yue Hongling struggled: “I’m teaching my disciple, mind your own business.”

Zhao Changhe shot Ling Ruoyu a meaningful look: “Run!”

Ling Ruoyu slipped away.

Yue Hongling struggled: “Don’t stop me…”

Zhao Changhe pressed her against a tree trunk and leaned in close.

Yue Hongling’s voice vanished instantly, leaving only her heaving chest and flushed face.

Zhao Changhe laughed: “Sister…”

Yue Hongling turned her head away: “My persona is ruined. Do what you will.”

Ruined? Zhao Changhe thought this Hongling was adorable to death. He lowered his head and kissed her. Yue Hongling’s eyelashes fluttered, and she closed her eyes, yielding softly.

What lone, dashing female warrior… When a woman raises a child, she pours all her longing for a man into that child. Those muttered gossips were nothing but thoughts full of everything about the man, spilling out uncontrollably to the child.

“Stop…” After who knows how long, Yue Hongling panted slightly and gently pushed against his chest. “The child is watching…”

“Didn’t you already send her to buy soy sauce? She won’t be back so soon.”

Longque had gained a new nickname: Soy Sauce.

Yue Hongling was both exasperated and amused. She raised her hand and pressed a finger to his lips: “Everyone is gathered today. Are you really thinking about sneaking off with me here? If they catch us, I still have a face to keep.”

Zhao Changhe said, “I don’t.”

Yue Hongling’s foot quietly stepped onto his and began to grind: “It doesn’t matter whether you do or not. None of us have easily forgiven you. Whoever sneaks off with you is a dog. You’ll have to endure everyone’s anger soon enough.”

Zhao Changhe endured the pain in silence. Speaking of this, he felt seven or eight parts guilty. Honestly, he hadn’t expected to be separated for thirty years all at once. He could well imagine how resentful everyone must be. This anger would have to be vented; even if they all ignored him for a year or half a year, he couldn’t complain.

“Alright, alright.” Yue Hongling pouted. “If anyone’s heart has been shaken the most today, it’s Yu’er, not you or me. If we’re talking about abandoning one’s wife and child, the one who needs to explain isn’t just the wife, but also the child. Shouldn’t you say something to Yu’er?”

Wasn’t it you who hit her the hardest just now? Now you’re playing the kind teacher and loving mother… But the main character of this matter was Ling Ruoyu herself. The reason Jiuyou said that Zhao Changhe most wanted to talk to Hongling was precisely because Hongling was the greatest creator of Ling Ruoyu’s entire story. Ling Ruoyu’s mind was probably in a bit of a mess right now; she might not even be sure whether she should consider herself Ling Ruoyu or the Star River. That was why she had come to spy just now—essentially, she felt reassured by being near her parents.

If the two adults really ignored everything and sneaked off here, that would be truly disappointing.

Yue Hongling said, “The Star River was your sword. Calling you her father is mostly a joke; essentially, you are her creator and master. Now, what she needs is your opinion, not mine. I’ll go find the others for a drink. You have a good talk with the Star River.”

Zhao Changhe nodded. Yue Hongling drifted away, and Zhao Changhe flashed into the forest where Ling Ruoyu and Longque were.

As soon as he arrived, he saw Longque buried in the ground, with only a hilt sticking out, like a little girl buried with only her bottom exposed, struggling: “Star River! You remember this!”

Ling Ruoyu crouched down and flicked the hilt, making it vibrate with a hum: “Say, who’s the small fry?”

Longque remained defiant: “Small fry? Is that all the strength you’ve got?”

Ling Ruoyu poked the hilt.

Longque persisted: “And you say the Star River only stabs buttholes? What are you doing now…”

Ling Ruoyu said, “I can also bury you in mud. Actually, the mud could be swapped for something else…”

Longque finally began to struggle: “Star River, you wouldn’t dare!”

“The Star River wouldn’t dare, but Ling Ruoyu would.” Ling Ruoyu put her hands on her hips. “The Star River has no one to back her up, but Ling Ruoyu does.”

Longque: “So becoming human really does make you evil.”

Zhao Changhe listened to these exchanges, lost in thought.

He was also a little surprised. He had thought Ling Ruoyu was just saying she buried Longque, but it turned out to be true. Could Ling Ruoyu really beat Longque? Or did Longque let her win because she knew she was in the wrong?

Zhao Changhe couldn’t help but cough dryly, interrupting Ling Ruoyu’s enthusiastic bullying of Longque: “Ahem… Ruoyu.”

Ling Ruoyu jumped in fright, then turned around with a flattering smile: “Mas, master’s husband…”

Where did this two-faced, pink-on-the-inside, black-on-the-outside act come from? Are you very familiar with Chief Cui? Zhao Changhe thought to himself, but asked aloud: “Can you really beat Longque?”

The little girl scratched her head: “I can beat her. As long as I hold the Star River and our energies are one, I’m not just at the first level of Secret Treasury anymore.”

He had originally thought that Ling Ruoyu’s cultivation was lacking, and that the little girl wielding an empty Star River sword body wouldn’t be able to exert much combat power. Now it seemed they had been mistaken.

The Star River’s rank was inherently higher than Longque’s. If Ling Ruoyu and the Star River were one, not only was her energy stronger than Longque’s, but she also had a martial artist’s control, making her far more effective than Longque’s self-exertion. Longque really couldn’t beat her.

The combined effect of the two might even be three points stronger than the original Star River. The only drawback was that she had to hold the Star River; once they separated, she would instantly become a first-level Secret Treasury weakling and a soulless empty shell, falling from heaven to earth.

Zhao Changhe stroked his chin, pondering. Actually, they didn’t really need such a combat power. The main point was that if this form appeared before Ye Wuming, the impact would be different from that of a sword or a sword spirit. What would Ye Wuming feel when she saw Ling Ruoyu like this?

Seeing Zhao Changhe deep in thought, Ling Ruoyu thought he was angry about her beating Longque. She quickly dug Longque out and handed her over with a flattering smile: “Master’s husband~ Your blade.”

Zhao Changhe took the blade instinctively. The twin-tailed loli was rolling around inside the blade: “I won’t accept this! I want to be reforged too!”

Zhao Changhe snapped back to reality and laughed: “Do you want to become like Ruoyu? Come out of the blade?”

Longque said, “I don’t want to. I am a blade. Why would I want to become human? I don’t want my body to become an empty shell.”

If Longque’s blade body became an empty shell, would that be called a bird’s nest?

Zhao Changhe had an absurd thought and asked, "If you don't want to become like that, what do you plan to do?"

Longque said, "I want to advance on my own. Just like you temper your body, I need to temper mine. My material can't compare to Si Xinghe's; I'm naturally a tier lower. You're biased, and I won't accept it."

Zhao Changhe smiled. "Alright, I'll temper your body for you."

Longque cheered up. "It's a deal."

In truth, Zhao Changhe had already intended to reforge Longque, as part of the final battle preparations. But choosing the right material was tricky—ideally, he wouldn't use anything from this world. He wondered if true "meteorite iron from beyond the heavens" existed; he'd have to ask. If not, perhaps he should break through to another realm... This kind of thing made him uneasy, and the most experienced person in the Three Realms for such matters was Ye Wuming.

He couldn't avoid her after all.

Forget it, he'd deal with it later. Zhao Changhe put away Longque and looked at Ling Ruoyu, who seemed a bit nervous.

Suddenly, it was a dark and windy night, a lone man and woman... but neither felt that way. Ling Ruoyu looked up at Zhao Changhe, her gaze complicated.

When others were around, as Ling Ruoyu, she naturally called him "Grandmaster," and he would angrily retort, "I'm your father." But in this private atmosphere, she truly didn't know what to call him.

Essentially, she was a weapon he had forged with his own hands—a sword spirit bound to its master, their minds connected.

Most people treat weapons as mere tools, even if they have spirits. No one sees a blade or sword spirit as human, because their thinking differs, even their reason for existence.

But he was special. He never saw himself as a master, whether with Longque or Xinghe; he treated them like his own children. Though they didn't communicate much, like a parent who doesn't always engage, communication was a two-way street. He hadn't deliberately avoided it; back then, Xinghe herself was an aloof, withdrawn child who didn't want to talk. It wasn't entirely his fault.

In attitude, he truly saw them as his children.

Xinghe would never forget when Jiuyou was still an enemy and demanded the Xinghe Sword from him. He said, "Xinghe is my daughter; I will never give her to anyone."

That single sentence was almost an awakening. Before that, Xinghe had purely the mind of a sword; afterward, a subtle shift occurred.

Now, reborn as a human, what was she? Father? Grandmaster? Or... master?

The girl stood quietly, looking up at him, waiting for his answer. Was she still his treasured sword now?

Zhao Changhe tilted his head.

Ling Ruoyu, infected by his gesture, tilted hers the other way.

Zhao Changhe straightened his head, and Ling Ruoyu stood upright.

He suddenly broke the silence with a laugh. "What's this, a mind link?"

Ling Ruoyu scratched her head. "No."

"Little traitor."

"I'm not." Ling Ruoyu paused, then said softly, "Do you... still want a mind link?"

Humans cannot share a mind link; the Heartworm Gu is a lie, and the price of unity is endless trouble. Only a bound weapon spirit can share a mind link with its master, without consequence.

If he still wanted that link, it meant she would abandon her human form, return to being a sword spirit, and pledge herself to him again.

Like Longque, who only wanted to be a blade, content in being a peerless treasure. Did Xinghe still want to be a sword? Did Zhao Changhe still want her to become that effortless, immensely powerful Xinghe once more?

If he said yes...

But Zhao Changhe said, "I've been watching for a while, and all I wanted was to see the familiar Xinghe... Then I realized, upon closer look, these features are everywhere shadows of Ye Wuming... I should have guessed earlier."

Ling Ruoyu: "..."

"But I can still find traces of Xinghe. When you were silently watching me just now, your eyes wide, that deep, quiet gaze—so Xinghe." Zhao Changhe suddenly reached out, pinched both her cheeks, and pulled. "If they were rounder, it would be even more like her."

Ling Ruoyu: "?"

"Yes, I miss Xinghe. I don't want to lose her. For a while before, I wasn't in a good mood—I felt like my Xinghe was gone..." Zhao Changhe pinched her face. "But now I see, Xinghe has always been here, just grown up."

Ling Ruoyu's gaze grew misty.

So he only missed the little Xinghe—wasn't that a good thing...

"I'm sorry for missing the years you grew up." Zhao Changhe let go and said softly, "Can you forgive Daddy? Daddy will teach you himself from now on."

"You..." Ling Ruoyu's eyes held a hint of joy.

The memory of that day and night he guided her through wind and waves flashed through her mind. She had loved it. The boldness then made her feel fearless, as if she could cut through any obstacle. Was it because, subconsciously, he was behind her?

He seemed to like Xinghe's quiet demeanor, and her dazedness. That was fine—Longque had said she was still a bit dazed.

Little Xinghe had just grown up.

The girl said with some difficulty, "But I—I can't say it."

"Then call me Grandmaster." Zhao Changhe said, "How about a little deal?"

"Huh?"

"Call him Daddy when facing Ye Wuming."

Ling Ruoyu bit her lower lip and finally said, "Okay."

Longque poked her head out. "I told you, Longque is Zhao Changhe's only right-hand. Are you convinced now?"

Ling Ruoyu smiled apologetically. "Convinced. Queque is the best..."

Longque put her hands on her hips. "Turn around. Stick your butt out."

Ling Ruoyu turned around reluctantly, and a huge door panel came whistling in for a home run.

Zhao Changhe grabbed Longque and pulled her back. Longque, unable to slap the butt, stretched a phantom foot out of the blade to kick, but still missed.

Ling Ruoyu suddenly realized and turned back. "No, why can't I be a right-hand just because I became human? I, Ling Ruoyu, will also become Grandmaster's best right-hand!"

Longque snorted, her meaning unclear.

Fool. Now that she's human, how many women are spinning around him? When would he have time to glance at her? Right-hand? Was he a thousand-armed Guanyin?

Only a blade or sword stays by his side at all times, an indispensable aid. Xinghe was once the only rival, but she foolishly lost that.

Indeed, Longque was the smartest.