Chapter Twenty-Nine

The horses' hooves clattered softly as they made their way back.

The pale moonlight, like water, gently spilled onto the cool silver armor, as cold as frost. Yet, on the snow-white face atop the horse, a clear yet somewhat untamed smile played. The soldiers following behind the general, watching the figure before them, would inwardly admire him during tedious marches, thinking, "Our Yunzhao army's commander is born with the imposing aura of a noble general."

In their eyes, Mo Yinghuo was not only the eldest princess, second only to the emperor, but also an invincible general.

However, what attracted the attention of the Yunzhao army soldiers at this moment was Zhao Shu beside Mo Yinghuo. When they set off, this man was clearly dressed in pure, unblemished black armor, holding a chilling black sword, exuding three parts indifference and seven parts arrogance. But how come, after he and the general attacked Suzang, in less than half a day, his black armor disappeared, his black sword disappeared, and not only that, he was also dressed in such coarse linen clothes, even more shabby than what the soldiers used to wear.

However, the soldiers couldn't help but admire him in their hearts again. Although Zhao Shu was dressed simply and rode alongside the general, he still exuded a certain indifference and arrogance. The bright moonlight fell on his black clothes, and when the soldiers looked up, they felt that Zhao Shu's shabby appearance had miraculously acquired a touch of freshness and refinement, and even a hint of unapproachability.

It's like writing a line backwards: "Clothes depend on the person, and a saddle on a horse; bells ring happily with a dog."

In fact, not only the soldiers were curious, but Mo Yinghuo was also very curious. He hadn't had time to ask Zhao Shu earlier, but now that he had plenty of time on the way back to the camp, he asked, "Zhao Shu, where are your black armor and black sword?"

Zhao Shu remained perfectly upright on his horse, slightly raising his eyes and saying calmly, "If you don't need it, put it back."

Mo Yinghuo was actually quite curious about how Zhao Shu put it back. He had said before that he took it from the manor, so putting it back should have meant putting it back in the manor. But how did he put it back in such a short time?

Surprised as she was, Mo Yinghuo didn't press the matter further. Having spent time with him, she'd noticed that Zhao Shu didn't like others asking about trivial matters. As for the question about the Xuanjia and Xuandao, Mo Yinghuo had considered it briefly, thinking it was perfectly normal to inquire. However, judging from Zhao Shu's answer, although his expression and tone were normal, Mo Yinghuo felt he seemed a little temperamental.

Furthermore, are the clothes in your household only black swords and armor, or coarse linen clothes? She has always worn noble clothes since childhood, and although those rough clothes on Zhao Shu could not hide his resolute and elegant demeanor, she still felt a little awkward.

Another silence fell. Mo Yinghuo realized she had been asking too many questions. A quick idea struck her. She raised an eyebrow and tried to smooth things over with a smile, saying, "No, I just thought you looked very imposing and handsome in your black armor and black sword."

After a moment, Zhao Shu glanced sideways and asked softly, "What's wrong? Do I look bad in this outfit?"

Mo Yinghuo's eye twitched slightly. He nodded solemnly, his smile fading, and said with utmost composure, "Beautiful, very beautiful."

The moon was bright, the wind was gentle, and the horse's hooves moved softly. Zhao Shu's face remained calm and undisturbed. The night sky was empty, the stars were sparse, and only the rhythmic yet arrhythmic sound of the horse's hooves could be heard.

...

For some reason, Mo Yinghuo dreaded the silences when she was with Zhao Shu. She always felt incredibly awkward and uncomfortable in their company. Especially when they were alone, Mo Yinghuo even found her breathing becoming erratic, and if they didn't speak for a long time, she felt as if she were suffocating. She had never felt this restless with the Emperor, the Marquis of Beiding, or other soldiers. Helplessly, she could only silently marvel at the captivating aura of the Nightfall Star people.

Furthermore, the dream she resented sometimes made her heart flutter.

At that moment, a portion of the Yunzhao army remained in Suzang, awaiting the orders of Colonel An and Colonel Chen; another part accompanied Colonel Pu to escort the Queen Mother back to Yunxiu Kingdom; and the remainder followed him back to the military camp. Fortunately, it wasn't just the two of them; a large contingent followed behind. However, the soldiers always kept a small distance behind the general, while Zhao Shu rode alongside him side by side. The pace was extremely steady, as if even the horses were marching in unison—whether intentional or unintentional, it was unclear.

Anyway, after a long silence, Mo Yinghuo could barely feel Yun Zhaojun following closely behind; it seemed as if only she and Zhao Shu were there. In a daze, she quickly turned her head and saw that Yun Zhaojun was still there, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Turning around, she saw Zhao Shu staring at her inexplicable action with a puzzled look. Her lips twitched involuntarily, and she quickly raised her palm and rubbed her temples vigorously, letting out a few dry laughs.

Mo Yinghuo unconsciously swallowed, wrapped the reins around his neck a few times, sat up straight, his bones exceptionally rigid, and stared blankly into his eyes. What an annoying silence!

The warhorse beneath him seemed to sense the general's restlessness and suddenly neighed. Mo Yinghuo's thoughts were slightly adrift, and the neighing of the warhorse slightly jolted him awake, making his breathing even more uncontrollable.

"Say something," Mo Yinghuo thought to herself, "think about what to say, try to find out some information. Zhao Shu won't tell me unless I ask." What should she say? She couldn't pry into trivial matters, so she'd ask about something important. Yes, important matters. Important matters… that's it.

“Zhao Shu, you mentioned in the white jade coffin that we and the Yelan Star people are of the same lineage, both being Yuan Star people.” Mo Yinghuo suddenly remembered this important matter and asked with great delight, as if he had discovered something. “I remember you mentioned a star system 1.5 million light-years away from Yunxiu Kingdom, where Yuan Star people also live.”

Zhao Shu paused for a moment, then nodded slightly and hummed in a low voice.

Mo Yinghuo raised her eyes and glanced at the bright, starry night sky. She asked clearly, "How far is 1.5 million light-years? Is Ye Lan Xing farther from Yunxiu Kingdom, or is that place farther from Yunxiu Kingdom? And what does light-year mean?" She asked several questions in a row. Scattered stars fell into Mo Yinghuo's unfathomable eyes. Zhao Shu turned his head and was pleasantly surprised to see a clean and clear look in those abysses that he had never seen before.

At this moment, the stars were sparse, but they shone exceptionally brightly in that person's eyes.

Zhao Shu followed Mo Yinghuo's gaze, his tone calm and gentle, yet like that of a wise teacher, as he spoke earnestly, "Yelan Star is far from Yunxiu Kingdom. General, from what I've read in books, Yunxiu Kingdom uses units of measurement like zhang, fen, li, etc., and light-years are also a unit of measurement. However, compared to light-years, they are like a speck of dust in interstellar space, an insignificant length. To a light-year, they are almost nothing. Of course, they do exist."

Mo Yinghuo blinked. "A light-year? Is that long?"

Zhao Shu continued, “One light-year is the distance that light travels in a straight line for one year in the vast interstellar space.”

Mo Yinghuo released the reins with one hand, opening her palm to catch the streaks of white light. The bright moonlight flowed onto her flawless palm, making it even less apparent that it was a hand that had wielded weapons for many years. She lowered her eyes and murmured, repeating, "Light..."

Zhao Shu glanced at the hand that had caught the moonlight, then turned back and said in a soft and gentle voice, "Yes, General, it is light."

Mo Yinghuo kept her eyes downcast and muttered to herself, "I always thought that light was just a fleeting thought, something that couldn't even catch up to in a moment."

Zhao Shu: "Thoughts and blinks both require a certain scene."

He suddenly stopped, released the reins, pointed to Venus in the sky, and said, “General, look at the brightest star in the night sky, Venus. Its light would take several breaths to reach Yunxiu Kingdom.” He then pointed to a dim but distinct star in the sky, which would be difficult to spot without careful observation. “And this star is even farther away from Yunxiu Kingdom. What you see now is what it looked like hundreds of years ago.”

Mo Yinghuo abruptly closed her outstretched palms, as if trying to grasp the pure moonlight. A carefree and cheerful smile appeared on her lips as she exclaimed, "No wonder it's called 'five hundred li urgent delivery.' The speed of light is beyond my imagination. One light-year, that's so far! Even if all the horses in Yunxiu Kingdom ran themselves to death, it still wouldn't be enough for even a single breath of its journey." After saying that, she rubbed her temples and let out a soft sigh.

My eyes reflected the Milky Way, and something else was added to the brilliance. It was as if all the suffering I had endured in the past suddenly seemed insignificant in the light of time.

From a young age, she had a strange feeling about the starry sky. Mo Yinghuo couldn't explain the feeling; it was both familiar and strange, warm and desolate.

As a child, she noticed that after reviewing memorials, her father would often walk outside the palace, put his hands behind his back, and gaze at the starry sky for a long time. His aloof and proud figure, the brilliant starry sky reflected in his eyes, and the gentle moonlight flowing over his shoulders. Mo Yinghuo saw that her father's eyes, tired from a night's work, were now filled with light.

He seemed to be longing, gazing into the distance, waiting for someone from a distant ancient era. This scene was deeply imprinted in Mo Yinghuo's heart, making her curious from a young age about what exactly existed in this vast galaxy that gave her father an invisible power.

It wasn't until shortly before his father's death that Mo Yinghuo learned that every night he gazed in the same direction, towards a star called Yelan Star. In Yunxiu Kingdom, no matter how dark the night, that star was invisible. Only then did Mo Yinghuo understand why, on starless nights or when the rain was misty, his father would still look up and gaze silently for a long time, just as always.

Suddenly, Zhao Shu stared at him, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Seeing this, Mo Yinghuo laughed and said, "What's wrong, Zhao Shu? Did I say something wrong? It's alright, just say it. There are still many things I need to learn from Young Master Zhao in the future."

Zhao Shu: "You said it's far."

Mo Ying asked, puzzled, "Yes, isn't it far?"

Zhao Shu nodded and said, "Far, very, very far."

Mo Yinghuo looked confused and continued, "Yes, it's very, very far away."

Zhao Shu: "Mm."

Mo Yinghuo, bewildered, also hummed in response, thinking to himself, "Why is it another 'hmm'? What does it even mean? Could it be that the 'hmm' of the Nightfall Star people is a profound word, containing countless strange and wonderful meanings?"

Zhao Shu remained silent, once again displaying a respectful and quiet demeanor.

Mo Yinghuo was completely bewildered. Had she said something wrong? Usually, if she misunderstood something, Zhao Shu would point it out to her. Just now, she had clearly misspoke, so why was he being so evasive? Mo Yinghuo glanced sideways at Zhao Shu, his profile impeccably clean and aloof. She dared not ask any further questions.

The sound of horses' hooves echoed for almost an hour, and Mo Yinghuo also pondered for an hour, trying to figure out where he had gone wrong. Unable to find an answer, and seeing that night was falling and the dust was clearing, he tightened the reins, stopped, and said to the soldiers, "Let's rest here in shifts for now, and continue our journey at dawn."

After saying that, Mo Yinghuo said to Zhao Shu, "Zhao Shu, let's rest for a while and head back tomorrow morning."

Zhao Shu nodded slightly, "Alright, I will follow the general's arrangements." After saying that, Zhao Shu dismounted, found a secluded place, sat upright, and closed his eyes.

Mo Yinghuo dared not get too close to him, so she found a place that kept a certain distance from him, leaned against a rock, and lay down on the ground.

The night was still, the moon was bright and the stars were few. A soft rustling sound entered his ears in an instant. Yun Zhaojun was already used to this sound. It was like a lullaby his mother used to hum when he was a child. It was intermittent but rhythmic, with a sense of undulation, and he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Zhao Shu, however, was different. He had intended to close his eyes and rest, but the chanting disturbed his mind, and he couldn't fall asleep for a long time. The geographical environment, gravitational state, and evolutionary history of the Nightfall Star were different from those of the people here, which made their six senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and thought—exceptionally sensitive.

Moreover, Zhao Shu had spent many years traveling in the vast interstellar space, where there was nothing but darkness and silence. He had become accustomed to a life without making a sound. Since arriving here, whenever he had nothing to do at night, he would quietly disappear into the starry sky, using the clear Milky Way as his mat and the crimson river as his blanket to rest peacefully.

He slowly opened his eyes, glanced at Mo Yinghuo not far away, and felt that her breathing had gradually become steady, indicating that she was asleep.

A moment later, a fist-sized black sphere appeared in front of Zhao Shu, exactly the same as the one that had appeared in front of Su Zang City. It floated in mid-air, absorbing darkness and merging into it. If one did not look closely, it would be difficult to notice its existence.

However, it was darker than night.

In an instant, Zhao Shu disappeared along with the black sphere floating in the night.

The instant he vanished, Mo Yinghuo suddenly opened his eyes. His dark, night-like pupils held a pair of abysses shrouded in mist. He stared intently at the spot where Zhao Shu had disappeared, lost in thought. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a gentle, clear lake.

Mo Yinghuo gently closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep again.