As expected, the story now reached the moment of Lumine's confrontation with the Ruin Serpent.
From a high vantage point, Shao Yun gripped his bolt-action rifle tightly, ready to unleash its "burning powder" upon the beast.
But before he could act, Yelan's hand tapped his shoulder. With a confident gleam in her eyes, she said, "Hold on. Let me prepare a little gift for your girlfriend."
Effortlessly, she raised Aqua Simulacra. Her fingers rested firmly on the string, the bow bending with restrained force.
The Vision at her waist glowed softly with aqua light, channeling power into her shot.
Water-element radiance shimmered around the arrowhead, like a living aura, flickering brightly as it gathered strength.
Yelan inhaled deeply, steadying herself. Then she loosed. The bowstring rang out with a crisp twang.
The arrow streaked forward like a falling star, trailing a brilliant blue arc through the cavern's gloom.
Its mark: the "Celestial Nail" above the serpent's head.
The moment it struck, the Nail's glow flickered and failed. Then, uncontrollably, it plummeted downward.
It crashed upon the Ruin Serpent with devastating force, shaking the entire chamber.
Yelan stood calmly, eyes following her arrow until the strike was done.
Her lips curved into the faintest smile, satisfaction shining in her gaze.
Slinging the rifle on his back, Shao Yun—rarely—gave her praise. "Nice shooting."
Yelan dismissed her bow with a flick, answering lightly, "Thanks. Consider it my greeting gift for your girlfriend."
Shao Yun looked down at Lumine and Paimon below, cupping his hands to shout.
"Lumine! You two alright? If that giant rock injured you, I'll throw my employer down here myself!"
Complimenting Yelan was one thing. But Lumine's safety was another.
Yelan blinked at him in disbelief, muttering with a pout, "Seriously? I have perfect aim. I'd never hit your girlfriend…"
Below, Lumine looked up and called back, "We're fine, neither of us is hurt."
Paimon, mustering all her little lungs could handle, shouted, "Don't you dare hurt your employer! Otherwise, the Adventurers' Guild will never give you commissions again!"
Shao Yun yelled back, "Relax, I was joking! I'll bring her down to meet you now."
With that, he and Yelan clambered down the rough terrain, eventually rejoining Lumine and Paimon.
…
Shao Yun hurried to Lumine's side, asking anxiously, "Really no injuries?"
Without waiting for an answer, he began checking her condition himself.
He squeezed her arms and legs, gently pressed her abdomen, then even parted her lips to check her mouth.
Flustered, Lumine stumbled back a couple steps. "I'm fine! No need to fuss so much."
But Shao Yun made to continue, intent on being thorough.
Finally, Lumine couldn't help blurting out, "I've always wondered—why is your way of 'checking injuries' so weird?"
Scratching his chin with an awkward grin, Shao Yun dodged the question.
"Never mind that. Let me introduce my employer."
Before he could speak, Yelan stepped forward, cutting in smoothly.
She extended her hand with elegant poise, a warm smile gracing her lips. "Hello, my name is Yelan. As you can see, I'm the employer who hired your man as my 'bodyguard.' I also work with Liyue's Ministry of Civil Affairs."
Lumine studied her face, as if recognizing her from somewhere, then smiled brightly and shook her hand. "Hello, I'm Lumine."
Paimon puffed up proudly, announcing, "And I'm Paimon!"
Yelan blinked, then spoke gently, "I know of you both—the great hero who saved Liyue, Lumine, and her little hero companion, Paimon."
"This may not be the best place for conversation, but I truly am glad to meet you here."
Paimon beamed at the praise, basking in the flattery. "Ehehe, you're too kind~"
Then she turned the compliment back. "By the way, Katharina told us Shao Yun's employer was beautiful. Seeing you now, you really are dazzling—like a sweet, ripe Sunsettia!"
Yelan's eyes lit up, intrigued. "Oh? And what exactly did that Fatui say about me?"
Scratching her head, Paimon recalled. "She said Miss Yelan is very pretty, has a great figure, and carries this mysterious aura."
Yelan's smile grew, savoring the words. "Well, thank you. You're much sweeter than that man—he's done nothing but mock me along the way."
Shao Yun rolled his eyes. "That's because you're not as beautiful as Lumine, and not as cute as Paimon. Just speaking the truth."
Yelan gestured toward Lumine with a sigh. "See? That's what I've had to deal with. But honestly, he dotes on you so much, I almost feel jealous."
That piqued Lumine's curiosity. "Dotes? How, exactly?"
Crossing her arms, Yelan explained with a hint of envy, "He treats you far better than me. On our way from Liyue Harbor, I wanted to ride behind him on his horse. But he brushed me off, saying I had no right to sit where you do. In the end, he begrudgingly gave me a spare horse, but only after much persuasion."
She carefully omitted his exact words—too humiliating to repeat.
Lumine's eyes widened at the mention of Shao Yun giving her a horse. Could it be he had caught another fine steed?
"What kind of horse did he give you?" she asked quickly.
Yelan frowned in thought, then said, "At first, he summoned this stunning white-gold horse—its coat gleamed like sunlight. But before I could take a proper look, he swapped it for a reddish-brown one. Still fine, but… he said the white-gold horse was yours, and no one else could ever ride it. I'll admit, I felt a little disappointed."
Shao Yun cut in sharply. "Of course! How could you compare to Lumine? That's her Buer! Don't even dream of riding him—it'll never happen, not even if the sun rises in the west!"
Then he shot Yelan an annoyed glare. "And Boadicea didn't like you either! The only reason I let you ride at all was because you convinced me it'd save time."
Ignoring him, Yelan turned back to Lumine with a wistful smile. "That white-gold horse really was breathtaking. Honestly, it's the first time I've ever truly longed for something. I envy you."
Lumine laughed shyly. "Well… when I first met Buer, I reacted much the same way."
Then Yelan shifted the subject to the present.
"Anyway, my commission isn't over yet, so I can't release him. I hope you understand."
Hands on her hips, Paimon struck her "senior adventurer" pose. "Of course we understand. A commission is a serious matter. Don't worry—we won't let personal feelings get in the way!"
Shao Yun shook his head helplessly at Paimon's act, then turned to Yelan. "So, how long do you expect us to stay here?"
Yelan surveyed the area thoughtfully before replying, "Until we've fully explored it. I have a feeling we're getting close to the truth about my ancestors."
Realizing Shao Yun and Yelan would continue adventuring, Lumine wisely said, "Then we'll head out. We still need to report to Zhiqiong."
As she and Paimon turned to leave, Yelan quickly called after them. "Wait—Lumine, Paimon, could you do me a favor?"
She handed Lumine a small notebook. "If you return to the surface, please deliver this to Muning, or the Ministry of Civil Affairs—or even Ningguang directly."
Lumine accepted without hesitation. "Of course."
After tucking it away safely, she waved to Shao Yun. "We'll be going then. Do your best with the commission!"
Shao Yun nodded firmly. "Don't worry. I'll see it through."
…
Five days passed since Lumine dealt with the Dark Mud crisis.
During that time, Shao Yun had stayed with Yelan, combing The Chasm for traces of her ancestors.
To make things easier, she even suggested they establish camp in the area.
On the fifth night, the two finished dinner by the campfire.
As flames crackled between them, Shao Yun finally asked, "We've nearly searched every corner here. How much longer do you plan for us to stay?"
Yelan rubbed her full stomach contentedly. "Two more days. If we still find nothing, we'll return to the surface for supplies. I'll even give you two days off—time to enjoy the world with your girlfriend."
Shao Yun smirked. "And then back here again, right?"
She nodded with a sly smile. "Smart man. Exactly."
He sighed, recalling Lumine and Paimon's words about respecting commissions.
"Alright then. I'll see this one through to the end."
Yelan stood, stretching. "I'm going for a walk. Maybe I'll stumble on something useful. You're free to do as you like."
Still seated, Shao Yun nodded. "Got it."
She left the firelight behind. Alone, Shao Yun began recording the day's findings by the warmth of the flames.
But then—suddenly—he heard Lumine and Paimon's voices. His pen froze mid-stroke.
…
"Yanfei, we've thrown off your pursuers."
"Thank goodness. That Arataki Itto is really persistent—chasing me all the way into The Chasm just because I gave him and Shinobu a little help. He's enthusiastic, I'll give him that. Normally, I wouldn't mind befriending him, but I've got serious business right now."
…
"What kind of business could you possibly have in a place like this? Don't tell me you're switching careers to become an adventurer too?"
"I'm a legal consultant. Sometimes, duty requires me to travel myself. This time, I came here because of… a will."