Like These Stars, Not Last Night's

Xue Qingqiu, meanwhile, fully displayed the true colors of a demonic enchantress. Ignoring the strange looks from others, she sat there as if nothing were amiss, her expression unchanging. After a long moment, Xue Mu finally spoke: "Forget the libationer role; I can serve as a consultant instead."

Xiahou Di was taken aback: "What do you mean by consultant?"

"To be consulted when needed." Xue Mu continued writing: "If there is a matter, just ask me. Why occupy a formal position? I have rendered no service to the state, and to suddenly hold a high office would only draw complaints from the brothers of the Six Fan Gates."

It wasn't the brothers of the Six Fan Gates who would have complaints; it was that he feared his sister would. The three giants of the imperial court exchanged glances, all grumbling inwardly, yet none wished to provoke Xue Qingqiu. After a moment of contemplation, Xiahou Di handed Xue Mu a waist token: "Even as a consultant, you are still considered part of the Six Fan Gates. Take this golden token; it will provide you with convenience."

Xue Mu took it and looked. The front of the golden token bore a tripod emblem, while the back was already engraved with the characters "Xue Mu," along with a portrait of him that was a perfect likeness. He looked up at Xiahou Di; it seemed this had been prepared in advance, though he wondered why she had only produced it at the end—perhaps she had been hesitating?

Regardless, Xiahou Di was not wrong; this golden token was indeed very convenient. She knew Xue Mu was a smart man and would not refuse.

With this token as a tether, Xue Mu would at least consider the Six Fan Gates' interests to some degree. With this connection established, there might even be a chance to pull him into the fold completely in the future.

Xue Mu did not refuse again. He put the token away and offered a slight bow: "Many thanks for your appreciation, Chief Constable."

"It is merely a case of mutual need." Xiahou Di sighed, then cast a sidelong glance at Xue Qingqiu: "Having a sister like this is truly a trial for you."

Xue Mu replied softly: "No, having this sister is my good fortune."

Returning from the Six Fan Gates, the atmosphere between the two remained silent throughout the journey.

It seemed like a thin layer of window paper that could be pierced at any moment, yet neither had the intention to do so, and neither knew exactly what was missing.

Halfway home, Xue Mu let out a low sigh: "Sister, you miscalculated this time. If I had truly become their libationer, I could have legitimately intervened in their publication and used its influence to achieve many goals. Now, there is always a barrier, and it brings many inconveniences..."

"Xue Mu..."

"Yes?"

"Xiahou Di was right; you are better suited for the imperial court. Once you became a libationer, you would be a man of the court... sooner or later, you would no longer belong to my Star Moon Sect. I would rather intervene less in that publication than see that day come." Xue Qingqiu said calmly: "This is my selfishness, hindering your future. You may blame me."

"I wouldn't..."

"Wouldn't what?"

"Even if I became a libationer, I would not stop belonging to the Star Moon Sect. And if I don't become one, I won't blame you."

Xue Qingqiu shook her head: "As a libationer, backed by Xiahou Di and allied with Xuan Zhe, with your abilities, it would be easy to rise in the imperial court. Becoming a prince or a noble would not be a fantasy. How can you be so sure you would still belong to the Star Moon Sect?"

Xue Mu answered straightforwardly: "Because the Star Moon Sect has you, and it has Xiao Chan."

Xue Qingqiu chuckled: "Then let us say I miscalculated, failing to recognize a sincere heart?"

Xue Mu said: "You are nervous about losing me; I should be happy."

As these words left his lips, Xue Qingqiu's footsteps faltered for a moment before she resumed her normal pace: "How conceited. Without your schemes and strategies, I, Xue Qingqiu, would still dominate the world just the same."

Xue Mu laughed: "That would be different."

"What would be different? Would things necessarily develop better with you?"

"Why must you always talk about practical gains... Without me, Xue Mu, Xue Qingqiu would forever be nothing more than a demonic tyrant with monstrous flames, and no one would be left to appreciate your peerless beauty. What a pity that would be."

"Tsk..." Xue Qingqiu seemed somewhat amused: "There are countless heroes in the martial world, but truly, few have your silver tongue. No wonder Chan'er..."

She cut herself off abruptly, and both fell into silence.

After a long while, Xue Qingqiu said faintly: "In martial arts breakthroughs, one must let nature take its course. Anything forced lacks substance, and often one will not make an inch of progress in a lifetime."

Xue Mu easily understood the double meaning and returned one of his own: "Then when will Sister teach me dual cultivation?"

Xue Qingqiu finally laughed aloud, casting him a glance with a hint of charm in her eyes: "Haven't I already practiced dual cultivation with you?"

Xue Mu was stunned: "When?"

"In the secret chamber, skin touching skin, true qi merging, flowing from my hands into your body, back and forth, inseparable. If that is not dual cultivation, what is?"

Xue Mu nearly tripped: "My dear sister, you call that dual cultivation?"

A mischievous glint flashed in Xue Qingqiu's eyes: "In matters of martial arts, who in this world can argue with me? Naturally, if I say it is, it is."

Xue Mu was left between laughter and tears: "Yes, yes, such authority."

The atmosphere became comfortable, taking on the leisurely feel of a night stroll. Xue Mu looked up at the stars in the sky, stretched his arms, and let out a long breath: "Do you know? Last time I accompanied you to see Xiahou Di, I felt that your presence beside me was an illusion. I couldn't even be sure if you were a real person. Even though we were walking side by side, I felt as if I were walking alone."

Xue Qingqiu smiled slightly: "And today?"

"Today, I feel you beside me, your fragrance lingering, and I can even feel the warmth radiating from you."

"In truth, given your cultivation, perceiving me is still an illusion."

"Then why..."

"At that time, you were only thinking about how to use that opportunity. I wasn't a real person to you, just an opportunity." Xue Qingqiu said softly: "Now that this person is real in your heart, your feelings have become real as well."

Xue Mu was stunned for a moment: "I feel like your path of self-cultivation is like materialism, yet these words sound like idealism."

This time it was Xue Qingqiu's turn to be puzzled: "What is materialism and idealism?"

"Well..." Xue Mu thought for a moment, pointing to a small flower in the corner of the street: "Before I looked at this flower, it and I were both in silence; but once I looked at it, its colors suddenly became clear."

Xue Qingqiu savored the thought for a moment and chuckled: "This is the realm that Chan'er needs to comprehend, bordering on the Dao. It is strange that you, practicing some half-baked poison arts, would have such an insight."

Xue Mu asked curiously, "Aren't you afraid I'll spout nonsense that contradicts your sect's teachings?"

"If you were to expand on that sentence, it might form a system, but as a standalone statement, many schools of thought hold similar views." Xue Qingqiu chuckled. "In fact, this sentence can be seen as the origin of all ideological disputes. Everyone believes that what they see is the truth, using their own perception as the standard—isn't that exactly 'the flower does not exist outside the mind'?"

Xue Mu nodded. Finding this quite interesting, he deliberately countered, "But regardless of how people perceive it, it exists objectively, independent of human cognition."

"Correct." Xue Qingqiu smiled with approval. "The 'Dao' is constant. People argue back and forth, only to eventually realize that it is merely a difference in terminology, a difference in perspective, or a difference in the path pursued. Then, people begin to seek the essence, wanting to know what 'it' truly is. If existence does not change with consciousness, then what is the nature of consciousness? What is the essence of 'existence'? Is 'nothingness' the opposite of 'existence,' or is 'nothingness' itself a form of 'existence'? Do you know?"

Xue Mu was dumbfounded. How the hell would he know? This was philosophy, for crying out loud! He had long since returned his Marxist philosophy textbooks to his teachers; what could he possibly use to answer? Furthermore, this world was completely unscientific, and many concepts couldn't be applied blindly. For instance, the nature of Yin Ye's aura was something even a staunch materialist might not be able to explain.

"You don't know, but you want to know—so what do you do? You cultivate. You cultivate until you can see through every speck of dust, until you can soar above the nine heavens, until you can hold the sun, moon, and stars in your palm, and then you will know." Xue Qingqiu smiled and said slowly, "This is what it means to seek the Dao."

In other words, it wasn't that their martial arts were philosophy; rather, their martial arts were merely the path to seeking the Dao.

Entering the Dao is to touch it, Void-Piercing is to see through it, and Harmonizing with the Dao is to master it.

Xue Mu truly dared not underestimate the people of this world anymore, especially someone like Xue Qingqiu, who stood at the pinnacle. Some might have less insight than him, but others had insight that could crush him into the dirt. Even if she were transported to the modern era, she could likely be a master who founded a school of philosophy—she was far more than just a good fighter.

Moreover, her breadth of mind and vision were truly vast, and Xue Mu couldn't help but admire her. "I thought the Sect Master of the One Path Sect would be the dogmatic type. I didn't expect you to be so open-minded, not even wary of my divergent thinking... Is this the demeanor of a grandmaster?"

"I told you, to 'pierce' is to observe." Xue Qingqiu said leisurely. "Let alone the hundred schools of thought, each with their own differences; once you have insight, you naturally realize that blind exclusion is of no benefit to the Dao. Stones from other hills can serve to polish the jade of this one. Mutual verification leads to greater gains; perhaps all paths lead to the same destination—who knows? You speak of ideological disputes, but do you really think it's the Dao they are fighting over?"

Xue Mu's heart skipped a beat. "Then what are they fighting over?"

"A thousand years ago, the hundred schools fought for the throne, and we lost. That is why the sects of the Righteous Path were enfeoffed with territories, becoming lords and nobles, while we hid for a thousand years, never seeing the light of day. Although the conflict started because of differing views on the Dao, when you extend it..." Xue Qingqiu suddenly stopped and turned to stare at him. "You tell me, what are they fighting over?"

Xue Mu narrowed his eyes. After a long silence, he said, "Then the current Emperor has quite a lot of nerve, actually cooperating with you." He paused, then laughed self-deprecatingly, "You really trust me now."

"You are my younger brother; if I don't trust you, who would I trust?" Xue Qingqiu paused, then shook her head with a smile. " 'The pugilistic world is but a corner of the empire'—that is a truly interesting saying. I often feel that you are not a person of this world, but someone watching it from a very distant place. You are often out of place, yet you see the threads of the world as clearly as the lines on your own palm."

What a terrifying intuition. Xue Mu didn't know how to answer and was about to change the subject when a familiar scent suddenly drifted through the air...

The scent of grilled skewers.

Xue Mu was stunned. Damn it, could you really buy late-night barbecue on the streets of this world? How was that possible? Did they even have cumin, chili, or salt and pepper in this era? Or was there some unscientific, fantasy-based method involved?