The next day, on Mt. Aocang.
Yunqin sat up groggily, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Her long eyelashes were still dotted with dew, and a trace of drool lingered at the corner of her mouth, making her look like a newly awakened kitten.
She subconsciously called out into the air, "Poet, those stories you told last night were so hypnotic... but... they were truly wonderful..."
Her voice faded, answered only by the mountain wind.
Yunqin stretched lazily.
But even after waiting for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, she heard no warm, smiling reply from Venti.
She finally forced her heavy eyelids open, and the sight before her shocked her awake.
The grassy area, once warmed by the campfire, was now a chaotic mess. The fire had been scattered, its charcoal embers rolling into the dewy grass and hissing with faint white smoke.
The half-eaten grilled fish lay discarded nearby, coated in dirt and grass clippings, its enticing aroma from the previous night long gone.
What chilled her most was the sight of an ancient tree in the distance, cleanly severed at its trunk. The cut was unnaturally smooth.
"What... What happened here?" Yunqin frowned, rising to her feet.
Signs of a battle were everywhere, but no matter how hard she searched, she couldn't find any trace of Venti—not even a hint of his presence remained.
A terrifying thought struck her like a bolt of lightning, making her freeze. "No... It can't be... Did I... beat Venti so badly that not even a speck of him is left?"
She slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide with terror, her breathing growing rapid.
Her mind involuntarily flashed back to Venti's appearance last night—a bard who couldn't even hurt a fly, utterly devoid of combat ability.
If she had lost control again in her sleep and attacked indiscriminately, Venti, in his defenseless state, might have actually...
He might have actually been eliminated by her!
"Holy crap!" Yunqin gasped, quickly clamping her hand over her mouth again and darting her eyes around.
Thankfully, only the silent mountain forest surrounded her. No one else was there.
The thought that she might have accidentally killed someone sent a cold sweat breaking out on her palms and a chill creeping up her spine.
If the Millelith found out about this, they'd definitely throw her in jail!
She was only seventeen! She hadn't even tasted all the delicacies Teyvat had to offer, or settled the score with Keqing over who would get to speak to Rex Lapis first...
Spending her prime years in prison would be too tragic!
But then another thought occurred to her: Venti was just a wandering bard she'd met by chance, someone who wanted to travel all over Teyvat.
Now, he had "died" on Mt. Aocang because of her, without leaving behind even a scrap of clothing or a shard of his lyre.
The more Yunqin thought about it, the more guilt gnawed at her, and her nose began to sting.
"He was so kind... He even grilled such delicious fish for me and sang such moving stories... How could I have killed him? I'm so terrible..."
"No, I can't live with this sin! I need to find someone to help me figure out what to do!"
The first person who popped into Yunqin's mind was her Senior Sister—Ganyu!
Ganyu worked as a secretary for the Liyue Qixing. She understood Liyue's laws and had a gentle nature. She would surely help her find a solution, maybe even a way to "remedy" the situation.
Yunqin raised her hand and condensed her "Little UFO."
She leaped onto the Geo platform, which then sped toward Liyue Harbor.
Throughout the journey, her brow remained tightly furrowed.
If Master finds out, will he expel me from the sect?
Will I be sentenced to death for accidental manslaughter?
If Rex Lapis learns that one of his followers killed someone, will he take back my Vision and disown me as a citizen of Liyue?
Worse, what if Rex Lapis disavows me as his follower entirely?!
And Hu Tao, Xiangling, Xingqiu, and Chongyun... if they find out I'm a murderer, will they never speak to me again?
-
The more she thought, the more terrified she became. Yunqin's head drooped lower and lower, her jet-black hair falling like a curtain to hide her face.
As she flew over Liyue Harbor, she didn't even dare to look down at the bustling crowds below, terrified that someone would recognize her, point, and shout, "Murderer!"
Landing in a secluded spot, she kept her head down and hurried forward, her steps as frantic as if she were fleeing a debt collector. She didn't dare linger to listen to the street vendors hawking their delicacies—normally, she would always pause to consider, but now, she had no appetite for such things.
Thump—
Suddenly, with a soft thud, Yunqin collided with a soft body.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!" Yunqin blurted out instinctively, her voice laced with panic.
"Yunqin?" A gentle voice replied, tinged with surprise.
A jolt shot through Yunqin. She snapped her head up—and saw Ganyu standing before her, holding a thick stack of documents. She had clearly just left the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
Ganyu's eyes were filled with confusion as she looked at Yunqin's "guilty as sin" expression. "What are you doing here?" she couldn't help but ask. "Shouldn't you be training at Master's adeptal abode?"
Seeing Ganyu, the grievances Yunqin had suppressed throughout her journey surged up all at once, and she could no longer hold them back.
She rushed forward and threw her arms around Ganyu, burying her face in her soft chest. Her voice thick with tears, she cried, "Senior Sister! I've caused a huge disaster!"
Startled by the sudden embrace, Ganyu quickly and carefully set down her stack of documents, afraid they would scatter. Then, she gently patted Yunqin's back, her voice as soft as if she were soothing a child. "Don't panic, don't panic. Tell me slowly, what happened?"
"Did you accidentally hurt someone in your sleep again, like when you were little?"
Yunqin sniffled, but couldn't squeeze out a single tear.
She stammered, instinctively replacing herself with "a friend": "Senior Sister, I have a friend... she accidentally... hurt a passing bard... and now she can't find him. Do you... do you think he might be dead?"
She didn't dare say "killed someone," using "hurt" as a desperate cover.
But the more she spoke, the guiltier she felt, her voice dwindling until it was barely a whisper.
After listening, Ganyu thoughtfully stroked her chin and began to analyze the situation seriously. "If the harm was unintentional, and there's evidence to prove it was caused by a loss of control with no malicious intent, Liyue's laws allow for a reduced sentence. It wouldn't be too severe."
"So... so how many years in prison would that be?" Yunqin asked, looking at Ganyu with hopeful eyes.
She desperately wished Ganyu would say, "No prison time at all."
"If no one died and it was just an injury, after paying some Mora in compensation and undergoing a few years of supervised rehabilitation, she should be released."
"And... and if someone did die, but there's proof it was due to a loss of control, it would still be at least a few years," Ganyu answered honestly, holding nothing back.
"A few years?!" Yunqin instantly deflated like a punctured ball. Her head drooped, her shoulders slumped. "In a few years, I'll be an old lady! And Rex Lapis will have released so much new merchandise by then... I'll miss it all..."
Ganyu watched Yunqin's utterly devastated expression, as if the sky were falling, and couldn't help but smile. Her eyes filled with a helpless tenderness.
She pressed further, "By the way, who is this friend of yours?"
"Does she live in Liyue? Should I have her come talk to me in detail? I might be able to help her find that bard. Maybe he's fine and just left town."
Panic seized Yunqin. Like a thief caught red-handed, she quickly stumbled back two steps, waving her hands frantically. "No, no! I... I don't know her! I just overheard someone talking about it!"
"I have to go, Senior Sister! I'll come find you again soon!" Before Ganyu could stop her, she turned and bolted.
Ganyu watched her chaotic retreat and shook her head with a resigned sigh. "Sneaking out to play again, and being so secretive about it."
But then, recalling Yunqin's dazed, flustered expression, Ganyu couldn't help but smile again. That girl... she's still the same as when she was little. She can't keep a secret to save her life—the moment she panics, it's written all over her face.
Still, Ganyu thought, her expression turning serious, I should check if there have been any reports of Yunqin injuring someone.
-
Yunqin ran until she was far away before finally daring to stop and catch her breath.
She braced her hands on her knees, gasping for air. Her chest heaved violently, and her cheeks were flushed bright red from the exertion.
"A few years is too long! No way! I need to find someone more capable to help!"
An image of Zhongli flashed in her mind, and her eyes lit up. Mr. Zhongli is incredibly knowledgeable! He understands Liyue's history and laws—he'll definitely have a way to help me!
Yunqin straightened up, smoothed her messy clothes and hair, and took a deep breath. "That's it! I'll go find Mr. Zhongli!"
With renewed determination, she sprinted off in the direction of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.