Honkai: Star Rail, Marry Acheron First Upon Landing

And they definitely wouldn't have found any useful intel.

All they could find was that she suddenly appeared beside Acheron, then coincidentally met Tingyun, and was now temporarily staying on the Xianzhou.

Beyond that, Lin Shuang's origins, experiences, intel sources, and so on, were completely unknown.

This undoubtedly cast a veil of mystery over Lin Shuang.

"Oho~ So proactive?"

Lin Shuang hadn't expected Firefly to be so proactive, even coming all the way to Xianzhou for a visit.

But then again, it made sense. The other party probably thought she knew a lot about Penacony and was likely here to probe her.

It was even possible that Penacony's traitors were somehow connected to Lin Shuang.

It was just that the timing of this reaction was faster than Lin Shuang had anticipated; she thought she'd be left hanging for a while.

Was Firefly in a hurry?

Lin Shuang pondered as she replied to Firefly's message.

[Lin Shuang: Of course, I'll be staying on Xianzhou Luofu for the next month. Miss Firefly is always welcome to visit.]

[Firefly: I understand. I'll head to Xianzhou in a week. I hope Miss Lin won't hesitate to offer guidance then.]

"She seems really eager. Too bad I haven't finished watching the story arc yet..."

Lin Shuang muttered to herself.

She hadn't even waited for the Penacony story arc to conclude, but even with just the first half and some analysis, she could gather a lot of information.

Hmm... bluffing Firefly a bit should be enough to get an invitation letter.

She just had to be wary of her brother-in-law, Sunday. That guy was probably a siscon, and he might even set some traps for her if she went to Penacony.

[Lin Shuang: I shall await your arrival then.]

Compared to their last contact, this exchange was clearly much cooler. Firefly's attitude towards her was likely filled with suspicion.

She dared to come see her; it was unclear if it was recklessness or if she had some preparation.

Putting away her phone.

Lin Shuang stretched lazily on the spot.

It was getting late, and Lin Shuang decided to go take a look at the Starship Sea.

She hadn't seen that little fox Tingyun in the past couple of days. Wonder if she was working right now.

As Lin Shuang passed by Tingyun's favorite teahouse, she took some time to order some snacks and a small bag of tea for her.

She hadn't proactively contacted Tingyun these past two days. If she showed up now, knowing Tingyun's personality, she'd probably complain a bit.

Just as she arrived at the entrance of the Celestial Ship Division.

But before Lin Shuang could even step inside, she saw those little fox ears perk up and then move out.

The moment they met, Tingyun's eyes widened. Then, with quick steps, she scurried over to Lin Shuang, her tail wagging, her eyes filled with concern:

"Is my benefactor alright? Did they give you any trouble over there? I just heard about this from Lord Yukong, and I really wanted to seek justice for you."

Catching Tingyun's unique, alluring scent, Lin Shuang smiled and said, "What trouble could there be? Fu Xuan and Yanqing showed up proactively, so the follow-up matters have little to do with me."

Hearing Lin Shuang say that, Tingyun still seemed worried, afraid someone had troubled her. She tugged and pulled at Lin Shuang's clothes, circling her several times.

After being patted in the face by Tingyun's big tail for who knows how many times, Tingyun finally stopped and teased with a hint of inexplicable meaning, "Benefactor truly has a good mood. With such a big incident happening, you still have the mind to go shopping and have tea? Who is this good sister you're getting takeout tea and snacks for?"

Tingyun's words held a mix of joy and a hint of complaint. She hadn't said anything explicitly, but Lin Shuang could still discern her unspoken grievances from her charming, captivating eyes.

Complaining that Lin Shuang hadn't proactively sought her out these past few days.

And hadn't contacted her when something happened. It was only then that she learned from Lord Yukong that someone from the Cloud Knights had offended Lin Shuang.

"Cough..."

Lin Shuang coughed lightly, thinking, As expected.

So she quickly raised the things in her hands and presented them, smiling, "Aren't I here at the Celestial Ship Division looking for you now? I bought all these for you."

Upon hearing this, Tingyun snapped open her fan, covering half her face, and then leaned close to Lin Shuang.

"If my benefactor speaks like this, I, this humble one, will take it seriously."

"What do you mean, seriously or not? It's the truth."

As she spoke, Lin Shuang thrust the items into Tingyun's arms. She then gently pushed aside Tingyun's fan, revealing her slightly flushed face.

"I was just afraid you were busy with work, thinking I shouldn't disturb you?"

"My benefactor is quite good at finding excuses."

Putting away her folding fan, Tingyun deliberately pouted, then tapped the fan against Lin Shuang's cheek. After glaring at Lin Shuang for a moment, she stood up and said, "It's rare for my benefactor to seek me out. Why don't you come to my place for a while?"

"Sure, sure! I was just wondering where to kill some time."

Lin Shuang cheerfully followed, earning a displeased glare from Tingyun.

"Benefactor, really. You play cards with that Diviner from the Divination Department every day, yet you say you don't know where to kill time. Are those words you said earlier just to make me happy?"

"How could that be? Playing cards every day gets boring, doesn't it? Otherwise, why would I have traveled all this way to the Starship Sea today?"

"Mm-hmm~"

Tingyun turned her head, humming a tune with a smile at Lin Shuang. Then, with a flick of her tail, she patted Lin Shuang's arm and led her into the Celestial Ship Division.

As a department in charge of aviation and foreign trade, the Celestial Ship Division was always bustling with people.

Everyone was busy. Even Tingyun, who had been 'grounded' by Yukong recently, had a mountain of documents on her desk.

However, Tingyun had organized the files neatly, leaving just enough space for a cup of tea.

Tingyun took the initiative to make tea, while Lin Shuang set out the tea snacks on the table.

Watching the rising steam and smelling the fragrance of the tea, Tingyun suddenly asked, "Speaking of which, Benefactor, what happened today? Why did you get into a conflict with those people?"

"Hmm..."

Lin Shuang accepted the tea Tingyun handed her and briefly explained the situation.

Even the good-natured Tingyun couldn't help but frown upon hearing it.

"This is truly... But for the Diviner herself to step in at the end, it seems the Xianzhou places great importance on you, Benefactor."

Tingyun didn't let negative emotions linger for too long and quickly moved past the unpleasant topic.

Lin Shuang naturally understood Tingyun's intention, but she smiled and explained, "It's not about valuing me; it's likely about valuing Acheron. But compared to me, are you safe lately, Tingyun?"

"What danger could I possibly be in, Benefactor? However, to have you worry about me like this, I am truly flattered."

Tingyun gave a graceful smile, completely dispelling the uneasy atmosphere.

ps: Happy May Day, brothers! You all still love Acheron so much, she'll be back soon!

Volume 1: Chapter 72 The Little Fox Is Restless, Just a Few Pats on the Tail Will Do

Tingyun twitched her ears, then cupped her hands around her mouth and whispered into Lin Shuang's ear, "Benefactor, I've heard that the General seems to be planning to increase efforts against the Abundant Doses. They might use this incident as a reason to invite you. You should be very careful."

The warm breath, accompanied by the lingering aroma of tea that had just melted in her throat, added a scholarly charm to Tingyun.

Moreover, Tingyun deliberately leaned closer to Lin Shuang, as if wanting to press against her entirely, appearing both intimate and alluring.

If they weren't in the Celestial Ship Division right now, Lin Shuang would have definitely grabbed her big tail for a few pats.

"You're worried about me? You should be more careful yourself. If the Abundant Doses are targeting you, it won't just be for kidnapping and extortion."

Lin Shuang spoke with certainty, which piqued Tingyun's curiosity.

"Does Benefactor know something?"

"Do you know about the Great Annihilation Lords?"

"Great Annihilation Lords? Benefactor means the Emanators of Destruction's Ancestor? I don't know much... I only know there are seven in total, but I don't know their names."

Tingyun pondered for a moment. She truly knew very little about this subject.

Then, Tingyun's expression changed slightly. She lowered her voice and leaned close to Lin Shuang's ear again, asking in a hushed, urgent tone, "Could it be that the Emanator behind the Abundant Doses this time... is a Great Annihilation Lord?!"

Even though Tingyun was well-traveled and experienced, her face paled at this.

After all, the Great Annihilation Lords had a fearsome reputation, and their deeds were all about destruction. Is Penacony targeting the Luofu this time?

"Aren't you going to suspect anything?"

"I believe Benefactor wouldn't joke about such matters."

Tingyun's unhesitating reply, so quick it was almost like she was trying to convince herself, made Lin Shuang look at her with surprise.

"Why is Benefactor looking at me like that?"

"I know that the true form of one Great Annihilation Lord is a life form like a Suiyang, and that one specializes in destroying civilizations from behind the scenes before dispatching armies to harvest. The Abundant Doses' actions are very much like her methods."

As Tingyun listened, she suddenly became puzzled. After all, the identities of Emanators were always hard to find. How did Benefactor know such detailed information was somewhat intriguing.

However, everyone had their own secrets, and Tingyun naturally wouldn't pry.

As for Suiyang, Tingyun had indeed seen mention of it in some miscellaneous books, so she nodded and said, "I will be careful. Thank you for the information, Benefactor."

Lin Shuang didn't really care if Tingyun truly believed her or not. She would say the same thing again when she met Jing Yuan.

Fu Xuan could confirm her own stance and distinguish truth from falsehood.

She wasn't worried about Jing Yuan not helping her; rather, Phantylia had her sights set on the Luofu, and Jing Yuan would have to thank her for the intel.

"It's nothing, let's not talk about that for now. I heard you mention before that you used to go to the Alchemy Commission often to get massages?"

"Oh my, are you perhaps jealous, benefactor?"

Tingyun chuckled when Lin Shuang brought this up. She then calmly introduced:

"The one who massages me is Lord Bailu from the Alchemy Commission, also known as the Dragon Daughter of the Pharmacy. Lord Bailu has small hands, but her massage skills are extraordinary. In my opinion, she ranks second."

As she spoke, Tingyun gave Lin Shuang a look, seemingly wanting her to pick up the conversation. However, Lin Shuang just smiled, lowered her head, took a sip of tea, and ate a piece of pastry.

This earned her a playful punch from Tingyun.

Tingyun's small fists landed on Lin Shuang several times.

Tingyun, who wasn't skilled in combat, didn't have much strength. It looked more like a display of affection.

Then, at the opportune moment, she stopped, and after putting down her fists, Tingyun glared at Lin Shuang, appearing to be angry:

"Benefactor, you are truly wicked, deliberately not responding and leaving me hanging."

"Oh, how could that be."

"Does benefactor perhaps wish to meet the Dragon Lady?"

Tingyun wasn't truly angry. With a roll of her eyes, she guessed the reason Lin Shuang suddenly brought this up. Lin Shuang didn't shy away and stated directly:

"I've heard some rumors, and I am indeed a bit curious. But is it convenient for me, an outsider?"

"The Dragon Lady is a physician. What kind of physician turns away guests? Rest assured, benefactor."

As she spoke, Tingyun suddenly paused. Her fan tapped Lin Shuang's chin this time, while her other hand held a pastry to Lin Shuang's lips.

Her cunning fox ears twitched restlessly, and her tail thumped against Lin Shuang's slender waist: