I’m surrounded by strange things in Honkai: Star Rail! [2]

"So, you're saying that during the battle at Jianmu, Sister Tingyun suddenly transformed into a Lord Ravager, though you're unsure whether it was illusion or a puppet? You suspect she had already been replaced, or perhaps she’s been a pawn of the Antimatter Legion all along?"

Jiang Yan simply couldn’t imagine how the delicate fox girl, who often called herself a "fragile little lady," could suddenly transform into the ferocious Lord Ravager, responsible for destroying countless planets.

A fox spirit who bullied her younger brother every night for an hour, demanding he help her care for her tail—using a specially crafted boxwood comb to brush it, rubbing special balm into the base, and wrapping it carefully with silk—was a fake? No way.

How could someone with such an exquisite lifestyle be suspected of being an undercover agent for the Antimatter Legion? It seemed too far from the concept of destruction.

Jiang Yan immediately retorted:

"Some things shouldn't be said carelessly. A pawn of the Antimatter Legion? Are you suggesting that the Sky-Faring Commission allowed a pawn to hide among them for a hundred years?"

"If such a massive blunder happened within Luofu, could it be that the Ten-Lords Commission is just trying to shift the blame onto the Sky-Faring Commission to avoid punishment from Xianzhou?"

After speaking, Jiang Yan stared directly into Han Ya's eyes, his tone filled with sarcasm:

"If the Ten-Lords Commission isn't going to tell me the details of my sister's fate, then I have nothing more to say. Maybe you should label this short-lived outlander as a 'Voidspawn' too, and then both my sister and I could die without a trace. Wouldn’t that be more convenient?"

Before he could continue, a pitch-black triangular spike was already pressed against his throat, rendering him immobile.

"The Ten-Lords Commission is sacred ground, show some respect!"

However, Jiang Yan, driven by his desperation to learn his sister’s whereabouts, completely ignored the spike that could pierce his throat in the next moment, keeping his eyes fixed on the white-haired judge, craving an answer.

"Let him go, sister."

Han Ya's gentle voice instantly dispelled the automaton girl’s murderous intent. She withdrew the spike and quietly returned to Han Ya's side, as if the swift and deadly assault just now had been a mere illusion.

Once Jiang Yan had calmed down and returned to his seat, Han Ya continued:

"The Ten-Lords Commission only punishes the gravest of sins and does not meddle in the affairs of the living. If you wish to prove your sister’s innocence, you should cooperate with our investigation and seek the truth with your own strength. What I can guarantee is only to relay what is written in the official records. As for the deeper secrets, I truly know nothing."

Han Ya’s voice was soft and calm, but it carried a persuasive power that made one want to comply.

"My apologies for my rudeness. Miss Han Ya, please, for the sake of my concern for my family’s safety, just tell me what you know. I will answer everything I can afterward." Desperate for the truth, Jiang Yan nodded, agreeing to this deal.

After personally reviewing several statements and photos from the scene compiled by the Ten-Lords Commission, Jiang Yan had to admit that the “Tingyun” who went to Jianmu was clearly no fox person.

But where had his real sister gone? Was she kidnapped on one of the planets she visited, or…?

Jiang Yan didn’t want to think of those terrible outcomes before falling into utter despair. He simply nodded, signaling the judge from the Ten-Lords Commission to proceed with the questions.

"Please think carefully. Has Miss Tingyun exhibited any strange behavior lately?"

"No." Jiang Yan replied without hesitation.

Even though the Sky-Faring Commission had been extremely busy recently, Tingyun still found time to track him down and "recharge" herself. The strength of her hugs, and even the places she sniffed and licked, all felt familiar.

"What about further back? I mean, since Miss Tingyun met you, has there ever been a time when her personality seemed to change?"

Jiang Yan thought carefully. Ever since they met, that fox girl had always had a strange craving for him, and that kind of peculiar hobby and habit would be difficult to fake. So, he shook his head again:

"No, at least in my interactions with her, she’s always been the same."

Han Ya didn’t seem disappointed by the lack of new information. She simply nodded and continued:

"Next, I need to use dream divination to carefully examine the karmic ties between you and Miss Tingyun. Please forgive the intrusion. Rest assured, by the authority of the Ten Kings, as long as it doesn’t involve grave sins, all other details will be erased from my memory immediately, and not a single word will be leaked."

Jiang Yan nodded and obediently lay down on the bed as instructed by Han Ya. After being put into a deep sleep by the dream-divining technique, he was personally escorted out of the Ten-Lords Commission by Han Ya:

"Thank you for your cooperation. If I discover anything further, I will inform you as soon as possible. Until next time... though I hope we never meet again, as meeting me rarely brings good fortune."

Jiang Yan had no mood for small talk. After a brief wave in acknowledgment, he headed straight to the Sky-Faring Commission. He couldn’t believe that someone as prominent as Tingyun, with her connections and friendships, could disappear without anyone seeking justice. A thorough search was bound to turn up some clue.

However, when he entered the guild, he was enraged to find his colleagues, who had once joked and laughed with Tingyun, now packing up her belongings, preparing to send them into space through the fox people’s traditional “Soul Comforting Ceremony,” to burn in a star’s light.

"Stop!"

Blinded by fury, Jiang Yan lost all rationality. Before he could think, he drew his sword and struck at the gray-haired girl holding the box. She blocked the blow with a bat, and as he disarmed her, he seized the box:

"What are you doing? A person that large has gone missing, and you’re not even going to look for her? Wrapping this up so hastily—is it because you’re afraid the rumors will tarnish the guild’s reputation?"

"How dare you!"

With a sound like air being torn apart, Jiang Yan’s sword was knocked from his hand by a precise shot from an energy arrow. He turned to see none other than the guildmaster, Yukong, holding a battle bow, her gaze stern:

"The decision to perform the Soul Comforting Ceremony was mine. Not only did Tingyun pass away, but her parents, who were once part of my martial force, did as well. As her elder, it is my right to handle her affairs, and I do not need your guidance!"

"Tingyun’s assets will be transferred to you by the Realm-Keeping Commision in due time. As for now—Yanming, escort him out!"

With a light tap of her toe, Jiang Yan’s sword flipped into the air and returned to its sheath as if it had eyes, while its blade also prevented Yanming from stepping in to dissuade him.

Jiang Yan picked up Tingyun’s now-burnt Su Li fan from the box, his voice cold:

"Since I have no part in handling her affairs, I won’t covet her wealth as an outlander to Xianzhou. This fan was my sister’s keepsake, so I’ll hold onto it as a memento. I only believe in one thing: if she’s alive, I need to see her; if she’s dead, I need to see her body. No matter how vast the universe, even with a lifespan of just a few decades, I will find some trace of her. I have no need for your so-called ‘elders.’ This is goodbye."

With that, he pushed past Yanming and strode away, leaving the crew of the Star Rail and the members of the Sky-Faring Commission staring at each other in silence.

After a while, it was the pink-haired girl who finally broke the awkward tension:

"That was Miss Tingyun’s brother? Should we ask him to come back? Umm... I don’t really know fox people’s customs, but shouldn’t family members be present for the final farewell?"

After a brief silence, Yukong replied:

"This matter involves the Antimatter Legion and the Ten-Lords Commission—it’s extremely dangerous. Given how much Tingyun cared for him, I’m sure she wouldn’t want him to face any harm. Let him stay mistaken."

Jiang Yan didn’t know what was happening behind him, and even if he did, he would never shy away from so-called "danger" until he had repaid all his debts. Without hesitation, he packed his bags and boarded a trade ship, setting off on a journey to find Tingyun.

No matter what, Jiang Yan refused to believe that one of the Lord Ravagers had deliberately infiltrated Xianzhou just to take over the body of his ordinary fox spirit sister.

If that was the case, the truth must lie somewhere on one of the sixteen planets she connected through her travels.

Just sixteen planets—he could live for at least fifty more years. Three years per planet would be more than enough.

What Jiang Yan never expected, though, was that only fifty minutes later, he would find his sister.

In his cabin on the trade ship, as he was carefully studying the customs and geography of his next destination, the fan he had kept as a reminder suddenly burst into a green-yellow flame and leapt onto him.

As Jiang Yan frantically tried to put out the fire, a familiar voice came from the flames:

"Hmm... Hmm... Yes, this is the feeling, Xiao Jiang, you’re the best!"