The Gamer who traveled to Honkai: Star Rail

As soon as the three were out of earshot, Zhongshan hooked an arm around Pei Guang's neck, bringing her lips close to his ear as she whispered excitedly, "Wow! That was brilliant—you made it sound so real!"

Pei Guang chuckled. "Oh, come on! To be honest, I don't actually dislike the act of release itself. If someone truly rescues endangered creatures, finds them a proper habitat, and respects their existence instead of using them to feed their own delusions of merit, I'd admire them. But these people? No. They just want to hoard merit for personal gain."

Zhongshan smirked. "You make a solid point. But I also think what you said has potential—there are plenty of people just like them across the galaxy."

Pei Guang sighed dramatically. "Ah, if only I were an Aeon! If I were, I'd toy with them endlessly. Let them think they're accumulating merit, only to reveal the truth at the peak of their so-called enlightenment: 'You've been deceived all along.' 

As the saying goes—'A single glance, enlightenment fades; deception thrives where hearts are blind.' Those three? Hook, line, and sinker."

Zhongshan grinned mischievously. "No doubt about it—they believed every word. Aha~ you're an interesting one. If you ever want to join the Path of Elation, you'd make an excellent Emanator. In fact, I already have a name picked out for you—taken straight from your words just now: The Grand Red Lie: Forgotten Truth. How about it?"

Pei Guang snorted. "No way! Do you really think being a Messenger could ever be more fun than being a Trailblazer?"

Zhongshan pondered seriously for a moment before shrugging. "Honestly? No."

Pei Guang smirked. "Exactly! That's why I stay a Traiblazer—roaming freely, chasing fun wherever I go."

As the two bantered, the three Unshackled members suddenly returned, expressions solemn as if they had just uncovered the meaning of life itself.

Tonya was the first to speak, eyes burning with determination. "Sir! Please guide us—how can we obtain true merit?"

Yes. They had bought into it.

Every last word.

They had completely surrendered to Pei Guang's teachings, eagerly seeking his guidance on how to acquire merit.

Seeing their devoted expressions, Pei Guang grinned. "Since you seek my guidance, allow me to point you in the right direction. According to the Three Laws of Merit, you should construct a Fishing Machine. Everyone knows that fish die when removed from water. By using this machine to catch them, and then immediately releasing them into a safe environment, you can harvest an endless supply of merit!"

The three listened intently, nodding along as if he were delivering divine scripture.

"However, there is one risk—if someone among you harbors selfish desires, they may steal your accumulated merit for themselves. Therefore, when constructing the Merit Extraction Machine, you must trust one another completely. While this method may not yield as much merit as directly extracting it from others, it is stable, reliable, and ensures that no one is left behind in the pursuit of enlightenment.

If you continue like this, you will surely receive the blessings of the Path of Abundance, granting you good health. As for how to build the machine specifically? That's up to you. I've given you the idea, but the execution and location of implementation are for you to decide."

After hearing Pei Guang's words, Zhongshan curiously asked in an exaggerated tone, "Then what kind of behavior would cause our merit to transfer to someone else?"

Pei Guang replied, "It's very simple! What you need to do is tamper with the life-saving machine—turning it from saving lives into harming them. If a life is harmed, then the merit will transfer to the victim. At that point, you can then step in to 'release' or 'rescue' the harmed being, and the merit will transfer to you instead."

Zhongshan exclaimed, "I see! Master! Thank you for your teachings! But, Master—won't saving ordinary lives generate merit too slowly?"

Pei Guang nodded, "Yes, but trust me, while this method is slow, it is stable. Accumulate enough, and one day, you will achieve the convergence of the Three Flowers and ascend to immortality. As for what to release and how, I have no specific advice. If I dictate that, then the merit will be partially mine. I cannot bear such merit, so you must find your own way to build the machine and select the targets for release."

Zhongshan clapped her hands together. "Thank you, Master! I have learned well."

Pei Guang smiled, "As long as you've learned. Well! It's getting late today. I have already taught you how to accumulate merit. My task is done. I wish you all the best in gathering enough merit for a smooth and successful future."

With that, Pei Guang turned and walked away without looking back, feeling a bit of admiration for Zhongshan. She had managed to follow along with his nonsense and even pinpointed the logical pitfalls in his speech.

Watching Pei Guang's retreating figure, Zhongshan called out in an exaggeratedly respectful tone, "Master! Farewell!"

Following her lead, the three newly enlightened Unshackled members also bowed deeply toward Pei Guang's departing figure. Once he had fully disappeared, Heathmann asked, "Master has given us guidance, but what exactly should we be releasing? In my opinion, I still stand by my belief—we should release plants!"

Tonya frowned. "You're still obsessed with your damn plants?"

Benna shook her head. "I still believe we should be releasing endangered animals!"

The three were on the verge of another argument when Zhongshan, always eager to stir the pot, interjected, "According to Master's teachings, you three have accumulated the most merit from your constant releases. Why not build a machine that lets you release each other instead? That way, you can gain an immense amount of merit! But remember, do not try any tricks, or else the merit will end up belonging to someone else."

Heathmann hesitated. "But if we release each other, what kind of situation would count as meeting the requirements?"

Zhongshan's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Master mentioned that a fish leaving the water is in danger, correct? Then build a machine that allows each of you to be submerged in water, and then take turns pulling each other out—that would be removing someone from danger, wouldn't it?"

The moment she said this, realization dawned on the three members of the Unshackled. That's right! According to the Three Laws of Merit, releasing each other would generate the most merit.

But as they reached this conclusion, another thought crept into their minds—one influenced by Pei Guang's earlier words about merit transference. A less-than-noble idea began taking root.

Sensing their shift in mindset, Zhongshan's smile only grew wider. These three had now begun harboring questionable intentions for the sake of so-called merit. She was genuinely curious—just how far would they take Pei Guang's "teachings"?

What? Deaths? Now, now—nothing kills the fun more than a corpse. With her around, they wouldn't die.

For sure.