Mu Yang had made thorough preparations this time.
There was none of that sudden weightlessness from before.
When he opened his eyes again, it was the same familiar little wooden cabin.
Though the simulation felt like a dream,
it was far more vivid than any dream.
Mu Yang began to recall, confirming the current timeline.
It was only slightly later than the last time after delivering gifts.
So, what was happening today?
Before he could figure it out, the familiar knocking sound came first.
Knock knock knock—
No need to ask—it was definitely Lingyuan.
Mu Yang went to open the door. "Coming, coming."
"Hurry up! If we don't leave soon, we'll miss the agreed time."
Lingyuan's high spirits were evident from her tone.
Because today was the day they would set off on their journey.
That's right—several months had passed since Fujin received that teacup realm.
The four of them had finally found free time and planned to embark on their trip today.
First, they'd head to Mt. Aocang, then to the Guili Assembly, and finally to Liyue Harbor.
To be precise, it was Yaojun and Fujin who had managed to free up time.
Mu Yang and Lingyuan, on the other hand, were practically unemployed—they had all the time in the world.
Every day, Mu Yang either practiced swordplay or brewed tea. That was his routine—nothing else!
As for Lingyuan?
Lingyuan would show up to block him, checking if he was planning to live among humans.
After that, she'd drink tea, eat sweets, watch Mu Yang practice swordplay, or play with small animals and little mechanisms.
Fujin and Yaojun had much busier schedules.
Aside from the annual Toulong Ceremony, Fujin also helped humans in their daily lives,
teaching them how to survive on this land.
Yaojun, of course, was the busiest of all—her profession was that of a physician.
At that time, Chenyu Vale was far less peaceful than in later eras.
Aside from illnesses, there were also demonic beasts, natural disasters...
People came in droves for treatment, and Yaojun was often busy until midnight.
Whenever Mu Yang and Lingyuan delivered high-grade medicinal herbs, they'd stay to help.
But now that she had a large group of students, the two of them were brushed aside.
In her words: "Shoo, shoo—go sit over there and drink tea. Don't get in my way."
Thanks to the rapid growth of these students, Yaojun finally had time to travel.
——————
On the way to the human village, Lingyuan was still brimming with excitement, dashing ahead at full speed.
"Slow down—we still have plenty of time."
And it was true—the sun had just risen. There was no way they'd miss their scheduled time like she claimed.
But Lingyuan wasn't listening at all, continuing to sprint forward.
Mu Yang shook his head helplessly and quickened his pace to catch up.
Though he was excited too, something felt... off.
What exactly was it?
Mu Yang searched his memories and finally pinpointed the anomaly.
"Fujin has never been to the Guili Assembly or Liyue Harbor before."
His expression shifted slightly.
"This... isn't good news..."
With that thought, he suddenly accelerated his lightfoot technique.
In the blink of an eye, he left Lingyuan far behind.
The dumbfounded beast pouted. "Tch, and he was lecturing me. Look how excited he is."
When Mu Yang arrived at the village entrance, Yaojun and Fujin were nowhere in sight.
His heart skipped a beat, but he quickly reassured himself.
"Don't panic. They're fine—they probably just arrived too early..."
Mu Yang strode confidently into the village, and someone immediately pointed him toward Fujin's location.
By now, all the villagers recognized him and knew who he was looking for.
Following the directions, Mu Yang arrived at a farmhouse.
Before he even reached the door, he saw Fujin giving instructions to the children.
She was explaining what they should do while she was away—
tasks like tending the farmhouse and feeding the livestock.
A sharp-eyed girl called out, "Brother Mu Yang is here!"
Fujin turned around and glanced at the sun in the sky.
"You're here way too early! I thought Lingyuan would be the most excited one—didn't expect it to be you."
"What, is that not allowed?"
Fujin laughed—she was just as eager.
Afterward, the two bid farewell to the children.
The children waved and said in unison,
"Have fun, Sister Fujin and Brother Mu Yang!"
The two headed straight for the village entrance.
Because two familiar figures were already waiting there.
One was a blue-haired lady with an elegant demeanor, and the other was a barefoot beauty in plain robes.
When Yaojun saw Mu Yang approaching,
she teased him in the same tone Fujin had used earlier.
"Here comes the one who was too excited to sleep."
Mu Yang shot a glance at Lingyuan. "Couldn't outrun me, so now you're spreading rumors?"
Lingyuan feigned innocence. "What's it got to do with me? Everyone could tell."
"Hahaha, alright, alright. Now that everyone's here, let's set off!"
Fujin, as always, knew how to take charge. "Destination: Mt. Aocang!"
The group carried some tea leaves and local specialties as they set out toward Mt. Aocang.
Traveling from Chenyu Vale to Mt. Aocang didn't require the teacup realm.
Chenyu Vale had abundant waterways.
If Fujin wanted, she could swim upstream alone, pass through the waterfalls, and arrive in no time.
It was only later, when they reached the Guili Assembly—a vast plain with few streams—that such a treasure would be necessary.
Along the way, the four chatted and laughed.
When Fujin grew tired, she leaped into the river.
Transformed into a carp, she blew bubbles at Lingyuan.
Lingyuan immediately reverted to her beast form and plunged into the water with a splash...
The two on the shore were long accustomed to this.
This scene was bound to happen—it was just a matter of when.
Yaojun turned back. "Something on your mind?"
"I have a bad feeling... but I can't quite put it into words..."
Mu Yang didn't hide it.
However, he didn't know the reason why this journey never came to fruition in the original timeline.
From the looks of it now, there were no issues—so why hadn't they made it to the Guili Assembly?
The most optimistic assumption in Mu Yang's heart was:
His involvement had already altered Fujin's fate.
Unlike in the original Chenyu Vale storyline, where she never reached Liyue Harbor and had to hear about it from Lumine.
But that was the ideal scenario.
The most likely possibility was that something happened at Mt. Aocang.
Or perhaps an incident occurred in Chenyu Vale, forcing them to change plans.
After hearing Mu Yang's words, Yaojun said,
"Seems like those two are overexcited, while you're overly worried."
She took out a small sachet. "Newly made—helps calm the mind. Test it for me."
Mu Yang took the sachet. Before he even brought it close, he caught a faint, soothing fragrance.
It smelled like herbs... but not quite.
"Well?" Yaojun asked.
"It works."
The scent relaxed Mu Yang's body and mind.
He stopped worrying about the earlier matter.
Overthinking wouldn't help anyway.
They'd take it step by step—things would work out when the time came.
Besides, everything here was just a simulation.
In the world of Teyvat, these events had already happened.
Even if he knew, what could he do?