Honkai Impact 3rd: The Girl Who Chases the Flame

Fu Xuan said.

"I suppose there's some reason? Like a hobby or something?"

"...rarely. There are many similar methods of stargazing, but divination is tedious and the algorithms are complicated. Moreover, the secrets of heaven are hard to change, and knowing them may not necessarily be a good thing."

Fu Xuan frowned and said,

"So many of the children here are from poor families who don't know where their next meal will come from. After all, the Tabushi doesn't have any entry requirements and the salary is quite generous. But rich kids who have no worries about food and clothing are rarely willing to put in this hard work."

"That sounds strange."

"This question has puzzled me for many years. But I haven't taken it too seriously, after all, as a diviner, I have no interest in such trivial matters."

Fu Xuan said,

"But the problem is... she's dead."

"what?"

Because the turn of events was so abrupt, Melutina didn't react for a moment.

"Last night, while you were still grinding your teeth and snoring, I was summoned by General Jingyuan. Only when I arrived did I learn that Tingxue had actually died."

Fu Xuan said irritably.

"I didn't! So what? How did you die?"

"...dismemberment."

Fu Xuan's expression turned ugly. No matter what, he was someone from her Taibu Division, and she couldn't bear to see him like this.

"The corpse was split into six parts, distributed in the six corners of Luofu. Head, limbs, torso. Only when the six parts were combined into one did I vaguely recognize that this was Tingxue."

"Why did Brother Jingyuan call you over? Did he know that the dead were people from the Imperial Divination Bureau?"

Melutina asked again.

"Because she had the nameplate of the Taibu Si on her body, but the name was no longer identifiable, and the body was also abnormally damaged. Tingxue was a famous beauty in Luofu in her lifetime, but I only dared to be sure yesterday when I saw the beauty mark between her eyebrows."

Fu Xuan's expression was stiff, and Melutina could tell that he was barely suppressing his anger.

I was summoned in the middle of the night and found that the people under my command had died mysteriously and in a gruesome manner.

It's likely that even Fu Xuan, with his extraordinary temperament, was angered.

"Is Miss Tingxue not at the Taibu Si recently?"

“A week ago she asked me for leave. I saw that she was usually diligent and rarely took time off, so I granted her a half-month leave. I never expected…”

Fu Xuan sighed.

"Is there any evidence?"

"Melutina asked."

"Yes, it is the sentence I said at the beginning."

Fu Xuan took out a bloodstained note with the words written on it:

As you hear the news, you can die in the evening.

"Huh... why do you still carry it with you?"

Even Melutina didn't expect that Fu Xuan could hide a bloodstained note in his bosom.

"The question now is who wrote this note, and what it means."

Fu Xuan said.

"Master Diviner, can't you divine the answer?"

"Divination requires materials; it's not like you can just randomly pinch your fingers and know everything."

Fu Xuan said irritably,

"If there is enough evidence, I can make some deductions."

"Then why are you looking for me...?"

Melutina had a bad feeling.

“I must investigate this matter myself, but it is of great importance and has not yet been made public. I am somewhat overwhelmed by it alone. Fortunately, you are not from Luofu and are a friend of the General, so you are the perfect person for the task.”

Fu Xuan said, then, considering the character of the guy in front of him, he added,

"I will reward you handsomely once the matter is accomplished."

"A gift of thanks is all I need. To be honest, I've meddled in the affairs of strangers far too much in the past, and I don't want to worry about them anymore. But the Grand Diviner is also my friend, and I have a duty to help a friend in need."

With that, Melutina got out of bed.

"Then let's set off."

"You're going to... wear this?"

Fu Xuan sized the guy up and down.

"I'm afraid that if you go out this door, you'll be stopped by the Yunqi Army."

"Forehead……"

Melutina lowered her head, then coughed twice.

"Please allow me to change into clothes that are easier to move in."

……

General House

"Sigh, the troubles on this immortal ship are getting worse every day."

Jing Yuan sighed.

"General, what happened this time is truly alarming."

Having fought on the Cloud Cavalry for years and witnessed countless deaths, Yanqing couldn't help but say...

"Killing a woman like this... is truly against the natural order and will bring retribution."

"Yes, you're right."

Jing Yuan's open left eye gleamed with a cold light.

"This criminal must not be let off lightly. What is Miss Tingxue's background regarding friendships and enemies?"

"According to the preliminary investigation, Tingxue herself is rather aloof, but because she doesn't act like a spoiled young lady, she does have some close friends."

As for enemies… she did have some past grudges with someone of special status, but it shouldn't be enough to bring her to her death.

Yanqing said.

"A person with a special identity?"

Jing Yuan raised his head.

"It is Lord Yu Kong."

Chapter Ten: If This Love Lasts Forever

"Soaring through the air?"

Melutina and Fu Xuan sat on a fairy shuttle, discussing the case.

"Yes, she is one of the Six Emperors along with me. She is the captain of the Luofu Sky Ship Company. She is a woman with a gentle temperament and a mature way of handling things."

Fu Xuan replied.

"How could someone like that become an enemy of Miss Tingxue?"

Melutina was slightly taken aback.

"Saying it was a feud is an exaggeration."

Fu Xuan explained,

"When he was young, Yu Kong served as a pilot and fought in battles for a long time. He became a captain with excellent combat record. Later, he withdrew from the front line for some reason and devoted himself to official duties."

As for Tingxue and her connection... you know that trade and commerce are under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Maritime Bureau, right?

"Yes, I also registered there when I first arrived here."

Melutina nodded.

"Hmm... It's a rather old-fashioned topic. Tingxue has lived a secluded life for a long time, and her daily entertainment consists of elegant things like flower and bird embroidery, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting."

Fu Xuan sighed.

"I've never been a match for those things."

"You're more suited to admiring flowers and walking birds; embroidery, playing musical instruments, calligraphy, painting—it's all completely foreign to you."

Fu Xuan curled his lip.

"At that time, a foreigner named Ouyang came to Luofu. He was a researcher at the Black Tower space station."

Just then, Tingxue boarded the wrong boat and accidentally ended up in the market. As a young lady who never left her house, she had never seen such a sight before.

In her panic, she bumped into a fruit stand, where the owner berated her but had no money to compensate her. It's understandable; as the eldest daughter of the prestigious Shangguan family, who would dare to cause her trouble simply by giving her name? Unfortunately, she was inexperienced and didn't know how to conduct herself.

Fu Xuan only recently learned about these old stories after making careful inquiries.

……

General House

"Later, it was Mr. Ouyang who came to our aid. Although he was also destitute, he was kind-hearted and paid for the fruit for me. That's how we got to know each other and later fell in love."

At this point, Yanqing also let out a long sigh.

"What a pity. Although they were a perfect match and their encounter was beautiful, it turned out to be a tragic fate."

"How can a person from beyond the human realm, whose lifespan is no more than a hundred years, fall in love with a being ten times their size who lives forever?"

Jingyuan understood; it seemed this matter would end in tragedy.

……