Actually, Stelle had not completely understood.
She thought Jingliu meant "I never planned to return the money from the start, but I must have the person," emphasizing a domineering Master who pitted her disciple but also pitted the Dragon Lords.
But in reality, Jingliu meant "I never planned to keep the person from the start, but I must take the money," emphasizing a greedy Master who sold off her disciple and made sure the Dragon Lords couldn't find her.
However, that was a story for later. At least at this moment, Jingliu was using the money from selling Jing Yuan to treat Stelle to a meal, and Stelle was happily saying "Thank you, Sister Jingliu."
…
At the same time, on the other side.
Boom!
Bailu looked at the "Dragon Lord Martial Hall" in front of her, her small face full of solemnity. In her eyes, the martial hall's silhouette seemed shrouded in wind, rain, thunder, and lightning—extremely dark, terrifying, and eerie.
She had thought she would never voluntarily step inside again in this lifetime, but… since Stelle said there was a problem here, she would do it!
Bailu hesitated again and again. Finally, she swallowed hard, gathered her courage, and placed both hands on the martial hall's main door.
To contribute her part for everyone, she was going all out!
Creak—
Thus, with a do-or-die mentality, Bailu slowly pushed open the door.
Inside the martial hall it was pitch black. Because of Bailu's leave, the place had also entered a state of closure.
—"If you need to sell someone, follow the instructions on the wall. Prior notice: Vidyadhara Human Resources Co., Ltd. is a green industry. We only accept labor that can create value."
The broadcast in the corner of the martial hall emitted a low voice. Its tone sounded very familiar to Bailu, as if she had heard it not long ago...
"Hm? Dragon Lord Bailu?"
The person on the other side of the broadcast seemed to recognize Bailu's identity and immediately snorted coldly: "What? You're not hanging around with that bunch of fair-weather friends anymore? You finally know who your boss is and came to admit your mistake on your own?"
Bailu's footsteps paused, and her heart tightened instantly: "Eh? Why does this voice sound so much like the Elder?"
"Bailu, you traitor!"
The Dragon Lord's furious voice came from the broadcast: "Previously in Scalegorge Waterscape, why didn't you fulfill the contract and protect us?! Do you know that because of you and that scoundrel Lingsha, we are now all... ouch, my waist!"
"…Cough cough. Do you know how badly injured we are right now?! We can only work while lying in hospital beds! This is all your fault!"
Hearing the Dragon Lord mention the previous incident, Bailu knew she was in the wrong. She shrank her neck somewhat guiltily, poked her two index fingers together, and said in a small voice: "That, that, I didn't do it on purpose. At the time I thought you were bad guys pretending to be the Elders, hehe."
"For the sake of me working for so many years, please forgive me~ Ehe~"
The Dragon Lord showed no mercy: "Ehe my ass!"
The Dragon Lord: "The three of us are now seriously injured and the martial hall is closed. Are you happy now?"
"Dragon Lord Bailu, you cold-blooded and heartless person, I will never forgive you, never!!"
"Now get out of my martial hall. This old man does not welcome you!"
Bailu shrank her neck, feeling a little guilty: "Okay okay, I'll leave right now."
—"Bailu... Bailu..."
However, the moment Bailu turned around, a faint and eerie voice suddenly sounded beside her ear. The voice sounded very weak but somewhat familiar: "Save… me..."
Bailu was stunned for a moment and subconsciously looked around: ?
Who is speaking?
"So lonely… so cold, how much longer...?"
"Who? Who is speaking?!" Bailu was instantly confused and subconsciously took two steps back. "Could it be… a ghost?!"
"It's me… Jing Yuan..."
...
"Jing Yuan? Ah, actually I'm not that close with him."
On the other side, Jingliu and Stelle sat facing each other, chatting freely.
"Not close?" Stelle thought for a moment. "But aren't you master and disciple for several hundred years? Xianzhou people's perception of the flow of time should be the same as ordinary people, right? After so many years, you can still say you're not close?"
Jingliu nodded and sighed: "Miss Trailblazer, you don't know this, but in the early years our master-disciple relationship was actually very good. Whatever I said, he would do. Unfortunately, once the child grows up, he has his own ideas."
"He's not even willing to spend money on me. What's the point of keeping such a disciple? Don't you agree?" Jingliu said earnestly.
"If not for my vigorous cultivation, could he have reached where he is today? This rebellious disciple's body was forged by me punch by punch. I saw that Yingxing also forges iron this way."
Stelle: ...Why does it somehow sound a little reasonable?
Stelle thought for a moment, then asked tentatively: "By the way, when you mortgaged Old Jing earlier, was he willing? We don't do things like forcing confessions through torture here—that's illegal."
Jingliu waved her hand: "Don't worry. Although this rebellious disciple is not benevolent, I as his Master cannot be unkind (life is not easy, abbreviated as 'not easy')."
"When I mortgaged him, I can guarantee he didn't show the slightest resistance and didn't say any words of refusal… Ah, of course, while conscious."
Stelle counted on her fingers: Conscious, no resistance… From this, it seems Old Jing is still very filial to his Master. He even agreed to something like this. What a loving master-disciple pair.
"Hahaha."
"..."
[Mysterious Narrator of the Honkai: Star Rail World: "However, what our protagonist heard was only Master Jingliu's oral version."]
[On the other side, after Bailu rescued Jing Yuan from the martial hall, the latter's oral version was as follows.]
The following is Jing Yuan's oral version:
"What?! Not only do you want to take all my savings, you also want to mortgage me to the Dragon Lords?!" Jing Yuan's eyes widened, looking heartbroken: "Master, y-you're going too far!"
"You want to wring me dry and completely squeeze out all my value!"
Jingliu nodded: "Oh."
"No!" Jing Yuan said in grief and indignation: "Master, if you continue like this, I might really have to defeat you. I'm serious."
"Sigh… Disciple, for my own sake, I can only use 'that move' on you."
"This is an ultimate technique your Master comprehended while traveling the galaxy in one of the worlds. Watch carefully."
Seeing that Jing Yuan was not cooperating, Jingliu regretfully shook her head, crossed her arms, and an extremely cold aura spread outward with her at the center. At the same time, the sky seemed to crack open, and a massive ice sphere fell from it...
"Skyfreeze Myriad Phenomena!"
Rumble——!
Jing Yuan: !!!
—"Jing Yuan" entered the "Frozen state."
Beside the ice sculpture that Jing Yuan had become, Jingliu patted his shoulder and said somewhat regretfully:
"Disciple, this is… your Master's final lesson."