Even though Hu Tao had caused quite a ruckus, Victor Wang didn't give up on gathering intel about The Chasm. He slowed his pace and, once Baixiao caught up, said:
"Actually, I once heard from a foreman at Lingju Pass that they dug up… something strange in The Chasm. The miner who came into contact with it has been in a coma ever since."
Upon hearing this, the three personal secretaries of Ningguang—Baiwen, Baishi, and Baixiao—came to a synchronized halt.
"Aiya~"
"Just rumors, that's all."
"Don't listen to their nonsense."
Their rehearsed responses were so uniform that they failed to convince anyone—and only served to expose the fact that they did, in fact, know something.
"Really can't say? I'm so curious, I really want to know."
Baiwen said, "Even if you knew, it wouldn't do you any good. Why dig into these things?"
Baixiao added, "I once heard a saying—'A cat has nine lives,' but there's also, 'Curiosity killed the cat.' You did help in the fight against the Overlord of the Vortex, right? You wouldn't want to strain that relationship."
Baishi concluded, "So let's just admire Liyue Harbor and the Jade Chamber from here."
"It's that serious? Alright then, forget I asked."
Baiwen: "Mm-hmm."
Baixiao: "That's for the best."
Baishi: "The Jade Chamber! Normally you can see it hovering over Liyue Harbor with a glance—but now it's gone. Lady Ningguang must be devastated…"
"…You're just realizing that now?"
Baixiao turned her head away in anguish and let out a sigh as empty as a dry well.
"What I'm more concerned about are the data reports, financial records, intelligence gathered from all corners… and all the important contracts. They were all destroyed with the Jade Chamber. Who knows how much impact that will have on Liyue in the future. But at the very least, one thing's for certain… we'll be doing overtime for a long time."
"Data is priceless. Always make backups."
"Who could've guessed the Jade Chamber would one day fall…" Baixiao gave Victor Wang a resentful sideways glance.
Speaking of this, Baiwen's expression also turned gloomy. She lamented: "I'm worried about where we'll work next. True, Lady Ningguang always had a seat reserved at Yujing Terrace, but after working in the Jade Chamber for so long, nothing compares to that atmosphere.
Now we've suddenly been relocated to the ground… No more scenery, no more joy of overlooking Liyue from on high, and we have to share space with other colleagues… The Jade Chamber's private kitchen is gone too—we have to dine in with everyone else…"
Only now realizing the situation, Baishi removed her glasses with her left hand and pushed her bangs back with her right, practically in a panic.
"Ahhh! This is the worst! Lady Ningguang's treasured belongings… and her outfits! The gold-threaded phoenix silk bodice, the cicada-wing gossamer robe… all gone! All gone! I handpicked those for Lady Ningguang myself…"
Baiwen and Baixiao simultaneously scoffed: "You can just buy new clothes, can't you?"
"But Lady Ningguang wore those outfits! I remember what she wore for every meeting, every festival ensemble—I chose them to be perfectly matched! Once worn by Lady Ningguang's flawless form, they became one-of-a-kind treasures!"
"She's spiraling again…"
"Snap out of it! We have guests here!" Baiwen grabbed Baishi's shoulders and shook her, then turned to Victor Wang. "Apologies for this display… Please pretend you saw and heard nothing. Baishi is mostly normal aside from this."
"It's fine. I think Ningguang has excellent fashion sense. If Baishi was behind her outfits, then that's pretty impressive."
Baishi's eyes lit up. "As a member of the Liyue Qixing, Lady Ningguang is constantly in the public eye. Maintaining her perfect image is top priority—and my unquestionable duty as her secretary!"
"By the way, I've always wondered—how old is Lady Ningguang exactly? I heard she started doing business in Liyue Harbor very early on, then became one of the Qixing, and built the Jade Chamber… That must've taken quite a few years?"
Ningguang was undoubtedly not young anymore, but exactly how old, nobody knew. It was a personal curiosity of Victor Wang's.
"Lady Ningguang is—mmph!"
Baiwen quickly covered Baishi's mouth and answered sweetly, "A woman's age is a secret~ I suggest you don't ask too many questions here~"
Baixiao snatched Baishi's glasses and firmly placed them back on her face, then whispered ominously in her ear:
"Aren't you also in charge of Lady Ningguang's schedule? I remember during lunch yesterday, you mentioned there were 298 items still pending. Now what? The ones already scheduled were destroyed along with the Jade Chamber, right? The future schedule is definitely going to need a massive overhaul~"
"Eek!" Baishi shivered in shock. "D-Does that mean more overtime?"
"Hey, didn't I say that right from the start… Honestly…"
Just as it looked like the three secretaries were about to erupt into an all-out war, Victor Wang quickened his pace and caught up with the Bubblegum Squad at the front…
"Hu Tao, do you know exactly when the Rite of Parting will be held?"
"Look at you, asking one thing after another. I knew it!" Hu Tao finally looked satisfied.
Xiangling nodded. "Yeah, he kinda does…"
"Hey, if I don't ask, knowledge isn't just going to walk into my brain," Victor Wang defended.
"That's fair, but I really don't know when the Rite of Parting will be held."
"Even though it's organized by Zhongli? You two are pretty close, aren't you?"
"That's because the passing of the Archon is such a monumental event. Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is only handling the preparations. The exact date of the Rite would still be decided by the Qixing.
"Typically, funerals are held on odd-numbered days—like the 3rd, 5th, or 7th day after death. Today's already the 4th day since the Archon passed. If not for today's chaos, maybe the Rite would've been held tomorrow.
"But now, after the Overlord of the Vortex stirred up trouble, they have to catch rebels, calm the public, and as Ningguang's secretaries mentioned, deal with all the lost data from the Jade Chamber. Those things definitely take priority."
"They may be important, but are they more important than the Archon's Rite of Parting?"
"No no no, like I said, the longer the wait, the more grandeur it conveys. Most people go for the 3rd or 5th day, more distinguished ones might choose the 7th, and someone of the Archon's stature could easily go with the 9th.
"Back when he died, people were in a panic. The Qixing were overwhelmed. Even if they decided to hold the Rite, it might've just been to wrap things up quickly.
"But now… After defeating a god with human strength, they've regained confidence. They'll definitely hold a grand and solemn funeral—to properly and officially bid farewell to the Archon."
"Is that so… I really don't know much about funeral rites."
The main story wouldn't progress until after the Rite of Parting. Zhongli would likely only be free to help purify Victor Wang's Geo element after that.
"Hehe! You've learned so much about funerary rites—thinking of joining the business? You could come to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. With your writing talent, composing elegies and memorial lines would be a breeze."
Elegies?
Your smile still lingers, your voice echoes still?
That might be a bit too advanced… Spring couplets, though—he could easily whip up dozens.
Victor Wang found an excuse to dodge. "I'm currently pouring all my energy into writing the story you wanted to read. I don't have the bandwidth—actually, I never planned on joining Wangsheng in the first place?"
"You didn't?"
"Nope, at least not for now… Maybe after I finish touring the Seven Nations."
"Fine," Hu Tao waved dismissively, seemingly unconcerned. "Anyway, this Hall Master writes great elegies too. But that story meant to surpass The Book of Five Springs? If you can't come up with one, just let it go. I was kidding, you know."
"I already came up with one. It's just a bit long, so I'm writing it down. Tomorrow—I'll show it to you tomorrow!"
"Oh…?" Hu Tao raised an eyebrow.
Writing talent, elegies, stories?
At some point, Xingqiu had silently turned his gaze toward them. Now he couldn't hold back and asked, "Are you talking about the legendary Book of Five Springs from Dihua Marsh? The paragon of unyielding contract and unwavering devotion?"
"That's right."
"There's a story that can surpass that?"
"Well… Victor's poems are really good, but a poem and a story are quite different, right? Just because he writes good poems doesn't mean the story will be just as great, so…" Hu Tao remained skeptical.
No malice in her words—but Xingqiu took them to heart.
He could match Hu Tao in poetry battles, but his self-published "A Legend of Sword" had been rejected by publishers, and the few self-printed copies left in Wanwen Bookhouse gathered dust. Her words felt like a direct hit to an old wound… and stirred a bit of quiet camaraderie toward Victor Wang.
"Having the courage to write is already better than most. Though surpassing The Book of Five Springs is no easy feat, it's still something worth encouraging!"
"Hey now, you two—at least read my story before judging, okay?"
"Alright, I'll be waiting!" Xingqiu smiled warmly, eyes filled with support—not disbelief, but not faith either.
They walked for a long time. Finally, they neared Mt. Tianheng. The terrain along the way was a bit rugged, but the view was wide open. To the north of the path, the ruins of an old structure and a teleport waypoint came into sight.
That was… the Temple of the Bronze Sparrow, right?
"I'll check it out. You all go on ahead," Victor Wang said, turning toward the temple.
But without Lumine's luck—who had stumbled into the temple on its guardian's death anniversary—he saw no phantom of the Bronze Sparrow. Only the statue of the celestial bird standing tall within the ruined temple.
"Grilled Tiger Fish… I'll bring you a portion next time."
And then he unlocked the nearby teleport waypoint while he was at it.