Chapter 57: Is It an Illusion?

Bang!

A muffled thud.

Xing only felt a familiar dull pain, golden sparks suddenly flared before his eyes, and his vision was quickly devoured by darkness.

(Uh… why is it the head again…)

It was the last vague thought she had before losing consciousness.

Standing at the doorway was A Xing, who had come by Heimu's order.

She calmly watched the target slump backward, stepped forward swiftly, reached out and steadied Xing, who was about to fall to the ground, preventing a louder sound.

Then she dragged the unconscious Xing into the room, gently closed the door behind her, cutting off the outside.

A Xing lowered her head to glance at the principal in her arms; her golden eyes showed no emotional fluctuation.

(Target has lost consciousness, vital signs are stable.)

She deftly helped Xing to the bedside, then from an inconspicuous silver bracelet on her wrist retrieved a pre‑prepared small injector filled with clear liquid.

She lifted the hair beside Xing's neck, precisely inserted the needle into the skin, and pushed the piston.

(High‑efficiency sedative, injected.)

After completing all this, A Xing looked around, her gaze locking onto a sufficiently large wardrobe in the corner of the room.

She opened the wardrobe, moved a few hanging garments aside, then carefully tucked the seemingly dead Xing into it, ensuring nothing appeared abnormal from outside, before gently closing the doors.

(Target is concealed.)

A Xing walked to the bedside, tidied the bedding, and then, as if following a protocol, calmly lay down, pulled the quilt over herself, and closed her eyes.

Her breathing soon became even and steady, as if she were truly asleep.

The room fell silent again, with only a steady breathing sound emanating from the wardrobe.

Beloberg's Exploration journey will, tomorrow, welcome a seemingly identical yet fundamentally different "Xing".

And the real Xing will, inside the wardrobe, have a long… dream that may cause a slight ache at the temple.

【Xianzhou·Luofu·Commercial Street】

Unlike Beloberg's cold night, Luofu was at the time when lanterns first lit, a bustling evening.

Floating lanterns emitted warm light, myriad shop signs flickered with radiant colors, and the air was filled with the aromas of various snacks and the hawkers' shouts.

Amid the crowd, a woman dressed in Xianzhou attire dominated by black with dark‑gold patterns strolled leisurely.

She wore an exquisite black Eye Mask on her face, covering both eyes, yet it did not hinder her fluid movements, instead adding a touch of mystery.

Her snow‑white long hair contrasted sharply with the black attire, and a pair of white Fox Ears turned slightly in the noisy surroundings, gathering information.

She was Bai Hang, who had been ordered to procure supplies.

Compared with the slight unease earlier, Bai Hang now appeared far more composed.

The Eye Mask granted her a special vision, allowing clearer perception of details, and the attire infused with Heimu's power seemed to give her an inexplicable confidence.

(Wow—haven't seen Luofu's night market this lively in ages! Last time I only rushed through; this sugar painting looks so delicate! That Qiongshi Bird Skewer smells amazing!)

Her heart fluttered like a bird freed from a cage, yet outwardly she strived to maintain the cool elegance of her outfit, only the gently swaying fox tail betrayed her good mood.

She raised her hand, glanced at a virtual list projected from her wristband, which listed the requests Xi Lian had written in delicate script:

~~《Star Chariot Navigation Safety Guide (Latest Edition)》~~

~~《Thus Item: Thus Item: Thus Item: Diyuanqiongyupai From Beginner to Mastery》~~

~~《Xianzhou Specialty Guide: Snacks Chapter》~~

《Honkai Star Rail Train Group Observation Record (Unofficial)》 (Seeking…)

~~Mingou Cake x3 boxes~~

Soda Bean Juice x2 bottles (hesitating…)

Mo Mo Roll x5 boxes (searching for the shop with the most flavors…)

Bai Hang extended a finger gloved in black sheer gloves, and placed a virtual checkmark in front of the items already completed.

Her procurement efficiency was extremely high; relying on her familiarity with Luofu and her current perception, she quickly secured most of the items.

("Observation Record"… where are books like this usually sold?)

She pondered while walking toward a stall selling ancient books, her gaze scanning the dazzling array of volumes.

The stall owner, an elderly man wearing round glasses, upon seeing Bai Hang's extraordinary attire and bearing, greeted warmly: "Miss, what kind of books are you looking for? We have rare copies, oddity records, everything!"

Bai Hang cleared her throat, trying to make her voice sound plain yet mysterious: "Do you have… any records related to the Star Rail?"

"Star Rail?"

The elderly man adjusted his glasses, thought for a moment, and pulled out from beneath the stall a book with a slightly rough binding and a cover depicting a chibi train illustration, "Here, this 'Star Rail Anecdotes' was written by a traveling merchant who frequently runs interstellar routes; it contains some curiosities—does it suit your taste?"

Bai Hang took the book, flipped through it quickly, and indeed found scattered notes about Train Group members (though some parts were clearly fabricated), which perfectly matched Xi Lian's curiosity about the outside world.

(That's the one!)

She nodded in satisfaction, paid promptly, and marked another check on the list.

Next, she headed toward the famous food street, purposefully seeking the remaining snacks on the list.

She herself was not particularly fond of the peculiar taste of Soda Bean Juice, but Xi Lian seemed very curious… (Fine, buy two bottles; maybe she'll like them?)

She wrinkled her nose, quickly bought the juice at an old‑brand shop, then eagerly slipped back into the crowd to look for the Mo Mo Roll specialty store said to offer over a dozen fillings.

The white Fox Ears turned agilely amid the clamor, while the black skirt glided silently through the crowd.

【Xianzhou·Luofu·Street Corner】

A clear yet slightly melancholy erhu melody, like a lament, flowed through a corner of Luofu's bustling night market.

The performer was a graceful woman, her snow‑white long hair tied into a sleek ponytail, her face covered by a black veil that obscured her eyes; she was the former Luofu Sword Leader—Jing Liu—who, under the guise of a traveling artist, sought a moment of inner peace amid endless darkness.

The bow glided skillfully across her fingertips, the piece soaring toward an intense climax, as if to pour all the myriad thoughts and intangible sword intent accumulated in her heart into the resonant strings.

Yet, at this emotional apex, her movement paused ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly.

A tremor originating from the depths of the soul, like a Calm lake surface struck by a stone, suddenly rippling.

Her perception pierced the clamor of sound, instantly Lock a direction—among the crowd, a figure flashed in a fleeting glimpse.

It was a woman dressed in black‑toned Xianzhou attire, with snow‑white long hair, and seemingly wearing something covering her face…

More importantly, that aura—though the image, attire, and feeling were entirely different, it still tugged at her long‑frozen heartstrings in the unseen… a sense of familiarity?

Is… her?

The one who, long ago in the Sudden Chaos, to Rescue them, should have faded into the river of history… an old acquaintance?

Jing Liu suddenly "raised her eyes" (though covered by black veil) and looked, and the qin's sound stopped abruptly.

But at the Shana she focused, that black silhouette, like ink dropped into a river, was swiftly swallowed by the crowd, vanishing without a trace, as if the earlier fleeting sensation had been an illusion under the trembling strings.

The surrounding audience awaiting the next piece murmured with a hint of regret.

Jing Liu, however, seemed not to hear, merely maintaining the upward posture, and "gazed" in that direction for a long while.

Beneath the icy black veil, no one could glimpse her eyes.

After a long while, she finally lowered her head slowly, using a voice too low to hear, with a hint of a daze even she could not confirm, murmuring to herself:

"…was it an illusion…?"

The bow was placed back on the strings, yet it could no longer play the previous melody, only scattered, intermittent notes remained, bearing an indescribable loneliness and yearning.