Chapter 232: Ruan Mei Arrives at the Xianzhou Luofu... Am I in time?
On Ruan Mei's ecological ship, Leon stood quietly before the low, steady hum of the nutrient pod. Suspended within the pale, glowing fluid was Tingyun.
"When will she be able to recover?" Leon asked, his voice soft as he studied the Foxian girl's serene face.
"I don't know..." Ruan Mei shook her head, her tone carrying the detached, clinical precision of a seasoned scholar. "Perhaps in the next second, or perhaps not for a lifetime. She must rely entirely on her own will to withstand the lingering erosion of Destruction. Only then is there a possibility of her waking up."
Tingyun's physical condition had ceased its deterioration under Ruan Mei's care, but as for a timeline on her awakening, even a genius of her caliber could not offer guarantees. The only one who could pull Tingyun from the abyss was Tingyun herself. This was the absolute limit of what science could achieve.
Leon smiled faintly at the girl inside the glass. Her eyes were tightly shut, her delicate features smoothed into an expressionless mask. He had always harbored a soft spot for Tingyun. It was a shame that back in the game, the one who kept purring 'Benefactor' in his ear had been the Lord Ravager Phantylia in disguise, rather than the real deal.
But Leon wasn't one to dwell on technicalities. Now that he had physically transmigrated into the universe of Honkai: Star Rail, he fully intended to hear the real Tingyun call him 'Benefactor' once she woke up.
"Xianzhou Luofu. We've arrived." Leon glanced out the viewport, his smile widening.
Beyond the reinforced glass, the colossal, majestic silhouette of the Xianzhou flagship loomed against the starry void. Ruan Mei's ecological ship had smoothly slipped into the Luofu's outer airspace and was already broadcasting its docking request.
"The velocity of my ship seems... mathematically anomalous," Ruan Mei murmured, her sharp eyes studying the navigation console before shifting to the man beside her. "Ever since you came aboard, it has been cruising toward the Luofu at a highly specific, uniform speed, ensuring we arrive at this exact coordinate at this exact second. Leon, do you have any idea why?"
She wasn't genuinely asking how he had managed to bypass her ship's navigational overrides to alter their speed. She was merely questioning his precise timing. As for asking if he had any idea—that was just Ruan Mei's rare attempt at teasing. She had noticed the temporal tampering ages ago and simply hadn't bothered to point it out until now.
"You really don't miss a thing, do you?" Leon chuckled, completely unfazed by her scrutiny. "Come on. Bring Tingyun's nutrient pod. It's time for us to head down."
The Skyport of the Xianzhou Luofu bustled with the usual hum of interstellar commerce, but today, a designated docking bay had been entirely cleared of civilian traffic. The reception lineup waiting on the platform was far more rigid and formal than Leon had anticipated. Standing at the forefront of the dock, flanked by a disciplined row of silver-armored Cloud Knights, was Fu Xuan herself.
As the Master Diviner of the Divination Commission, her personal presence here during such a chaotic period spoke volumes about how deeply the Xianzhou valued a visiting member of the Genius Society. Logically, Yukong, the Helm Master of the Sky-Faring Commission, should have been the one leading this diplomatic greeting. But Yukong had taken a sudden leave of absence today.
I wonder why she took the day off, Leon mused sarcastically, already knowing the exact tragic reason unfolding elsewhere on the ship.
"I certainly didn't expect the Master Diviner herself to be our welcoming committee," Leon said, stepping down the boarding ramp with a relaxed, breezy stride.
He had assumed the Luofu's reception standards for Ruan Mei would be high, but not quite this extravagant. After all, Fu Xuan's workload was notoriously crushing, especially in the aftermath of the recent crisis. Leon swept his gaze over the entourage. Good heavens, there were quite a few familiar faces in the crowd.
Behind the petite Master Diviner stood a very nervous-looking Qingque, and further back in the Cloud Knight ranks stood Sushang, holding her halberd with rigid, wide-eyed attention. Sushang really moved up in the world, Leon thought, amused. Getting assigned to the honor guard for a Genius Society VIP at a time like this? Not bad.
When Fu Xuan saw Leon strolling out of the hatch side-by-side with the legendary Ruan Mei, her stoic facade cracked. A flash of undisguised shock rippled through her pink eyes.
Leon? How is he arriving on Ruan Mei's ship? Hasn't he been on the Luofu this entire time?
The mist surrounding his identity grew infinitely thicker in her mind. Her suspicions that he might be the mortal incarnation of Akivili, the Trailblaze Aeon, flared wildly. Seeing him casually escorting a member of the Genius Society only cemented her terrifying theories.
"You... know each other?" Ruan Mei asked softly, noting the silent, heavy exchange of glances between Leon and the Luofu officials.
"We're old friends, in a way." The corners of Leon's lips curled into a knowing smirk as he gestured casually between the two women. "This is the Master Diviner of the Xianzhou Luofu, Fu Xuan. And this is the eighty-first member of the Genius Society, Ruan Mei."
The two women exchanged polite, measured nods. Fu Xuan's gaze briefly swept over Ruan Mei's elegant attire, noting the subtle Xianzhou-style embroidery, and her guarded expression softened by a fraction.
"And this one..." Leon pivoted toward the back, his smirk widening into a full-blown teasing grin as he locked eyes with the slacking diviner trying desperately to minimize her presence behind Fu Xuan. "Is the unmatched genius diviner of the Divination Commission, Qingque."
Qingque's shoulders jerked violently. Wait... I just tagged along to slack off! Why am I getting a VIP introduction?!
In her panicked eyes, Leon was a walking harbinger of chaos. This was the same guy who started the 'shadow general'rumors and casually dragged Aeons around the Luofu for'team-building' trips.
"Mr. Leon overpraises me!" Qingque waved her hands frantically, sweating bullets under Ruan Mei's sudden, analytical gaze. "I'm just a completely ordinary, run-of-the-mill diviner! I absolutely do not deserve the title of 'genius'!"
"Hello," Ruan Mei nodded slightly, her interest piqued. She knew Leon well enough by now; he never wasted brainpower remembering insignificant people. For instance, there were dozens of staff members on her ecological ship, and Leon hadn't bothered to learn a single one of their names. If he singled this girl out, she must possess some hidden, extraordinary trait.
"And finally," Leon's gaze shifted to the eager Cloud Knight girl gripping her weapon tightly, "Miss Sushang. A highly excellent and dependable Cloud Knight."
"Hello, Mr. Leon! I didn't expect you to actually remember me!" Sushang beamed, waving happily, completely oblivious to the heavy political atmosphere. Guess escorting him and Dan Heng to the Alchemy Commission back then really paid off!
Pleasantries concluded, Fu Xuan's sharp eyes finally drifted to the massive, humming nutrient pod hovering quietly behind Ruan Mei. Its rectangular, metallic design bore an eerie resemblance to the coffin carried by that suspicious blonde outworlder, Luocha.
"This is a medical nutrient pod," Leon chimed in, smoothly intercepting her unasked question. He didn't elaborate on its occupant. "Take us to Starskiff Harbor first."
"Starskiff Harbor?" Fu Xuan blinked, caught off guard by the sudden command. She looked to Ruan Mei for confirmation, expecting the Genius Society VIP to dictate their itinerary.
"Follow his arrangements," Ruan Mei replied flatly, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Fu Xuan's breath hitched. This famously aloof genius is just... deferring to Leon's orders? Without a second thought? Just what exactly is the relationship between them? She bit her inner lip, her mind racing. What should I do? He's acting more and more like Akivili by the second.
A short transport ride later, they arrived at Starskiff Harbor. The usual vibrant energy of the docks was muted, replaced by a solemn, heavy quiet.
Yukong stood alone at the edge of the harbor platform, her tall silhouette framed against the vast, indifferent starry sky. The Consolation Ceremony, organized by the Sky-Faring Commission to honor Tingyun's memory, was on the verge of commencing. According to ancient Foxian tradition, the belongings of the deceased were to be placed within a ceremonial starskiff and launched into the endless void, allowing their soul to shine eternally alongside the stars.
When Stelle, Caelus, March 7th, and Welt finally arrived at the platform, Yukong was still staring blankly at the horizon, lost in the abyss of her own grief.
"Why are you all here?" Yukong blinked, snapping back to the bitter reality as she turned to face the Trailblazers. Her voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper.
"We're here to deliver a gift for Miss Tingyun," Stelle said softly, stepping forward to present an exquisite, masterfully crafted longbow.
Yukong stared at the weapon. The sorrow in her amber eyes deepened, threatening to spill over. "This bow... was a gift Tingyun personally picked out for me. She understood my inner struggles so well. And yet I... I can no longer do anything for her."
She reached out, her trembling fingers brushing the polished wood of the bow. "Thirty years ago, I participated in a brutal, unforgiving war. I flew out into the black with my best friend at my side. But when I returned... I was the only one left." Her voice grew hollow, sinking into the suffocating smoke of memories long past.
"After that war, it felt as if the entire Xianzhou Luofu was terrified to touch those scars again. We buried our heads in the sand, focusing only on recuperating our strength and managing trade along the safe navigation routes."
Yukong closed her eyes, a bitter smile touching her lips. "I convinced myself I was tired of flying. I told myself I had lost the courage to draw a bow... so I buried myself alive in the endless paperwork of the Sky-Faring Commission, never daring to cast my gaze toward the sky again."
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