[Why's this guy got so many memes?]
[Jiaoqiu, I'm keeping my eye on you.]
[Just a few lines, and the memes are this dense—hahaha.]
[Every three steps, a meme.]
[This season's meme density is off the charts.]
— —
Jiaoqiu turned serious. "From your looks, you clearly think I'm just a frail scholar meddling in martial arts. But I'm not completely clueless about killing techniques~ After all, the 'art of medicine' is both life and death."
March 7th quipped perfectly, "An adult trying to one-up kids… sigh."
The next moment, Jiaoqiu shook a bottle. "Recognize this?"
The master-disciple trio shook their heads. "Nope."
"This is 'Stumble Powder'! It's a potion refined from the exotic off-world flower 'Yabulu.'"
Yanqing asked cautiously, "Poison?"
"Well, whether it's poison or a lifesaving remedy depends on the healer's intent. Before surgeries like bone-scraping or organ-cutting, a single drop can numb all pain. But…"
Jiaoqiu's tone shifted, and the subtitles switched to a bolder color, hinting at a major foreshadow.
"This stuff can save lives or take them. It's far more versatile than the swords in your hands."
Yanqing gave a helpless look. "I'd rather settle things with my blade's edge, not… uh…"
Clearly, Yanqing still carried a swordsman's pride.
Yunli got it now. "I misjudged you. You're not a frail scholar—you're a shameless one."
"Hey, hey, why the sudden insults? I'm just sharing medical knowledge, not teaching you to poison anyone!"
Yanqing added, "Mr. Jiaoqiu gets all excited talking about poison. Not sure if that's upright or downright shady…"
Jiaoqiu: "Imagine two people: one stands, shady and scheming; the other lies dead, all noble and upright. Tell me, how's the dead one gonna call out the standing one's 'shady' ways?
On the battlefield, life and death flash in an instant, and all thoughts vanish. 'Survive' is the only truth.
If you make it back alive, all values get redefined. Noble or shady—it's all lighter than a feather to me."
"Mr. Jiaoqiu underestimates Yunli and me. Young as we are, we've seen battlefields too."
Jiaoqiu looked apologetic, realizing he'd overthought. "My apologies."
The topic shifted back to the Martial Exhibition.
As the host, Yanqing noted that Yunli from Zhuming, Jiaoqiu from Yaoqing, and March 7th hadn't seen the 'Skirmish Vessel,' so he decided to show them.
— —
The scene shifted, and Yanqing led the group to a vantage point overlooking the Skirmish Vessel.
Jiaoqiu sniffed the air, sensing something off but lacking evidence to speculate.
Yanqing pointed to the sky. "This Skirmish Vessel was refitted from a retired Luofu ship. Before the Martial Exhibition officially starts, no one's allowed to board."
But as he spoke, Yanqing's tone faltered.
He rambled at length, summing up to one point: Jingliu's thrashing left him with psychological scars, and he'd been searching for the meaning of wielding a sword.
Through talking with Jiaoqiu, he gradually found answers.
[This part's awesome.]
[And this scenery—any screenshot's wallpaper-worthy!]
[Yanqing's really grown a lot.]
[Jingliu went a bit too hard on him, didn't she?]
— —
Jiaoqiu sighed. "Yanqing, oh Yanqing, so young yet acting so old… How old are you, anyway?"
[So young yet so old.]
[Hahaha, Jiaoqiu's meme game is relentless!]
[That line broke me.]
[Star Rail, do you fall to mara if you miss a meme?]
[A tiny plot with a ton of memes.]
— —
Yunli then shared her own painful past.
Jiaoqiu sighed again. "I see, Zhuming's kid has it rough too."
With the mood set, Jiaoqiu spoke earnestly.
"Having a reason to wield a sword beats being lost and clueless. I've treated many Cloud Knights in my life, including exceptional warriors like you two…"
Yanqing: "Why'd you stop, Mr. Jiaoqiu?"
Jiaoqiu: "…Just remembering some old friends and old times."
"From a healer's professional view, your vitality is robust, your aura like fierce fire and wild wind. This duel… it'll be a sight to see.
Alright, we've toured Starskiff Haven and seen the Skirmish Vessel. Time for me to take my leave."
March 7th interrupted. "Wait, you're leaving? You didn't ask about my dreams! I've been training hard too!"
[Hahaha, poor March.]
[How could you forget March 7th?]
[March 7th: What about me?]
[She rehearsed her speech a million times in her head, and he doesn't ask—hahaha.]
[I'm dying laughing.]
[I couldn't hold it together when she chimed in.]
— —
Seeing the time, Jiaoqiu had business to attend to and left first.
Yanqing prepared to escort the group back to the inn.
Just then, a stern shout reached their ears.
The trio peeked closer and saw a craftsman and a Cloud Knight arguing heatedly for some reason.
"Shut up, Redfang. This isn't a beastship—I need time to figure it out."
"You chose to wear the skin of a lowly beast and join this mission for our glorious cause. Now you're saying you can't handle it? Do you know how many ships we need?"
"I'm trying, I'm studying—it takes time."
…
Yanqing asked tentatively, "Who are you?"
A craftsman replied, "Routine inspection. Why are unrelated people wandering around Starskiff Haven? Just a bunch of kids."
Another person, dressed in Skyship Division attire, squinted at the trio. "Kids, didn't your parents tell you Starskiff Haven's automated, but that doesn't mean you can just waltz in?"
March 7th nodded quickly. "Ah, sorry, I'll take these little ones away."
Yanqing played along. "Big Sis, Big Sis, let's go! I wanna play at Ever-Hunt Plains next!"
"Huh? Ever-Hunt Plains? Uh… sure, sure. Big Sis will take you there."
With that, the trio left the suspicious figures' sight.
[March 7th's so clever.]
[Didn't expect March 7th to have that kind of smarts.]
[That's not just smarts—it's quick thinking.]
[Is Yanqing channeling Conan now?]
[Hahaha, another iconic moment.]
[Yunli: Instant respect mode]
[Hahaha, Yunli's brain probably crashed—did you see that close-up of her face?]
— —
As the trio left, the Cloud Knight suppressed his anger. "Xuu haa… you should've let me—"
"Shh, inspection's done. Everything's normal. Let's go."
…
In a shadowy corner, March 7th, Yanqing, and Yunli hadn't gone far.
In terms of skill, the three could've taken down the group in seconds.
But Yanqing didn't want to tip them off. "Something's… off. Let's talk somewhere else."
Seeing the suspicious figures leave, Yunli asked, "Little Brother Yanqing, can you repeat that line from earlier?"
"What line?"
"Big Sis, Big Sis, let's go~"
Yanqing covered his face. "Help, do you ever read the room? Those three were super suspicious."
"Even a fool could see that. I just wanted to hear you say it again. That pink-haired fox earlier was hinting at something but didn't spell it out. He's not familiar with the place, so he dropped a clue before leaving, but you ignored him."
Yanqing thought the guy's random outburst in an unknown language was fishy.
Their goal now was to tail them quietly and see what they were up to.
Yanqing noticed something—the suspicious group seemed to be moving a crate.
He decided they'd sneak into the crate together.
Naturally, the position was… less than dignified.
[So jealous of Yanqing.]
[I wanna squeeze into a crate with March 7th too.]
[Stop, you're making me cry.]
As the plot unfolded, the trio followed and uncovered a shocking secret.
The suspicious figures revealed their true identities—Borisin.
Luckily, Yanqing and Yunli were top-tier fighters, and dealing with a few Borisin was no issue.
After taking them down, Yanqing searched their clothes.
"This isn't just swapping Xianzhou clothes and shaving off whiskers. These Borisin somehow altered their appearances to look exactly like foxians. They even have official identities—Skyship Division, Artisans Commission, and… Cloud Knights?
Let me check this fake Cloud Knight's badge. Maybe it'll give us a clue. Lujun? A patrol officer of the Guard Corps? …Wait!"
"What's up?"
Yanqing recalled, "When I first met Yunli weeks ago, I saw another patrol officer named Lujun escorting Borisin prisoners.
Fake official identities, moving freely in the Xianzhou… This is bad. Really bad."
"Worse, if I find one cockroach on the Express, it means…"
[When you see one cockroach, it means there's a whole nest in your house.]
[Can we get a different metaphor?]
"There are more Borisin hiding in the Xianzhou. Their plot's probably not just petty espionage. We need to report this to the Seat of Divine Foresight immediately!"
— —
Meanwhile, at the Seat of Divine Foresight, the three Generals were already waiting.
After Stelle and Dan Heng stated their purpose, a debate was about to begin.
With the Astral Express's reputation, the Nameless's testimony could debunk many claims.
Thus, Feixiao's inquisition.
…
Soon after, Stelle and Dan Heng answered Feixiao's questions flawlessly, and she was satisfied.
"Well done. Your answers explain everything." She nodded to Jing Yuan and Huaiyan. "Generals, my questioning ends here."
Huaiyan stroked his beard. "So, General Feixiao, what's your verdict? Are the doubts in the report addressed?"
"The Nameless answered candidly. Even if some details are hard to explain, my gut says there's nothing amiss.
But the three issues I raised weren't just for the Nameless—they were also a message to General Jing Yuan:
First, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus grew unchecked within the Luofu, unnoticed by the Six Charioteers, a failure of duty.
Second, blindly trusting the Stellaron Hunters' claims and entrusting outsiders with resolving the crisis, allowing them to touch the Plague's traces, is a failure of responsibility.
Third, insisting on holding the Martial Exhibition after the Ambrosial Arbor calamity, putting the Luofu back in the cosmic spotlight, is a failure of judgment."
Huaiyan pressed, wanting to know Feixiao's stance. "Sky-Striking General, is this your opinion… or the Ten-Lords'?"
"I said from the moment I entered, what I ask isn't necessarily what I believe."
[As expected of a General—three people talking, and it's airtight.]
[This is how masters spar.]
[Good thing Feixiao's on Jing Yuan's side—makes things easier.]
— —
Jing Yuan smiled faintly. "The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus have deep, tangled roots and long-laid plans. I failed to notice, and that's my oversight.
I don't fully trust the Stellaron Hunters' predictions either. But in navigating their moves, the Luofu survived the Ambrosial Arbor crisis, showing Elio's foresight has merit.
As for the Martial Exhibition… does Jing Yuan not know the risks of opening the gates to thieves? But risks are also opportunities. The Luofu's waters have been still too long—it's time to stir them, let the sediment rise, and clear the murky to reveal the pure."
"Seat of Divine Foresight General, you're a true scholar—your words could fill a Xianzhou idiom dictionary. I like it." Feixiao's tone shifted. "But sadly, since the report was submitted, the Alliance has been buzzing with rumors and speculation. Even within the Luofu, some have filed complaints, accusing the General of neglecting duties and allowing the Ambrosial Arbor to regrow."
"So, what does General Feixiao think?"
"You and I, as Heavenly Generals, know how tough this seat is.
To me, these are just meaningless mosquito buzzes. Across the stars, only the Seat of Divine Foresight General truly understands the Luofu's crises and their deeper meaning…
Just like what the Yaoqing Xianzhou has faced recently."
"You mean the Yaoqing Xianzhou is also…?"
Feixiao's expression darkened. "The Verdantia Army's scouts report that the Borisin are stirring again. Once scattered packs are now fighting and merging into larger hordes. Behind them, something called 'Mangusi' is guiding them.
The scouts say it's not a Borisin. It's a woman claiming to be the 'Emissary of Longevity,' with 'twelve faces, twelve pairs of fangs, cruel as poison, shifting like quicksand.' The Borisin believe she'll bring their resurgence."
Jing Yuan cut to the chase. "It's Phantylia."
— —