After the Moon Festival ended, Mo Yan and the others stayed in the castle for two more days. Especially Kaelin—true to her word, she slept for two full days and nights straight... only stirred awake by her growling stomach.
On the morning of the third day, everyone gathered at breakfast to discuss what came next.
"Kaelin, slow down, no one's going to steal your food," Zixuan sighed, watching Kaelin devour her breakfast like a starving beast.
Zhao Heng, sitting nearby, simply chose to pretend she didn't exist.
"Alright," he said seriously, "since we're all here, I think it's time we talked about our next steps. The Moon Festival was a success, and Lightloss Syndrome has been resolved. Now it's time we think about how to leave this place."
"Oh? Are you all thinking of leaving Xuan Yue Town?" a familiar voice said. Yue Tianlang strolled in from the side.
"Tianlang! Good morning!" Kaelin greeted cheerfully.
"We haven't seen much of you these last two days. Are you feeling better?" Mo Yan asked with a smile.
"Thank you for your concern," Tianlang replied warmly. "It's just a bit of magical exhaustion—nothing serious."
"Uh… that doesn't sound very 'nothing serious' to me," Kaelin muttered, putting her fork down with a wary look.
Tianlang laughed. "Heh—well, I did overhear Zhao Heng saying you all plan to leave. Did I not play a good enough host?"
"No, no," Zixuan quickly replied. "Everyone's been incredibly kind to us these past few days. But we can't stay forever. After all, we don't belong in this world."
Kaelin nodded. "Right. Including the day we arrived, it's already been five days. If I don't make it back soon, my old man's gonna lose it."
Mo Yan raised his hands. "That's the thing—we have no idea where to even begin."
"Exactly. That's what's been bugging us most," Zixuan added with a sigh.
"I see…" Tianlang nodded, then fell into brief thought. "If it's a direction you're after, then northwest of Xuan Yue lies Mount Direwolf. Beyond that lies the territory ruled by Aksha, known as the City of Sin. You might find some answers there."
"The City of Sin? That… doesn't sound like the safest place in the world," Kaelin said, clearly uneasy.
"You're not the only one who thinks that," Tianlang replied. "It was originally a penal colony for criminals. As the wars dragged on, more and more convicts were sent there. The settlement grew to accommodate them, eventually becoming the City of Sin. They say the people who live there are either brutal criminals, enforcers even worse than the criminals, or desperate civilians who had no choice but to settle there."
"That sounds incredibly dangerous," Kaelin said, visibly alarmed.
"Don't worry," Tianlang reassured her with a smile. "I'll go with you. Aksha and I are friends. I'm sure if I vouch for you, he'll be willing to help. Plus, as outsiders, you'll need someone familiar with the terrain. Having a guide should save you a lot of trouble."
"If that's the case, why not just teleport us there?" Kaelin asked. "Back when Ozrel knocked us out of the sky, you teleported us safely to the ground. Can't you just warp us directly to Aksha?"
"It would be nice if I could," Tianlang sighed. "But after forcing my powers during the Moon Festival, my abilities have become unstable. I can only use them reliably at night—or during a full moon."
"Wait—so you're saying you're a part-time guardian?" Kaelin deadpanned.
"You're only realizing that now?" Tianlang shrugged with a grin.
"What's there to be proud of?!" she snapped.
"Hehe~"
That smug, playful look on Tianlang's face left Kaelin speechless.
She sighed. "Whatever. I guess it's up to me again. I'll handle the transportation."
"You mean that metal lump you arrived on?" Tianlang asked.
"That was a motorcycle! And this time, I've got something even better," Kaelin replied, grinning with pride.
"You're not about to say you brought a car, are you?" Mo Yan asked warily, already shivering a little.
Kaelin smirked. "Hehe~ That's for me to know and you to find out."
The room fell into a stunned silence. Before anyone could speak, Mo Yan suddenly remembered something and said, "Hold up. I think we've got a pretty big problem on our hands."
"Huh? What now?"
"We don't have any of this world's currency."
That shut everyone up.
Zhao Heng and Zixuan both lowered their heads in silence.
"Damn… I totally forgot," Zixuan muttered. "We've been living comfortably in the castle these last few days. I didn't even think about it."
"Exactly. This place is technically part of 'Supreme Teyvat,' but our in-game currency probably won't work here," Zhao Heng added.
Tianlang watched them with an expression halfway between pity and disbelief.
"Seriously? You guys have been here this long and forgot the most basic thing?" he said, rubbing his forehead with a sigh.
Zixuan quickly pulled out a small pouch from her backpack and placed it on the table in front of Tianlang.
"This is a pouch of Mora Coins. It's the primary item we use for transactions in the game. Any chance it's worth anything here?"
Tianlang opened the pouch and took a look.
"Mora, huh? Might've worked before the Eight Guardians were established. But now, each domain has its own currency. Here in Xuan Yue, Stellar Sand is the standard."
Zixuan froze.
Right—the Stellar Sand she had used to stabilize the plane's frame had come from Tianlang's own castle stash… and she had used two whole jars.
Tianlang chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll explain the currencies used in the other territories when the time comes. As for now… let's just say I owe you. As thanks for helping us save Xuan Yue, I'll cover all your travel expenses."
"Wait, seriously? That's… really okay?" Kaelin blinked in surprise.
Tianlang nodded with a smile. "It's fine. I still have plenty of tribute from the townspeople. Besides, the Blackstone mined from Mount Direwolf fetches a high price in the Shadowlands."
"I see—wait, what? Could you not say that so matter-of-factly? You make it sound like we're embezzling or something!" Kaelin shouted.
Zhao Heng ignored her and turned back to business. "In that case, let's finish prepping and regroup northwest of town."
"Got it," everyone said in unison.
While they called it "preparation," the only real logistics came from Tianlang, who gathered supplies and travel gear for the group. Mo Yan, Kaelin, and the others simply double-checked their equipment. Since his Starcleaver Sword couldn't be repaired, Mo Yan had no choice but to select a few functional replacements from the castle's armory.
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