Chapter 130: The Path of Starlight, Illuminating You and Me

“Sir, did we win…”

“Yes, we did.”

The setting sun blazed like fire, resembling a deep crimson bloodstain.

It calmly illuminated the earth.

Shedding light on the desolation of the tragic elegy and the numerous weapons stuck upside down in the snow.

Corpses paved the way forward, allowing the living to continue advancing, capturing the tower, gathering the remnants, and seizing the checkpoint.

Thus, the battle ended.

“That’s great…” The Dragon-Patterned Long Spear pierced the ground, like the stubborn roots of a plant, taking root in the blood-soaked battlefield.

Wu Yingxue sat like this, leaning against the spear, slumped.

Her face was covered in blood, with a wound on her forehead from which fresh red blood continuously flowed, staining the hair in front of her forehead and her pale lips.

She smiled as she lowered her head, but more blood flowed from her mouth, drop by drop, soaking her clothes.

It hurt.

She was very weak.

The girl was a newly advanced Innate.

Lacking experience and skill, she relied solely on the grade of her Azure Dragon Gang Qi to barely suppress her opponent and achieve victory.

This was already remarkable, considering her opponent was a seasoned Innate warrior.

For this, the girl truly gave it her all, using every ounce of her strength.

So much so that now, with the battle over.

She could only sit weakly on the spot, watching the sun set, seeing the night fall, but unable to move an inch.

“Tap—”

“Tap—”

Footsteps approached, crunching through the snow and mud. Wu Yingxue barely opened her eyes, offering a strained smile to the newcomer.

“Sir, I won.”

She said.

“I saw, Yingxue, you did well.”

Xu Xi said softly.

He crouched down.

Reached out to wipe the blood from the girl’s face, then helped her up, supporting her so she could stand again.

“Wait, wait!”

The girl suddenly widened her eyes.

Even now, she wanted to be stubborn.

“Sir, you don’t need to help me, I can stand up by myself!”

Wu Yingxue’s voice was so confident.

She pushed Xu Xi’s hand away, took a step forward, and then—

“Thud—”

“Thud—”

The fiery figure’s legs gave way, and she fell to the ground, rolling several times in the snow before finally coming to a stop.

Huh…

Her delicate face was full of confusion.

The red and white martial robe, after rolling in the snow, now looked even dirtier.

Snowflakes scattered.

Floating down from the sky, landing right on the tip of the girl’s nose.

“Ouch.”

Lying in the snow in a spread-eagle position, the girl finally uttered this word, her expression much more subdued.

Xu Xi was quite helpless, reaching out to the girl again, but this time, he didn’t choose to help her up, but instead decided to carry her on his back.

“Hold on tight, don’t move around.”

“Yes, sir.”

In Wu Yingxue’s responding voice.

Xu Xi carried the girl on his back, pulled the Dragon-Patterned Long Spear from the ground, and walked towards the interior of the checkpoint.

Behind him, many refugees and starving people followed, entering the checkpoint, stepping into a future where they could survive.

The sunset was shattered.

Crushed by countless cloth shoes stained with yellow mud.

The cold wind was scattered.

Blocked by the figures in tattered clothes.

The sunset poured like molten gold onto the earth, quickly dissipating the last rays of light, turning into countless stars, twinkling high in the night sky.

“Sir.”

Xu Xi was walking when the girl’s voice came from behind.

She lay quietly, her arms wrapped around Xu Xi’s neck, securing herself on his back.

Her voice was curious: “This time, what grade do I get?”

Xu Xi pondered for a moment, then replied: “Grade B.”

“Grade B? That’s better than last time.”

Wu Yingxue chuckled a few times.

Seeming very happy.

But her body was truly weak, so much so that as she laughed, she suddenly started coughing, and then obediently closed her mouth, burying her head in Xu Xi’s shoulder.

It feels so secure…

Such a thought popped into Wu Yingxue’s mind.

She listened to Xu Xi very well.

Never thought of disobeying.

Always obediently lay on Xu Xi’s back, avoiding affecting his walking.

But that didn’t mean the girl couldn’t do other things.

“…”, she squinted her eyes, narrowing them into a slit, staring at Xu Xi’s neck in a very cute manner.

Then she turned her curious gaze to Xu Xi’s ears.

Watching the black hair sway in the cold wind.

She then, like a child, blew a gentle breath at Xu Xi’s hair, laughing as she watched it sway.

“The stars tonight are so beautiful…”

Laughing, Wu Yingxue, lying on Xu Xi’s back, suddenly noticed that the night sky was exceptionally bright tonight.

No heavy snow falling to block the view.

No continuous dark clouds covering the sky.

The vast galaxy, shining in the girl’s eyes, was so bright, so striking.

Much brighter than the night of the paper flowers.

Delicate, like a calm river flowing in the night sky.

Twinkling, like little suns glowing.

“Sir, I remember you said there are thousands upon thousands of stars in the sky?”

“Yes, I did, why?”

“Nothing.”

The girl, carried on Xu Xi’s back, giggled: “I just wanted to try counting them one by one, to see if there really are that many.”

Counting stars is endless.

Stars are infinite, and the human eye is bound to make mistakes.

But somehow, the young princess who had lost everything wanted to try.

So.

She begged Xu Xi to help her remember.

Silly as it was, she started counting the stars.

“One, two, three, four.”

“Oops, no.”

“One, two, three, four, five…”

The sky full of stars was dazzling, the Milky Way pouring endless radiance, the dark world illuminated by the stars, opening a bright path forward.

Xu Xi carried the girl like this, walking into the interior of the checkpoint, heading towards the deeper Thirteen Provinces of the Great Qian Dynasty.

The sound of counting stars.

Weakened with time.

Growing softer, more tired, until it completely turned into light snores.

Wu Yingxue fell asleep while counting stars.

Xu Xi’s steps paused slightly, then continued with even more delicate steps, while murmuring a number: “One thousand three hundred thirty-five.”

This was the number the girl had counted to before falling asleep.

Honestly.

Remembering this number was meaningless.

When the next night came, the girl wouldn’t remember which stars she had counted, she could only start over.

But since she had begged Xu Xi, he just remembered it.

“Strange, is it just my imagination?”

“It feels like two stars are particularly bright tonight.”

Xu Xi looked up.

In the vast starry sky, two stars were very close, both very bright, illuminating the path ahead that should have been dark.

…

[The battle is over]

[You achieved victory]

[This is an incredible feat, a victory that shattered everyone’s perceptions]

[You led a group of mud-legged folks, who knew nothing, understood nothing, and successfully broke through a checkpoint of the Great Qian Dynasty, entering the interior]

[On the journey, the stars shone brightly]

[Lighting your thorny path]

[You thought, perhaps this was the luck brought by the silly star-counting girl]

[Only, if only the girl were lighter, you carried her all night, letting out a deep sigh]