Deep within The Chasm.
Mu Qingge had been trapped here for over ten days.
After parting ways with Yelan to explore the depths, she was ambushed by a malicious assailant.
Recognizing the familiar attack patterns and appearance, Mu Qingge quickly identified her attacker.
Fortunately, the treasure bestowed upon her by the Geo Archon shielded her from many of the creature's attacks.
Burning with vengeance for Rola, Mu Qingge immediately engaged the creature in combat.
But the monster proved cunning. After each failed strike, it vanished, eluding Qingge's every attempt to locate it.
Even a God could not pierce the creature's camouflage; naturally, neither could she.
The stalemate dragged on. Then, inexplicably, Mu Qingge suddenly found herself plummeting downward.
Only at the moment of impact did she realize: this damned bastard had planned this all along!
The lowest reaches of the Chasm housed a peculiar space where Mu Qingge felt no hunger, only bone-deep fatigue without sleepiness.
The longer she remained trapped here, the more desperate she became. She sensed something fundamentally wrong with her condition, yet had no idea how to remedy it.
She had explored nearly every corner of this area, even chipping away at several rocks, but found nothing noteworthy.
In the small space housing Jiang Mumu's main consciousness:
She had almost forgotten the original plot, and to review it, she would have to wait for the story to progress to this point.
Truthfully, Jiang Mumu (Mu Qingge) was starting to regret arriving so early. She hadn't anticipated how unbearable it would be down here.
The days dragged on like years, making her restless. But since she was already in this situation, all she could do was patiently wait for the plot to unfold.
Still, something felt off. Hadn't Malice seen Xiao arrive?
Where had that guy run off to?
After waiting aimlessly for what seemed like an eternity, Jiang Mumu simply withdrew Mu Qingge's consciousness, leaving her lying in a corner to idle offline.
She would bring Mu Qingge's consciousness back whenever the plot here finally began.
After all, this place was so bizarre that fainting wouldn't seem out of place.
There was no need to worry about any strange creatures attacking Mu Qingge in the meantime. The Mystic Barrier was still in place.
Even if something did approach, Jiang Mumu would sense it immediately.
-
The Chasm.
After parting ways with Dain, Lumine and Paimon encountered Yelan and a group of Millelith soldiers who shared their mission: finding Qingge.
They had apparently agreed to meet here, as many soldiers were resting nearby.
The eyes of many Millelith soldiers were bloodshot, and some even had red-rimmed sockets.
Yelan's complexion was also poor. She had barely rested during this ordeal, and the intense workload had severely diminished her focus.
For an intelligence operative like Yelan, such a state would normally be utterly unacceptable!
But now...
Every time she tried to rest, Mu Qingge's face would flash through her mind.
Each day that Qingge remained missing, her heart remained suspended in anxiety.
"You two?"
Yelan hadn't expected to see Lumine and Paimon in this place. "Are you here to find Qingge as well?"
"We heard about Qingge's disappearance from Keqing and rushed here immediately. Yelan, have you found anything?"
Yelan sighed and shook her head.
Today marked the thirteenth day of the search, and a grim suspicion had already taken root in her heart.
She dared not voice it aloud. They hadn't found a single trace of Mu Qingge. Could she be trapped in some hidden corner?
If that were the case, every second they wasted could cost them their best chance to rescue Mu Qingge.
After a brief discussion, the group reorganized their search teams and dispersed.
Lumine and Paimon ventured deeper into the abyss.
"Lumine, it's been so many days, and there's no food down here. Do you think Qingge...?"
Lumine immediately clapped a hand over Paimon's mouth. "Paimon, don't say such things."
Paimon nodded, quickly covering her own mouth.
-
Outside The Chasm.
"Please, Millelith officers, just a little help! I really need to get inside for something important!"
Yanfei stood blocked at the road leading to The Chasm, with two followers hiding behind a nearby rock.
The Millelith guard's expression hardened. "No means no. The Chasm has been taken over by the Qixing. No one is allowed near it for the time being!"
Yanfei's face fell. "Sigh... Fine then."
It seemed she'd have to find another time to handle the will matter.
Behind a nearby rock:
"Shinobu, look! Our benefactor is in trouble. Let's go help her..."
Kuki Shinobu massaged her forehead in exasperation. "Boss, are you even listening to yourself? Those are the Millelith! If we go up there, we'll only make things worse."
"Oh yeah... Then what do we do?" Itto asked.
"The high-ups in Liyue have sealed this place off. We can't get in. Looks like she will have to abandon her mission."
Nearby, Malice lurking in the shadows couldn't stand by any longer.
No way! If you guys leave, who's going to get Mu Qingge out of here? She hasn't reached her logout time yet!
Just as Malice was about to jump out and cause chaos, the familiar sensation she'd felt when she'd almost tried to provoke Diluc under the Anemo Archon's gaze washed over her again.
Malice immediately hid.
Holy shit! Morax, that old man! He's been here all along?!
A wave of fear washed over her. Thank goodness I gave this avatar that ability when I created it! Otherwise, I'd be dead a dozen times over by now!
With that thought, Malice vanished. To hell with the mission. If it's gone, it's gone...
-
Just as Yanfei was about to leave, a Millelith soldier called out to her.
"Wait! Are you Miss Yanfei?"
Yanfei turned to the soldier, whom she didn't recognize, and nodded in confusion.
The Millelith soldier spoke briefly to his captain. After listening, the captain turned to Yanfei and said, "My apologies. You may proceed."
Yanfei: "???"
Though puzzled, she was relieved to be allowed in.
Itto, seeing Yanfei enter, immediately leaped forward, only to be stopped by the Millelith soldiers.
"We're with Miss Yanfei!" Itto declared.
The Millelith soldiers glanced back at Yanfei, who stared at Itto in astonishment. How did he even follow me here?
Yanfei found herself overwhelmed by Itto's enthusiasm. Maybe I should just find him some task to keep him busy. Chasing me all the way from Liyue Harbor... his persistence is truly impressive!
And he even dragged Shinobu along. I feel kind of bad about that.
"Yes, we're together," Yanfei confirmed.
The guarding Millelith soldiers stepped aside to let Itto and Kuki Shinobu pass.
Nearby, Malice, who hadn't gotten far, stared in disbelief.
This actually worked? Is this the plot's pull, forcing things to align?
After the group had left, the Millelith captain turned to the soldier who had spoken earlier.
"Are you sure about what you said?"
"Yes, Captain. Miss Yanfei is a Vision holder with immense strength. She also has a close relationship with Lady Mu."