As dawn broke over Sumeru City, the air carried the faint fragrance of flowers mixed with the damp scent of soil. From time to time, crisp birdsong echoed, heralding a brand-new day.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, spilling into the quiet room and adding a gentle warmth to the morning.
Shao Yun slowly opened his eyes, waking from his slumber. As he glanced around, he realized the bed beside him was empty, leaving behind a faint chill.
Puzzled, he frowned and sat upright. Lumine and Paimon were nowhere to be seen.
"Where did those two… run off to?"
Just as he was about to get dressed, his gaze fell upon a letter resting quietly on the bedside table. Lumine's familiar handwriting stood out clearly on the envelope.
…
Inside, Lumine had written that she rose early in the morning. Seeing Shao Yun still asleep, she didn't want to disturb him, so she had taken Paimon and set off for Vimara Village first.
She reminded him that breakfast was already prepared and waiting on the table, and that he shouldn't skip it.
The letter also mentioned the matter of finding the Lesser Lord Kusanali. Lumine asked Shao Yun to do his best, and if he really found a way to meet her, to please wait patiently until she returned.
Before signing off, Lumine added a playful reminder: he should be gentler next time and not get too carried away—otherwise, he might end up disturbing Paimon.
Finally, she promised to be back before dinner, thanking Shao Yun again for the horse whistle he had given her. She said it was incredibly useful, and Buer would definitely be perfect for travel.
…
Setting the letter down, Shao Yun gazed out the window. He knew the two had already gone to continue the Aranyaka questline. A quiet sigh escaped his lips.
"Sigh… just what kind of charm do those seventy-six surrogate fathers have, that makes the two of them so obsessed? Cough, cough—"
His words broke into a fit of harsh coughing. He clutched his mouth with his hand, his body trembling.
When the fit subsided, he wiped the corner of his lips, noticing the Legend of the East outfit he had tossed aside last night lying on the floor.
With a furrowed brow, he muttered under his breath, "Looks like I can't take this thing off so easily just yet…"
He quickly donned the outfit once more. After tidying himself up, he sat at the table and began eating the breakfast Lumine had left.
Just then, the system chimed in with a prompt:
[How do you plan to search for the Lesser Lord Kusanali?]
Shao Yun calmly swallowed his bite of Teyvat fried egg, thought for a moment, then laid out his plan with confidence.
"I'll wait for Lumine to return tonight, and then the three of us will act together."
"We'll cover our faces, guns in hand, and storm the Akademiya. If anyone dares to get in our way, we shoot the so-called 'heroes' standing before us."
"Doesn't matter who they are—first clear a path, then fight our way straight into the Sanctuary of Surasthana."
As he spoke, he gestured with his hands, already picturing the chaos in his mind's eye.
The system, however, seemed unconvinced, treating his words as an absurd joke.
[A fine joke indeed.]
But when Shao Yun saw the remark, he sneered, his expression dead serious.
"Every word I said was true. Think about it—those thirty-odd mercenaries in Sumeru City, those students who can't even lift a finger, along with their frail teachers—do you honestly think they can stop me?"
"One shot from me, and they'll be flat on the ground, too terrified to even move."
Realizing he wasn't joking, the system quickly warned him.
[If you really did that, wouldn't that mean you're walking straight into Nahida's hands? That would put you at a complete disadvantage.]
But Shao Yun was unfazed. "I'm going to meet her, not crawl on my knees to help her. You get the difference?"
The system pressed further.
[And what about Sumeru's problems? Leaving aside everything else, right now the Lesser Lord Kusanali has no way of completely eliminating the Withering. If the Devil's plan succeeds, do you really think that would be a good thing?]
Shao Yun scoffed. "The lives of Sumeru's people—what does that have to do with me?"
The system grew solemn, offering a reason it knew would cut deep.
[You want a good life with Lumine, don't you? If the world is destroyed, sure, you could trade yourself with the Devil in exchange for Lumine and Paimon's survival. But… is that really the future you want?]
Shao Yun froze. His hand, still holding cutlery, slowly loosened. The clatter of metal against wood echoed in the silence.
He stared blankly ahead, lost in thought.
After a while, he raised his head, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "Look at me now—this broken, half-human, half-ghost state. Do I even deserve a good life anymore?"
The system's reply appeared in bold clarity.
[There is no shame in seeking a better world.]
At that moment, Shao Yun remembered words he once said to his brother-in-law, Aether. His lips tightened as a wry smile spread across his face.
"You've convinced me. So, what should I do? Go straight to Dunyarzad? Or follow Amber and Keqing's example—post notices all over Sumeru City and shout in the streets, 'I want to see the Lesser Lord Kusanali!'—and hope someone leads me to her?"
The system quickly provided an answer.
[Go to the Adventurers' Guild and meet Katheryne. There, you'll find Dunyarzad.]
After wiping his mouth clean, Shao Yun rose and glanced at the door, his voice thoughtful. "Alright then. But yesterday's Katheryne—wasn't that Nahida herself, in disguise?"
[That's correct. You guessed it right.]
Shao Yun continued, "Why did she choose Katheryne as a vessel? Does she normally do that?"
He paused, awaiting an explanation.
The system soon replied.
[The Sabzeruz Festival is about to be held—Lesser Lord Kusanali's birthday. This celebration was funded and organized entirely by her most devoted believer, Dunyarzad.]
[Naturally, Nahida wanted to stay close to this loyal child, to share in the joy of the festival. And as for choosing Katheryne… among all of Sumeru, she's undoubtedly the most suitable vessel.]
For five centuries, everyone had known the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was gone. But the Lesser Lord remained—a near-invisible figure quietly watching over them.
To find someone like Dunyarzad, who still dreamed of her and held her in such reverence—it was something that surely brought Nahida joy.
Shao Yun thought it over, then asked, "In that case, do you think I'll get another chance to meet Katheryne possessed by Nahida today?"
[Perhaps.]
…
Hoping to test his luck, Shao Yun made his way to the Adventurers' Guild.
Behind the counter stood Katheryne, as composed and elegant as ever, greeting adventurers one by one.
From the way she looked, Shao Yun assumed Nahida wasn't present. He stepped forward with a wave.
"Good morning, Miss Katheryne! I'm back again!"
Katheryne's lips curved into a warm, gentle smile. "Good morning, Mr. Shao Yun. What fine weather we have today—bright skies and warm sun."
But just from that simple greeting, Shao Yun knew. This wasn't Katheryne—it was Nahida.
Since he'd already seen through her, there was no point in circling around the matter. He smiled and said directly, "Good morning, Lady Nahida."
Exposed, Nahida didn't flinch. She blinked her eyes, then spoke in her soft, childlike voice:
"Hello, Mr. Shao Yun. There's a saying in Liyue: 'Strangers once, friends the next.' By that measure, we should be considered acquaintances now, don't you think?"
Hearing her childish tone, Shao Yun thought to tease her—but in the end, he couldn't. She looked like a child, sounded like a child, and even thought like one. For now, he had no heart to bully her.
Instead, he compared his past encounters with gods to this very moment.
"To think it was this easy to meet you… it reminds me of Mondstadt, when the Anemo Archon purified Dvalin in the wilds. Ever since then, meeting an Archon hasn't exactly been simple."
In Liyue, the Geo Archon played dead. In Inazuma, the Shogun changed her nation.
So, he had expected meeting the Dendro Archon to be troublesome too. And yet—surprisingly—it wasn't.
Nahida, in Katheryne's form, explained gently.
"In fact, I sensed you the moment you arrived in Sumeru. My original plan was to wait until after the Sabzeruz Festival to meet you. But you guessed so quickly yesterday that Katheryne was me. How did you know?"
Shao Yun thought, That was simple—because you didn't say her usual catchphrase.
But instead of answering directly, he replied flatly, "How I figured it out doesn't matter. What matters is this—Barbatos and Morax sent me to you. To pay you a visit."
Hearing the names of those ancient gods, Nahida inclined her head in thought.
"I see…"
While she pondered, Shao Yun leaned casually against the counter, smiling. "Honestly, I didn't expect it to be this easy to meet you here in Sumeru. Do you have some free time soon? Lumine and Paimon want to discuss something important with you."
Nahida nodded after a pause. "I can. But… could we wait until after the Sabzeruz Festival? I don't want to see all the hard work of one kind, devoted child go to waste."
That child, of course, was Dunyarzad. And Nahida would not betray her kindness.
Seeing how reasonable and kind she was, Shao Yun didn't push. When people spoke well with him, he could be equally understanding.
"Sure, no problem. Oh, and—happy birthday!"
Caught off guard, Nahida blushed. "Ah? Th-thank you… I wasn't expecting that."
She hesitated a moment, then gathered her courage. "One more thing… could I ask you to keep my little secret—that I've been possessing Katheryne? Because…"