Enjou's decisive and fearless action made Aether's heart stir slightly.
At this moment, if the Abyss Order had an [Employee of the Month] award, Aether would undoubtedly and without hesitation give the honor to Enjou.
Shao Yun was equally impressed by Enjou's conduct, clasping his fists toward him in a gesture of respect.
The other members of the Abyss Order also cast envious looks at Enjou.
No wonder Enjou had earned the Prince's trust and favor—efficient in his work, and adept at handling social matters.
Especially the Abyss Herald: Wicked Torrents, who admired Enjou so much that the thought of calling him big brother even surfaced in his mind.
Seeing Enjou resolve the situation and confirming there was no further problem, Shao Yun gave his next instruction.
"Since it's settled, brother-in-law, I'll take Lumine and leave first."
Aether nodded repeatedly in agreement.
"No problem. You've already helped me more than enough. Thank you."
…
Lumine and Shao Yun returned from Irminsul to the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
Along the way, Lumine muttered nonstop, still filled with dissatisfaction at Shao Yun's actions.
Yet her hand nevertheless reached toward him, carefully inspecting his injured, still-bleeding nose.
"I truly never imagined it—you actually dared to hide something this massive from me!"
While she spoke, Lumine continued wiping the blood around his nose with a handkerchief.
Her tone carried scolding, but the concern in her eyes could not be hidden.
Shao Yun knew Lumine's anger had mostly subsided by now, so he put on a cheeky grin to lighten the mood.
"Alright, alright. What's done is done. And it's not like I snuck off to do anything immoral, you know?"
The moment he finished, Lumine's expression shifted into something complicated—uncertain whether she should feel relieved or furious.
Arson, murder, pillaging… Shao Yun had committed all of those earth-shaking deeds—minus the "pillaging" part, at least.
Thinking of this, Lumine rubbed her forehead helplessly and sighed before asking, "So what exactly are we supposed to do now?"
She intentionally avoided mentioning anything about Nahida, and Shao Yun secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
After thinking briefly, he offered his suggestion.
"At the moment, we definitely can't stay in Sumeru City. We need to find someplace safe and wait for Enjou to fish the Dendro Archon back out of the leyline flow."
"Or we could just abandon everything and head straight for Fontaine… A farewell banquet with our friends in Sumeru is definitely out of the question."
With that said, he looked at Lumine, waiting for her opinion.
Lumine tapped her own forehead lightly, falling into brief thought.
A moment later, she lifted her head and said, "I think I still need to return to Liyue first. After some time, let's meet up in Aaru Village and discuss what we should do next."
Hearing that she still intended to return to Liyue, Shao Yun asked in confusion, "Why do you need to go back to Liyue? What for?"
Lumine shot him a glare and answered impatiently, "Because I can't just leave Yoimiya alone in Liyue without a word!"
"Enough. Stop talking nonsense and get yourself to Aaru Village already! You don't need to worry about my matters."
At the mention of Yoimiya, Shao Yun nodded frantically. "Alright, alright. But be careful not to get used by Zhongli as some kind of purification filter pot for cleansing the Abyss."
Hearing yet another one of his sharp, sarcastic jokes, Lumine could only respond with a dry, helpless laugh.
"Seriously… always with the snide jokes. That's enough. Don't worry—I'll be careful. And really, it shouldn't get that bad."
Seeing how nonchalant she was, Shao Yun reached out and tapped her forehead lightly, giving a gentle, earnest reminder. "It never hurts to stay alert. Otherwise one day someone might sell you off, and you'd still be helping them count the money."
…
After that, Lumine and Shao Yun went their separate ways.
Lumine returned to Liyue, while Shao Yun hurried back to their residence in Sumeru to gather the belongings for the three of them.
Under the blanket of night, Sumeru City looked especially quiet. Using the cover of moonlight, Shao Yun slipped back home undetected by the Corps of Thirty.
He opened the door softly, careful not to make a sound.
Once inside, Shao Yun quickly began packing the personal belongings of himself, Lumine, and Paimon.
Though they had lived in Sumeru for a while, they were often traveling, so they hadn't accumulated much.
As a result, packing was relatively quick.
Just as he was about to finish, a sudden female voice echoed in his mind without warning.
"Your fate grows harder and harder for me to predict." The voice seemed distant and yet impossibly clear.
Shao Yun's heart jolted, and his body reacted instantly.
With speed surpassing most mortals, he drew his cowboy-style revolver from the holster at his waist and spun around, whispering sharply, "Who?!"
But the room was empty save for him.
The mysterious woman's voice echoed again in his mind.
"No need to be so tense. You should have heard my name before." Her tone carried what sounded like a faint smile.
Shao Yun didn't relax. His grip on the revolver remained steady as he surveyed the surroundings.
"As a matter of courtesy, please introduce yourself first."
Hearing his request, she spoke naturally.
"Well, I'm a member of the Hexenzirkel. My codename is 'N'. But you may call me Miss Nicole."
At the revelation that she belonged to the Hexenzirkel, Shao Yun immediately recalled the information Mona had once shared with him.
"Miss Nicole," he asked warily, "what business do you have with me? Are you here to kill me?"
Nicole's pleasant voice returned, explaining patiently, "Oh, don't be nervous! I'm simply here to take a look at you."
"You're quite famous, you know. Beating the Anemo Archon, scolding the Geo Archon, killing the Electro Archon, endangering the Dendro Archon, and even going fifty-fifty with a Sustainer of Heavenly Principles despite being on the brink of death… you're far too interesting!"
Hearing this, Shao Yun finally relaxed a little. He put away the revolver and joked, "Haha, sorry Miss Nicole. I don't have time to give you an autograph right now—I need to escape this place."
Nicole's curious voice chimed again. "Hmm… I'm just wondering: why did you do such outrageous things? Were you ordered by that terrifying demon behind you?"
Shao Yun's expression darkened. "I take orders from no one. I'm simply sprinting toward a better world—whatever it takes."
Nicole's voice drifted back, this time with a strange cadence, almost teasing him. "Trying to chase a 'better life' through slaughter? Who said a person can't live a terrible life while still fantasizing about something good happening?"
When she threw his own logic back at him, Shao Yun snapped, "Oh please, drop the act! If you've got a way to get me out of this mess, say it!"
"Otherwise, go ahead and kill me, and let you people use Lumine like a ball of dough to knead however you like."
"If not, then get lost!"
Sensing his fury, Nicole's voice softened at once as she hurried to apologize. "Ah—my apologies. My mouth tends to run ahead of me. I only meant to give you guidance…"
"But still, aren't you even a little curious about the Dendro Archon's fate from here on?"
The moment Nahida was mentioned, Shao Yun instantly grew impatient. "I don't care about that diaper-wearing gremlin. If you have nothing else to say, I'm leaving."
He reached for the door to leave the house.
But Nicole's voice returned.
"What you and Buer discussed was correct—she truly does need a powerful attendant. Deep within the vast desert sleeps the Dendro Dragon Sovereign, Apep."
Hearing the name Apep, an absurd idea flashed through Shao Yun's mind.
"Oh, maybe Nahida can abdicate and pass her authority to it. Might even be better that way."
Nicole could only give a helpless, amused reaction. "You really do say whatever pops into your head. So carefree… If you were a girl and put your talent points into witch-related skills, I think you'd fit right into the Hexenzirkel."
Shao Yun clearly had no intention of continuing this conversation.
"If you're done, go wash up and sleep."
Just as he stepped out the door, he added, as if remembering something, "Oh, and if you're having trouble sleeping, maybe use your divination powers to figure out where Nahida is right now, then tell Enjou."
Nicole paused—then chuckled with interest. "Alright. I don't want to see the Dendro Archon die either. Never imagined I'd be guiding the Abyss Order of all people…"
===BREAK===
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