Playing Stat-Sticks in Honkai: Star Rail

For some reason, Phantylia felt something was amiss.

But then she thought, wasn't this the perfect opportunity?

The less attention a place received, the easier it would be for her to replace Tingyun's identity without anyone noticing.

Gradually, Phantylia began to wait.

Just a little more remote, just a little more.

Just then, a Cloud Knight approached.

He walked up to Liuge and cupped his fists in greeting.

"Lady Tingyun, Lady Yukong just left the Dan Ding Division."

"Huh?"

Liuge blinked, appearing somewhat surprised.

But he knew this was the final twist.

"That's right! Just now, the General invited Lady Yukong at the Penglai Altar."

"However, the General also said that if you arrived, you could just go over, as he's hosting a banquet there."

The Cloud Knight seemed bad at lying and was quite honest, so he spilled everything out.

"Hosting a banquet?"

"Yes, they said it was to welcome Lady Tingyun."

"This truly flatters this humble one!"

Liuge put on an act of surprise.

But Phantylia, within the Six-Ribbed Folding Fan, thought differently.

"A General hosting a welcome banquet for a chief of a merchant guild? Doesn't that seem a bit hasty?"

She frowned but didn't dwell on it too much.

Because at this moment, Liuge had already boarded a Star-Skiff bound for the Penglai Altar...

Ahead lay a trap!

A trap set for Phantylia!

040 - Four Symbols Seal!

Liuge was now on the Star-Skiff, heading towards the Penglai Altar.

Some people might not know what the Penglai Altar is.

In the game, the Penglai Altar is where Blade stabbed Dan Heng.

Is that clear now?

But in reality, before the Xianzhou, the Penglai Altar was where the Vidya Clan paid homage to the Dragon Lord. However, it was damaged in combat due to Dan Feng's affairs.

Surrounding the Penglai Altar were several sea platforms, which were once parts of the Altar's structures.

At this moment, Liuge gazed at the distant sea from the Star-Skiff. A black dot gradually came into view.

And over there, a white-haired figure could vaguely be seen, sitting alone at a square table, drinking.

Liuge knew that was General Jing Yuan of the Luofu Xianzhou.

The Star-Skiff was fast, and soon, Liuge stepped onto the land of the Penglai Altar.

From this moment on, Liuge's heartbeat truly began to race uncontrollably.

"Oh, is the Tingyun Emissary here?"

Jing Yuan raised his wine cup upon seeing Liuge arrive.

Although he already knew someone had impersonated Tingyun to deceive Phantylia, he couldn't help but be surprised when he saw it in person.

However, he masked his surprise with the gesture of raising his cup in invitation.

"You jest, General. You know I can't hold my liquor."

Liuge responded to Jing Yuan, mimicking how Tingyun would reply.

Of course, this was all an act for Phantylia within the Six-Ribbed Folding Fan.

In this final moment, they couldn't afford any mistakes due to a minor incident.

Listening to Liuge's words and observing his demeanor, Jing Yuan almost couldn't maintain his composure.

Was this person playing Tingyun such a good actor?

If he didn't know the truth, Jing Yuan would have truly believed the person before him was the real Tingyun.

But what Liuge and Jing Yuan didn't know was that Phantylia, currently within the Six-Ribbed Folding Fan, was very confused.

Didn't they say that Yukong was also here earlier?

Why was General Jing Yuan the only one present?

Subtly, Phantylia felt something was increasingly off.

Why? What exactly was wrong?

"My apologies, my apologies, this is indeed my mistake. I forgot Miss Tingyun's low tolerance for alcohol."

Jing Yuan said as he drank another cup of wine, his gaze fixed on the distant sea.

"Yukong mentioned that Miss Tingyun seemed to have encountered something on her return voyage this time? Could you tell me about it in detail?"

Jing Yuan's voice was low.

"So, General, you have such interests as well?"

Saying this, Liuge opened his Six-Ribbed Folding Fan, covering his jaw, his eyes narrowing slightly as if he were smiling.

"After all, when I have nothing to do, listening to stories on the Xianzhou is quite boring. It's better to hear those who often go out narrate about the outside world."

"In that case, shall this humble one speak?"

"I am eager to hear."

Jing Yuan drank his wine, while Liuge swayed the Six-Ribbed Folding Fan in his hand, speaking softly.

However, what he spoke of were merely interesting anecdotes about business that he had heard in his past life.

Even Phantylia, hidden within the Six-Ribbed Folding Fan, found it interesting.

Time ticked by, and as Jing Yuan poured himself another drink, he found that the wine pot on the table was empty.

He stretched lazily, causing Liuge to stop his narration.

"No more wine, and thus no more fun."

Thump, thump, thump!

Just then, a person suddenly emerged from behind Jing Yuan.

The person was petite, with pink hair, and a delicate, cute face that held a hint of seriousness.

"General!"

"Minister Fu, how is it?"

"Mmm!"

The conversation between the two made Phantylia within the Six-Ribbed Folding Fan feel a bit strange.

Who was this short person who had just appeared?

On the contrary, Liuge's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise as he looked at the figure that had appeared.

Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan, with both of them here, perhaps Phantylia could be restrained this time.

"Hey, it's about time!"

Suddenly, Fu Xuan looked at Liuge, who had transformed into Tingyun.

Hearing Fu Xuan's words, Liuge immediately understood what she meant.

At that very instant, he dropped the Six-Ribbed Folding Fan in his hand and retreated explosively.

The moment Phantylia realized Liuge had abandoned the Six-Ribbed Folding Fan, she knew why she had been feeling uneasy. She understood why Yukong, who had been mentioned repeatedly, wasn't here.

Immediately, she flew out of the Six-Ribbed Folding Fan, transforming into a streak of green flame and shooting towards Liuge.

She no longer cared about her exposure.

After all, based on the current situation, she had long since been exposed.

And the General Jing Yuan and that pink-haired shorty who appeared before her were definitely targeting her.

"I've been waiting for a long time!"

After Phantylia revealed her true Aeon Manifest form, Fu Xuan took a step forward, her eyes flashing with fierce light, and brought her hands together.

—Four Symbols Seal!

The ground of the entire Penglai Altar was covered with profound and complex array patterns.

At the same moment, at the four corners of the Penglai Altar, the phantom images of four giant beasts appeared, all letting out a roar.

Chains shot out from the phantom images of the four giant beasts, binding Phantylia in place in almost the blink of an eye.

"Why, why did you sense it!"

Seemingly realizing that she couldn't break free from the array's restraints anytime soon, Phantylia knew she had been set up, and had foolishly been led into this trap for so long.

She didn't understand how this Tingyun before her had discovered her, especially since she had been by her side the entire time.

Logically, she wouldn't have had the time to call for help and arrange all of this.

At this moment, she no longer struggled.

She wanted to know the answer.

"Why?"

Liuge chuckled as he listened to Phantylia's words.

"Because..."

In the next moment, Liuge reverted from his Tingyun form. Outside the Penglai Altar behind him, a small fox appeared – the real Tingyun.

"Because, I'm right here!"

Tingyun stood beside Liuge, exchanging a glance with him before turning to Phantylia.

"Then he... no, you're that kid who suddenly appeared on the merchant ship!"

Phantylia seemed to recall, her voice laced with anger.

She now understood why things had felt off from the start.

It was because this kid had disappeared.

Connecting the dots from what just happened, she knew why she had fallen into the trap.

This kid had disguised himself as Tingyun to trick her, while the real Tingyun went to get reinforcements.

Most importantly, her own identity had been recognized.

"I never thought a dignified Lord of Ruin would fall in such a manner!"

At this moment, Jing Yuan also walked over, looking at Phantylia's true form, bound by the Four Symbols Seal, with a hint of a teasing smile.

"Heh..."

Phantylia didn't respond to Jing Yuan.

However, Jing Yuan wouldn't let it end there. This was how a Lord of Ruin should be treated!

In the next instant, a colossal golden figure appeared behind Jing Yuan. The figure, wielding a massive formation blade, swung it down fiercely towards Phantylia.

However, at that very moment, Liuge seemed to sense something was amiss. Phantylia in this moment seemed... too calm!