[To Become a River of Stars] Dong Xiange - Chapter 6

The mountain wind cut like a knife, whipping strands of hair across their faces with a stinging force. Yet Shiliu paid it no mind, her entire focus locked on the shifting hues of the mountain landscape.

He Chong hurried to her side, his voice low, “Are you certain?”

Shiliu’s expression was grave, “I can only try,” she replied.

She activated the array. The red threads that formed the cage seemed to come alive, fine filaments peeling away to writhe and undulate with a will of their own, stretching toward the distance.

The roaring spirit beast seemed affected as well. A massive bank of dense fog drew closer, but before it could reach the boundary of red threads, the trapped mist bird within the cage let out a mournful cry—so piercing and desolate it felt heart-rending.

“The bird is warning it,” He Chong said urgently. Sure enough, the next moment, the black fog halted. No matter how enticingly the glowing red threads beckoned, it refused to advance another step.

Shiliu and her senior brother exchanged a glance, both recognizing the complication. He Chong paused to think for a moment, then looked at the trapped bird, his eyes hardening.

Shiliu understood his meaning: to torture and kill this bird, luring its companion into a reckless rescue attempt so both could be captured.

A complex emotion stirred within her, but she quickly bit her lip. What right did she have to pity these demon birds? They had tried to devour the group first. For a demon-hunting Taoist to pity her prey was the height of hypocrisy.

Resolved, Shiliu formed a hand seal. Her senior brother, recognizing the incantation, joined her in activating the array. Red light blazed forth, stabbing into the dying bird monster trapped within the cage like relentless, piercing needles.

The bird’s wings flapped frantically and uselessly against the ground with such force that they threatened to twist into grotesque shapes.

Finally, it released an unprecedented, ear-splitting shriek that dizzyed the mind. Waves of sound rippled outward, startling a flock of crows into flight.

He Chong and Shiliu bit their tongues to maintain focus. The young man behind them, however, showed no discomfort; instead, his interest seemed ignited, a barely restrained excitement burning in his eyes.

The black fog in the distance surged forward rapidly, far larger than the one in the cage. With a heavy thump, it collided head-on with the dancing red threads. Countless black feathers molted away, spinning incompletely in the air, lingering without falling.

Lured by the trapped bird’s cries, it slammed into the array again. This time, even more feathers fell from the shrouding fog. Its form seemed scorched by the red threads, producing a foul, smoky odour.

Just as the threads snaked forward, about to envelop the outside bird, the caged bird suddenly beat its wings against the ground and struggled upright. With immense effort, it emitted a series of rapid, agonizing calls—so tragic they sounded like pure lamentation.

The next moment, it hurled itself violently toward the center of the array, crashing recklessly into the talisman-implanted sword.

It held nothing back. The blade plunged deep, and instantly an enormous torrent of black fog erupted from the wound with tremendous force. Great waves of dense mist, like a sweeping tsunami, instantly blotted out everything, trapping everyone’s sight.

“It’s trying to escape!” He Chong shouted. But within the thick fog, nothing was visible. Only the haunting, mournful cries remained, weeping and pleading, enough to make one’s hair stand on end.

The two birds called to each other. The one inside cried with increasing urgency, its calls growing shorter. The one outside lamented long and mournfully, finally, urged on, fading gradually into the distance.

When the dense fog dispersed, only a mutilated demon corpse remained on the ground. Black blood soaked the earth, seeping deep into the soil to form a sinister, dark stain.

The cool moon hanging low in the sky had, unnoticed, lost its bloody hue, leaving only watery moonlight spilling through the forest.

He Chong and Shiliu looked at each other, seeing the same helplessness reflected in each other’s eyes.

“So, it seems you’re nothing but useless Taoists after all.”

The young man’s voice came from behind, devoid of any obvious anger, yet the chill in his tone was far more unsettling.

Shiliu’s fist clenched slightly. She turned to face him, standing squarely in the moonlight, “The array itself was not the problem,” she stated clearly, her voice ringing out.

“Oh? Then why did it escape?” The dangerous lift in his tone was unmistakable.

“This array is anchored by pure Yang blood. It uses Yin… the blood of an ordinary person as a medium to balance Yin and Yang. Only then can it take effect.”

“The strange part is,” she continued, her expression unchanged, calm and composed, “these birds were actually a mated pair, male and female twins. The female bird used her life as the price, sacrificing her Yin-natured blood and body to consecrate the array’s core. That is how she broke it, allowing the male to escape.”

Her face, under the moonlight, seemed coated in a layer of cold glaze, faintly luminous. It gave her a frail, almost delicate appearance, yet her spine was ramrod straight.

The young man seemed disinclined to listen further. The tip of his sword, gleaming with a faint light, rose to point directly at her.

Shiliu swallowed, then began to bargain, “Catching half still counts as catching it, doesn’t it?”

A smirk finally tugged at the young man’s lips, edged with malice, “Then I’ll hang you upside down and drain half your blood,” he said softly.

His voice was gentle, yet it felt like fine hooks digging into her ears, sending a cold shiver down to the very marrow of her bones.

But Shiliu showed neither fear nor plea for mercy. Her face remained its usual impassive mask, though a faint, almost imperceptible flicker of embarrassment showed in her eyes.

“This… I’m afraid you won’t get your wish. Because…”

She raised her wrist. It looked delicate and slender, so pale it seemed there would be space left even if one held it gently. The moonlight washed over it, revealing a faint red trace beneath the skin, as if it sought to seep into her very veins.

“You probably share my fate now—bound by the same  Fate Linking Curse.”