After the battle, Jingliu retrieved the medicine box from the remains of the Abundance monstrosity and returned it to Bailu.
Bailu thanked her, saying, "Alright, let me check—Calming Herb and Vitality Powder are both here. Let's head back; we can't keep the patients waiting."
She then busied herself with the medicine box alone.
Jingliu didn't go far, only stepping over to stand beside Dan Heng and Yanqing, remaining silent.
Not long after, Bailu approached Jingliu with a prescription and several packets of prepared medicine.
"Sorry for the wait! This prescription may not cure the illness instantly, but it can nourish vitality and stabilize the mind."
Surprisingly, Jingliu crouched down and said, "No need. Even with the divine healing arts of the Dragon Lady, the fate of a long-life species is likely beyond help, isn't it?"
[WOW, Jingliu being this gentle is rare!]
[All of Jingliu's tenderness is for you, Baiheng!]
[Hold up, since when was Baiheng a character in the Honkai: Star Rail web series?]
[???]
[Is that how the formula works? Isn't Baiheng just Bailu?]
[It's not explicitly stated that Baiheng equals Bailu, is it?]
[It's basically confirmed. What other evidence do you need? When have you ever seen Jingliu this gentle?]
[Makes sense, I guess.]
Jingliu continued speaking with Bailu, striking a deal to anchor her sanity with hatred to resist the mara-struck state, though this state wouldn't last long.
With black silk covering her eyes, if Jingliu could see, her gaze would likely be gentle. Her lips curved slightly upward.
"Dragon Lady, meeting you is worth more than a hundred medicines. By the way, has anyone wrapped in bandages come to seek your treatment recently?"
Bailu scratched her head. "Bandages? That's too vague. The Alchemy Commission sees countless injured people daily, and after the Ambrosial Arbor disaster, the number of wounded has only increased."
"The person I'm asking about is tall and thin, with a grim expression, always carrying a broken sword. Does that ring a bell, Dragon Lady?"
A spark flashed in Bailu's eyes. "Someone like that… I saw one today! He must've been injured by a sword; I could smell the blood on him. But the wound didn't seem serious since he looked fine and didn't even take the medicine I prescribed."
At that moment, Yanqing and Dan Heng's pupils contracted sharply—they both knew exactly who Jingliu was referring to!
Yanqing clenched his fist. "The general gave such clear orders, and Blade still hasn't left?"
Jingliu let out a soft hum. "Hmph, perhaps he's seeking a different kind of prescription."
She then turned to Dan Heng and Yanqing. "It seems everyone who needs to be here has arrived. Let's go meet our old friend."
After bidding farewell to Bailu, the trio finally reached their destination—Scalegorge Waterscape.
At that moment, Jing Yuan was facing off against Luocha, with Blade standing nearby.
The first thing Jingliu did upon arriving was lock eyes with Luocha. After a mutual nod, she turned to Jing Yuan and said, "Take this man away first. What happens next has nothing to do with him."
Jing Yuan, understanding her intent upon her arrival, called out, "Yanqing."
Yanqing wanted to protest, but the situation was clearly not suitable for him to stay.
Thus, Yanqing left with Luocha and the remaining Cloud Knights.
In an instant, only four people remained in Scalegorge Waterscape.
[Sigh, one short of a full party!]
[Yeah, missing one for a five-stack, four-stack is the worst.]
[Good thing Yanqing left. He wouldn't have beaten any of these four.]
[Haha, lucky Yanqing didn't have to fight Luocha. Five of him wouldn't stand a chance!]
[A Xianzhou legend, unbeatable.]
Jingliu stepped into the center of the group, breaking the silence first.
"So, everyone's here. I never thought that after centuries apart, the High-Cloud Quintet could reunite once more.
If my memory serves, seven hundred years ago, we five made a vow right here—no matter how far we wandered, we'd gather here to share a drink."
The scene flashed to a memory of the High-Cloud Quintet, laughing and talking.
But now, the Quintet was missing one, each member burdened with deep grudges, a shadow of their former selves.
"What a pity that Scalegorge hangs empty, and the world has turned. Some of us were reborn, some cannot find death, some became prisoners of their sins, and some… can never keep that promise again. Our bonds of camaraderie are long gone.
Soon, I will face trial and bear my shackles. This parting may be forever. So, before I go, I extend an invitation to bid farewell at this place of our first gathering."
Jingliu's words lingered, the camera zooming in on Blade and Dan Heng's faces, while Jing Yuan's figure remained blurred.
Whether in wide shots or close-ups, Jing Yuan's expression was never clear, always obscured even when he appeared in other frames.
[This is so painful. Why no focus on Jing Yuan?]
[He doesn't fit in, does he? Of the Quintet, only two didn't err—one's dead, and the other's been holding it together for 800 years.]
[This part hurts so much. The cinematography's probably hinting Jing Yuan just doesn't belong.]
[I just want to hug Jing Yuan. Why give him screentime if he's just here to suffer?]
"Soon, I will face trial and bear my shackles. This parting may be forever. So, before I go, I extend an invitation to bid farewell at this place of our first gathering."
Jingliu exhaled heavily.
"'Of Five people, three must pay the price.'
The culprit, Imbibitor Lunae, acted alone, recklessly using the dragon-transformation arts to resurrect and reshape, causing a catastrophe that dishonored a warrior's glory.
The savage Yingxing, arrogant and reckless, tampered with the flesh of the Abundance's emissary, aiding Imbibitor Lunae's folly, ultimately falling to become an undying monstrosity.
And the sinner Jingliu, consumed by mara, slew her comrades and betrayed her oaths.
Now, it's time for us to pay the price."
Jingliu tilted her head slightly toward Dan Heng.
"Dan Heng, you can never escape Imbibitor Lunae, for he is your origin. His sins will follow you like a shadow until your end."
Jingliu crossed her hands over her chest.
"'Blade'… a fitting name. In your endless life, you'll wander between killing and being killed, seeking your burial ground. Only then can you atone for Yingxing's regrets."
"And lastly, me." Jingliu paused, passing by Jing Yuan.
"I will face the Alliance's judgment and bear eternal punishment. And after that… an even heavier 'cost' awaits me."
Finally, the camera gave Jing Yuan a clear close-up. Hearing this, he closed his eyes briefly but said nothing.
"Only then will the pain that must be remembered… never fade.
The High-Cloud Quintet… it's time to say goodbye."
In Scalegorge Waterscape, old friends reunited.
Jingliu wasn't wrong. The grudges of an era needed someone to draw a line under them.
Since she, Jingliu, proposed it, it was only fitting she end it.
Afterward, Dan Heng and Blade locked eyes, staring coldly at each other.
Jingliu returned to Jing Yuan's side.
"No wine, only bitterness. This gathering is truly hard to describe. It's time to send me off to Shackling Prison, Jing Yuan."
Jing Yuan gave a faint smile. "The Alliance's laws are immutable… but alas, your next stop isn't Shackling Prison, but Jade Gate.
I reported this to the Marshal, and the 'General of Martial Strategy' took an interest, intercepting us mid-journey to set up the 'Tenfold Light-Reflecting Realm' to meet you two first."
Jingliu shook her head. "Jing Yuan, you're still the same, always struggling to break others' plans.
But you, me, the Cloud Knights, the Generals of the Sky Bow… we're all just pieces in the gods' game. I'm tired of walking a predetermined path.
No matter. I'll walk this extra distance with you, but the outcome won't change. I'll stand victorious in the end."
Jing Yuan chuckled softly. "Then I'll see this game through to the end."
As Jing Yuan prepared to leave with Jingliu, Blade suddenly stepped in front of them.
"Wait! Jingliu, before you go, you owe me a debt."
Jingliu replied coldly, "I've tried. Beyond leaving more wounds on your body, I can't help you further.
Your undying form isn't something that can be easily dispatched. A mortal's sword can't kill the flesh of an Abundance emissary—didn't the 'Slave of Destiny' tell you that?"
Blade: "He did. But you still owe me this strike."
Jing Yuan glanced at them both, then lowered his head silently, saying nothing more.
"I told you when I taught you the sword: I don't strike those who've lost all will to live and merely await death."
"Only an opponent can make you draw your sword. Jingliu, I'm here to repay your lesson with a strike of my own." Blade drew his Broken Sword,
a gift once given by Yingxing to Jingliu, now in his own hands.
"Cherish this moment. I'll give you the chance for a fleeting death."
Jing Yuan and Dan Heng stepped back, clearing space for the two.
Blade pointed his sword at Jingliu, ready to strike.
But Jingliu, calm and unhurried, murmured,
"Seven hundred years ago, we stood here like this… talking, laughing, sparring… full of spirit, dreaming of the future."
Blade crouched, staining his Broken Sword with blood, a red light flashing.
Jingliu slowly clenched her hand, summoning the power of ice, an ice blade forming in her grip.
In an instant,
the two moved, blades clashing, sand and stones flying, the sound of weapons colliding echoing through every corner of Scalegorge Waterscape.
The fight was fierce and spectacular.
The scene shifted.
Blade slashed three sword waves through the dust, which Jingliu dodged effortlessly with a slight turn.
She continued, "The images of you all back then still linger in my mind, like a dream from last night."
The scene flashed back to Yingxing sparring with Jingliu, the High-Cloud Quintet raising glasses together, filled with joy and warmth.
Back in the present, the two faced each other with blades drawn.
"I thought those happy days could last as long as a Xianzhou native's lifespan, day after day, without end."
As Jingliu spoke, the scene returned to the High-Cloud Quintet's era, another glimpse of their cinematic past.
Back in reality, Blade's sword knocked off Jingliu's blindfold.
Countless sword waves exploded around Jing Yuan, yet he didn't dodge. The camera showed him deep in thought, head bowed, his expression unclear.
Then he looked up, light shining on his face, but his expression remained indiscernible.
[This close-up of Jing Yuan… he must be the one hurting the most.]
[Sigh, I can't keep watching. I really feel for Jing Yuan.]
[Jing Yuan's heart must be bleeding. His old friends, torn apart—some dead, some mad, some amnesiac. Every strike cuts him too.]
[Can Jing Yuan hold on? Don't give me a big twist now.]
[Jing Yuan's silently bearing it all.]
[Jing Yuan fans here: miHoYo's use of cinematography is just amplifying the contrast. My heart aches for my Jing Yuan!]
[Wahh, that look in Jing Yuan's eyes.]
[This is fate, isn't it? He just wanted to be a carefree hero, the least rule-abiding one, yet he became the Luofu's general. The one who didn't err, bearing the consequences of everyone else's mistakes, doing his utmost to protect everyone.]
[Stop, you're making my heart clench!]
The camera shifted to Dan Heng, deliberately placing the Dragon Lord "Rainparting" on the left side of the frame.
Blade and Jingliu continued their relentless fight, neither yielding, until Blade roared and swung fiercely at Jingliu in the air.
Jingliu, with blood-red eyes, stared down at Blade.
"But… dreams… eventually wake, like clouds scattering."
In her mind, the image of a foxian woman who always smiled at her flashed one last time.
Jingliu then dove toward Blade, striking with a sonic boom, knocking him to the ground.
The screen went black.
…
A few seconds later, Blade's voice emerged.
"What a… familiar feeling… like the first day you taught me swordsmanship."
The screen gradually brightened, revealing a black-haired Yingxing kneeling, his chest pierced by the Broken Sword, his body still rising and falling.
"You wielded the sword forged by 'Yingxing' for you… striking, cutting, piercing, over and over…
Those moves once used on enemies now carved into this wretched body, while I could only watch my flesh writhe, heal, and restore…
As if asking, 'Why, why did you and Imbibitor Lunae create this calamity?'"
"I know… you don't expect my answer…
So when you looked into my eyes, I asked the question I've asked myself a thousand times, with no answer."
The High-Cloud Quintet with Baiheng appeared again, Blade's voice growing hoarser.
"Why… why can only monstrosities return again and again…
Why must someone like her be buried, burned to ashes, forgotten… why?!"
"In the end, you struck a piercing blow, leaving me and the sword in that barren tomb.
Strangely, in that fleeting, dreamlike death, I felt no more pain…
Just like those days of raising glasses and drinking together."
"Huff, huff, huff…" As he had countless times before, Blade awoke again.
He slowly rose, his expression not one of joy for surviving but anguish for failing to die once more.