The Divine Martial Stars

“Li Mu, from the Western Qin,” Zhao Ji answered.

Lord Virtuous the Eighth was dazed for a moment. “Li Mu? From the Western Qin…”

At next second, it rang a bell. He exclaimed, “Li Mu, Lord Taibai of the Western Qin? That Li Mu?”

Zhao Ji confirmed with a nod.

Lord Virtuous the Eighth gasped, then, said in disbelief, “The help you went to fetch is him? But… how on earth did you persuade him into helping us?”

Li Mu, Lord Taibai of the Western Qin, was a celebrated figure around the globe after all.

When Huang Shengyi was captured in Taibai County, the news shocked the world. Since then, everyone on the Divine Land had learned that the Western Qin had fostered a young Sage-to-be who was less than 16 years old. All the major empires were interested in soliciting the boy who was powerful like a monster. So, the Northern Song had also sent a messenger, that was Zhao Ji, to cozy up to the young genius.

“Could it be…”

Lord Virtuous the Eighth gazed at Zhao Ji.

“Could it be that visit that allowed Zhao Ji to establish a profound friendship with Lord Taibai, Li Mu?”

“Zhao Ji turns out to be a real talent. He has such amazing social skills!”

“Now that Zhao Ji has made a worldly famous figure like Li Mu come to our rescue in person…” Lord Virtuous the Eighth instantly felt relieved. A year ago when Li Mu captured Huang Shengyi, the Fire Devil, he was just a Sage-to-be. But by that day, he had become so potent that even Yingshan Snow-eagle, the Emperor’s Broadsword, had died in his hands. Anyhow, Li Mu was already an expert who could kill Sages.

Only a handful of people in the world could do that, right?

At least no one in the Northern Song could rival him by far. To tackle a wicked man like Lord Jin, Li Mu would have no problem at all.

Yet, to Lord Virtuous the Eighth’s surprise, Zhao Ji put on a wry smile and said, “It’s not me who should take the credit. In fact, it’s because the Countess is an old acquaintance of His Honor Li. He has come for the sake of the Countess.”

Upon hearing that, Lord Virtuous the Eighth was once again thrown in a daze.

He suddenly recalled that when he and Wang Shiyu were in Lin’an, a great number of noble Young Masters and outstanding young men came to his residence to propose to the Countess through their assorted connections. All those men were earnest to marry his adopted daughter. However, Wang Shiyu turned all of them down, though many of them were true talents.

“The man I find favor in my eyes is the hero of the age. Someday, he will come riding colorful clouds in a suit of golden Sage armor to marry me. I’ve guessed the beginning of our story, and I’ll be right about the ending…”

The remark his adopted daughter made when rejecting all the suitors suddenly flashed across the mind Lord Virtuous the Eighth.

That remark had bandied about the capital, and for a time became a laughingstock.

Hero of the age?

Many members of the royal family mocked Wang Shiyu’s unrealistic dream, saying that she was actually an under-educated wild girl growing up in the countryside. Nonetheless, Lord Virtuous the Eighth paid little attention to the jokes the others made. He convinced himself that his adopted daughter just had a more liberal spirit, or perhaps that was some whimsical longing she had entertained. After all, every girl must have had the same yearning. Who didn’t want their other half to be a hero anyway?

But judging by the current situation…

“Could Li Mu possibly be the hero of the age Yu’er has talked about all the time?”

Lord Virtuous the Eighth was startled by that thought.

“If that’s the case, Li Mu is surely worthy of the title ‘the hero of the age’.”

However, as far as Lord Virtuous the Eighth knew, Li Mu had taken fancy to a girl. His Beauty Poem and Admiring Hua Xiangrong’s Solo Dance in the Moonlight & Where Shall the Moon Rise had been spread to every corner of the world. The tale that Li Mu was smitten with Hua Xiangrong had also become a beautiful love story admired by the masses together with the two poems. But was Yu’er wedging her way into the relationship between Li Mu and Hua Xiangrong?

All of a sudden, Lord Virtuous the Eighth was worried again.

That was one of the bays of being parents.

…

…

“Your crush is the hero of the age? And one day, he will come riding colorful clouds and be clad in a suit of golden Sage armor to marry you? Hahaha, Zhao Shiyu, do you still believe that? Where is your crush, that hero of the age? Why hasn’t he raced here to save you?”

In the center tent of the camp of the Glory Army, which was under the direct leadership of Lord Jin, a girl with fine features but looking slightly mean was standing in front of Wang Shiyu, who had been tied to a wooden stake. The girl laughed a few derisive laughs.

Next to her stood a dozen young women with the air of the noble. They, too, roared with laughter.

“Well, Princess Crescent, this wild country girl already has no chance to turn the tables. Why bother hurt her even more?”

“Yeah. Exactly. She is obviously doing this against her will. But she got to assume the posture of belling the cat. Who does she think she is? Savior? Haha, how repulsive she is!”

“I heard that Lord Jin’s guards have ferreted out a flexible sword called Green Snake in her dress. That sword is said to be able to harm a Master even if it is in the hands of a child. Considering that information, the secret agenda this country b*tch has harbored is very clear.”

“You think you can outsmart everyone else? Even though you’ve shaped your hairpin into weapons, what’s the point? Lord Jin knew what you are up to the second he lays eyes on you. Country b*tch is just a country b*tch after all. How dare you attempt to assassinate Lord Jin?”

The girls started to taunt Wang Shiyu, who had been tied to the stake.

They were all wearing luxurious dresses and delicate make-up, smiling without showing their teeth as the noble etiquettes required. Yet, the words that came out of their mouths were pure poison.

They were the daughters of the nobles. With royal origins, they could be regarded as the young ladies of note in the aristocratic society of the Northern Song. They were in the same social circle as Princess Crescent, the 38th daughter of the emperor of the Northern Song.

Back then in Lin’an, Princess Crescent had locked horns many times with Wang Shiyu, Countess Huanzhu, but had not scraped a win yet. She was rather humiliated by such defeat. But as the rebellion of the Eight Lords occurred, Lord Jin launched a revolt. The husband of Princess Crescent was a general Lord Jin trusted very much. The other girls in her circle were basically all the relatives of the nobles in league with Lord Jin.

Princess Crescent smiled. Her face was written with acrimony. With a mocking laugh, she began, “A certain girl who was once on the high horse in Lin’an and even made my father hold you in high esteem used to accuse us of being a bunch of poor women filled with no souls but vanity. Well, how is she now? Right now, you are pinned to a stake like a humble maid, waiting to be delivered to the bed of my brother, Lord Jin. You are just a tool to him. Don’t expect Lord Jin to love you for real… Time has changed. Today, even my father can’t protect you. Your old adopted father, Lord Virtuous the Eighth, is also struggling to survive himself… Zhao Shiyu, you are surprised to see where you end up today, aren’t you?”

On that day, Lord Jin announced to the public that he would marry Countess Huanzhu on the same day. Having learned the news, Princess Crescent took her friends to the military camp just to deride her arch-enemy and savor the pleasure.

Being tied to the wooden stake in the middle of the tent, Wang Shiyu could not move an inch.

The situation was even worse than she had imagined.

The moment she arrived in the camp of the Glory Army, some female soldiers came to search her even before she caught the sight of Lord Jin. The flexible sword called Green Snake and the gold hairpins were all confiscated. Some of her clothes were taken away, too, so that she had to get into the wedding costumes. Also, to deprive her of personal freedom, she had been tied to the wooden stake…

“I did underestimate the magnitude of the event.”

Wang Shiyu sighed inwardly.

Seeing unfocused at Princess Crescent and the girls before, she chose to ignore all their nonsense.

In her eyes, they were just a group of tawdry women without souls. All they got were their faces fashioned with heavy make-up. In fact, they had no contribution to the world except for wasting the air on the planet.

Bickering with those pathetic women would be a waste of time.

She remembered that when she was on Earth, Li Mu told her not to argue with the unreasonable. What exactly did he say? Oh, right, his words were “never argue with the idiots, because they will drag your IQ to their own level and beat you with their good pestering skills”.

“That does paint a picture!”

As far as Wang Shiyu was concerned, Princess Crescent and her friends were just a bunch of self-conceited idiots.

Despite everything, she was not in despair at all.

It was true.

She did have some means she had not employed.

Anyway, the last moment had not come yet.

And the most crucial point was, she knew that man was coming.

Although more than 10 days had passed and she had not heard from that man the whole time, Wang Shiyu was entrenched in the view that he would come to her rescue.

That was her faith.

Out of no reason. But unwavering as ever.

Seeing that Wang Shiyu did not show any sign of regret, horror, or fury as they expected, Princess Crescent and her friends were a little bored.

They had hurried to the military camp on the excuse of congratulating the newlyweds so as to have a good laugh. They wished to see Countess Huanzhu’s gorgeous, sanguine face be filled with remorse, and wished to see her beg them. Only that would be fun.

Princess Crescent drew a sharp dagger from her waist and brandished it right before Wang Shiyu’s cheeks. In a threatening voice she said, “If it hadn’t been for the upcoming wedding ceremony that you have to be present at, I would really cut that face of yours that only courts disasters…”

Wang Shiyu glared at the princess and sneered. “If you don’t have the never to do it, don’t say it out loud. Otherwise, no one will think you funny, instead, you will be rubbing your stupidity in our face.”

“You…” Princess Crescent choked on her anger. But next, her pupils swiveled, and she gave a cold laugh and said, “How quick-tongued! Well, I still got plenty of ways to torture you… Haha, let’s say, how can you please Lord Jin when you climb to his bed in so many pieces of clothing? How about I fit you in another set of outfit… Girls, get here and strip all her clothes…”

Driven by humiliation and exasperation, the girls who had regarded themselves as graceful nobles dashed over like a gang of lunatics and began to tear Wang Shiyu’s dresses.

The Countess’s lips curved.

“How witless!

That’s a way of torture?

When I was a live-in student in junior high, I had to take a shower in a female public bath twice a week. I’m no stranger to getting naked in front of a crowd of girls. You are also female. So, how can you expect to scare me with this?”

…

“Your Highness, the blessed hour is almost here. Haha, the wedding ceremony is about to start.”

“Congratulations! Your Highness!”

“I’ve been told that Countess Huanzhu is an untamed one. She is also the most beautiful girl in the entire Lin’an. Haha, Your Highness is really lucky. I figure the creator must have favored Your Highness most.”

The generals in the Glory Army all came to the supreme commander’s tent to congratulate Lord Jin.

Lord Jin looked merely around 30 years old. He was slightly overweight, not very tall. But his eyes were large and sparkling, like the eyes of a hawk. Intelligence was gleaming in his pupils every time he turned his head. His complexion was fair. He had big bones and thick beard, and always carried a murderous air mixed with a touch of aristocratic temperament. His vibe was sure unique. Silhouetted by his shining armor, Lord Jin looked even more daunting, more majestic.

“Humph. She is just a woman. She should feel blessed to be my wife. Whatsoever, I only have the eyes for her status. Generals, don’t forget our big plan. Don’t lower your guard. When we’ve flattened Lin’an, everyone present today will be the most meritorious subjects. After that, I doubt there will be any woman you can’t get.”

Lord Jin told his followers in a cool voice.

He did have no feelings for Wang Shiyu.

No matter how attractive she was, she was just a woman.

In Lord Jin’s eyes, women were tools, tools for reproduction, gaining power, soliciting support, or venting sexual desire… He believed only men could conquer the world. As long as he had Countess Huanzhu in his hands, he could not only get the title he longed for but also manipulate Lord Virtuous the Eighth to speak for him. When he dethroned the emperor, he would not mind granting Wang Shiyu to any of his subordinates as a reward.

Shortly, the blessed hour had arrived.

The grand wedding ceremony of Lord Jin commenced.

Although the time to prepare such a wedding was quite short, the ceremony was fairly splendid. After all, Lord Jin had started getting everything set for the wedding when he sent troops to besiege Mount Oxhead. Essentially, the event was more of a political show than a wedding ceremony. The point was to demonstrate his political power, so the guests he invited were all important figures, including some of the Northern Song ‘s Commanders of Border-provinces, court officials, nobles, and famous sects, aristocratic families, experts of big sects… Two Semi-Sages and several Celestial Beings from Mount Qingcheng, the Holy Clan of the Northern Song had also attended the event.

Sure enough, it was a very big wedding.