The Path of Starlight, Illuminating You and Me

"Sir, did we win…?"

"Yes, we won."

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

It calmly illuminated the earth.

Its light revealed the desolation of a tragic elegy and the numerous weapons thrust into the snow-covered ground.

Corpses paved the way forward, allowing the living to continue their march, to seize the tower, gather the remnants of the army, and capture the pass.

Thus, the battle came to an end.

"This is so good…" The dragon-patterned spear pierced the earth, its roots resembling those of a tenacious plant, firmly embedded in the blood-soaked battlefield.

Wu Yingxue sat there, leaning against the spear, utterly exhausted.

Her face was smeared with blood, and a wound on her forehead bled continuously, staining the hair in front of her forehead and her pale lips.

She lowered her head and smiled, but more blood spilled from her mouth, drop by drop, soaking her clothes.

It hurt.

She was weak.

The girl was a newly advanced Xiantian cultivator.

Lacking experience and skill, she had relied solely on the quality of her Azure Dragon Aura to barely suppress her opponent and claim victory.

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

For this, she had truly expended every ounce of her strength.

So much so that now, with the battle over,

she could only sit helplessly, watching the sun set and the night fall, unable to move an inch.

"Thud—"

"Thud—"

Footsteps approached, crunching through the snow and dirt. Wu Yingxue forced her eyes open and offered the newcomer a strained smile.

"Sir, I won," she said.

"I saw it, Yingxue. You did well," Xu Xi replied gently.

He crouched down,

wiped the blood and grime from the girl's face with his hand, and 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 on my own!"

Wu Yingxue's voice was full of conviction.

She pushed Xu Xi's hand away and took a step forward, only to—

"Thud, thud."

"Thud, thud."

Her fiery figure collapsed, legs giving way, and she tumbled several times in the snow before finally coming to a stop.

Huh…

Her delicate face was filled with confusion.

Her red-and-white martial robe, already dirty from the battlefield, was now even more soiled after rolling in the snow.

Snowflakes scattered.

Drifting down from the sky, one landed precisely on the tip of her nose.

"Ouch."

Lying sprawled in the snow, the girl finally uttered this single word, her expression now much more subdued.

Xu Xi sighed helplessly and reached out to her again. But this time, instead of helping her up, he simply hoisted her onto his back.

"Hold on tight. Don't move around," he instructed.

"Yes, sir," Wu Yingxue replied meekly.

With the girl on his back, Xu Xi pulled the dragon-patterned spear from the ground and began walking toward the interior of the pass.

Behind him, a crowd of refugees and starving people followed, entering the pass and stepping into a future where they could survive.

The sunset was shattered.

Shattered by the countless pairs of cloth shoes caked in mud and dirt.

The cold wind was scattered.

Scattered by the tattered figures of the refugees.

The setting sun poured molten gold onto the earth, swiftly extinguishing its last rays and transforming into countless stars that twinkled high in the night sky.

"Sir."

As Xu Xi walked, the girl's voice came from his back.

She lay quietly, her arms wrapped around his neck, securing herself in place.

"Today, what grade did I earn?" she asked curiously.

Xu Xi pondered for a moment before answering, "Grade B."

"Grade B? That's better than last time," Wu Yingxue chuckled softly.

She seemed pleased.

But her body was truly weak, and soon her laughter turned into a fit of coughing. She quickly fell silent, burying her head in Xu Xi's shoulder.

It feels so reassuring…

The thought crossed Wu Yingxue's mind.

She obeyed Xu Xi without question.

She never thought of defying him.

She lay obediently on his back, careful not to disturb his walking.

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

"…" She narrowed her eyes into a thin line, staring at Xu Xi's neck with an adorable expression.

Then she shifted her curious gaze to his ears.

Watching as the cold wind tousled his black hair,

she playfully blew a gentle puff of air at his hair, giggling as it swayed.

"The stars tonight are so beautiful…"

As she laughed, Wu Yingxue, still on Xu Xi's back, suddenly noticed how exceptionally bright the night sky was.

No heavy snowfall obscured the view.

No dark clouds shrouded the heavens.

The vast Milky Way shimmered in the girl's eyes, so bright, so vivid.

Much brighter than the night they folded paper flowers.

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

Twinkling, like countless little suns glowing.

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

"Yes, I did. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing."

The girl, carried on Xu Xi's back, giggled. "I just wanted to try counting them all, to see if there really are that many."

Counting the stars was an impossible task.

The stars were infinite, and the human eye was bound to make mistakes.

Yet, for some reason, the young princess, who had lost everything, wanted to try.

And so,

she begged Xu Xi to help her keep track.

Foolishly, she began counting the stars.

"One, two, three, four."

"Oops, no."

"One, two, three, four, five…"

The starry sky was dazzling, the Milky Way pouring endless radiance, and the dark world was illuminated by the light of countless stars.

Xu Xi carried the girl into the pass, heading deeper into the Thirteen Prefectures of Great Qian.

The sound of her counting the stars

grew softer with time,

more gentle, more weary, until it finally turned into light snores.

Wu Yingxue had fallen asleep while counting the stars.

Xu Xi paused briefly, then continued with even lighter steps, murmuring a number under his breath: "One thousand three hundred and thirty-five."

That was the number the girl had reached before falling asleep.

To be honest,

there was no point in remembering this number.

By the next night, the girl wouldn't recall which stars she had already counted. She would have to start over.

But since she had begged him, Xu Xi decided to keep track.

"Strange, is it just my imagination?"

"It feels like two stars are particularly bright tonight."

Xu Xi looked up.

In the vast expanse of the night sky, two stars shone brightly, close to each other, illuminating the path ahead that should have been shrouded in darkness.

...

[The battle is over]

[You have achieved victory]

[This is an incredible feat, a victory that shattered everyone's expectations]

[You led a group of peasants, people who knew nothing and could do nothing, and successfully broke through one of Great Qian's passes, advancing into its heart]

[As you marched, the stars shone brightly]

[Lighting the thorny path ahead]

[You thought to yourself, perhaps this was the luck brought by the silly girl counting the stars]

[Though, if only she were a bit lighter, you sighed deeply after carrying her all night]