Real World
Due to the different time scales, the players had only experienced a few in-game quests since preparing for the Rite of Descension with Mu Qingge.
For instance, only about half an hour had passed for Guojia between events.
Both Guojia and the viewers in the live stream expressed deep regret at Mu Qingge's departure.
The Liyue female general, for crying out loud! Just that alone was enough to trigger countless people's fantasies, let alone her stunning character model!
After their brief time together, Guojia found herself deeply enamored with Mu Qingge's character.
As for Rola...
Who said you couldn't like both?
Being a die-hard beauty enthusiast, Guojia was also captivated by Zhongli and Childe.
Especially Zhongli—his breathtakingly handsome face paired with his old-fashioned, authoritative manner created a fascinating contrast.
Guojia's progress through the game's storyline was steady.
Following Zhongli's invitation to dinner, Ganyu, the self-proclaimed Secretary of the Qixing, approached the Traveler and Paimon on Ningguang's behalf, inviting them to the Jade Chamber for further discussions.
However, she forgot to tell Lumine and Paimon how to get to the Jade Chamber.
While searching for a way, Lumine and Paimon encountered another member of the Liyue Qixing—Yuheng Star Keqing.
Keqing's cat ears and black stockings were a huge hit with the players.
After learning how to reach the Jade Chamber, Lumine and Paimon met with Ningguang. Their conversations led them to reconsider their preconceived notions about her.
Following their agreement, they rejoined Zhongli for the final step of the Rite of Parting. Upon returning to Liyue Harbor, they learned that the Adepti had arrived and were confronting the Qixing.
At this critical moment, Lumine and Paimon headed to the Golden House.
"Ugh, ah~" Guojia stretched languidly.
"The story flows seamlessly, the graphics are crisp, and the gameplay is smooth. It's been ages since I've encountered such a well-made and conscientious game."
Guojia was thoroughly enjoying her gaming session.
The viewers in the live stream enthusiastically agreed.
Having watched Guojia play for so long, the audience hadn't dwindled—on the contrary, it had steadily grown.
-
Teyvat, Golden House.
Paimon's eyes lit up as they entered the Golden House:
"Wow! This is the Golden House?"
"It looked magnificent from the outside, but the inside is even more luxurious! And... and there's Mora everywhere!"
"Since all of Teyvat's Mora is created here... wouldn't it be easy to take a little extra without anyone noticing?"
Lumine sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead at Paimon's greedy expression:
"Don't reach for it. Reaching means getting caught. If it were that easy, everything would have fallen apart long ago."
Paimon gasped, covering her mouth with her tiny hand: "Eeeh? So it's a trap? Good thing you warned me!"
"But if we can't take any, we can still look, right...?"
Paimon daydreamed about what it would be like to have so much Mora.
"Paimon, we still have plenty of Mora, don't we?" Lumine reminded her.
Even though they'd been spending lavishly lately, they still had a hundred million Mora from Rola—they hadn't even made a dent in it yet.
"Ahehe, no one ever complains about having too much Mora, right~?"
"Let's focus on confirming the Exuvia's status first," Lumine said, steering the conversation back to their mission. Paimon snapped back to attention.
"Speaking of which, why isn't such an important place guarded? That's really suspicious."
Lumine's sharp eyes noticed a Millelith soldier lying unconscious nearby.
Clearly, this place hadn't been unguarded; the guards had simply been taken care of by someone else.
Soon, Childe's voice echoed through the chamber: "As Guides, your mission was already complete. Why come looking for trouble?"
-
Player Perspective
The moment that voice rang out, countless players knew: the storm was coming!
Guojia slammed her fist on the table. "I knew it! None of the Fatui are good people, and Childe's no exception!"
[Holy shit, streamer, you scared the crap out of me!]
[Lmao, it's definitely the same streamer. Newcomers, see this? She's not your typical "sweet girl"~]
[Honestly, I still kinda like Childe, even knowing he's not a good guy. I just hope things don't get too ugly between them.]
-
Inside the Golden House, Lumine and Tartaglia's standoff continued.
"If you were Fatui members, you might have earned a generous reward from the Tsaritsa," Tartaglia said after exchanging some sharp words with Lumine. "But as it stands, you're nothing more than a worthless nuisance."
After a brief exchange, Tartaglia declared, "Now, let's indulge in something simple and delightful... combat."
Paimon exclaimed in surprise, "Combat? You're one of those people who loves picking fights?"
"Ha ha ha, you could say that," Tartaglia chuckled.
"In Mondstadt, La Signora insulted the gods outside the cathedral, then fled immediately afterward. She'd rather seal everyone's movements with wind and snow than face you in battle, all to avoid attracting the Knights with the noise."
"Against stronger opponents, she only calculates her gains, considers her chances of victory, and weighs the consequences of her actions..."
"But the greatest joy I've found since becoming a Harbinger is challenging stronger and stronger foes."
Paimon clenched her tiny fists earnestly. "What happened in Mondstadt won't happen again!"
Tartaglia exuded confidence in his upcoming battle with Lumine, never once considering the possibility of defeat.
Lumine bristled with anger. "I can't beat you? What kind of joke is that?!"
"Ha ha ha ha, fine then. Since you want to play too, don't disappoint me."
-
Earlier that day...
Mu Qingge had no desire to confront the Adepti; she had more pressing matters to attend to.
So, before Ningguang could summon her, Mu Qingge "accidentally discovered" the person Yelan had warned her to be wary of—Angie.
Finding Angie suspicious, she quietly followed her.
And so...
When Ningguang sent people to find her, they found nothing.
Mu Qingge tailed Angie all the way to the Golden House!
-
Inside the Golden House, Lumine was sent flying by Tartaglia, rolling across the floor.
During her time in Teyvat, she had engaged in countless battles. Through it, her swordsmanship had improved significantly.
Tartaglia slowly approached, combining his twin blades into a long spear. He twirled the spear in his hand with a practiced flourish, looking quite cool.
"Not bad. Your swordsmanship is certainly interesting, but it stops there."
With that, Tartaglia immediately lunged at Lumine.
Lumine countered with a Wind Blade, clashing against Tartaglia's attack.
She stomped her left foot, and countless Geo Spikes erupted from the ground, surging toward Tartaglia.
Tartaglia used the momentum to leap away. By the time Lumine reacted, he had already reached the Exuvia.
"Hmph!" Lumine snorted coldly.
"I didn't expect you were hiding a trick up your sleeve."
"He actually used his disadvantage to get closer to the Exuvia...?!" Paimon exclaimed in surprise.
"Don't get so worked up like a fresh recruit," Tartaglia retorted. "This is child's play for someone seasoned in battle!"
With that, Tartaglia's right hand shot out, seizing the colossal Exuvia.
Due to the Exuvia's colossal size, Tartaglia channeled his Electro Element Power to form a massive hand that grabbed toward the Exuvia's chest.
"Then, Morax's Gnosis... I'll just take it... Huh?!"
Staring at his empty palm, Tartaglia chuckled, "So that's how it is. Quite unexpected."
"So, you were the one who struck first!"
The Electro energy around Tartaglia surged violently once more, this time with even greater ferocity. Simultaneously, he activated his Foul Legacy Transformation...
-
Live Stream:
The battle scenes were epic, especially during the animated sequences. Tartaglia's spear techniques left many viewers in awe.
[Wow, he's so cool!]
[Holy crap, the animation quality! Even the most popular anime might not be able to achieve this!]
[Am I the only one completely mesmerized by that Exuvia? It's so massive, you can't help but be awestruck!]
[Lumine got hit! Not happy...]
[Why isn't Paimon helping?]
[Upstairs, are you seriously expecting a food emergency to fight?!]
[Wait, why does the animation after we win show us losing?]
-
Outside the Golden House, Mu Qingge had just arrived.
In truth, she could have come much earlier, even intercepting Childe outside. But for the sake of the plot, she deliberately took several detours.
Well, Angie led me around, she thought, using that as an excuse no one would suspect.
Although no one in Teyvat seemed to suspect anything at the moment, that didn't mean the players wouldn't. After all, the player base included all sorts of people.
Who knew? There might be someone out there who enjoyed scrutinizing every detail.
If she wasn't careful now, these inconsistencies might suddenly be unearthed later, turning this minor plot hole into a flaw in Genshin Impact.
While such imperfections wouldn't overshadow the game's overall excellence, Mu Qingge was a perfectionist.
At the very least, any storyline she was involved in had to be logical. Otherwise, how could she collect Emotional Feedback?
In the Consciousness Space, Jiang Mumu was playing the game, synchronizing with the unfolding plot.
Outside, Angie and Mu Qingge arrived at the Golden House just as Tartaglia emerged, having used the Sigil of Permission.
The players were still reeling from Tartaglia's revelation that the Geo Archon hadn't died, while simultaneously marveling at the God he had unleashed.
After Lumine and Paimon left the Golden House, the scene suddenly shifted.
[My waifu Qingge! ! !]
[Why do I suddenly feel so safe?]
[Qingge seems to be looking for someone, like she just arrived.]
[The God is about to be unsealed! We're doomed! Qingge, hurry and help!]
[Hmm, if Tartaglia just came out, do you think he'll run into Qingge immediately?]
The question answered itself: the moment Tartaglia stepped out of the Golden House, he collided with Mu Qingge.