Though the earthquake at that time was indeed severe, Cyno had also mentioned that under Nahida's power, the houses were like they were rooted in the ground—no matter how the earthquake shook them, they didn't budge at all.
So if someone really slept very early, the earthquake should have been stopped by Nahida before they were woken up by the shaking.
In this situation, it seems Miss Shani didn't actually sleep as early as she claimed.
However, readers who can spot the issue from these words are ultimately the minority; most readers just continue reading smoothly, completely unaware of any problem.
This is normal—her words, upon a casual listen, indeed don't seem problematic, unless one suspects her from the start.
But readers have only just seen this character in the story—why would they be suspicious?
The villager after Shani is named Jebrail, seemingly a chef—a chef who doesn't make much money.
Though he doesn't earn much, he still occasionally cooks meals for Isak and his "grandpa."
Readers can't help but sigh—this is truly a good person. Perhaps he doesn't make money precisely because he's a good person.
On the other hand, Yanfei feels a bit of PTSD seeing this segment. She remembers a previous case where someone kindly gave food, but the recipient got food poisoning and sued the good person.
This type of case is exactly what Yanfei can't stand the most. Seeing this part, Yanfei recalls that incident and gets a headache.
Fortunately, a small "explosion point" comes in the following story, preventing Yanfei from continuing to reminisce.
In the story, Cyno seems to notice something and reminds the Traveler to secretly follow—over here, two people are whispering.
[Shakan: "Have you heard? Our lord of faith, the great Scarlet King, is about to revive!"]
Readers indeed haven't heard of this. Mondstadt people have heard of a strange guy wandering in the Wolvendom, someone who often mutters.
Wait, recently that guy seems to have changed his lines?
As for the person in the story claiming the Scarlet King is about to revive, the basis is: "Recently, more mad scholars have been sent than usual."
[Shakan: "I heard from Deliwati that before the Scarlet King's civilization was destroyed, all sorts of mad people appeared on the land. For some reason, 'madness' is always related to the Scarlet King."]
This is why the Scarlet King and the Tree King can't see this story—otherwise, they'd be crying and laughing. Do you think this "madness" is the Scarlet King's authority?
It doesn't matter if they can't see it—when everyone sees the later parts, they'll also be crying and laughing. By then, all of Teyvat will be speechless.
We knew Lucian buries foreshadowing early, but not this early.
So when information is incomplete, speak less—the more you say, the easier to get backstabbed.
Look at "Do you understand Rex Lapis or do I"—painful lessons are vivid. Thanks to Hanxue—one person's social death in exchange for others' survival.
But at this moment, Shakan hasn't socially died yet, because everyone still doesn't know if his statement has issues.
And even if it does, it's fine—just an ordinary person's misjudgment. Hanxue's social death was entirely because he was arrogant right up to Rex Lapis himself.
In the story, Shakan thinks those mad scholars are sacrifices for the Scarlet King, so the great Scarlet King must be reviving!
Readers obviously don't believe this—everyone remembers that the Scarlet King's revival was just a rumor spread by the Akademiya.
Mad scholars are also exiled by the Akademiya—clearly, all this is related to the Akademiya, unrelated to the Scarlet King's revival.
But Makan, chatting with Shakan, doesn't know it's a rumor and agrees with this guess at the moment.
Anyway, in the eyes of desert people, the Scarlet King's revival is a good thing—if the Scarlet King lives, there will be clear skies, and the desert can have good days!
[Shakan laughs loudly: "To hell with the city folks! Haha!"]
The two get more and more excited chatting, then Cyno arrives.
["Explain everything you just said from beginning to end in detail."]
["I have no patience. You heard what I said."]
Cyno doesn't waste words—directly a "Demon King Armament." Transformed Cyno looks full of oppressive pressure—the two desert people are scared into hugging their heads and squatting in defense.
Unlike them, readers find it refreshing—the transformed Cyno is really handsome, too handsome!
Why don't you two be tougher and clash with Cyno? We really want to see how transformed Cyno fights.
Only one illustration of Cyno's transformation is too regrettable—why don't you two work harder to get a few more?
These words are only unknown to the parties involved—otherwise, they'd retort: Anyway, the ones dying wouldn't be you, right?
The two aren't that tough and decisively choose to yield.
[Shakan: "Sir, sir, what... what do you want to know?"]
Shakan: Already obedient, please spare me.
[Cyno: "The Scarlet King's revival—what's that about?"]
The rumor about this was spread by the Akademiya, but as mentioned before, the Grand Sage has been guarding against Cyno, so Cyno knows nothing about it.
The Traveler knows, but perhaps because she hasn't fully trusted Cyno yet, she doesn't share the intelligence.
Blame Alhaitham—his words were indeed effective, at least making the Traveler hard to trust Cyno, and also hard to trust Alhaitham.
Now in the story, though Shakan doesn't know it's a rumor, he confesses how the rumor spreads—he heard it in a tavern.
[Shakan: "That day drinking, I heard a rumor: madmen will disappear, the Scarlet King is about to revive and rule this land again."]
Cyno looks at him coldly without speaking, lightning flickering.
[Makan, terrified, roars: "You confess, hurry and confess!"]
Shakan also quickly spills everything he knows.
He tells Cyno that the radical Deliwati heard about this, and he really plans to help the Scarlet King revive and attack the Wall of Samiel.
The real-life Deliwati watches speechlessly—though he no longer thinks about reviving the Scarlet King now, seeing this guy sell him out so easily is quite helpless.
He isn't angry anyway—their relationship isn't that great; being betrayed is completely reasonable.
In reality, he has no idea of reviving the Scarlet King—one reason is that Sumeru currently has no such rumors.
The other is that after the Dendro God took power, the Wall of Samiel's entrance was opened, allowing exchange between both sides.
In this situation, desert people's lives have genuinely improved—whether daily necessities or anything else, much easier to obtain than before.
Even a young man named Kaveh is bringing people here for infrastructure—this, why rebel?
The purpose of reviving the Scarlet King was to breach the Wall of Samiel for more resources—now resources are here, why fight?
Just as Candace said, they just want to work hard to live their own lives well.
Even if radicals still want to fight the rainforest, ordinary desert people just want to live well now and won't follow at all.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice Lines · Keqing: About Desert Infrastructure
"It's quite challenging. I gave some suggestions—don't know if they helped."