Inazuma, Ritou.
"Second Sister, come back as soon as you get your graduation certificate! And Boss, don't forget to bring back some local specialties for me when you go out, okay?"
Itto pounded his chest with a resounding thud. "Don't worry, Yuna! I might forget everything else, but I'll never forget to bring you back some souvenirs!"
Yuna handed Kuki Shinobu a packet of preserved food she had prepared the day before.
"Here, Second Sister, take this for the journey. Remember to keep it with you; if you give it to Boss, it'll be gone by tomorrow."
"Hey, hey, hey! Yuna, do you really trust me that little?"
Yuna pouted.
"I know you better than you know yourself..."
"Alright, alright, you two better hurry! The ship's about to depart."
Yuna nudged her Second Sister and Boss toward the ship, watching as they boarded and set sail.
"Little one, are you sulking because your sister didn't let you come along?"
"Lady Guuji? How could I be? Since I promised to stay in Inazuma, I wouldn't even think of going elsewhere..."
Yae Miko followed Yuna's gaze to the departing ship.
"Troubled times are upon us..."
"What?"
"Hehe, just think of it as a fox's sixth sense. Sometimes, that sixth sense can be surprisingly accurate, you know..."
Yuna looked at Yae Miko in astonishment. Could it really be that mystical?
Liyue was on the verge of a major upheaval. For Second Sister and Boss to be heading there now meant they would inevitably be caught up in the chaos. Calling it merely "troubled times" seemed like a gross understatement.
"Come on, little one. I promised Ei I'd bring you over today. Come on, show off your skills and let's blow that girl's mind!"
"Eek! Lady Guuji, stop pulling me! I can walk myself!"
-
Liyue.
It had been a long time since Lumine had returned to Liyue. Walking through its streets felt completely different from Inazuma.
"Traveler, the Lantern Rite is just over a month away! You don't know about the Lantern Rite, do you? Hehe, it's Liyue's grandest festival! There'll be tons of delicious food, fun activities, and everyone will gather together—it's going to be super exciting!" Paimon exclaimed.
Lumine chuckled. The moment food was mentioned, Paimon acted like she'd been injected with adrenaline.
But thinking about it, the Lantern Rite... she was kind of looking forward to it too.
When was the last time she'd celebrated a festival? She couldn't quite remember. Back then, she and Aether had still been together, a world away from their current circumstances.
"Since we're finally back in Liyue, let's go see Qingge! Paimon still has those yummy treats Yuna gave us—we absolutely have to share them with her!" Paimon suggested.
If there was anyone in Liyue they were closest to, it was definitely Mu Qingge.
Lumine agreed, though she wondered if visiting Qingge, as one of the Qixing, would be an interruption. Qingge must be incredibly busy.
As Lumine and Paimon headed toward Mu Qingge's office, they ran into Keqing, rushing about with her usual fiery energy.
Keqing seemed incredibly busy, not even noticing Lumine and Paimon.
Paimon immediately floated over. "Keqing, what are you so busy with?"
"Oh, it's you two!"
Recognizing them, Keqing paused. "My apologies. I was a bit preoccupied and didn't see you earlier. What brings you here?"
Lumine: "Nothing urgent. We were on our way to see Qingge when we ran into you. Seeing how busy you are, is there anything we can help with?"
Keqing paused, surprised. "You haven't heard?"
Lumine and Paimon exchanged confused glances. Heard what?
"Several months ago, Qingge was assigned to guard The Chasm. A few days ago, she disappeared while exploring it with Yelan. The Conqueror of Demons has already rushed there."
In truth, Keqing would have rushed there herself long ago if her presence would have made a difference.
"What?!"
Disappeared?
Yelan... Lumine remembered meeting her at Baizhu's clinic.
But why was Qingge guarding The Chasm? Had something happened there?
And how could she just disappear?
Seeing Lumine and Paimon's expressions, Keqing decided to set her work aside.
"It began when Yelan discovered Abyss Monsters wreaking havoc near The Chasm in Mondstadt. She fought them but was overwhelmed and only survived thanks to the Conqueror of Demons..."
Lumine's expression turned serious. "Abyss Monsters causing chaos in Mondstadt?!"
Keqing nodded. "Before this, The Chasm had already faced a crisis when Abyss Monsters surged forth, threatening Liyue. Ningguang suspected their target was the Abyss beneath The Chasm and dispatched the Kaiyang to guard the area, with Yelan accompanying her..."
Keqing slowly recounted the recent events, telling Lumine everything that had happened.
As one of the Qixing, she naturally knew the full details.
Lumine was Liyue's friend and comrade, so there was no need to keep secrets from her.
After hearing the full story, Lumine clenched her fists. That bastard again!
He's finally resurfaced!
"Paimon, let's go!"
"Eh? Where to?"
"The Chasm!"
Keqing watched Lumine and Paimon dash off. With their help, the chances of finding Qingge had greatly increased.
Qingge, oh Qingge... please don't be hurt!
-
Player World.
When Keqing spoke of Malice, players everywhere gritted their teeth.
Many still grieved Rola's sacrifice, and some played Genshin Impact solely to hunt down and kill that bastard.
Chen Xiyao wasn't surprised. Since Malice had killed her favorite character, she'd been itching for revenge, but the damn thing had remained in hiding.
Now that it had resurfaced In Liyue, anxiety was inevitable.
[Qingge is missing?!]
[Holy shit, could it really be that bastard again?!]
[That bastard has his eyes on my Qingge?!]
[Mihoyo, I'm telling you, if you dare kill Qingge, you'll face the wrath of the entire player base!]
[Look at the title: "Requiem of the Echoing Depths." Damn, is something big about to happen?!]
[We're doomed! I'm too scared to play now!]
-
Outside The Chasm, Lumine and Paimon arrived at the only path leading to the chasm's mouth. A squad of Millelith soldiers stood guard here.
"Hello! The Traveler and I are here to help find Qingge!" Paimon announced.
The Millelith soldiers stationed here had all been personally selected by Mu Qingge. Many had participated in the wars against Osial and Beisht, and they recognized Lumine and Paimon immediately.
The Millelith captain saluted Lumine and Paimon solemnly:
"We're counting on you two. You must bring Lady Mu back!"
In the days since Mu Qingge's disappearance, they had been unable to eat or sleep properly, consumed by worry.
Mu Qingge ruled her troops with strict discipline, yet she treated her subordinates with kindness. They respected the Kaiyang, who was younger than most of them, because she truly possessed extraordinary ability!
Whether in martial prowess, strategic acumen, grasp of the big picture, or sheer work ethic, she commanded their complete admiration!
But one thing remained unchanged: Lady Mu was actually younger than most of them. In private, they didn't hold her in the same awe they reserved for other senior officers.
Now that she was likely in danger, how could these Millelith soldiers not worry?