After Victor Wang finished reading everything on the noticeboard, he was surprised to find encoded North Wing commissions here too—though there were only a few, and they were all significant announcements.
Among them was a report from Mondstadt stating "There lies a corpse of a god beneath Cider Lake", and intelligence within Liyue that "The Fair Lady has arrived in Liyue; the Fatui may be planning a major operation here." That notice had been posted over twenty days ago and still hadn't been removed.
"Would you like to post a commission, sir? Our inn provides commission slips free of charge."
"No, I'm just browsing. You are?"
"My name is Yuhua. I'm a waitress at Wangshu Inn. If you'd like to order something downstairs, I can take care of it for you. I can also handle anything else a floor-runner does."
So far, everything sounded normal—until she suddenly added, "Nothing suspicious about that!"
Victor Wang hadn't interacted with this character in the game, but something clicked.
The head maid of Dawn Winery might not be a real maid—so the waitress of Wangshu Inn must also be a fake!
"No need. The view's better upstairs."
"Alright, please be careful when taking the lift."
After reporting back to Huai'an, Victor Wang took a seat near the railing, enjoying a long-missed breakfast of eight-treasure porridge and steamed soup dumplings.
Yanxiao, who had just finished work at midnight, was already back on shift. Frowning, he walked to the railing and looked down.
"Off fishing the moment he wakes up. I told him at least eat breakfast first, but no—he waits for someone to bring it to him!"
Victor Wang curiously glanced downward. Only Jiangxue was fishing.
"Is that the guy?" he asked. "I saw him fishing yesterday afternoon when I arrived."
Yanxiao glanced at Victor Wang and nodded. "Yeah. Hasn't caught a single fish in days—no idea where that confidence comes from."
"I thought maybe he was some rich guy staying at the inn just to fish, but sounds like that's not the case?"
"Rich? Hahaha!" Yanxiao clutched his stomach in laughter. "No rich guy would be living like that."
"Then is he a distant relative of the boss?"
"That guy—" Yanxiao started, but was interrupted by Verr Goldet's voice calling for him inside.
"Damn, I gotta get back to the kitchen before the boss yells at me again. Ugh... and I still need to find time to bring him food…"
"Isn't it quick to just head down?"
"Three trips a day, 365 days a year. Morning's okay, but lunchtime and dinner? I can't afford to be gone for even a few minutes. And he doesn't always fish that close. Honestly, the boss letting him stay here is already more than generous."
"Yanxiao!"
"Coming, coming!" Yanxiao jogged back, swinging his strong arms.
"I've got nothing to do right now. I can take the food to him."
Yanxiao looked back over his shoulder.
"For free—no commission reward."
"Deal."
A while later, he returned with a food box. "Thanks, brother. Really."
"No problem. I've got time."
To avoid spilling the food, Victor Wang obediently took the lift down.
At the edge of the dock, Jiangxue stood tall and still, holding his fishing rod. His gaze was fixed not on the water, but on the stone cliffs opposite. He stood like a meditating monk, unmoving even as Victor approached.
Only when they stood side by side did he speak.
"You here for me?"
"I'm delivering your meal for Yanxiao."
He sniffed and glanced at Victor Wang. "Just place it on the supply box over there. Thanks."
To his right stood a lamp post and several typical dockside crates.
As Victor Wang set the lunchbox down, Jiangxue continued to examine him closely.
"You've got a unique aura about you."
"Hm?"
Jiangxue jabbed his fishing rod between the dock boards, stepped closer, and sniffed repeatedly—startling Victor Wang into backing up.
"What are you doing?"
"Your aura resembles that of a Hilichurl—though it's different in some ways."
Victor Wang stepped back again and raised his arm to sniff himself. Aside from the scent of fabric, there was no odor at all.
"What are you smelling? I don't notice anything."
"It's not a simple smell."
"Maybe it's because I just fought a bunch of Hilichurls?"
Jiangxue's expression grew complicated. He was long past being curious about the outside world. Besides, Victor Wang's cloak clearly meant he didn't want to reveal his identity.
"Maybe," he replied casually. "Kill enough Hilichurls, and you might develop this kind of aura."
"Is there a way to get rid of it?"
"It should fade with time."
"Hmm…" So, it probably won't go away at all.
Victor Wang hadn't expected that he'd develop a problem of his own before even learning Jiangxue's identity. Thinking fast, he seized the opportunity.
"You seem very familiar with Hilichurls?"
"I've just studied some of their principles."
Right! That senior wanted to communicate with monsters. Jiangxue understood the logic of monsters. The senior believed Visions were meaningless. Jiangxue said he was no longer worthy of using his. Could this be more obvious?
Victor Wang tested further:
"Monster principles? I have a friend who, while traveling through Liyue, came across three thought-provoking questions:
'Are monsters born evil?'
'Are gods and mortals born good?'
'Is slaying monsters truly justice—or merely a projection of one's own values?'"
"So, you couldn't figure them out and came to ask me?"
Those questions were left by that senior, but Jiangxue's reaction was calm and unreadable.
"Not quite. I have my own answers."
"Let's hear them."
"I don't think monsters are born evil, and I don't think gods or mortals are born good. Good and evil are subjective. Exorcising evil might have a few objective standards, but...
"Hilichurls rob travelers—so do Treasure Hoarders. Hilichurls kill—but corrupt officials do worse. Even Archons have good and bad among them. Hilichurls are no different. The Hilichurl Rogues, for instance, help their own kind. From the human perspective, that's not good, but from their own, it's virtuous.
"Hilichurls surely see themselves as good and humans as evil. Humans, naturally, think the opposite. It's a clash between species. It wouldn't need to be this way—if monsters were easier to communicate with.
"In short, everything should be viewed through a dialectical lens."
Jiangxue was visibly stunned. "It's like you said everything—but also nothing. Still, if we could communicate... it really wouldn't have come to this."
"How would you answer those three questions? You've studied monsters—surely you'd get along with the one who posed them?"
"I'm just a humble fisherman. I can't answer such profound questions."
"Humble... huh?"
"Doesn't matter what I was before. Now and forever, I'm just an ordinary fisherman. You, on the other hand, have far more meaningful things to do. When you head back, thank Yanxiao for me." Jiangxue gently shook his head and opened his lunchbox.
Though nothing had been confirmed, the truth was now separated only by a paper-thin wall. Victor Wang's curiosity burned stronger than ever.
Back at the inn, he brought up Jiangxue again while chatting with Yanxiao, hoping to learn more. Unfortunately, Yanxiao didn't know much about Jiangxue's past before coming to Wangshu Inn.
However, he did learn something unexpected—Jiangxue once had a title: Sword Saint of Dihua Marsh.
At lunch, Victor Wang once again delivered food for Yanxiao.
"I heard from Yanxiao that your sword skills are amazing. I use a sword too. I was wondering if I might have the honor of learning from you?"
"Do you know how to fish?"
"I know a little."
Victor Wang glanced at Jiangxue in confusion. Could it be that Jiangxue achieved enlightenment through fishing? That's got real mythic vibes... though not very connected to Dihua Marsh.
"If you can catch a big fish, I'll share some of my swordsmanship experience. Want to give it a shot?"
Seriously?
"Alright then. Let me go grab a fishing rod."
"No need. Use mine." Jiangxue handed over his own rod.
When Victor Wang reeled the hook in from the water, he realized—it had no bait. The only reason the hook wasn't straight was because it wasn't designed that way. Otherwise, this would be straight-up imitating Diogenes.
"Shouldn't there be bait?"
"No need."
"Can you catch fish like that?"
"Depends on luck."
"...So, if I don't catch one, there's no punishment, right?"
"Why make it so complicated? Just don't fish if you don't want to."
"Alright, alright. I'll try."
Victor Wang thought about his sword skills—progressing very slowly these days, just cycling through the same few techniques. If he could get guidance from a Sword Saint, it'd definitely be worthwhile.