Honkai Star Rail: My Death Feeds Their Madness — Chapter 80

Chapter 80: Will You Not Even Listen to Your Master?

“Jingliu, it’s time to return to the squad.”

The captain’s voice cut through the lingering smoke of the battlefield. She suppressed the chaotic thoughts swirling in her mind and turned to walk toward the assembling ranks. The cleanup of the Lubuti-VIII campaign was drawing to a close, and the surviving Cloud Knights were beginning their orderly withdrawal from the blood-soaked earth.

Jingliu walked at the front of the formation, her crimson eyes sweeping across the scorched land that had just witnessed a brutal slaughter.

“We should be able to rest for a few days after we get back.” A fellow soldier sighed from behind her, the exhaustion heavy in his throat.

Jingliu pursed her lower lip.

‘Rest…’

Master was not on the Yaoqing. He was light-years away on another expedition, bearing a mission far heavier than her own, facing a level of danger she could barely comprehend. She had not even shed her status as a Cloud Knight recruit yet. How could she ever become the sharp blade in her Master’s hand, striking down the most terrifying Abominations of Abundance for him, if she stopped now?

She was still far too weak. She needed more combat. She needed the blood of powerful enemies to temper her blade.

She did not need rest.

Every single day spent recovering in the barracks was another day stolen from the time she could spend slaying enemies at his side. Only by standing beside her Master could the quiet hours of post-war recovery be shared. Only then would there be time to ask him the questions that tormented her heart.

Even on the Yaoqing, a flagship stationed at the absolute front lines of the war against the Abominations, large-scale campaigns did not happen every day. Small-scale skirmishes were a different matter entirely.

Any species bearing the blessings of Abundance that plundered or devoured civilization was classified as an Abomination, marking them as eternal targets for the Xianzhou Alliance. Beyond the massive fleets, hunting down scattered Borisin tribes and isolated Wingweavers’ nests provided an endless stream of small-scale battles. As long as a soldier passed the post-war physical examination, they could apply for immediate redeployment.

Upon returning to the Yaoqing, Jingliu moved through the mandatory procedures with mechanical efficiency. While sitting through her check-up at the Alchemy Commission, she scrolled through the active deployment roster of outgoing Cloud Knight squads.

The second the medical examination ended, she marched straight back to the military command center.

“Applying for assignment to the Troop 1753 small-scale expeditionary force.” Jingliu placed her soldier’s jade abacus flat on the metal desk.

The dispatching officer glanced up at her, pulled the data from the jade abacus, and frowned deeply. “You just finished the Lubuti-VIII campaign. According to military regulations, you are mandated a ten-day rest period.”

“I waive my rest.” Her voice was entirely flat. “My physical tests are green, and my mental state assessment is normal. I meet all standard requirements for continuous deployment.”

The veteran officer stared at her data on the glowing screen. “Continuous combat is a massive burden on both the flesh and the mind. Are you absolutely sure about this?”

“I am sure.”

“Troop 1753’s mission is to clear out a splinter Borisin tribe. Expected duration is seven days. Application approved. Assemble at Military Port Zhen-56 tomorrow morning at exactly 06:00.”

“Thank you, Officer.”

Jingliu picked up her jade abacus and turned away. The flames of war never ceased, and neither would she.

She did not expect that another two full years would pass before she saw him again.

In those two years, she threw herself into dozens of small-scale battles. The sheer volume of her combat record finally qualified her to follow a Valiant Guard on a major expedition. She had become a rising star within the Cloud Knights, thoroughly washing away the stain of her recruit title in the blood of her enemies.

She was eighteen now, and Master still had not returned to the Yaoqing.

This time, the expeditionary force led by Kagashi had not lost contact, and their logistical supply lines remained perfectly intact. The reason for his prolonged absence was far more complicated. After wiping out the Black-Claw Hound tribe and capturing their Nest Father alive, his unit had intercepted critical intelligence regarding a massive, highly dangerous swarm of Abominations.

If they had returned to the Yaoqing to rest, that hard-won intelligence would have expired. By the time the Alliance mobilized, that swarm would have slaughtered dozens of fragile civilizations.

The temporary hunting directive was urgent. After receiving direct authorization from General Sha Feng, Kagashi led his army forward without a single moment of rest.

Because this was a spontaneous hunting campaign, it fell outside the Divination Commission’s predictive arrays. They lacked accurate enemy intelligence. The battle quickly devolved into a brutal stalemate, and Kagashi’s forces found themselves surrounded by multiple Borisin fleets. Reinforcements were dispatched immediately, but the chaotic warp coordinates prevented a smooth rendezvous.

That was why Kagashi had been gone for two years.

Fortunately, it only took two years.

A battle report finally transmitted back from the front lines. The hunting mission was a success, and the surviving army was making the month-long warp journey back to the Yaoqing.

Jingliu immediately began preparing herself to join his future expeditions, pushing her body through agonizing, bitter training regimens. The days of waiting felt exceptionally long, but she counted every single hour with quiet patience.

Until one morning, the notification arrived. The expeditionary force led by Kagashi was scheduled to dock at the Yaoqing’s Cloud Knight garrison that very evening.

The heavy hatch of the star skiff hissed open. Kagashi was the first to step out onto the platform, flanked by two armored guards.

Two years had left him physically unchanged, yet the suffocating, murderous aura clinging to his shoulders had not yet dissipated. It was the heavy scent of a man who had just waded through an ocean of corpses.

Jingliu stood waiting in the main corridor he was required to pass through. The rhythmic sound of his boots echoed against the metal floor, drawing closer.

“Master, congratulations on your triumphant return.” Jingliu bowed deeply, keeping her voice steady and composed.

Kagashi stopped. When he spoke, his tone was cold and hard as glacial ice.

“To wipe out those Abominations, we lost too much. Tens of thousands of my soldiers were sacrificed. There is nothing triumphant about this return.”

Jingliu swallowed her words, remaining silent for a long moment before raising her head to look him straight in the eyes.

“I have already participated in dozens of small-scale battles. According to Cloud Knight regulations, I now possess the qualifications to follow a Valiant Guard on major expeditions. I can definitely help you now, Master.”

She stood there, waiting for a single word of affirmation. A word of praise. Even a brief look of recognition for the blood she had shed to reach this point.

Kagashi’s expression remained entirely blank.

“You are still far from ready.”

Jingliu froze, the air leaving her lungs.

“Master, I can—”

“Can what?” Kagashi cut her off. His eyes held absolutely none of the warmth expected from a master reuniting with his disciple. “You participated in a few dozen minor skirmishes and you think your wings are fully grown?”

“I am no longer the recruit I was two years ago. I can do it!” Jingliu stepped forward, a desperate urgency bleeding into her voice that she did not even recognize as her own.

Kagashi stared at her. “Then prove it to me. Survive fifty medium-scale battles. If you are still breathing after that, we will discuss you following a Valiant Guard on an expedition.”

Jingliu’s pupils shrank.

Medium-scale battles were entirely different from border skirmishes. The casualty rates were astronomical, and a single deployment could last three to four months. Outside of emergency martial law, the military mandated strict recovery periods after every medium-scale clash to prevent psychological collapse.

Fifty battles?

At the current frequency of Alliance warfare, surviving fifty medium-scale battles would take at least a dozen years.

“But Master… Seniors Sleeping Snow and Clear Cold haven’t been through that many battles either.” A bitter hint of grievance finally cracked through Jingliu’s disciplined facade. “Why are the two of them allowed to follow you into battle?”

It was the obvious truth. According to the strict military laws of the Cloud Knights, Jingliu’s current accumulated merits and combat strength perfectly met the standards for Vanguard deployment.

Kagashi’s eyes narrowed slightly, the temperature in the corridor dropping. “Will you not even listen to your Master’s words?”

“I wouldn’t dare… I just don’t understand.”

“In addition to the fifty medium-scale battles, I am adding one more requirement.” Kagashi’s voice offered no room for negotiation. “Complete all of your training to date within six hours, and maintain full consciousness after passing the special strike-resistance trial. Accomplish that, and I will allow you to follow a Valiant Guard into a large-scale war.”

Leaving those impossible demands hanging in the air, Kagashi stepped past her without a backward glance.

Behind him, Sleeping Snow and Clear Cold paused. Holding their battered helmets, they exchanged a complicated look. They opened their mouths as if to offer Jingliu some words of comfort, but under the crushing weight of Kagashi’s lingering aura, they ultimately chose silence and hurried after their Master.

Jingliu stood alone in the empty corridor, staring at his departing back. Her chest tightened violently, her lungs feeling as though they had been packed with shattered glass, making every breath an agonizing struggle.

Two years of endless slaughter. Two years of throwing herself onto the edge of death just to stand by his side.

Why was she still not enough for him?