"Ah—!"
Guinaifen was so frightened that her hair stood on end instantly. She subconsciously reached out to hug Stelle tightly, burying her face in her back and trembling.
Stelle's eye corners twitched slightly.
She swept a glance at the unfamiliar figures that suddenly appeared from the shadows and surrounded them.
"Calm down. They're people."
Guinaifen let go somewhat embarrassedly.
Seeing people holding weapons and staring at them with severe expressions, she felt that things were not good, but also had enough sense of security.
She remembered these people seemed to be called… Netherworld Martial Enforcers?
Subordinate to the Ten Lords Commission.
"Fa-Family, I can explain, don't make a move!"
Netherworld Martial Enforcers: "Who are you people? Why have you come here? Arrest them immediately!"
Stelle couldn't help but raise her eyebrows. Were the Ten Lords Commission's actions always this domineering?
"Those who come are not kind."
Guinaifen subconsciously replied: "…It seems like we are the ones who came?"
Stelle was full of black lines, then asked righteously: "We are just tourists. Why arrest us immediately?"
Netherworld Martial Enforcers: "Suspicious persons who trespass into restricted areas are to be arrested first and interrogated later, without exception."
Guinaifen was stunned: "Restricted area? Isn't Fyxestroll Garden a public place? When did it become a restricted area?"
Indeed.
Stelle nodded in approval. Leon had been here before and never said it was a restricted area.
"Stand down. These two have no ill intentions."
A voice carrying some weakness and exhaustion sounded, accompanied by light footsteps.
Stelle looked back.
The arrivals were three people. Two of them had appeared in Guinaifen's video; they were Ten Lords Commission Judges.
"Yes, Judge."
All the Netherworld Martial Enforcers quickly hid themselves and disappeared from sight.
Guinaifen actually recognized two of the Judges, but the one standing in the middle now was very unfamiliar.
Moreover…
She whispered to Stelle: "This sister has a deathly pale complexion and a drifting gaze… Is she a human or a ghost?"
Stelle: "???"
She felt a bit numb.
If it was a ghost, how could it walk together with the Judges so freely and even occupy the dominant middle position at the front.
Was it worthy of being Sushang's bestie…?
Both were rather, uh… uh… like-minded!
Stelle had a flash of inspiration and thought of the most appropriate adjective.
Mm, worthy of me.
Hearing Guinaifen's words, Hanya's tone and expression did not fluctuate. Her gaze indifferently swept over the two.
"Once you enter the Ten Lords Commission, you can treat me as a dead person."
"This humble one's codename is Hanya. As a Judge, I am in charge of the last of the four departments: detention, locking, punishment, and interrogation."
"Therefore, I am not completely ignorant about the two of you."
Her gaze first stopped on Guinaifen.
"Guinaifen, an outworlder, unemployed. The day before yesterday, you entered Fyxestroll Garden with Cloud Knight soldier Sushang."
"Eh! Unemployed?"
Guinaifen's expression was rather hard to maintain. There was a bit of embarrassment, but also a bit of indignation.
"I'm a street performance artist and a streamer who seeks current hot topics! A streamer! It's at least a proper occupation."
The vast majority of players pushing the Guinaifen plotline here were lightly choked.
"Got connoted."
Ah Xian was full of speechlessness.
"What's wrong with being a streamer? We at least have a contract. It's just that I don't know if little Guizi has one."
Hanya did not pay attention to Guinaifen's rebuttal and shifted her gaze to Stelle.
"As for this one here…"
Stelle held her head high and chest out, raising the corners of her mouth with flying confidence.
"That's right. The one standing before you now is the one who has fleeced Herta, saved Jarilo-VI and the Xianzhou Luofu—"
"Lifetime Honorary Commercial Advisor of the Aurum Alley Chamber of Commerce, Star Rail Express Best Newcomer Beautiful Girl Nameless: Stelle!"
Guinaifen: "…"
Hanya & Xueyi: "…"
Only Huohuo tilted her head, a trace of envy flashing across her small face.
She's actually a hero who saved the Luofu… The journey sounds colorful too.
Seeing no one responding, Stelle suddenly felt bored.
"Okay okay, actually I'm Sushang after plastic surgery. Do you believe it?"
"Hard to bear!"
"To explain to brothers who don't look at character information or have forgotten, Stelle and Sushang share the same voice actor."
"Saying something like this here is obviously playing the voice actor meme."
"Moreover, Sushang really has been to Fyxestroll Garden."
Guinaifen heard Stelle pretending to be confused while understanding everything and felt a strong surge of guilt in her heart.
"One person does the deed, one person takes responsibility. It has nothing to do with Stelle. She was coaxed here by my sweet talk. If you want to arrest someone, arrest me!"
Seeing little Guizi looking like she had thrown caution to the wind, Stelle felt a little touched.
The little sister is quite loyal.
Hanya was not very concerned about this and shook her head lightly.
"It has nothing to do with whose idea it was. The two of you, this place was designated as a restricted zone not long ago. Unrelated personnel are temporarily not allowed to enter."
"Arresting people is not necessary, but Guinaifen, you need to explain clearly why you returned after leaving."
Guinaifen: "Uh, it's nothing much. It's just that I haven't updated in a long time and wanted to shoot some footage related to ghosts and specters as video material… Hehe."
Xueyi stepped forward: "I have said that there are no ghosts on the Xianzhou. This is absurd superstition. As a resident of the Xianzhou, you should not believe rumors or spread rumors."
Stelle immediately glanced at Guinaifen.
"See? When we were in Aurum Alley, I said we should believe in science."
"But I clearly saw them. Those guys were emitting crackling ghost fire and letting out weird cackling laughs!"
Guinaifen had not forgotten the experience from two days ago that left a deep impression on her and even caused nightmares at night.
"Besides, Sushang also saw it with her own eyes—"
[Soul Palace Elder? When did you arrive?]
[This Heavenly Venerable comes whenever I want. Hehehehehe!]
"Miss Guinaifen, although it's hard to explain clearly for a while…"
Huohuo said softly:
"But those things are not the ghosts and specters you think they are. Please do not apply the legends from your hometown to matters on the Xianzhou…"
"Those things that sneak out to cause trouble are very dangerous energy parasites: Heliobi."
"Really? I don't believe it."
Guinaifen herself was a streamer and knew very well that some secrets would have official unified names for external use.
"Heliobi are… Oh, I understand. On the Xianzhou, Heliobi is another name for ghosts, right?"
Upon hearing this, Xueyi felt a bit of a headache at Guinaifen's preconceived stubborn idea.
After thinking for a moment, she cast a suggestive look at Huohuo.
"…It seems we still need to let Lord Tail come out once… Lord Tai-Tail?"
Huohuo turned her head and looked at the big tail behind her that looked like a mass of green flames.
"I heard, I heard. So noisy. This Lord is not a rare bird or exotic beast to serve humans."
Huohuo's tail suddenly turned into a clump of green, oily, shiny flames and issued an impatient voice.
Guinaifen froze, staring blankly at the green flames: "Lord… Tail?"
Tail glared at Guinaifen, speaking without any politeness.
"I am a Heliobus, the ghost you think I am. Understood? If you understand, then scram!"
"Hiss uh…"
Guinaifen opened her mouth and sucked in a sharp breath. She subconsciously gripped Stelle's arm tightly and shouted in panic.
"Ghost ah!!"
Hanya helplessly: "Ai ya, what a strange little girl. She clearly came to shoot ghosts and specters, yet when she actually sees one, she makes a big fuss instead."
"Deep breaths! Little Guizi, calm down!"
Guinaifen's breathing was somewhat heavy. She tried hard to adjust her impacted cognition and looked toward Tail.
"Um, can I chat with this… this Lord Tail for a bit more?"
Tail glared fiercely: "Scram. This Lord has no time to bullshit with you."
Stelle was fine and not afraid at all. She couldn't help smiling and teasing: "Ai yo, what a fierce ghost."
Tail: "I've said it several times that I'm not a ghost. If you keep nagging, I'll eat all of you!"
Huohuo instantly tore down the stage: "The two of you don't be afraid. It's just talk. Lord Tail is vegetarian."