Chapter 36: Honkai: Star Rail — The Xianzhou General Wouldn't Dream of a Yandere Chapter 36: Xiao Zi: Is This the Legendary Menopaus

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Protagonist:

Xuan Ge

In the depths of the universe, not a glimmer of starlight could be seen; only a patch of darkness, thick as ink, slowly spreading.

This darkness was like congealed ink, bit by bit gnawing at the brilliant star clusters; wherever it passed, stardust was annihilated, spacetime trembled.

This was the Antimatter Legion's vanguard formation, a cosmic torrent knowing only destruction and devouring.

In the core region of the dark torrent, the massive dark-purple Doomsday Beast Xiao Zi stood rigid, its sturdy claws carefully cradling Xing Xiao's figure.

It feared that the slightest shake would displease its Monarch.

Its round eyes were full of grievance, its tail drooping listlessly behind it; it wished its two shoulders were insensate dead objects, so its Monarch could find not a single fault.

Xing Xiao sat upright on Xiao Zi's palm, a faint cold aura swirling around her, as if even the surrounding darkness had been frozen a few degrees.

The star ring that originally encircled her eyes now shone dimly; her gray-purple pupils gazed hollowly at the void starry sky ahead, her tone cold as if tempered with ice:

"Since you want that scum so much, then go back."

These words seemed like a whisper to the vast starry sky, yet in truth every word carried heavy anger, striking precisely onto Xiao Zi's heart.

Xiao Zi's body violently stiffened, then it rapidly shook its head; its massive head swaying stirred a faint airflow, its dark-purple fur trembling slightly, using silent motion to declare its stance.

It only follows its Monarch, going nowhere.

But only Xiao Zi itself knew that its heart was already aggrieved to the point of nearly crying.

It was clearly still dragging its Monarch at the same steady speed as before, neither speeding up nor slowing down, yet its Monarch would either complain it was too fast, urging it to slow down;

or complain it shook too badly, her gaze cold enough to freeze it into an ice sculpture.

These contradictory demands before and after nearly drove this honest Doomsday Beast mad.

Xiao Zi secretly glanced at Xing Xiao's side face with its peripheral vision, silently complaining in its heart:

What's wrong with my Monarch? Could this be the legendary menopause? Too terrifying.....

Xing Xiao paid no further heed to Xiao Zi's reaction; her gaze remained fixed on the distant depths of the starry sky, but her thoughts drifted uncontrollably back to the Sui Xing Dai.

Xuan Ge's voice seemed to ring by her ear again, carrying a few parts casual promise:

"You stay put, watch the stars, count the moons, wait for me to return. I, this person, keep my word."

She actually believed him at the time.

Xing Xiao slightly lowered her eyes, her slender fingers unconsciously curling, fingertips turning white.

She just foolishly waited for him for several days in the Qin Gong of the Sui Xing Dai.

Until one day, a subordinate brought news that the Shen Wu Xian Zhou's fleet had deployed in full force to purge the Abundance abominations.

Deploy then deploy, she thought.

It's normal for Xian Zhou generals to campaign in all directions; once he finishes the war, he'll surely return.

She knew Xian Zhou's rules; after deployment there's still military summary and follow-up matters to handle, all needing time.

So she patiently waited a few more days, still watching stars and counting moons each day, but Xuan Ge's figure never appeared.

He actually didn't come!

This realization was like a thorn, viciously piercing into Xing Xiao's heart.

Days of accumulated expectation instantly collapsed, transforming into towering anger and grievance.

She violently clenched her fist, knuckles turning white; the Destruction Energy around her suddenly surged, forming an invisible shockwave that frightened the surrounding virtual soldiers into prostrating on the ground, not daring to breathe.

Never wait for this scum again!

Xing Xiao thought with gritted teeth, gray-purple pupils churning with anger and unwillingness.

She immediately ordered the Antimatter Legion to take a detour, avoiding areas where the Shen Wu Xian Zhou might appear.

Even if this route required traveling several times the distance, even if it would delay the Legion's deployment, she refused to see that promise-breaking trash scum again!

"Why stop?"

A cold questioning voice suddenly rang out, carrying suppressed rage, instantly pulling Xiao Zi back from its complaining to reality.

Xing Xiao's gaze fell on Xiao Zi, her eyes cold enough to freeze.

Xiao Zi:????

It was completely bewildered, its round eyes written full of confusion.

Wasn't it you, Monarch, who just said to stop, then scolded us virtual soldiers up and down?

How come now you ask why we stopped?

This Monarch is really too hard to serve!

No matter how much it complained in its heart, Xiao Zi didn't dare the slightest hesitation.

It hurriedly adjusted its posture, carefully dragging Xing Xiao, advancing along the previously set march route.

Movements even steadier than before, even its breathing placed lighter, afraid of offending this Monarch in "menopause" again.

The surrounding virtual soldiers also hurriedly climbed up, following behind Xiao Zi, not daring to make a sound; the entire Antimatter Legion once more fell into oppressive dead silence.

Unlike the Antimatter Legion's oppressive irritability, inside the Shen Wu Xian Zhou's General's Mansion, it was a tranquility laced with a few parts helpless warmth.

The lamplight in the Shu Fang was soft, illuminating the official documents piled like a mountain on the desk; the air permeated with faint ink fragrance and the calming incense scent Ling Sha often used.

Ling Sha sat on the chair beside Xuan Ge, she slightly turned her body, gaze falling on Xuan Ge, watching him sit there motionless, brows slightly furrowed, eyes holding a few parts worry.

Xuan Ge appeared to be seriously reviewing documents, but in fact had already slept for a good while.

His head slightly tilted forward, fingertips still resting on the pen shaft, pen tip suspended above the document, breathing even and heavy.

Eyes tightly closed, long eyelashes casting faint shadows under the eyelids, revealing a fatigue rarely seen in ordinary times.

"General~"

Ling Sha spoke softly, her voice gentle as water, and at the same time extended her slender fingers, waving them lightly before Xuan Ge.

Seeing Xuan Ge had no reaction, she called out softly again, the worry in her tone deepening:

"General, if you can't go on then go rest. Otherwise, with your current state, the documents you review are bound to cause a major incident."

"Mm... mm? Major?"

Xuan Ge slowly opened his eyes, his gaze dazed, his golden pupils filled with drowsiness.

He subconsciously blinked, his gaze uncontrollably landing on Ling Sha's chest, his voice still carrying the rasp of just waking.

"Minor...."

After saying those two words, Xuan Ge's head tilted, and he leaned back on the chair, falling asleep once more, his breathing instantly growing heavier.

He truly couldn't go on. The Shen Wu Xian Zhou developed rapidly, all manner of infrastructure and military trivialities entangling him.

On top of that, he had to pursue and purge the Abundance abominations. The high-intensity work had nearly burned through his energy. He didn't even have the strength left to force himself to stay awake.

Ling Sha first froze for a moment, then following Xuan Ge's gaze just now, she lowered her head to look at her own chest, her cheeks flushing faintly red.

When she looked up again, the gentle smile on her face had vanished. In her brown eyes a "core goodness" storm was brewing, yet the corners of her mouth still maintained a stiff curve. She looked at the soundly sleeping Xuan Ge with a complex gaze.

"Ah~" Ling Sha sighed softly. The "core goodness" in her eyes ultimately turned into helpless doting.

She rose lightly, walked to Xuan Ge's desk, carefully carried the remaining small portion of documents to her own desk, picked up a brush, and began processing them seriously.

Time flowed slowly. Light from outside the window passed through the lattice, scattering into the study, forming mottled light and shadow on the floor.

Ling Sha finished the last document, looked up at Xuan Ge, and discovered he was sleeping even more sprawled out. His body had already slid to the edge of the chair, about to fall off.

She shook her head helplessly, stood up, walked over, gently straightened Xuan Ge's body, and adjusted his posture a bit, letting him sleep more comfortably.

During this, Xuan Ge several times unconsciously raised his hand wanting to undress, all stopped in time by Ling Sha.

She lightly pressed down on Xuan Ge's wrist, shook her head, her tone carrying a few parts helpless spoiled complaint:

"General, this is the Shen Wei General's Mansion. There are many people coming and going. You really can't be this uninhibited."

Although the Shen Wu Corps, top to bottom, or the mansion, are all Xuan Ge's private army. Although those people have also seen Xuan Ge in all sorts of disheveled states.

But as Chief Strategist, she must fulfill her duty, uphold the General's dignity.

After adjusting Xuan Ge's sleeping posture, Ling Sha returned to her own seat, propped her cheek with her hand, and gazed gently at Xuan Ge.

At this moment, Xuan Ge was like a student exhausted from study, lying on the desk continuing to sleep. The corner of his mouth still held a faint shallow smile. All defenses dropped.

Ling Sha couldn't help reaching out, gently smoothing the messy locks on Xuan Ge's forehead. Her fingertips touched his warm skin. The movement was so gentle it was as if touching a fragile treasure.

This scene involuntarily made her recall the time when the General tricked her from the Zhu Ming Xian Zhou....

Back then, she was still called Dan Zhu. On the Zhu Ming Xian Zhou she followed Yan Ting Jun to learn medicine.

One day, Yan Ting Jun suddenly sought her out. With a complex expression he said someone wanted to find her, and specially instructed her:

"That is the Shen Wu Xian Zhou's Shen Wei General, Xuan Ge. This person's thoughts are deep, his mouth sweet as honey. You must absolutely not believe his ghost words."

The result?

Even with Yan Ting Jun's advance warning, she was still hard "tricked" by Xuan Ge to the Shen Wu Xian Zhou.

Thinking back now, this wasn't because the Shen Wei General's rhetoric was so remarkable. It was because he pulled her along for a meal at a restaurant.

At first, he indeed wanted her to follow him. He offered a whole pile of tempting conditions.

What position of Siding of the Alchemy Commission, what ample research resources, what no need to deal with complex interpersonal relations. He even wanted her to become the Long Zun of the Shen Wu Xian Zhou......

But as he spoke, Xuan Ge talked himself into drinking too much.

He ordered the Shen Wu Corps to bring several jars of exquisitely packaged wine. The jars bore the unique patterns of the Zhu Ming Xian Zhou's Ming.

Then he started pulling her to drink. She only took a small sip. But Xuan Ge drank cup after cup, mumbling:

"Dan Zhu ah, come with me. My Shen Wu Xian Zhou... absolutely won't wrong you... My Xuan Ge's words count..."

Looking at Xuan Ge's sincere and somewhat vulnerable appearance after drinking, her heart softened.

Plus at the time she indeed needed a broader platform. So she half-pushed half-agreed to his request and followed him to the Shen Wu Xian Zhou.

Until later, she only figured out the truth of why the General got her drunk that night......

That night Xuan Ge drank so desperately, it wasn't because he was that happy at all.

It was because those wines were hard-tricked by him from Yan Ting Jun. Not drinking would be a waste.

Thinking here, Ling Sha couldn't help laughing softly. Her eyes full of gentle amusement.

She shook her head, picked up the cloak on the table, and draped it over him.