Chapter 172: Bailu, the daughter figure! I'm starting a "Content Farm" in "Honkai: Star Rail"
Alchemy Commission.
As the scene drew to a close, Bailu found herself wrestling with a whirlwind of emotions.
Even though it was merely a sequence within a game, a profound sense of melancholy lingered, as if she had lost something precious. From an outsider's perspective, that Heliobus really wasn't a villain. It had even manifested of its own accord when she fell into the trap.
Bailu couldn't help but sigh. "If only there were a way to let Azhu out to play sometimes…"
She knew it was a pipe dream. Once she finished this chapter, she decided she would visit the suppression tower in the Fyxestroll Garden to see it. Though they had never met in the waking world, Bailu still wanted to share a few words and have a proper chat with Azhu.
Beside her, Jingliu remarked softly, "It is heartening to see Lady Bailu so full of life."
"It is a pity she is kept under such lock and key by those alchemists, deprived of her liberty and joy," Jingliu continued, her voice cool but pointed. "If it troubles you, Bailu, perhaps you should voice your grievances to the General here now."
"Jingyuan, you would be understanding, wouldn't you?"
Jingyuan's face immediately twisted into a wry, pained smile.
The audacity! To think even Jingliu would intervene…
He could only concede, "I shall notify the Alchemy Commission. They are to escort Lady Bailu on house calls more frequently and grant her an additional half-day of leave every week…"
Upon hearing this, Bailu's face lit up like a blooming flower.
"Thank you, Sister Jingliu!" she chirped. "Actually, things are pretty great now! As long as they don't confiscate my Jade Abacus, I'm happy. In this game, even if I never leave my room, I can still be a Nameless and roam the galaxy with my bat in hand~"
The term "Sister Jingliu" actually coaxed a rare, fleeting smile from the legendary swordmaster.
Then, Blade spoke up. He pulled out his phone and sent his contact information to Bailu.
"If anyone tries to lock you up again," he said darkly, "call me."
Jingyuan: "…"
Must you add fuel to the fire? he thought.
But Bailu had already added the contact, saying happily, "Thanks, Uncle Blade!"
Jingyuan could only look on with helpless resignation. Once Bailu spent more time playing Honkai: Star Rail, she would realize exactly what kind of formidable figures this "Sister Jingliu" and "Uncle Blade" truly were.
From this day forward, she could practically walk through the Xianzhou Luofu side ways. It seemed he would have to make more frequent "medical consultations" himself just to keep an eye on her.
Still, despite her childish streaks, Bailu was kind-hearted and endearing. Now that the Preceptors who had been eyeing her like hawks were cleared out, he wouldn't need to worry quite so much.
He turned his attention back to the screen—
With the disappearance of the Heliobus, Bailu recovered from her play-induced obsession.
"Though my memory is a bit hazy," she said with a hint of guilt, "it seems I did a lot of strange things earlier…"
Guinaifen comforted her, "Don't feel guilty, Lady Bailu. Just think of it as a dream where you could play freely. It wasn't your fault."
"But… but everyone went to so much trouble for me… I still remember. I'm truly sorry."
"Is it not human nature to want to escape when one is restricted and confined? The problem lies with the adults who are obsessed with 'correcting' behavior—the ones who think they know exactly what you should be doing."
"I had an entire apology prepared… Big Sister, you've completely thrown me off my rhythm."
Guinaifen smiled. "Why apologize? I'm just like you. Even though I'm nearly an adult, I still can't help but miss the days of running around barefoot. Being scolded by my big brother, being told to do this and that, being told to 'grow up'… then came the rebellion and the running away, just to prove I could survive without my family. That's how I ended up settling down on the Xianzhou."
"It seems whether you're a High Elder or an ordinary person like me, our paths in life are pretty similar."
"One day, Lady Bailu, you'll have the strength to leave this current chapter of your life and move on to the next. So, I suggest you cherish the fun right in front of you instead of constantly apologizing for the troubles it brings."
Bailu blinked. "Big Sister, you're quite the philosopher. Maybe you should get a license and become a psychological counselor at the Alchemy Commission?"
At this scene, the live chat erupted!
…
"Guinaifen is such a sweetheart!"
"Bailu is so mature for her age, too."
"The streamer is spitting facts!"
"Little Gui is so wholesome."
"Can someone help me out with the Preceptors? I'm stuck."
"Lmao, I was laughing my head off a second ago and now I'm actually tearing up at this dialogue…"
"I think I've been possessed by a Heliobus too. If I don't watch Little Gui play Star Rail every day, I start getting withdrawal symptoms!"
"Look at Little Gui in the corner! Why are her eyes sparkling?"
"Is Little Gui getting moved by her own words?"
"Streamer, take out your colored contacts, please…"
…
On camera, Guinaifen took a deep breath.
It was true. Just now, she had been moved to the brink of tears by her own in-game dialogue. Memories of her childhood came flooding back.
Fortunately, Guinaifen was a professionally trained… streamer. She wouldn't allow her emotions to spiral out of control during a broadcast. It was no big deal. The unpleasant, painful experiences were all in the past.
Her job now was to bring joy to everyone!
With that thought, her eyes cleared. "Did you guys notice?" she remarked to the chat. "Bailu is basically the developers' favorite daughter. She has plot relevance in almost every version and pops up in tons of side quests."
The viewers immediately responded.
…
"Who can blame them? Bailu is kind AND cute."
"Same goes for my boy Jingyuan. If it involves the Luofu, he shows up and does something legendary!"
"Like this Ghost-Hunting Squad—Old Jing is back at it again."
"Bailu is the mascot of Star Rail, but Jingyuan is the ultimate corporate slave. The man is working 24/7."
"Speaking of which… General Jingyuan is getting up there in years. Why hasn't he thought about getting married or having kids?"
"Jingyuan: The Luofu isn't prosperous enough yet to worry about romance!"
"Old Jing, if the Luofu loses you, it's going to fall into total chaos…"
"My boy Yanqing would like a word. He gets beaten up in basically every Luofu event. That's his true 'contribution' to the game."
"Shut it! There's no way Yanqing gets beat up in this story, right?"
…
Watching the chat, Guinaifen's mouth twitched.
Star Rail players really were something else. They truly dared to say anything! Weren't they afraid Jingyuan might actually be watching the stream?
Well… probably not. The General was a busy man; he wouldn't just wander into the stream of an outworlder like her for no reason.
"Back to the mission! Looking at the state of things, there's definitely more than one Heliobus."
After exiting the Illusory Maze, the group gathered to reflect.
"To be honest… Azhu didn't seem as dangerous as the other Heliobi I've heard about."
Sushang chimed in, "Yeah, yeah! Aside from the extra cardio, it wasn't exactly heart-stopping. Though if I have to run any more laps, I'm filing for worker's comp."
"Heliobi have no concept of good or evil; they simply act on their own desires and emotions. I hope capturing the others will be just as easy."
[ I'm just glad everything was resolved smoothly. ]
Bailu added, "I should probably go 'turn myself in' to the two medical assistants who've been working so hard to find me."
Next came the task of announcing this victory to the public on the Luocha Records.
They had to downplay the danger to avoid causing a panic, yet make it eye-catching enough to showcase the Ghost-Hunting Squad's triumph. The complexity of this task was easily on par with exorcising the Heliobus itself!
Luckily, the player didn't have to write the content from scratch. The game provided three different editorial directions:
[ Shocking Headline ]
[ Urban Legend Deep-Dive ]
[ Entertainment Gossip ]
Guinaifen decided to try the [ Urban Legend Deep-Dive ] approach. The content generated automatically:
[ I see! It's the Trans-Dimensional Parallel Entity Phenomenon! ]
Guinaifen blinked in surprise. "Whoa!"
"This is so convenient! Am I studying journalism in Star Rail?"
"No, wait… I'm basically becoming a clickbait content farm!"