Chapter 1: Honkai: Star Rail — The Xianzhou General Wouldn't Dream of a Yandere Chapter 1 The General Won't Be Manipulated by His S

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Protagonist:

Xuan Ge

(Readers discard your brains, let the dragon transform and think for you.)

(Trouble the reader-grandpas to read the synopsis; if you don't like it, don't flame.)

Inside the main hall of the Shen Wei General's Mansion, it was so quiet you could hear the hum of mechanical axles turning far away.

Xuan Ge stood with his back to those two heavy mansion gates, his black ponytail hanging loose over his shoulders, two unruly strands at his forehead swaying lightly with the tune he was humming.

Before him sat a low-legged square table temporarily moved in — completely out of place in this solemn, dignified grand hall.

On the table, a small stove was burning fiercely.

In the little pot on the stove, milky-white broth bubbled and boiled, pickled vegetable threads and tender tofu rising and falling in the boiling water, steaming up a salty, fragrant heat.

Beside it sat three or four small dishes: pickled vegetables cut extremely fine, cold-tossed threads sprinkled with sesame, and a small plate of oil-fried peanuts.

And a pot of wine.

A blue-green jade wine pot, its body glowing with a warm, gentle light — top-shelf clear wine he had "swiped" from the Marshal's private collection after finishing business at the Marshal's Mansion.

In his words: "Helping the Marshal sample and appraise it, lest it sit too long and lose its flavor."

"Eating pickled veggies and boiled tofu~ The Xianzhou Tablet can't compare to me~"

Xuan Ge used long chopsticks to pick up a piece of tofu trembling from the boil, blew on it twice, and popped it into his mouth.

His golden eyes narrowed in satisfaction. He smacked his lips, then took a sip of wine.

As for that wide desk behind him, already piled half a meter high with documents awaiting review?

He didn't even glance at it.

"Mhm-hm~ Even the little Shen Ce can't compare to me~"

He chuckled to himself, muttering, chopsticks reaching into the pot again.

The corridor outside the hall.

Footsteps approached from far to near, unhurried yet steady enough to make one's heart tighten.

The newcomer wore a black-and-white short cheongsam, black hair like a waterfall, brown pupils glowing with a warm, gentle light under the corridor lamps.

On her exposed hands and feet, strange patterns showed through her skin, fading from deep red into her natural skin tone; her earlobes were the sharp, pointed ones of the Mingren clan.

Ling Sha.

The Shen Wu Corps soldiers guarding both sides of the General's Mansion gates stood upright as pines.

But when she drew near, the right-hand soldier's fingers, hanging at his thigh, pressed a protrusion on his armor — barely perceptible, extremely fast.

A silent alarm.

Ling Sha saw it.

The corner of her mouth curved slightly, hooking a faint, knowing arc.

Her steps didn't pause; she didn't even wait for the soldiers to announce her as customary, simply striding straight past the threshold and into the General's Mansion.

Clean and decisive.

Inside the hall.

The jade talisman at Xuan Ge's waist vibrated once.

His movement froze, golden pupils contracting violently.

"Tsk."

He put down his chopsticks, fumbling to lift the little stove — the stove walls were scorching, his fingertips shrank back the moment they touched it.

He looked around for a cloth, but the things he usually tossed around casually were nowhere to be found right now.

Too late.

A clear, cool voice, carrying a slightly drawn-out tail, had already sounded behind him:

"General, I wonder... what happy occasion it is today?"

Xuan Ge's spine stiffened.

He held his bent-over posture without moving, mind racing — researching rations? Sampling the Tablet's clear wine? Badmouthing Shen Ce?

"...... Ah...... Um......"

He dry-laughed as he turned around, still clutching those long chopsticks in his hand.

"It's Dan Zhu ah...... perfect timing, I this......"

"Ah~"

A light sigh cut him off.

Ling Sha had already walked to three steps from his side, head tilted slightly as she looked at him, brown eyes holding little emotion.

"The General truly has a noble memory that forgets easily." Ling Sha's tone was calm.

"This concubine has long since changed her name to 'Ling Sha'. It's been quite some time now."

Xuan Ge plastered on that habitual, roguish smile of his, trying to bluff his way through.

Ling Sha didn't play along.

Her fingertip tapped casually on the empty ground beside her.

Pale gold Virtual Number energy flowed out, rapidly condensing and shaping into a clean-lined lounge chair.

She brushed her sleeves and sat down, her skirt spreading like water.

Seated, her gaze returned to that pot of pickled tofu still steaming with heat.

"Speaking of which~" her voice remained calm.

"Since the General brought Concubine over from Zhu Ming, Concubine truly hasn't had a single day of ease."

Voice fall.

She reached out, the motion natural yet so fast Xuan Ge didn't realize, directly taking away the bowl and chopsticks before him.

Along with the piece of tofu clamped on the chopsticks.

Xuan Ge opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

He took the opportunity to lean back, sinking into his own wide General's Chair, crossing his legs, picking up the cup of green wine on the table that was half-drunk and shaking it.

"What words?" he raised an eyebrow, "What kind of words are these?"

"You graduated from under Yan Ting Jun, didn't you also want to find a place to show your talents?"

He raised his hand and pointed at the hall's dome: "Look at my Shen Wei Jiang Jun Fu, sweeping across the four directions, isn't it precisely the world you want?"

Ling Sha listened quietly to the end.

Then, clearly and distinctly, she rolled her eyes at him.

There was no anger in that gaze, only the speechlessness of "here we go again" and a calm that saw through everything.

She lowered her head, using the chopsticks she had taken, picked up the piece of tofu in the bowl that had cooled a bit, and ate it in small bites.

Wiped the corner of her mouth.

Only then raised her eyes to look at him.

"So~" her voice flat, "This is the General's reason for having me simultaneously serve as the Dan Ding Si Si Ding, and also as your Chief Strategist, and then working me to death?"

"Cough!"

Xuan Ge was choked by the wine.

He put down the wine cup, straightened his back, trying to regain his dignity: "What work to death? This is called heavy use! How many people would break their heads trying to climb up, and you're still not satisfied?"

Ling Sha didn't speak.

She slowly raised her head, blinked her eyes.

Just like that, she quietly looked at Xuan Ge, looked at his "this old man giving you a chance is your blessing" appearance, looked for several seconds.

Looked until the smile at the corner of Xuan Ge's mouth couldn't quite hold on.

Then, she lightly put down the chopsticks.

"General~" she spoke, voice clear.

"You mean, this Shen Wu Xian Zhou that's only one-tenth the size of Luo Fu Xian Zhou, filled entirely with your private army, where even documents require your personal review......"

She paused.

"Really has many people who need to 'climb up'?"

"........."

The corner of Xuan Ge's mouth twitched ruthlessly.

These words were venomous, not giving a shred of face.

Seeing the General eat a loss, a trace of extremely faint amusement flashed through Ling Sha's eyes, fleeting.

She didn't press the attack further, merely extended her hand, palm up, hooking her finger at Xuan Ge.

Xuan Ge alert: "What for?"

"Wine."

"Men and women don't hand things directly, this cup of mine has......"

Ling Sha stopped speaking.

She took out a warm, smooth jade tally from her waist, lightly placed it on the table. Fingertip a tap.

Faint light lit up.

A familiar voice, carrying drunkenness and anguish, transmitted out:

【I've been harmed by wine and lust, actually become so haggard! From today onward——quit alcohol!!】

Xuan Ge's complexion changed: "That time was drunk! There was a reason! Drunken nonsense can't be taken as truth......"

Ling Sha ignored him.

Fingertip lightly swiped across the jade tally's surface.

Next segment auto-play:

【I said, you're both the Si Ding and my Chief Strategist! I'm not a dictatorial General, if you have opinions I'll definitely listen respectfully.】

Xuan Ge: "........."

All words stuck in his throat.

He stared at that jade tally, golden pupils filled with "you actually recorded?!" shock.

Ling Sha's hand still spread out, waiting for him.

"...... Got it."

Three seconds later, Xuan Ge resignedly sighed, put the wine cup into her palm.

Ling Sha received it, but didn't drink, instead placed it before herself.

She lifted the wine pot, took a clean cup, poured a shallow cup.

Raised cup, sipped a mouthful.

Closed eyes, tasted.

Opened eyes.

"Wine's not bad." She put down the cup, "But General, don't forget the Marshal's orders."

Touching on proper business, Xuan Ge's expression turned serious.

He turned sideways, precisely pulling out a dossier sealed with a golden seal from that half-meter-high mountain of documents, unfolding it and scanning it with two glances.

"Rest assured." His voice steadied.

"Xing Xiao's Antimatter Legion has already been forced to a halt at the outer edge of the Sui Xing Dai by us.

The First Army's main force withdrew last night, leaving only three squads to monitor. Xing Xiao dares not move again for the time being."

Ling Sha lightly nodded.

A month ago, the route the General planned collided with Xing Xiao's troops, and both sides erupted into fierce battle without any warning.

Xing Xiao personally commanded the frontline, and General Xuan Ge personally arrived at the battlefield.

Then Xing Xiao saw Xuan Ge take the field without the slightest hesitation, and let the legion retreat to the edge of the Sui Xing Dai.

Now both sides are deadlocked like this.......