Because Dehya had sold her greatsword, the budget hole for the Sabzeruz Festival was finally filled, and now everything was ready.
As for when Shao Yun would return Dehya's Beacon of the Reed Sea to her, he planned to wait until the festival the next day to deal with it.
On the afternoon before the Sabzeruz Festival, as dusk approached, Shao Yun sought out Lisa and invited her to have dinner with him at Lambad's Tavern.
When Lisa received the invitation, she was quite surprised. Ever since their last shopping trip together, Shao Yun hadn't contacted her at all, so she couldn't help but wonder why he suddenly wanted to have dinner with her today.
Though filled with curiosity, Lisa accepted his invitation anyway—she, too, wanted to know what had prompted Shao Yun's sudden gesture.
However, throughout the entire meal, nothing particularly special happened beyond simply eating.
This left Lisa somewhat puzzled. She even began to suspect that Shao Yun's invitation really was just for dinner and nothing more.
…
On the second floor of Lambad's Tavern, the lighting was soft, casting a calm and cozy atmosphere that stood in sharp contrast to the lively bustle downstairs.
Having finished her meal, Lisa sat elegantly, lifting a snow-white handkerchief to gently dab the corner of her enticing lips.
After wiping her mouth, she looked across the table at Shao Yun and said curiously, "Mr. Shao Yun, thank you for the meal. I'm quite full."
"I've asked you several times why you invited me to dinner, but you never answered. Now I'll ask one last time—surely there must be some special reason behind such a sudden and extravagant invitation?"
"After all, inviting a lady to dinner without a good reason would be rather strange, wouldn't it?"
Once Shao Yun was certain Lisa was full, he finally revealed his true purpose.
"I really do need your help, Lisa."
Hearing that, Lisa exhaled softly. Just as I thought—of course this guy had an ulterior motive. Hmph, making it all mysterious, buying dinner, taking the long way around…
She murmured teasingly, "Oh my, if you needed my help, you could've just said so directly. No need for all this dinner business."
Then, clever as always, Lisa quickly guessed the general direction of his request.
Tilting her head slightly and blinking her bright, lively eyes, she asked in a testing tone, "Let me guess—it's about meeting the Dendro Archon, isn't it?"
Shao Yun thought for a moment.
At first, he shook his head lightly; but then, after some hesitation, he nodded and said, "Hmm… you could say it's related, though not exactly."
After all, his "meeting" the Dendro Archon wasn't a formal audience—it was a jailbreak.
Seeing him nod and shake his head alternately, Lisa assumed he was just being coy.
She smiled knowingly and said softly, "I see. Well, when you're at home, you can rely on family, but when you're away, you naturally turn to friends."
"Besides, I did study at the Akademiya, so I know a few things about how it works internally. It's only natural that you'd think of me in such a situation."
However, her tone shifted as she gently reminded him, "But I think I've told you before—I only know that the Little Lord Kusanali lives in the Sanctuary of Surasthana. As for how to actually meet her in person…"
Before she could finish, Shao Yun quickly waved his hand, explaining what he truly wanted.
"Oh, I know you can't act as an intermediary. I actually just wanted to ask you about something else."
Hearing that, the relaxed smile on Lisa's face faltered slightly, and a faint sense of unease rose within her.
Her sharp mind instantly connected the situation before her to something that had happened half a year ago.
Her eyes widened in surprise as she whispered, "Shao Yun… don't tell me you're planning to sneak into the Sanctuary of Surasthana—just like you did when you stole the Holy Lyre back then?"
At the mention of his escapade with Lumine, Paimon, and that drunken wind god Barbatos, Shao Yun felt a twinge of embarrassment.
Back then I mocked Barbatos for his lousy plan—and now the boomerang's come back to hit me…
He gritted his teeth, nodded reluctantly, and admitted awkwardly, "Uh… yeah, something like that."
Lisa's beautiful eyes widened even further as she lowered her voice, warning nervously, "Good heavens! How could you be so bold? If the Akademiya finds out, they'll put a bounty on your head and hunt you down!"
At the words "bounty" and "manhunt," Shao Yun merely smiled faintly, entirely unconcerned.
"That's assuming they can even find me. And even if they do, who's to say who'll be hunting whom?"
Hearing his confident tone, Lisa was momentarily stunned, then nodded thoughtfully.
"Hmm… fair point. Anyone capable of actually catching you would have to be absurdly powerful."
Then, with a faint sigh, she muttered, "Still, to think my peaceful vacation would turn into something like this… life really is unpredictable."
Seeing Lisa's reluctance, Shao Yun didn't press her.
He shrugged casually and said, "If you don't want to help, that's fine. Just think of this as me inviting you to dinner for old time's sake."
After all, if it weren't for the alchemy pendant Lisa had given him, his potion supplies would've run out long ago.
Lisa raised her hand slightly and waved it, signaling for him not to give up so easily.
"Hold on—why don't you tell me exactly what kind of help you need first?"
Shao Yun, seeing her interest, didn't hold back. "Alright then, since you're offering, I'll get straight to the point."
"I need a detailed map of the Akademiya's interior—every corner, every passage marked. I also want to know the exact number of guards and their patrol routes."
"And if you happen to have any guide on how to sneak into the Sanctuary of Surasthana unnoticed, that'd be even better."
In short, Shao Yun was treating the rescue like a bank heist, with Nahida as the vault and himself as the thief.
Lisa frowned slightly, pursing her soft lips as she replied with visible hesitation, "Oh dear… you're asking for highly classified information."
"As for maps, I only have my old student handbook—it's got a rough layout, but that's about it."
"And the rest… well, that's difficult. I don't exactly have close ties with the sages or the mercenaries of the Corps of Thirty…"
Realizing that the only thing she could offer was an outdated map, Shao Yun weighed the situation for a moment before nodding calmly.
"Well then, lend me your student handbook. Something's better than nothing."
Suddenly, Lisa's eyes sparkled with an idea. She stood up and said, "How about this—I'll visit some of my old friends from the Akademiya. Maybe I can get what you need through them."
Shao Yun blinked in surprise. "What? You're sure? I mean… you don't really like troublesome things, do you?"
Lisa nodded, her voice carrying a hint of quiet composure.
"I don't, that's true. But since you've gone out of your way to ask for help, how could I refuse?"
Shao Yun chuckled and asked playfully, "You're really sure about this? Aren't you afraid of being labeled an accomplice for helping me?"
At that, Lisa raised an eyebrow and replied, "Well then, let's consider the worst-case scenario."
"Suppose you're an interrogator from the Akademiya, and I tell you that I was simply catching up with a friend and chatting about everyday life—would that be a problem?"
Shao Yun shook his head. "Of course not."
Lisa continued, "And if I said I have a habit of keeping a diary—would that be suspicious?"
Shao Yun nodded again. "Still not a problem."
Lisa pressed on. "Then, what if I said you stole my diary—would that be an issue?"
At that, Shao Yun immediately understood her meaning.
"Oh! I get it now. Don't worry—no matter what happens, you won't take the fall."
Seeing that he understood, Lisa smiled lightly and waved her hand. "Good. Then I'll get going. Meet me at the Zubayr Theater tomorrow morning during the festival, and I'll bring you the information."
…
After Lisa left, the system suddenly popped up a message box, sounding rather urgent.
[What exactly are you planning to do?]
Facing the system's question, Shao Yun spread his hands and replied helplessly, "Given how unpredictable you are, I have to prepare for every possible outcome."
Another line appeared.
[I thought I gave you a plan already. I didn't think you liked making things complicated…]
Shao Yun shrugged nonchalantly. "I chose C when you only offered A and B. What's wrong with that?"
The system processed his reasoning carefully before replying with a new line of text.
[Are you sure the current Nahida is even capable of governing Sumeru properly?]
Shao Yun scratched his ear, sounding utterly indifferent. "From what Dori told me, even without our help, Alhaitham would still retrieve that so-called Canned Knowledge."
"That means this world can function just fine without us. The world keeps spinning no matter who comes or goes."
"We can't fight gravity—so when the time comes, I'll just pull the trigger. The rest isn't my concern. When the sky falls, there's always someone taller to hold it up."
"So why shouldn't I choose the simplest, most brutal, and most effective option that benefits me most?"
After listening to his reasoning, the system responded with two short words.
[You're actually insane!]
At that, Shao Yun's tone grew slightly irritated. "Insane? If anything, the true madness lies with the so-called Scarlet King in the desert. If he hadn't meddled with forbidden knowledge, none of this chaos would've happened."
"As long as the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata—buried deep within the Irminsul—dies, Sumeru's problems will be solved. The 'safeguards' you placed on me will heal as well."
"In that case, why should I care about the methods? As long as we achieve our shared goal, any means are justified."
Having said his piece, Shao Yun spread his hands and posed a direct challenge to the system.
"Now, just like I said in Port Ormos—it's time for you to make a choice."
Seeing how far things had gone, the system finally gave its answer.
[Fine… I'll help you. I'll assist you in rescuing Nahida from the Sanctuary of Surasthana—but you'll have to follow my lead when the time comes. Agreed?]
Seeing that this "useless system" had finally agreed, Shao Yun's face lit up with satisfaction.
"At last, we have an understanding. See? Cooperation isn't so hard after all."
The system's final response appeared on the screen.
[We've always been on the same side—it's just that you've become increasingly unhinged…]