"Huh?" The young man saw the message and immediately exploded.
Chat group activated!
[Silver Wolf's Current Boyfriend: Have you guys seen the latest news? Why is Season 8 delayed?]
[Honkai: Star Rail Succubus Stelle: Who the hell knows? Anyway, I already went and flamed them early.]
[It's miHoYo Not mihoyo: Actually, it's not entirely miHoYo's fault. Season 7 was broadcast early. Following the usual 42-day pattern, the interval between Season 8 and Season 7 is still 42 days.]
[I Love Drinking Himeko's Coffee: This isn't about whether it was broadcast early or not. The Interactive City shutdown was miHoYo's own mess. The early broadcast of Season 7 was just damage control, but what does that have to do with Season 8?]
[Kafka's Dog: Whatever, let's forgive miHoYo this time. No one can help it when there's internal trouble. Besides, this time Yunli's companion quest is practically one of the peaks of companion stories.]
[Yunli Calls Me Bro: Yeah yeah yeah, I love Yunli so much. You guys think if Yunli walked around barefoot, would her feet get sore?]
[Occupying Black Tower: I don't know if her feet are sore, but I know you're a pervert.]
[Huohuo Huohuo Yuanjia: Let's just watch what happens first. Talking more is pointless without seeing it.]
[Silver Wolf's Current Boyfriend: Charge charge charge!]
——
The story takes place back when March 7th was still practicing swordsmanship.
That day, Yunli didn't see her cheap apprentice, so she had to call March 7th's coach.
But Stelle had no idea either.
In the end, Yunli suggested looking for her in Aurum Alley.
What else could Stelle do? As March 7th's guardian, she could only go.
For some reason, Stelle finally understood why so many parents hated attending parent-teacher meetings.
Not long after.
With a nervous heart, Stelle found Yunli's figure in Aurum Alley.
"You're here." Yunli clasped her hands in front of her chest, looking very much like a little adult. "Before you arrived, I already walked around... searched the whole place. March 7th isn't here."
Hearing this, Stelle replied, "So we don't need to look for March 7th anymore?"
Yunli said there was no need to search for the person. Skipping class just counts as taking a day off anyway.
At those words, Stelle felt she had nothing left to do. "Then... can I go back now?"
"No need to go back. I called you here precisely because I won't treat you poorly. Since you're already here, let me treat you to something good to eat. Today, I'm actually more interested in you." With that, Yunli raised an eyebrow at Stelle.
"Me? Interested in what way?"
"Let's talk while we walk."
[Firefly: I'm listening!]
[Whoa whoa whoa, don't say things that could be misunderstood like that!]
[666, you hear that? That's what it means to have me in your heart.]
[Yunli is still young, easily falls for "Opening Door Xianzhou Cloud Knight."]
[I can wait for her!]
——
Following Ling Sha's advice, Yunli followed Stelle to a restaurant.
Yunli glanced at the menu. "Boss, from top to bottom, one of each item on the menu please."
"This... from top to bottom?" The restaurant owner Yan Cui found it hard to understand.
Yunli turned her head to look at Stelle. "What, you think that's enough?"
Stelle pulled out her two pockets. "I only get fifty bucks in pocket money a day."
[That poor? And she's a Penacony shareholder?]
[Bro, the shareholder part comes after this plot.]
[Sorry, my bad. I jumped the gun.]
"Don't worry, I brought money." Yunli looked at Stelle confidently.
Seeing this, the boss quickly laughed it off. "A-Alright then, I'll go prepare a few dishes first for you two to start with. If it's not enough, just order more."
With that, he shouted into the kitchen and went inside to prepare the food.
Stelle and Yunli sat down. She looked suspiciously at Yunli—the small body opening its mouth to scare someone to death. "Do you usually eat a lot?"
"A lot... cough, actually not that much. Grandpa said when making friends outside, you absolutely cannot be stingy with money. So, how's your appetite?"
"I have a bird's stomach. I can't eat much."
Yunli: "...Grandpa said he can eat."
Stelle quickly steered the conversation back on track. "You said earlier you're interested in me?"
"To be precise, I'm interested in your sword. I heard from Yanqing about you. He said your strength shouldn't be underestimated, and your weapon's design is quite unique.
So I've always been very interested in your sword: whether the weight distribution is even, what material it's forged from, what mechanisms are embedded in it, and what kind of swordsmanship you use to wield it..."
"But what I use isn't a sword, it's a baseball bat."
Yunli's mouth twitched twice. "A literal baseball bat?"
"Disappointed?"
"On the contrary, this is very interesting!"
Stelle placed the baseball bat—your most trusted partner, perhaps second only to March 7th, Dan Heng, Welt, Himeko, and Pom-Pom—right in front of Yunli.
Yunli carefully took the baseball bat. "It really is a baseball bat. Grandpa said a sword has no fixed form. Your baseball bat can also be considered a kind of 'sword.' But Grandpa also said an object resembles its owner. Do you know? Your weapon reflects your habits and personality.
Let me guess: you're someone... who doesn't follow conventions, likes to improvise, and can handle real strong enemies with composure. Am I wrong?"
Stelle glanced behind her own back. "Did you install a camera on me?"
Yunli slightly curled the corner of her mouth. "Pretty accurate, right? I bet you usually say weird things like 'rules are meant to be broken.'
I've seen plenty of hypocritical sword masters before—lying as naturally as eating and drinking. But swords are always honest. The sword will tell me its owner is merely a petty person 'clinging to divine weapons and sharp blades.'
So far, all the hundreds of swords I've hunted have been like that. Those swords will be melted down one by one, no exceptions!"
[I get it now. Master follows weapon, so Stelle is a clubhead?]
[As abstract as Little Gray Hair.]
[Translation: This is a very capable god-metal.]
["Extremely Rule-Abiding!"]
[Stelle: What if I pull out my hat, what would you do then?]
[So this part is establishing a character? The 'can understand swords' persona.]
[This is called an ability.]
[Note: The baseball bat is a Herta Curio, extremely hard.]
[Is it as hard as Dan Heng's spear?]
——
Seeing Yunli so confident, Stelle couldn't help but ask in return, "There are never any misjudgments or wrong calls?"
Yunli shook her head. "Swords are more sincere than words. Judging one sword is easier than judging a hundred statements, so I rarely make mistakes.
That said, just observing the sword isn't enough—Grandpa said words can deceive, expressions can deceive, but in a life-and-death battle, sword techniques never deceive... The Martial Exhibition Ceremony is coming up soon. You'll be participating on stage, right? Right?"
Just then.
A voice interrupted their conversation.
The newcomer was Yukong's secretary—Xikui.
Through their conversation, it was learned that she had come here specifically to receive an honored guest from afar.
At this moment, beside Xikui stood a man in a suit, with dark skin—his name was Paavo.
Through Xikui's introduction, Stelle and Yunli also learned that Paavo had come to the Xianzhou to return a long-lost Xianzhou treasured sword that had wandered abroad for many years.
"General Huaiyan plans to personally express gratitude at the Seat of Divine Foresight and present the treasured sword as the prize for the winner of the Luofu Martial Exhibition Ceremony. Mr. Paavo and I are heading there now.
I heard the two of you discussing the Martial Exhibition Ceremony with great interest. Would you be interested in coming along to the Seat of Divine Foresight to watch the excitement?"
——