"Yue~" Huohuo collapsed on the ground, suddenly vomiting heavily.
[Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter.]
[That Bailu's short legs are running way too fast, aren't they?]
[Hahaha, Huohuo ran until she puked, I can't, hahaha, I'm losing it, fam.]
[This plot is straight-up absurd.]
[Did Bailu chug 98-octane gasoline or something? How's she running that fast?]
[Even Sushang, a Cloud Knight, said she couldn't keep up and had to use her brain. The gags are just too much.]
[Never thought it'd be this funny before clicking in.]
[I can't hold it together.]
In the scene, Stelle shouted, white foam slipping from her mouth,
"I can do this all day!"
Sushang's eyes widened slightly,
"Well… you're quite impressive! But, uh, could you swallow that foam first?"
[Hahaha, my stomach hurts from laughing.]
["I can do this all day!" Isn't that a Captain America reference?]
[Stelle's frothing-at-the-mouth expression is killing me.]
"Wait, I've got an idea!" Guinaifen swallowed hard,
"What if we try the opposite? Instead of chasing Miss Bailu, we wait for her to come to us!"
Sushang sighed,
"Little Gui, what nonsense are you spouting? Does that little dragon girl look like she'd just run toward us?"
"This hide-and-seek game reminds me of my childhood on that resource-scarce planet. If you wanted meat, you had to take huge risks, venturing deep into the mines to hunt a creature called a Floatweasel.
Floatweasels are super agile in the air and hyper-alert. Even the most skilled hunters could barely catch them."
Stelle finally wiped the foam from her mouth,
"So, did you guys end up eating meat?"
Sushang leaned toward Stelle's ear,
"Here comes Little Gui's childhood story mode again."
"Don't interrupt, let me finish," Guinaifen cleared her throat and continued vividly,
"Floatweasels have a unique ecology. They coexist with a venomous creature called a Cryolizard. When they go foraging, they leave the Cryolizard to guard their young.
So, we'd go to the nest and catch the Cryolizard. Once caught, it'd let out a piercing cry to alert the Floatweasel to return and protect its young. But by then, it'd already fallen into our hands."
"That's kinda cruel…"
"Survival's a fair game. The Cryolizard's venom sacs and eyes can spray deadly poison. If you didn't take proper precautions, plenty of kids lost their lives."
Sushang's head drooped, utterly confused,
"So, after all that, what does this story have to do with your plan?"
Guinaifen crossed her arms over her chest,
"I explained it so clearly! Catch one, and the other walks right into the trap!
I remember the Judge had a treasure called the 'Moonshade Gourd' that could trap Heliobi… uh, the one I broke… wonder if it's still around?"
The group helped Huohuo to her feet, patting her back to barely get her spirits up.
Huohuo: "I do carry the gourd with me, but it only works when the Heliobus is close enough."
Guinaifen nodded. Her plan was simple: use the 'wait for the rabbit by the tree' strategy. Huohuo would stay put and wait, while the others kept chasing.
Everything was set, and they spotted Bailu again.
At that moment, Luxie began muttering,
"Grown-ups always say their lives are harder, but that's weird, right?
Weren't grown-ups kids once too? Why compare who's got it tougher with your past self?"
Bailu chimed in,
"Exactly, exactly! Why do they always tell me stuff I can't understand or don't get? I just wanna go play!"
[Before was before, now it's just perverse.]
[Pretty real talk, honestly.]
[Sometimes kids see things clearer than adults, like in The Emperor's New Clothes.]
After some effort, they finally managed to trap Bailu.
Realizing she was caged, Bailu started sobbing,
"Let me out! I don't wanna be stuck here!"
Tears streamed down her face, turning it red in an instant.
Huohuo, unable to bear it, tried to comfort her,
"Lady Bailu… stay calm. You're possessed by a Heliobus. Your thoughts and feelings aren't your own."
"Nonsense! Nonsense!" Bailu's tears poured like a broken dam, as if venting years of frustration.
"I've never had playmates growing up, and today I finally found one, but you're trying to take it away…"
Just then, Luxie's voice rang out. She slowly approached the group,
"Grown-ups are so despicable, stealing even a kid's rare moments of joy!"
Stelle put her hands on her hips, smirking,
"Heh, I'm pretty despicable, huh?"
The camera zoomed in on Luxie's face, her glare at Stelle fierce.
Guinaifen clapped excitedly,
"Wow, this one really walked right into the trap!"
Luxie let out a heavy sigh,
"I wanted to bring you all into a joyful, free children's world, but since you insist on ruining the fun… don't blame Luxie for using violence to talk!
Violence, only violence, is the one language you adults speak and understand, right!? Just like how you discipline kids!"
[No need to be that real, right?]
[The scriptwriter's getting major points for this one.]
[Sweating buckets here.]
[Tearing up, brothers.]
[So much empathy. I'm giving the scriptwriter an extra drumstick.]
[I'm not breaking down, really, I'm not, I… sobs…]
[My friend, she's broken down.]
The group reluctantly drew their weapons. Though hesitant, they had no choice.
Soon, Luxie was no match for Stelle and Sushang, quickly defeated.
"Ugh, sorry, Little Lu… I-I got disciplined by the grown-ups. I can't play with you anymore…" Luxie looked at Bailu with deep regret.
"Luxie… didn't we pinky-swear we'd never go back with the adults? Adults can break their promises, so kids can too?"
"But I don't have a choice. Even the longest playtime has to end sometime. But today was fun—let's hang out again next time!"
Guinaifen shook her head, interrupting,
"There won't be a next time! Huohuo, please."
Bailu sniffled,
"Luxie, next time we meet… it'll probably be a long time from now…"
In her final moments, Luxie comforted Bailu,
"Our lives are long, so in the grand scheme, it won't feel that long~ I gotta go with these adults for now!"
Then, Luxie was absorbed into the Moonshade Gourd by Huohuo.
As the Heliobus vanished, Bailu's half-closed eyes gradually cleared up.
Guinaifen crouched in front of Bailu,
"Alright, Miss Bailu, it's getting late. Time to head home."
Bailu shook her little head,
"My memory's a bit fuzzy, but I feel like I did a lot of weird stuff…"
"No need to feel guilty, Miss Bailu. Just think of it as a dream of carefree playtime. It wasn't your fault."
"But… but…" Tears welled up in Bailu's eyes again,
"Everyone ran around for me… I remember, I'm so sorry."
Guinaifen gave a doting smile,
"Being controlled, being confined, makes you want to break free. Isn't that just human nature? The problem lies with the adults who always try to 'correct' your behavior, who think they know what you should do."
Bailu's pupils shrank at those words,
"I had an apology all prepared… Big Sis, you messed up my train of thought."
"Why apologize? I'm like you. Even though I'm almost an adult, I can't help but miss the days of running barefoot as a kid.
Being scolded by big brother, being told to do this or that, to 'act mature,' and then rebelling and running away to prove I could make it on my own without family… that's why I settled down in the Xianzhou.
Whether it's a dragon girl like you or an ordinary person like me, most people's life paths are pretty similar, huh?
One day, Miss Bailu, you'll have the strength to leave this chapter of your life and move on to the next… so I suggest you cherish the fun you have now and stop apologizing for its troubles."
[So good! This performance—Guinaifen's a star broadcaster in and out of the story!]
[Such a rare moment of clarity.]
[I'm a fan, Guinaifen!]
Bailu gave a thumbs-up,
"Big Sis, you're pretty good at dishing out chicken soup for the soul. Why not set up shop as a therapist at the Alchemy Commission?"
"Hiss…" Guinaifen sucked in a breath, then turned to the others,
"Ugh, is she really a runaway kid? She's so sharp-tongued, so mature!"
Just then, Huohuo's legs trembled nonstop,
"C-Can we not stay here? This place is too creepy… can we chat somewhere else?"
The next moment, the group left the illusory maze and arrived outside Aurum Alley.
They had exorcised the Heliobus possessing Bailu.
With Bailu's consent, it was time to announce their victory on the Luofu Miscellany.
They had to downplay the danger to avoid panic while grabbing attention to highlight the ghost-hunting team's success—a task no less tricky than banishing the Heliobus!
It was time for Stelle, the master of making things up, to step up.
The final title: "Who's the Actor Playing Lady Bailu?"
[Haha, great title.]
[Check out miHoYo's official site—they actually made a Luofu Miscellany paranormal forum.]
[That's wild!]
[Yeah, the web series syncs with the forum, and we can post on it ourselves.]
[miHoYo's killing it with this real-and-virtual combo. So cool!]
[Right? Guinaifen's a streamer, and they made a paranormal forum IRL to sync with the web series.]
[Seriously, go check it out. A lot of the comments are posted by the web series characters themselves.]
After parting with Bailu, the group accompanied Huohuo to lock the Heliobus in the Demon-Subduing Pagoda of the Shackling Prison Array.
Sushang, watching this, finally let out a sigh of relief,
"It's finally over! Whew… I can rest now."
Huohuo piped up,
"But there are still tons of Heliobi out there… we won't get much rest."
Stelle's face was full of exhaustion,
"Let tomorrow's worries handle tomorrow."
With that, the ghost-hunting team disbanded.
Soon after, Stelle sat on a recliner, her chat window flashing…
After some back-and-forth, Guinaifen shared a Luofu Miscellany link.
Stelle clicked it, and the screen flooded with countless comments, overwhelming the frame.
Then, a real-world webpage link appeared.
The scene shifted, and the ghost-hunting team reunited.
Guinaifen was hyped up,
"The special task force under the Ten-Lords Commission for handling escaped Heliobi incidents—aka the ghost-hunting team—is back in action! Woo!"
Sushang half-heartedly cheered,
"Woo…"
Huohuo: "…?"
Stelle, deadpan,
"Beep, clocking in."
Guinaifen eyed Stelle closely,
"Sis, why do you have the same tired look as the clerks at the Realm-Keeping Commission?"
"Ah!" Sushang yawned,
"Little Gui, what miracle pill did you take to be this energetic?"
"Every time I see my follower count skyrocket, I'm too excited to sleep. Works better than any strong tea or Himeko's coffee."
"You're built for this, but I'm not. The second I close my eyes, I dream of chasing Miss Bailu in circles… it's more exhausting than doing it for real."
Guinaifen dragged out her voice,
"Shangshang, you slept the whole day!"
"Ei!" Sushang's eyes lit up,
"Ghost-hunting's a nighttime gig, so sleeping all day makes sense, right?
How about this: pretend I'm possessed by a sleep demon, pin me to the bed, and let me sleep another thirty or fifty hours. Call it a job done for the Ten-Lords Commission. Sound good?"
Stelle scratched her head,
"That slacker vibe reminds me of someone."
She turned to Sushang,
"Sushang, do you know Qingque?"
Huohuo nodded thoughtfully,
"Oh, the famous card player from Changletian! Every time I pass by on a mission, I see her glued to her card games with her buddies."
"Even the Judge knows her! Her reputation for slacking is legendary," Guinaifen said, smacking her lips.
Sushang looked at them, confused,
"Who is this person?!"
"Hold on," Guinaifen pulled out her phone,
"It's this gal. Check out this post."
The group huddled together, faces pressed close, to read the post. It mentioned something off about the Divination Commission.
Seeing this, Stelle first fulfilled her duty by notifying the head of the Divination Commission.
"Done. Should we head to the Divination Commission to check things out?"
Huohuo stopped them,
"Old rules—let's probe Cirrus for info first."