Chương 26: The Baleful Star Descends

The moment quest progress hit one percent, every surviving player in Great Yong received the announcement. The world channel exploded. 【Wait, WHAT??? Did the gas-station sushi finally get me, or did that progress bar just move?! 】 【You're not hallucinating! IT MOVED! @Greenfeather what the hell did you find?! 】 【WE MIGHT ACTUALLY GET TO GO HOME!! HOLY SHIT!! 】 【You guys are losing it over one percent? 】 【Okay, hotshot. Unlock one percent yourself, then talk.

】 【Everyone who was flaming Greenfeather yesterday for not going to save Gu Zhao, line up and apologize! She was pushing the main quest this whole time! 】 【Pushing the main quest doesn't mean she couldn't have saved him too! And how do you know this questline has nothing to do with Lord Gu Zhao? Easy to act smart in hindsight. 】 【@Greenfeather, you taking applications for an emotional-support sidekick? I'm charming, reasonably good-looking, and while I have zero skills, I bring excellent vibes!

】 【Oh my God, shameless. Absolutely disgusting. Where are your morals? Where are your standards? And where, exactly, does Greenfeather live? Drop the address. I'll deliver myself. Free shipping, seriously. 】 In less than eight minutes, related posts had swamped the Forum's front page. Plenty of people were also trying to figure out who, exactly, that one percent referred to. It took Gu Zhiwei a while to get her emotions back under control.

When she finally opened the group chat, she found the party channel was hardly any calmer. Apparently, everyone had been thrown into a frenzy by the main quest suddenly kicking off. Wang Pu: Sis Gu, Sis Gu, you're the bestest! So who's the baleful star? How did you trigger the plot? Waiting online, urgent! Aglaya: @Matt Say something! You're the only one with Zhiwei right now. Matt: IDK. She went out into the wilderness alone just now. The quest moved when she came back. Wang Pu:? Ohhh, got it.

The boss was out in the jungle. Makes sense?... Wait, does it?! Before the conversation could veer any further off the rails, Gu Zhiwei finally spoke up: I think I'm the baleful star. The group fell silent for a few seconds. Oliver:...?! Wang Pu:??? Sis Gu, do you somehow think that answer isn't completely insane? Aglaya: I have so much shit to say I don't even know where to start. Chen Li: Let Zhiwei finish first. Gu Zhiwei briefly described everything that had gone through her mind out in the wilderness.

Gu Zhiwei: I think the system responded to the path I decided to take. At the very least, the quest panel lit up when I decided to become the Yong Emperor's baleful star. The group fell quiet after hearing her out. They could imagine how hard Gu Zhao's death had hit Gu Zhiwei. Honestly, if she'd said she wanted to kill that bastard emperor purely to avenge her brother, they would've understood. But instead, she'd talked about the floods in Yunzhou. The refugees in Jizhou. The people who couldn't afford their taxes.

The border villages being raided by the Beirong. Losing someone she loved had hurt her deeply. But that pain had also made her see the source of this world's suffering more clearly than ever. Wang Pu: Not gonna lie, Sister Gu... you and Lord Gu Zhao really do seem like actual siblings sometimes. Oliver: Your brother didn't want you to avenge him. But if he could hear you now, I don't think he'd have a single word of objection.

Wang Pu: But I thought we were supposed to help that bastard emperor find the baleful star. If we overthrow him and get him killed, won't we lose the NPC we're supposed to turn the quest in to? Matt: The system never actually said whom we were finding it for. It only said, "Find the baleful star." Oliver: I may have some insight here. I got a skill from the first-clear reward in the last world called Pathseer. I can only use it once a month.

It lets me see how likely each person is to complete the quest, through the intensity of their glow. Oliver: The first time I saw Zhiwei in West Market, she was shining like a human light bulb. I haven't seen anyone brighter than her in this entire dungeon. So when it comes to the main quest, I trust her judgment. Completely. Aglaya: Ohhh, so that's why you suddenly begged to join us back then! Oliver: Judge a man by his actions, not his motives. Chen Li: Here's my guess. Tell me whether it sounds right.

In ancient Chinese astronomy, a baleful star should refer to a star that threatens the emperor and his power. In theory, then, anyone who intends to rebel has the potential to become the baleful star. Chen Li: Very likely, Zhiwei has the greatest chance of succeeding now, so the system gave her that one percent as confirmation. My guess is that the quest will be completed on the day Zhiwei, or another player, thoroughly overthrows the Yong Emperor. Aglaya:...

Uncle Chen's analysis makes so much sense I have no comeback. Wang Pu: I'm convinced. Settled, then. Rebellion it is! If we want first clear, we'll have to rebel faster, rebel first, rebel with innovation, rebel our way to glory, and rebel our way into one great socialist harmony. Oliver: @Aglaya Sound familiar? Feeling nostalgic for the old Soviet Union? Aglaya:...... What exactly are you Brits so smug about? Look at what you eat every day. You'd think German planes were still flying overhead. Zhiwei, am I right?

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Chen Li hurriedly dragged the conversation back to business. He planned to expand his grain houses farther into the northlands and establish additional granaries along the trade routes to supply future military campaigns. His teahouses would be used to gather and relay information. Gu Zhiwei agreed immediately.

She planned to visit the northern frontier first, unite every force that could be united, then recruit troops and build up her strength. Only a little over three years remained on the quest timer, but at least they finally knew what they were working toward. Everything from here on would be easier. Oliver: Yan Qi is still missing. The refugees have also lost contact with him. I'll try to find him. His people are probably the resistance force we'll have the easiest time winning over.

Oliver: As for the player who reported Gu Zhao, he changed residences twice after collecting the bounty. He covered his tracks carefully. It took me several days to locate him. I'll keep watch on him. In the end, Zhiwei has to deal with that piece of shit personally. Matt: Good. We can't leave behind another regret like Julie. Gu Zhiwei looked at Oliver's last message, then at the others trying to lighten the mood and cheer her up. She replied quietly: Thank you, everyone. Really.

Several days later, Shuozhou. Aglaya had waited outside the inn for half a day. The moment she saw Gu Zhiwei dismount, she rushed over and hugged her.

"Look at you." Aglaya stepped back and studied her seriously.

"You've gotten much livelier since becoming a baleful star."

"Does being a baleful star come with that kind of side effect?" Aside from looking a little tired, Gu Zhiwei seemed to have recovered somewhat from the grief of Gu Zhao's death. Aglaya relaxed a little at that and said no more. She turned around, went straight for her crate of storybooks, and hoisted it onto the carriage.

"Let's go. To the northern frontier!" The farther north they traveled, the thinner the greenery became and the sharper the wind blew. A month later, Huaiyuan appeared at the edge of the horizon. This was already the northernmost edge of the whole country, yet it looked nothing like a major frontier stronghold. Its walls were low and mottled, with scorched patches between the battlements left behind by old battles. Outside the gates, elderly people and children crouched along the roadside, begging from passersby.

When they reached the place they had arranged to meet Wang Pu, Gu Zhiwei had barely swung down from her horse when a figure shot out from behind a felt-hat stall.

"Sis Gu!" Before Gu Zhiwei could answer, a notification popped up. 【Player Wang Pu has sent a party join request. 】 【Accept? 】 Gu Zhiwei chuckled and immediately selected accept. At last, the six-person party was complete. Wang Pu instantly perked right up.

"Hell yeah! Finally back with the team! Now we make it bigger, make it stronger, and rise to glory once more!" Matt noticed the nearby passersby craning their necks to stare and pressed a hand down on Wang Pu's head.

"Look at you. Haven't seen you in a while and you're looking a lot sturdier. Still loud as ever, though. We'll find somewhere later. Let me see if your skills have gotten rusty.." Wang Pu's entire face collapsed.

"Fine, fine. Here I thought today would be a touching reunion. Instead, I get an annual performance review." Aglaya doubled over laughing beside them.

"No, seriously, you two are so shippable." Gu Zhiwei gave her a look.

"Girl, you really need to stop shipping literally everyone." The group soon found an inn to stay at. Gu Zhiwei, meanwhile, stopped by a herbal medicine shop for a few things, then took a small sack of grain from their wagon and shut herself in her room to prepare something.

That night, Wang Pu led them out of Huaiyuan under cover of darkness. Matt's men had been quartered separately in the city. Ever since she had diverted the floodwaters, they had never dared ask too many questions about where she went. Wang Pu led the group along a narrow trail into the mountains. After countless twists and turns, they stopped beneath an unremarkable cliff, where he struck two long beats and one short against the rock. A hidden sentry emerged from behind a boulder in the darkness.

He wore a battered suit of hide armor, and the saber at his waist was still standard military issue. He recognized Wang Pu, but carefully inspected every weapon they carried before leading them farther in. After passing through a long mountain pass, the view abruptly opened before them. More than a thousand barracks stood within the enormous mountain hollow. Wooden huts and tents were laid out in orderly tiers along the terrain, with clear lanes running between them.

Wooden barricades and rows of sharpened stakes guarded the perimeter. Watchtowers stood on several high points, each manned by armored sentries bearing bows. Patrols regularly circled the outer edge of the camp. A vast open field had been left in the center of the hollow, clearly meant for daily training. Archery targets stood on the far side, while spears, bows, crossbows, and standard-issue long sabers had been sorted onto crude weapon racks.

Much of the armor and weaponry was already old, but one glance was enough to tell that every piece had been meticulously maintained. Several older soldiers crouched beneath an awning, sharpening blades and replacing bowstrings. Arrow shafts and spare spearheads were stacked neatly beside them. Anyone who had truly seen these people could never mistake them for bandits. To Gu Zhiwei, they were soldiers still, whatever the military rolls said. He Zheng stood beside the bonfire, waiting for them.

He was even more powerfully built than Gu Zhiwei had imagined. A full beard obscured most of his face, and an old injury seemed to have left a notch in his left eyebrow. Firelight flickered across his worn hide armor. A long saber hung at his side.

"Miss Gu, I have heard much about you." He raised his eyes to the new arrivals, appraisal in his gaze.

"I hear you're quick-witted in a crisis, exceptionally skilled in combat, and even possess the power to move mountains and reshape the seas." Gu Zhiwei glanced back at Wang Pu. She only wanted to know what sort of ridiculous legend he had built around her.

"General flatters me." He Zheng fell silent for a moment, gazing into the quiet fire before him.

"What do you want from me?" Gu Zhiwei walked to his side and unfolded the map of the northern frontier she had prepared, pointing to several towns south of Huaiyuan that had been repeatedly raided by the Beirong.

"I want to put an end to the troubles in Beirong and bring peace back to the borderlands." He Zheng narrowed his eyes.

"You're the noble daughter of an eminent family from the capital, and you came to discuss this with a fugitive like me?"

"Precisely." Gu Zhiwei met He Zheng's gaze without the slightest fear.

"If you've heard of my father and brother, then you know what became of that eminent family. And in my eyes, General, you are the only man on the northern frontier who truly wants to protect this land. Now that a chance to end the border unrest is right before you, why hesitate to seize it?" He Zheng rested a hand on his long saber, his rough fingers slowly rubbing the hilt.

"Bold words. Why should I trust you?"

"Try me and you'll know. Give me five hundred men, and I will bring you Alezhen's head." Alezhen was the third son of the Beirong khan. He was vicious, bloodthirsty, and fiercely warlike. Others might content themselves with plunder and burning cities, but he took pleasure in torturing civilians to death. Everyone on the northern frontier knew what kind of man he was. Gu Zhiwei had done her homework on the journey here. Her first step was to win He Zheng over with Alezhen's head.

If she could harvest a wave of Virtue Value along the way, all the better. Two birds, one stone. Beautiful. A flicker of surprise crossed He Zheng's face.

"That man is notoriously difficult to pin down, and he is deeply favored by the khan. The cavalry guarding him are among the finest the Beirong possess."

"Why should I believe you can bring my soldiers back alive?" Gu Zhiwei said nothing more. She had already said everything that needed to be said. Now came everyone's favorite part: letting strength do the talking. She turned, walked to the weapon rack, and drew out a standard-issue long saber, weighing it in her hand. Before coming here, she had planned to compete in mounted archery.

Yet the moment she saw the long sabers on the weapon rack, the same instinctive familiarity she had once felt with a bow stirred inside her again. This time, it was the blade. She knew it most likely came from Ji Heng. Inwardly, Gu Zhiwei gave the multitalented Master Ji a silent thumbs-up.

"If you don't believe me, General, then let's see whether you can last three moves against me." She drew the saber in one smooth reverse motion. Its cold edge slanted toward the ground, the tip resting lightly against the earth.

"Three moves. If you so much as touch my clothes, I'll turn around and leave. I won't trouble you again." Several veterans by the fire could not hold back their snickers. He Zheng did not laugh. Years of experience on the battlefield had made him keenly sensitive to danger. The instant the woman across from him drew her saber, her entire presence changed. He tightened the straps of his hide armor and drew his long saber. Beneath the firelight, a crimson gleam ran along its edge.

"Then forgive me." Wang Pu knew exactly how skilled He Zheng was. Even he couldn't help feeling nervous for Gu Zhiwei.