Honkai Star Rail: I Played the Villain, Now the Heroines Want Revenge — Chapter 241

Chapter 241: Jingliu Falls

The distance between their noses was only a few inches.

His warm, calm breath mixed with her icy, death-tinged exhalations, creating a wisp of mist in the cold air she generated.

Jingliu’s blood-red eyes were fixed intently on Orion.

There was no human emotion in them. Only pure, cold killing intent and a chaotic, screaming madness.

That was the symbol of her Mara-Struck state fully erupting.

[Inorin’s Note: The “Mara-Struck” state is an incurable affliction of the long-life Xianzhou species, where their minds eventually degrade into madness and their bodies mutate. Jingliu is a “pseudo-Mara-Struck” who intentionally stays in this state.]

Her internal organs were churning and burning, her memories tearing at her sanity.

The sorrow of slaying the Shuhu, the Abomination of Abundance.

The agonizing pain of being forced to kill her closest friend…

All these negative emotions were amplified countless times, twisted and weaponized by the insidious power of the Stellaron Sickness.

She only wanted to kill. She only wanted to destroy everything in front of her.

This man was the ‘person’ found in the ‘hide-and-seek’ game.

According to the rules of the game… she should kill him.

Her hand was already raised, cold air condensing in her palm, frost spreading up her arm, ready to transform into a heart-piercing blade in the next instant.

However, she couldn’t move.

Why?

Why couldn’t she kill him?

Jingliu’s consciousness struggled in the chaos.

She looked at the face before her.

A strange, young, impossibly handsome face.

There was no fear in those dark eyes. No panic. No arrogance.

Only a deep, profound calmness she couldn’t comprehend.

He just… held her. His arm was like a steel band around her waist, steadying her, gazing at her as if she were not a monster.

“Thump.”

“Thump, thump.”

Her heart, her physical heart, seemed to have been gently plucked by something.

This was impossible.

Jingliu’s heart had died centuries ago.

It had been buried with her closest friend, Baiheng, and then completely frozen when she slew the Abomination of Abundance.

She had thought her heart had become merely a piece of cold flesh maintaining her bodily functions, never to beat for anything again.

But now, this heart, silent for centuries, was like a rusty gear re-lubricated with oil.

One beat, then another.

Each beat, slow and heavy, washed away a small piece of the mad, bloody haze in her mind.

The face before her gradually became clear in her chaotic vision.

Very handsome.

This was the first, and only, thought that flashed through Jingliu’s returning sanity.

Immediately, the Mara-Struck state that had plagued her body and tormented her for centuries receded like a tide.

The blood-red glow in her eyes also dispersed like thick ink dropped into clear water, gradually fading.

The screaming in her head… stopped.

Her vision cleared, returning to its original serene, icy coolness.

Madness receded. Reason returned.

Who am I?

Jingliu.

Where am I?

The Luofu, a restaurant in the Exalting Sanctum.

Why am I here?

Chasing Blade… then, the Mara-Struck state erupted, amplified…

And she was infected with Stellaron Sickness, becoming… a hide-and-seek “ghost”?

Just now, I killed many people.

And injured… Yanqing?

All her memories flooded back in an instant, and Jingliu’s body trembled.

And now, she was being held by a strange man in an extremely intimate, embarrassing embrace.

“…”

An expression other than coldness and madness—confusion—appeared on Jingliu’s face.

Just then, a sound broke the eerie, suspended silence of the fourth floor.

It was a customer downstairs, whose chopsticks had fallen to the floor. Clack.

Immediately after, it was as if a play button had been pressed for the entire building.

“Oh, this wine isn’t good, get another pot!”

“Boss lady, another plate of braised pork hock!”

“Hahaha, brother, let me tell you, yesterday I…”

The restaurant, which had been deathly silent, suddenly erupted into a bustling clamor within a second.

Those who had been hiding under tables, behind screens, or even hanging from the rafters…

Now returned to their seats as if nothing had happened, continuing their previous drinking and revelry, as if that strange, horrific game of hide-and-seek had never occurred.

They seemed not to see the bloodstains and fresh corpses on the first floor, completely ignoring them as they stepped over the bodies to get to their tables.

This sudden, grotesque scene left March 7th and Stelle dumbfounded.

“Wh-what’s going on?”

March 7th looked downstairs, then at Orion and Jingliu, who were still embracing.

Stelle was also perplexed; she scratched her head and speculated:

“Could it be… that the game time is over?”

“Over? Why?” March 7th couldn’t understand.

She suddenly thought of something, clapped her hands, and looked at Orion and Jingliu, who were still frozen in their embrace.

“Could it be because… we caught the ‘ghost’?”

Stelle followed her line of thought and also found it quite logical.

“In this game of hide-and-seek, the white-haired woman was the ‘ghost,’ and now the ‘ghost’ is… ‘subdued’ by Orion… so the game ended?”

It sounded… like that was the reason.

As the two girls pondered, Jingliu, held by Orion, suddenly went limp.

The return of her sanity, the shock of her actions, and the sudden cessation of the Stellaron Sickness’s influence caused her to completely lose consciousness.

Her soft, strong body fell entirely into Orion’s arms, her moon-white hair cascading like a waterfall.

Orion, without missing a beat, scooped her up in a bridal carry.

The body in his arms was very light, yet held the dense, taut muscle characteristic of someone who had practiced swordsmanship for many years.

“Orion!”

“You, you two…”

March 7th and Stelle finally reacted and rushed over.

“Sh-she… what happened to her? Is she dead?” March 7th leaned in, carefully poked Jingliu’s cheek with a finger, and found it icy cold.

Stelle looked at Orion nervously: “Are you okay? She didn’t hurt you, did she?”

Orion shook his head, his gaze falling on the tranquil sleeping face in his arms.

Without the madness, Jingliu’s features were delicate, almost ethereal, though her complexion was deathly pale, and tiny ice crystals clung to her long eyelashes.

She was completely different from the murderous, roaring demoness from just now.

“She just fainted,” Orion said. “I’m fine.”

Just then, Welt walked out of the private room.

He glanced at the situation in the corridor, then at the unconscious woman in Orion’s arms, his brow furrowed.

“Orion, this is…”

“It’s a long story, Uncle Yang,” Orion briefly explained. “She’s the ‘ghost’ from the game. And now she’s unconscious.”

“She’s also infected with Stellaron Sickness?”

“Mm. And the Mara-Struck state. A bad combination.”

Welt’s expression became solemn: “Then the Cloud Knight, Yanqing, downstairs…”

“He’s seriously injured, but he should be out of danger,” Orion replied, having already scanned the boy’s “lines.”

“Then what do we do now?” March 7th fretted. “You can’t just keep holding her, can you? What if she wakes up and goes crazy again?”

“For now, let’s observe her condition.”

Orion carried Jingliu and turned to leave.

March 7th and Stelle exchanged glances; although still a bit uneasy, they immediately followed.

Back in the private room, Welt quickly re-closed the door, jamming a chair under the handle.

Orion gently placed Jingliu on the wide, soft couch in the room, and even pulled a nearby blanket over her.

This series of natural, gentle movements made the two girls beside him feel another surge of unprovoked anger.

“Hey, Orion, you’re being too nice to her, aren’t you?”

March 7th couldn’t help but complain in a low voice, “She’s a ghost, you know! She tried to kill us! And Yanqing!”

Stelle also pouted: “Exactly, even giving her a blanket…”

Orion glanced at them, offering no explanation.

He walked to the window and looked out.

Sure enough, not long after, teams of well-equipped Cloud Knights quietly cordoned off the back of the restaurant, then carried away the heavily injured and unconscious Yanqing.

The entire process was orderly, efficient, and silent. Clearly, this was not the first time they had encountered such a situation.

“It seems with this… lady… here, we won’t be able to leave for a while,” Welt also walked over, looking at the scene downstairs.

Orion nodded: “Mm, the restaurant will be thoroughly searched very soon.”

Just then, a faint groan came from the soft couch.

“Ugh…”

Jingliu’s brows were tightly furrowed, as if she was having a nightmare, muttering unconsciously.

“No… Baiheng…”

[Inorin’s Note: Baiheng was a member of the High-Cloud Quintet, a Foxian woman, and Jingliu’s closest friend, whom Jingliu was forced to mercy-kill after she was corrupted by Abundance.]

“What is she saying?”

Stelle curiously leaned closer.

Orion, however, stopped her.

“Don’t go over. Her condition is very unstable right now.”

“You two go wait in the next room for a bit… I need to treat her.”

“Treat her?” March 7th was puzzled. “Orion, you can do that too?”

Stelle also found it strange: “Why do we have to leave for you to treat her? Can’t you do it here?”

Orion thought for a moment and said: “I need to concentrate to remove the sickness from her… And, I’m afraid she might suddenly wake up and hurt you.”

“Ugh… I see…”

The two girls exchanged glances, still a bit uneasy.

Welt, however, said: “Since Orion has a way, let him handle it. Perhaps when that girl wakes up, she can provide some information about the Stellaron.”

Hearing this, March 7th and Stelle had nothing more to say and followed Welt out.

Inside the room, only Orion and the unconscious Jingliu remained.

The door gently closed behind Welt, shutting out the outside noise.

The room instantly fell silent, leaving only the faint, erratic sound of Jingliu’s breathing on the soft couch.

Orion stood still, not moving immediately.

He looked at Jingliu, lying quietly there.

This was a beautiful and dangerous woman, a peerless, fierce sword that would draw blood the moment it was unsheathed.

And now, this sword lay before him, completely defenseless.

Orion slowly walked to the side of the couch and leaned over, gazing at her.

Jingliu’s brows were tightly furrowed, and she was still muttering in her sleep.

Her dream, he thought, must be a nightmare.

Orion understood.

It seemed her internal condition was worse than expected.

The Stellaron’s power, like a catalyst, had exacerbated her already near-uncontrollable Mara-Struck state.

Two forces clashed within her body.

If he used the method he employed against Cocolia in Belobog—directly and forcefully absorbing the Stellaron’s power—it would likely instantly shatter the fragile balance within her.

The best outcome would be her completely succumbing to the Mara-Struck state, knowing only slaughter.

The worst… would be her exploding on the spot.

He must first soothe the violent Stellaron power within her, allowing her own mind to calm down.

Thinking this.

Orion reached out and gently placed his hand on Jingliu’s cold temple.

The moment his fingertip touched her skin, Jingliu’s body trembled.

Orion paid no attention, focusing intently on treating her with gentle, rhythmic pressure.

This was indeed treatment, the most proper kind of treatment.

But for some reason, Orion could sense a subtle, unusual emotion within himself.

Conquest.

Or rather, a kind of playful manipulation.

To toy with the legendary Luofu Swordmaster, a wanted criminal of the Xianzhou, a woman who could give General Jing Yuan a headache… to have her, helpless, all within the palm of his hand.

This feeling was far more enjoyable than simply fighting her.

His fingers slid down her smooth, icy forehead.

There, he could clearly feel her fragile pulse, beating, one beat, then another.

If Orion wished, with just a little force, he could easily snap this graceful neck, ending the life of this legendary Swordmaster.

Of course, he wouldn’t do that.

Prey was more interesting when savored slowly.

His fingertips continued downwards, pausing on a delicate frog button on her collar.

To soothe the meridians, he had to make contact.

Orion’s heart was calm.

He thought, if Jingliu were conscious at this moment, his hand would have been severed, along with his arm, before it even touched that button.

Then, with a gentle flick, the delicate frog button unfastened.

Orion’s gaze lingered on the pale skin of her collarbone for a moment, then he continued the “treatment.”

This was an extremely mentally taxing process.

The room became completely quiet.

Only Jingliu’s tightly furrowed brows seemed to gradually relax.

Now, it was time to remove what didn’t belong to her.

Just like before, when he massaged and “treated” Cocolia in Belobog.

However, Jingliu’s body was far stronger and more dangerous than Cocolia’s.

The Mara-Struck state entrenched within her was like a slumbering beast; once disturbed, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Orion had to be even more focused.

He adjusted his breathing and gently placed his hands on Jingliu’s Dantian, her lower abdomen.

The next moment, a powerful suction erupted from his palms!

Blackish-purple energy, visibly drawn from Jingliu’s body, surged wildly into Orion’s palms.

That was the power of the Stellaron, full of chaos, madness, and destruction.

The moment this power entered Orion’s body, it began to Rampage.

But Orion’s body was already almost immune to it.

These destructive energies would ultimately be melted down by his body, transforming into power points.

As the Stellaron power was continuously extracted, Jingliu’s body began to tremble violently.

A look of pain appeared on her face, fine cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and she let out another groaning murmur in her sleep.

“Baiheng… no… run…”

Orion’s movements, however, did not falter.

He could feel that the Mara-Struck state within Jingliu was being agitated by the Stellaron power leaving, showing signs of Rampage.

He had to suppress it.

Orion’s mind moved, and he began to control and guide the destructive power within her, soothing it.

Soon, the commotion within Jingliu’s body and her trembling stopped.

Her tightly locked brows finally completely relaxed, and her breathing became steady.

A faint, healthy blush even appeared on her pale face.

Orion could clearly see her long eyelashes fluttering, as if she was about to wake up.

But in the end, she merely shifted into a more comfortable position in her sleep and fell deeply, truly asleep again.

“Done.”

Orion withdrew his hands.

He looked at Jingliu on the soft couch; at this moment, her sleeping face no longer held its previous sharpness and madness, but was captivatingly, ethereally beautiful.

Orion pulled the blanket up for her, then stood up and stretched his limbs.

Just then, the door was pushed open.

March 7th and Stelle poked their heads in, peering.

“Orion? All done?”

When they saw the scene in the room, they were stunned.

“Wow…”

March 7th was the first to run in.

“She… she’s like a different person?”

March 7th pointed at Jingliu, “Look at her, the killing intent on her face is gone, and her skin seems to have improved… Orion, you really can treat people?”

Stelle also came closer. She looked at the peacefully sleeping Jingliu, then at Orion, and little stars of admiration rose in her golden eyes.

“As expected of my good brother, you can do everything!”

Welt also walked in; he pushed up his glasses, and looking at Jingliu’s state, he too marveled.

“Orion, how exactly did you do it?”

Facing the gazes of the three, Orion merely spread his hands.

“I just tried to help her remove the Stellaron Sickness from her body,” he explained. “However, this is only treating the symptoms, not the root cause.”

“What do you mean?” March 7th asked, puzzled.

“Although she looks better now, her underlying problem is still there.”

“That is the Mara-Struck state, a unique incurable disease of the Xianzhou Long-Life species.”

“Mara-Struck state?”

The Astral Express Crew had heard this term before when gathering information.

It was a curse that afflicted the Xianzhou people due to their long lives.

Once it erupted, they would lose their sanity, becoming monsters that only knew slaughter, recognizing no one, and fighting endlessly.

March 7th looked at Jingliu’s young and beautiful face on the soft couch, unable to connect her with the terrifying Mara-Struck state of legend.

“Such a young and beautiful lady, actually afflicted with this disease…”

March 7th couldn’t help but sigh, “The Xianzhou people are quite pitiful, aren’t they?”

As everyone was lamenting, Jingliu’s eyelashes on the soft couch suddenly fluttered.

Then, she opened her eyes.