[Tingyun is so pitiful—come to my place tonight; I'll give you some psychological counseling.]
[Big bro, your abacus beads just hit me in the face.]
[Tingyun right now is basically survivor's guilt.]
[After watching this segment, I have a strong urge to kill Phantylia.]
[Don't worry—Phantylia is definitely going to die. Just not right now.]
— —
The next moment, Ruan Mei shifted her tone. "But you are also fortunate. She wanted to take everything from you, and that required time—sparing you from being reduced to ashes in an instant.
'Dying and reviving' versus 'narrowly escaping death'—they are separated by only a thin line, yet worlds apart. If you had truly died, even I would have been powerless."
The Great Tingyun let out a groan. "My body… feels so strange…"
"I'm sorry, but I still cannot restore your full awareness yet. You would be in unbearable pain. This body has been steeped in 'Destruction' and suffered the most severe damage. As I said, these wounds will follow you forever.
To prevent any resurgence, I made some minor optimizations to your body—or more precisely, your tails. Learn to adapt to them. The price of survival is often 'misfortune.' There is no helping it."
[Ruan Mei's character keeps getting more and more fascinating.]
[There's such divinity to her—such compassionate divinity!]
[Tails? Huohuo has something to say about that.]
[Tail Grandpa probably won't agree.]
[Miraculous healing, Dr. Ruan!]
[So basically, Tingyun's body didn't change much—except her single tail became nine. Perfectly reasonable.]
— —
"In any case, thank you very much for saving my life." The Great Tingyun expressed her gratitude.
Ruan Mei responded calmly, "No need for thanks. This is merely a transaction. With this, the merchant and I are square."
[Confirmed—it really was Luocha!]
[Luocha is still putting out damage!]
[Just like you, Luocha!]
[Warm-hearted citizen Mr. Luo.]
[Ever since I watched Honkai Impact 3rd, I always feel like everything Luocha does is setting up for one massive event later.]
[Luocha's plot value just keeps rising.]
[Come on—you've seen his isekai counterpart. If he didn't cause trouble, it'd be an insult to that face.]
[Welt Yang feels an urge to punch him just looking at that face.]
[What if Luocha really is a good guy? Like the priest in Honkai Impact 3rd.]
[Ruan Mei said they're square now. I'm guessing a deal was made. A few generals were talking earlier about Ruan Mei joining in—I bet the remnants of Propagation are being handed over to Ruan Mei as the trade.]
[Let me say something harsh: trading a Stellaron's remains for one foxian life—do you really think Otto, I mean Luocha, would do that?]
[So he's definitely planning something big. Just hope it's not against us.]
— —
"Who?" Tingyun asked.
"No need to concern yourself. Sleep a little longer. When you wake, you will forget these details.
I will entrust someone else to escort you back… Speaking of which, there is a group of reliable friends who share quite a connection with you.
You might as well follow them. Hearing more about the past will also aid your recovery."
With that, the past unexpectedly revealed through tuning sank back into slumber and faded away.
— —
Oneweek suddenly jolted awake from the dream, gasping heavily.
"Are… are you okay?" March 7th asked with concern.
"Did I just pass out?" Oneweek replied weakly.
Stelle shook her head, looking genuinely disappointed. "We just got to the memorial photo stage."
Oneweek's mouth twitched. "You guys work fast."
[Hahaha, Stelle's line actually made me laugh out loud.]
[Only Stelle would dare say something like that.]
[Hahaha. Look at Stelle's face—she really looks regretful.]
— —
Sunday beside them stroked his chin. "The 'tuning' actually affected Oneweek in reverse. This lady is no simple person."
"At this point, there's no need to hide it from you." Welt adjusted his glasses. "Miss Tingyun is originally from the Xianzhou. She unfortunately fell victim to an Emanator of Destruction, who stole her identity. She was on the verge of death. Though she escaped with her life, the injuries were catastrophic—by all logic, recovery should have been impossible."
Sunday looked at Welt Yang with interest. Even for a Xianzhou foxian, surviving an Emanator of Destruction was already beyond miraculous—like dust surviving a cataclysm.
"But then a variable appeared?"
"Indeed. A certain genius intervened. She has considerable expertise in the field of life, and she bought Miss Tingyun a slim chance at survival.
Later, the Express was entrusted by her to escort Miss Tingyun home. Our brief stop in Penacony is partly for her convalescence."
The Great Tingyun looked apologetic. "I'm truly sorry. This little lady thought hiding in the dreamscape would spare others any trouble—yet trouble came one after another."
Oneweek waved it off. "Getting involved is fine—as long as it doesn't get me killed. Hey, can someone get me something to drink? I feel like I slept for ten years."
Welt Yang nodded. "Very well. The commotion earlier has drawn quite a bit of attention. Let's move somewhere else to talk."
Not long after—
The group appeared in front of a Sorella vending machine.
Oneweek furrowed his brows. "Sorella again? I'm a local, you know…"
"Just make do." Sunday agreed.
Welt Yang: "In any case, thank you both for your assistance."
"It was nothing. Now that Miss Tingyun's issue is resolved, shall we proceed to meet your other two companions?"
"No need. Mr. Oneweek is in poor condition. Let's first complete your farewell tour." Welt Yang turned to March 7th. "I'll leave Miss Tingyun in your care."
"Huh? Uncle Yang… the Xianzhou envoy is arriving soon. Aren't you coming?"
"I trust you with this. Besides, Himeko is here too. If anything is uncertain, let her decide."
March 7th nodded solemnly. "Got it. Then we'd better hurry."
She turned to Stelle. "So shall we keep going?"
Stelle scratched her head. "Wait… what were we doing again…?"
"How did you already forget?! Miss Tingyun is heading back to the Alliance—we're here to help her pick out souvenirs."
The Great Tingyun bent slightly and gave a polite bow. "This little lady is unfamiliar with the area and worried about being swindled by unscrupulous merchants. Fortunately, the recipients are all Xianzhou friends you know well. I must trouble the two major shareholders for your advice."
March 7th muttered under her breath, "What merchant could possibly scam you…"
Then March 7th and Stelle accompanied Tingyun to select gifts.
Fortunately, Tingyun was eloquent and tactful—she neither followed Stelle's abstract suggestions nor offended her.
After packaging the gifts, Tingyun checked the time and saw they still had some leeway.
"There is still one wish this little lady has not fulfilled. Since this is the final stop, may I borrow a moment to speak privately with the two of you in a quiet corner?"
March 7th and Stelle exchanged glances and nodded.
Not long after.
Tingyun found a secluded spot with few people around. "Here will do."
"Miss Tingyun, what is this about…?" March 7th asked, puzzled.
"This little lady has traveled with all of you for many days and received immense care—I am deeply grateful. Yet there are some matters I still cannot forget. Before we part, I feel it is best to speak my heart openly.
Do the two of you still remember the circumstances of our first meeting?"
"How could we forget? The Trailblazer froze in place and shouted something like…"
Stelle planted her hands on her hips. "Sparkle, how is it you?!"
Tingyun smiled warmly. "Word for word. And precisely because of that, throughout our journey together, this little lady has always felt a peculiar flavor in her heart.
Though my mouth said 'may I have the honor of knowing your distinguished names,' in my heart I couldn't help but think—this scene of 'first meeting' must, for all of you, feel more like a 'reunion after a long absence.'
I have also heard bits and pieces of your journey on the Xianzhou. I cannot help but marvel at how exquisite Phantylia's disguise was—like another version of me in the world, fooling everyone."
March 7th pursed her lips. "Yeah… we couldn't even figure out when exactly Tingyun was replaced by Phantylia. We thought maybe she disappeared for a while during the Kafka pursuit and got swapped when she reappeared."
"But in truth, it happened much earlier."
[Case closed—finally solved!]
[The mystery of Tingyun's disappearance—finally ruled out one possibility.]
[So the Tingyun from the very beginning was Phantylia?]
[Should be. She was attacked along with the merchant caravan—probably right then.]
— —
"Every time I think of this, I feel a touch of melancholy—as though a part of this little lady's life was cut away, yet I myself was excluded from it." Tingyun gave a bitter smile.
"This is also where my confusion lies. How exactly did Phantylia impersonate me? After all, I never witnessed it myself. According to the two of you, what did that 'Tingyun' seem like?"
Stelle thought for a moment. "A little shrewd."
"That is accurate, though this little lady has always calculated affairs, never people." Tingyun continued asking, "And what kind of person did she appear to be?"
"A smooth and considerate merchant."
Tingyun smiled faintly—utterly charming. "My, then this little lady will take that as a compliment. Next time, you may as well call it 'versatile and charming.'"
She asked further, "Then… was there anything particularly memorable?"
"March 7th said you were really good at bossing people around." As she spoke, Stelle pointed her finger at March 7th.
"Hey! Don't snitch on me right in front of her!"
Tingyun covered her mouth and laughed. "Then one last question. In the eyes of the two of you, did that person in your memories… seem completely indistinguishable from this little lady?"
Stelle spoke unusually seriously. "Actually, I don't think that matters."
March 7th nodded as well. "Miss Tingyun is clearly the real one—why compare yourself to an impostor?"
"Miss March, I believe you misunderstand. This little lady only feels some regret—and some relief."
March 7th looked confused. "Huh?"
"A merchant must always stay well-informed. Before returning, this little lady will inevitably learn of recent events on the Luofu. If I had returned abruptly back then, I likely would not have been of much help. I would probably have delayed my journey to seek allies elsewhere—but in doing so…"
"We would never have met at all?"
"Exactly." Tingyun let out a deep breath. "From what you described, that Emanator of Destruction truly possesses extraordinary skill. Everything she did was identical to this little lady's own way. It was less a disguise and more as though she lived a few days in my place.
During your journey on the Xianzhou, this little lady regrets missing it. Yet the subsequent events—aside from the conspiracies—unfolded almost exactly as they would have had I been present. Because of this, Tingyun glimpsed a possibility…
Phantylia stole my life. Foxians hold grudges and never let a debt go unpaid—this little lady must take something back from her.
But after much thought, the only thing of equal value… is 'the bond with all of you.'
Thinking of this, this little lady finally felt at ease—and finally understood how I should speak to you."
At this point, Tingyun gave a relieved smile.
"All of you benefactors and I had never met before, yet you saved me from the depths of danger. This scene is no different from that time. This little lady should have treated you with proper respect, yet because of my fear of Phantylia, I ended up acting unlike myself."
[Cry—everyone cry! TwT!]
[The emotional tension in this scene—no one does it like miHoYo!]
[These lines—the emotional intelligence is terrifying. How many souls did miHoYo's writers devour?]
— —
"And now, Tingyun will take back what was lost—starting with a title that should have been spoken long ago."
Tingyun paused. "Esteemed benefactors—Tingyun thanks you with utmost sincerity."
[Welcome back, Tingyun!]
[I thought I'd never hear a foxian girl call us Benefactor again!]
[Wuwu, baby!]
[Finally came full circle—I thought I'd never hear it again.]
[Ahh, that felt so good! So satisfying!]
[Do you know how long I've waited to hear that Benefactor?]
[Shoutout to the writers—they really worked hard to smooth out that lump in everyone's hearts!]
[Everyone's so smart—am I the only one who didn't fully understand?]
[Basically: the real Tingyun felt Phantylia imitated her too perfectly. Because she didn't act exactly like the fake version, she felt unlike herself. But that fake version was actually another very real side of her—so the real Tingyun finally came to terms with it and returned to being herself.]
[That's so beautiful!]
— —
Stelle gave a small smile. "Time to readjust your sense of identity."
"Looks like a good beginning. From now on, this little lady will make many more attempts like this. When that time comes, all you benefactors will be the courage in Tingyun's heart."
March 7th quickly interrupted. "That's way too much—Miss Tingyun, please don't make any dangerous decisions! We can't bear it!"
"Those are matters for later. I only hope that from now on, what remains in the memories of my benefactors is 'Tingyun'—and no longer 'Phantylia.' This little lady has finished speaking. I hope I haven't delayed you too much. Let us continue on our way."
With everything settled, the three walked together and arrived at Dr. Edward's dream bubble stall.
While trading dream bubbles, Tingyun suddenly thought of something. "Oh yes—speaking of dreams, this little lady also has a small gift I'd like to offer my benefactors.
Having troubled you all these days and with our parting so near, I cannot leave empty-handed. This little lady has prepared a dream bubble for each of you—please accept them."
Stelle and March 7th received the dream bubbles and looked delighted. "Wow… of course! Thank you so much."
Once everything was ready, Tingyun picked up her gifts and walked forward with March 7th.
Stelle glanced at the dream bubble in her hand. "You two go ahead—I still have something to take care of. I'll catch up later."
"What is it?" March 7th asked suspiciously.
Tingyun seemed to see right through her. "I still want to pick out a few more gifts. Do you have any suggestions, benefactor?"
"More gifts? Then you've asked the right person!"
March 7th pulled Tingyun forward.
At that moment, Tingyun turned back with a smile. "I'll be waiting for you, benefactor."