Lumine finally sorted out her thoughts.
Emotionally speaking...
Compared to the Fatui Harbinger "Childe"...
She'd much rather trust Mu Yang.
After all, in Mondstadt, the Fatui had constantly been causing trouble for her.
Mu Yang was different.
Not only did he tell her about her brother,
but over something as small as a cup of juice,
he helped her retrieve the Holy Lyre der Himmel.
And today, he even stepped in to protect her.
Moreover, everything Mu Yang had done for her...
Unlike in Mondstadt, where everything was framed as a "commission" or something similar...
Felt more like the care between close friends.
Thinking of this, Lumine's heart warmed.
Finally, Mu Yang warned Lumine and Paimon:
"Be careful of the Fatui."
"They're not as simple as they appear on the surface."
"It's possible that the death of Rex Lapis is connected to them."
Paimon stomped her feet in midair.
"Those Fatui really are up to no good, just like that 'Lady'!"
Mu Yang feigned surprise.
"You've met 'The Lady' too?"
Lumine recounted their encounter in front of the Mondstadt Cathedral,
still visibly indignant.
If she hadn't been ambushed,
she would've definitely given her a beating.
Suddenly, Paimon seemed to remember something.
"Ah! After meeting Mu Yang, I almost forgot—we came here to find the Adepti!"
Lumine didn't seem concerned.
"Well, Mu Yang's fine now, so there's no need to rush, right?"
——————
Hearing Lumine's words,
Guinaifen couldn't hold back.
"Oh no, it feels like Lumi's turning into a lovesick girl."
"Did she really forget that another reason for finding the Adepti is to clear her name?"
[Honestly, I forgot too. Since Rex Lapis is gone anyway, why not just elope with Mu Yang?]
[I think that's a solid plan.]
[Story writer: Nice]
[That makes sense. Even if we find the culprit, what's the point? Rex Lapis is already gone.]
[This might be related to Mu Yang's past. Look at Lumi's expression—no way she's leaving now.]
Guinaifen nodded in agreement.
"Right, Mu Yang's hints were pretty obvious. Given the protagonist's personality..."
"She'd definitely help no matter what."
——————
Paimon was speechless at Lumi's response.
How did she become like this?
Paimon reminded her:
"We're still wanted by the Liyue Qixing, you know."
"And that might include Mu Yang too, since he also ran away at the time."
Mu Yang followed up on Paimon's words.
"Originally, I only had two clues—Guili Assembly and Mt. Aocang."
"But after hearing what you said, everything makes sense now."
"It must've been my subconscious telling me that something happened to Rex Lapis."
"And that I needed to go to these two places to find the Adepti."
Paimon asked Mu Yang:
"Do you remember anything about the Adepti who live here?"
Mu Yang, of course, shook his head directly.
"Nothing comes to mind."
He knew that when appearing in the players' perspective,
he had to play the role of a game character.
It wouldn't do to overshadow the protagonist.
Mu Yang could just knock on Cloud Retainer's abode door.
If he did, she'd probably rush over immediately.
The trio wouldn't even need to run through any domains to meet her.
But where's the fun in that?
Solving puzzles is so much more enjoyable, right?
Go on, suffer through the puzzles, muahahaha!
Lumine sighed.
"If you can't remember, then there's nothing we can do."
"We'll just have to look around for clues."
She noticed a line of small text carved where she was sitting.
"There's writing here—'This seat reserved for the Lord of Geo'?"
Paimon leaned in for a closer look.
"Ah, it's true! There's more here too... 'This seat taken by Guizhong'."
Mu Yang: "Mine says, 'This seat reserved for Cloud Retainer'."
Paimon rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought.
"'Lord of Geo'... Does that mean Rex Lapis?"
"'Guizhong'... No idea what that means. 'Cloud Retainer'..."
"Wait! Among the Adepti mentioned by Mountain Shaper, one was called 'Cloud Retainer'!"
Lumine examined the teacups on the table.
They seemed to still be in regular use—
no cobwebs or dust covering them.
She picked one up.
"Look, there are signs of recent use. This must be where 'Cloud Retainer' and the other Adepti gather for meals."
"What do you think, Mu Yang?"
Noticing Mu Yang seemed distracted,
Lumine asked, "Mu Yang, are you okay? Did you remember something?"
Mu Yang snapped out of it.
"I'm fine. Some images flashed in my mind, but they weren't clear."
"Your guess is right—someone does gather here."
Lumine set the teacup down and reassured him.
"Don't force yourself if you can't remember. It's okay."
"You rest here. We'll look around for clues."
Mu Yang accepted her kindness,
sitting on the stone stool to rest
while watching Lumine and Paimon search the area.
That wasn't acting earlier.
It was real.
Lumine's constitution is too special!
Did the lie I just made up actually come true?
——————
Lumine and Paimon wandered a bit farther away,
whispering to each other.
"Mu Yang seems a bit out of it right now. Let's not disturb him for now."
"Mm."
Lumine turned to her companion.
"Any ideas, Paimon?"
Paimon might usually be useless,
but when it came to food-related matters,
her IQ instantly skyrocketed.
"If this is where the Adepti gather for meals, then maybe if we make some dishes they like..."
"Would that catch 'Cloud Retainer's' attention?"
[Most useful Paimon moment ever.]
[Only when it's about food does she start using her brain.]
[Classic emergency food.]
Lumine thought the idea had merit,
but there was still a problem.
"What kind of food would an Adeptus want to eat?"
This stumped Paimon too.
"Uh... Honey-roasted carrots and meat?"
Lumine put her hands on her hips.
"That's what you like to eat, Paimon."
Paimon: "Hehe... Let's look around. Maybe someone left offerings here before."
"Hopefully, they left some hints for us."
——————
Guinaifen, controlling Lumine, ran around the campsite.
She found a few recipe pages and some ingredients.
After preparing the dishes,
instead of offering them immediately,
she suddenly went off-script.
She maneuvered the character closer to Mu Yang.
"Listen up, folks. Here's a pro tip."
"From this angle, if you adjust the camera just right, you can see Mu Yang's..."
"And then, if we just..."
[WTF, streamer's gone insane.]
[Little Gui, you're down bad.]
[Sudden mental breakdown?]
[This is too much—screenshot taken.]
[Devs are gonna hotfix this overnight. So shameless!]
Guinaifen laughed. "Yeah, yeah, act all high and mighty in chat."
"I bet half of you are already logging in to try it yourselves."
[Dammit, she saw right through us.]
[I admit it—I'm thirsting for Mu Yang.]
[What's wrong with looking?]
[Based. Absolutely necessary.]
——————
Back in Teyvat,
Lumine, of course, wouldn't suddenly lose it like a fourth-wall-breaking player.
Following the traces around the area,
she found the first cooking spot.
After gathering ingredients,
she picked up a recipe left on the ground—
"Pearl Jadeite White Jade Soup."
A few steps away,
she discovered a second cooking area.
This one was a mess—
whoever cooked here was clearly careless.
Flour was scattered everywhere,
and a piece of paper lay on the ground,
even bearing a footprint.
Disgusting.
After memorizing the "Mora Meat" recipe,
she tossed the dirty page aside.
Then, after circling the outskirts of Mt. Aocang,
she located the third cooking site.
This one was much cleaner than the last.
"This seems more like a place where offerings were made to the Adepti."
Paimon nodded in agreement.
"I think so too."
Lumine patted Paimon's head.
"Looks like Paimon's guess was right this time."
"Hehe, when it comes to food, my brain works extra fast!"
Paimon rummaged through the neatly organized box.
"Matsutake, and some raw meat."
"Look, there's another recipe here too."
Lumine took it and read:
"Matsutake Meat Rolls."
"These should be the only three spots. Let's try making all three dishes."
Lumine nodded and started cooking.
Mu Yang came over to help as well.
Working together, the three prepared the dishes
and placed them as offerings on the stone table.
Then, the sound of a stone door opening echoed through the mountain.