Hurried footsteps echoed as armored boots clinked sharply against the stone pavement.
In a dim corner by the steps, a man and a young girl sat together, munching on skewers. Occasionally, their conversation drifted toward odd remarks like: “Don’t worry, sweetie, even if your mom doesn’t want us, your dad will take good care of you,” or “If you want to go to school, I’ll just work a few more jobs tomorrow.”
The gentle, heartfelt tone tugged at the hearts of nearby patrolling Cloud Knights. They couldn’t bring themselves to interrupt, their gazes lingering sympathetically on the pair’s backs.
Still, duty called, and a few burly knights eventually approached.
“Sorry to bother you two,” one of them said, pulling out a portrait. “Have you seen this person?”
The little girl shrank back nervously, leaving the man to speak. With a look of surprise, he exclaimed, “Oh, isn’t this the Dragon Lady? I saw her earlier when I was buying food! She was over there, buying skewers.”
He gestured toward the bustling night market of the Exalting Sanctum.
The knights perked up at the lead. “Thank you, sir!”
After taking a few steps away, one of them hesitated and turned back, his voice tinged with guilt. “If your family’s struggling, the Sianzhou’s Divine Dignitary Office has programs to assist. Stop by the registration desk near the docks tomorrow if you have time.”
With that, the knights rejoined their squad, reporting the information as they regrouped. A whole troop of Cloud Knights hurried off toward the night market, vanishing around the corner.
As soon as they were gone, the “father” and “daughter” sitting on the steps shimmered, their forms subtly shifting. It was none other than Chen Lin and Bailu!
“That’s some trick!” Bailu exclaimed, licking the spicy oil from her lips. “I can’t believe they fell for it! All I had to do was wear this oversized coat, and they didn’t even recognize my clothes underneath!”
“To them, your outfit looked completely different,” Chen Lin explained, casually retrieving his coat from Bailu’s tiny shoulders. He noted how it now carried a faint, refreshing fragrance. What does she even use to wash her hair and bathe?
As he slipped the coat back on, he said, “Just a simple trick to tweak their visual perception. It wouldn’t fool someone sharp, but it worked well enough this time. Anyway, let’s get back to the point. Are you in, or do you want to pass on this big opportunity?”
Bailu frowned, stomping her foot. “What if I say no? Will you leave me alone?”
“Not a chance,” Chen Lin replied with a shrug. “At least not until the job’s done. Besides, you already know too much.”
“Hey! You’re the one who told me in the first place!” Bailu shot back, indignant.
“Doesn’t matter. You heard it, didn’t you?”
Bailu pouted, biting her lip before finally sighing.
“Fine, fine. Getting angry stunts your growth anyway. What do you want from me?”
By now, Bailu had started to figure out Chen Lin’s personality.
This guy was like Jing Yuan—always digging traps for others to fall into, then somehow making it seem like they owed him a favor for pulling them out.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Chen Lin chuckled. “Do you know much about the ‘Disciples of Sanctus Medicus’?”
Bailu’s small, delicate brows furrowed in thought. “I’ve heard bits and pieces. Back at the Alchemy Commission, I came across some old records, but there wasn’t much written about them. If even the Commission barely has any information, then not many people in all of the Xianzhou Luofu would know about them. A long time ago—so long that even for long-lived folks, it’s ancient history—the Order was supposedly wiped out completely by the Xianzhou.”
Since the enactment of stricter laws and bans on forbidden practices, the Alchemy Commission’s status within the Xianzhou had plummeted. Once a prestigious pillar of the Six Commissions, it now served a minor role, primarily regulating pharmaceuticals and offering low-cost medical treatment.
The Commission’s archives would normally have extensive records on anything related to medicine or alchemy, but even their files on the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus were sparse. That alone spoke volumes about how thoroughly the organization had been purged.
According to Bailu, the Order’s members were all deranged zealots obsessed with the notion of transforming into mara-stricken beings, believing it to be the pinnacle of evolution beyond mortal flesh.
“They’re just turning themselves into soulless monsters,” Bailu added with a snort. “No wonder people say they’re crazy.”
In the past, the Cloud Knights and even the powerful Ten-Lords Commission had joined forces to hunt down the Order, wiping them out so completely that the once-feared group faded into obscurity for centuries.
But recent events suggested otherwise.
“They may have gone quiet for a while, but their legacy clearly survived,” Bailu said, her tone bitter. “Now they’re back in the shadows, and they’ve even gotten their claws into the Alchemy Commission. It’s infuriating!”
Chen Lin raised an eyebrow. “So, you want to hit them?”
“Hitting them isn’t enough,” Bailu huffed, puffing her cheeks in frustration.
“Hmm, flaying them alive, then?”
“That’s still not enough,” she retorted, her tiny fists clenching in anger.
Chen Lin smiled warmly as he uttered the most chilling suggestion. “Even better. We could keep them alive while making it hurt just as much.”
“W-what?!” Bailu shivered, instinctively clutching her tail. “You’re a menace! I don’t want to help you anymore!”
Chen Lin crossed his arms, tilting his head. “Just answer me this—wouldn’t that feel satisfying?”
“But… but isn’t this a bit cruel?”
“Making someone suffer a fate worse than death, tricking innocent people into becoming vessels of darkness—that’s far more cruel.”
“The problem is, this would violate the laws of the Xianzhou.”
“If no one reports it, it doesn’t count as breaking the law.”
“That’s true… wait, no it’s not!” Bailu, instinctively agreeing with Chen Lin’s argument, caught herself just in time. Pointing at him, she exclaimed, “You’re such a villain!”
“Women love bad men,” Chen Lin replied shamelessly. “Besides, this is just a case of using their own methods against them. Still, it’s inefficient, and I wouldn’t do it this way.” After rambling for a bit, he turned to Bailu and asked, “Do you remember what I told you this morning?”
“What?”
Bailu tilted her head in confusion. “You said you were a guest on the Xianzhou, not a bad person?”
“What I meant to say,” Chen Lin sighed, “is that I have the memories of someone who was forcibly turned into a Mara-struck. Do you understand?”
Chen Lin smacked his forehead. Why does this little dragon girl keep assuming I’m the villain?
He prided himself on promoting love and peace, was dedicated to progress and development, and believed in protecting people. Yet somehow, he was being framed as the bad guy.
On the steps, Bailu paused for a moment before realization dawned.
“You’re saying you want me to help you find the place?”
“Exactly!”
Chen Lin ruffled her hair, praising her, “So smart. I’m new to the Xianzhou and unfamiliar with the area. After seeing that tragic scene this morning, I was so upset when I mentioned it to the elder brother. I can’t bear to see more innocent families destroyed by cults like this. I took on this mess myself because I won’t stand for it. I cannot coexist with these cultists!”
Bailu hated people touching her head. The elders had always said it would stunt her growth. She was about to swat his hand away but stopped when she looked up into Chen Lin’s resolute eyes.
There was a sincerity in his words that was hard to doubt.
Maybe he really has seen families destroyed by these cults before? Maybe I was wrong about him being a bad guy…?
She pulled her hand back, letting Chen Lin continue ruffling her hair.
“My elder brother is busy with more important matters. While the secrets of the Apothecary King can wait to be dealt with after the crisis, I can’t stand the thought of more fathers, sons, mothers, or daughters falling into the abyss due to delays.”
Chen Lin looked skyward, his eyes filled with melancholy. “If we could stop these terrible events before they happen, how many families might be saved? How many children might not lose their parents? How many elderly parents might not lose their children?”
“…”
Bailu stared at him in awe, thinking, He has such a grand vision. For the sake of complete strangers, he’s willing to go to such lengths.
“The power of one person is limited,” Chen Lin said with a sigh. “The fragments of memory I have are sparse, just a few scattered images. The Exalting Sanctum is so vast, trying to find the place where he was deceived into joining the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus feels like looking for a needle in a haystack. I’m worried that if it takes too long, more innocent victims will fall into their trap.”
“Hey…” Bailu grasped Chen Lin’s hands, her tone unexpectedly gentle. “You still have me, don’t you? I always see things through, just like treating a patient. I promised to help you find the place, so I will!”
Chen Lin stifled the urge to laugh and replied wistfully, “What if we still can’t find it?”
“Then we’ll keep looking! Anyway, if you can help me evade those trying to capture me and bring me back, I’ll stick with you until we find it. All you have to do is cover my food and lodging!”
After a brief pause, she added, “If you run out of money, I’ve got some consultation fees saved up. For the sake of those innocent families, we will bring the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus to justice!”
The atmosphere had reached such a dramatic peak that even Chen Lin, despite himself, couldn’t help but feel impressed.
This little dragon girl, the holder of the Enlightened Dragon Sovereign title, had a surprisingly good heart. Although she seemed immature, she was, after all, a long-lived being, undoubtedly having lived for countless years. She was someone worth associating with.
“First, we’ll find the location. Then we’ll gather clues, just like detectives.” Chen Lin explained calmly, “Do you know what a detective is?”
“No,” Bailu replied, her curiosity piqued.
“Detectives gather clues to collect evidence, use the evidence to confirm or refute leads, and follow those leads to uncover the true culprit!”
Bailu seemed intrigued by the concept.
“Alright, alright! So, do we start by collecting clues?”
“No!” Chen Lin corrected. “Since we’re secretly investigating the culprit’s hideout, we can’t use our real names. We’ll need to call each other by code names.”
“Code names…”
Bailu pondered for a moment before admitting, “I’m bad at coming up with names. Why don’t you decide?”
“I’ll be Holmes.”
“And me?”
“You’ll be Watson.”
“Peanut?”
“Not Peanut! Watson. It’s from a book I read on another planet. The main characters were Holmes, a detective, and Watson, his assistant, who was also a doctor…”
—
The two of them weaved through the streets and alleys of the Exalting Sanctum. With Chen Lin’s disguise and perception alteration, no ordinary person on the Xianzhou could recognize them except for top figures like Jing Yuan or Fu Xuan.
At first, Bailu was nervous when she saw the alchemists and Cloud Knights still searching for her, but over time, she grew bold.
She even dared to talk openly with Chen Lin in front of passing patrols, though the tips of her ears turned red with excitement.
“What a brilliant setup. Such a complex web of clues, and yet you solved it so quickly,” Bailu said, twirling her fingers with disdain. “What curse-born hounds? It’s just greedy people manipulating others in the shadows! Hmph!”
“The Hound of the Baskervilles is just one story from the book. There are many other exciting cases,” Chen Lin said with a chuckle. “That’s the charm of detective work: starting from nothing, gradually piecing together clues, and solving the mystery.”
Chen Lin, having read the Sherlock Holmes series extensively, was adept at recounting its tales. With his knack for storytelling, he brought the cases vividly to life, captivating Bailu.
“Holmes,” Bailu corrected, “please call me Watson!”
“Alright, Watson,” Chen Lin said with a smile. “If you want to hear more, I’ll tell you later when we have time.”
As they approached a somewhat desolate alley corner, Chen Lin suddenly stopped.
He noticed a young man squatting by the roadside, watching the passing outsiders with a peculiar gaze.
The location perfectly matched the fragmented memory he had recovered.
And the young man’s face matched the one from the memories.
It was him!
—
This is a fan translation of 在星穹铁道点群星科技树真的没问题吗? by 杏雨诗韵 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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