Star Rail Impostor! - 351 - 360

Honestly, that would have been fine. 

He could have just felt his way forward, so long as he wasn’t making things worse.

But things were different now. 

That future was unstable—it wasn't even a matter of probability anymore; the timeline itself flickered between existence and non-existence.

To make matters worse, it was a future where Finality either vanished entirely or withered away into nothing.

This meant that Elio’s observations were becoming dangerously erratic. 

Until he could figure out which variable would stabilize that future, he didn't dare make a move. 

For someone like Elio, whose every action relied on the Scripts of Finality, facing a situation where the script had utterly failed left him feeling completely hamstrung.

That was precisely why Elio had smashed his script-recording device to pieces. 

He was acutely aware of his own cowardice and the sheer unpredictability of what was to come. Driven by a whirlwind of complex emotions, he had subconsciously destroyed every existing script he had.

Not only that, but because his work had ground to a total halt, Elio began hissing at the empty air:

"Meow-aaaaaargh—!"

Frustrated beyond belief, Elio began jumping all over the room, struggling, howling, and wailing, crawling across the floor like some twisted, shadowy creature. 

At one point, he even stood up on his hind legs, paws raised, and unleashed a flurry of nameless punches at the e-book that had already been reduced to scrap metal.

"Drop dead! Drop dead! Drop dead!!! How could Bai Ming start something so important and then leave it half-finished?! I'm stuck in limbo here—how am I supposed to work like this?! Meow—!!"

Jingliu and Kafka exchanged a look, watching Elio throw a fit as he bounced off the walls. 

Both simply shrugged in resignation. If it were anything else, they might have stepped in, but this concerned Finality; they had no way to help him.

Suddenly, Elio froze mid-motion.

"No, I have to go talk to her myself. If I don't find out what happened, I’m going to lose my mind!!"

With that, Elio bolted out the door and vanished.

Kafka took another sip of her coffee before suddenly speaking up. "So... are we still going to be able to keep the Stellaron Hunters going?"

She stared into her cup, a helpless, thin smile playing on her lips. 

Elio’s deal had been enticing, but if the future Elio saw became something even he couldn't be sure of, Kafka worried whether their mission could truly continue.

"Who knows..." Jingliu shook her head. 

Unlike Kafka, she had remained with the Stellaron Hunters primarily to repay her debt to Elio. 

If the group really did disband, she would either go to Baiheng, seek out Bai Ming, or perhaps... joining the Astral Express wouldn't be a bad idea.

She had heard Dan Heng ended up there. Besides, according to the information provided by Elio and Bai Ming, the Astral Express was a crucial piece of the puzzle.

"But if we really can't keep this going, the Express is worth considering."

"Hmm... I think I’d rather go find Madam Bai Ming," Kafka said after a moment’s thought. Aside from Elio, Madam Bai Ming was likely her best chance at achieving her wish.

At that, Kafka let out a short laugh. "The boss is still back there hissing, and here we are discussing jumping ship. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

Jingliu allowed a rare trace of a smile to touch her face. 

She didn't take the comment too seriously; unless Elio officially called it quits, they certainly wouldn't leave the Stellaron Hunters of their own accord.

"Oh, right. While you were out on your mission, Elio mentioned a new colleague to me." Kafka suddenly remembered the newcomer.

"Who is it?"

"A world-class hacker codenamed Silver Wolf. She’s an Aether Editing user personally trained by Madam Bai Ming. The only issue is... she’s currently not even ten years old. Her childhood isn't even over yet."

"..."

Jingliu was impressed by the first half of the description—she had heard of the power of Aether Editing. 

Having such a versatile specialist would certainly make for a core member of the team. But by the second half, her expression completely crumbled.

She had assumed the person would at least be of age by human standards. 

Instead, the girl hadn't even left the 'little kid' phase, let alone reached adolescence or a rebellious phase. Surely the Stellaron Hunters weren't resorting to child labor...

Jingliu’s face twisted into an unreadable expression. "What did Elio say? Are we picking her up?"

"Of course not yet. It’ll take time for her to want to leave Punklorde. We’ll go when the time is right." 

Kafka gave a little giggle and explained, "He said that if Madam Bai Ming hadn't interfered with her training, the girl would have joined us much later. Now, everything’s been moved up by several years."

"..."

Madam Bai Ming, what are you doing... what on earth possessed you to train a girl under ten into a legendary hacker?

Hackers were, by nature, roles that defied rules, challenged order, and acted recklessly. 

If you're going to train someone, shouldn't you aim for a network security officer instead of a hacker?

"And considering Elio’s reaction today, whether she actually joins us is still up in the air." Kafka shrugged with a smile. 

She was actually quite looking forward to the little hacker girl, but even if she did join, it wouldn't be anytime soon.

--+--

On the other side of things, Bai Ming had spent about half a day at the edge of IX's Nihility.

When the two of them left, Bai Ming gave Acheron a tuft of Phase Flame strengthened by the power of Permanence to make her travel easier. 

After watching Acheron vanish into the flames, Bai Ming finally activated her 'Huohuo' character card.

As her stature shrank once again, the ears atop her head transformed into drooping fox ears. 

More notably, the tuft of ghostly green heliobus fire behind her acted as a tail. However, this heliobus lacked the self-awareness of "Tail"; it was merely an empty shell that Bai Ming could manipulate at will.

"Hmm... looks like a consciousness doesn't just pop out of thin air," 'Huohuo' mused, thinking back to Divine Herta, who had split off from Hertatomb. 

That one was a bit of a glitch compared to Tail; when she found her, Divine Herta was technically just an AI program. It was only after her self-coronation that she evolved into an independent lifeform.

'Huohuo' gave a small wave of her hand, and a talisman appeared. 

The flames behind her obediently took the form of a fox, standing guard around her. It was as easy as moving her own limbs—and quite stylish, too. 

Though, technically, heliobus fire wasn't "real" fire; it just looked like it.

Well, no point overthinking it. With a flick of her wrist, she recalled the flames and stepped into the Phase Flame herself.

--+--

Meanwhile, on the Xianzhou Luofu, inside the office of the CEO of Celestial Sparrow Entertainment...

Our young "winner at life," CEO Qingque, was staring with dead, fish-like eyes as she mechanically processed documents that required her personal approval.

There weren't many files that actually needed her attention. What truly exhausted her was her clones. 

One clone was currently at the Divination Commission, working under the sharp, watchful eye of Master Diviner Fu Xuan. 

Another had been "borrowed" by Jing Yuan for the Seat of Divine Foresight to study by his side.

Ever since Qingque became a CEO—or rather, once the high-ranking officials of the Luofu realized she had the potential to become a General of the Yuque—her days as a lazy rookie at the Divination Commission were over. 

She had become Fu Xuan’s personal protégé.

But that didn't mean she skipped her rotations. 

Instead, Fu Xuan had pulled Qingque directly under her wing, rounded up every single department rotation she hadn't finished yet, and consolidated all that work into one giant pile for her.

The mantra was: With great power comes great responsibility.

And since the Master Diviner was well aware of the clones' capabilities... well, once Jing Yuan heard about it, he was thick-skinned enough to borrow one for the General’s office.

Although the workload at the company and the General's office wasn't actually that heavy compared to the Commission, the mental strain of multitasking three different lives made Qingque feel like she was being drained dry every single day.

"Boss... oh, my dear Boss... when are you coming back to save poor little Qingque..."

Just as she was working with the aura of a vengeful spirit, eyes vacant and resentment high, a familiar-looking flicker of flame ignited across from her desk.

Dazed from overwork, Qingque’s first thought was that her Boss had arrived. She blurted out instantly:

"Boss! I missed you so much! You finally—wait, who are you???"

As the fire died down, the figure that stepped out was neither another version of herself nor her Boss. 

Instead, it was a green-haired Foxian?

"It’s your Boss, obviously. Who else would it be?"

As she spoke, 'Huohuo' raised her left hand, showing the silver ring on her finger. 

Although the ring was useless to her now—and she had even turned the little silver snake on it into a sentient mechanical lifeform out of boredom—she still wore it as a symbol of her identity in moments like this. 

It saved a lot of explaining.

As for being doubted...

Again, she was an Aeon, or at least a being on par with one. 

If you joked about being the Aeon Bai Ming, people might laugh it off. But if you actually tried to use that name to con people, you were practically begging for a death sentence.

After a careful look at the silver ring, Qingque quickly confirmed 'Huohuo's' identity.

And then—

Qingque practically launched herself into the air, spun once mid-flight, and landed in a perfect sliding kneel right in front of 'Huohuo'. 

She grabbed 'Huohuo's' legs and began wailing her grievances:

"Boss—! You’re finally back! Save your loyal Chief Employee! You have no idea what I’ve been through this past month! Waaaah~ if you didn't come back, your little Qingque was going to succumb to Mara at a tragically young age!"

"...Watch your image a little." 'Huohuo' stared at the tearful display, nearly speechless.

"I haven't even had time to play Celestial Jade! I'm on the verge of a Mara-struck meltdown! Who am I supposed to keep up an image for?!"

"You look fine to me. You’ve still got enough energy to play the fool; I don't see any signs of a meltdown."

"Ahem... Boss—" Qingque gave an embarrassed cough, and then—opted to act cute instead!

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 352

--+--

'Huohuo' looked at the perpetually unrefined Qingque, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"If you don't get up right now, I'm leaving."

Qingque's hands, which had been firmly clamped around 'Huohuo's' leg, let go in a flash. 

She scratched her head as she scrambled up from the ground, offering a strained, awkward laugh by way of explanation.

"Oh, come on now, Boss! That was just a bit of dramatic flair. I might not actually be on the verge of Mara-struck madness, but your number one top-tier employee hasn't touched a tile in days. Save me, Boss!"

Hearing this, 'Huohuo' scrutinized Qingque’s expression. 

Finding that the girl didn't actually seem to be lying, she felt a wave of genuine confusion.

"...Don't you have three clones? Counting your original self, that makes four Qingques. Isn't that enough for you?"

"Boss, a clone is just a clone! They don't have an autopilot; I’m the one pulling all the strings! On top of that, Master Diviner Fu Xuan has basically kidnapped me to work right by her side, and General Jing Yuan made off with one of my clones too. I’m working three jobs all by myself! I’m about to pass out from exhaustion."

"Be that as it may... I really don't see any sign of you being on the verge of fainting."

Qingque was wailing her grievances to 'Huohuo' with plenty of vigor. 

There wasn't a hint of fatigue to be found on her; she didn't even have dark circles under her eyes.

"That’s exactly the most terrifying part!! Boss, I suspect the Master Diviner and the General have some mastermind advising them behind the scenes.” 

“I feel like I'm rapidly adapting to this new life of working three jobs... and the exact amount of energy I have left to squeeze in a game of cards is being micro-managed within a precise range!"

Qingque shuddered as she spoke. Even she couldn't figure out how she was managing to hold on. 

It was as if, without her even noticing, she had simply adapted—despite her constant complaining.

And just as 'Huohuo' pointed out, the scariest thing was that even though Qingque was working three jobs, she didn't feel tired. 

Her days were packed to the brim with work, yet she never quite hit the breaking point. Even more chilling was the fact that her free time for Celestial Jade seemed to be framed within a set boundary.

It felt as if an invisible, giant hand was moving pieces behind her back, setting a trap. It made little Qingque’s skin crawl.

'Huohuo' blinked, her expression turning subtle. 

She tried to trace the source of the situation, and then—

"Pfft—"

She couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing. It turned out there really was a mastermind.

Fu Xuan’s senior sister—the current General of the Yuque, Yao Guang—and Fu Xuan’s teacher, the current Master Diviner of the Yuque, Jingtian, were both plotting behind the scenes. 

While Qingque did indeed have the potential to be a General, she wasn't the only person in the vast Xianzhou Alliance with such talent. 

The fact that Fu Xuan’s senior and teacher were involved was likely because Qingque was one of Fu Xuan’s people.

With the Diviners and Generals of two different ships collaborating to 'nurture' this little sprout, no matter how high Qingque’s talent was, she really couldn't escape the palms of their hands.

But 'Huohuo's' laughter was the final straw for Qingque.

"Aaagh—Boss, you’re still laughing? You’re heartless!! Your poor little employee is being tortured into Mara-struck insanity by villains, and you’re actually laughing at me!"

"You seem to be adapting quite well. You still manage a few rounds of Celestial Jade every day. Doesn't look like Mara to me; it looks more like you're actually becoming General Qingque."

"Oh, please don't scare me like that! 'General Qingque'? You might as well just stab me and get it over with."

Hearing the word 'General' paired with her own name made Qingque’s world go dark. 

She pressed a hand to her forehead, nearly fainting on the spot. It was bad enough now; if she actually became a General, it would be the end of the world.

"Wait, are you actually fainting?!"

Watching Qingque stagger, 'Huohuo' reached out to steady her by the arm and back. She hadn't expected the girl to be so terrified that she’d literally lose her vision.

Taking the opportunity to lean into 'Huohuo's' arms, Qingque grabbed her sleeve with teary eyes.

"Boss, take me away. Just say I’ve been chosen by you and that I’m your Emanator now, okay?"

'Huohuo' gave an awkward yet polite smile.

Technically speaking, Qingque was already an Emanator she had chosen. Did the girl really think that 'Salted Fish' tile she’d given her was weak?

It was just that Qingque was so lazy that, aside from developing the cloning function, she hadn't even considered using that power for anything else. 

'Huohuo' figured the girl probably hadn't even bothered to check how much power was packed inside that tile.

"Tell me, is there a possibility that you... are already an Emanator I've chosen?"

"...?"

Qingque looked up with a confused expression, pointing a finger at herself. "Who? Me? For real?"

"So give up on that dream. Do you think Fu Xuan and Jing Yuan don't know about this?"

"..."

Qingque’s face instantly slumped. She puffed out her cheeks and looked at 'Huohuo'. Even though she knew being whisked away was a pipe dream, her Boss's words still stung.

"Boss... do you think in this lifetime, I'll ever make it to the other shore?"

"You will. Why wouldn't you? I never said I wouldn't help you."

That was exactly what Qingque had been waiting for. 

Upon hearing that promise, she sprang up from 'Huohuo's' arms. She rubbed her hands together with a beaming smile, looking nothing like the 'half-dead' person she was a second ago.

"Stop with the creepy look."

'Huohuo' pinched Qingque’s cheek, forcing her to drop the shifty expression.

Simply put, Qingque’s problem was that under the calculations of Yao Guang and the others, her workload was always perfectly calibrated to be reasonable yet fulfilling, never exceeding her stress threshold. 

They even thoughtfully left her just enough energy for her card games.

An ambitious person would probably be thrilled, but Qingque was clearly not that type. 

If it weren't for her parents' nagging and the fact that she needed money to live, she would spend her entire life inside a parlor. Expecting her to be proactive was wishful thinking.

The solution was simple: just raise Qingque’s ceiling.

The previously upgraded 'Personality Supplement System' was perfect for this. 

By improving Qingque’s base performance, her work would naturally become effortless. 

She’d have more energy to control her clones or her main body to play cards whenever she wanted, giving her the mental surplus to play mind games with those big shots.

Besides, Fu Xuan and Jing Yuan likely wouldn't be cruel enough to push a version of Qingque—equipped with a Personality Supplement System—to her absolute limit. 

If they did, they’d probably have to pile every single task from the Divination Commissions and General’s Residences of two entire ships onto her head just to keep her busy.

Of course, looking at it from another angle... if Qingque showed them that even the work of two ships couldn't exhaust her, whether she’d ever get to live a low-profile, peaceful life of slacking off again was another story.

Thinking of this, 'Huohuo' asked out of curiosity:

"Come to think of it, you could always just mess up a few tasks, or just quit the job at the Divination Commission. It's not like they can kidnap you back."

"Uh, how should I put this... it's like this..."

Qingque scratched her face awkwardly, struggling to find the words.

First off, her traditionalist parents had been over the moon when they heard their daughter had been hand-picked by General Jing Yuan. 

Now, all her relatives knew she was rising through the ranks, having broken into the Luofu’s upper echelons at such a young age. 

More importantly, her parents were genuinely good to her, so making them lose face by quitting... Qingque just couldn't bring herself to do it.

On the other hand, setting the work aside, Fu Xuan and Jing Yuan actually took very good care of her in every way. And while she had pushed off a lot of work, if she didn't do what was left, it just meant Fu Xuan or her colleagues would have to work more overtime. 

They were all coworkers, after all, and since Qingque’s rapid rise, there weren't many 'bad guys' in her workplace—and if there were, they didn't dare show their faces. 

It made it hard for her to turn down the work.

As for 'Celestial Sparrow Entertainment,' Qingque was even less willing to run away from that. 

She knew very well that her cloning ability only existed because she held that position. It was tiring, but the ability was just too useful. 

As long as she had the energy, an extra clone—or her main body—could spend the day lazily playing cards. Going back to a life without clones would be a hard fall from grace.

"...So that’s basically it, Boss. I’m just a mundane person; I can't find the heart to throw those burdens away."

Qingque gave a wry, pained laugh. She knew her own choices had led her here, but she simply couldn't let go.

After hearing Qingque’s journey, 'Huohuo' didn't have much else to say. She shook her head with a sigh.

"In that case, there’s only one solution..."

"What solution?"

Qingque blinked, looking at 'Huohuo' with pathetic, expectant eyes.

Unable to stand the girl’s forced cuteness, 'Huohuo' raised her hand. 

Imaginary energy surged in her palm. The power of Permanence constructed matter while the power of Elation wrote the rules. 

Soon, a green halo—the exact color of Qingque’s eyes—manifested out of thin air.

"What's this?"

Qingque took the strangely shaped halo and looked it over; it felt like a peculiar, glowing toy.

"You'll know once you put it on. Remember to study it properly. Don't be like last time with the Salted Fish tile where you only cared about the clones, or I really won't help you next time."

'Huohuo' poked Qingque’s forehead irritably.

"Muu..."

Qingque squinted as she let 'Huohuo' poke her. 

Sensing that her Boss wasn't planning on staying long, she didn't rush to test the item. Instead, she looked at her with curiosity.

"Speaking of which, I haven't asked you yet, Boss. You look so cute this time! You look like a Foxian from the Xianzhou. Who is this?"

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 353

--+--

"Hmm..."

'Huohuo' blinked at the words. Right, Huohuo and Qingque hadn't met yet in this timeline.

In her memory, the two of them had shared voice lines, but it seemed it was still too early for that connection to have formed.

"This girl is named Huohuo; she’s also from the Luofu. As for her profession, it involves some confidential matters, so I won't divulge the details."

"The Boss’s names are always so cute~ Is the Boss planning to go play with this foxian named Huohuo later?"

Qingque completely ignored the second half of the sentence. She wasn't one to pry—anything involving 'confidentiality' sounded like a magnet for trouble.

"Something like that, though I’m not sure if I’ll have the time."

"Take me with you! I want a vacation!"

Qingque didn't care about status, but she cared deeply about her time off.

It didn't matter who the person was or what secrets they held; nothing would stop Qingque from using the Boss's influence to bluff a vacation out of the Master Diviner and the General.

"Given your current situation, can you even manage to get leave approved?"

"Well, that’s because you’re here, Boss! In the whole wide world, you’re definitely the biggest deal! If I push back the work of two of my clones and only handle the affairs of one household, I can still manage."

"..."

'Huohuo' thought about stopping Qingque from using her name to skimp on work, but eventually decided against it.

Look at how much the poor kid was struggling.

The fact that she had to leave a clone behind just to take a vacation... she didn't even seem like the old Qingque anymore.

At that thought, 'Huohuo' let out a sigh. She reached out and patted Qingque’s small head, wearing an expression of profound pity.

"...Boss, what’s with that look?"

"No, it’s nothing. I just feel you’ve had it rough. How about I ask for some extra leave for you and let you go have some fun at Penacony?"

"The Planet of Festivities? But I remember the cost of living there is incredibly high."

"True, but I have acquaintances there who can waive your bill. And besides, just put everything on the company tab and report it to the IPC. Problem solved."

"Is that... appropriate?"

Qingque offered a subtle, complicated smile at her Boss’s casual suggestion to exploit the company.

She knew the IPC was probably itching to spend money on them—in fact, if Qingque actually wanted to be corrupt, the IPC would likely encourage her to take even more.

But then again, the current "old-timer" Qingque still had a bit of a conscience. She wasn't quite ready to go full-on corporate embezzlement just yet.

"I appreciate the Boss’s kindness, but I’ll pass on the Penacony vacation for now. I’ll go once the business here at Celestial Sparrow Entertainment is running smoothly."

"Whoa—you actually have a sense of career ambition?!"

Seeing 'Huohuo's' exaggeratedly shocked reaction, Qingque’s face turned slightly red. She puffed out her cheeks and glared back.

"What do you mean! That’s called a sense of responsibility! Besides, I’ve always been the type to slack off only after the work is done. How can you say I lack ambition?"

"Alright, alright. I’ll give you a reward when the time comes."

'Huohuo' gave Qingque’s round cheeks a playful squeeze before saying:

"I’ll be taking my leave now. Go on and ask for your vacation."

"You bet, Boss! Safe travels~"

Qingque beamed instantly.

She knew the Boss was genuinely giving her a break, which was why there was no mention of making her tag along.

Once she got her leave approved, she could head straight to the parlor to play tiles and truly unwind.

Watching Qingque wave goodbye, 'Huohuo' gave a light chuckle and vanished from the office.

--+--

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

Inside an unknown, remote Delve.

Huohuo was trembling as she slowly explored a deserted alleyway, clutching her command flag tightly.

This Delve had decayed even more thoroughly than Aurum Alley over time, leaving behind vast stretches of no-man's-land.

Huohuo’s mission today was to investigate recent rumors of a haunting. According to Hanya's deductions, an evil spirit might be nesting here, so she had sent Huohuo to take a look.

"Ugh... s-so scary... Eek! D-did something just pass behind me?!"

"I’ve seriously had it with you. That was just a gust of wind! Can you pull yourself together? I don't get it—you have the most powerful one right on your back, so what exactly are you afraid of?"

The Heliobus attached to Huohuo’s tail was clearly annoyed and impatient.

"B-but being scared is just being scared... I-I can't help it... And it’s all Mr. Tail’s fault for eating my tail in the first place, that’s why I’m so jumpy..."

Huohuo pouted, whispering a small complaint about how her tail spent every day picking on her.

"Huh? What’s that got to do with me? You’re just a coward!"

"..."

Huohuo gritted her teeth and muttered under her breath, wanting to snap back but fearing that making too much noise would alert whatever was lurking.

Just then.

Whoosh.

A breath of air, sounding almost intentional, brushed past Huohuo’s ear.

The poor girl jumped straight into the air. She spun around on the spot with her eyes squeezed shut, swinging her command flag wildly and aimlessly in the direction of the draft.

As she flailed, she wailed at the top of her lungs:

"Aaah! Help!! Mr. Tail, save me!!"

"?"

Tail was startled by Huohuo’s sudden freak-out.

From his perspective, absolutely nothing had happened. There was no wind, and nothing had approached. Huohuo had simply entered a state of pure panic out of nowhere.

"Hahaha, no way! You got spooked by absolutely nothing? Hahaha! You’re killing me!"

"Life preservation! Survival! Aaa—huh?"

Hearing Tail’s confused mockery, Huohuo gradually calmed down after swinging at shadows for a long while.

She opened her eyes cautiously. There was nothing in front of her but Tail’s flickering green flames. Not a single soul was in sight.

Listening to Tail’s laughter, Huohuo’s eyes welled with tears, and she grew genuinely angry. And in her anger, she... well, she stayed angry for a second.

"Mr. Tail, that’s too much... scaring me again!"

"Hey, don’t go throwing accusations around. This Great One didn't do a thing. You scared yourself and now you’re pinning it on me."

"You did too! If you hadn't purposely blown air into my left ear, I wouldn't have been scared."

Huohuo indignantly condemned Mr. Tail’s prank; after all, it wasn't the first time he’d intentionally spooked her.

But this time, Tail froze. His tone suddenly turned grave: "Wait. I didn't do anything. Kid, tell me exactly what you felt just now!"

"..."

Tail’s sudden shift to seriousness terrified Huohuo even more.

She shivered violently, hugging her command flag close as she stammered with a forced smile:

"M-Mr. Tail, this really isn't the time for t-that kind of joke..."

"Crap!"

Tail hissed a curse. Then, with a bang, the green flames expanded rapidly, illuminating the surroundings and forming a protective ring around Huohuo.

Unlike the bewildered Huohuo, Tail was now fully on guard.

Huohuo wasn't the type to make up stories, and her reaction just now had been too genuine. Tail didn't think she was hallucinating, but he had indeed felt nothing.

Something was wrong. There was something truly troublesome in this place!

"Kid, if you’re sure someone blew in your ear, message your superior right now and tell her to send reinforcements!"

Because Tail couldn't sense even a trace of an aura, he didn't dare be careless. If he could find so much as a shadow, he’d pick a fight first and ask questions later, but the problem was that he sensed nothing at all.

The place felt completely empty.

"M-maybe we should just retreat... I-I’ll throw all the talismans I have at once."

Huohuo was stunned by Tail’s reaction. She never expected the Great Mr. Tail to be this rattled.

Though she wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball and hide, seeing Tail drop his usual attitude made her realize that whatever they were facing was anything but simple.

Just then, a gentle voice drifted into her ear:

"It’s no use. Tail is quite powerful for a Heliobus, but if even he can't sense anything, your talismans won't work either."

"Huh? Then... then what do I do... I-I don't know how to fight... gasp—"

Huohuo’s face had instinctively crumpled into a sob, but as she spoke, her eyes caught the flickering light of Tail's flames. Her voice cut off abruptly, and her entire body went rigid!

Weren't she and Tail the only ones here?! Then what was that voice??

There was a second person here??

No, if even Tail couldn't sense them, then the other party wasn't human, nor a Heliobus. Then... then that meant it was a real ghost—!!

"Heh~"

"Eeeeeeek!!!"

Just as that thought crossed her mind, Huohuo heard a light chuckle followed by another puff of air against her ear.

Her eyes rolled back into her head, and she collapsed on the spot.

"Wait, what?!"

Seeing Huohuo faint, 'Huohuo' was genuinely surprised. Doesn't this girl watch horror movies all the time?? How could she be scared witless that easily?!

She quickly revealed her form, reaching out to catch the unconscious, white-eyed Huohuo before she hit the ground.

"Get the hell away from her!!"

Tail finally saw the opponent manifest. Ignoring everything else, he unleashed an explosion of green fire, surging toward 'Huohuo' with overwhelming power.

However, after the flames completely engulfed the target, Tail’s heart sank to his stomach.

The attack he had just unleashed—whether on a physical or spiritual level—had zero effect.

Because the seal on his tail hadn't been removed, he wanted to forcibly take over Huohuo’s body to fight for her life, but he was pinned back by a power so immense it was impossible to resist.

He could only watch helplessly as the little girl fell into the enemy's arms.

Before Tail could say another word, the "Fake Huohuo" across from him gave him a teasing smirk:

"You talk a big game about hating her, but you’re the one who cares most about Huohuo, aren't you? You knew you were no match for me, yet you were ready to trade your life to save her."

"Hah—?!"

Tail’s voice cracked.

As a Heliobus, he was far too proud to admit that after being forced to be a little girl’s tail, he actually cared for her. 

Even an enemy wasn't allowed to slander his professional reputation like that!

"Don't you dare insult my dignity as a Heliobus!!"

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 354

--+--

Tail was losing his mind.

Who was he? He was a Heliobus, a lonely spark of a blazing prairie fire!

You could defeat him, but you couldn't insult him by suggesting he'd ever bow to a spineless little slip of a girl!

The problem was, Tail’s rage was useless.

The seal was rock-solid, and Huohuo’s body was being pinned down by this strange person, preventing him from possessing her. 

Aside from making a few extra tufts of flame sprout from that tail of hers, there wasn't a damn thing he could do.

"Who the hell are you? What's your angle? Why do you look exactly like her, right down to the flaming tail?"

The situation was firmly out of his hands.

After several attempts, Tail realized he was truly stuck. He couldn't even manage to off himself; he was completely out of options.

"Hmm... let's just say I'm doing this for kicks. I didn't expect Huohuo to pass out immediately, though."

'Huohuo' scratched her head awkwardly.

Looking at the girl still sprawled in her arms, she reached out and hoisted her up in a bridal carry, then found a clean spot by the roadside to sit down.

Tail watched this person’s expression and listened to her tone. A bizarre thought began to take root in his mind, and he asked in a strange voice:

"...You didn't come here just to scare her, did you?"

"Pretty much."

'Huohuo' gave a bashful smile as she answered. Hearing such a sincere, heartfelt confession, Tail nearly fainted from pure irritation.

"I give up! How can someone in this world be so incredibly bored?!"

"You're one to talk."

"I'm doing this because I have to! I'm sealed—sealed, do you get it?! You think I enjoy tagging along with this girl?!"

Tail flatly refused to admit he was the same breed of person as the freak in front of him.

He liked scaring Huohuo because he couldn't do anything else. 

If he could go out and snack on a couple of kids or swallow a few fellow Heliobi whole, he’d be doing that instead of wasting time on harmless pranks.

But the person in front of him was different.

Based on her reaction just now, this eerie individual clearly possessed immense power, yet she’d come all this way just to mess with someone for a laugh.

This person was the one who was truly, pathologically bored.

"If you like it so much, why don't you peel off the seal? We can swap places. You can be her tail, and I'll help stick the seal onto you."

"Nice try."

'Huohuo' rolled her eyes at Tail. The guy had some nerve, asking her to break the seal the moment she opened her mouth.

"Quit your yapping. I’m going to wake her up, or who knows how long she’ll stay under."

With that, she let Huohuo’s head rest on her lap and gently pressed her fingers against the girl's temples, massaging them.

The power of Remembrance flowed from her fingertips into Huohuo.

Normally, unlike those Memokeepers, 'Huohuo' rarely pried into the memories of others. 

This time, she was using the power primarily to wake her up, but she still caught glimpses of Huohuo’s past—and stumbled into one of her dreams.

In the dream, it seemed Huohuo had finally summoned the courage to hand her resignation to Hanya. It had been approved, and her departure was official.

Finally free from the monsters and ghosts she feared so much, Huohuo had returned to her little house with Tail. She’d made a clean sweep of every horror movie and anything remotely related to the supernatural.

Yet, Tail remained. It seemed Huohuo had never even considered throwing him out.

'Huohuo' smiled at the sight.

Even though Huohuo complained constantly, she had long since grown used to Tail’s presence. If he were actually gone one day, she probably wouldn't know what to do with herself.

Watching the dreaming Huohuo imagine her beautiful future and wonder where she should apply for work next, 'Huohuo' appeared before her with a grin.

"Hi, Huohuo~"

"?"

Perhaps because it was a dream, Huohuo wasn't startled to see another version of herself. Instead, she studied the newcomer with curiosity.

"Another me? Those dark circles under your eyes are so heavy... Quitting was definitely the right choice."

Dream-Huohuo seemed much bolder. She took a couple of steps toward 'Huohuo' to get a better look, then sighed and rubbed her own eyes.

"I get it. You must be a reminder of how much the work at the Ten-Lords Commission has wrecked me. Don't worry, other me, I am absolutely, positively never going back!"

Huohuo grabbed her double's hands and squeezed them tight.

"When the time comes, I'll take you to Central Starskiff Haven to watch the skiffs all day long. We can do nothing at all, or... or we can play Celestial Jade! I heard it’s really popular lately!"

"..."

Listening to this "matcha cake" girl's simple wishes and seeing that genuine smile, 'Huohuo' wore a very complicated expression.

She suddenly felt a strong urge to kidnap her.

"Do you really hate the work at the Ten-Lords Commission that much?"

Hearing her double ask this, Huohuo pursed her lips and shook her head.

"It’s... it’s not that I hate it... The pay is good, and Madam Hanya and Madam Xueyi are very kind to me..."

For Huohuo, the only downside of the job was that she—someone who was deathly afraid of Heliobi—was forced to handle Heliobi problems. 

If only they’d give her any other position.

Unfortunately, because she had a powerful Heliobus like Tail sealed inside her, they had developed a miraculous, albeit strange, symbiotic relationship. In the entire Ten-Lords Commission, Huohuo was the most qualified to deal with such malevolent entities.

After all, not just anyone could coexist with a Heliobus, let alone have one willing to fight for them.

It wasn't so much the Commission exploiting an employee as it was a series of accidents revealing a trait that made Huohuo indispensable.

Huohuo knew this herself. That’s why she often lamented that her "cursed fate" was all Tail’s fault.

And she wasn't exactly wrong.

"It’s just... making me deal with Heliobi is so mean! How is someone as scared as me supposed to handle them?!"

Since she figured this other self was just a manifestation of her subconscious, Huohuo took the rare opportunity to vent her grievances fluently.

'Huohuo' nodded along. The logic was sound.

But honestly, the Ten-Lords Commission wasn't necessarily holding her hostage. If Huohuo were truly dead-set on quitting or transferring, they probably wouldn't be that heartless. 

As gifted as she was, the Commission wouldn't collapse without her.

The real reason she’d been in this position for over twenty years was, strictly speaking, because Huohuo was too terrified to actually ask for a transfer.

She never dared to hand in her resignation. When everyone sees a talented young Judge with a bright future, nobody is going to go out of their way to move her to the logistics department.

Thinking this, 'Huohuo' suddenly asked, "Have you ever actually asked Hanya or Xueyi for a transfer?"

Huohuo’s face fell, and she shook her head vigorously.

"I... I wouldn't dare..."

Seeing this, 'Huohuo' smiled and reached out to pat the girl's head. 

She didn't offer any advice; these things aren't fixed with a few words of encouragement. If it were that easy, the world wouldn't be full of people miserable at their jobs.

As her head was being patted, Huohuo seemed to realize something.

"Wait, that’s not right? I remember I was on an investigation mission, and then I got scared..."

Memories started flooding back.

"Mr. Tail said it was a powerful enemy even he couldn't handle... I... I think I just fainted. Ah—that means I’m dreaming right now! I haven't quit at all! Waaaah, no way..."

As she remembered the truth, the dream began to dissolve.

Huohuo’s lip trembled, and she burst into tears as her consciousness drifted away from the dreamscape.

"Other me, you go to work for me! It’s too scary out there, waaaah..."

She instinctively reached out to her double for help, but she could only watch as the other girl gave a gentle smile and saw her off.

Then, the dream shattered.

Huohuo jolted awake, her eyes snapping open.

What met her gaze was a scene almost identical to her dream. A girl who looked exactly like her was looking down at her with that same gentle smile.

"..."

The overlap between reality and the dream left Huohuo completely dazed. She couldn't tell if she was awake or still dreaming.

In her confusion, she reached up and touched 'Huohuo’s' cheek, giving it a little squeeze.

"Am... am I still dreaming? A dream within a dream?"

"Are you stupid? You're awake!"

Tail’s voice rang out from behind her, but Huohuo didn't seem to register it.

"That’s Mr. Tail’s voice, but I must be dreaming. Otherwise, why would there be another me here?"

She kept poking and prodding, and it definitely felt like her own face. It was just that the smile was something she herself would never make. It was a perfect match for the girl in the dream.

That’s what convinced Huohuo she was still asleep.

Eventually, Tail couldn't take it anymore. He released a small spark that floated onto the tip of Huohuo’s nose and gave her a sharp singe.

"Ow, hot! Tail!!"

The sting brought Huohuo fully back to her senses. She tried to scramble up, but lost her balance and went rolling off 'Huohuo’s' lap.

"Ow... that hurts. I really am awake?"

Rubbing her nose and her backside, Huohuo sat up on the ground. Then, she saw the other version of herself still sitting there, smiling.

"Gasp—"

Wasn't she awake?!

She felt the sting on her nose and the ache from rolling on the ground. It felt so real; she was definitely awake.

So why was there another her?!

It’s a ghost!!

"Calm down! I’m not a ghost, don't you dare faint again!"

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 355

--+--

Seeing the young girl, Huohuo, looking like she was about to snap and faint once again, 'Huohuo' quickly reached out, cupping the girl’s small face in her hands and pulling her back before she could tip over.

This girl is way too timid...

'Huohuo' knew she was easily frightened, but the fact that she’d nearly passed out twice in a row was a bit much, even for her.

Perhaps sensing the warmth from her other self’s palms—and the softness of those small hands—Huohuo managed to hold it together this time without blacking out.

"Mr. Tail, wh-what’s happening...? Why is the 'other me' from my dream actually standing here?"

Huohuo felt as though she and Mr. Tail had been captured by some super arch-demon. Everything happening now felt like a hallucination triggered by falling into a trap.

"How should I know? You just got scared senseless, and the next thing I knew, she had me suppressed. She’s the one who woke you up."

"Even... even Mr. Tail... sniff... It’s all over now. I told them I didn't want to be a Judge, but they made me do it anyway. And this mission—Mr. Tail, you insisted we take it just so I could 'get some practice.' Now look! We’re dead meat!"

Huohuo’s eyes brimmed with tears, looking as if she’d burst into a full sob at any second. 

However, her fear forced her to stifle the sound, leaving her with nothing but pitiful, quiet whimpers. She then began that rapid-fire mumbling unique to the socially anxious.

"Shut it! I’m gonna die from your nagging long before anyone kills me! Hey, you over there—you’re not actually here to hurt us, are you? Hurry up and explain things to her, or I’m gonna lose my mind listening to this."

Compared to Huohuo, Mr. Tail’s senses were far sharper. He could sense the power radiating from this 'Huohuo,' but he also felt no malice. 

Though the fact that she seemed to be enjoying Huohuo’s predicament was quite wicked, the situation was out of their hands. At least she wasn't taking their lives.

'Huohuo' watched the mutter-storm with a mix of amusement and pity. 

This brand of socially anxious rambling was really something else.

With a little squeeze of her hands, she pressed Huohuo’s cheeks together, forcing her lips into a pout. 

The mumbling instantly dissolved into unintelligible whimpers. 'Huohuo' had a Synesthesia Beacon, so she could still understand her, but Mr. Tail didn't, so he finally got some peace and quiet.

"Heh heh heh... what a delicious little matcha cupcake. You were born to be eaten by your big sister~"

"Gasp—!"

"Wait—don't faint! I was kidding! I’m not here to eat you! Wake up, wake up!"

Seeing Huohuo’s eyes roll back as she started to slump again, 'Huohuo' completely abandoned the teasing.

"Ugh... sniff..."

"Alright, calm down. Just think of me as a mysterious traveler who came to play with you."

"..."

Seeing that the woman across from her really wasn't doing anything—and noticing how warm her palms were and how gentle her smile looked (just like the version of herself she always admired)—Huohuo finally began to settle down. 

Plus, if even Mr. Tail said so...

Huohuo eventually regained her composure, though her mouth was still being squished, making it hard to speak. As the other woman withdrew her hands, Huohuo asked with a bright red face:

"Wh-why do you look exactly like me? Do you have a Mr. Tail, too?"

"It’s a bit of a cosplay game. Don't you think it’s fun? But the Heliobus behind me is just an empty shell; there’s no Mr. Tail in there."

"..."

Hearing this, Huohuo curiously eyed the flaming green tail that looked identical to her own. Mr. Tail, however, was genuinely amazed.

"Tch, well that’s a new one. In all my years, this is the first time I’ve heard of a Heliobus without a consciousness..."

Their race was essentially made of spiritual energy. To be told that a spiritual entity existed without a spirit or a self was mind-boggling. How could something like that even exist naturally?

Mr. Tail split off a small wisp of blue flame and circled 'Huohuo’s' tail twice, sensing it intently. His confusion only deepened.

"It doesn't feel like a Masked Fool’s disguise... and if it were a History Fictionologist... that doesn't seem right either. Hmph, this really is a rarity."

"M-Mr. Tail..."

Huohuo watched Mr. Tail’s "death-defying" antics with trepidation, terrified that he might annoy this powerful stranger enough for her to swat them both like flies.

"Quiet, I’m thinking."

"Don't mind him. He won't figure anything out anyway."

'Huohuo' waved a hand, dismissing the tail’s behavior. "By the way, did you come here on this mission for this little guy?"

With a flick of her wrist, a head-sized Wubbaboo floated out from her palm.

"...A Wubbaboo? Did you catch it here?"

Huohuo blinked. As a relative of the Heliobi, she knew about them. 

They were similar species, but compared to Heliobi, Wubbaboos were far more harmless.

"Yeah, ran into it on the way. There are a few more I didn't grab; I'm not sure where these little guys wandered in from."

"L-let me do it! Th-this is my job!"

Upon seeing the Wubbaboo, Huohuo’s fear diminished significantly. 

Even though they were technically related to Heliobi, Wubbaboos were just so cute. Their looks were leagues ahead of the Heliobi, and they were famously low-risk, so Huohuo relaxed quite a bit. 

Once caught and sent to the Ten-Lords Commission, someone would ensure they were safely released.

Seeing Huohuo struggle to her feet despite her shaky legs, 'Huohuo' didn't stop her. She reached out to steady the girl, helping her find her resolve.

As she was about to set off, Huohuo paused, realizing she had forgotten to ask for a name.

"U-um, what should I call you? I can't just keep calling you 'the other me.'"

"If you want to, that’s fine. For now, I really am 'another Huohuo.' Watch~"

'Huohuo' took out a Ten-Lords Commission talisman and, right before Huohuo’s eyes, activated it with practiced ease, recapturing the Wubbaboo that was trying to slip away.

"??!"

Huohuo’s eyes went wide. Why did the other her know how to use an exclusive Ten-Lords tool? That was something only members of the Commission knew.

"H-how did you do that? Can 'imitation' really go that far??"

"That’s my own little secret trick."

"..."

Huohuo felt a sense of mystery radiating from her counterpart. 

She felt as though this woman was capable of anything. Combined with that gentle personality and calm demeanor, she was exactly the person Huohuo dreamed of becoming.

"Um... could I... ever become like you?"

Huohuo gripped her official seal with both hands, looking at 'Huohuo' with a mix of hope and anxiety, her eyes filled with longing. 

If only she could be that confident.

"Well..."

Before 'Huohuo' could answer, Mr. Tail shouted from behind: "No way! If you become like her, where am I supposed to get my daily entertainment from scaring you?"

"Ugh... Mr. Tail!! I definitely won't let you scare me ever again!"

"Hahaha! You think you can take me down with a joke? Well, you almost succeeded there~"

Huohuo’s face turned bright red—she was practically steaming. The thought that Mr. Tail would object just for the sake of his "fun" made her want to give him a good thumping. 

Luckily, her other self was there today. Huohuo puffed out her cheeks, ignored Mr. Tail, and looked expectantly at the other woman, hoping for an encouraging answer.

"..."

'Huohuo' had to admit she was a sucker for a soft heart. Being stared at like that, she couldn't bring herself to say no.

"I think so. With enough effort, anything is possible."

"Oh, 'other me'~"

Huohuo was nearly moved to tears. 

Her other self was just so reliable—the perfect role model. She almost wished the other woman could just be Huohuo from now on, and she could just be her little sidekick.

Seeing Huohuo on the verge of crying again, 'Huohuo' helplessly wiped the girl’s eyes with her sleeve to keep the "little pearls" from falling.

"Alright, alright, don't get worked up. Let's catch those Wubbaboos first, then we can talk."

As for Mr. Tail... he knew he couldn't beat this strange Huohuo, and his earlier comment was mostly just habit. Truth be told, he didn't hate the idea of Huohuo becoming stronger. 

At the very least, it would mean hearing "Mr. Tail, save me!" a few less times during a fight.

And so, with the company of her other self, Huohuo began her exorcism work.

Perhaps because she had stopped overthinking and truly accepted 'Huohuo' as a version of herself, Huohuo—though still cautious in speech—gradually became more talkative and open.

While searching for the remaining Wubbaboos, Huohuo chatted about when she first met Mr. Tail as a child, followed by at least ten minutes of mutual complaining with the tail itself. 

She then spoke about joining the Ten-Lords Commission so young. She admitted she knew she was only recruited because she carried Mr. Tail. 

That was part of why she always wanted to quit but never brought it up—partly because she was too scared to ask, and partly because she felt conflicted about her worth.

She went on to say that she would have been perfectly happy remaining a mere messenger, as there was usually someone to accompany her on missions. 

But for some reason, after only a few years, she had been mysteriously promoted to a Judge. 

Even if she was only an apprentice, Huohuo had zero desire for a promotion. To her, a higher rank only meant facing more frequent and more terrifying monsters.

By the end of it, Huohuo was practically clinging to 'Huohuo's' arm. 

She walked along, sobbing out her woes to her other self, tears and all. She looked pitiful, but also undeniably adorable—the kind of "cute" that makes you want to tease them just a little bit more.

As they walked, Huohuo showed off the "New Science Exorcism Tools" she had prepared for this mission. 

They were flashy and looked impressive, but in 'Huohuo’s' eyes, they were mostly for show. They might work, but it wasn't likely.

Looking at these over-complicated gadgets, 'Huohuo' thought it would be much better to just give the girl a specialized Transformer, similar to her own silver ring.

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 356

--+--

Huohuo had prepared everything she possibly could to deal with ghosts and monsters.

Whether those preparations actually worked, however, was still up for debate.

Take her high-tech exorcism gadgets, for instance. 

You couldn't say they were completely useless, but calling them effective would be a stretch. 

In 'Huohuo’s' eyes, they probably couldn't hold a candle to the paper talismans on her person or the spirit flag in her hand.

To make matters worse, Huohuo mentioned she’d dropped a fortune on them.

Even though every mission proved the gear was dead weight, Huohuo never had the guts to go back to the shop and ask for a refund. She was the textbook definition of "more money than sense."

As for Tail... well, the guy lived to see Huohuo suffer. Besides, the Ten-Lords Commission paid exceptionally well; Huohuo’s spending habits weren't exactly going to land her on the streets. 

So, Tail didn't bother interfering. Not only did he stay out of it, but he also stood by and mocked her relentlessly.

Listening to it all, 'Huohuo' could only press a hand to her forehead and sigh.

"This stuff isn't even as useful as your flag... You should return it all when we get back. That’s a lot of credits."

"Uh..."

Huohuo hemmed and hawed, her head bobbing in a way that made it unclear if she was nodding or shaking it.

Beside her, Tail let out a sharp laugh.

"Hahaha! Return it? Her? If she actually dares to go back for a refund, I’ll eat this junk whole."

"Ugh... Mr. Tail’s right. I—I don’t dare go back."

"It’s fine. I’ll go with you when the time comes."

This turn of events was, well, pretty much expected.

"Thank you, other me."

Huohuo’s gratitude was genuinely heartfelt, though the way she said it made it sound like she was about to become a lingering spirit.

"Let’s round up those Wubbaboos first."

"Right!"

Despite the idle chatter, Huohuo was still doing her job properly.

With the captured Wubbaboo leading the way, it took a bit of effort, but they eventually managed to track down and detain the few strays that had popped up out of nowhere.

Wubbaboos weren't aggressive, but they weren't exactly easy to talk to like the Heliobi, either. It was hard to tell what was going on in those little heads.

"Th-they’re actually kind of cute."

Huohuo poked one of the captured Wubbaboos. She had no idea where the little things would end up.

Tail, meanwhile, was clicking his tongue in amazement—mostly shocked that anything could actually be this weak.

"Weak. Just pathetic. Not even enough for a snack."

Seeing Huohuo finish up the job, 'Huohuo' suddenly asked, "Are you heading to the Ten-Lords Commission first?"

"Yeah, I have to take them there to be sealed. A specialist will evaluate what to do with them. Though, it’s my first time seeing Wubbaboos, so I’m not sure what Madam Hanya will decide."

After speaking, Huohuo looked at her other self and a realization suddenly hit her.

If she brought her other self to the Ten-Lords Commission... would she be arrested?

Actually, if the Commission found out about the existence of another 'her,' they’d definitely order an arrest, wouldn't they?

Definitely!

The thought immediately sent Huohuo into a spiral of anxiety. Even though they’d only just met, she felt like the other woman was a good person.

"U-Um—!"

Huohuo’s voice trembled as she suddenly blurted it out, catching the other’s attention.

"What is it?"

"Just, um, could you tell me... who exactly are you?"

Huohuo’s eyes darted around, not daring to meet the other’s gaze, but she forced the words out anyway.

As a person, she felt she could trust this other self. But as a Judge of the Ten-Lords Commission, she couldn't justify giving her complete trust to a total stranger based on a "feeling" alone. 

If possible, she wanted to at least know who the woman was. Only then could she convince herself to keep today's events a secret from Madam Xueyi.

"So curious, are we~"

'Huohuo' suddenly leaned in close with a chuckle.

That unblinking stare made Huohuo’s skin crawl, and the little fox began to shiver. After staring for a moment, 'Huohuo’s' expression shifted into something slightly wicked.

"Aren't you afraid... I’ll eat you up in one bite?~"

"Don't eat me! I'm too skinny, I won't taste good!"

Huohuo’s ears and hair practically stood on end from the fright, and she immediately dropped into a defensive crouch, covering her head.

Then, Tail and 'Huohuo' both burst out laughing.

"Hahaha!"

"Bwahaha! This is killing me! Oh, man."

Crouched on the ground, Huohuo finally realized she’d been teased. She looked up pitifully at the two "villains," puffing out her cheeks and mumbling, unable to find the words.

Grinning, 'Huohuo' reached out to help the little fox up.

"I’m done teasing. My name is Bai Ming. I’m on pretty good terms with your General."

"Ugh... and you lied and said you were 'another me.'"

"Well, in a way, I am. Can you even tell the difference?"

'Huohuo' smiled and patted her head, smoothing down her ruffled hair and ears.

"Alright, go report in with the Wubbaboos. As for me, say something if you want, or don't. It’s up to you. If you need to find me later, just message me on your phone."

As she spoke, 'Huohuo' caught a glimpse of a dark shadow flickering around the corner, causing the corners of her mouth to turn up slightly.

"Oh, okay..."

Huohuo’s face flushed slightly as she looked at the new contact on her phone. She felt like she’d heard the name "Bai Ming" somewhere before, but for the life of her, she couldn't remember where.

"Hey, what are you going to do now?"

"I’ve got some business to handle. Don’t worry, I won't go running around causing trouble with your face."

Having her secret worry called out made Huohuo’s face turn even redder. 

It wasn't that she was worried about her doing something "evil"—she was mostly terrified of her doing something flashy that would end up as a headline. For someone with social anxiety, the latter was a hundred times scarier than the former.

Flustered, Huohuo nodded. After a few tiny mumbles of agreement, she turned and left with the Wubbaboos.

'Huohuo' watched the little matcha cake disappear at the end of the road before turning toward the corner where the shadow had been.

When she rounded the corner, a pitch-black cat was sitting there, staring intently at 'Huohuo' without a word.

Its eyes were filled with resentment and accusation, its face the literal embodiment of a corporate slave’s despair toward an endless working life.

Even knowing it was Elio, the sheer density of the aura of grievance made 'Huohuo' pull a rather complicated face.

"What? Look, for the record, I didn't steal your team members. Isn't Silver Wolf still on Punklorde? As for Firefly, if it comes down to it, I can always introduce you to Reveria."

"..."

Mentioning that only made Elio angrier. 

Firefly was one thing—after all, the Iron Cavalry of Glamoth was doing alright now, and it wasn't like he was wishing for their total annihilation. 

But as for Silver Wolf, Elio felt the woman was doing this on purpose!

"You have the nerve to say that? Originally, it would have taken Silver Wolf years before she wanted to leave Punklorde. By then, she’d be grown up and ready for the world. But now? I doubt she’ll even last until she’s ten on Punklorde at this rate! Do you expect me to recruit a ten-year-old into the Stellaron Hunters?!"

"..."

'Huohuo' gave him an awkward but polite smile. "If it really doesn't work out, I can just take her in."

"Then she really would be snatched away!!"

Elio immediately arched his back and hissed at 'Huohuo'.

Fortunately, since there were other matters at hand, Elio stopped hissing after a moment and regained his composure.

"Forget it. I didn't come here for that. I came to see you about something far more important—something regarding the very survival of the universe's future."

"What’s so serious that you had to come in person? Couldn't you have just had Jingliu contact me?"

Elio shook his head. If he didn't handle this personally, he wouldn't be able to rest.

"Just a short while ago—specifically, at this exact moment—"

Elio displayed a very precise timestamp.

'Huohuo’s' heart skipped a beat. Looking at that time... although she hadn't checked a clock, the most significant thing that happened that day was her complete fusion with the Light.

"At that moment, the future of the universe changed completely. I observed a world-line where Terminus either disappeared or withered away. I cannot see the future of that timeline. Do you know what that means?!"

Seeing Elio’s excitement, 'Huohuo' raised an eyebrow. "What does it mean?"

"It means the Aeon of Finality no longer exists in that future! It might even mean the entire Path has been closed! It means that in that world-line, the crisis of the universe’s end has been completely resolved!"

"..."

To be honest, while she knew the threat of Finality always loomed over the world, 'Huohuo'—being as young as she was—didn't really feel the weight of it. 

She wasn't like Elio, who had traveled back against the flow of time and witnessed countless tragic endings. 

For 'Huohuo,' it was good news, but she couldn't empathize with Elio’s level of hyper-fixated hype.

"Isn't that a good thing? It’s better than your previous options of picking the least-terrible ending from a pile of total annihilation."

"Yes! And that’s exactly why I find it so strange! That world-line is clearly so wonderful, so perfect... so why won't it stabilize?!"

Elio’s voice turned bewildered, tinged with a bit of teeth-gritting frustration.

"I can see that the divergence in that world-line happened because of something you did at that moment. But why did you stop? Because you stopped, that world-line can never stabilize. We can’t even enter it!"

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 357

--+--

Elio’s emotions were running high. 

He rattled on, pouring out every scrap of intel and every half-baked theory he’d observed to ‘Huohuo’.

For Elio—and even for Terminus—this uncertain worldline was the very outcome they had been desperately seeking to no avail. 

Facing a future that was right there, within arm's reach yet perpetually untouchable, Elio found it damn near impossible to keep himself from coming over to demand an explanation.

I mean, it’s one thing if you succeed and everyone’s happy; it’s another if you fail outright and we just chalk it up to a lesson learned. 

But right now, you’re stuck in this limbo—not quite a failure, not quite a success. Talk about a cliffhanger.

"So, what exactly did you do back then?"

All the grumbling and questioning eventually boiled down to that single question.

‘Huohuo’ was feeling a bit uncertain herself now. It wasn't that she didn't know what she’d done; she was wondering just what it would take to reach that future Elio kept talking about.

Back when multiple Aeons had stepped in to call a halt at the same time, the path she saw didn't exactly look as rosy as Elio described.

However, after she had completely merged with the light of Nexus, the very meaning of that light had undergone a shift. It was a change distinct from the nature of a Path.

If she had to pinpoint where the possibility of that specific future originated, that was the only thing she could think of.

But that was the snag. It was a very straightforward problem: the Path of Hope might have been carved out, but it was patched together using the power of several other Paths. 

This meant that if this Path so much as twitched, it would directly affect almost every existing Aeon.

If that power wasn't allowed to grow, ‘Huohuo’ couldn't fathom any other way to make Elio's elusive future a reality.

"It went something like this..."

‘Huohuo’ gave Elio a brief rundown of the situation back then, along with a few of her own guesses. Elio fell into a long, heavy silence.

"..."

Even in his wildest dreams, Elio hadn't expected the situation he’d spent countless hours theorizing about to be such a mess. And the reason she’d stopped was actually out of concern for the safety of the universe as it stands.

Well, this is awkward...

Elio couldn't help but lift a paw to scratch his head. 

Just as ‘Huohuo’ said, perhaps the key to breaking the cycle of Finality lay in the altered power of light within her. But the problem was that this power had to play nice with the other Aeons, meaning it had to stay sealed inside her for now, unable to spread to the rest of the Giants of Light.

Otherwise, if Noa were to awaken, the universe would descend into chaos ahead of schedule. 

Sure, a total universal reset—tearing everything down to build it back up—might actually bypass Finality. 

But surviving a Great Purge like that... how was that any different from the other grim possibilities he’d gambled on?

"Ugh, what a headache. Since the future you’ve created bypasses Finality, I can't see it clearly. I have no idea how to trigger this miracle."

Elio figured that since he could observe such a future, the route had to be viable—or at least, it wouldn't carry as heavy a price as his recent deductions suggested. 

The problem was his blurred vision. If he couldn't see it, he couldn't act. But if he didn't act, that future would never truly land. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

‘Huohuo’ looked down at Elio, who had suddenly lost all his strength and flopped onto the ground. She reached out and patted the black cat's head.

"Look on the bright side. At least you know which direction to work in to overcome Finality."

"You’re being a bit too optimistic. The possibilities of the future are never fixed; even the tiniest change can send everything spiraling down a completely opposite path." Elio lifted an eyelid to glance at ‘Huohuo’. 

"You might think this seed is yours, and that you can activate it whenever you find a way, but even then, there’s no guarantee the resulting future will look like the one I saw today."

‘Huohuo’ simply shrugged. She didn't disagree with Elio's theory; that was just the way the world worked.

But the fact remained: they couldn't do anything right now. There was no point in thinking otherwise.

"I know that, obviously. But things are what they are. If we aren't optimistic, what else is there? Just go do whatever it is you usually do. If I think of a way later, I'll take the initiative to contact you."

"Sigh... I really envy your optimism. Is this what Elation is like?" Elio let out a feline sigh. 

He felt like this girl had absolutely no sense of urgency. Then again, considering her age, he could understand why.

‘Huohuo’ let out a soft chuckle but didn't answer. She took a closer look at the black cat. 

Her data on the Path of Finality was sparse, and she didn't know much about it. Now that her perspective had shifted, Elio—who used to look like an ordinary black cat—seemed different in her eyes. 

But with her limited understanding of Finality, she couldn't quite put her finger on what made him so special.

"So, are the Stellaron Hunters going into retirement?"

"Hardly. We’ll keep doing what needs to be done. Even if we can't reach that specific future, we can at least make the futures we can see a little better." Elio shook his head with a sigh, reining in the restlessness in his heart. 

Things had come to this; he had no choice but to trust her. "I'll take your word for it this once. Don't let me down, young Aeon."

‘Huohuo’s’ lips curled into a smirk. She spread her arms wide with confidence. "Have a little faith. You don't need a reason to believe."

Watching her act so smug, Elio’s paw twitched. He really wanted to jump up and give her a good scratch.

"...I can't help but feel you weren't being serious just now."

"Heh, you wouldn't understand~"

"Sure, sure. I guess I don't." With that, Elio gave a deep stretch, stood up, and turned to leave. 

Before he vanished, he glanced back at ‘Huohuo’ and then toward Scalegorge Waterscape. 

"That Lord Ravager who’s eyeing the roots of the Ambrosial Arbor... while it wouldn't be an issue if you handled her yourself, it’s best to leave her alive. As a 'special event,' she's an excellent choice."

"...I don't recall saying I was going to deal with her?" ‘Huohuo’ rubbed her chin, puzzled.

That Phantylia would be after the Arbor... well, it was expected. 

Though it was a bit odd she didn't just pick a different target. Wasn't that Lunar Embryo over at Yaoqing better? It was certainly more intact than the Arbor.

‘Huohuo’ had noticed Phantylia’s trail, of course, but since the woman was just hiding and not doing anything, ‘Huohuo’ felt it would be poor form to bully a lesser being by just slapping her into oblivion. 

At most, she’d planned to leave a warning or leak some intel to Jing Yuan before she left. 

It was a bit of unspoken etiquette among Aeons: a little help is fine, but don't personally step onto the field to squash people.

I mean, even when the Hunt strikes at the Denizens of Abundance, it waits for the Xianzhou to send out a signal. Do people really think the Hunt can't see what's happening? 

Those eyes aren't for show; it's just a matter of not intervening directly.

Elio chuckled. "There isn't much difference, really. It just means that doctor from Amphoreus might have to work a little harder."

"?" ‘Huohuo’ tilted her head. "Does that mean she’ll target Hyacine, and I’ll end up intervening because of a plea for help?"

"No. She doesn't dare move right now. However, in some worldlines, you just straight-up swat Phantylia to death."

Having said his piece, Elio didn't linger. He turned and vanished.

As for ‘Huohuo’, she looked toward Phantylia’s location. 

The woman had come to the Xianzhou disguised as an outworlder, slipping into the Alchemy Commission under the guise of studying. Just as Elio said, Phantylia really didn't dare to act recklessly right now.

The friendship between the Xianzhou Alliance and ‘Huohuo’ was common knowledge. 

Phantylia knew that if she caused trouble and the Alliance "summoned" her friend, she’d be a goner.

‘Huohuo’ wasn't like the Hunt; the Hunt rarely descends, but ‘Huohuo’ was the kind of person who would start a company on the Luofu.

No one wanted to bet on the whims of an Aeon of Elation.

Phantylia was definitely going to observe carefully before making any long-term moves. And because she was acting so timidly, ‘Huohuo’ hadn't bothered with her at all. 

As for now... since Elio had personally asked to leave her as an Elite Boss for the Astral Express, there was even less reason to act.

Still, business is business. She’d leave something with Hyacine for self-defense later.

As for Dan Shu, who was already a bit extreme... she had been relying heavily on Originium lately, which meant her every move was right under ‘Huohuo’s’ nose. 

If she still ended up being seduced into joining the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus despite that, then the woman was truly beyond saving.

--+--

Meanwhile.

Phantylia, disguised as a visiting outworlder doctor, felt a sudden, intense surge of danger. 

It was so powerful that she felt as if she would have dropped dead on the spot if she’d made one wrong move. This overwhelming premonition nearly made her bolt right then and there.

What happened? Who was watching her? Or had some crisis capable of killing her just brushed past the Xianzhou Luofu?

A thousand thoughts raced through Phantylia’s mind. 

She didn't think she'd been spotted by an Aeon, because in her eyes, if one had found her, they would have either swatted her or dragged her away. That fleeting sense of dread didn't feel like being "discovered."

Could it be the Marshal of the Xianzhou? Or perhaps General Jing Yuan was watching her?

Should she retreat?

Phantylia quickly snapped out of her shock. She apologized to the people around her while weighing whether to withdraw. 

Her goal on the Xianzhou wasn't entirely about the roots of the Ambrosial Arbor. She wanted to drive a wedge between the Vidyadhara and the Alliance. 

Since the Vidyadhara’s reproduction issues seemed to be seeing a preliminary solution, those restless elements within the race were starting to have ideas of their own.

Phantylia had planned to exploit that. But now...

She was getting cold feet. 

She started wondering if it might be better to move her operations to a different ship.

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 358

--+--

Although she wasn't entirely sure what had transpired, Phantylia felt that something was off. 

She decided to leave the Alchemy Commission to have a look around, hoping to scout out whether any major events were unfolding on the Luofu.

Unfortunately, it hadn't been long since her arrival. 

Phantylia had only managed to gain a preliminary understanding of the internal affairs of the Vidyadhara, and she hadn't yet found the time to establish solid connections with them.

Had she more time, she could have simply tasked the Vidyadhara with gathering intelligence on her behalf.

For today, however, she would have to handle things herself.

As she stepped out of the Alchemy Commission, Phantylia began mentally cycling through the most likely possibilities. 

Could it be related to that newly established Celestial Sparrow Entertainment? Or perhaps it was linked to the previous visit from the General of the Yuque?

Could that General’s divination have actually sensed her presence?

Phantylia couldn't be certain her tracks were perfectly covered. While she was confident in her ability to evade the Luofu’s Matrix of Prescience, she wasn't about to bet everything against Yao Guang’s eyes. 

Was it possible that Yao Guang and Jing Yuan were working together to set a trap for her?

Countless theories flashed through her mind. 

Fortunately, she had recently brushed up against both the Seat of Divine Foresight and Celestial Sparrow Entertainment; with any luck, she might be able to fish for some information there.

On the other side of things, 'Huohuo' watched Phantylia sink into anxiety, a slight smirk playing at the corners of her mouth.

The current Luofu lacked the necessary conditions for the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus to see a revival, and looking at Phantylia now, it didn't seem like she was making any moves regarding Dan Shu. 

If Phantylia was going out of her way to visit the Alchemy Commission, then in 'Huohuo’s' eyes, whatever she was planning most likely involved the Vidyadhara.

It wasn't a hard guess. 

After all, within the current Xianzhou Alliance, if you wanted to know which faction was the easiest to provoke, it was undoubtedly the Vidyadhara—who had only recently resolved their issues with reproduction.

While not every clansman was capable of it yet, the massive population over on the Fanghu meant that as long as they survived in peace, the future of the Vidyadhara was destined for glory. 

Combine that with the fact that many within the race had always been obsessed with their ancient splendor, and now that their existential dread was gone? 

It would be far too easy for those folks to start harboring second thoughts.

'Huohuo' figured that if she were in Phantylia’s shoes, she wouldn't let an opportunity like this slide. If everything went according to plan, Elio would likely guide the Astral Express to resolve this matter. 

After all, according to Elio’s script, the primary goal was for the Astral Express to establish diplomatic ties with the Xianzhou Alliance.

So... 'Huohuo' didn't intend to give Phantylia a reality check just yet. Since Elio had put it that way, she might as well let it be.

Withdrawing her gaze from Phantylia, 'Huohuo' left the empty area. 

Instead of heading to the parlors in the Exalting Sanctum, she made her way to the Divination Commission to check on Fu Xuan.

Since the issue with the eye on her forehead had been cured, Fu Xuan’s temperament had improved significantly. At the very least, she no longer carried that constant, stiff air of solemnity she used to have. 

After all, it’s hard for anyone to maintain a bright smile when they are enduring non-stop agony.

But Fu Xuan was still Fu Xuan.

Even though her expression had softened and she smiled more during her daily tasks—making her look quite adorable—the fact that she was a total workaholic remained unchanged. 

In fact, because the ailment that had tortured her for so long was gone, and her Third Eye and personal power had actually been strengthened, she had been working even harder lately.

Add to that the fact that she’d managed to pluck a high-potential talent like Qingque from the ranks, and Fu Xuan felt that everything had been going her way lately. Life was good.

Thus, when 'Huohuo' found Fu Xuan, the sight of her being so happily immersed in her work was honestly quite a shock. 

Even knowing Fu Xuan was a workaholic, seeing her take it to this level was genuinely a bit terrifying.

Having already foreseen the visit through her third eye, Fu Xuan looked up and beamed at 'Huohuo'. She set down her work and walked over, taking 'Huohuo’s' hand.

"It’s rare for you to come see me, but why have you switched to the Ten-Lords Commission this time? That department is a bit of a headache."

Despite being a workaholic, she was greeting the benefactor who had given her a new lease on life. 

As her Emanator, and given there were no pressing emergencies, Fu Xuan naturally prioritized her. Of course, if there were a true crisis requiring her command, Fu Xuan would have offered an apology and focused on the disaster first.

"You were so focused on your work, I felt bad for interrupting. How have things been lately?"

'Huohuo' glanced at the eye on Fu Xuan’s brow and added, "I didn't heal you just so you could pull more overtime... your current workload is way too high."

"It is simply my duty, and it isn't much trouble for me," Fu Xuan replied earnestly, her tone both sincere and firm.

'Huohuo' smiled and reached out, tapping the eye on Fu Xuan’s forehead. 

"It’s exactly because you’re wound so tight that Jing Yuan isn't comfortable handing the position of General over to you."

At those words, Fu Xuan’s expression slumped slightly. 

Jing Yuan had, not long ago, once again brushed off her application for promotion. If anyone else had said that to her, Fu Xuan would have scoffed. But since it was 'Huohuo', she felt compelled to listen.

"Why is that? Should a General not lead by example? Otherwise, how could one command the respect of the masses or lead the Six Commissions?"

"That’s true, but you know the saying about balance—drawing the bow too tight. If you’re constantly at your limit, what will you do when a moment truly requires your all and you find your energy spent?" 'Huohuo' teased, lightly pinching the cheek of her centuries-old little Emanator. 

"But then again, now that you’re my Emanator, is there even a chance for you to become General?"

Fu Xuan shyly swatted the hand away, feeling a bit flustered by the overly intimate touch of her deity. "It should be fine. The Alliance doesn't seem to have any objections."

Fu Xuan had been worried at first, but later found that whether it was Jing Yuan, her senior sister, or even her master, they all told her that if she wanted to be General, she should just keep working toward it. 

While Jing Yuan might brush her off, her senior and master wouldn't lie to her about such things. Fu Xuan had her theories about why, but she didn't care much.

In the end, whether one could become General depended on the Reignbow Arbiter; the Alliance merely granted the permit for the examination. As long as she could pass the test, there wouldn't be an issue.

"That’s good. Because if you couldn't be General, I’d definitely end up spiriting you away," 'Huohuo' said with a chuckle, crossing her arms.

It was a joke, but to Fu Xuan’s ears, it sounded like a protective declaration for one of her own. 

The feeling wasn't unfamiliar to Fu Xuan, but it was certainly nuanced. 

Though her deity lacked a certain sense of distance—making it impossible to feel the typical "devotion" or "faith" one might expect—this kind of relationship felt quite nice.

Fu Xuan’s face flushed slightly, and she gave 'Huohuo' a grateful smile. "In the future, if Qingque takes over the Divination Commission and I still haven't become General, I might actually go and seek refuge with you."

"When you put it like that, I don't know whether to look forward to it or not." 'Huohuo' shook her head before asking, "Did Qingque ask you for time off yet?"

"Not yet, but she’ll be here soon." Fu Xuan glanced in a certain direction, likely tracking Qingque’s location.

"Speaking of which, what exactly is the training plan for Qingque? Do you really intend to groom her into a General?"

Hearing this, Fu Xuan shook her head with a laugh. 

"Of course not. Since she’s busy running that entertainment company, she definitely can't be General. However, my master is planning to fight me for her."

"...Is it that serious?"

"It is." Fu Xuan shrugged helplessly. "Though, honestly, Master would rather I go back and take his position."

While it sounded a bit like self-praise, Fu Xuan and Yao Guang were indeed their master's best students. 

But with one running the Divination Commission on the Luofu and the other serving as General on the Yuque, the fact that neither of his star pupils would take the Master Diviner seat on the Yuque was a real thorn in his side.

Strictly speaking, Jingtian wanted to call Fu Xuan back to serve as the Yuque's Master Diviner.

"Back then, I left the Yuque because of a certain prophecy. Now that you’ve shattered that prophecy, my relationship with Master has smoothed over. Now he’s scheming to bring me back just so he can finally retire."

Fu Xuan huffed at that. At the time, Jingtian hadn't expected himself to survive. For the past several hundred years, all his deductions and calculations had been based on himself dying on the battlefield. 

Now that he was alive—and while Jingtian didn't hate being alive—having destiny shattered and his divinations overturned was quite a blow to his ego.

Anyway, he wanted to retire, and he wanted to drag Fu Xuan back to the Yuque to take over. As for the Luofu? Well, they had Qingque now.

"Ha~ So Qingque is actually being trained as the successor for the Master Diviner?"

"Pretty much. But I want to be General, so I'm not going back. It's not like my other fellow disciples can't take the job," Fu Xuan huffed.

Leaving the Yuque years ago had been partly out of spite, but after all these years of building a life here, she had grown used to the Luofu. She couldn't just up and leave.

Just as their conversation reached a natural pause, a knock sounded at the door. Qingque’s voice drifted in from outside.

"Master Diviner, I have a matter to discuss!"

"Come in."

With Fu Xuan’s permission, Qingque pushed the door open. She was just about to speak when she spotted 'Huohuo' in the room. 

She started to open her mouth, then paused to carefully check the ring on her left hand.

"Boss! If I’d known you were at the Divination Commission, I would’ve come looking for you sooner."

"I only just got here. How was I supposed to know you’d be so slow just to ask for leave?"

Qingque scratched her head and grinned. "Hey, that’s just how it is in public sectors. All that processing, approvals, and signing... it takes time."

"Ahem—Qingque. You're on the clock. State your business," Fu Xuan interrupted with a dry cough, shooting Qingque a sharp look. 

This girl—her own Master Diviner was standing right here, and she still had the nerve to complain about the bureaucracy!

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 359

--+--

Qingque let out a mischievous chuckle and ducked right behind ‘Huohuo’.

Seeing this, Fu Xuan couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the girl.

"I know you’re looking for time off. Come over and sign this; I’ll give you two days."

"Whoa... Are you still the same Master Diviner? Two whole days?!"

Qingque’s eyes widened as she looked at Fu Xuan in sheer disbelief.

"If you're not satisfied, I can change it to half a day instead."

"No, no, no! I’m satisfied, totally satisfied! Hehe, here’s your signature..."

Qingque briskly handed over the document. Once she saw Fu Xuan pen her name, her entire demeanor brightened like a burst of sunshine.

She whipped around toward ‘Huohuo’, uncontrollably throwing her hands up as if to pounce into a hug to vent her excitement:

"Hehe, Boss, I love you to death! I’m free—!!"

"Qingque! Mind your image within the Divination Commission!"

"Uh, haha..."

Stopped in her tracks by Fu Xuan’s sharp reprimand, Qingque froze awkwardly with her hands still raised.

She met ‘Huohuo’s’ gaze with a sheepish grin, feeling a wave of heat rush to her cheeks.

Standing behind her, Fu Xuan sighed helplessly.

She knew Qingque was immensely talented, but with this lack of decorum, how on earth was she supposedly more fit to be a General than Fu Xuan herself?

Ever since Fu Xuan had learned of Qingque’s future possibilities, she had been observing this subordinate—who was always preoccupied with slacking off and playing cards—with newfound seriousness, all while balancing her promotion and training.

Fu Xuan hadn’t breathed a word of this thought to anyone.

But when she first heard that the position Qingque would inherit was that of her own senior sister, Yao Guang, her first thought was: 

What exactly did Yao Guang see in Qingque that made her pass over her own junior sister for this successor?

After their interactions during this period, however, Fu Xuan could confirm that Qingque’s talent was indeed the real deal. It was just her personality that Fu Xuan found impossible to manage.

It wasn’t that Qingque was bad at her job; if anything, every task handed to her was finished flawlessly. But it was that "good enough is enough" attitude that Fu Xuan simply couldn’t stand.

Fu Xuan knew she shouldn’t hold others to her own exacting standards, but even by a commoner’s yardstick, this girl was squandering her gifts.

She was the type who could achieve double or even multiple times the results of others in the same timeframe. 

Yet, Qingque preferred to spend only a fraction of her energy to reach a result that barely kept pace, then used the remaining time to slack off and enjoy herself.

The girl wasn't even interested in getting a hundred percent before slacking; her philosophy was "sixty is a passing grade, and that’s plenty."

If it weren't for the power ‘Huohuo’ had granted her earlier, and the assistance from Yao Guang after the secret was out, Fu Xuan didn’t know how long it would have taken to find where Qingque’s limits truly lay.

Especially after Fu Xuan learned that Qingque’s acquired ability was cloning.

She had barely restrained herself from contacting ‘Huohuo’ to ask for a similar power.

And seeing Qingque’s "persistence" in using those clones just to play cards, Fu Xuan felt a twinge of envy toward the girl’s carefree nature.

She even began to speculate if it was precisely this lightheartedness that had caught Yao Guang’s eye. 

After all, her senior sister had acted quite nonchalant herself after learning she might face a major crisis in a few decades.

Based on the face ‘Huohuo’ had taken when transforming, the version of Qingque who became General wasn’t particularly old—certainly not a hundred years older than she was now.

Meanwhile, her senior sister Yao Guang was nowhere near the onset of Mara. For a succession of the General’s seat to occur in such a short window on the Yuque...

On one hand, Fu Xuan cared about what traits in Qingque were being valued. On the other, she pondered what event would befall the Xianzhou Yuque in the future to cause Yao Guang’s abdication.

Using the power ‘Huohuo’ had given her, Fu Xuan relied on her Third Eye to collaborate with Yao Guang. Their combined calculations pointed toward the Phantasmoon Games of Planarcadia.

According to the timeline, the next Phantasmoon Games were indeed scheduled for several decades from now. The timing matched.

But because it involved an Aeon’s game directly under Aha, Fu Xuan couldn’t glean any further useful information beyond the name.

Initially, Fu Xuan had been anxious and worried. For a Xianzhou General in their prime to suddenly step down, it usually implied a tragic fall.

But Yao Guang wasn’t just calm; she was actually looking forward to it. There wasn't a hint of concern for a life-threatening crisis in her eyes—only the thrill of "seeking fortune amidst danger."

To that, Fu Xuan was utterly speechless.

The succession of a General was a matter the Xianzhou Alliance couldn't take lightly, but with no further leads, they couldn't make extensive arrangements. They could only send people into Planarcadia for long-term investigation and preparation.

Fu Xuan didn’t intend to report these matters to ‘Huohuo’. These were classified secrets of the Alliance, and as a matter of professional ethics, it wasn't right to disclose them to an outsider.

Watching Qingque and ‘Huohuo’ depart, Fu Xuan dove back into her work.

She kept ‘Huohuo’s’ earlier advice in mind, but much of why Fu Xuan was this way stemmed from her past. Obtaining the Third Eye had made pain her constant companion, and her master’s prophecy had made reality hard to face.

Burying herself in work was partly a search for a way to change her destiny, and partly a way to numb herself and escape reality.

Though her fate had been shattered and her pain had vanished, habits built over hundreds of years weren't going to change overnight.

--+--

On the other side.

Walking out of the Divination Commission with ‘Huohuo’, Qingque asked about the real Huohuo.

"When is that Foxian lady, the real Huohuo, coming?"

"She’s still reporting on her work. It’ll take a bit longer. You..."

"Cards! I must play cards immediately!"

Qingque was blunt and didn't hesitate for a second. It wasn't that she only loved cards, but she had been playing far too little lately.

She could always squeeze in some time to read a casual book, but card games required a solid block of time. The measly breaks she had been getting felt less like quenching a fire and more like fanning the flames.

‘Huohuo’ laughed. This was exactly the Qingque she expected.

The two of them headed to the parlor in Exalting Sanctum that Qingque frequented. Thanks to the rise of Celestial Sparrow Entertainment, the parlor had expanded significantly in a short time.

Seeing Qingque arrive, many regulars chuckled and called out to her as "CEO Qingque."

‘Huohuo’, following behind, drew plenty of stares. She didn’t mind; after all, very few people would recognize Huohuo’s face here anyway.

Qingque simply introduced her as a new friend she’d met recently, and once she mentioned they were there to play, most of the onlookers dispersed. 

Lately, Qingque had brought many people into the hobby—mostly staff from the Divination Commission or the Seat of Divine Foresight.

‘Huohuo’ was more than happy to join in. She sat down at the table with a smile and started playing.

It was clear that while Qingque was the talk of the town on the Luofu lately, her name still didn't carry as much weight in this parlor as Celestial Jade itself. 

At most, people would drift over to watch or chat when she rotated out of a game.

The real Huohuo hadn't messaged her yet. Just as ‘Huohuo’ thought she’d be playing for a while longer, a woman entered the parlor and appeared behind Qingque.

The woman glanced at ‘Huohuo’ sitting next to Qingque, then smiled and placed a cup of Immortal’s Delight by Qingque’s hand.

"Qingque, back at the tables again today, I see."

"Oh! What a rare guest! I thought you said you were buried in medical studies at the Alchemy Commission. You actually have time for cards?"

With that, Qingque turned to ‘Huohuo’ with a smile to introduce her:

"Let me introduce you. This is Yuelong. She’s from a remote world, studying at the Alchemy Commission. Her skills are top-tier—a very tough opponent."

"Hello. Nice to meet you."

Yuelong reached out a hand toward ‘Huohuo’ with a beaming smile, her eyes sparkling with a carefully masked curiosity.

"..."

‘Huohuo’s’ expression turned subtle as she curled her lips into a faint smile, briefly shaking the woman's hand.

"Hello, I’m Huohuo."

Phantylia... is her luck just terrible today? 

She should have stayed put in the Alchemy Commission.

To think she’d be out wandering, and of all places, right in front of her. The kicker was that she actually knew Qingque. That was... surreal.

Since she had made contact with Qingque, there was no way Fu Xuan’s Third Eye hadn't noticed something. Before being empowered, Fu Xuan might have missed it, but now she was an Emanator—and a multi-Path hybrid one at that.

Fu Xuan might not see the true form immediately, but she definitely should have sensed that something was off about this "Yuelong."

Is there another plan in motion? I’ll ask Fu Xuan later.

Thinking this, ‘Huohuo’ withdrew her hand and smiled at Yuelong. "Want to take the next round? I could use a break."

"Sure, thank you, Miss Huohuo," Yuelong replied with a friendly smile, every gesture radiating approachability.

She quite convincingly let her gaze flicker toward the flaming tail behind ‘Huohuo’, showing a perfectly measured amount of curiosity.

A masterclass in acting.

A moment later, the round ended. ‘Huohuo’ stood up, yielded her seat, and retreated behind Qingque to watch. Meanwhile, she pulled out her phone and sent a message to Fu Xuan.

[Nameless: Do you know a person named Yuelong?]

[Fu Xuan: ...]

[Fu Xuan: I do. She hasn't bothered you, has she?]

[Nameless: Not really. She came to play cards with Qingque. Just checking.]

[Fu Xuan: I see. I was planning to see what she’s actually up to and gather more intel. So far, I only know she belongs to the Destruction, but her specific identity is unclear.]

[Nameless: It's Lord Ravager Phantylia. She appeared on the Abundance battlefield before.]

[Fu Xuan: ...]

[Fu Xuan: Understood. Do you want to make a move?]

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 360

--+--

Fu Xuan frowned the moment she saw the name Phantylia.

The Xianzhou Alliance didn't have much intel on this particular Lord Ravager. 

They only knew she delighted in instigating civil unrest within civilizations, watching them spiral toward self-destruction.

Had she set her sights on the Luofu this time? If so, given her usual MO, which group was she trying to provoke?

The Alliance was a melting pot of three different species, boasting a massive population spread across several sprawling Flagships. 

Naturally, internal opinions were often a chaotic cacophony. Even putting aside other matters, the fact that Fu Xuan had become an Emanator of a foreign Aeon while still gunning for the title of General had already ruffled some feathers.

Even Jing Yuan hadn't been spared from constant impeachment attempts due to his history with Dan Feng, Baiheng, and Jingliu.

In Fu Xuan’s eyes, there were plenty of individuals and factions Phantylia could manipulate to great effect. 

That was just within the Luofu; looking at the Alliance as a whole, the vulnerabilities were even more numerous.

A dangerous one indeed, she thought. Still, if 'Huohuo' planned to step in... well, she probably wouldn't take the direct approach.

[Nameless: For various reasons, I won't be killing her directly.]

[Fu Xuan: Understood.]

[Fu Xuan: Um, please try to keep the commotion to a minimum when you do act.]

[Nameless: Don't worry, I know where to draw the line. I’ll just give her a good thwack from behind later.]

[Fu Xuan: That’s... well, alright. I suppose that would be less disruptive.]

'Huohuo' smiled as she read the reply. 

Phantylia clearly hadn't anticipated that Fu Xuan had been promoted to an Emanator. That news likely only circulated among the Alliance's top brass. 

While there was a chance it might leak eventually, Phantylia certainly hadn't sniffed it out in such a short window. 

If she had known this diviner had become an Emanator, she never would’ve been reckless enough to try her infiltration games on the Luofu.

Tucking her phone away, 'Huohuo' turned her gaze back to the gambling table. 

Phantylia—disguised as Yuelong—was playing her cards while feigning curiosity, fishing for gossip about Celestial Jade entertainment. 

She was subtly nudging the others at the table to ask about the Divination Commission and the Seat of Divine Foresight.

Despite being unaware that her companion was a fraud, Qingque’s professional boundaries were rock-solid. She was cautious about what she shared, skillfully dodging any inappropriate topics. Seeing this, 'Huohuo' felt at ease and decided to keep playing.

As for Phantylia, she’d wait until the Lord Ravager was alone, then sneak up and deliver that "thwack." She’d already planned out how to craft Huohuo’s upgrade. 

She’d make a command flag for her—the kind that could transform automatically—then rip a piece of Phantylia’s Heliobus essence out and stuff it inside. 

It would be a smart, balanced tool for both offense and defense.

She even had a name picked out: the 'Ground-Severing Flame Flag.' Phantylia was a Lord Ravager of Destruction, after all. 

Even a fragment of her true self would carry the weight of Destruction, making its offensive power peerless. At least for Huohuo, it would be second to none.

Back at the table, Phantylia felt an instinctive shiver run down her spine. Her heart skipped a beat again. 

This time, it didn't feel quite as fatal as before, but it felt like some impending danger was closing in. On the surface, she remained stoic, but her internal composure was crumbling.

Once could be an accident, but this was twice. 

Though less intense than the first time, it was clear someone had their eyes on her. Someone was plotting against her.

The sensation rankled. 

She was always the one pulling the strings from the shadows; she never expected someone to be lurking in the dark, calculating against her. 

Who could it be? According to Qingque, things on the Luofu had been peaceful lately, with nothing out of the ordinary.

Despite the hidden agendas, the game was actually quite lively. Qingque was having the time of her life, and 'Huohuo' was dominating the table—a true rising star in the world of Celestial Jade.

Eventually, after reporting for duty and logging the day’s "miraculous" encounters, the real Huohuo arrived at Exalting Sanctum. 

She was greeted by the sight of her double surrounded by a crowd of onlookers cheering her on.

Hearing the crowd roar things like "Huohuo, you’re the GOAT!" made the poor girl cringe so hard she wanted to crawl into a trash can.

"T-This... wasn't I supposed to be keeping a low profile?" Huohuo clutched her head, shrinking into a corner to spy on her spotlight-stealing self.

Could she ever show her face in Exalting Sanctum again? If someone recognized her on the street, she’d probably just keel over and die of embarrassment.

'Huohuo,' caught up in the thrill of the game, had almost forgotten they were waiting for the real deal. 

Even after getting the message, she played a few more rounds before realizing Huohuo should have arrived by now. After all, the starskiff ride shouldn't have taken this long.

Then, she spotted her—the real Huohuo, acting so suspicious in the corner across the street that she was actually drawing more attention to herself.

"..."

'Huohuo' barely stifled a laugh. Watching the social anxieties of others could be quite entertaining.

"Qingque, that’s enough for now," she said, tapping the girl’s shoulder and gesturing toward the street.

Qingque and Yuelong both looked up, spotting the green-haired "matcha cake" acting all shifty.

"Pfft... isn't that even more conspicuous? Alright, alright, my friend is here. I’m out after this hand."

Yuelong’s brow furrowed. Others might have missed it, but she saw it clearly. 

The green-haired Foxian crouching across the street looked exactly like the 'Huohuo' standing next to her. 

Not just the face, but the clothes, the accessories, even the Heliobus disguised as a tail—everything was identical.

There was a problem. A big one.

Even if they were twins with a weird obsession for matching outfits, what was the deal with the Heliobus on the tail? As a Heliobus herself, Phantylia knew exactly what that ghostly fire represented.

The odds of identical twins being attacked by Heliobi at the same time, saved at the same time, and both having only their tails consumed were non-zero, but practically impossible.

A realization struck her—a possibility she hadn't dared to entertain before. 

It was common knowledge (at least to her and the Alliance) that the newly ascended Aeon of Elation loved wearing other people's faces. And this Aeon had been particularly active around the Xianzhou Alliance lately.

Was it possible that one of these two Foxians was the Aeon in disguise?

Phantylia couldn't be sure which was which, but either way, she was now within a lethally close range. 

Against the power of an Aeon, there was nowhere to run. For all she knew, they had seen through her long ago and were simply watching the "show" for a laugh.

Her expression nearly broke; a cold sweat broke out across her forehead. 

Yet, she didn't dare make a move. As long as the other party hadn't acted, she might have a chance, but if she blew the whistle now, all bets were off.

She forced down her terror, silently playing her cards, hoping to wait until Qingque led the others away before making her own plans. 

As for running now? Absolutely not. In a crowded area, the other party might hesitate, but if she bolted for somewhere secluded, she’d be served on a silver platter.

Phantylia finished the round as if sitting on a bed of nails, praying to whatever powers remained that she would be ignored and allowed to survive the day. She cursed her past self for choosing the Luofu. 

She knew this was where the "target" first appeared. Why had she been so stubborn? She felt so disconnected from her past decision-making that she wanted to travel back in time and slap herself.

The game ended. Qingque stood up, vacating her seat.

"Let's head out."

"You could keep playing, actually. I can go meet her myself," 'Huohuo' suggested.

"Aw, if the boss is leaving, I’m leaving too! Besides, you said Huohuo struggles with a lot of internal stress. I think introducing her to a hobby is a great idea."

Qingque, a girl who never let stress touch her, felt a sudden surge of responsibility to "fix" Huohuo’s social anxiety. 

She decided to find a quiet spot and teach her a few rounds of Celestial Jade. Three players were enough for a tutorial.

"You head over first then," 'Huohuo' said, without explaining why.

Though puzzled, Qingque was nothing if not obedient. She chirped a goodbye and headed toward the real Huohuo. But while Qingque was all smiles, Phantylia was anything but.

The two of them had arrived together, and now the one with zero combat ability was being sent away first.

Why?

"..."

Before Phantylia could speak, she realized the other two players at the table had also stood up and left. Even the onlookers shifted their gaze away, acting as if the now-empty table didn't exist.

Phantylia’s heart sank. 

It's over. Am I even making it out of this parlor alive?

"Honored Aeon, I..."

The words had barely left her mouth when—BOOM! Flames erupted, and her physical form turned to ash, revealing her true Heliobus state. 

The intense heat drew the eyes of the people nearby, but they showed no fear. 

They merely grumbled about the heat, muttered that the green-haired Foxian looked like an exorcist about to start a fight, and quickly cleared the area to give them space.

--+--