Arriving at her doorstep, Mu Qingge was surprised to see that the lights were still on inside.
Usually, by this time, everyone in the house would have already gone to bed. In fact, even before she was chosen as the Kaiyang Star, her parents would wake up an hour or two later to prepare goods and go out to sell them early.
She gently pushed the door open; as usual, it was unlocked.
Mu Qingge didn't look at the lit room. Instead, she used her key to open the door to her own room and fumbled for a box on the shelf at the foot of her bed.
Opening the box, she found a stone wrapped in cloth, emitting a faint glow through the fabric.
Pulling off the cloth, the Noctilucous Jade illuminated a larger area.
After checking it to ensure there was no damage, Mu Qingge rewrapped it in the cloth and placed it back in the box.
Turning around, Mu Qingge froze, a little surprised:
"Still awake?"
"Sister, aren't you awake too?"
Standing at the door of Mu Qingge's room was none other than her younger sister, Mu Qingxu.
"Get some rest soon."
Mu Qingge gently stroked her sister's head, her voice soft.
"Sister, has the Archon really..."
"No one lives forever. Even the elderly Archon will eventually pass away. For over three thousand seven hundred years, Liyue has been under the Archon's protection. Now, it's time for it to grow up."
Mu Qingge chose not to tell her sister the truth. This was the Archon's plan, and she should comply.
Although she had been mentally prepared, hearing it directly from her sister still caused Mu Qingxu a heart-wrenching pain.
Archon... fallen...
How could these two words be connected!?
"Sister, are you leaving?"
Mu Qingge placed her hand on her sister's face. At fourteen, she still had some baby fat and was very cute.
"Don't worry, just leave these matters to your sister. For a child like you, the most important thing is to get a good night's sleep. No staying up late, okay?"
Knowing that her parents hadn't come out yet, Mu Qingge realized that her sister was probably the one who hadn't slept until now.
"Be good, go to sleep quickly. I'll come see you after I've dealt with these matters."
Mu Qingge took her belongings and left the house, stepping out into the night.
Mu Qingxu watched from behind, her eyes filled with worry.
"You tell me not to stay up late, but what about you, Sister? At least I slept for a while during the day, but you've been busy until now!"
She always felt that the burden on her sister was too heavy. Although her sister was very capable, after all, she was only three years older than herself.
"Sister, I'm not a child anymore."
---
Livestream.
Over a day had passed in Teyvat, while only a dozen seconds had passed in the players' world.
After Lumine and Paimon parted ways with Mu Qingge, they were invited by Childe to the Northland Bank. Under Childe's deliberate persuasion and guidance, Lumine and Paimon also felt that the actions of the Qixing were problematic.
However, due to Mu Qingge's previous reminder, Lumine and Paimon didn't suspect Mu Qingge. After all, even though they were in the same faction, Mu Qingge didn't seem like the cunning person Childe described.
As in the original plot, Paimon and Lumine set off for Jueyun Karst to visit the Adepti after dinner.
During this time, Tartaglia also gave Lumine the Sigil of Permission.
This time, however, without the Millelith's pursuit, Lumine and Paimon's journey was much smoother.
Following the system's mission instructions, Lumine successively visited Moon Carver, Xiao, Cloud Retainer, and Mountain Shaper. While communicating with Cloud Retainer, she even clamored about suppressing Liyue Harbor.
The residences of the Adepti were all extraordinary, making players embark on quite a journey of mountain climbing in this upgraded game.
Lumine gave Cloud Retainer the token Mu Qingge had given her. After seeing it, Cloud Retainer expressed that she understood what that girl meant, would exercise the utmost restraint, and would set off for Liyue Harbor in a few days to meet with the Qixing.
The Adepti's might was still immense. Aside from anything else, the sheer size of the three Adepti's forms alone was enough to shock the players (ahem, upgraded version, last time I'll say it).
Returning from her Adepti visit, Lumine teleported back. Fortunately, she had activated several waypoints in Liyue Harbor before she left, otherwise, she would have been exhausted if she had to run back!
Speaking of which, these waypoints seemed to be only activatable by her. So far, no one else seemed to be able to use them.
Unlike in the game, in Teyvat, even Lumine needed a waypoint at both the departure point and the destination to teleport.
However, this was not a problem. These waypoints were spread across Teyvat. Once Lumine activated them, it was instantaneous to go there later.
This way, even when in Liyue, she could go to Mondstadt to take a look when she had free time.
Lumine had already returned to Liyue Harbor and found Tartaglia, roughly describing her Adepti-seeking endeavors.
"Hehe, actually, the Fatui aren't all bad. You see, like Childe, he's been helping us."
: "Wake up, streamer! I bet a pack of spicy strips that Childe will definitely betray you later!"
: "These Harbingers are all quite good-looking, but my favorite is the one under the snowy mountain!"
: "Will the Qixing be the final villains?"
: "What are you thinking? How could that be? My wife Mu looks like the best person ever!"
: "..."
---
Teyvat.
Tartaglia told Lumine about the Qixing's concealment of the Exuvia, and Lumine and Paimon both fell into confusion.
"It seems to be true, but I don't think Mu Qingge is that kind of person."
Paimon had her own set of criteria for judging people, and most of the time, she was quite accurate.
"Who knows? I'm somewhat familiar with this generation's Kaiyang Star and know her character, but when it comes to such a significant matter, perhaps she's also shrouded in mist."
"The rumor of the Geo Archon's demise has already spread among the populace. The Qixing are trying to seal off the news, but after all, the Rite of Descension sees many people coming and going, making it difficult to completely suppress the rumors."
"According to what you said, the Adepti will soon descend upon Liyue Harbor. The Qixing's concealment of the Exuvia and their strange behavior will surely displease the Adepti. Their intentions are likely not too friendly."
Paimon interjected, "That's not necessarily true. We gave Mu Qingge's token to Cloud Retainer, and she told us she would exercise restraint and sit down to talk with the Qixing."
Tartaglia was noncommittal:
"The Geo Archon and the Adepti have a deep relationship. In my opinion, his death not causing the Adepti to immediately rush to suppress Liyue Harbor is already a great deal of restraint."
"How do you know?"
Lumine didn't understand. Tartaglia didn't seem to be from Liyue.
"Haha, in Liyue, you can learn a lot about the Geo Archon by simply finding a storyteller, and you can even make good friends. Although much of the storytelling is artistically embellished, ignoring those, most of it is based on true events."
"Ladies, if you want to know the truth, I can introduce you to a capable person—someone who can help solve the problem of the 'Qixing concealing the Exuvia.'"
"This..."
Paimon pulled Lumine aside and whispered:
"Lumine, should we trust him? If the Adepti really come to Liyue Harbor and confront the Qixing, that would be terrible!"
Lumine looked at the anxious little one helplessly.
To be honest, this matter had nothing to do with them. Mu Qingge had also said that she would no longer pursue her and Paimon. They could completely withdraw and remain uninvolved.
But...
Through her understanding of the Geo Archon these past few days, Lumine knew that he was most likely not the god who separated her from her brother.
After thinking for a while, Lumine finally nodded.
Who made her such a genuinely good person, and who made her curious about this matter?
Mu Qingge was also their friend. How could she not help a friend in need?
Especially such a beautiful friend!
Also, Lumine had never let down her guard against the Fatui. Her intuition told her that the Fatui were definitely brewing something big.
.
.
.
_