Chapter 702: NO．71: 'They're being too conservative again

NO．71: "They're being too conservative again."

Heaven has Hanwei, the overseer also has light—gazing up at the Milky Way in the heavens, it sparkles like a bright mirror.

Looking upon the Weaver Girl, she is busy all day— the three-legged tripod-standing Weaver Star shifts position seven times a day.

Although she shifts seven times a day, she cannot compose a proper article— although she shifts seven times a day, she still cannot weave a proper piece.

Looking at the Cowherd star, he cannot pull a carriage— looking at another Altair star, he still cannot pull a cart like a real ox.

The long and ancient-sounding hint, whether original or classic, Aomo is indeed puzzled by the appearance of such text.

Since he came to Border Gate as a child, he has studied in the Eastflame style at the school; no matter which district you come from, classical Chinese is naturally a required course, so there is no barrier to understanding.

But even so... these phrases seem to completely ignore the story of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl, merely pointing at the Weaver Star and Altair Star as some kind of plot hint, which is rather strange.

"Heavenly Book Student, hurry up! Just looking at the sky, it's going to rain—we need to rush indoors; I don't want to get soaked again."

"Ah, okay, but Cowherd, may I ask a question?"

"Why be so polite about asking a question?"

"Have you heard of the Weaver Girl?"

"What is that? A woman who weaves cloth?"

"Indeed."

"Isn't there one in the village? Do you want to change into new clothes? Your clothes look quite noble."

"No, just curious to ask."

——

"Kong!"

"What's wrong, Qian!"

"You didn't say this program still has a battle round!!"

"I didn't expect that! Besides, wasn't it us who struck first!!"

Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, dark clouds covered the sun.

Amidst that howling gale, Miss Kong and Xintiáo Qian clung to the loom's wooden pillar, resisting the violent wind pressure, shouting in the static—only thus could the words be conveyed accurately.

Beneath the torn-open roof, Qieliènínà wielded two great swords of Silver Splendor, crouched upon the astonishingly massive timber beam; countless sword phantoms forged by Origin Stone Arts surrounded her, and with their tumultuous trajectories she cut apart any wind pressure trying to shake her.

Moreover, she stared with twelve percent vigilance at the black clouds meeting the tornado, waiting for lightning to pierce the darkness—her blade's light would likewise meet it.

Repeatedly pulling blade light to shake the thunder, Qieliènínà's protective stance toward her friends was indeed dashing, yet the posture of her long hair swept by the gale was equally subtle.

Especially, each clash of blade and thunder briefly produced a small impact, fiercely shaping a gust‑blown pompadour for her.

Now the storm is imminent.

"I'm starting to doubt!" Kong suddenly shouted.

"Huh?" Qian, still trying to use telekinesis to help hold on, turned her head again—if she didn't rely on this trick, her stamina wouldn't be enough to hang here with Kong.

After all, the latter is an active, popular idol whose stamina from singing, dancing, and encore performances already surpasses that of many males her age.

You also can't say whether the biceps under those sleeves could badly crush a shut‑in at a handshake event.

"Miss Lin isn't involved in scriptwriting; she's here to provide reference for thunder techniques!"

"Who understands what you're saying?!" Qian shouted loudly, secretly resenting that she had stashed her bag in the locker.

Otherwise, she should now summon a concrete monster and punch that blue dragon.

Rather than now using telekinesis to reinforce her sore arm like a carp streamer.

"Those two aren't okay yet?! Weren't they supposed to have settled it?!"

"Don't rush! They're already approaching!" Qieliènínà, perched high where the view is fairly open, shouted a reminder, then immediately unleashed a swift blade sweep.

At the instant the dark‑wreathed blade flash collided with the azure thunder, bursting with dark‑red light, a figure stepped through wind and rain, straight toward the high‑placed dark‑blue dragon.

These are the steps called Heavenly Seamless, likewise a natural talent as its name suggests— the gait flashes like a soaring leap with the radiance of the Three Goddesses' source energy, and additionally gathers a jade‑green glow on the legs beyond that.

As mentioned before, retired horse girls have a chance to master source‑energy arts usable beyond the racetrack, since most are still young when they retire and remain eager to learn and accept new things.

Of course, some horse girls do not study these, but clearly this does not include Qianming, the representative who holds medical and trainer certificates and works as a detective.

Those high‑kicking legs look merely slender and graceful, with faintly visible muscle contours hinting at regular rehabilitation, yet in any case they have nothing to do with strength.

But when that kick struck the dragon's head, huge as a three‑story building, everyone heard a deep, muffled thud, and Qieliènínà could clearly see the distortion and twist of the dragon's face at that instant, as well as the spreading shockwave that shattered the wind and rain.

She forcibly wrenched the beast's skull sixty degrees sideways, and as its howls and roars continued, she seemed about to be sucked into the inescapable Thunder Pond——

——but at that very moment, amidst the countless azure bolts, a pale‑blue current also intertwined!

They intertwined, they skewed, and in that skewing they dodged the descending figure, as if paying homage to a divine majesty greater than their lord.

That is the Emperor.

The aura forged by worldly tempering will always stand upon those so‑called divinities when needed; in a thousand years, this history will be opened and closed by an emperor who ennobles divinities.

And in that simulated era a thousand years ago, at this very moment, the Emperor's gaze fell, and the trembling lightning completely slipped from the beast's control.

They gathered and swirled beside Ludaofu Xiangzheng; as she raised her arm, a simple lift turned into a slash, becoming a lightning spear that shot forth like a bolt.

——

"Looks like it's not thundering anymore?"

"Indeed."

At the foot of the mountain, before the thatched hut at the village entrance, two young people peered up at the whitening mist atop the summit.

"I said, Heavenly Book Student, why do you keep thinking about what's up on the mountain?"

"I have a few friends I went out with, but I got separated from them midway, so I'm a bit worried."

"You should have said so earlier," the Cowherd said enthusiastically, as if he'd really forgotten his initial drowning, yet he hadn't forgotten to bring his catch: "What kind of brothers are they? I can ask the villagers for you."

"... They're women."

"Huh? You went out with several women? No way—how could women go out?"

Back where I came from, the customs were more open—women could also go out.

There are still places like that?

There are.

But you… uh, could you be the lady's concubine?

Don't speak improperly; the pressing matter should be the safety of those friends.

Oh yeah, yeah, for a woman to end up in these remote mountains is a big deal, and if she goes up the mountain and angers the immortals, it's an even bigger deal.

Aomo heard that, lifted his head again toward the sky where the rain had stopped, fell silent for a few seconds, then suddenly asked: "…Niulang, do you often see that kind of phenomenon on this mountain?"

Not many—I haven't seen it in a while; let me think… I can't work it out, maybe a few hundred days?

Then it's been about a year—that's abnormal.

What's a 'year'?

"In the past, grain ripened once a year; 'year' is used to denote this period, also a chronological term, like 'only the king's certain year' in oracle bone inscriptions, formerly called 'only the king's certain sacrifice.'" Aomo casually dragged in his world's miscellaneous knowledge, not caring whether it's the same here.

What are oracle bone inscriptions?

Divination, the written record used when telling fortunes.

Oh, you really know a lot—no wonder you're a Heavenly Book Student.

…" Unable to tell whether that was praise or a veiled remark, Aomo stared at the mountain in silence for a moment, then looked at him and said, "Niulang, have you ever thought of going up the mountain to have a look?"

I haven't thought about it; you're not really planning to go up, are you?

I can take you up there—it'll be quick, just a few blinks.

What good is speed!" Niulang flared up, only feeling that this person keeps wanting to go up the mountain over and over, utterly unreasonable—"Even the camel‑beast's ears at the village edge are fast, but if you meet an immortal you'll lose your hide!"

I think I can protect you completely.

With that ball of fire?

That isn't my limit.

Do you think a big fire can defeat an immortal?! And why do you absolutely have to go up?!!

I suspect my friends are up there, and I'm worried about their condition—they have no experience in such a place." Aomo patiently explained to him, even if the other party is just a non‑player character: "Although those two are a bit reckless, more people keep them in check, so they'd be overly cautious, and in this dangerous situation they'd easily get into trouble."

Tsk…

Moreover, I believe a sufficiently large fire can indeed defeat an immortal.

How big?

Like a trillion degrees?

What's that?

A fireball that tries not to destroy the mountain.

?