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After sighing inwardly, Yelan instinctively wiped the nonexistent sweat off her cheek before speaking of the Fatui Harbinger's opinion on Shao Yun.
"The Fatui Harbinger 'Pantalone' absolutely hates you right now. According to intercepted intel, he's issued a bounty against you within the Fatui itself—a staggering five hundred billion Mora!"
When Shao Yun heard that number, five hundred billion Mora, Milton's words instantly came to mind. He joked, "Five hundred billion Mora! My bounty? Can I turn myself in?"
Hearing Shao Yun's rather comical response, Yelan let out a little laugh and said, "That's a funny joke."
Immediately after, Shao Yun teased again, "Tell me, do you think 'with great reward comes great risk'? What I mean is—five hundred billion Mora is enough to strip people of their humanity."
Yelan didn't even hesitate before dismissing the notion. "Impossible. You 'killed''Tartaglia' and 'The Fair Lady', two of the Fatui Harbingers."
"From my perspective, unless the remaining Harbingers led the entire Fatui to hunt you down, it's not even remotely possible."
"And even then, it would still be only a possibility. No one would risk their life for a bounty that could never truly belong to them. Not even a brainless Fatui soldier would do that."
Hearing Yelan claim that The Fair Lady had been killed by him, Shao Yun curiously asked, "Are you sure The Fair Lady was killed by me? Haven't you read those Inazuman light novels? It was the Second Raiden Shogun, Raiden Ei, who killed her. They perished together."
Not many in Inazuma knew the truth. That fox had chosen to bury the matter in silence, cutting off the flow of information, using those novels to blur reality.
Yelan glanced at Shao Yun, her lips curving into a faint smile as she lightly shook her head. "You don't honestly believe I'd treat some novel's story as actual history, do you?"
"As for who truly killed The Fair Lady, I don't know, nor do I particularly care." Yelan continued, "The only reason I follow this matter at all is because I intercepted an important piece of Fatui intelligence."
She pulled out a neatly folded handwritten intel sheet, its surface crammed with crucial notes.
"According to Fatui intel, the suspected killer of The Fair Lady includes the Raiden Shogun from that novel, you, your girlfriend Lumine, the Third Raiden Shogun Yae Miko, and even the Sangonomiya troops from Watatsumi Island."
As she spoke, her brows furrowed slightly, clearly puzzled by the Fatui's speculation.
"In short, the Fatui have no leads whatsoever. They've practically pinned it on every force in Inazuma."
After tucking away the intel sheet, Yelan tightened her grip on the reins, a glint of thought flashing in her eyes. She asked the one question she had always wanted to clarify but could never answer.
"But there's one thing I never understood—how exactly did the Second Raiden Shogun die? Do you know anything about that?"
Shao Yun stayed silent, his expression unreadable.
To him, killing Raiden Ei had been nothing more than an act of revenge.
No one else needed to know—besides a handful of people, it had no meaning.
"I don't know, same as you. And I don't care to know." Shao Yun finally spoke, his voice cold.
Yelan studied him, a faint doubt forming. She wasn't sure if Shao Yun truly didn't know the truth.
But since he clearly didn't wish to say more, she chose not to press further.
"Fine then. Either way, let me give you some advice. Here in Sumeru, you must stay cautious."
Shao Yun frowned in puzzlement. "Didn't you just say the Fatui shouldn't come looking for me anymore? Why warn me again to be careful?"
Yelan shrugged helplessly. "That's true, but the world is unpredictable. We can't rule out the possibility that some deranged Fatui members might come to challenge you."
"After all, the Fatui are all eccentric people. No one can predict what they'll do."
Then Yelan revealed something she considered rather startling.
"There's another thing I should warn you about. According to Fatui intel, there's a very curious detail."
"Over two months ago, when you were still in Inazuma, the Fatui's records showed that the Sixth Harbinger 'Scaramouche' seemed to have gone missing."
"But strangely enough, just half a month ago, the Second Harbinger 'Dottore' suddenly ordered all searches for him to cease. No explanation was given as to whether he was found. Don't you find that odd?"
Shao Yun already knew. This was part of Dottore and Scaramouche's God-creation scheme in collusion with the Akademiya.
Because that featherball who loved frequenting toilets couldn't solve the issues of the Withering and the Eleazar disease, that so-called Great Sage decided to create an all-knowing, all-powerful new god to fix them.
And as Ningguang had said, the Eleazar issue was worsening. Surely Sumeru's problems would escalate even further.
He couldn't help but worry about young Collei.
It reminded him of the Scarlet Fever Outbreak in Armadillo…
But Shao Yun kept his thoughts to himself, avoiding unnecessary suspicion from Yelan.
He answered simply, "Indeed, it does seem rather unusual."
Based on the intel in hand, Yelan voiced her suspicion.
"I suspect this might be a trap set specifically for you. Even if only two Harbingers are involved, you should remain vigilant and act with caution."
Shao Yun replied with an even tone, devoid of emotion. "Thank you for the warning. I'll take it under consideration."
Yelan thought she heard confidence in his tone—perhaps even arrogance.
She sighed. "But I suppose you won't truly heed my advice, will you? You believe you can defeat them. After all, as the old saying goes, 'one force can crush ten tricks.'"
Shao Yun wasn't sure how Yelan meant it, but in that final remark, he found truth. He nodded firmly. "Yes. You're right."
…
Shao Yun and Yelan rode along the road, leaving Liyue Harbor behind.
They crossed the Tianheng Mountains, followed the path between Qingxu Pool ruins and Lingju Pass, and finally arrived at The Chasm.
By the time they arrived, the sun had just begun tilting westward.
After dismounting, Yelan handed the reins to Shao Yun.
"Thank you for letting me ride."
With the horse as transport, what should have been a full day and night of travel had taken Yelan only half a day.
Shao Yun released the horse and joined Yelan at the entrance to The Chasm.
The mountains on both sides towered into the sky, while in the distance lay a massive open-pit mine.
The vivid blue sky contrasted sharply with the vast earth.
Yelan whispered, "We've arrived. This is The Chasm."
Shao Yun carefully observed the scene before him, unable to help but remark, "Wow, so it's an open-air mine…"
The image brought to mind the mining town of Annesburg, which also thrived on mining.
The difference was, this place mined precious metals—not coal.
Seeing Shao Yun drifting into thought, Yelan beckoned him. "I'll greet the administrative commissioner first. Then we'll head to the lower mines."
Shao Yun snapped out of it and followed Yelan deeper into The Chasm. Along the path, they came upon a tent, where a mustached man muttered anxiously to himself.
"Ten crates of meat, ten crates of vegetables, several sets of firewood and camping supplies, distribute to the Millelith outpost… Three crates of assorted ore to Huishan Hall warehouse, exchange for spare tools… several more…"
From his words, Shao Yun knew at once—this was Muning.
This sort of busy work never changes… always the same tasks, again and again.
Yelan strode straight up to Muning, speaking bluntly. "Hello. A few days ago, the Ministry of Civil Affairs issued notice that two personnel would be coming to The Chasm. This gentleman and I are the inspectors sent from the Ministry."
She then produced a permit from Ningguang herself. "This is authorization from Lady Tianquan Ningguang. Take a look."
Muning snapped out of his thoughts, taking the permit respectfully. "Hello, I am Muning, administrative commissioner. Are you here to resolve The Chasm's problems?"
Yelan's eyes narrowed slightly, her tone cool as she replied, "Don't ask what you shouldn't. Just check it, then let us into the mines."
Seeing her attitude, Muning said nothing further and carefully examined the permit.
Moments later, he confirmed, "Understood. I'll check it now."
After a quick inspection, verifying Ningguang's permit was genuine, Muning said, "All right, this checks out. I'll release the seal and grant you access."
He then explained the current situation in detail.
"The lower mines are in terrible condition. The geology there is extremely unstable—cave-ins and collapses could happen at any time."
"Furthermore, strange phenomena have been occurring recently. Miners often report bizarre experiences."
"We've already requested an investigation, but so far nothing has come of it. Please be extremely cautious while down there."
But Yelan waved him off impatiently. "I know. Don't worry about us. Just hurry and suspend the seal so we can get inside."
Realizing he couldn't argue, Muning rushed to make arrangements.
While they waited, Yelan turned to Shao Yun. "Before Muning finishes, let me give you some background."
Shao Yun nodded, curious.
Yelan explained, "In the past, the Harbinger 'Pulcinella' possessed information about eradicating The Chasm's black mud pollution. He dispatched troops to station here, aiding in research and cleanup."
"At that time, the Fatui were even seen as heroes by the people of Liyue. Relations between Snezhnaya and Liyue were still decent."
"But after the incident with the Overlord of the Vortex, the Fatui were branded a criminal organization. The Millelith withdrew, yet many Fatui remained trapped below."
Shao Yun's eyes grew cold. He asked harshly, "So what you're saying is—you want me to slaughter those Fatui while we're at it?"
Yelan jumped in surprise. This guy really is ruthless…
She quickly explained, "No! That's not what I meant! I was just killing time. Their last orders should still be related to the peace agreement you and Tartaglia made before Ningguang. They shouldn't pose a threat."
But she didn't completely close the matter. "That said, if you do want to kill them, I won't stop you. After all, you and Lumine don't seem particularly fond of them."
Hearing that the Fatui underground might still believe the peace treaty was in effect, Shao Yun posed a question to the useless system code.
"You worthless code—care to explain? Are those Fatui beneath The Chasm really still acting under the treaty I made with Tartaglia?"
Suddenly, two system prompts appeared.
[Yes. The Fatui trapped beneath The Chasm have not learned of the Fatui's actions at the Jade Chamber.]
[Whether you kill or save them, I will not intervene in your decision.]
Reading the text, Shao Yun muttered inwardly, "I thought you'd try to persuade me… or perhaps offer some reward…"
The system displayed one last, icy line.
[You no longer listen to anyone's advice, do you?]
Then it fell silent once more.
Shao Yun stared at the cold message, stunned for a moment, before replying indifferently, "That's right. I already have most of the weapons I need. As for those automatic ones, they're just icing on the cake."
…
After closing the system, Shao Yun was about to respond to Yelan when a sudden rumble filled the air.
Looking up, he saw the seals on the seven Bedrock Keys being temporarily suppressed.
Muning rushed back, face urgent. "The seal is temporarily suppressed, but it won't last long. Hurry! If suppression lasts too long, the Bedrock Keys will fail."
Seeing this, Yelan quickly told Shao Yun, "Let's go."
On the way, Shao Yun spotted a girl in an Adventurers' Guild outfit, writing notes beside one of the Bedrock Keys.
Just as he tried to recall her name, Muning shouted, "Zhiqiong! What are you doing there?"
Startled, Zhiqiong almost dropped her pen. She spun around, hiding her paper behind her back. "Ah! Mr. Muning! Good afternoon!"
Muning frowned at her nervousness, but instead of scolding, he spoke earnestly. "Zhiqiong, don't you dare tamper with those Bedrock Keys again!"
"I've already told you—they're fragile. If they resonate too long with certain Geo-element objects, they'll be ruined. So don't touch them!"
Zhiqiong waved her hands quickly, laughing it off. "Don't worry, Mr. Muning! I won't touch them, of course not. You're overthinking."
Satisfied, Muning nodded. "Good. Remember what I said."
Zhiqiong replied obediently, "Mm, I know! Don't worry, Mr. Muning. I definitely won't mess around."
Seeing her sincerity, Muning nodded again and dropped the matter.
The laxness of his management surprised Shao Yun, but considering Lumine would eventually come here, and Liyue itself hadn't raised issue, he chose not to interfere.
Zhiqiong, once Muning left, turned back eagerly to studying the Bedrock Keys. Muning then guided Shao Yun and Yelan onward, leading them to the crane platform at the mouth of The Chasm.
When they stepped onto the platform, Muning cautioned them with concern, "This is as far as I can take you. Be careful down there."
Then he ordered the crane operator to lower them.
As the platform descended, Shao Yun gazed upward at the shrinking sky.
Curious, Yelan also looked up.
The crane creaked as it carried them deeper into the lower mines.
Watching the fading sunlight, Yelan sighed. "For the next month, we may never see daylight again. While we still can, let's look a little longer."
Shao Yun simply stared at the sunlight piercing into the cavern and answered faintly, "Oh, I know."
But in truth, his thoughts drifted to the matter of the Uyuu Restaurant in Inazuma.
His brother-in-law Aether was about to carry out an operation in The Chasm—a doomed plan of restoration.
But…
…
"Seeking a better world is never shameful."