Chapter 731 (1): Little Starry

Forget about heading to Kunlun and fighting everyone one by one—Zhao Changhe’s next target was not even Kunlun at all. He simply did not have the time to be heading there and doing all that right now.

More importantly, he was not sure he would even survive such an endeavor. At this point in time, heading to Kunlun would likely be a one-way trip to a very messy death.

Winter was drawing to a close, and Zhao Changhe could bet his life that by the time the snow melted, Timur would be consolidating his gains from defeating Batu. He likely already had his troops sharpening their blades and preparing to march. Come spring, it would not take more than ten days before reports would arrive of Timur’s forces bearing down on Yanmen Pass while the Li Clan’s forces advanced from Longyou, striking from both sides.

There simply had not been enough time for the fledgling Han dynasty to properly build its military infrastructure. The most they could manage was to integrate and train the surrendered troops from the Wang and Yang clans. While their numbers had increased significantly, a hastily reorganized army with just a month of training was an untested force at best. Even assembling the troops and getting them from point A to point B could take up weeks.

The expanded army also brought its own problems: an acute shortage of military funds and supplies. Before Zhao Changhe left the capital, Xia Chichi and Tang Wanzhuang had been wracking their brains over this very issue. The so-called sweet potato plan would not yield results in such a short time frame. Who knew how far they had even come with their efforts?

The upcoming campaign would undoubtedly be the most critical and challenging battle since the Han dynasty’s founding. If they failed, it would mean total annihilation of the fledgling state. Everyone had to do whatever they could in the limited time available to prepare.

Meanwhile, Vermilion Bird’s plans in the Three Jin region were still uncertain, and Zhao Changhe’s mission in Miaojiang was not truly about Miaojiang—it was about Bashu.

Currently, Li Shentong ruled over Bashu. Zhao Changhe hoped to have him become a strategic threat against Longyou. This could shift the balance of power. Initially, Zhao Changhe trusted Li Shentong’s integrity. However, Tang Wanzhuang had pointed out a hard truth: regardless of Li Shentong’s original motives for rebelling, he now had to prioritize the interests of his faction. Just because he despised the northern barbarians and the aristocratic families did not mean he would automatically act in support of the court. If the new dynasty appeared too weak, Li Shentong might very well entertain ambitions of his own.

This was why Zhao Changhe’s mission to Miaojiang mattered. Li Shentong needed to see that the new dynasty’s situation was not as dire as he was probably inclined to think. The message had to be clear:

If you dare move recklessly, I can destroy you.

Only with this foundation of deterrence could meaningful negotiations and cooperation take place. Relying solely on appeals to righteousness simply would not cut it.

As for Kunlun, it was currently a chaotic mess. None of its factions were likely to involve themselves in the conflict between the northern barbarians and the Han, at least for now. It could be set aside temporarily. There was still personal hostility toward Zhao Changhe from certain quarters, but that was a separate issue entirely.

If not for the unexpected discovery of Jiuyou and the presence of other mysterious demon gods, Zhao Changhe would not have even stayed in Miaojiang this long. Originally, he had planned to head north to Bashu to confront Li Shentong immediately after wrapping things up here. But with the unknown and unpredictable threat posed by Jiuyou, and with the blind woman’s apparent nervousness, Zhao Changhe decided to stay put for now and focus on his cultivation.

Breaking through to the Profound Control Realm before moving forward would obviously be the safest course. Unfortunately, advancing to that realm was not so easy. For someone like Zhao Changhe, who had been cultivating for less than two and a half years, there was still a crucial gap he needed to bridge.

Theoretically, reaching the Profound Control Realm involved aligning himeself with the starry river in the sky. Now that Zhao Changhe had perfected his body refinement, his weaknesses in defense had been thoroughly addressed. Besides that, his physical strength, his qi, and his blood had even undergone significant improvement. However, the idea of fully merging with the galaxy—where every movement would naturally evoke a celestial response—remained elusive. He was close, but something was still missing.

So close, yet so far.

* * *

Clang, clang, clang!

At the thatched cottage near the training grounds, Yue Hongling had returned, having decided that her presence in Miaojiang was not particularly necessary. She was now sparring with Zhao Changhe.

Ironically, the blind woman’s mischievous interference with Sisi had not hurt her in the slightest. On the contrary, it had shrouded Sisi in an aura of profound mystery. Even the Tome of Troubled Times appeared to be unable to offer a definitive evaluation of her, instead presenting an entirely unprecedented symbol. What did that even mean? The entire Miaojiang was now trembling with unease, and the resulting fear had actually made Sisi’s path to unification much smoother.

It was not just outsiders who were unnerved—Yue Hongling herself felt a bit unsettled. The first thing she said to Zhao Changhe upon her return was, “The Spirit Tribe’s ancestral god might be far more powerful than we thought. They’ve managed to influence the Tome of Troubled Times itself.”

Zhao Changhe replied dryly, “Honestly, don’t put too much reverence into the Tome of Troubled Times. Judging by its literary quality, whoever’s behind it isn’t exactly a master poet. Half the time, they can’t even come up with proper verses.”

“That’s not a literary issue—it’s the feedback from the Heavenly Dao! Even if the verses look like a child’s scribbles, what does it matter?”

“Uh-huh...” Zhao Changhe did not dare tell Yue Hongling about the blind woman’s antics. He was practically bursting with suppressed complaints, but he could only grit his teeth and spar with Yue Hongling to vent his frustration.

Both of them were currently half a step away from the Profound Control Realm, each trying to close the gap through sparring. This was not some form of dual cultivation but a practical, real combat exercise.

And Zhao Changhe quickly discovered that Yue Hongling was the most terrifying opponent of his level he had ever faced.

Without relying on the power of artifacts, he could not gain any advantage over her. Even after exhausting all his techniques, the best he could manage was a stalemate. Part of this was because they knew each other’s techniques far too well, but it was also a testament to Yue Hongling’s unparalleled combat prowess. When it came to crossing realms to challenge stronger opponents, Yue Hongling had long been the poster child.

Clang!

Yue Hongling’s sword grazed Zhao Changhe’s chest, leaving only a shallow mark.

Seizing the moment, Zhao Changhe countered with a diagonal slash aimed at her wrist.

Yue Hongling’s silhouette flickered, vanishing in an instant and reappearing behind him—only to find Zhao Changhe’s River of Stars waiting for her.

She sighed and parried River of Stars before retreating several zhang, shaking her head. “We’re too familiar with each other. Sparring like this won’t give us much new insight. It’s not particularly useful.”

Zhao Changhe shrugged.

Yue Hongling sighed. “You’ve already surpassed me, haven’t you? And you didn’t even use either of your divine weapons’ powers.”

Zhao Changhe chuckled. “Why get hung up on that? If I really did borrow their power to win, it wouldn’t exactly be something worth bragging about. Besides, I can sense that your sword spirit is already developing its own personality. It seems your battle against the Black Hmong King did wonders for its growth. Since it grows alongside you, I’d say that by the time it matures, its power won’t be any less impressive than River of Stars.”

Yue Hongling nodded. “But that’s still far in the future. With war looming, I need a quicker way to improve. If breaking through the Profound Control Realm is too difficult, upgrading my sword might be a better option. Could you let Little Bird come out and spar with me? I feel like interacting with a fully formed saber spirit might help guide my sword spirit’s growth.”

Zhao Changhe reached out and promptly yanked Little Bird out of the blade.

This time, Dragon Bird did not seem as uncomfortable emerging from the saber as before. Hovering in midair, she sat cross-legged, looking thoroughly unimpressed. “I’m not here to babysit! That River of Stars brat is already annoying enough, and now there’s an even smaller one?”

Zhao Changhe blinked in surprise and asked, “Wait, are you saying you and River of Stars communicate with each other?”

“Of course we do,” Dragon Bird huffed. “That small fry stares at everyone with that blank, wooden gaze, glaring like we all owe her something. She doesn’t even answer when you try talking to her. Instead, she’ll turn around and show you her scrawny little butt. What’s there to look at? It’s just a tiny thing...”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Redefining the concept of communication, apparently.

But it seems to me like it’s you that’s bothering River of Stars half the day. It seems as if River of Stars couldn’t care less about you, yet somehow you’ve twisted yourself into being the victim...

But wait, wasn’t River of Stars still a newborn not long ago? Based on what Dragon Bird said, it’s clearly already matured.

Handing Dragon Bird over to Yue Hongling for her to “babysit,” Zhao Changhe brought out River of Stars and sat by the cottage to study it. He sent his consciousness into the sword.

The internal world of the sword unfolded before him—a miniature starry sky. Floating on the starry river was a very small girl, perhaps three or four years old, lying on her back with her arms behind her head. She wore pitch-black clothes, her ink-dark eyes fixed unblinkingly on a cluster of stars farther up in the night sky.

The moment the girl sensed Zhao Changhe’s presence, she turned her head to glance at him. Zhao Changhe felt his heart tighten.

Her gaze was silent, indifferent, and utterly devoid of warmth. On the face of a young child, the contrast was impossible to put into words.

But this was River of Stars.

Dragon Bird represented ferocity and dominance, born of war and slaughter. Its spirit was wild and unrestrained, embodying chaos and aggression. Despite some eccentricities, its essence remained true to its nature.

River of Stars, on the other hand, was based on the Night Emperor’s unfinished sword and carried an entirely different essence. It was the embodiment of the night sky: tranquil, vast, timeless, illuminated by a distant moonlight that felt ancient and unchanging. This was how it was meant to be.

If the Night Emperor were a woman, she might very well have looked like this—just an older version.

Zhao Changhe found himself thinking this as he observed the little girl. When he first met the blind woman, she had a similar air about her. She, too, favored black robes... Was this just a shared resonance with the eternal nature of the Heavenly Dao, or did the blind woman herself share some connection with the night sky? There had been times when Zhao Changhe had suspected a link between the Night Emperor and the blind woman. Though his earlier attempts to probe this had suggested no connection, the doubt now resurfaced.

Well, in all fairness, the blind woman of today had far more humanity in her demeanor, leaving Zhao Changhe feeling as though they were getting to know each other all over again.

Speaking of which, if the Night Emperor was like a fully grown version of River of Stars' sword spirit, and the sword spirit was something he had personally forged... Unlike Dragon Bird, who had myriad predecessors, River of Stars had only one “father,” and that was Zhao Changhe.

If that’s the case, then would the Night Emperor be River of Stars' mother?