Okita Souji’s calloused palm gently brushed the scabbard, a rare hint of envy in his eyes.

As someone who also pursued the pinnacle of the “Way of the Sword,” the Xianzhou people could spend hundreds or even thousands of years chasing the Grand Dao, while he himself was destined to die young from tuberculosis. Forget hundreds of fatal wounds; even illness could easily claim his life, leaving him to lie in bed, watching the Shinsengumi fall apart.

If he had been fortunate enough to become a Xianzhou native, he probably would have become good friends with Yanqing and Yunli, right?

“Strange... since demon swords are such things that corrupt people’s hearts, why doesn’t General Huaiyan melt them all down? I always feel that this old general isn’t as decisive as Yunli when it comes to demon swords,” Lu Bu said from the side.

Sasaki Kojiro frowned and said, “Could it be that this old general has mastered a forging technique that perfectly eliminates the Heliobus backlash? If not, it would be difficult to confidently entrust demon swords to anyone outside the Xianzhou Luofu. The first place prize of this Wardance wouldn’t be a treasured sword, but rather an introduction of potential disaster that could backfire.”

The human heroes in the lounge were all unaware of General Huaiyan’s true intentions, only instinctively believing that as the most senior general, he couldn't possibly do something so obviously absurd.

——

“‘Was that sword really forged with Heliobus?’ Star asked.”

“‘Guyun is indeed one of the demon swords forged by Hanguang. Few artisans can use Heliobus as a material for forging swords; Hanguang is one of those few. He paid a heavy price for his attempts…’ General Huaiyan’s tone shifted, ‘This Guyun was meant to be an opportunity—I would tell her that the ‘father’ in her memory is not immutable, and even Hanguang, whom she resents, can forge a ‘Hero’s Sword’.’”

“Huaiyan also wanted to find an opportunity to talk to Yunli, but unfortunately, the sword presentation ceremony was not a good time. Now he had entrusted someone to escort the sword to the Artisanship Commission, and Star could also ask someone familiar to help confirm it.”

“Speaking of which, Star immediately pulled out her phone and contacted Master Gongshu, confirming that the demon sword had been safely delivered.”

“‘By the way, this old man heard from an apprentice that a young girl broke into the Artisanship Commission with a sword. That must be General Huaiyan’s granddaughter, right? Was she looking to chat with this old man or to rob him?’”

“Even through the screen, Star could almost feel Master Gongshu’s resentment over the inexplicable loss of several Aurumaton and various mechanical constructs.”

“‘She and I agreed that she wouldn’t lay a hand on Guyun before confirming the situation.’”

“‘What?! She’s going to steal the sword too? That truly frightens me!’”

“‘Knight of Pure Beauty just escorted the treasured sword to the Artisanship Commission’s armory without any mishaps. When I have time, I’ll have that little girl tell me herself why she wants to steal the sword!’”

“After learning that Master Gongshu promised the treasured sword was ‘without mishap,’ Star also relaxed and returned to the inn to rest, but the next day…”

“Her phone ‘beeped,’ and the person looking for her was actually Dahao from the Realm-Keeping Commission.”

“‘Is Star there? Could I ask you to cooperate and make a trip to the Artisanship Commission?’”

“A faint sense of foreboding rose in Star’s heart: ‘What happened?’”

“‘To make a long story short, the Artisanship Commission received a treasured sword gifted by General Huaiyan yesterday, but when they checked today, the sword had disappeared. In short, the Realm-Keeping Commission has officially opened an investigation and conducted routine inquiries with relevant personnel.’”

“Star rubbed her groggy head, feeling a tangled mess there: ‘I reminded Master Gongshu yesterday to keep it safe. Does he know?’”

“‘Yes, he’s the one who reported it.’”

——

Honkai Impact 3rd.

“Hahaha—!”

Dr. Tesla was the first to burst into an unreserved laugh, slapping the casing of the experimental equipment beside her. “Is this Xianzhou speed? From promising to guard it to the demon sword being stolen, it only took one night! Yunli’s efficiency is even faster than the budget approval speed in the lab.”

“...Indeed, that little girl still couldn’t resist.” Einstein’s voice sounded quite helpless, as she sighed softly, “This way, the misunderstanding between her and her grandfather will only grow. Alas, why couldn’t she just wait a little longer?”

Welt wasn’t as relaxed as Tesla; after all, what was happening on the Celestial Screen now might be something he would experience in the future, so he had to think empathetically.

“I’m more curious about how the outside world will view this. The grandfather and granddaughter, one gifting a sword and the other stealing it—for some bystanders who enjoy a good show, the interpretations here are quite subtle.”

“Interpretations? Interpretations of what?” Dr. Tesla blinked at him curiously.

Einstein took over, adding in a flat tone, “Seeing the small to know the big, first, it shows that there are security issues with the Artisanship Commission, which is undoubtedly a slap in Master Gongshu’s face. Second, the grandfather and granddaughter who are gifting and stealing the sword are also Higher-ups of the Xianzhou Luofu. What signal does this send? Is there a disagreement within the Xianzhou Luofu regarding this transfer? Has General Huaiyan himself changed his mind but finds it inconvenient to appear directly? There are many different opinions…”

“Chicken-head, is it that complicated? It’s just stealing something!”

“In the context of different factions, and even diplomatic occasions, a person from the Xianzhou Luofu ‘stealing something’ on the Luofu is no longer a simple personal act,” Welt said gravely. “General Huaiyan’s situation will become very awkward. He not only has to explain to Jing Yuan and the others but also deal with the trouble Yunli has caused. Crucially, if the demon sword is really melted down by Yunli, then whether it’s a ‘Hero’s Sword’… who can really say?”

——

“When Star arrived at the Artisanship Commission, she found that everyone was already there.”

“Not only was Yunli present, but even General Huaiyan had come to participate in the questioning.”

“General Huaiyan took the initiative: ‘…Yunli, I suppose you know why the official called you here.’”

“Yunli was quite frank: ‘I know, I didn’t steal the sword.’”

“Star: ‘Yunli promised me she wouldn’t steal the sword.’”

“‘Alas, Official Dahao did not hear Yunli’s promise. The theft of Guyun is a breach of trust within the Luofu and a disservice to the delegation externally. Official Dahao, please make sure to find out the truth.’”

“Dahao nodded: ‘Yes, thorough investigation is my duty. Although Miss Yunli’s words are resolute, the case cannot be closed based solely on personal statements.’”

“Yunli pouted and snorted, ‘Rather than letting a villain steal it, it would have been better to give it to me to melt down from the start.’”

“‘You should say less…’”

“‘Regarding the theft of Guyun, although those in the know all have varying degrees of suspicion, Miss Yunli is the biggest suspect in this case. First, Miss Yunli revealed her motive for stealing Guyun at the sword presentation ceremony—she repeatedly said she would take this sword. Afterwards, she broke into the Artisanship Commission, damaged Aurumaton, and attempted to seize the sword. Have I said anything wrong?’”

“Yunli spoke dryly: ‘…No, you haven’t.’”

“Afterward, the Realm-Keeping Commission inspected the doors and windows of the armory, finding no signs of damage, nor any passages for thieves to enter or exit. It was clearly a locked-room mystery.”

“Star couldn’t help but imagine: ‘If March 7th were here, her jinx would definitely point out who the thief is…’”