That attitude… There was absolutely no sign of it changing at all.
Lora let out a quiet sigh, hoping Rhodeia wouldn't end up frightening Qiqi. She stopped paying attention to Rhodeia for the moment and instead focused on sensing the elemental crystal she had placed on Qiqi. As it was part of her own power, locking onto its location was effortless.
When Lora found Qiqi, she was carrying her medicine basket and chatting with a young woman.
"Qiqi!" Lora called out.
Hearing her voice, Qiqi immediately turned toward her and waved both hands.
"Sister! Here! Qiqi is here!"
Lora led Rhodeia over to where Qiqi and the young woman were standing. She glanced at the girl leaning against the wall, then asked,
"Why are you here, Qiqi? Shouldn't you be gathering herbs?"
Qiqi shook the medicine basket on her back and replied seriously, "Qiqi picked a lot of Qingxin. There's also Violetgrass inside. When passing by here, Qiqi noticed Miss Yan'er standing here all by herself, looking very bored, so Qiqi stopped to chat with her."
"Chatting?" Lora looked toward Yan'er. "What were you chatting about?"
"We… we…" Qiqi started to answer, but then realized she couldn't remember what they had been talking about. She frowned slightly, getting stuck mid-sentence.
Yan'er spoke up instead.
"You must be Qiqi's sister, right? Qiqi and I were just talking about the 'Chi.'"
"The 'Chi'?" Lora frowned.
Yan'er nodded.
"By the way, have you heard the legend of the 'Chi'?"
Lora shook her head. Rhodeia, standing beside her, spoke up calmly.
"Miss Lora, the 'Chi' is a very ancient legend of Qingce Village. According to the tales, the 'Chi' was a dragon-shaped demonic creature that once coiled itself around Qingce. After being defeated by the Geo Archon, Morax, its body curled into stone, its blood became emerald waters, and its scales turned into terraced fields."
"Yes, yes, that's the one!"
Yan'er clapped her hands, her eyes lighting up as she looked at Rhodeia with excitement and a sense of having met a kindred spirit.
"Oh my, it seems this young lady is quite knowledgeable about ancient legends too! What a coincidence—we really hit it off!"
Rhodeia ignored Yan'er entirely and continued speaking to Lora.
"However, whether the 'Chi' truly existed remains highly disputed. I can only sense that Qingce Village is indeed somewhat different from other places. As for whether that difference comes from the 'Chi,' I can't be certain."
Hearing this, Yan'er's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"I never thought this young lady would have such incredible abilities! Being able to sense Qingce's uniqueness means my hypothesis is very likely correct! The 'Chi' definitely exists—and its remains might be buried somewhere in these mountains!"
"You're… a researcher?" Lora raised an eyebrow, looking Yan'er up and down. Her attire clearly resembled that of the Treasure Hoarders, but Lora feigned ignorance as she asked.
"Research? Ah… ahahaha!"
Yan'er froze for a split second before quickly going along with it.
"Right, yes, I'm a researcher! I came specifically to study the 'Chi.' You see, it was a demonic creature personally suppressed by Morax, so its remains must be extremely valuable—ah, I mean, extremely worthy of research!"
Rhodeia immediately sensed something was off about Yan'er. Qiqi, meanwhile, was still clapping enthusiastically.
"Wow! Big Sis Yan'er, you're amazing!"
"Hahaha, it's nothing, nothing," Yan'er said modestly, waving her hand.
Lora took Qiqi's hand and said to Yan'er, "Since you're busy with your research, we won't disturb you. Qiqi, are you done gathering herbs?"
"Mm… almost," Qiqi answered after thinking for a moment. She might forget many things, but she always remembered her herb-gathering tasks—what to collect and how much.
"Then let's go. I'll go with you," Lora said, gently pulling Qiqi along.
"Hey—Miss, wait!" Yan'er called out anxiously as she saw them leaving, trying to stop them.
Rhodeia stepped forward, blocking Yan'er's path and cutting off her line of sight. Her voice was cold and heavy.
"I don't care who you are. Don't even think about disturbing the young lady and her sister. Otherwise, I'll let you experience the terror of water."
The icy chill in her tone made Yan'er shiver violently. She stumbled backward several steps, shaking her head frantically.
"No, no, no! I won't disturb them! I won't! Please don't get angry—don't hurt me!"
Rhodeia shot her a look full of disdain, then turned and followed after Lora and Qiqi.
Watching them disappear into the distance, Yan'er's legs gave out and she collapsed onto the ground. Still shaken, she muttered to herself,
"What in the world was that woman's job? How can she be so terrifying? Wait… don't tell me she's a professional assassin? If she is, then what are Qiqi and her sister? The three of them all look like people you absolutely shouldn't mess with… ugh, that scared me half to death."
"The 'Chi' you mentioned earlier—tell me everything you know."
Just as Yan'er was thanking her luck that Lora and the others hadn't attacked her, a cold female voice suddenly descended from the wall behind her.
Yan'er froze, then turned her head to look up. Standing atop the wall was a blond youth.
"You're talking to me?" she asked blankly.
Aether jumped down and landed in front of her, staring at her with an expressionless gaze.
"Everything you know about the 'Chi,'" he said. "Tell me all of it."
"Well…"
Yan'er hesitated, quickly calculating in her head. She decided Aether looked like an easy mark.
"I can tell you—but we'll have to split the loot. Any treasures or remains we find, I want seventy percent!"
Aether glanced at her, his eyes turning cold. Behind him, an Abyss Herald stepped forward, its gaze sharp and oppressive.
"You're not qualified to negotiate with me," Aether said flatly. "Tell me everything about the 'Chi.'"
At the sight of the Abyss Herald, Yan'er was utterly terrified. Her body trembled as she backed into the corner, hugging her knees as she stammered, "O-okay! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! Please, don't kill me—please!"
"As long as you cooperate in releasing the power of the 'Chi,' I guarantee your safety," Aether said calmly.
Even as he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Lora and the others, now little more than distant figures.
The existence of the 'Chi'…
There was nothing better suited to throwing Liyue Harbor into chaos.