"Victor!"
Xingqiu and Ye Caizhen followed in the direction Victor Wang had flown off—one searching from the sky, the other scouring the ground.
"You spoke to Victor in the sky, didn't you? What happened to him? It's like he's become a completely different person—his temperament changed, his strength skyrocketed…"
"Even if you're his good friend, if he didn't tell you himself, it's not my place to reveal it."
"..."
Xingqiu was clever. He had some guesses in mind, but knew no matter how much he pressed, he wouldn't get an answer. He could only keep chasing in desperation, heart burning with anxiety.
At a certain point, the two of them stopped at the same time.
"He's deliberately avoiding us… it's going to be very difficult to find him."
Because Victor Wang was flying with the power of anemo, it was inevitable that he left behind elemental traces. The two had been tracking with elemental sight all along, but from here onward, all they could see was a maze of wind traces.
"Clearly he's already out of control, yet he still thought to use turbulent winds to cover his true path. That shows just how much he doesn't want us to catch up."
"Why…"
Ye Caizhen was right. The road ahead seemed to exist, yet had become a labyrinth. For someone so powerful—wielding both Anemo and Geo—if he truly wanted to hide, then the hope of finding him was slim. But Xingqiu couldn't understand why Victor would choose to do this.
"…Perhaps it's because he doesn't want to hurt others."
"Even so, we have to find him. Let's split up!"
Xingqiu chose a path and rushed ahead. Ye Caizhen took another direction, chasing while racking her brain.
"Khaenri'ahns can really be controlled by Abyss Mages? Why wasn't I affected? Is it the difference in bloodline purity—too strong or too weak? I didn't expect to face something like this… sigh."
After nearly two hours of searching, the two met again at the base of Mt. Aozang, at the end of the anemo traces.
They exchanged silent glances. Neither had found Victor Wang.
"It's clearly only within this area… so why can't we find him?"
"Maybe once he regained clarity, he returned home on his own. Otherwise, with how carefully he's hiding, you and I alone won't be able to track him down."
"I'll go confirm. If he hasn't returned to Liyue Harbor, then we'll call people in for a carpet search."
"That's unwise." Remembering Victor Wang's words, Ye Caizhen frowned and denied it. "If he hasn't regained his sanity, approaching rashly would be too dangerous."
"Then what do we do? We can't just abandon him!"
"First, let's return to Liyue Harbor and check. If he truly hasn't gone back, then leave it to me. I may know someone who can handle this kind of situation."
Xingqiu sighed. "That's all we can do then…"
…
["Master."]
Inside a small mountain that had risen overnight, Little Wen tried to rouse Victor Wang—whose eyes were blood-red, muttering "kill, kill, kill" nonstop. But those strange eyes turned on him, as if to say 'I'll kill you too!'
["Eek!"]
Kill.
That single thought consumed his mind. At first, there had still been a seventh or so of his will resisting, but now there was none. Nothing else mattered anymore.
With his desire unsatisfied, the craving for slaughter only grew stronger, twisting Victor Wang into a bloodthirsty beast.
…
"After three days of fierce competition, the moment has finally arrived! Welcome, everyone, to the finals of the First Annual Teyvat Bubble-Blowing Championship!"
In the bustling square of Feiyun Slope, the crowd roared toward the stage.
"Now, let's welcome the four champions from each regional division! First up, the most mysterious of the North Bridge division—The Mysterious One!"
"Who's the Mysterious One?"
"Who knows, maybe he's afraid of winning and then having friends and family ask him for loans when he goes home."
The audience buzzed with speculation.
"Next, from the Feiyun Slope division, hailing from Mondstadt's Knights of Favonius—Captain of the Cavalry and Master of the Order—Kaeya!"
"Kaeya! The champion of Feiyun Slope is Kaeya?"
"You know him?"
Sitting in the stands with the Bubblegum Squad, having temporarily separated from Lumine, Paimon lifted her chin proudly. "Hmph! He's our good friend, mine and Lumine's!"
"Really? Then between him and Lumine, who do you think has a better shot at winning?"
"Hmm… that Kaeya guy isn't to be underestimated. He's pretty good at, uh, drinking and partying at least? Hard to say without seeing his performance… But he actually ditched work to join this contest. Isn't that just stealing our Mora?"
The host on stage continued: "Next, from the Chihu Rock division, hammering iron with passion and winning with composure—Hanfeng from Coldsteel Forging!"
"Hanfeng's strength is terrifying. Who would've thought he'd get hooked on bubblegum?" Just remembering yesterday's match left Chongyun uneasy.
"And finally, from the South Wharf division, the traveler who defeated the Vortex Archon—Lumine!"
"Lumine! Lumine! Lumine! Lumine! Lumine!"
The moment Lumine appeared, the people of Liyue shouted in unison.
"Go Lumine! Beat Kaeya and send him back to work!" Paimon flew high into the air, fists waving. Kaeya only replied with a smile.
"Ahem, now let's have our four champions share their thoughts on making it to the finals!"
Eh?!
The Mysterious One looked flustered, shaking his head and waving his hands in silence.
Kaeya smiled warmly. "Bubblegum is fun. Since I happened to come, I'll try for a top-three finish—and bring grape-flavored gum back to Mondstadt!"
Hanfeng didn't speak about goals or ideals, but instead bowed to the crowd on three sides.
"The Han family has been Liyue's blacksmith lineage for centuries. Our ancestors forged the Prototype and Blackcliff weapons. These skills I have mastered—melding ancient and modern, knowing every blade is not just empty words.
Rare ores are scarce, and I've had little outlet for my strength. At Hanfeng's Ironmongers, we repair items for free, so please, help us look out for rare ores. And of course, any forging requests are welcome!"
After this advertisement, he stepped back into line.
Lumine was frank. "For Mora, for my friends—I have to win!"
"Excellent! Now, champions, please turn around and draw your opponents from the boxes behind you."
"Lumine's match is about to start… why isn't Victor here yet?"
In the stands, Paimon raised the question. Xiangling, Chongyun, and Hu Tao all turned toward the empty seat beside them.
"Yeah, he's usually so punctual and reliable."
Xingqiu explained, "He… had something to deal with. He couldn't make it."
He had returned to Liyue Harbor at dawn, searched Wangshu Inn for Victor in vain, then checked Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and Wanmin Restaurant with no luck. No one had seen him all day. Xingqiu was certain Victor was still wandering in the mountains.
Earlier, he had already told Ye Caizhen. She had said the one person who could help wasn't here for now. They would have to wait—and trust.
Trust… that was all they could do now. All the North Wing members in Liyue knew Ye Caizhen's character. She had no reason to lie, nor was she the type to abandon a comrade.
Time passed in worry.
One moment, the announcer revealed the matchups: Lumine vs. Mysterious One, Hanfeng vs. Kaeya.
The next, Lumine had already lost to the Mysterious One.
"Lumine?"
Paimon shook her head. "Nothing we can do… the Mysterious One is really strong. No doubt he's the best."
Hu Tao frowned. "Victor and Xingqiu lost to him too. It's no shame."
Their minds wandered between the matches and thoughts of Victor, waiting anxiously for Ye Caizhen's news. The tournament flew by.
Hanfeng lost to Kaeya, then fell to Lumine in the losers' bracket. Lumine took third.
Kaeya clashed fiercely with the Mysterious One, but lost. Kaeya finished second, and the Mysterious One was crowned champion.
When the host asked the Mysterious One to share his victory speech before Zhongli and Ningguang, he pulled out a note that read: "I want qingxin-flavored bubblegum."
…
"Father, that business deal that kept you out negotiating all night until noon today—did it go through?"
Diergis adjusted his glasses, eyes shifting slyly. "Heh, you know how it is with merchants. There wasn't much actual negotiating… mostly just drinking with old friends. Next time, I'll bring Jun Zheng along. Anyone can help steer the business, but only he can take the wine for me."
"So, it's my fault, for insisting we go to Guyun Stone Forest last night?"
"How could it be your fault? After thirteen years apart, Yunyan Hall has grown under your hands into an industry leader. Even I pale in comparison to your business acumen. If you want to play, play! The only thing I wonder is—have you found anyone special these years?"
"…Not yet."
"You're a grown woman now. If there's someone suitable, you should pursue him boldly. But character—that I'll have to judge myself."
I'm already a grown woman…
"Father, about Khaenri'ah, about my bloodline, about what you've been doing these thirteen years away… you still won't tell me?"
"…It's better if you don't know."
"I've been investigating on my own. I have one question for you."
"..."
The air grew heavy.
But Ye Caizhen asked so bluntly, even at the risk of breaking the bond between them, just to get one piece of information that might mean nothing to him.
"I discovered Khaenri'ahns can be controlled by Abyss Mages. If that happens, how do you break free? If you… still consider me your daughter, even if you won't say anything else, please at least tell me this."
Diergis relaxed, then laughed. "Ah, that. Yes, Khaenri'ahns… well, you could say that. But Khaenri'ahns like you and me are immune to Abyss Mage control. Only those who've become Hilichurls can be manipulated."
"Hilichurls?"
"Exactly. And to escape their control is simple—you die."
"Die?"
"To be precise, there's no other way. Only death."
Kill me!
In that instant, Ye Caizhen remembered what Victor Wang had told her. So, it wasn't nonsense after all… but…