Upon opening the door, Yanfei sees two people arguing over trivial household matters. A middle-aged man kindly gave some salt to someone, but an elderly person fell while coming to collect it. Now, the elderly person's child is extorting them. It's a case of pure goodwill leading to a family's distress.
Yanfei is there to mediate the dispute, but it's giving her a massive headache.
[Yanfei, clutching her head: "I'm kind of afraid of people who endlessly bicker over petty things. Especially cases like this—originally an act of kindness that ends up turning everything upside down…"]
["I got into this line of work to solve problems. But the complexities of human hearts? I still can't fully grasp those."]
She made a contract with her father to 'live happily,' but when faced with situations where both sides claim to be right, all she's left with is a headache.
Liyue folks sigh in admiration. As expected of the invincible Lawyer Yanfei—her only fear is something so mundane. For someone like Yanfei, who loves reasoning and law, this kind of thing is a hassle. If it were Itto, he'd probably just show the elderly person's kid his fist and ask them to repeat themselves.
In any case, Yanfei has now tried the door, but no exit was found. That leaves only the Traveler and Yelan who haven't attempted it.
Yelan absolutely refuses to try—after all, one misstep could reveal her secrets. She's a masochist, sure, but only in the sense that she enjoys a bit of pain and thrill, not because she has a desire to be exposed.
Ningguang nods approvingly. It's good that Yelan didn't reveal anything. If it were just to the people present, it'd be fine—the Traveler and Yanfei are trustworthy, and Itto's brain isn't an issue. But if it got out, Lucian would definitely write it down, and then all of Teyvat would know.
Ever since getting closer to Lucian, Ningguang can't help but laugh at the thought that she once suspected he was the Geo Archon.
Back to the story: with Yelan refusing to open the door, the only one left is the Traveler.
The Traveler opens the door, revealing a strange space that feels like standing amidst a starry sky.
[Traveler: "(Is this… the Abyss?)"]
Readers are shocked. The Abyss!? Has the Traveler reached the Abyss?? And this Abyss is a starry sky?
This suddenly reminds them of Katheryne's line, "Ad Astra Abyssosque." What's the connection between the starry sky and the Abyss?
Even more surprising, once the Traveler enters this space, the door behind them vanishes. Lumine searches the area for a while and eventually finds a glowing patch of ground. Upon touching it, the floor gives way, and she plummets downward.
Fortunately, there's a pool of water below, so Lumine isn't injured. However, she finds herself circling back to the group's location, now behind them.
This door allows Yelan to confirm her suspicion: this Domain is constantly changing, and it's changing specifically to target them.
For now, the priority is checking on Lumine. The group asks about her condition, and she's unharmed, but Paimon is no longer her lively self, showing signs of exhaustion.
[Paimon: "Ugh… I suddenly feel so tired. Going through all this, my heart's completely worn out…"]
["Wah… I don't even have strength in my arms or legs…"]
Though she claims to have no strength, she's still floating, so her 'phantom limbs' must not be that tired.
It's not just Paimon—everyone is starting to feel a bit of fatigue. Time in this space is frozen, and they don't feel hunger, but physical exhaustion seems to accumulate. Unnoticed, it could build up until they collapse.
Arataki Itto, perhaps because of the punch he threw at the door, is also feeling tired, but he's more concerned about his buddy Paimon.
["Hey, Lavender Melon, you okay? Want this boss to carry you?"]
Their bond is undeniable—born on the same day, their friendship is rock-solid.
With everyone in poor condition, they decide to return to their camp. After some searching, they find a shortcut back. Upon arriving, even the lavender melons Kuki Shinobu roasted are still there, unchanged.
Back at the starting point, staring blankly at the melons.
Itto tends to the listless Paimon. Despite his brash nature, he has a caring side. While being attentive, he's still his loud self, grumbling about wanting to smash that door. He could tolerate the people throwing beans at him, but the door targeting the Traveler? That's unforgivable—he's genuinely mad.
This makes readers like Itto even more. What a true bro, so protective.
[Itto: "Remember, even if the sky falls, this boss has got it covered! So, Lavender Melon, leave it to me, and don't worry too much."]
Readers who've followed Itto's stories know he's reliable in clutch moments, but they didn't expect him to be this reliable. Suddenly, a wave of readers becomes Itto fans, ready to collect his illustrations.
Besides Itto, Yelan is also incredibly dependable. Though everyone's exhausted, she's still investigating the surroundings. She's used to high-intensity work, almost as tireless as the Raiden Shogun.
If you could recruit both of them… put them in a factory, you'd make a fortune, right?
This time, Yelan uncovers a secret about the Domain: it's ever-changing, making investigations less effective. Instead of scouting, she focuses on brainstorming new strategies with Yanfei.
Yanfei has a new idea—to rendezvous with the Vigilant Yaksha. This space is too eerie, even exploiting their concern for Xiao to lure them deeper and weaken them. Such tactics could likely affect Xiao too, putting him in danger. Sticking together would be safer, at least sparing them the worry for each other.
According to Yanfei's theory, they and Xiao are in the same space, just separated into different subspaces by its chaotic, cunning nature. But they can still influence each other, like during that abruptly cut-off 'communication.' Even the space itself probably didn't expect them to 'chat.'
Its original intent was likely to make the Traveler's group more anxious upon seeing Xiao, not anticipating they'd start a conversation, which forced it to sever the connection.
[Yanfei: "Our encounter and dialogue with the Vigilant Yaksha was unexpected."]
["I think this is an opportunity. If the space constructs deceptive phenomena based on our thoughts, then, Traveler, please do as I do and keep imagining."]
["Calm your mind, listen carefully… we might just catch the Vigilant Yaksha's voice again."]
It's unclear if Lumine fully understands, but she's obedient, following Yanfei's instructions. She imagines Xiao in her mind, listens for his voice, and searches for his presence.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice · Yanfei: About 'Trivial Matters'
"Itto told me that in situations like this, fists work better—once people fear you, they won't make a fuss or cause trouble unreasonably. But… I just can't bring myself to do it!"