After Zhongli stepped out of the cavern, he turned and lifted a hand. The loosened seal on the stone wall glowed faintly as it reinforced itself. Behind him, as he walked away from the Dragon-Quelling Tree, Geo energy surged, sealing the excavated passage once more.
Zhongli stood with his hands clasped behind his back, eyes closed briefly. When he opened them, his gaze drifted toward the southeast.
He set off at what looked like a leisurely stroll, but his pace covered ground far quicker than it seemed. Soon, he arrived at the ruins the investigation team had visited.
If Ji'an, Master Luban, and the others were to return now, they'd be shocked. The place was almost unrecognizable. The ground was pocked with countless footprints of all sizes, rubble and shattered rock scattered everywhere as if the site had been torn apart.
Zhongli walked into the ruins and paused before the collapsed underground passage. A soft amber light glowed in his eyes—his gaze seemed to pierce straight through the hundred-meter-thick rock to see what lay below.
After a moment, he shook his head slightly and turned away.
Following the trails left in the stone, Zhongli pressed on until he reached a mining area below Tianqiu Valley. Up ahead, several miners were hurrying in his direction, their faces pale with alarm.
"Huh? Mr. Zhongli? What are you doing out here?" A middle-aged miner stopped in his tracks, staring at him in surprise.
Zhongli paused. "...You are?"
"Zhou Qu! We met at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor—my father's funeral. Don't you remember, Mr. Zhongli?" the miner said hastily.
"Ah. It's you." Zhongli nodded. Taking in their anxious expressions, he frowned slightly. "What's happened? You all seem troubled."
"This…" The miners exchanged uneasy glances.
"Nothing to hide now," one muttered. "Foreman Dai's already sent word to the city. They'll know soon enough."
Zhou Qu drew a shaky breath. "It's the Chasm, Mr. Zhongli… Something's happened over there."
---
Liyue Harbor
After returning from Tianqiu Valley, with Zhongli nowhere to be found and Mr. Saimon still off in the Liyue outskirts buried in his research, Ji'an found himself with unexpected free time. Even Hu Tao, in better spirits, had returned to her duties as Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, catching up on the backlog of arrangements. After all, it was the family business, and before Ji'an came along, it had been her main focus.
With Director Hu back on duty, the Wangsheng staff occasionally seen on the streets finally stopped getting side-eyed by passersby.
So, for a few days, Ji'an enjoyed genuine leisure. He woke naturally, lounged in bed chatting with Herloxia, and let her share her remote vision—seeing the world without ever leaving his room.
The only odd thing was the occasional feeling of being watched. But no matter how often he looked, he never found the source, and eventually, he let it go.
Three days later, Baishi finally came to his inn to tell him Mr. Saimon had returned.
Feeling a jolt of energy, Ji'an followed her to the scholar's residence.
Mr. Saimon looked to be in his forties. His features weren't typical for Liyue—his hair was gray and neatly combed, his skin a light brown, his lips somewhat full. He looked travel-worn and tired, but his eyes were sharp and alert.
Miss Baishi smiled politely. "You've had a long trip, Mr. Saimon. Was it fruitful?"
"Of course! Liyue's ancient history has long been a subject I wanted to study. Why else would I come all the way from Sumeru?" Saimon laughed warmly. "And this trip helped me confirm my next research topic!"
"Oh? Where did you go, if I may ask?" Baishi inquired curiously. Part of her job was to keep tabs on people Ningguang considered assets. If her lady asked and she knew nothing, it'd be time to resign.
"No secret at all. I started around Mt. Tianheng and visited Dunyu Ruins, Lingju Pass, and Qingxu Pool." Saimon pulled several thick stacks of notes from his bag as he spoke. "Liyue Harbor's prosperity today is tied to its millennia-old mining industry. To understand Liyue's history, I believe you have to start with its mining past."
"My second field at the Akademiya was Continental Geography. Studying the terrain at those sites, I did notice something." He paused. "By the way, has anyone here been to those places?"
Baishi shook her head. Ji'an spoke up. "I passed through Dunyu Ruins and Lingju Pass on the Tianqiu Valley investigation."
"Oh… You must be the gentleman Miss Baishi mentioned, looking into an ancient ruin?" Saimon seemed to notice him only then. He tapped his forehead. "Right, what was your question? I owe Lady Ningguang a great deal. If she's asked this of me, I'll tell you whatever I know."
"Just Ji'an is fine," he said with a smile. "It's not urgent, Mr. Saimon. Please, go on. Miss Baishi and I are both interested."
"Haha, alright. Since you're willing to listen." Saimon set his things down and looked at Ji'an. "Mr. Ji'an, having been to Dunyu Ruins and Lingju Pass, didn't you find the terrain… odd?"
Ji'an was taken aback. "You mean…"
Saimon didn't drag it out. "I believe the landforms at Dunyu Ruins, Lingju Pass, and Qingxu Pool weren't shaped by natural geography. They were formed by the residual impact of something falling from the sky."
"After growing suspicious, I came back to Liyue Harbor, consulted various texts, and recorded some folk tales. Then I returned to the sites, walked the old ruins, gathered scattered clues from stone tablets, and pieced together a rough history from a thousand years back."
Saimon produced a compiled notebook and opened it on the table.
Handwritten title: On the Relationship Between Liyue Folklore, Terrain Formation, and Mining Industry Development
"…An aster once fell upon the western wastes of Liyue. Where it struck, the plain became a vast and profound chasm. Beautiful jade and precious ores grew there, inexhaustible, giving rise to Liyue's mining industry for the millennia that followed."
Handwritten title: On the Terrain of 'Dunyu Ruins' and Related Liyue Legends
"…According to legends passed down by Liyue's people, 'Dunyu' means 'the place where the beautiful jade fled.' They say when the nameless star fell, a fragment broke off and landed among the rocks north of Lisha. Thus, 'Dunyu Ruins' came to be."
"Thousands of years ago, when the star fell… Based on what I studied at the Akademiya, that was when countless gods and sovereigns warred over the throne of the world. Sadly, most detailed records from then are fragmented. If I could clarify this, my new thesis would certainly…" Here, Saimon's excitement faded into mild complaint.
"Miss Baishi, is there truly no way Lady Ningguang could allow me to research the western region? If I'm right, that's where the star fell, isn't it?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Saimon." Baishi smiled diplomatically. "The Chasm is under lockdown for certain reasons. It wouldn't be appropriate for research at this time."
"The Chasm… So that's what it's called. I was right, then." Saimon shook his head regretfully. As a guest, he couldn't press further.
He turned to Ji'an. "Well, since that's not possible, let me—" Just as Saimon was about to invite Ji'an's question, a commotion rose from outside—distant but growing.
It sounded like many footsteps, moving in orderly haste.
All three looked toward the window.
"What's going on? The Millelith are gathering—and in a hurry."
"Has something happened?"
Ji'an glanced at Baishi.
"I'll go ask." Baishi's expression tightened. As a secretary of the Jade Chamber, she needed to stay informed about everything in Liyue Harbor. But a major Millelith mobilization she knew nothing about could only mean one thing: it was too sudden, too urgent, for even the Qixing to have notified their staff yet.
Baishi hurried out, Ji'an and Saimon following curiously behind.
The moment she stepped outside, a young Millelith soldier rushed over, looking frantic. Spotting her, he hurried closer.
"Xiao Xuan, what's happening? Why is the Millelith mobilizing so suddenly?"
"Miss Baishi, something terrible has happened! You should return to the jade chamber at once!" Xiao Xuan wiped sweat from his brow, his face pale. "Word from the mining area—out of nowhere, over a thousand Geovishaps have appeared and forced their way into the Chasm."
"The entrances and exits are overrun. No one can get close. Our brothers stationed inside can't get out. We don't know what's happening in there now."
"You said… how many?!" Baishi thought she'd misheard.
After Xiao Xuan repeated it, cold sweat broke out on her forehead. She understood immediately why the Qixing had bypassed procedure.
What in the world—?!
Geovishaps. Over a thousand. Eyewitnesses reported over a dozen Primo Geovishaps among them.
"Have they all gone mad?! Did every Geovishap in Liyue pour out at once?!" Baishi's back was instantly soaked, her hands trembling.
As Ningguang's secretary, she had access to more information. She knew exactly how terrifying such a force was. And the fact they'd gone into the Chasm, of all places…
It couldn't help but call to mind a long-buried event from the past.
Is what happened a thousand years ago… about to repeat itself?
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