Honkai Star Rail: I Played the Villain, Now the Heroines Want Revenge — Chapter 219

Chapter 219: The Zhuming Gambit

The flames of the Xianzhou civil war, meticulously fanned by your design, quickly spread, threatening to engulf the entire Alliance. The conflict had entered a new, bloody phase.

The target was now the Xianzhou Zhuming.

[Inorin’s Note: The Zhuming is one of the six flagships of the Xianzhou Alliance, renowned for its unparalleled Artisanship Commission. It functions as the primary arsenal and forge for the entire Alliance.]

Inside the Artisanship Commission’s central keep, General Huaiyan, the aged and pragmatic leader of the Zhuming, stood before a massive holographic map of his star system. His face, etched with the weariness of centuries, was grim. The Zhuming was a ship of creation, not of total war. They were the smiths, not the shield.

“General, the Luofu fleet has warped into our sector! They are approaching on an attack vector!” a panicked Cloud Knight navigator shouted, his voice cracking over the internal comms.

Huaiyan sighed deeply, closing his eyes for a single, heavy moment. “I knew this day would come. They are not fighting for justice. They are fighting for weapons.”

As the most skilled craftsmen in the Alliance, the Zhuming possessed the most advanced, most devastating armaments. They were the gigantic arsenal, and their neutrality had just expired.

“Issue the order,” Huaiyan said, his voice deep and resonating with a sudden, hard resolve. “Full army prepare for battle. The Zhuming is unwilling to participate in this madness, but if anyone wishes to seize our weapons…”

He turned, his old eyes hardening into steel. “Then let them witness the true, fiery depth of a craftsmanship-focused Ark!”

The war, however, arrived faster than even he had imagined.

Boom—!

The Zhuming’s outer defensive shields, powerful but designed to repel Abominations, buckled under the concentrated fire of a Luofu fleet running on pure, vengeful fury. The first wave of star-skiffs poured through the breach.

“Kill! Seize the Zhuming armory for the General!”

The shouts of the Luofu Cloud Knights, broadcast on open channels, shook the Zhuming defenders. They had expended too many military supplies in their brutal, grinding war with the Yaoqing and Yuque. They were desperate, and they needed Zhuming’s weapons to continue their “crusade.”

But just as the Luofu fleet began their invasion, a new alert klaxon blared through the Zhuming command center, this one even more dire.

“Report! Secondary contacts detected! The Yuque fleet and the Yaoqing fleet are approaching simultaneously! They are… they are also on attack vectors!”

Huaiyan’s expression completely changed. Three Xianzhou. All converging on his ship.

“These lunatics…” the old general gritted his teeth, his hand tightening on the hilt of his blade. “For weapons… have they abandoned their last shred of decency? Their last memory of the Alliance?”

The Xianzhou Zhuming, the great forge of the Alliance, instantly became a bloody, three-way meat grinder. Three factions battled furiously in its skies, each tearing at the others, all for the armaments that could determine the course of the war.

Miles and light-years away, in the cold, quiet sanctum of the Luofu’s Divination Commission, you watched.

You sat in the Master Diviner’s high-backed chair—your chair. The Jade Abacus in your hand flashed with cool, green light as data streams poured in. Before you, a massive holographic display showed the entire engagement in real-time. The red icons of the Luofu fleet, the green of the Yaoqing, the blue of the Yuque. All clashing, all bleeding, all dying around the central axis of the Zhuming.

It was a masterful, chaotic symphony of your own design.

A moment later, you opened a secure, encrypted communication line.

“Jiang Xuan.”

On the virtual screen in the void, General Huaiyan’s weary, battle-worn face appeared. He looked ten years older than he had a week ago.

“General Huaiyan,” you greeted him, your voice a perfect blend of respect, urgency, and shared sorrow.

This was not your first conversation. As early as the beginning of the war, you had secretly contacted the old general, positioning yourself not as an enemy, but as a reluctant mediator trapped by “Fu Xuan’s” fanaticism.

“How are things on the Luofu?” Huaiyan asked, his voice rough.

“Not optimistic, General,” you sighed, playing your role perfectly. “General ‘Fu Xuan’ still insists on seeking justice for General Jing Yuan. Her grief has… blinded her. I’ve advised her many times, but she won’t listen.”

Huaiyan was silent for a moment, the sounds of distant explosions echoing from his side of the comm. “You’ve done your best, young man.”

“It’s not your fault. I know that girl Fu Xuan’s temper. Stubborn and arrogant.”

You showed the perfect, pained expression. “I truly… I don’t want to see the Xianzhou continue this civil war. People are dying every day, General. They are all our compatriots…”

Upon hearing this, Huaiyan’s heart softened. His own investigation had confirmed your identity: “Jiang Xuan,” a survivor of the Fanghu, rescued by the Yaoqing, a young Foxian of clean origin and outstanding ability, who had risen to become the new Taibus (Master Diviner) of the Luofu in Fu Xuan’s absence.

[Inorin’s Note: Taibus is the title for the Master Diviner of the Divination Commission, the role Phantylia has usurped and passed to Orion as a puppet leader.]

More importantly, your private communications to the Alliance high command—communications you allowed Huaiyan’s spies to intercept—were all pleas for mediation and peace. You were a conscientious, peace-seeking young man trapped in a den of warmongers.

“Jiang Xuan,” Huaiyan began, “Can you… try one more time? Zhuming is almost unable to hold on. If our weapons fall into the hands of any one party, the war will only become more brutal, more endless.”

You pondered for a moment, as if making a heavy, reluctant decision. “General… I have an idea.”

“Tell me.”

“Although the Luofu’s offensive is fierce, in reality… our resources are almost depleted.” You lied with the flawless confidence of an Emanator of Elation. “The Xianzhou Alliance has blockaded all our shipping lanes. Supplies cannot get in.”

“We are severely short of weapons and ammunition,” you pressed, “which is precisely why ‘Fu Xuan’ is so eager to attack Zhuming. She is desperate.”

Huaiyan’s eyes lit up. This intelligence was critical. It was logical, and it explained the Luofu’s suicidal ferocity.

“You mean to say…”

“If we can give General ‘Fu Xuan’ a way to back down,” you said, “a diplomatic exit… perhaps she will agree to a temporary ceasefire. The Luofu needs to catch its breath. And during this time, we, the rational ones, can find a way to truly mediate this war.”

Huaiyan pondered. The blockade was a fact. The resource shortage was logical. What this young man said checked out. “Can you persuade ‘Fu Xuan’?”

“I can try. After all, I am her confidant. She still listens to me somewhat.” You added, lowering your voice. “And… truthfully, General, she doesn’t want to fight anymore either. She’s just stuck. Everyone in the Luofu demands revenge for General Jing Yuan. She cannot show weakness. But if there’s a suitable, honorable reason to pause…”

Huaiyan nodded, a grim understanding on his face. “I understand. This is a political game, not just a war. Then let’s do that. You go persuade ‘Fu Xuan’. If she agrees, we can meet. In person.”

A few days later, a secret message arrived for General Huaiyan.

“‘Fu Xuan’ agreed to a ceasefire?” he looked at the secret letter you’d sent, somewhat surprised. But soon, the Luofu’s official, public statement was released: they were willing to cease fire and discuss de-escalation with the Xianzhou Alliance.

When the news spread, the entire Alliance was shaken. The Marshal and other uninvolved Xianzhou ships all expressed fervent support. The civil war had to stop.

Only the Yuque Celestial Ark was dismissive. On their flagship, the new General, a hard-liner loyal to the late Yao Guang, sneered at the report. “Luofu is cunning. This ceasefire is a trick! We should take this opportunity to eliminate them!”

But on the surface, they took no action. Underhandedly, an elite fleet quietly gathered, preparing to launch a devastating sneak attack during the “peace” negotiations.

The negotiation location was set in a tranquil, neutral garden pavilion on the Zhuming Celestial Ark.

General Huaiyan arrived first, accompanied by only a few personal guards. As an old general, he was cautious, but he was also confident in his own strength. Even if there was an ambush, he could retreat safely.

Soon after, the Luofu star-skiff arrived. “Fu Xuan” (Phantylia) stepped out, her expression cold and arrogant. You, “Jiang Xuan,” followed closely behind her, the picture of a dutiful, nervous adjutant.

“General Huaiyan,” she bowed stiffly.

“Fu Xuan, girl,” Huaiyan sighed, his shoulders heavy. “Why did it have to come to this?”

The two “generals” sat facing each other. You stood behind “Fu Xuan,” your eyes downcast, silently observing the room, your Golden Threads of Fate already spreading, tasting the tension in the air.

The negotiations began. Initially, everything went smoothly. The conditions proposed by “Fu Xuan” were not excessive; she only requested the lifting of the blockade and the resumption of vital trade. Huaiyan, desperate for a ceasefire, was willing to make concessions.

“Then it’s settled,” Huaiyan finally said, a genuine, relieved smile touching his aged face. “Upon my return, I will immediately report to the Marshal to lift the blockade on the Luofu.”

“Fu Xuan” (Phantylia) nodded. “Thank you for your understanding, General.”

The tension in the room evaporated. Huaiyan’s guards relaxed, their hands moving away from their weapons. The old General himself turned slightly, preparing to pour a celebratory cup of tea.

This was the moment.

You suddenly moved.

You, who had been a silent, harmless shadow. You, the peace-seeking mediator.

In the split second that Huaiyan’s back was turned, your entire demeanor changed. The [Mystic Eyes of Death Perception] flared to life, unbidden. The vibrant colors of the garden pavilion, the golden light, the green plants—all of it drained away, replaced by a stark, monochrome etching of reality.

The world fractured into a spiderweb of black lines. And on the back of the old General—on his neck, his spine, his heart—the lines were thick, dark, and inviting.

The short blade, hidden in your sleeve, was already in your hand. You didn’t lunge. You didn’t even breathe. You simply acted.

Your movement was a fluid, silent, lethal dance. You stepped forward, your blade tracing a perfect, beautiful, conceptual line.

Straight for Huaiyan’s back.