Honkai Star Rail: I Played the Villain, Now the Heroines Want Revenge — Chapter 217

Chapter 217: Jing Yuan Was Not a Traitor

Late at night, the Divination Commission was a tomb of silent, humming machinery. The massive, golden-orbed Matrix of Prescience spun slowly in the central chamber, its light casting long, skeletal shadows across the floor.

You sat alone in the Master Diviner’s office, now your office, reviewing the endless streams of data. You were “Acting Master Diviner Jiang Xuan,” the most trusted subordinate, the quiet Foxian who had risen to power in the vacuum of chaos. You were the perfect disguise.

Suddenly, you felt a change in the air, a drop in temperature, a subtle pressure against your back. You didn’t need to turn around. A pair of soft, unnaturally cold arms wrapped around you from behind, and a warm, intoxicating breath whispered directly into your ear.

“Well done, my dear Orion~”

It was Phantylia. She had shed her “Fu Xuan” disguise and reverted to her true, divine form, her enchanting, spectral body pressing tightly against your back.

“Don’t move,” she chuckled softly, her voice a melodic, multi-layered chorus. “Let me properly embrace our grand hero. Our chief conspirator.”

Her fingers, impossibly long and pale, gently traced the side of your cheek. “Thanks to your meticulous, wonderful scheme, the entire Xianzhou Alliance is poised to descend into chaos. It’s beautiful.”

“Two generals fallen,” she purred, “one general defected, one general gone mad… Ah~ This beauty of destruction, this exquisite despair… it is truly intoxicating.”

You ignored her provocation, your golden eyes remaining fixed on the data screen displaying troop movements. Your voice was cold, a stark contrast to her passionate display. “When will Lan appear?”

“Such a boring man,” Phantylia pouted, nuzzling her face against your hair. “Always business. But, you are right.” She replied, “Soon.”

“The Seven Arbiter-Generals have begun to collapse. General Huaiyan is old and resistant to change. General Feixiao is… compromised. General Yao Guang is dead. General Jing Yuan is dead. The faith in The Hunt is wavering, shattered by its own champions.”

[Inorin’s Note: The Seven Arbiter-Generals, also known as the Reign-Bow, are the leaders of the seven great flagships of the Xianzhou Alliance and the most powerful followers of Lan, the Aeon of The Hunt.]

“Once the civil war fully erupts, once the children of the Xianzhou raise their blades against each other in the name of ‘justice’…” Phantylia’s voice dropped to a seductive whisper. “The Aeon they worship will have no choice but to show herself. And that,” she kissed the tip of your fox ear, “is when we strike.”

You were silent for a moment, processing. “How is Feixiao?”

“Don’t worry, your little warrior is fine,” Phantylia smiled. “She will ‘wake up’ soon, just as planned, her mind perfectly focused on her ‘duty’ to expose the Alliance’s corruption. She is the perfect weapon of dissent.”

You nodded, satisfied. The plan was proceeding smoothly. The Xianzhou Alliance, this colossal, ancient entity, was disintegrating from within. And all of it was to draw out that supreme, indifferent deity.

The Aeon of The Hunt… Lan. The one whose arrow had murdered your sister.

“Oh, by the way,” Phantylia suddenly leaned into your ear again, her voice playful. “You are truly to my liking, Orion. Far more interesting than any mortal I’ve ever encountered.”

“How about you truly consider becoming my person? Forget this… ‘Fu Xuan’ disguise. Forget the Stellaron Hunters.”

“I can give you even greater power. True power. The power of a Lord Ravager.”

You turned your head, your face now mere inches from hers. You met her swirling, chaotic gaze. “Let’s talk about that… after we deal with The Hunt.”

Phantylia was stunned for a moment, then laughed, a sound of pure, gleeful delight. “What an interesting, ambitious man. Then I shall look forward to that day, my dear Orion.”

She released her arms, and her spectral, beautiful figure melted back into the shadows, vanishing as if she had never been there.

…

The news of Jing Yuan’s death, “a suicide in his cell,” spread throughout the Luofu like a plague. The Shen Ce Mansion, his seat of power, was filled with lamentation.

[Inorin’s Note: The Shen Ce Mansion is the headquarters of the Cloud Knights on the Luofu, serving as the office of the General.]

The Cloud Knights, his most loyal soldiers, knelt before Jing Yuan’s memorial hall, weeping uncontrollably.

“General… how could this be…?”

“Impossible! The General would never betray us! He would never take his own life!”

The entire Luofu fell into a state of disarray, a ship without a rudder. Jing Yuan’s only disciple, Yanqing, was still just a boy, talented but far too young and emotionally compromised to shoulder such a heavy responsibility.

Looking across the entire Luofu, with the General dead and the Master Diviner’s reputation for wisdom, there was only one person qualified to temporarily assume the position of General and stabilize the ship.

The Marshal’s appointment, from the Alliance High Command, came down quickly: Fu Xuan was to be appointed as the temporary acting General of the Luofu.

However, what the entire Xianzhou Alliance never expected was her first act.

As soon as “Fu Xuan” took office, she immediately convened an emergency meeting. In the Shen Ce Mansion’s council hall, the heads of the Six Commissions were all present, their faces grim.

[Inorin’s Note: The Six Commissions (Cloud Knights, Divination, Sky-Faring, Artisanship, Alchemy, and Palace of Astrum) are the governing bodies of the Xianzhou Luofu.]

“Everyone.” “Fu Xuan” stood at the head of the table, her small form radiating an immense, cold authority. Her eyes swept over everyone.

“The first order of business upon my assumption of office is to thoroughly investigate the case of Jing Yuan’s alleged rebellion!”

The hall erupted in murmurs. The Minister of Industry, a pragmatic man, hesitated. “Acting General… no, Master Diviner… Jing Yuan’s rebellion is already a foregone conclusion…”

“A foregone conclusion?” “Fu Xuan” scoffed, her voice sharp as glass. “A General who dedicated his life to the Luofu for seven thousand years… would suddenly betray us? Would suddenly take his own life out of ‘guilt’?”

“I don’t believe it!” She slammed her small hand on the table, the sound echoing with surprising force. “Jing Yuan could never betray the Luofu! There must be something else going on here!”

“General, you mean…” the Sky-Faring Commission head asked, his eyes wide.

“Fu Xuan’s” gaze sharpened. “I suspect this is a meticulously planned, devastating frame-up! And the true mastermind…”

She looked at everyone, enunciating each word with cold, logical fury. “Could very well be General Feixiao of the Yaoqing!”

“What?!”

The council hall erupted in an uproar.

“General, you can’t just make such accusations…”

“Accusations?” “Fu Xuan” stood up, her voice rising with righteous, calculated anger. “Think about it! Who was the first to report Jing Yuan? It was Feixiao!”

“Who continuously presented new, damning ‘evidence’ during the trial that even I could not refute? Still Feixiao!”

“And finally, when Jing Yuan ‘committed suicide,’ who was the sole beneficiary? Who is now hailed as the ‘Hero of the Alliance’ for exposing a traitor? It is still Feixiao!”

She surveyed the shocked, silent crowd. “This is too coincidental. The logic is flawed. The entire case was built on her testimony!”

Everyone fell silent. Indeed, it all seemed too perfect.

“I have decided,” “Fu Xuan” stated resolutely, “to apply to the Xianzhou Alliance to reopen this case! Jing Yuan’s name must be cleared!”

Three days later. Luofu Central Plaza.

“Fu Xuan” stood on the high platform, and behind her stood you, “Jiang Xuan,” now the acting head of the Divination Commission, her most trusted aide.

Below the plaza, thousands of Luofu citizens and grieving Cloud Knights had gathered.

“Fellow citizens of the Luofu!” Her voice, amplified by the acoustic arrays, echoed across the entire plaza. “I know you are all grieving the passing of General Jing Yuan.”

“But I want to tell you—” She paused, her voice ringing with absolute conviction. “I don’t believe it!”

“I don’t believe that our Luofu’s General Jing Yuan would betray the Xianzhou Alliance, betray the Luofu, betray every single one of us!”

The crowd began to stir, a low murmur growing.

“General Jing Yuan dedicated his entire life to the Luofu!” “Fu Xuan’s” voice grew more and more impassioned. “He protected us for thousands of years!”

“How could such a person be a traitor?! How could he die in such disgrace?!”

“Exactly!” someone in the crowd shouted, a Cloud Knight with tears streaming down his face. “General Jing Yuan is not a traitor!”

“The General was framed!”

More and more voices rose, the grief turning into righteous indignation.

Seeing this, “Fu Xuan’s” lips curved slightly upward, a smile of cold triumph, but she quickly returned to a serious expression.

“Therefore, I have already applied to the Xianzhou Alliance! This case must be thoroughly investigated!”

“To clear General Jing Yuan’s name!”

“Clear the General’s name!”

The crowd below shouted in unison, their voices a unified roar.

“Clear the General’s name!”

“Clear the General’s name!”

The waves of sound grew louder and louder, deafening. You stood behind “Fu Xuan,” watching this masterful performance, your heart unmoved. The seeds of civil war had been successfully sown.

However, a few days later, in the Divination Commission office.

Fu Xuan looked at the official document in her hand, a gleeful, wicked smile on her face. No, to be precise, it was Phantylia smiling.

“They refused.” She leaned languidly in her chair, tossing the document aside. “The Marshal and the other Generals said that Jing Yuan’s rebellion is ‘ironclad evidence.’ During the meeting, Jing Yuan ‘personally admitted’ it and ‘killed’ Yao Guang on the spot. The facts are conclusive, no further investigation is needed.”

She looked at you. “They told me, as the acting General, to first manage the Luofu and stabilize the situation. What do you think we should do next, my dear Orion?”

You said blandly, “You already know what to do.”

“Heh heh… indeed.” Phantylia stood up, resuming Fu Xuan’s stern, arrogant demeanor.

“Then let this fire burn even brighter.”