Honkai Star Rail: My Chat Group is Full of Broken Timelines — Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A Day in the Life of a True Xianzhou NativeYou're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.

“Now this is what I call the authentic Xianzhou experience.”

It was five o’clock in the afternoon on Xuanye Avenue. The setting sun bled across the sky, painting the bronze bells hanging from the curved eaves in shades of molten gold and fiery red. Kazuki ambled along the street, his hands clasped leisurely behind his back as he hummed a cheerfully out-of-tune folk ditty.

His hair, a stark shock of white, was a beacon in the bustling crowd. Most Xianzhou natives sported long, ink-black hair that fell as straight as a waterfall, which made his silver locks stand out like a drift of fresh snow. Passersby couldn’t help but steal a second or third glance.

In truth, his hair color was perfectly aligned with the aesthetic preferences of the Reignbow Arbiter. It was a well-known fact that among the Seven Arbiter-Generals of the Xianzhou, not a single one lacked a mane of white hair. And as everyone knew, the Reignbow’s taste had always been the gold standard for Xianzhou fashion.

For this reason, within the Exalting Sanctum district, Kazuki—while not exactly a top-tier celebrity—had earned himself the affectionate nickname “Little Jing Yuan.”

However, compared to that rather ethereal title, he was far more famous for another: the “Number One Cliffhanger King of the Exalting Sanctum”!

“You rotten cliffhanger artist! Why are you clocking off again? This young lady finally managed to sneak out of the Alchemy Commission just to hear your story!”

“Hm? I hear a voice, but I don’t see anyone.” Kazuki glanced left, then right, a picture of feigned confusion. Seeing no one, he concluded there could be only one truth. He lowered his gaze.

“You are infuriating, Kazuki! You pesky cliffhanger! This young lady is down here!” Bailu’s cheeks puffed out, and her long, draconic tail thumped against the flagstones with enough force to make one think she was seriously considering using it as a bludgeon.

“Oh, I was wondering who it was. If it isn’t the esteemed ‘High Authority’ of the Alchemy Commission, Lady Bailu.” Kazuki was no stranger to the diminutive Vidyadhara. One shouldn’t be fooled by her status as a High Elder sidelined by the Dragon Masters; the girl was absolutely loaded.

After all, the Vidyadhara could undergo a cycle of rebirth. Generally, a reborn Vidyadhara would inherit the assets of their past life, but not the debts., on the Xianzhou, energy costs were completely covered by the Reignbow, so basic living expenses were a non-issue. There was no such thing as a poverty line that forced one to fight for scraps.

This unique cultural and economic situation meant that the vast majority of Vidyadhara had inherited fortunes accumulated over who-knows-how-many lifetimes. Combine that with the fact that the Vidyadhara were veterans of the Xianzhou and most were skilled in pharmacology, and it was no surprise they had always been the wealthiest big spenders among the three races of the Xianzhou Alliance.

As for the Bailu fuming before him, while she couldn’t often escape the Alchemy Commission to listen to his stories, every time she did, the tips she gave were astronomical. She was, without a doubt, one of Kazuki’s most generous patrons.

“My apologies, Boss Bailu, but I’m getting off work on time today.” Kazuki gestured with his chin toward the deepening evening glow on the horizon. “Nine-to-five. It’s unshakable.” He wasn’t trying to make a massive fortune, so there was no reason to break his own rules for a bit of extra coin.

“Can’t you really tell just one more part?” Bailu’s shoulders slumped, and her tail drooped, hanging listlessly behind her. “I really want to hear the story of that Foxian Trailblazer… What happened to her in the end?”

“The Foxian Trailblazer…” Kazuki’s gaze drifted toward the sinking sun, his voice softening almost imperceptibly. “Her story actually ends there. That was her last stop as a Trailblazer. Later, she gained a name far more familiar to us on the Luofu—Bai Heng of the High-Cloud Quintet.”

“So that’s how it was…” Bailu’s voice fell to a whisper, and the bright light in her eyes dimmed. She knew the tragic tale of the High-Cloud Quintet better than anyone, even without Kazuki needing to elaborate—it was a story inextricably linked to her own birth.

“But then again…” Kazuki shifted gears. Seeing the girl’s deep disappointment, his resolve wavered. “For the sake of Boss Bailu making a special trip out here… while I can’t break my rule about working overtime, would Boss Bailu be interested in joining me for a meal in Aurum Alley?”

As expected, the mere mention of “food” was enough. Bailu’s eyes instantly lit up, all traces of her previous dejection vanishing in a flash. “Food? I want to go!” She had finally managed to sneak out; if she returned empty-handed, the frustration would gnaw at her until her next great escape.and support the real translator.Read at elysianreads.com This is a stolen translation. You're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.

“But… you rotten cliffhanger… Kazuki, what if the Cloud Knights try to catch me and drag me back?” Typically, Bailu’s excursions were short-lived, ending the moment she was inevitably spotted and escorted back to the Alchemy Commission.

“Take a guess who I had an appointment with after work today, right near the Alchemy Commission?” Kazuki said, a mysterious glint in his eye.

“An appointment with who?” Bailu asked, her curiosity piqued.

“My great-uncle is Jing Yuan!” Kazuki declared proudly. Being a ‘nepotism hire’ wasn’t something to be ashamed of; on the contrary, plenty of people would kill for such a connection and never get the chance.

“Kazuki, I could hear you name-dropping from a mile away.” Just as the boast left his lips, a firm, powerful hand came to rest on his shoulder.

“Heh, Great-Uncle, listen to you!” Kazuki spun around, his face instantly breaking into a wide, placating grin. “I haven’t used your name to bully anyone. It’s just that Lady Bailu finally managed to get out for a bit, and I’d hate for her fun to be spoiled by getting caught. No matter how arrogant the Dragon Masters are, they wouldn’t dare snatch someone right out from under your nose, would they?”

“If you ever dared to abuse your position, I wouldn’t even have to lift a finger. Those young lads on the Luofu dreaming of becoming Galaxy Rangers would beat you so badly you’d end up in the Alchemy Commission yourself,” Jing Yuan said, patting his nephew’s shoulder. His tone was indulgent, betraying a complete lack of any real anger.

“As for Lady Bailu, since our meeting is fate, why don’t we all go to Aurum Alley for a meal together?” Jing Yuan added with a gentle smile, though it was unclear if the invitation was directed at Bailu or at the figures who had already begun to melt back into the crowd, abandoning their mission to capture her.

But at the very least, that single sentence from the General of the Cloud Knights had secured Bailu a full evening of freedom to enjoy a meal with Kazuki and Jing Yuan.

“Okay, okay!” Bailu agreed without a moment’s hesitation. She knew full well that with Jing Yuan as her shield, the Dragon Masters’ retainers wouldn’t dare lay a hand on her. Doing so would be a direct slap in the General’s face.

“Bailu, remember this,” Kazuki leaned in, whispering conspiratorially into her ear. “The General’s kindness can never be fully repaid. Repeat after me: Loyalty!”

“The General’s kindness can never be fully repaid!” Bailu learned quickly, her crisp, joyful voice ringing out for all to hear.

A few hours later, after they had eaten and drunk their fill, the trio went their separate ways. Bailu returned to the Alchemy Commission, Jing Yuan to the Seat of Divine Foresight, and Kazuki to his own detached courtyard within the third ring of the Exalting Sanctum.

“Life… is just so comfortable.” After washing up, Kazuki flopped onto his bed and began idly surfing the web on his phone.

Suddenly, a translucent screen of light flickered into existence before his very eyes. At first, he thought the long day was playing tricks on him. But when he rubbed his eyes and the crisp lines of text remained, his comfortable stupor shattered into a million pieces.

[Parallel World Chat Group System is binding…]

“What in the nine hells?! Which Masked Fool is pulling this prank?!”You're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.