As Shao Yun was about to leave the Grand Bazaar and return to Dunyarzad's home, he thought that since he was already here, he might as well take a look at that "float."
So, he headed toward the Zubayr Theater, where a brand-new, dazzling parade float stood quietly beside the stage.
At that moment, Katheryne, possessed by Nahida, was standing in front of the float, completely absorbed in admiring this beautiful masterpiece.
One could almost imagine that, if not for the presence of others nearby, she would have already given in to temptation and climbed onto the float to experience it for herself.
Shao Yun silently approached her from behind, the corners of his mouth curving upward as he teased, "I'd advise you not to sit on it just yet! I heard from Dunyarzad that the payment for this float hasn't even been settled."
The moment he finished speaking, Nahida—who had been thoroughly engrossed—quickly turned around and greeted him.
"Oh, Mr. Shao Yun, it's you! Hello, hello!"
Shao Yun jerked his chin toward the ornate float and asked with interest, "Tomorrow's your birthday, right? Do you have any special thoughts or expectations about it?"
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Nahida looked flustered.
She bit her lip gently, thought for a moment, and then replied softly, "Hmm… how should I put it… It feels lively, but… why did Dunyarzad have a float built? I can't even go out right now."
As she spoke, a faint look of melancholy flickered in her eyes.
Shao Yun explained, "Dunyarzad mistook that devil for your familiar. She thinks that if the festival is lively enough, it'll draw you out to appear before everyone."
Hearing that Dunyarzad had mistaken the identity of her familiar, Nahida corrected him earnestly, "My familiars are only the Aranara—they're all very cute little ones."
"By the way, I learned through the Akasha that Lumine and Paimon are currently celebrating the Festival Utsava with the Aranara."
Upon hearing this, Shao Yun nodded slightly, murmuring to himself, "I see… then Rana's condition should be improving."
Suddenly, his eyes widened as he asked in disbelief, "Wait a minute—don't tell me you've been spying on Lumine's Akasha Terminal again!"
Caught red-handed, Nahida apologized with a touch of embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I… I didn't peek at your nighttime activities! It's just that I haven't seen my familiars for so long, so I couldn't help it… truly, I'm sorry."
Shao Yun sighed inwardly. Well, since her birthday's coming up, I'll let it slide this time…
"Alright, since it's your birthday, I'll let you off the hook," he said with mock sternness, before adding curiously, "But tell me this—if you can monitor the Akasha, why can't you contact the Aranara?"
At his question, Nahida, still controlling Catherine's body, pointed nervously at the Akasha Terminal on her ear.
"Because… I learned that information from within the Akasha itself," she whispered.
Then she immediately launched into an elaborate explanation that sounded deliberately confusing to Shao Yun's ears.
"The Akasha and the Ley Lines are not the same. The Ley Lines are the roots of the Irminsul, responsible for recording and storing the world's memories. The Akasha, on the other hand, was created by the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata to access and distribute knowledge from the Irminsul."
"Although they're similar in function, there's still a difference. You could think of the Ley Lines as the roots and the Akasha as the branches—connected by the trunk. Right now, I can only access the branches, not the trunk, which means… I can't directly reach my familiars."
"To contact the Aranara, I'd have to rely on children who can dream—but I don't want them to know I'm imprisoned."
"Besides, even if the Aranara managed to free me, the Grand Sage would just lock me up again. The Aranara are strong in their own way, but they'd never fight against humans."
Listening to her talk on and on about these abstract, complicated concepts, Shao Yun felt like his brain had turned to mush.
Is she even speaking human language? Why does it all sound like gibberish when she says it?
"Wait, what are you even talking about? Why can't I understand a single word of this?"
Still, he managed to grasp the general idea about the Dendro Archon's past and her current predicament.
Her greatest weakness was the lack of powerful allies to support her.
The only ones with any real strength were those carrot-like little spirits—the Aranara.
Though they possessed considerable power, their duty was to protect the rainforest, and their innocent, childlike hearts made them incapable of violence.
As things stood now, without Alhaitham, Cyno, or Dehya's rebellion, and with Nahida herself unsure of who was friend or foe, even if she wanted to stage a "Palace Coup" and reclaim her place, she wouldn't know where to begin.
…
But even if the Dendro Archon didn't have a plan—Shao Yun did.
"Even though I don't understand most of what you just said, I still wonder why the Sages have kept you locked up for five hundred years. Maybe there really is something off about you."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Still, since I'm not someone who likes talking politics, I've come up with a plan."
At the mention of a "plan," Nahida's curiosity was instantly piqued.
She tilted her head slightly and asked softly, "A plan? What kind of plan?"
Shao Yun nodded confidently and began describing his PLAN.
"Tomorrow is the Sabzeruz Festival, right? A god's rebirth celebration. I think it's about time I broke you out of the Sanctuary of Surasthana! Then, in front of all the people of Sumeru, I'll announce—'Your beloved Dendro Archon has returned!'"
Nahida's eyes widened in shock. "Huh? That's your plan? But… how do you even intend to get me out of the Sanctuary?"
Shao Yun, however, looked completely unfazed. "Simple. I'll just break in and carry you out. And if anyone dares to stand in my way…"
Before finishing, he drew his thumb sharply across his throat, miming execution, implying that he'd have no hesitation in cutting down any "blind fools" who got in his way.
Nahida watched his gesture in silence, unsure of how to respond.
After a long pause, she finally said softly, "That plan… certainly fits your usual style."
Seeing her lack of objection, Shao Yun took it as approval and clapped his hands decisively.
"Great! It's settled, then. Tomorrow, just sit tight and enjoy the cheers of the Sumeru people from that float!"
Nahida wasn't exactly Napoleon returning from Corsica, but that didn't matter. What mattered was—why waste time when one bullet could solve everything?
Following his principle of "if you can act, don't overthink", Shao Yun decided it was time for the Sages and the mercenary squads of Sumeru to experience a real surprise.
As for what would happen after the Sabzeruz Festival—well, that wasn't his problem. Whether it was Alhaitham, Cyno, or even Nilou taking over afterward didn't matter to him.
In the end, Nahida could reclaim the Irminsul, cure Eleazar, hand Scaramouche over to Inazuma, and let Yae Miko deal with him—then all of Sumeru's nonsense would finally be over.
Hearing such a reckless, straightforward plan, Nahida frowned and gently warned, "Aren't you afraid of the Grand Sage…?"
But when she mentioned that clown—Azar—Shao Yun didn't even know how to describe him.
I wouldn't even hire that clown to carry groceries if I were shopping at Mondstadt Mall.
"Like I said, I'm not the type to care about politics," Shao Yun replied coldly. "So, I don't give a damn what those Akademiya fools think."
Then, with a chilling tone, he added, "If they're so eager to die, I won't stop the devil from having a proper meal. Losing a 'few' people won't be a problem—but the gains? Oh, they'll be tremendous."
With that, Shao Yun turned around and walked away without looking back, leaving only his resolute silhouette behind.
After he departed, the Katheryne possessed by Nahida began to change subtly.
Her eyes slowly glowed with a faint emerald light.
And from her lips came a whisper, almost too soft to hear.
"But… if you keep devouring souls like this, aren't you afraid that the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles will come after you?"