Time passed quickly, and soon, another five days had gone by. On this day, Yilan finally began his journey back to Mondstadt.
After all, he had been in Liyue for nearly twenty days, and Acting Grand Master Jean had been sending letters to Ningguang, asking if something unexpected had occurred.
If this dragged on much longer, Jean might very well show up in Liyue herself, sword in hand, demanding the return of her subordinate.
Liyue—
Still near the Statue of The Seven.
When he first arrived, only Keqing had come to meet him. But now, as he prepared to leave, Ganyu also appeared.
"When I'm not around, Yilan, you have to take care of yourself. Don't eat things recklessly. Dress warmly when it's cold. Drink more hot water…"
Ganyu's concern showed no signs of ending. Watching her about to talk until nightfall, Yilan chose the most direct method to make her stop.
"Mmph—"
A while later, Yilan let go of the breathless Ganyu and opened his arms toward Keqing, who stood a little distance away.
"Keqing, come here. Let's have a farewell kiss too."
"I refuse!"
Keqing turned her head and huffed. "W-Who wants to kiss you? You just kissed someone else and now you're coming to me? So shameless! Mmph—"
Moments later, as he released a similarly breathless Keqing, Yilan cast one last glance at his beloved wife and girlfriend in Liyue. Without another word, he turned and walked away, waving coolly.
After all, this was just a temporary goodbye. Yilan had promised them he would visit again from time to time.
And with his current pace of growth, he believed that soon, distance would no longer be an obstacle.
Before leaving, he left many gifts for Liyue: high-yield crop seeds and fertilizer from his third simulation, improved administrative systems, and even early prototypes of future technological advancements.
He believed that with these contributions, Liyue would become more prosperous and powerful than it had ever been—even beyond what was depicted in the game.
Nothing unexpected occurred during the journey.
In fact, with Yilan's current strength, it was hard for anything to count as an "accident" anymore.
Even the one-eyed Xiaobao—an adventuring nightmare for most—could be crushed by him with a single hand.
A day later, upon returning to Mondstadt, Yilan first reported to Jean at the Knights of Favonius headquarters.
As expected, the moment he finished his report, he heard the system chime:
[Positive Energy Points +80]
This meant that Yilan now had 136 positive energy points—enough for another simulation.
"I wonder what I'll face in this simulation…"
"Yilan, Yilan! Are you even listening to me?"
Jean's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked up at the tired but graceful woman seated before him, her posture proper despite the fatigue in her eyes.
"Sorry," he said apologetically, "I was a little distracted."
"Then let me repeat myself. I plan to appoint you as the Archdeacon of the Church of Favonius. What do you think?"
"Me? The Archdeacon?" Yilan blinked. This was surprising.
In Jean's absence as Grand Master, and with the Church's Bishop also away on an expedition, the Archdeacon was effectively the second-highest authority in the Church of Favonius.
"That's right," Jean nodded. "You've earned this, both in terms of ability and contributions to Mondstadt. It's also a standard promotion from High Priest to Archdeacon. The only question is: are you willing?"
Jean didn't know what exactly Yilan had experienced in Liyue. Ningguang's letters and Yilan's official reports had only covered the essentials.
—After all, Ningguang herself wasn't entirely sure who Yilan truly was.
There were rumors: that he was Ganyu's husband, that he was an immortal who had died a thousand years ago and returned to life… but such tales were hard to believe, weren't they?
Out of caution, Ningguang hadn't mentioned any private matters in her correspondence with Jean.
Still, Jean could feel something was off. Liyue was treating Yilan with far too much importance.
Were they trying to poach him? That couldn't happen. Mondstadt was already short on talent—they couldn't afford to lose a rare, high-end combatant like him.
So her "promotion" was, in part, a form of diplomatic countermeasure.
But what Jean didn't realize was that Yilan was not like others.
As a transmigrator, he didn't just want to coast through life—he had ambition and desire.
"Sober, I rule the world; drunk, I lie on the lap of beauty."
Reaching the heights of power in Mondstadt was only the beginning. One day, he would tear down the laws of Teyvat itself and sit atop the throne of creation.
After agreeing to the promotion, Yilan chatted briefly with Jean and then returned home.
As expected, the moment he opened the door, a silver-haired girl ran up to him in a flurry.
"Master Yilan, you're finally back!"
Looking at the cheerful girl before him, Yilan finally felt like he was truly home. He walked up to her, gently patted her head, and asked fondly:
"Noelle, have you been training properly while I was gone?"
"Mm-hmm!" Noelle nodded eagerly, trailing behind him like a little bird. "I trained really hard while Master Yilan was away. I've gotten much stronger!"
"Is that so?" Yilan smiled. "Then how about a sparring match to see your progress?"
"Right now? I'd love to, but you just returned from Liyue, Master Yilan. You must be tired. You should rest first. I've already prepared a hot bath for you."
"Noelle… you're as thoughtful as ever."
Ganyu was undoubtedly the perfect wife—gentle, principled, and firm when necessary.
But Noelle was someone who would spoil you until you forgot how to fend for yourself.
Lying in his luxurious bathtub, Yilan let out a contented sigh and spoke to the system in his mind:
"System, start the simulation."
[Simulation initiated.]
[Host awareness of simulation's real-world impact detected. Updating simulation rules…]
[Update complete.]
[New rule: The simulated version of the host will have their real-world memories sealed. As compensation, one additional talent will be granted per simulation.]
"Why seal my real memories?" Yilan frowned.
Losing his memories would definitely raise the difficulty of each simulation—but the bonus talent might help balance it.
[This rule is intended to help the host focus on the mission. Ask yourself: if you know the simulation becomes real, would you still prioritize the task?]
"…"
The system had a point.
Before, Yilan cared mostly about achieving the simulation's goal—the process didn't matter.
But now that each simulation would become real, the process did matter.
After all, he could simulate endlessly if he had enough points. But each individual world—each simulation—was unique.
It became a place to experiment freely.
Take the second simulation, for instance. His goal had been to save Raiden Makoto. Everything he did was to accomplish that.
But now, he could try forming ties with all Seven Archons… or even challenge Celestia itself.
If he failed, so what? He could always start again.
Once he conquered the divine laws of Teyvat, simulation outcomes wouldn't matter—because everything would belong to him.
"Wait," Yilan thought. "If the simulator-me doesn't have real memories… won't he forget the main quest too?"
[The main mission will be implanted into the simulator's subconscious. It will feel like a natural goal.]
"What about somatosensory mode? Will I still retain my memories there?"
[Yes. But you'll also be influenced by the simulator's thoughts.]
"Understood." Yilan nodded.
It was acceptable. Compared to other simulator stories he had read, this system was still generous.
"Let's begin."
[Simulation begins.]
[Simulated copy generated: "The Sage's Folly."]
[Mission: The foolishness of scholars has led to the hoarding of wisdom in Sumeru. Restore the authority of knowledge to the one who deserves it.]
"In short… overthrow Azar's regime and return power to the Little Lord Kusanali."
Yilan rubbed his chin. This reminded him of the Dendro Archon he'd met in the second simulation.
Would she still remember him in the real world? Did she keep his soul hidden within the Irminsul, awaiting his return?
Still, in this version, it was clear that she had sacrificed herself.
[As compensation, one bonus talent has been granted: "Wisdom from a Previous Life."]
[Effect: You possess knowledge from another world. Your intellect surpasses that of ordinary people.]
[0 years old: You are born into a commoner family in Sumeru. Your mother dies in childbirth. Your father, blaming you, abandons you at an orphanage.]
"Tch. Brutal start. At least he didn't leave me to die in the wild," Yilan muttered.
[1 year old: An orphanage worker finds you nestled beside a blooming Padisarah and brings you in. You're named Yilan.]
[2 years old: Gifted and precocious, you learn to read while others still crawl.]
[3 years old: Though life is hard, your warmth and optimism make you the heart of the orphanage.]
[4 years old: You exhaust all the books in the orphanage. Unable to attend school due to financial limits, you sneak onto the fence of the Akademiya to listen to lectures. The guards, seeing you're just a child, let you be.]
"Pretty solid character setup. Good nature, talent, and ambition," Yilan commented. "Feels like a scholar's rise arc."
[5 years old: You begin noticing foreign knowledge in your mind. One day, after a spark of inspiration during a lecture, you write a paper.]
[A passing scholar is shocked by your paper. The next day, he visits the orphanage and adopts you as his son. His name: Azar.]
Yilan's expression twisted.
"Wait a minute. Azar, the Grand Sage of the Akademiya… just became my adoptive father?"
***
System nerfed him 💀