Chapter 368

"…Oh dear, friend, when I witnessed this scene, my expression wasn't much better than yours." Shajin nodded, "You didn't mistake it—it's her, that renowned singer 【Zhigengniao】."

""Zhigengniao actually…""

Shajin said calmly, "First let me state, this has nothing to do with me; I'm just an unlucky fool who happened to stumble onto the scene. The family can vouch for me—if you don't believe me, ask someone from a hound clan; they hate me and the company, so they'd never lie."

""This isn't the crime scene either; what I'm showing you is a memory—the simplest light‑cone presentation technology, authorized by the Memory Court, owned by the company." Shajin gazed at the memory bubbles drifting in the dream‑pool beside him, his tone light: "By now, do you still think that 【Sea‑wandering Ranger】 is an outsider?""

——

Pirate King.

""What a silver‑tongued brat." Teng Hu's brows furrowed slightly, "But his intent to sow discord between Xing and Huangquan is too obvious. Huangquan may have many doubts, but for now she bears no ill will toward Xing.""

Lü Niu leaned on the railing, gazing at the scenery of Mariejoa: "…You're being too hasty, aren't you? How can you decide Huangquan has no ill will or other motives? A woman who speaks in riddles from the start and never stops is simply not trustworthy."

"If Huangquan bore ill will, Xing would likely have met the same fate as the Duke of Netherfire. Tactics are only precious when one lacks strength, and for an Envoy… in Pinokangni there is no other Envoy to oppose, so there's no need for all these roundabout schemes."

Lü Niu thought it over and it seemed true, but he always felt Shajin was specifically targeting Huangquan—whether identifying the killer or investigating, it looked like he was deliberately driving a wedge between Huangquan and those around her.

"You say, could Shajin possibly be allied with Liuying—"

"Those two have no connection." Teng Hu immediately took up his words, his cane‑blade lightly touching the ground, "At first I too thought Liuying and Shajin were in league, but if that were true, Liuying's death would have been known to Shajin; he'd certainly know about that meme. Yet now… he's so quick to accuse Huangquan, he must know nothing of the meme."

Lü Niu's brows knit deep: "Now that's interesting. Just who is Liuying? She seems unaffiliated with any faction. Could she be a guest of the 【End】 or some other Path?"

"No, there's still one faction that might be possible." Teng Hu lifted his head, using his blind eyes to "observe" the heavens: "Do you recall her first meeting with Sangbo? That keen, minute observation… if she weren't a trained martial artist, it would be impossible. It's far from the life she describes—a 'patient' lying in a medical pod? Heh, how could someone bedridden year after year make such a judgment?"

"Given how little the Sea‑wandering Rangers interact, I suspect she might be a ranger like Huangquan… but why she hides her strength and experience is unknown."

——

""Pinokangni has solemnly promised: within the dreams woven by the clan, every guest's safety will be guaranteed. Those in peril will be forcibly awakened and returned safely to reality.""

""What gives them the confidence to say this so firmly? Because behind this promise lies the blessing of 【Harmony】: the clan's dream‑weavers bind thoughts into one, forging an impregnable safety line.""

Shajin turned to look at the oil painting behind him—that's a passage to Pinokangni: "Breach this line, create 'death' in the dream… without the family's permission, not even a Memory Keeper can do that."

""Who could pull it off? Friend, only she—the woman who calls herself a Sea‑wandering Ranger… an impostor intruder, an Envoy concealing her true identity.""

""Afflict's death is already settled, and Zhigengniao… her gruesome state is right before us. Who will be the next victim?""

""If that's the case, I won't trust anyone." Xing slowly shook his head."

""It's fine, you can have your own judgment. Cultivating trust always takes time; I'm willing to wait." Shajin shrugged, as if Xing's attitude was exactly what he expected, "I just hope you understand that around that so‑called legacy… Pinokangni seethes with undercurrents, everyone harboring ulterior motives.""

""Never pick the wrong side. If I were you, I'd keep my distance from Huangquan. After all, no matter how you say it, the schemes laid out in the open far outweigh the monsters lurking in the shadows… right?""

——

Honkai 3.

""These troublemakers who sow discord are the worst!!""

Qiana grew angrier the more she looked, and the angrier she got the more she wanted to watch. She feared Xing would cut ties with Huangquan because of Shajin's honeyed words, so now she needed Miss Qizi and Mr. Walter to ruthlessly expose his schemes!

"Hmm…" Mei Yi lowered her head slightly, fingers unconsciously rubbing the rim of her teacup, her thoughts drifting, "I've noticed since just now that they keep emphasizing the concept of 'death' in a special way—it seems different from ordinary death in Pinokangni…"

"I've noticed it too," Qizi said from the side, "Death in Pinokangni might involve two concepts. If we use a game as a metaphor, ordinary death equals a game character being knocked out, then respawning at a checkpoint to play again. But the 'death' that Shajin and Xingqiri mention… is more like an account ban—you can't play anymore."

Bronya furrowed her brows: "That really is a harsh metaphor…"

"If that's the case, wouldn't Miss Liuying be unable to enter Pinokangni anymore?" Qiana looked at Qizi with a worried expression.

"…Well, quite likely. She and Zhigengniao probably can't re‑enter Pinokangni; for now they're probably wandering the Daydream Hotel. The bad news is that Pinokangni is about to descend into chaos; the possible silver lining is… their lives are safe."

"But the clan might think of a way to let Zhigengniao return to Pinokangni—after all, without her the Harmony Gala can't proceed normally. As for Liuying… that girl probably isn't so lucky. Regarding the Clockmaker's legacy, she might be the first to be eliminated."

——

""But who says the surface schemes aren't hiding a deeper conspiracy?""

In the gap between their words, the Black Swan glided over gracefully, her fingertips turning and playing with a playing card—only to vanish the next second.

Shajin's face darkened at once: "…Memory Keeper, I think our deal is already over."

The Black Swan paid him no heed, instead turning to Xing at the side: "Shajin is telling the truth—this 【memory】 is genuine, with no distortion or splicing."

Shajin nodded: "The company isn't the Memory Court, so what I can do is quite limited. Friend, no beating around the bush—let me get straight to the point: I want to cooperate with the Star Rail in my personal capacity."