Honkai: Star Rail, Marry Acheron Upon Landing

The starship itself was stable, and its safety systems meant falling wouldn't be fatal.

However, being disoriented from the fall would leave them no ability to resist the Abundant Doses' abominations.

Tingyun had naturally considered this as well. She realized this time, the situation was likely dire.

Who would have thought Abundant Doses could send Inner Core Masters and those abominations onto their merchant ship right under the Celestial Ship Division's nose?

They hadn't even found any problems before departure.

Tingyun couldn't understand. Their current trade voyage wasn't carrying anything precious, nor was it a secret mission. She was only making the trip herself because the matter to be handled was rather complicated.

Was it worth Abundant Doses going to such lengths?

She couldn't figure it out, but with things as they were, it wasn't the time to ponder the reasons. Tingyun looked at her dejected colleagues, took a deep breath, and then declared loudly:

"Everyone—before this trip, I consulted the Divination Department. While the omen wasn't for smooth sailing, it indicated that misfortune could be turned into fortune. Please prepare for impact. There is still a sliver of hope."

"What? Really!"

"We'll hold on tight later, brothers!"

Tingyun's words naturally boosted everyone's morale. However, as she looked at her revitalized colleagues, in a direction no one could see, her eyes held a hint of gloom.

She had consulted an oracle before this trip, but it was just an ordinary diviner. The omen indicated smooth sailing.

Who could have predicted something like this would happen?

But at this moment, everyone was demoralized. If she didn't offer some encouraging news, there would truly be no chance.

However, could they really hold on until the guards arrived?

After all, a merchant fleet was a merchant fleet, not an armed force. Even if everyone could handle a weapon and they had escorts, they were ultimately no match for the Cloud Knights.

Not to mention, ordinary Cloud Knights couldn't even handle Abundant Doses' Inner Core Masters.

Tingyun, seated with her protective gear on, tightened her grip on her fan and lowered her head, thinking of a solution.

The massive starship plummeted from the sky.

As it tore through the thick clouds, friction with the air ignited it, turning the starship into a colossal fireball.

Fragments of the starship and various cargo scattered through the air, accompanied by flames.

And above these falling fireballs.

Lin Shuang and Acheron descended, facing the wind. They simply opened the spaceship's hatch and leaped out.

The spaceship was being guided by a docking program. If it deviated from its course without authorization, it would cause a lot of trouble later. Jumping directly was much more convenient.

Besides, they were already within the atmosphere. This altitude was nothing for Acheron, and Lin Shuang wasn't worried about falling to her death thanks to the burst of flames.

The two minimized wind resistance as much as possible, approaching the falling starship.

Lin Shuang glanced towards the starport. It was clear they had noticed the problem here, but their reaction was not swift.

As the starship was about to crash, rescue ships finally took off.

According to Acheron's explanation.

This port planet, a massive transit hub, was jointly developed and controlled by various factions.

They would fight tooth and nail for business and profit, but when it came to trouble, they preferred to keep their hands clean.

Anyway, the route this planet was on was a popular transit node. Its geographical location meant there was no shortage of ships passing through.

These people were used to making money lying down and had long since lost their good reputation.

And for a Xianzhou starship, if it was just an accident, as long as there wasn't an immediate detonation, the occupants would generally survive. A slight delay in rescue wouldn't be a major issue.

But if it was an attack by malicious individuals... those who opposed Xianzhou were the Abundance followers, a bunch of lunatics.

These people probably wouldn't want to provoke the Abundance followers.

Lin Shuang looked at the ships, estimating they had decided not to commit to a full rescue until the dust settled.

However, if Xianzhou sought accountability afterward, they could claim they had dispatched a rescue team.

But could they really save them? They could, in theory.

After all, the ship hadn't officially entered the port yet, and the problem originated from within the starship. So, strictly speaking, they weren't the primary responsible party.

Lin Shuang had nothing to say about this behavior. Shoddy operations existed everywhere, and they were even more prevalent in the interstellar era. She had expected this.

Soon.

The starship, like a giant meteor, slammed into a desolate valley. Countless fragments, accompanied by a massive roar and a shockwave, scattered outwards.

The earth groaned, and cliffs collapsed one after another. The surface of the starship was utterly devastated by the impact.

But looking closely through the flames, one could see that apart from the huge cracks caused by the explosion, the starship itself showed no signs of damage from the high-altitude fall.

Most of the debris came from items inside the starship.

Lin Shuang, unfazed by the raging flames, plunged into a crack in the starship, trailing fire.

Acheron followed, smiling helplessly. Her descent was incredibly graceful as she followed suit.

The moment she landed, Lin Shuang unleashed a torrent of flames beneath her. The heatwave and impact from the fire slowed her descent.

She then performed a classic superhero landing, crashing into the starship.

As the flames dissipated, her casual attire was replaced by white armor, with sparks trailing from her back.

Upon landing, she saw the cargo hold, which should have been filled with goods, was in disarray.

Almost all the cargo had been thrown from the starship during the fall.

Amidst the chaos, in the dark hold, several low growls and the sounds of animal footsteps could be heard.

"Roar..."

Lin Shuang flicked her right hand, and accompanied by rising flames, a red greatsword materialized from the embers.

The familiar music began to play leisurely.

As the flames illuminated the hold, Lin Shuang saw two Abundance spirit beasts coiled within the cargo area: Kui Mu and Lou Jin.

And the crew members, lying on the ground, unconscious, likely dead.

"Roar—!"

Seeing the flames light up the cabin, the two canine monsters, after lowering their heads to avoid the firelight, immediately howled and charged at Lin Shuang!

The two monsters attacked simultaneously from both sides. Lin Shuang, seeing this, instantly lunged forward like a fiery meteor, heading straight for Lou Jin on the left.

The burst of speed far surpassed the two Abundance fiends, instantly shattering their attempt to flank her.

Lou Jin, seeing this, immediately lowered its head and charged! It aimed its frontal blade at Lin Shuang.

However, facing such a skill-less attack, Lin Shuang lightly tapped her foot, as if dancing to the music, balancing on one leg and spinning sideways.

The greatsword, wreathed in blazing flames, followed Lin Shuang's body, tracing a scorching arc in mid-air before crashing down with a roar!

It struck the canine Abundance fiend's soft midsection diagonally.

"Awooo—!!"

The sharp blade cut through Lou Jin's skin, and raging flames instantly engulfed the monster's body.

The immense force slammed it violently onto the floor, its residual power even shattering the sturdy flooring.

This single strike nearly sliced Lou Jin in half.

Just as Lin Shuang was about to deliver a finishing blow to the monster, a gust of foul wind swept in from her side.

The other Abundance fiend, Kui Mu, had silently approached from the other side! Its claws and fangs lunged directly for Lin Shuang's head and neck.

However, Lin Shuang did not panic. Gripping the greatsword in her right hand, she used her waist and abdomen to generate power around the giant sword, spinning and lifting her leg—

Bang—!

A beautiful side kick, carrying flames that were almost stretched straight, slammed hard into Kui Mu's chest.

The muscular body was kicked flying, moving even faster than before, and in an instant, it crashed violently against the surrounding walls.

After delivering the kick, Lin Shuang landed lightly, then pulled out her greatsword and thrust it forcefully towards Lou Jin's head!

The surging flames instantly turned its head into charcoal, completely ending the Abundance fiend's life.

After swiftly dispatching Kui Mu with another sword strike, Lin Shuang merely waved at Acheron and ran towards the cargo hold's exit.

Acheron, who had no intention of intervening, simply smiled and followed behind.

Lin Shuang, leading the way, moved forward.

As a cargo vessel, the starship's structure was not complicated, and there were directional signs on the walls.

Lin Shuang quickly found the path leading to the cockpit.

Even before getting close, she heard sounds of fighting from the end of the corridor, so she immediately quickened her pace.

Meanwhile.

The starship's cockpit.

Tingyun, holding her fan, with the help of her colleagues, fiercely struck the head of a Dense Cloud Cicada, repelling it.

"Miss Tingyun, this is bad. Why do they even control the Crafting Division's equipment?"

A colleague followed up with a kick, sending a Lantern Day Dragonfish flying, his expression uneasy.

Just then, the assault from the Abundant Doses slightly weakened, and a figure emerged from behind the group.

"The Abundant Doses truly have impressive methods. This humble one is in awe."

Tingyun suddenly stopped her movements, covering her face with her folding fan as she looked at the approaching Inner Core Master from the Abundant Doses.

The Inner Core Master wore armor similar to the Cloud Knights, but with the characteristic branches and golden leaves of the Scythe of Annihilation.

The Inner Core Master kept one hand behind their back and made a welcoming gesture with the other.

"Hahaha, Miss Tingyun, the Abundant Doses merely wish to invite you to a secret location. We wonder if Miss Tingyun would be willing to grace us with your presence."

Tingyun smiled faintly, fanning herself with the fan in her hand, but her eyes were as cold as ice.

"Oh my, I'm just a humble merchant with no strength to even truss a chicken. To be treated with such grandeur by the Abundant Doses truly overwhelms me. Why don't we all sit down and talk things over?"

The Abundant Doses seemed confident of victory, even having the leisure to stall for time with her.

Although Tingyun was puzzled, she was happy to delay. Whether it was to wait for rescue or to give her colleagues more time to rest, it was all good.

The Inner Core Master didn't seem to be in any hurry, seeing Tingyun standing still.

He simply waved his hand, and the Abundant Doses' men suddenly attacked. The merchant group members were already injured, and the situation began to tilt in favor of the Abundant Doses.

"They say Miss Tingyun of the Celestial Ship Division is eloquent and resourceful, but it seems she's being rather uncooperative now."

The Inner Core Master of the Abundant Doses did not act personally, still commanding his subordinates to attack the merchant group members.

Only Tingyun herself was not in any significant danger at this moment.

The Inner Core Master watched Tingyun resisting stubbornly, contemplating the best time to capture her.

This mission specifically required capturing Tingyun alive, and bringing her back as intact as possible.

Otherwise, he would have acted long ago and wouldn't be wasting time here.

Just then.

From deep within the passage connecting to the cockpit, a melodious chant suddenly echoed:

"Life blooms like a flower"

"far away or by the road"

The singing grew louder as it approached, and with it came waves of heat surging from the passage.

"Who's there?"

The sudden singing not only startled the Abundant Doses' men but also left Tingyun and the others momentarily stunned.