Shao Yun, Lumine, and Paimon sat aboard the Alcor. After two days and two nights of sailing, they finally arrived at Liyue Harbor.
Since the thunderstorm had already passed, this journey was much faster than the last one. It only took two days to reach their destination.
In the morning, sunlight spilled across the Alcor as it slowly docked at the harbor.
After mooring the ship, Beidou walked up to Shao Yun, Lumine, and Paimon, who were standing on deck, and said heartily, "Alright, we've reached Liyue Harbor!"
Paimon took a deep breath of the fresh air, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she exclaimed, "Wow, Liyue Harbor, the land of delicious food!"
Lumine smiled at Paimon, then turned her gaze toward the scenery of Liyue Harbor. She nodded lightly and echoed her words with wonder. "Wow, Liyue Harbor, the land of beauty!"
Seeing both of them voice their feelings, Shao Yun scratched his head and suddenly blurted out, "Wow, Liyue Harbor, the land of getting rich!"
The moment he said it, Lumine and Paimon nearly choked on their own spit.
They stared at Shao Yun in disbelief, awkward expressions spreading across their faces.
Lumine sighed helplessly at him. "You really know how to ruin the mood."
She shook her head afterward, clearly exasperated by Shao Yun's bluntness.
Beidou, meanwhile, burst into hearty laughter, her voice loud and carefree.
She laughed and said to Shao Yun, "Hahaha, well, Mr. Shao Yun isn't wrong. After all, Liyue is the land of wealth. Calling it the land of fortune is quite accurate."
She then pointed toward the harbor. "I've got a few matters to handle, so I'll take my leave here. If you need anything else, you can find my first mate, Sea Drake."
With that, Beidou hurried down the ship and disappeared from their sight.
Shao Yun, Lumine, and Paimon disembarked as well, standing on the pier while glancing around curiously.
"So, what do we do next?" Shao Yun asked.
"Of course, we're heading to the Adventurers' Guild," Lumine replied without hesitation.
Shao Yun had thought Lumine was rushing to accept new commissions and teased, "Taking commissions right after getting off the ship? That's a bit much…"
Lumine shrugged. "Commissions are part of it, but mostly we need to handle the handover procedures. What if something you ordered gets delivered to the wrong place again?"
Shao Yun recalled how he once ordered clothes for Lumine, but because he forgot to complete the handover, they ended up shipped to Mondstadt instead. He figured going to the Guild wasn't a bad idea.
"Oh, right. I almost forgot about that. Then let's head out now."
…
So, Shao Yun and Paimon followed Lumine out of the harbor. They climbed the stone steps and soon reached the Adventurers' Guild branch at Chihu Rock.
It was still the same familiar place, and the receptionist was still the ever-warm "Miss Katheryne."
She greeted them with her standard welcome line, smiling politely.
"Ad astra abyssosque! Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild."
Shao Yun took Lumine's Adventurer's Certificate from her, then handed over his own to Katheryne.
"Hello, Miss Katheryne. Lumine and I want to process that, uh, adventurer handover thing."
Katheryne accepted the two certificates, glanced at them, and replied, "Alright, please wait a moment."
She began processing the paperwork with practiced ease.
While she worked, Shao Yun and Lumine discussed their lodging arrangements.
At the same time, Katheryne chatted with them as though she were "issuing a quest."
"Have the three of you heard? There are rumors going around that the Jade Chamber might be rebuilt."
"And supposedly, Lady Ningguang will officially announce it today at Yujing Terrace. It seems the news is almost certain."
Hearing this, Shao Yun couldn't help muttering to himself.
We just got back to Liyue, and already some side chapter quest pops up? Can't we even rest for a bit?
He jokingly asked, "So what now? Is Ningguang short on construction workers and commissioning adventurers to help build houses?"
If that were the case, he truly wished there'd be some uncle good at reading blueprints around to lend a hand.
Katheryne smiled. "Not quite. But given your relationship with Lady Ningguang, I thought you might want to check things out. It could be a worthwhile choice."
She handed back their Adventurer's Certificates and added her blessing.
"All done. May your adventures in Liyue be prosperous."
Lumine took her certificate from Shao Yun, then smiled at Katheryne. "Thank you very much, Miss Katheryne. As for the Jade Chamber, we'll be sure to take a look."
After Shao Yun pocketed his own certificate, he heard Lumine mention heading to Yujing Terrace. He couldn't help but ask, puzzled, "So we just got off the ship, haven't even found lodging, haven't eaten, and now we're rushing off to help Ningguang build a house?"
Lumine looked off toward Yujing Terrace, shrugging lightly as she answered, "We're only going to take a look. No harm in that, right?"
"And besides, it's not the Rite of Descension right now, so we don't need to worry too much about lodging. Worst case, we can just camp out like our first time in Liyue!"
Shao Yun tilted his head back, noting the sun was still low in the east. He nodded in agreement.
"Alright, then let's treat it like a stroll."
…
Before Yujing Terrace, a large crowd of merchants had gathered. The news of the Jade Chamber's reconstruction was already spreading like wildfire.
Ningguang stood high atop the terrace. Her elegant posture and noble aura commanded admiration from everyone present.
Her gaze swept across the crowd. A subtle smile curved her lips, radiating confidence and authority.
She then announced the reconstruction of the Jade Chamber. Her voice was clear and resolute, echoing through the venue.
The merchants immediately grew excited, knowing this signaled enormous business opportunities.
After all, building for Ningguang was bound to bring great rewards.
Seeing their enthusiasm, Ningguang smiled faintly before continuing.
"Furthermore, I will establish a reward system. The first three to acquire the Sunset Vermillionite, Wonder Core, and Adepti Sigils will each be granted the chance to ask me one question. Whatever the question may be, I will answer."
The announcement hit like a bombshell, instantly igniting the merchant circles of Liyue.
Those with connections immediately scrambled out of the square to begin searching for the precious materials.
Once the crowd had dispersed, Lumine, Paimon, and Shao Yun stepped forward to greet Ningguang.
Ningguang blinked in surprise upon seeing them. Clearly, she hadn't expected their sudden appearance.
After all, there had been no intel suggesting their return to Liyue.
"You… when did you return?" Ningguang's tone carried a hint of surprise, though she quickly regained composure.
"Not long ago. Miss Katheryne mentioned the Jade Chamber's reconstruction, so we came to take a look," Lumine replied with a smile.
"I see. Welcome back."
Ningguang nodded, her lips curling into a faint smile.
She then steered the conversation back to the reconstruction.
"You heard what I said just now. So? Do you have any interest in participating?"
Lumine pondered a moment, then looked up at Ningguang. "The first three to gather the materials… you mean we can really ask anything?"
Ningguang inclined her head, folding her arms. "Of course."
Lumine stroked her chin, then turned to Shao Yun for advice. "Shao Yun, what do you think I should ask?"
To her, there wasn't much left to ask about her brother anymore—he appeared before her every so often anyway.
Shao Yun shrugged, spreading his hands to show he didn't know either. "How would I know? If it were me asking Ningguang, I'd probably ask if there are any targets worth robbing."
At this, the corner of Ningguang's mouth twitched. She muttered inwardly, 'This guy already stole fifty billion from the Fatui, and he's still not satisfied! Liyue doesn't have that many rich Fatui for you to plunder anymore.'
Lumine planted her hands on her hips and sighed. "Shao Yun, that's such a weird question. How do you expect Ningguang to answer that?"
Shao Yun scratched the back of his neck and laughed awkwardly. "Haha, well, I don't know either."
Lumine turned toward Paimon. "What about you, Paimon? What do you think?"
Paimon blinked, rolled her eyes in thought, then offered her idea. "How about this—Lady Ningguang, you could tell us some intel about Sumeru!"
Why didn't she ask about trade? Probably because Shao Yun was right beside her. After all, he really could make money… though his methods…
Ningguang repeated her words. "Intel about Sumeru?"
Paimon nodded vigorously. "That's right! Since Liyue Harbor is Teyvat's busiest port, there must be plenty of information about Sumeru here. That would help us a lot in our journey!"
Ningguang considered for a moment, then smiled. "Very well. As long as you are among the first three to bring me the materials…"
Shao Yun realized it was yet another one of those help first, get intel later quests.
Still, being in the top three shouldn't be a problem, right?
He rubbed his chin and muttered to himself, Top three, huh? Shouldn't be an issue…
He meant nothing by it—just absentmindedly repeating the condition and piecing together his messy memories of the interlude storyline, which included help from Shenhe, Yun Jin, and Beidou.
But to Ningguang, it sounded like a threat.
She interpreted it as: If we don't make it into the top three, we don't get to ask a question? Believe it or not, I'll rob you instead!
Panicking, Ningguang quickly waved her hands with a chuckle. "Just kidding. You've only just returned from Inazuma—I wouldn't dare burden you with this."
Then she offered them an olive branch.
"How about this: once the Jade Chamber is rebuilt, I'll host a banquet to welcome the three heroes who saved Liyue. At that time, I'll share all the intel Liyue has gathered on Sumeru."
She reminded herself that she almost forgot who she was dealing with—the great bandit himself. Thank goodness she was quick-witted.
Hearing Ningguang agree without requiring their help, Lumine nudged Shao Yun with her elbow.
"Shao Yun, I feel like you just threatened Ningguang."
Shao Yun blinked, baffled. This time he really hadn't threatened anyone—he was just muttering!
They'd go to Sumeru anyway, guided by that little green-haired forest ranger girl, Collei. Everyone knew there were three forest rangers of fire, ice, and… colors.
Shao Yun looked from Lumine to Ningguang. "What? Miss Ningguang, did I threaten you?"
Ningguang shook her head firmly. "No."
The way she answered so quickly only made Shao Yun feel stranger.
He scratched his head. "Why do you sound so… suspicious then?"
Caught off guard, Ningguang hesitated before countering, "Would you rather I say you did threaten me?"
Shao Yun blinked, bewildered. "Well… that doesn't sound right either…"
And so he fell into a logic loop, his brain short-circuiting.
As he spaced out, Lumine, Paimon, and Ningguang exchanged glances and shared an awkward smile.
They realized Shao Yun probably needed a moment to process his own words.
Taking advantage of his daze, Lumine and Paimon reassured Ningguang that they would still do their best to help her.
Ningguang nodded with a smile, then told them the construction site was at the abandoned mines outside the Golden House.
She reminded them they could deliver any materials found directly to Baiwen at the site.
Finally, Ningguang thanked Lumine and Paimon once again before excusing herself. "In any case, just do your best. If you find anything, hand it over to Baiwen at the construction site. I have other matters to attend to now, so I'll take my leave."
With that, Ningguang departed with her two secretaries.
Paimon began counting on her fingers, carefully repeating the items they needed.
"So, let me think… Sunset Vermillionite, Wonder Core, and Adepti Sigils. Which one should we look for first?"
Watching Paimon and Lumine's eagerness, Shao Yun shook his head with a helpless smile.
"You two seriously plan on helping Ningguang build her house before even eating?"
He sighed, unable to match their enthusiasm.
Just then, a commotion broke out nearby.
The three of them turned and saw two shady-looking men pestering a tall, graceful girl with a blank expression.
Her hair, a pale gray-white, was braided and adorned with a glaze lily-shaped ornament that swayed gently in the breeze.
It was none other than Shenhe—the one who once said, 'Put a cloth over a slime, and that's me—remember the name, Shenhe.'
At this moment, her wooden expression carried a trace of cold disgust. Yet her beauty and ethereal aura were impossible to ignore.
…
"Miss, I can tell you're refined and elegant—clearly the kind who'll stand out in the Jade Chamber's reconstruction."
"We've got information about those materials. Come with us to a quieter place, and we'll talk…"
"Not interested."
"Aw, don't be like that—hey, wait up!"