Afterward, Zhongli, Shao Yun, and Xinyan lingered in Heyu Tea House to pass the time.
Although Yun Jin, the renowned opera singer, wasn't there to perform, wasn't there still the storyteller, Tea Master, Liu Su?
As for why Shao Yun didn't go find Lumine—it was simply because too much time had already passed, and on top of that, he was feeling lazy.
Anyway, nothing would go wrong, so he might as well enjoy Liu Su's storytelling.
By evening, the sun had gradually sunk westward, dyeing the sky a deep orange-red.
The tea house was filled with the fragrance of tea, and people immersed themselves in a leisurely atmosphere.
At that moment, the sound of footsteps approached, followed by Paimon's cheerful shout.
"Shao Yun, we're back!"
Hearing that familiar voice, Shao Yun lifted his head, a smile appearing on his face.
He watched as Lumine, Paimon, Shenhe, and Yun Jin entered the tea house, and a wave of relief washed over him.
When Xinyan saw Yun Jin, she leapt to her feet in excitement.
She rushed forward, clasped Yun Jin's hands tightly, and exclaimed, "Yun Jin, you're finally back! I've been waiting for you so long, it nearly killed me!"
Feeling Xinyan's warmth, Yun Jin was equally moved.
She carefully studied Xinyan, then asked with concern, "Xinyan, you've returned? How was the Rainbow Concert Tour? Did you meet any famous rock musicians?"
She knew this concert meant the world to Xinyan, so she was eager to hear about it.
The moment Xinyan heard her best friend mention that painful subject, her mood sank. With a helpless sigh, she muttered, "Don't even bring it up…"
While Xinyan poured out her grievances to Yun Jin, Shao Yun quietly approached Lumine, Paimon, and Shenhe.
"How was your day?" he asked softly.
Paimon proudly raised two fingers and announced, "Hehe, we did great today! We already got the Wonder Core and the Adepti Sigils ready, and handed them to Baiwen!"
Shao Yun smiled, pinched Paimon's cheek lightly, and praised her.
"Wow, in less than two days you've gathered all the materials? The merchants in Liyue Harbor must be terrified of you!"
Lumine laughed and added, "That's right. Many merchants still had no clue where to even look for the Sunset Vermillionite, and Ningguang suddenly announced the contest was over."
Shao Yun raised a brow curiously. "Did any merchants resent how quickly you found everything?"
"Why would any merchants be against us?"
Paimon scratched her head, confused at first by what he meant.
Suddenly her eyes widened, and she quickly waved her hands. "Ah! Shao Yun, no way! Definitely not! Ningguang's contest is fair competition, how could merchants stoop to dirty tricks?"
Even if they had, Paimon absolutely had to say they hadn't!
Satisfied, Shao Yun nodded. "Those merchants are lucky, then. Still, your speed was remarkable."
Paimon gave an awkward laugh. "Haha… the faster we finished, the sooner we could take Shenhe to properly explore Liyue Harbor."
Suddenly, Paimon remembered something and blurted out a piece of good news.
"Oh, right, Shao Yun! We've got great news!"
Seeing her excitement, Shao Yun asked curiously, "What news?"
Paimon didn't bother being mysterious and dropped the bombshell straightaway. "Shenhe has relatives! And they're right here in Liyue Harbor!"
Shao Yun froze. In his mind he scrambled through what he remembered of Shenhe's story.
Shenhe's relatives… could it be that exorcist boy, Chongyun?
His aunt…
Paimon, mistaking his dazed look for shock, crossed her arms and smirked. "What do you think? Surprised, right? We were just as shocked when we found out!"
Shao Yun blinked. "And how did you learn Shenhe had relatives?"
In the original storyline, wasn't there no such reunion?
Excitedly, Paimon recounted their discovery.
While searching for materials for the Wonder Core, they stumbled upon a long-abandoned village.
There, they met Mingjun, a close friend of Shenhe's father.
Through their conversation with him, they learned Shenhe still had relatives in Liyue Harbor.
Paimon then pulled out a village record and said, "Look, it says right here: 'A branch of the exorcist clan of Chongyun.'"
"Then Shenhe told us she really had run into relatives recently. And since we know Chongyun, isn't that a coincidence?"
After showing him the record, Paimon tucked it away and rubbed her hands together. "So, we agreed with Shenhe to go find her relatives tomorrow."
Shao Yun approved. "Great idea! Tomorrow, let's reunite Shenhe with her family."
…
Once Shao Yun and the others had left, Xinyan and Yun Jin began chatting about the opera "Divine Damsel of Devastation".
When Xinyan heard Yun Jin's new performance would be staged on the Jade Chamber, her eyes lit up with excitement. She blinked rapidly and exclaimed, "What? Yun Jin, your new debut is going to be on the Jade Chamber?!"
Yun Jin nodded happily, her smile glowing. "Yes, Lady Ningguang promised me personally."
"When the debut comes, I'll make sure you're invited up to the Jade Chamber too, with an excellent seat."
Xinyan nearly jumped with joy.
Throwing her arms around Yun Jin, she pressed her cheek against hers, affectionately rubbing back and forth.
"Really? Yun Jin, you're amazing! Finally, some good news in my miserable life!"
Caught in Xinyan's embrace, Yun Jin blushed slightly and said with a bit of embarrassment, "Xinyan, you're a little too passionate… And remember, as they say, 'misfortune may be an omen of fortune, and fortune may be the root of misfortune.' No one stays unlucky forever…"
…
The next morning, sunlight bathed the Ministry of Civil Affairs in Liyue Harbor, casting a peaceful glow.
That morning, Shao Yun, Lumine, Paimon, and Shenhe woke up early, washed quickly, and hurried off.
Their goal was to find Chongyun. Lumine and Paimon knew Xingqiu might have some clues.
Originally, they had planned to ask a Feiyun Commerce Guild worker named Xu where Xingqiu was, but unexpectedly, Xingqiu himself was already there!
From afar, Paimon spotted him and waved enthusiastically. "Xingqiu! I didn't expect you'd be here!"
Hearing her voice, Xingqiu looked up, followed the sound, and smiled warmly.
"Lumine, Paimon, Mister Shao Yun, and…"
Paimon quickly introduced their companion. "This is Shenhe, our good friend."
Xingqiu bowed politely like a gentleman. "A pleasure, Miss Shenhe."
After greetings, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 'Why does that name sound familiar… where have I heard it before?'
With Feiyun Commerce Guild affairs keeping him busy lately, he couldn't recall it clearly.
Frowning, he tried hard to remember but gave up, turning instead to chat with Lumine and Paimon.
"Anyway, I must say, your recent accomplishments have truly stunned Liyue's merchants! In just two days, you collected all three critical materials for rebuilding the Jade Chamber."
"I'd wondered who had such ability, but when Lady Ningguang announced you were among the top three last night, it all made sense."
Paimon blushed, scratching her head sheepishly. "Hehe, well, it was mostly thanks to Shenhe, Beidou, and Yun Jin. If it were just us, we could never have finished so quickly."
Xingqiu mused aloud, "I thought the contest would last much longer… who knew it would end so soon."
Paimon's smile faltered, and she asked nervously, "Uh… did we cause the Feiyun Commerce Guild to lose money?"
Xingqiu waved his hands reassuringly. "Not at all. We didn't take losses—just less profit than expected. But if anyone lost the most, it was none other than Gentry Maocai."
Paimon's eyes widened. "Gentry Maocai? Oh! I remember now—that's the boss of Changhu, right? How did he lose out?"
Xingqiu explained in detail.
"We Feiyun had one piece of Sunset Vermillionite entrusted to us for auction. It started at five hundred million Mora. Even Paimon thinks that's expensive, right?"
Paimon gasped. "Five hundred million?! That's outrageous!"
Xingqiu nodded. "Indeed. Yet Gentry Maocai bid twenty billion Mora without hesitation, buying it at an absurd markup."
He chuckled. "Then that evening, Lady Ningguang announced the top three and declared the contest over. Imagine Gentry Maocai's face when he realized—he'd spent all that money for nothing!"
Paimon burst out laughing, hands on hips. "Serves him right! He manipulated the market, bullied Master Chang the Ninth, and even sent thugs after us. He got what he deserved!"
At that, Shao Yun stiffened. 'Wait… isn't this Xingqiu's legendary quest? The one about the Teyvat Travel Guide in Liyue?
But hold on—did Paimon just say that bastard Gentry Maocai actually sent goons after them?!'
Shao Yun's expression darkened. He glared fiercely at Paimon. "What?! That bastard dared lay a hand on you and Lumine? I'll break his bones right now!"
Cracking his neck, Shao Yun turned, ready to storm Jade Chamber Terrace to "loosen up" Gentry Maocai's joints.
Shenhe, hearing someone dared to bully Lumine and Paimon, looked stern. Her voice carried an edge of anger. "Gentry Maocai dared to hurt you? I'll crush him too, for your sake."
She stepped forward, ready to follow Shao Yun.
Lumine and Paimon panicked—what was supposed to be a family reunion quest was about to turn into a massacre.
They acted quickly: Lumine clung tightly to Shao Yun, while Paimon clutched Shenhe with all her strength.
"Wait, wait! Gentry Maocai already got beaten badly by us. He's been punished enough! Shao Yun, Shenhe, calm down!"
Lumine nodded frantically. "That's right, he was really beaten up. He's learned his lesson, so please calm down!"
In truth, they were lying—only Gentry Maocai's thugs had been beaten, while the man himself was untouched. But if they admitted it, Gentry Maocai was as good as dead!
Shao Yun would probably strangle him with his own intestines and parade him around Liyue Harbor!
And if Shenhe went… well, Yun Jin wouldn't be performing Divine Damsel of Devastation anymore, but rather something like 'The White-Haired Demoness Beheads the Crooked Merchant.'
Only after hearing that Gentry Maocai had been beaten did Shao Yun relent. With a snort, he growled, "Hmph. Very well. He's lucky."
Shenhe also calmed, echoing Shao Yun. "Yes. Lucky indeed."