Honkai Impact 3rd: The Girl Who Chases the Flame

"Melutina said awkwardly."

"Yes, Miss Mei."

Jingyuan readily accepts good advice; he has always been good at using abbreviations.

"Last night you broke into the General's Mansion, and then you suddenly appeared in my private residence... and even took pictures. Do you know that, if we're really going to be serious about this, you're probably headed for jail?"

"Uh...this, this..."

Melutina scratched her cheek.

"This general is rarely seen by the public. The people of Xianzhou have long admired him but have never seen his face. So I think it would be wonderful if we could get a few photos and sell them to the masses."

"Oh? You're quite thoughtful, but if that's the case, why sell it?"

Jing Yuan, as expected of a magnanimous (and shameless) general of the Cloud Cavalry, was not angry. Instead, he asked calmly.

"Well... people from Xianzhou believe in reciprocity, and the company has always adhered to the principle of win-win cooperation. Am I just... putting our respective philosophies into practice? You see, I got the money, and they got the photos, which allows them to express their admiration for the general."

This is a mutually agreeable arrangement, where each person gets what they need; isn't that perfect?

Melutina continued to argue.

"What a perfect win-win situation! But what about me?"

"Brother, you have the world in your heart, you surely wouldn't care about such small favors..."

"Hahahaha... Fellow Daoist is quite a character. If you continue to argue like this, it might turn out that I'm in the wrong."

Jing Yuan laughed heartily, showing no annoyance.

"Alright, fellow Daoist, your martial arts are superb. To be honest, Luo Fu has no intention of provoking you. Jing Yuan is interested in making your acquaintance, so let's just let this matter drop."

"Brother Jingyuan, you are truly a fine general!"

Melutina hugged Jingyuan, just like a good buddy.

"I've heard that the blind general of Luofu is magnanimous, and seeing him today, I can confirm it's truly extraordinary! Why don't we become sworn brothers today..."

"Ahem... No need for that. But Jingyuan does have a favor to ask of you, Miss Mei."

Jing Yuan coughed twice, interrupting the other person's ramblings.

"..."

Yanqing, standing to the side, wore an expression that was hard to describe.

This guy is so shameless! Is he really the kind of unparalleled master I imagined?

Moreover, Brother Jingyuan?

This person has absolutely no sense of boundaries!

"Brother Jingyuan, please speak."

Melutina said.

"Hmm, Miss Mei, are you familiar with the Apostolic Bureau?"

Jing Yuan asked.

I've heard a little about it.

Melutina nodded.

“I once passed by a fortune-telling stall, and the owner there said he was driven out by a diviner.”

I asked, "Why were you driven away, even if your skills were lacking?" She replied, "Because the diviner foresaw that she would drive me away, so she did."

"...That's right, Fu Qing is just like that."

Jing Yuan sighed.

"Tao Bu Fu Xuan is intelligent and ambitious, making her the perfect candidate for future general. However, she is too superstitious and is thus bound by fate. Jing Yuan would like to ask Miss Mei to lend him a hand and help Tai Bu get rid of this bad habit."

"How dare I, a mere commoner, instruct the diviner on how to do things?"

"Jing Yuan has prepared a generous reward."

Jingyuan put his hands behind his back.

"It's nothing. Brother Jingyuan and I are like brothers. How could I see you in trouble and not lend a helping hand!"

Melutina patted her chest and assured him.

"..."

Yanqing, who was standing to the side, hesitated to speak.

……

"..."

Melutina stared at the "liaison officer" in front of her without saying a word.

"Oh, you truly are my benefactor. I never imagined that just when I asked you to bring me a few photos, you would become friends with Lord Jingyuan. Tingyun has always trusted you!"

Tingyun said with a smile.

"I almost ended up in jail! That day at the General's Mansion, a pink-haired little girl pointed out my location. If it weren't for my good luck... you would have had to visit me in jail!"

Melutina said irritably.

"Pink-haired girl... cough cough, that's the Grand Diviner."

Tingyun coughed twice and said.

"Um? Isn't Taibu supposed to be an immortal being who has lived for a long time? Why is he so short?"

"Melutina said, puzzled."

"Um...maybe it's because...my development is slower?"

How could Tingyun dare to say anything negative?

"Ahem, anyway, that's your target this time."

"That's not urgent."

Melutina has been working for hundreds of years and is an expert at slacking off.

"I've long heard of the Immortal Ship Populist Imperial Jade Plaque. Now that we have the funds, why don't we go and play a couple of rounds!"

"Alright, my benefactor, I'll lead the way for you right away!"

……

"General! General!"

"Yanqing, don't worry, what's wrong?"

Jing Yuan asked while groping for fish with his eyes closed.

"Miss Mei and Tingyun went to the card room! I knew that guy was unreliable! Isn't he just squandering the general's money?"

Yanqing said angrily.

"This isn't my money; it belongs to Luofu."

Jing Yuan said lazily,

"Besides, I didn't expect her to actually want to do something. I asked Tingyun to find a way to take her to the card room, and I didn't expect to be persuaded so quickly."

I thought that given Miss Mei's temperament, she would at least want to stay for a few days first.

"You arranged for us to go to the card room? Why?"

Yanqing was completely baffled.

"If you want to interfere with the Taipusi, you have to start with people."

Jing Yuan had a confident expression on his face.

“The people of the Tabuan were all extremely busy all day long, except for one person.”

Chapter Four: Chronicles of Luofu (Part Three)

"Bullshit!"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

“My fellow player, including this match, you have lost to me forty-nine times.”

At a famous card room in Luofu, a table was surrounded by a large crowd of onlookers.

Because the game was so advanced, and everyone present was a fellow card player, they naturally gathered around.

"Tongdao, you're considered one of the better players in this card room, but Qingque, my luck is exceptionally good today!"

Qingque laughed heartily.

"I still don't know your honorable name, fellow Daoist. I will fight you another day."

“My surname is Mei, and my given name is Lutina… oops, my surname is Linnai and my given name is Mei Lutina.”

Melutina cupped her hands in greeting. This short girl was truly skilled and lucky at cards; the others at the table had already lost nearly a hundred games.

She had been sitting at the same table as this jackpot player for the past few days, but unexpectedly, she also lost dozens of games.

"Oh, you're a non-Chinese! It's alright, it's alright. I, Qingque, have never cared about such things. You look young, but your actions are quite mature. May I ask your age?"

"Qingque asked."

"Not much, not much. I am exactly 50,028 years old this year."

Melutina cupped her hands in greeting.

"Oh... huh?"

Qingque was dumbfounded.

"Fellow Daoist, are you joking? Looking across the six great immortal ships, very few people can live this long."

"How could I dare to deceive you?"

Melutina brushed aside her thick black hair, revealing two dragon horns.