The Moonchase Festival was nearing its end.
The lively festive atmosphere in Liyue Harbor had gradually settled into calm.
After spending a wonderful holiday with Mu Yang, Lumine received a letter from Sangonomiya Kokomi.
Soon after, she bid farewell to Mu Yang and set sail for Inazuma alongside Beidou and Xinyan.
After parting ways with Lumine, Mu Yang headed to Mt. Aocang.
The adepti had already been waiting there for some time.
Following the lively gathering, Mu Yang returned to Chenyu Vale.
Lingyuan had never been one to celebrate such festivals.
To her, these human holidays held little meaning.
She remembered the Toulong Ceremony only because it was a festival presided over by Fujin.
She remembered the Lantern Rite only because of Mu Yang...
But now, things were different. It was clear she had thoroughly enjoyed this year's Moonchase Festival.
To be more precise, she loved the new pastries Mu Yang had made.
No sooner had Mu Yang returned to his small house in Yilong Wharf than Lingyuan arrived right after.
Mu Yang initially thought some urgent matter required his attention.
Instead, Lingyuan's first words were: "Do you have any more mooncakes?"
Mu Yang couldn't help but laugh. "You finished them already? Should I teach you how to make them?"
He had given her quite a few.
Lingyuan shook her head. "The ones you make taste better."
She never minced her words.
When it came to brewing tea, Fujin might have contested for superiority.
But in terms of culinary skills, Mu Yang was indisputably the best among them.
Mu Yang told her, "No matter how much you flatter me, I won't be making any tonight."
"Then I'll come back in a few days to get some."
With that, Lingyuan left Mu Yang's house and returned to the mountains.
Mu Yang chuckled and shook his head.
With the Moonchase Festival events concluded, Mu Yang finally had time to take stock of his gains.
He pulled up the system panel—his popularity points had surged.
The initial investment of popularity points in exchange for gacha pulls had, as Mu Yang predicted, yielded high returns.
If even one person used those 20 pulls to obtain the character they wanted, Mu Yang's popularity was bound to rise.
It was a foolproof plan.
As for the final memory segment of the event, that too was part of Mu Yang's scheme.
By now, he had accompanied the players for a long time.
Throughout this period, they had lived comfortably, basking in a sense of security.
So, it was time to plant the seeds.
People firmly believed what they saw with their own eyes.
Thus, rather than Mu Yang spelling things out for them,
it was better to let them see for themselves, analyze, and ultimately convince themselves.
As Mu Yang browsed through the forums of parallel Earth, it was clear many had done just that.
He focused on two major trending topics.
The first was speculation about the [???] found in Dragonspine.
Even Mu Yang himself wasn't sure what it was.
The more he read, the more mystical it seemed, to the point where even he began to find the players' theories plausible.
Could this really be connected to me?
"Seems I'll need to investigate this backstory setting when I get the chance."
The second trending topic was the fan-made animation Chenyu's Old Memories, which had surpassed 20 million views on Bibili.
Created by an artist who extrapolated the story from the statue's exit in the Yujing Terrace Sword Challenge event,
Mu Yang watched it and thought it might as well have been made by a prophet.
It depicted Mu Yang's daily interactions with his friends—followed by the inevitable tragedy...
However, the artist had never seen Fujin and Lingyuan's human forms, so their appearances were slightly off.
The true reasons behind their exits were also glossed over.
Even so, the animation was a masterpiece.
Especially after players became convinced that Mu Yang's story would take a dark turn, its popularity skyrocketed.
The system couldn't help but remark, "Honestly, I never expected you to accumulate popularity points this quickly."
"But you've truly stayed true to your original intent, sticking to your plan of delivering tragedy."
Mu Yang: "System, enough chatter. Pour everything into boosting my strength."
The system obediently complied.
Mu Yang entered a meditative state but didn't feel any significant improvement.
It truly reflected that old saying from the cultivation world—every step forward was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
Over the next few days, Mu Yang busied himself making mooncakes for the "dull beast."
Surveying the fully stocked room, he mused, "This should last her a while."
Once Lingyuan was taken care of, Mu Yang began preparing for his next move.
According to Genshin Impact's version schedule:
Version 2.2 would focus on Inazuma events.
Lumine would learn from Childe that "Scaramouche has run off with the Gnosis."
Version 2.3 would return to Mondstadt's Dragonspine, centering on Albedo's story.
Only by Version 2.4, on the eve of the Lantern Rite, would the story circle back to Liyue.
Mu Yang had no intention of waiting idly. After all, by Version 2.4, his little disciple Shenhe would make her debut.
He planned to launch a grand, spectacle-filled event before the Lantern Rite.
And give Lingyuan a chance to appear as well.
Since the barefooted, white-robed Yaojun had already revealed herself,
it was time for the voluptuous, blue-haired beauty to step into the spotlight.
This event wouldn't just rake in popularity points—it would also give Shenhe a sense of belonging as she entered the mortal world.
No more working at Wanmin Restaurant; she could come work for her master instead!
Mu Yang's dedication was truly unmatched. Even the system was moved to tears.
"A-Yang, you're obsessing over popularity again. Why not take a break?"
Mu Yang: "Rein it in. Act normal."
The system reset itself. "This event idea is fantastic—it's got me spinning. But can you really get the Anemo Archon to cooperate?"
"Those rumors about you slaying dragons are still circulating in Mondstadt, you know."
Mu Yang smiled. "If anything, convincing Ei would be harder—after all, she's the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma."
"But Venti? He's just a wine-loving bard."
Windrise.
Venti, leaning against the great tree, plucked the strings of his lyre.
The corners of his lips curled upward, unstoppable.
"I've got a feeling free drinks are coming my way. Ehe~"