The next day, Lumine headed to the Xuanlong Sect.
There, she found Xuanqing.
"The Sect Leader is currently occupied with dismantling the protective barrier, so she won't be able to host you for now. She asked me to apologize on her behalf."
"It's fine, it's fine! We don't mind," Paimon said, waving her hands dismissively.
"But is dismantling the barrier really that complicated?"
"Of course it is. After all, the barrier's power is unparalleled in the world," Xuanqing explained. "Actually, Shanhaijing didn't have a barrier at first."
"Later, when the Archon War broke out, the Sect Leader worried that other deities might come here. While she wasn't afraid of them, she wanted to avoid unnecessary bloodshed, so she took great pains to create this hidden barrier."
"The barrier surrounding Shanhaijing can even deceive and block deities. When the Geo Archon, Morax, came here long ago, he found the island but was still blocked by the barrier and couldn't enter. That should give you an idea of its power. So, dismantling it naturally isn't easy."
"Even the Sect Leader, who created the barrier, needs at least seven days to dismantle it."
Paimon nodded. "I see. Even Zhongli was blocked by it? That's really impressive."
Lumine: "It's indeed impressive. I kind of want to learn it."
Xuanqing smiled. "If you want to learn, why not join our Xuanlong Sect?"
"Huh? Just by joining the sect, we can learn adeptal arts?" Paimon was shocked. "Shouldn't adeptal arts be some kind of secret power?"
"It's not as exaggerated as you think."
"Adeptal arts, adeptal energy—in the end, they're just useful forms of power."
"If it's useful, we teach it. That's always been the Sect Leader's way."
Xuanqing continued with a smile:
"In any case, the Xuanlong Sect welcomes all who wish to learn. If you're interested in adeptal arts, just join the sect. Usually, as long as the Sect Leader has time, she personally teaches her disciples. And the Sect Leader usually has plenty of free time, so there are many opportunities to learn from her."
"I'll consider it."
Lumine also had questions for Longhua, but she hadn't found a good opportunity to ask them yet.
If she became a disciple of the Xuanlong Sect, asking the Sect Leader questions would be natural, right? Though she wasn't sure if Longhua would answer.
After all, both Venti and Zhongli clearly knew a lot, but they always dodged her questions.
Still, Lumine wasn't about to let this chance slip by.
She had to find that unknown god who separated her and her brother and get some answers.
"By the way, I heard you two were asking around the island yesterday if anyone needed help?"
"Uh, well, it's kind of a professional habit," Paimon said awkwardly.
Lumine, on the other hand, calmly crossed her arms and said, "We wanted to earn some living expenses. After all, it seems like this island doesn't use Mora for transactions yet."
Even if they did use Mora, Lumine would still need to earn more. After all, she had a bottomless pit of a companion who could devour all their food in an instant and burn through 300,000 Mora in a month.
If Lumine weren't a legendary adventurer and the famous Traveler, constantly taking on commissions, how could she afford to feed Paimon?
Some people mocked her as the "blonde fool," but Lumine just wanted to laugh coldly. If you had a Paimon by your side, you'd turn into a "blonde fool" too.
Providing for a family isn't easy!
So, money! Money! Money!
Money!! Money!! Money!!
"That's my oversight."
Sensing Lumine's frustration, Xuanqing immediately apologized.
When Shanhaijing was isolated from the world, Mora hadn't yet become the universal currency. Instead, the island used shells from a specific type of clam as currency.
Since there was no need for external trade, the islanders had grown accustomed to this currency. Moreover, no one dared to defy the Sect Leader's orders by hunting clams to mint more shells, so this ancient form of currency had persisted unchanged to this day.
"Hmm~ It's unrealistic to expect the people of Shanhaijing to immediately accept Mora. At the very least, the Sect Leader would need to issue an order, and a large number of foreign merchants would have to bring Mora and goods that can be traded with Mora to Shanhaijing before any change could happen. So, for now, only Xibei (the shell currency) can be used here."
"While I could directly allocate some Xibei to you two from the sect, since you have the professional habits of adventurers, receiving something for nothing probably doesn't align with your values. So, could I ask you two for a favor? In return, I'll pay you in Xibei."
"Of course, no problem!" Paimon patted her chest proudly. "We… oh no, she is the best at helping people!"
Lumine gave Paimon a helpless look. "Actually, it's fine to just give me some Xibei directly. I'm just like a certain emergency food—I've always preferred getting something for nothing."
"Who's emergency food?! No, when have I ever gotten something for nothing? I'm a very diligent guide, okay?!"
"I didn't say your name. Is this what they call 'confessing without being asked'?"
Xuanqing couldn't help but laugh before getting back to the main topic.
"Gaoyang Mountain is the lifeblood of Shanhaijing, so there's a strict rule here: unless the Sect Leader gives an order, no one is allowed to approach Gaoyang Mountain."
"However, when I returned yesterday, I received news that during the Sect Leader's absence, strange roars have been coming from Gaoyang Mountain."
"Because of the rule, disciples aren't allowed to go up the mountain to investigate. And by the time I received this news, it was too late to disturb the Sect Leader. So, could I ask you to go into Gaoyang Mountain and capture that sea creature?"
"Sea creature?"
"This kind of thing actually happens often. Gaoyang Mountain absorbs a large amount of seawater from the ocean and converts it into fresh water. This process also brings up many sea creatures. The islanders often fish in the rivers as a way of life."
"But sometimes, dangerous sea creatures are also swept into the island. Only in such cases does the Sect Leader allow disciples to enter Gaoyang Mountain."
"However, the Sect Leader is currently busy dismantling the barrier. That's why I'd like to ask you to take a look."
"I don't want to break the rules either!"
Lumine gave Xuanqing a look that said, Are you trying to get me in trouble?
Paimon nodded vigorously. "Yeah, yeah! Longhua seems easygoing, but who knows if she'll get angry?"
"Don't worry. On one hand, you're not a resident of Shanhaijing, so you don't need to rigidly follow this rule. On the other hand, you're a friend of the Sect Leader, and she's allowed you to explore the island freely. That means you have permission to go anywhere on the island, including Gaoyang Mountain."
"Isn't that just twisting words?"
"No, this is the Sect Leader's trust in you two!"
Seeing Xuanqing's bright smile, Lumine shrugged helplessly.
"Alright, I get it. I'll go take a look, then."