Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [237]

By mid-August, two months had passed since the Battle of the Ambrosial Arbor. The damaged buildings and infrastructure of Luofu had been fully repaired on the very same day.

The blockade on the Jade Gate had been lifted, reopening trade routes. Merchant ships from all over the world sailed into the major ports one after another, and many factions sent their congratulations—celebrating how the Xianzhou had neutralized the Supreme Annihilator’s threat with almost negligible casualties.

The other Xianzhou fleets, originally prepared to reinforce Luofu, redirected their forces toward the next battlefield upon receiving news of the victory.

This battle had left a profound impact on Luofu. General Jing Yuan had suffered severe injuries and remained unconscious, currently receiving intensive treatment from the Alchemy Commission. Until he awakened, all affairs of the Xianzhou were handled by Fu Xuan, who also controlled all external communications.

At the very least, until Jing Yuan recovered, she could continue to wield absolute authority over Luofu under the title of Acting General—finally possessing the power she had once longed for.

Yet, despite attaining the position she had yearned for, she felt no joy.

Fu Xuan had always sought power not for its own sake, but because she believed that some things could only be changed by those in power. She didn’t want to stand by helplessly, watching tragedies unfold before her eyes.

But now, she truly understood—some things could not be changed, even with power.

Power was more like a chain; it granted authority, but it also bound its wielder with an even heavier burden of responsibility.

Jing Yuan had once mentioned this to her in passing. At the time, she hadn’t understood what he meant when he said that being a general was just a temporary title. She had assumed he was simply dodging the question. But now, she finally grasped the true meaning behind his words.

Titles, authority, salaries, careers…

These things were never great or glorious on their own, nor were they worth admiration, songs of praise, or reverence. What truly mattered was the person sitting in that position and the choices they made—nothing more.

But…

It was too late.

After finishing her duties for the day, Fu Xuan didn’t return home. Instead, she walked alone through the streets, bought two cups of Immortal’s Delight Tea, and headed toward a dock in the Changle Sky Zone.

She gazed out at the vast, empty sea of clouds. Each time a Xianzhou starship docked and disembarked its passengers, she would scan the crowd with anticipation—only to look away in disappointment moments later, repeating the cycle over and over.

The dockworkers had long since grown accustomed to this sight. For nearly two months now, the Master Diviner had come here every day. At first, some had assumed she was here to inspect their work, but she never gave any orders or evaluations.

Curious onlookers had tried approaching her before, only to receive a simple answer: "Waiting for someone."

By now, everyone knew the story of the Phantylia Crisis. Thanks to extensive efforts by the Divination Commission, nearly every Xianzhou citizen had heard how the Ambrosial Arbor, which once stood tall for all to see, had vanished overnight. They knew how the Legion had infiltrated the Xianzhou, attempting to sow chaos within the Alliance. And they knew that, in the final moments, a governor from an allied nation had fought Phantylia to buy time for Jing Yuan and the Cloud Knights to retreat—only to disappear without a trace.

Rumors spread that this governor had sworn an oath of brotherhood with General Jing Yuan and Master Diviner Fu Xuan, treating them as family.

His heroic sacrifice for the survival of Luofu was later glorified in Cloud Knight tributes, and even mysterious poets composed verses in his honor:

"He turned back the raging tides, and upheld a collapsing sky."

For a time, Chen Lin’s influence soared to the level of the once-revered Five Heroes of the Clouds. Citizens launched petition drives, calling for statues and memorials to be erected in his name to commemorate his deeds.

Everyone knew exactly who the Master Diviner was waiting for.

With the Ambrosial Arbor no longer needing to be sealed away, the Scalegorge Waterscape had ceased to be a restricted zone. Whenever they had the time, many boatmen would venture into its depths, hoping to find the foreign hero who had saved their homeland—the man who had saved their families.

As for whether they would find him… no one spoke of the odds. The search continued, relentless, day after day.

Fu Xuan tilted her head back and murmured to herself, "The hexagrams remain chaotic… ‘Tún,’ the beginning of all things…"

Her divinations for Chen Lin had never yielded any clarity. No matter how many times she tried, she had never been able to see his fate—not in the past, and not now.

She recalled that evening, when she had personally sought out Welt in hopes of gathering information on what had happened within the Scalegorge Waterscape—so she could compile the battle report to be sent to the other Xianzhou.

Yet, as she sorted through the report’s details, she had nearly lost control of her emotions.

According to Welt Yang’s account, within the sealed domain, Jing Yuan had first fought Phantylia, managing to destroy her initial body, but sustaining grievous injuries in the process. The second body was obliterated by heavy bombardment. But Phantylia had a third—one even stronger than the previous two.

When it became clear that the tide of destruction was unstoppable, Chen Lin had used some unknown method to push his psionic power to unprecedented heights—reaching a level capable of matching Phantylia blow for blow.

Every available piece of information pointed to the same conclusion:

Chen Lin had used some secret technique… and perished alongside Phantylia.

She could not accept that outcome.

She refused to accept that outcome.

That cunning little brother of hers, who always had seven or eight backup plans for everything, who prioritized self-preservation even when dealing with the Apotheosis Codex—how could someone that afraid of death possibly die so easily?

Fu Xuan was more inclined to believe that Chen Lin possessed some mysterious power from the Empire. He had definitely killed Phantylia with ease and was now hiding somewhere, waiting for the perfect moment to mock her.

Dead?

Impossible. Absolutely impossible!

He was definitely still alive. Probably just waiting for the right moment to come out and ridicule her—his sister, who lacked any real authority and was all talk. He’d stretch out his hand, demand the wine she had warmed up for him, then act all smug and say, "That so-called Phantylia wasn’t much, after all."

And then he’d laugh—loudly—watching her jump up and down in frustration.

Her vision grew blurry, as if a thin layer of mist had settled over it. The bustling dockside scenery wavered, shifting into a different memory—back inside the Divination Commission’s halls, where Jing Yuan, half-asleep, stood before her.

"I’ve invited him, as you requested. Satisfied now, Fu Xuan?"

"If he can truly save the Xianzhou’s victims of Mara, then no price is too great to keep him here!"

At that time, she had only heard his name but had never met him in person. She had merely been told that he could restore those afflicted by Mara, so she had approached Jing Yuan, asking him to arrange a meeting.

How foolish. He was, after all, the political leader of an entire nation, and yet she had shamelessly declared that she would pay any price to keep him in Luofu…

The scene shifted again, this time to the main hall of the Divination Commission, a place she knew well. The young man stood below the platform, neither servile nor overbearing, his smile deceptively gentle.

"I am Chen Lin. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Master Diviner."

"Alas, I am only twenty-seven—time has yet to refine me."

"Oh, I’m not actually a short-lived species."

Even back then, he had already started showing his true colors. Setting traps for her without even offering her a way out. She had once thought all Imperial citizens were short-lived species—only to embarrass herself in front of Qingque. That had been the first time she had ever been caught off guard…

"Forget it, forget it. I understand—there’s nothing more important than duty. My elder sister bears a heavy burden; it’s only natural she vents her frustrations on her little brother. In the end, she doesn’t truly care about me, anyway…"

One time, on her way to the Divination Commission after a meeting at the Strategic Commission, she had caught him on a starship. His expertly staged pitiful act and manipulative words had left her utterly bewildered. It wasn’t until much later that she learned this kind of behavior was commonly referred to as "PUA"…

She had actually believed his act back then. What a little scoundrel of a con artist.

Fu Xuan let out a rare chuckle, remembering how Chen Lin used to flatter her.

"Stick close to me. I promised the general I’d watch over you. Even if I had to handle this matter alone, I could do it just fine. All it takes is a little courage and caution."

"This isn’t about being brave or not. Without your skills, big sis, this job wouldn’t even be possible!"

Always trying to amuse others. He had probably practiced on plenty of people before. Corrupt politician, hmph.

And he even dared to mock her height. That just made him even worse!

She had to find an opportunity to properly teach him a lesson—otherwise, he’d forget who the real older sibling was!

As she lost herself in thought, his last words to her echoed in her ears.

"Pour the wine and wait—I’ll be back soon."

The wine was ready.

So where was he?

Her straw had long been chewed to a mangled mess. The milk tea in her cup was completely gone. Fu Xuan slowly closed her eyes, her normally calm face suppressing an emotion on the verge of breaking free.

Night had fallen. Even the boatmen had already packed up and gone home.

Just as she was about to pick up the untouched second cup of Immortal’s Delight Tea and turn to leave, a voice rang out behind her.

“Wow, even the ever-busy big sis has learned from Qingque how to slack off? What brings you here to loaf around?”

That voice—

It was far too familiar.

Fu Xuan’s heart pounded wildly, and she whirled around in an instant.

“Little brother, I knew you’d come ba—”

Her voice caught in her throat.

Her outstretched hand slowly lowered. The joy in her expression faded.

The docks were still as empty as before. Nothing but the evening sea breeze remained.

Her fists clenched tightly, her teeth sinking into her lower lip as she crouched down, trembling. The last remnants of her emotional defenses crumbled, leaving only bitter regret and an endless, gnawing pain.

And then—

A pair of hands gently ruffled her hair. A familiar, exasperated voice followed.

"Jie, you’re really not afraid of people seeing you like this? Anyone passing by would think the great Master Diviner hasn’t been paid for years and has been reduced to sleeping on the streets…"

Whoosh!

A force like never before slammed into his waist.

Caught completely off guard, Chen Lin was sent flying, landing flat on his backside. If not for his sturdy physique, he probably would’ve been bedridden for ten days straight.

The trembling arms wrapped tightly around his back didn’t loosen their grip.

Buried against his chest, Fu Xuan squeezed her eyes shut, as if terrified that opening them would reveal nothing but empty space.

Mind and spirit were closely intertwined, and in Chen Lin’s presence, emotions were as transparent as a peeled fruit. He could see them all—every fear, every worry, every ounce of reluctance.

She was truly afraid.

She had truly been worried.

She truly hadn’t wanted to lose him.

Chen Lin hadn’t expected his time in the Xianzhou to unfold so dramatically. Originally, he had only come to locate the missing members of the Astral Express. Instead, he had gotten tangled up with the Divination Commission, and what was supposed to be a simple diplomatic exchange turned into something far more complicated.

Then, in the Jarilo Sector, the L-Gate had been discovered.

This mid-tier calamity unexpectedly revealed the Xianzhou’s military value. In the short term, they could serve as allies against whatever lay beyond the L-Gate. In the long term, they could even gain access to technologies that Jarilo-Ⅵ could never develop on its own.

Whether those technologies would prove useful was another matter. But having them was non-negotiable.

Both he and Jing Yuan knew all too well that personal bonds meant nothing compared to the interests of nations. That was why equivalent exchanges were crucial.

The Xianzhou lacked food, while Jarilo-Ⅵ had a surplus. A portion was offered as aid. In return, when the Xianzhou faced a crisis, Chen Lin was willing to use them as a platform to demonstrate power—deepening their cooperation.

Even though Jing Yuan had yet to take any concrete steps toward mutual benefit, his public stance alone had already tied Luofu to Jarilo’s fate.

A nation's credibility was far weightier than personal promises. The Xianzhou had always valued their reputation, and breaking their word would come at an unbearable cost. That was precisely why Chen Lin had chosen to continue working with them.

Every single aspect of this alliance was built upon an unspoken understanding of national interests between him and Jing Yuan. Even when Phantylia spiraled out of control, he had backup plans—like the psionic shipyards constructed outside the Jade Gate for military support.

At worst, the Scalegorge Waterscape would have been completely destroyed. But that wouldn’t have affected his interests. If anything, the Xianzhou would have owed him a massive debt of gratitude.

With that, the chain of interests had been locked in place.

And yet…

Some fool had actually believed in something more than just politics.

She had a bit of a general’s presence—but only just a bit.

But still…

This feeling… wasn’t so bad after all.

“Jie, can you stop crying already? My clothes haven’t been washed in ages, and somehow, they’re still clean. If I don’t mind, I could probably wear them for another two days. But if you get them dirty, I’ll have to buy new ones.”

Even as he spoke, the arms wrapped around him only tightened, as if she were terrified that loosening her grip—or even opening her eyes—would cause everything before her to vanish like an illusion.

She was really afraid.

She kept her eyes shut, as if saying nothing at this moment would become a lifelong regret.

“I’ve been buying two cups of milk tea here every day, waiting for you. I figured that when you came back, I could give you one—to help you quench your thirst. You’d probably be exhausted… and it’d at least give you some sugar to keep you going…”

“I’m sorry. I was useless. I couldn’t do anything to help you back then…”

“Every day, I hear people outside talking about you. Qingque comes by constantly, asking if you’ve returned. She even stole that bottle of wine she promised you from home—it’s sitting in the dorm right now. She said she wanted to hear Luofu’s great hero tell his story firsthand…”

“As an older sister, I’ve been a failure. I’ve been so busy dealing with all this mess that I couldn’t even join the search teams looking for you…”

“You said you’d be right back. That bottle of wine you left for me—I’ve been keeping it warm for you in the Divination Commission this whole time…”

She swallowed hard, her voice trembling.

“So… can you really come back and take a sip? Just one sip… that’s all I ask… really…”

With those words, she made up her mind.

She took a deep breath, steeled herself, and forced her tear-streaked eyes open.

By now, her emotions had settled.

No matter what she saw—no matter the outcome—she would accept it.

At that moment, the streetlights flickered on, casting a glow over the face of the man before her—grinning from ear to ear.

Uh.

Wait.

This… this wasn’t an illusion?!!!

---

T/N: Jie means sister

This is a fan translation of 在星穹铁道点群星科技树真的没问题吗? by 杏雨诗韵 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!