Honkai Star Rail: I Played the Villain, Now the Heroines Want Revenge — Chapter 237

Chapter 237: Jing Yuan Has Also Heard of Orion’s Reputation

“So,” Yukong looked at everyone, her formal tone heavy with the weight of her request. She was about to bow again. “I must trouble the Astral Express Crew to help us, the Luofu, quell this Stellaron disaster…”

Before she could finish, a new, relaxed male voice suddenly rang out from the center of the hall.

“Yukong, our guests have traveled a long way and are not yet settled. You wish to place such a heavy burden on them.”

“If word of this gets out, won’t the myriad realms of the galaxy mock us, the Luofu, for not knowing the way of hospitality?”

“…General Jing Yuan?” Yukong looked up in surprise.

A virtual projection of a man had appeared in the middle of the hall.

He had white hair, wore the intricate white and gold armor of a General, and had a slightly lazy, almost sleepy expression. But his golden eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s.

“I apologize for interrupting your meeting.” He first nodded slightly to the Astral Express Crew.

“I am Jing Yuan, the Cloud Knight General of the Luofu.”

“I am truly sorry to let you see the Luofu in its current state… The affairs of the Xianzhou should, by all rights, be resolved by the Xianzhou itself, but…”

He changed the subject and looked at Yukong, his tone gentle but firm. “Even so, I would still like to ask the Trailblazers to consider carefully before deciding whether or not to take on this matter.”

“This Stellaron is extraordinary. It is precisely because we, the Luofu, underestimated it that such a disaster occurred. If you intervene rashly, you may be in mortal danger.”

“General!” Yukong said anxiously, “It was so hard to finally get reinforcements, I really have no choice but to…”

“No.” Jing Yuan shook his head, cutting her off, though his smile remained. “They are guests. We must not impose our difficulties on our guests.”

“The…General of the Luofu?” March 7th was completely confused. “You mean… you don’t want us to take on this commission?”

“Not at all.” Jing Yuan shook his head and smiled upon hearing this.

“The name of the Astral Express has long been like thunder in my ears, and I have yearned for it for a long time. It is truly a blessing to meet you all in person today.”

His gaze swept over everyone—Welt, the seasoned elder; March 7th, the energetic youth; Stelle, the… anomaly. Finally, his gaze settled on Orion.

In those eyes that had seen countless people, that had planned strategies for centuries, there was only undisguised, sharp admiration.

“Especially… this Esteemed Orion.”

“General Jing Yuan… has also heard of your deeds.”

“You single-handedly slew the infamous Lord Ravager, Asat Pramad, on the battlefield of Belobog, right?”

As soon as these words were spoken, the Palace of Astrum instantly fell silent.

The few Sky-Faring Commission staff members in the hall who had not yet been infected with the Stellaron disease heard the General’s words and all looked at Orion in shock.

Defeated a Lord Ravager?!

That was an Emanator… a being of the same rank as the General himself!

How could this young man, who looked to be less than twenty years old, possibly…

Orion, who had always wanted to keep a low profile, found it difficult to continue hiding his capabilities under the direct, knowing gaze of the Luofu General.

He was thinking about how to respond. He’s testing me. He’s announcing my strength to his own people to build trust, but also to put me on the spot.

Before he could formulate a modest, political reply, March 7th had already rushed forward, proudly placing her hands on her hips as if showing off her shiniest treasure.

“Of course! Orion is amazing!”

“Even a Lord Ravager can be beaten down by him! I’m telling you, there’s simply no problem in this universe that he can’t solve!”

Orion was a little helpless. “No, March 7th, you’re exaggerating too much…”

“I agree with March 7th!” Stelle immediately puffed out her chest and nodded vigorously, “My good brother is omnipotent!”

Orion: “…”

Jing Yuan looked at this interesting scene and chuckled. “In any case, if we can receive your strong support, it would truly be an honor for the Luofu, and for me, Jing Yuan, personally. However…”

“However?” March 7th asked, tilting her head.

“Ultimately, it still depends on your wishes; the Luofu will never force you,” Jing Yuan said.

March 7th was completely confused by him now. She quietly turned to Stelle and Orion and whispered: “What exactly does this General mean? Does he want us to help or not? He’s talking in circles.”

Stelle also shook her head. “I don’t know, his words feel very roundabout.”

“I’m afraid…” Orion whispered, his eyes locked with Jing Yuan’s projection, “General Jing Yuan is also unsure if we truly have the ability to handle this specific crisis, or if we are truly willing to give our full strength to help them.”

He was testing their resolve.

At this moment, Welt stepped forward, acting as the group’s formal diplomat.

He said to Jing Yuan’s projection: “As expected of the General of the Luofu, to still care about the safety of us guests in times of crisis is truly admirable.”

“But, since we came for the Stellaron, how can we return empty-handed?”

He pushed up his glasses. “It’s just… if we are willing to give our full assistance, I wonder, General, if you will also give us your full support? Unfettered access?”

Jing Yuan laughed heartily upon hearing this, the lazy demeanor vanishing, replaced by the sharpness of a strategist.

“Of course! Although the Luofu Cloud Knights have suffered heavy losses, loyal and brave soldiers still remain. If you have a plan to turn the tide, I, Jing Yuan, will lead my soldiers without hesitation and cooperate fully!”

“Then, shall we officially accept the commission to seal the Stellaron?”

Welt looked at Stelle, Orion, and March 7th, seeking their opinions.

The three looked at each other, then all nodded.

March 7th: “Since we’re already here, we definitely have to seal a Stellaron before we leave.”

Stelle: “I, the Galaxy Bat Hero, fear nothing!”

Orion: “The Stellaron… must be sealed.”

Hearing this, Jing Yuan smiled. “Your willingness to help is truly the Luofu’s good fortune.”

“However, I still have an impolite request. I wonder if you would be willing to hear me out?”

“What else is there?” March 7th spoke quickly, “Just say it all! Anyway, with Orion here, there’ll be no problem!”

“And me! I’m with him!” Stelle also said.

Orion sighed. “No, don’t just arbitrarily…”

Welt asked, “What else is it, General Jing Yuan?”

Jing Yuan cleared his throat, his expression becoming serious.

“A few days ago, the Realm-Keeping Commission apprehended a suspicious individual. It was confirmed to be a Stellaron Hunter member named ‘Blade’.”

[Inorin’s Note: The “Realm-Keeping Commission” (地衡司/Dìhéng Sī) is the Luofu’s internal security and law enforcement, responsible for detaining criminals like Blade.]

“And during the interrogation, the Divination Commission intercepted a message sent by his accomplice, ‘Kafka’. As for the recipient… it was the Astral Express.”

“Wait a minute!” March 7th became anxious, “We have nothing to do with those people! I don’t even know them; they contacted us unilaterally!”

“Of course, I believe that you have no connection with the Stellaron Hunters.”

Jing Yuan said, his voice reassuring. “But the Master Diviner, Fu Xuan, believes you are highly suspicious.”

[Inorin’s Note: “Master Diviner” (太卜) is the title for Fu Xuan, the head of the Divination Commission.]

“She even wanted me to order your arrest… especially Esteemed Orion, to be brought to her for interrogation.”

“But I sternly refused.”

“How could the esteemed Astral Express Crew collude with the infamous Stellaron Hunters?”

“I believe this is highly likely a conspiracy by the Stellaron Hunters, to deliberately let us discover it, thereby framing the Astral Express.”

“Exactly! It’s their conspiracy!” March 7th said indignantly, “I didn’t expect you, General, to be quite smart!”

Jing Yuan’s projection glanced at her, and March 7th’s voice instantly lowered, suddenly feeling like she had said something wrong.

Welt smiled. “With a commander like General Jing Yuan on the Luofu, one who can distinguish right from wrong, we feel much more at ease helping.”

“Hmm.” Jing Yuan nodded. “However, the Stellaron disaster is currently plaguing the Luofu, yet its core cannot be found. And the Stellaron Hunter, Kafka, as the instigator, is lurking on the ark. This is ultimately a major hidden danger… I, Jing Yuan, am stretched thin…”

“So, I would like to ask the Astral Express Crew, while investigating the Stellaron, if you could also, as a matter of course, ferret out the Stellaron Hunters. That would be best.”

“Of course,” he added, “The Luofu’s top priority is always to solve the Stellaron. It’s just that with the Stellaron Hunters in the dark, I can never truly be at ease…”

“My apologies, I’ve spoken too much.”

“In short, please feel free to act; I, Jing Yuan, will provide my full support. If you can resolve the Luofu’s crisis, the Xianzhou will surely offer a generous reward!”

“Generous reward?” March 7th’s eyes lit up. “What good things will you give?”

Jing Yuan smiled: “It will definitely exceed your expectations. I, Jing Yuan, guarantee it.”

“Hmm…” March 7th thought for a moment. “Anyway, with the invincible Orion here, it seems okay to catch the Stellaron Hunters along the way. Right, Stelle?”

“Huh? Oh! That’s right!” Stelle echoed.

Orion: “…”

[He’s good. He just roped us into doing his dirty work for him…]

“Alright, I still need to inspect several Cloud Knight patient camps, so I’ll take my leave first.”

Jing Yuan’s projection began to become ethereal.

But just as it was about to disappear, it suddenly stabilized again.

“Does the General have something else?” Welt asked.

Jing Yuan simply hummed, but his gaze was not on him; instead, it fell on Orion again.

Orion felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze. “General… looking for me?”

Jing Yuan looked at him, his head tilted. “Have we… met somewhere before?”

Orion was stunned for a moment, a flash of a white-haired Foxian general from his simulation—Feixiao—crossing his mind.

He quickly steadied himself. “What do you mean, General? Although I’ve long heard of the Xianzhou and the famous Arbiter-Generals, and the name of the Divine Foresight, General Jing Yuan, is also well-known, but…”

[Inorin’s Note: The “Reignbow Seven Heavenly Generals” are officially referred to as the “Arbiter-Generals” in the English localization.]

“This should be our first meeting.”

“Oh…” Jing Yuan smiled. “Perhaps I mistook you for someone else. I’m getting old, and my memory isn’t what it used to be.”

“Then, farewell, and I entrust this to you all.”

With that, Jing Yuan’s projection completely disappeared.

Next, Yukong stepped forward and bowed solemnly to everyone again:

“Thank you all! Although Yukong is not talented, if you need anything, you can always come to the Palace of Astrum to find me! I will do my best to help!”

Everyone left the Palace of Astrum and returned to the bustling streets of the Luofu.

People came and went, as if everything was normal.

“So strange.”

“This Xianzhou now feels like… like a horror movie where the director yells ‘cut’ and all the extras go back to their places…”

March 7th recalled the terrifying scene on the street earlier, saying with lingering fear.

“Hmm, I feel the same way.” Stelle nodded.

Orion, however, reminded them: “Still be careful. Don’t think these people are normal; they should all be infected. There’s no telling when the next ‘game’ will begin.”

“Right, it’s always good to stay vigilant,” Welt said.

Just then, Tingyun’s figure appeared at the street corner, smiling and waving at them.

She looked at March 7th and Stelle’s still-frightened expressions and chuckled: “They are normal now. It’s just, no one knows when the next ‘game’ will begin…”

“So, are they really all infected with the Stellaron disease?” Stelle asked.

Tingyun nodded: “It seems you benefactors already know from the General, so this humble one doesn’t need to explain further.”

“Indeed, most people on the Xianzhou are afflicted with this disease, and for now, there is no cure.”

“Even the Dragon Lady of the Alchemy Commission and the Dan Shu Elder are powerless against this disease.”

Welt: “The situation is critical; we have no time to rest.”

“To find a Stellaron in such a vast Celestial Ark is like searching for a needle in a haystack…”

“May I ask, Miss Tingyun, if you have any information about the Stellaron or the Stellaron Hunters?”

“Not yet,” Tingyun shook her head, her smile perfect. “If I do, this humble one will inform you all immediately.”

As she spoke, she bowed: “This humble one still has some official duties, so I shall first…”

“Hold on.” Orion suddenly spoke up, stopping her.

Tingyun turned back, her expression one of polite curiosity. “Esteemed Orion, is there anything else?”

Orion had a kind smile on his face: “Miss Tingyun, I wonder if you would grace me with your presence and find a place to have some tea and chat with me?”

As soon as he finished speaking, before Tingyun (Phantylia) could react, March 7th and Stelle became excited first.

“Hey! Orion!” March 7th put her hands on her hips and said indignantly. “Although I know you’re tired, this is an emergency! Is it really appropriate for you to be thinking about flirting?”

Stelle also pouted, her golden eyes filled with displeasure. “Orion, do…do you like Tingyun’s type?”

“Oh?” This scene instantly caught Tingyun’s attention.

As a Lord Ravager skilled at discerning human hearts, she instantly saw the unspoken feelings in the hearts of these two girls.

Haha, interesting… they both have a good impression of him at the same time?

The pink-haired girl probably doesn’t even realize it herself.

And the grey-haired one… she’s already deeply involved.

Haha… things are getting interesting. Manipulating human hearts is, after all, my old trade.

At this moment, Orion looked at March 7th and Stelle: “Not at all. It’s just that we are new here and unfamiliar with many things on the Xianzhou.”

“I just want to find Miss Tingyun, a local, to gain a deeper understanding of Xianzhou’s intelligence.”

“Then I’ll go with you to understand!” Stelle immediately said.

Orion, however, refused: “No, the situation is urgent right now; it’s more efficient if we split up and act separately.”

“I’ll act alone, and the three of you can continue to investigate openly… Uncle Yang, what do you think?”

Welt thought seriously for a moment and nodded. “That does make sense. It allows us to cover more ground. I trust you to act alone, Orion.”

OrOpenai_E5_Member: “Really?” March 7th didn’t believe him. She leaned close to Orion, staring at his face from left to right at close range, a suspicious look on her face.

“Are you really just going to ‘chat’ and ‘gather information’ about the Xianzhou?”

“What else?” Orion’s face was open and honest.

“Hmm…” March 7th still found it suspicious. “I can’t put my finger on it.”

“Then it’s settled.” Orion no longer paid attention to her and turned to Tingyun: “How about it, Miss Tingyun?”

Tingyun (Phantylia) had intended to find an excuse to refuse. But at this moment, she saw the jealous, hurt feelings in the eyes of the two girls.

Haha, this game now has a much more interesting way to play.

The friendship of the Astral Express Crew seems so wonderful… But would this recently established friendship fall apart?

It was truly something to look forward to… Thinking of this, Tingyun showed a captivating smile on her face:

“…Since it is Esteemed Orion’s kind invitation, this humble one is naturally happy to accompany you.”