"Whoever admits it without being hit is the one I'm talking about. Why are you so sure I'm not referring to Miss Tingyun?"
"..."
Tingyun's smile froze at the corners, then curved even larger.
"Benefactor is right. This little lady is just a mere traveling merchant, weak and fragile. In battle, I can only hide behind and tremble."
"You three must protect me well. This little lady still wants to live another hundred or so years."
March 7th said concernedly: "Miss Tingyun, you should head back. We can handle the rest of the road ourselves."
Tingyun smiled lightly: "Thank you for your concern. This little lady is fine. Who told the General to order me to follow you all? I dare not disobey military orders."
Welt: "Lives are at stake. Miss Tingyun, we'll explain to the General."
Tingyun: "No need, really. This little lady travels the cosmos year-round. Don't look at my age—actually, all tallied up, I only have a few decades of experience."
"You benefactors probably have lived longer than me."
Stelle immediately denied: "Impossible, absolutely impossible—"
"I'm just a little gray raccoon born in the Herta Space Station, not even a full month old yet~~"
"While you, Miss Tingyun, are already a big fox who's lived over a hundred years."
"Unless our A-Qi is a thousand-year-old demon, it's impossible for you to be younger than her."
March 7th didn't seem angry.
She just smiled squinted and reached out, pinching Stelle's waist hard.
"Hiss—"
Stelle bared her teeth.
"Sis, I was wrong!"
"Letting you spew nonsense everywhere—good that you know you're wrong, hmph~~~"
March 7th released her hand.
Stelle immediately puffed up again, hands on hips, chin raised high.
"Where did I go wrong?"
"??? When we get back, I really need to control you properly..."
"Don't, I won't be naughty anymore!"
"Being naughty is good, being naughty is good."
Ah Xian chuckled happily.
"I just love this space comedy vibe."
"Looks like the writers aren't Roast Chicken or Lingyi Niang. Those two are good at knife-wielding but not at comedy. I can relax now."
Ah Xian talked to Fu Xuan again, listened to some lore, then hurried to the next mission location without stopping.
Muttering to herself:
"Why hasn't Leon shown up yet? Not even a glimpse of Dan Heng..."
"But Dan Heng definitely doesn't need to worry about the plot. The preview PV spoiled so much. Only worry about Leon having just that bit of plot earlier."
[Didn't you say you're not afraid of Leon getting knifed and wish there was no plot for him?]
"Now it's different. The entire 3.2 main story is about the same as 3.1—very fun."
"If they drop a knife, the style would feel abrupt."
"So, 3.2 is also knife-free, unless the one getting knifed is Jing Yuan. After all, he seems to be struggling in the PV."
"Optimistically, it's a game—meant to be played with a smile."
Welt: "Look at those cauldrons—they're continuously emitting smoke."
March 7th observed carefully for a moment.
"It's a bit strange. Those cauldrons seem to be floating in mid-air. How do we close them?"
"Simple, watch me!"
As Stelle spoke, she stepped forward, right hand reaching into her own chest... or rather, into the ticket space.
March 7th's head popped up with a question mark: "...Uh, what are you doing?"
Stelle closed her eyes, brewing emotions for a moment, then suddenly opened them wide, shouting coldly:
"Now—the moment of annihilation!"
A massive bat emitting blue arcs was pulled out from Stelle's chest and slammed fiercely onto the cauldron.
Ah Xian: "???"
Live stream audience: "Huh? (Sword Demon voice)"
The cauldron jolted from the impact, its bottom quickly sinking back into the base below, blocking the continuous surge of white mist.
"See? This cauldron is just like those Disciples of Sanctus Medicus guys—once beaten, it behaves."
"If it still doesn't, just beat it some more."
"Got it, A-Qi?"
March 7th's eye twitched: "Thanks, Teacher Stelle. I'm ruined now..."
[Holy! The rice-cooking lady's milk knife?]
[What rice-cooking lady? Would you dare eat her rice?]
[Overload warning!]
[I fucking laughed out loud on the spot!]
[No wonder the Jarilo plot explained the ticket's function—it was prepped for this segment.]
[Does this count as vinegar dumplings?]
[Of course not. It explains the weapon appearing from nowhere and plays the meme.]
[Don't say it, but it really fits—the lines and actions are perfect!]
[If I have to say it doesn't fit... probably just that gege doesn't have a scar...]
[When I saw Stelle pull the bat from her chest and say A Ying's line, it was too late to prepare to hold in laughter. My face is cramping now.]
[So when are these two games doing a collab?]
"The Herta Space Station has the Wind-Piercing Wings as a curio. Maybe the Teyvat world exists."
"If there's a real collab, what Path would Venti be? The others?"
[Hard to guess. For AoE... Erudition?]
[Anyway, Zhongli is definitely Preservation—full sense of security with that shield.]
[Niu San is Hunt or Destruction. Skills fit perfectly.]
[Nahida is definitely Erudition—most fitting for her character.]
[Harmony isn't impossible either...]
"I'm just rambling. If there's a real collab, we'll talk then." Ah Xian smiled and continued closing the cauldrons.
Unfortunately, the later cauldrons didn't get to see the protagonist's short CG action from earlier.
But there were enemy execution CGs.
Though less than three seconds, the all-new camera angles and motions were satisfying enough, with strong immersion.
"Fun. This time March 7th freezing monsters didn't accidentally hit gege. Worth celebrating."
Stelle: "Good job, March. You've finally reconciled with me—not easy."
"What reconciliation? I wasn't mad at you, and we had no conflict." March 7th was slightly stunned.
Stelle sincerely: "Every time before, whenever you used Six-Phase Ice, you were always an inner traitor—not freezing my feet but my hands. Huge progress this time."
March 7th's little face darkened, also a bit embarrassed.
"I wasn't doing it on purpose... Beautiful girls progress every moment. I won't freeze you anymore!"
"Oh ho, Flag raised—I feel doomed!"
"Don't underestimate this girl so pessimistically—"
"Stop joking. Only this cauldron left nearby. Closing it should be almost done, right?"
Stelle walked to the cauldron, tiptoed and lightly jumped, right foot doing a spinning heel kick onto the cauldron, pressing it back into the base.
The mist rapidly dissipated.
"Yay, no more smoke."
March 7th put away her longbow and looked at the nearby incapacitated Disciples of Sanctus Medicus believers.
"What about these guys?"
① "They're all mara-struck anyway. Send them off."
② "Let the Cloud Knights handle them. No need for us to bother."
Not an important choice, Ah Xian casually picked 1.
Then she saw Stelle pull out the fire spear, walk toward the several mara-struck, and perform a physical send-off.
An achievement popped up.
[I Seem Like a Trailblazer, But I Have No Emotions]
"There's even an achievement for this?"
[If you pick 2, the achievement is different, and pretty interesting.]
"Excellent! This seat will lead the army to rendezvous immediately!" Fu Xuan's voice rang out.
Mission updated.
※ Golden Cauldron Spirit Tree, Dead-End Taowu
Head to the Tai Zhen Alchemy Chamber, confront the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus
"Finally time to beat Dan Shu. Great. Wonder if this plot segment brings any surprises."
Ah Xian didn't expect not only surprises, but more than one.
Betrayals, backstabs, shocks, etc... all elements present, fully equipped.