Earth.
11:50 AM.
With no new plot content, Guinaifen, too lazy to stream, didn't even want to get out of bed.
She sent a quick message to the group: "No stream today."
The group chat erupted in complaints.
[You're Meng Tian, I'm Daji]: Little Gui's a big streamer now, locking out her group pals.
[I'll Be Mondstadt's Top Pyro Archer]: Sigh, if I'd known sis wasn't streaming today, I wouldn't have shown up.
[Send 1 for Crabby Patty Recipe]: Sis is probably just tired, even her leave notice is so half-hearted.
[Plankton]: 111
...
Guinaifen closed the group chat window.
She decided to browse some Mu Yang fan creations instead.
The Lantern Rite was still a few days away, and even when it started, there'd be no Mu Yang plot.
That was a huge blow to Guinaifen's enthusiasm.
Plus, the developers left a hook—what was Mu Yang doing back in Chenyu Vale?
Was he really, as he said, dealing with demons and evil spirits?
What was the content of that agreement?
And why had Chenyu Vale's Adepti forces fallen apart, with some dead and others injured?
Little Gui couldn't figure it out.
Might as well check if Silver Wolf posted any new analysis videos.
Opening Bilibili, she saw Silver Wolf hadn't updated.
But Genshin Impact's official account had.
"Oh, it's the Divine Damsel of Devastation animation."
Guinaifen didn't click it and kept scrolling.
It's not that she wasn't interested—Yun Jin's opera performance was god-tier.
But since the official didn't post these past two days, she'd already watched the clips to perfection.
She'd seen it over a hundred times and even checked out other streamers' reactions.
"Hm? Two official posts in a row?" Guinaifen's brow furrowed, sensing something big.
As a diehard Mu Yang fan, how could she not recognize the words The Oath of the Sunken Blade?
That was Mu Yang's official title from the developers.
Since it was a Mu Yang video, she couldn't slack off.
She immediately reopened the group chat.
[Don't Bite the Lighter]: Family, I'm streaming! Everyone, come watch Mu Yang!
[26-Year-Old Female Tenant]: See? This is double standards.
[Fang Yuan, I'm Pregnant]: Little Gui breaks too easily. I suggest you don't watch.
...
Guinaifen got everything ready at lightning speed and started streaming.
She excitedly clicked the video, avoiding the chat to dodge spoilers.
Mu Yang was seen walking alone along a snowy mountain path.
The video had no music, only the howling of the cold wind.
Guinaifen instinctively pulled her clothes tighter.
Mu Yang's attire was thin, but thankfully, he wielded Cryo powers,
so he probably didn't feel the bitter cold.
The video never showed Mu Yang's face, leaving his expression a mystery.
But Little Gui guessed, based on his personality, he was likely as steadfast and composed as ever.
Mu Yang reached the mountaintop, struck down a demon by the Sword Pool with one slash, and then sat silently, seemingly falling asleep.
The video ended.
Guinaifen's expression was a rollercoaster.
In that one minute, her mood perfectly captured a fall from the peak of a rollercoaster to its depths.
[Bro, that face change tho.]
[Is this standard procedure for Mu Yang fans?]
[I already started screen recording—public execution time.]
After watching, Guinaifen went from joy to sorrow.
She was already resigned to no Mu Yang during the Lantern Rite, since guarding Chenyu Vale was his promise to a friend.
But now, the plot seemed to be going off track.
He told Lumine and Shenhe he'd recover upon returning to Chenyu Vale, but what was this?
He looked even weaker!
Still, with Mu Yang's character, weakness didn't mean he'd stop fighting.
Demons that needed slaying would still be slain.
That final scene, sitting cross-legged,
habitually placing his sword on his right shoulder, running his hand over the petals on the scabbard,
only to realize his right hand hadn't returned, shaking his head helplessly and switching the sword's position—
that detail hit Guinaifen hard, though she couldn't quite put it into words.
This wasn't like Genshin's side quests where you meet someone, get attached, and then get stabbed with a knife.
Those hurt, but the pain came and went quickly.
Mu Yang's story was more like a needle, a thorn, piercing the heart.
Each time his story unfolded, that thorn sank deeper...
That feeling was even more intense than a swift knife.
You knew a brutal blow was likely coming,
but you couldn't help being curious—what kind of experiences led to Mu Yang's current state?
It was like those memes in the group: you're told it's a forty-meter-long knife,
and you say, "I don't believe it, I'll take thirty-nine meters."
[Yo, is Little Gui muted?]
[Shh, the streamer's fully immersed.]
Guinaifen snapped back and gave a brief summary of the video.
In short, Mu Yang definitely wasn't lying.
His agreement with his friend was to protect Chenyu Vale.
And that place was likely the source of Chenyu Vale's calamity.
As for his right hand, he clearly didn't want Lumine and Shenhe to worry.
He didn't seem to care much himself.
After all, that demon was weak, dispatched with a single left-handed slash.
She urged everyone not to overthink it and to trust Mu Yang.
Next time he appeared, he'd likely be stronger, with even flashier moments.
— — — — — —
Silver Wolf watched the video the moment it dropped.
If Guinaifen was the type to lose composure and then recover,
Silver Wolf was a purely rational fan.
No matter what Mu Yang did or what happened to him, it didn't affect her love for the character.
Nor did it stop her from analyzing the plot.
Of course, she still felt that needle's prick right after watching.
She didn't brush it off to her chat, saying "it's no big deal."
This was absolutely a big deal.
Something that could make a powerful Adeptus like Mu Yang lose an arm
was undoubtedly the biggest enemy in his backstory.
But this enemy never showed its face from start to finish.
Silver Wolf didn't believe the demon one-shot in the short was the boss.
But she was certain it was tied to that pool.
You could see several swords embedded in the pool, and Mu Yang was a sword master.
There had to be a connection.
Silver Wolf jotted down in her notes: "Guard," "Sunken Blade," "Sword Array," "Suppression?" (circled)
...
— — — — — —
Unlike the two above,
Sparkle had already packed her gear and set off.
Her equipment included filming tools, Mu Yang's outfit, and a custom-made [Withering Glory: Snow Burial Over a Thousand Peaks]...
After several transfers, Sparkle arrived in a snowy city.
"This way, Little Sparkle." Kafka was there to pick her up.
Sparkle zoomed over, playfully teasing Kafka...
It turned out, after watching The Oath of the Sunken Blade, she wanted to shoot an outdoor scene.
When she asked in the group, Kafka mentioned she had snow.
Kafka also knew photography, saving the need for a cameraman, so Sparkle rushed over.
The two toured around, ate, and drank their fill.
Then they started discussing the script and choosing filming locations...
A few days later, Sparkle and Kafka jointly submitted—
The Oath of the Sunken Blade: Sparkle's Director's Cut.
The video shot to trending in just half a day.
Sparkle's performance was incredibly accurate, exploding her popularity.
Besides these well-known streamers,
creators from various communities also jumped in, sharing their takes on The Oath of the Sunken Blade.
While Mu Yang slumbered by the Sword Pool, a crowd was working hard to boost his popularity...