"Yo, did our honored guest not rest well last night? You look a bit tired—could it be our inn's hospitality wasn't up to par?"
As soon as he stepped out, Victor Wang ran into Huai'an, the innkeeper.
Victor Wang waved his hand. "I'm just not used to new beds, that's all."
"I see..." Huai'an pondered for a moment before cautiously asking, "I heard from Verr Goldet that you're a high-ranking adventurer. There's a group of monsters near the inn—could I trouble you to take care of them?"
"There's no Adventurers' Guild here, right? Can I still take on commissions?"
Huai'an shook his head with a smile:
"Hehe, looks like this is your first time traveling far from home.
"Adventurers are so widespread across Teyvat, and your power so convenient, that an unspoken rule has taken shape—for both clients and adventurers: even without the Adventurers' Guild, a commission slip is enough for people to ask for your help anytime, anywhere.
"The only catch is that results and rewards must be handled privately. However, the commission slips can still be brought back to the Guild for recognition.
"Our inn, for example, has a dedicated noticeboard where guests can post their requests. After all, who doesn't have needs when traveling?"
"In that case," Victor Wang asked the question he had been holding back, "why didn't you post the commission on the noticeboard and came to me instead?"
"Haha, do you want the honest truth, sir? I noticed that even though you're a high-level adventurer, you have trouble sleeping away from home. That suggests you don't camp out often—so you likely rose through sheer strength, not commission count. If I'm right... then I am right, yeah?"
"You... guessed correctly." A lucky shot, honestly. The beds here are actually more comfortable than the ones in the Goth Grand Hotel. That whole 'not used to new beds' thing was a lie.
"To be frank, I don't really trust adventurers who ranked up just by commission count. We need someone with solid strength like you. If something goes wrong, a tarnished reputation is one thing—but upsetting certain people could bring serious trouble to our inn~"
"You make a good point. I'll take it!"
"Once it's done, you have my word—your payment will be complete and fair. You have my trust."
"Warm up a breakfast for me. I'll be right back."
With commanding flair, Victor Wang leapt down from Wangshu Inn. The Wind Glider unfurled with the breeze and carried him toward a small island to the east.
The monsters near Wangshu Inn were, as expected, his familiar foes—the ever-present Hilichurls. Monsters like these, ones that posed a threat to human safety, he could now eliminate without hesitation.
This group wasn't large—just over a dozen grunts, one Samachurl, and two axe-wielding Mitachurls.
Like all Hilichurls, they were momentarily stunned by Victor Wang's assault before retaliating, but it didn't take long for him to wipe them out.
I wonder if my infamy is spreading among the Hilichurls...
He shook the blood off his sword and washed it again in the river. As he looked up, he noticed several stone beasts on the land northward.
He walked over to take a closer look.
They resembled lions, each poised with a left paw atop a square sphere, standing roughly waist-high.
Each faced a different direction, clearly arranged with precision, forming an irregular circle like a ritual formation. There should have been seven of them, but one was missing.
The empty space was a patch of hardened earth, compacted by something heavy over time. Surrounded by grass, the bare patch stood out starkly.
Victor Wang stood in the vacant spot, slowly turning around, trying to imagine where the missing beast would've been facing. His gaze passed through the wooden bridge beneath Wangshu Inn, reaching the pier beyond it.
There, he saw someone already fishing early in the morning.
Even from that distance, the man seemed to sense Victor Wang's gaze and—strangely—looked up to meet his eyes.
It was Jiangxue again.
There were many theories online about Jiangxue's true identity.
First, some claimed he was Fusha, the Yaksha mentioned on Liyue's 'Ancient Stele' records. But that theory was disproven with the release of the underground mines in the Chasm and the quest "Wherefore Did the Spiritstone Descend."
Second, others believed Jiangxue was the senior brother from Guyun Stone Forest, mentioned in the 'Ruin Treasure' records. This theory had the strongest supporting evidence.
According to that theory, the full story went like this:
Two brothers trained in martial arts since childhood, dedicating their lives to exorcising evil.
But without a Vision, human strength had its limits. So, the two traveled far and wide in pursuit of one.
During that journey, the elder discovered that even monsters could speak, feel emotions, and create crafts. Aside from their appearance, they were no different from humans. He began to question their actions.
If monsters truly deserved elimination, then surely that applied only to the Treasure Hoarders and Fatui—those corrupt among humans. The remaining foes—Hilichurls, elemental lifeforms, and Khaenri'ah constructs—well, of those, only Hilichurls had both language and craftsmanship.
From a god's perspective, Hilichurls were once human—driven mad and twisted by fate.
The elder likely didn't know that. To him, they were intelligent beings similar to humans, simply lacking education.
In any case, by the time he received a Vision, he no longer hated monsters—he only wanted to communicate with them and uncover their truth.
He even asked his junior, "Are monsters inherently evil?"
"Monsters bring chaos and harm the innocent. That is the epitome of evil!"
The junior thought the elder had gone mad. Vision or not, he vowed to carry on the mission alone. And so, the two parted ways.
The junior likely... didn't survive.
Combine this with Jiangxue's conversation with Yanxiao—he trained in swordsmanship, once caused a stir in Dihua Marsh, and was seeking someone to confront for justice.
If it was because he lost the will to fight monsters but still received a Vision, while his junior stayed true and died without one—then confronting a high-ranking official about the logic behind Vision distribution made perfect sense.
Moreover, Jiangxue tucked away his Vision. The elder brother had abandoned his. Such coincidences were too neat.
The third theory claimed Jiangxue was a Liyue Adeptus.
To the northeast of Wangshu Inn, on an island, stood six stone beasts. A seventh space was conspicuously empty. Both Jiangxue's commission and his usual fishing spot aligned perfectly with that vacant position.
That spot was exactly where Victor Wang now stood.
The "Records of Jueyun" records that after the war, some Adepti who fought alongside Rex Lapis turned into stone beasts to continue guarding Liyue. If they could become stone, surely they could also return to human form for a bit of fishing, no?
Fourth, some theorized Jiangxue was a retired member of the Liyue Qixing.
This theory largely overlapped with the second one. Jiangxue had committed a grave mistake. Wangshu Inn—commissioned by Ningguang—was the only place that accepted him.
The awkward part? If he challenged the Geo Archon to a duel and lost everything, that could explain his situation too. So, the second theory effectively subsumed this one.
Of the four, Victor Wang leaned toward the second.
It accounted for most of the evidence. As for why the missing stone beast pointed toward Jiangxue... let's just call that coincidence.
Seeing Jiangxue return to his fishing, Victor Wang stopped overthinking. What's the point?
I'll ask him one day.
When he returned to Wangshu Inn, he made a point to check the noticeboard. Sure enough, it was covered in commission slips—mostly escort missions for merchant caravans, with a few miscellaneous chores.
Not a single request for monster extermination. Probably because Wangshu Inn has a monopoly on those.
Come to think of it, the inn's battle power was nothing to scoff at.
Innkeeper Huai'an knew martial arts—he had once handled a group of Hilichurls by himself. That same group earlier? Most "high-ranking" adventurers wouldn't manage them alone.
Head Chef Yanxiao? Former pirate, excellent with blades. Now uses his cooking knife to hone his swordsmanship (totally not an excuse).
Owner Verr Goldet? Her background was a mystery. Though she claimed to be from Mondstadt, she used her connections with the Qixing to open the inn in Liyue. Jiangxue once said no one in Mondstadt even knew her. Spycraft, maybe?
Then there were Jiangxue and Xiao—those two freeloaders were absurdly strong. No explanation needed.
And don't forget the ghosts—those who hadn't harmed anyone and couldn't yet be laid to rest. Xiao had asked the inn to shelter them.
Truly, Wangshu Inn was no place for freeloaders.
Wait a minute...
Wangshu Inn doesn't keep idlers, but it keeps Adepti. Keeps Adepti, but not idlers...Brrr, that's cold. Too bad Cyno's not around.