After Shao Yun and the system reached a mutual understanding, he slowly descended the stairs to the first floor of Lambad's Tavern.
Just as he was about to leave the tavern and head home, a striking figure suddenly burst through the door.
Shao Yun looked up and saw Lumine, dressed in a cowgirl outfit, storming in with urgency. The two came face to face without warning.
Seeing the unusually serious expression on Lumine's face, Shao Yun couldn't help but feel a trace of surprise.
He was just about to greet her, but before he could say a word, Lumine spoke first, her voice hurried: "Shao Yun, I've got an emergency on my hands! Come with me, quickly!"
Before her words even finished echoing, Lumine reached out, grabbed Shao Yun's arm, and forcefully pulled him toward the door.
The sudden movement caught Shao Yun off guard, but he still followed her lead, striding quickly outside.
Once they reached the entrance of Lambad's Tavern, Lumine released her grip on his arm, then nimbly and gracefully mounted her horse.
Sitting tall in the saddle, she raised her chin with confidence and spoke in a firm tone: "Shao Yun, summon your horse right now. Hurry!"
"Of course, if you think that's too much trouble, you can just ride behind me. But make up your mind quickly—the situation's urgent, we don't have time to waste!"
Hearing Lumine's crisp and decisive tone, Shao Yun was momentarily stunned.
He noticed that Lumine exuded a kind of professional sharpness that he had never seen in her before—and this change both surprised and impressed him.
After a brief pause, Shao Yun quickly recovered and blew a sharp whistle.
The sound of hooves echoed in the distance, gradually drawing closer.
As he waited for his Andalusian horse to arrive, Shao Yun looked at Lumine, sitting so gallantly atop Buell, and asked, "What exactly is going on?"
Lumine tightened her grip on the reins, turned her solemn gaze toward him, and replied, "I'll explain everything on the way. Right now, I need your help—if we're late, it'll be too late!"
Before she finished speaking, Shao Yun's Andalusian horse, Carrot, trotted up to him.
Shao Yun swung himself onto the saddle with practiced ease and said, "Alright, you can count on me!"
He gave his horse a gentle kick, following close behind Lumine as they galloped off toward the outskirts of Sumeru City.
…
The sharp, rhythmic sound of hooves echoed across the empty road outside the city.
By dusk, a soft breeze brushed past their faces, carrying with it a hint of coolness.
Under the glow of the setting sun, Lumine's slender and graceful silhouette ahead of him seemed to glow—like a vivid painting in motion.
As they rode farther and farther away, the outline of Sumeru City blurred in the distance until it disappeared completely.
By now, Shao Yun had more or less guessed what this was about—Lumine was going to settle the score with that man named Alphonso.
As he wondered whether Lumine would let the man go or kill him outright, he suddenly realized something—Paimon was nowhere to be seen!
A jolt of concern shot through him, and he shouted toward Lumine, "Where's Paimon? Don't tell me she's still in Vimara Village…"
Lumine, still riding ahead, didn't look back. She replied calmly, "I already sent Paimon home."
"Before I left, I specifically told her not to open the door for anyone she doesn't know. If she runs into danger, she's to use that gun you gave her."
"I left her some bullets and a few pocket biscuits. So don't worry about her—we need to focus on what's in front of us."
Hearing that, Shao Yun couldn't help but say, "You really think of everything, don't you…"
…
The two rode swiftly southward toward Vimara Village.
The sound of their horses' hooves drummed across the dirt road, kicking up clouds of dust.
As they passed the crossroads where they had once met Rana, Shao Yun, who had been following behind, couldn't hold back anymore. "Can you at least tell me what's going on exactly?"
His voice carried with the wind but still reached Lumine clearly.
Without turning, her eyes fixed on the road ahead, she replied casually, "What do you mean exactly?"
Clearly, her mind was still focused on reaching Vimara Village.
Seeing that, Shao Yun raised his voice again.
"I mean, what exactly am I supposed to do? What's really happening here?"
Lumine thought for a moment, then gradually slowed her horse.
Turning her head slightly toward Shao Yun before facing forward again, she said, "Didn't I tell you about the missing children from Vimara Village?"
Shao Yun nodded quickly. "Yeah—have you found the culprit?"
Lumine then began to recount everything that had happened in Vimara Village.
"Well, you could say that. The first missing child was Sudabeh. She believed Alphonso when he told her there were herbs in the forest that could cure old Amahya's eye disease. So, she sneaked into the forest alone… and disappeared."
"The second was Kavus. He went into the forest to find his 'friends'—the Aranara—to talk about his sister's disappearance."
"The last one was Iotham. We actually ran into him by chance with Rana, so we managed to save him."
"According to Iotham, Alphonso told him there were giant mushrooms in a cave—he wanted to pick one for Rana."
"But some Fatui agents followed him. He got scared and ran, and ended up trapped in the Withering Zone…"
After explaining all three cases in detail, Lumine took a deep breath and said, "Based on what we know so far, all the missing children seem to have one thing in common—Alphonso. I believe that…"
Before she could finish, Shao Yun interjected, finishing her thought for her.
"So, you suspect this Alphonso guy is actually a Fatui spy planted here?"
Lumine nodded firmly. "Exactly. Over a week ago, when I first met him, no one at the scene had mentioned my name—yet he called me by it, perfectly.
"At the time, I just thought it was strange. But now, after connecting all the clues, I'm convinced Alphonso is hiding something big."
Her tone suddenly grew heated, her eyes blazing with fury. "Those damned Fatui—kidnapping innocent children like that! They're nothing but heartless beasts!"
Lumine had lost her usual composure, clearly consumed by anger.
Even though Shao Yun couldn't see her expression from behind, he could feel the rage burning in her voice.
He sighed softly and said, "All the time I've known you, this is the first time I've seen you so angry…"
Hearing that, Lumine paused briefly, then began recounting all her encounters with the Fatui over the past six months.
Her eyes flickered between anger and helplessness.
"Think about everything we've gone through with the Fatui," she said, taking a deep breath. "In Mondstadt—those maniacs! They killed knights and tried to seize the city's defenses. And they even bullied me and Paimon!"
Her fists clenched tightly; she still remembered being knocked unconscious by The Fair Lady's people.
"In Liyue… well, the Fatui in the Chasm were a bit more human, but that's about it."
"As for Childe… I'd rather not comment. You did 'kill' him after all. But the rest of them got exactly what they deserved."
"In Inazuma!" Lumine's voice rose, her anger flaring again. "The Fatui provoked the war between the Shogunate and Watatsumi Island—they even detonated Tatarasuna! They nearly killed you! If they hadn't fled so fast, I would've hunted down every last one of them!"
Finally, she frowned, her tone filled with disgust. "And now in Sumeru—those monsters are kidnapping children! What kind of animals could be so cruel?"
As Lumine laid out each event with precision, Shao Yun couldn't help but mutter, "Wow… you remember everything so clearly."
"Speaking of Inazuma, I'd always wondered… uh, you know… back then, I thought you didn't really care about me…"
At that, a complicated emotion flashed across Lumine's heart.
She pulled sharply on the reins, and Buell, her ivory-and-gold Dutch Warmblood, reared up with a loud, piercing neigh!
The horse came to a sudden halt.
Alarmed, Shao Yun yanked on his own reins to stop as well.
Before he could ask what was wrong, Lumine had already turned her horse around to face him, her expression deadly serious.
Her beautiful eyes locked onto his. "How could I not care about you? I just didn't expect you to kill the Raiden Shogun for me! Dainsleif once warned me…"
Her voice trailed off as she remembered Dainsleif's warning—never make enemies of the Seven Archons.
At the same time, her brother Aether's words echoed in her mind—don't get too attached to the Archons.
On one hand, Lumine deeply trusted her brother; on the other, Dainsleif's advice wasn't without reason.
After all, to be one of the Seven, you had to have real power…
The contradiction gnawed at her, and she shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts.
Then, turning her horse back around, she shouted, "Ah! Let's not talk about that anymore. What's done is done! Let's focus on the task at hand!"
With that, she lightly kicked Buell's flank and galloped ahead once more.
…
Shao Yun and Lumine rode like the wind until they reached Vimara Village.
As soon as Shao Yun set foot there, he looked around briefly. It was a quiet, peaceful place, far removed from the bustle of the city.
The atmosphere radiated a serene calm, perfect for rest and relaxation.
A clear river ran through the village, providing easy access for small boats.
However, the shallow water meant only small vessels could pass—which was why the village never became a major trade or transport hub.
Soon, they arrived before a treehouse built in the distinctive style of Sumeru.
Alphonso stood there quietly, deep in thought.
Lumine took a deep breath, suppressing the flames of anger inside her, and tried to sound calm as she greeted him. "Hello there, Alphonso."
Hearing her voice, Alphonso smiled faintly and replied evenly, "Hello. Is there something you need? If you're looking for Rana, she's already left…"
But then his gaze flickered past Lumine—and when he saw Shao Yun standing behind her, his pupils contracted sharply.
Lumine caught the subtle reaction and raised her chin slightly, a faint, knowing smile curling her lips.
"It's nothing too important," she said lightly. "I just wanted to have a little chat about some 'bad people' who've been lurking around Vimara Village."
"Of course, if it's convenient, why don't we go somewhere quieter to talk?"
Alphonso glanced again at Shao Yun, an ominous feeling settling in his gut.
He knew—this was the day he would die.
Still, not wanting to alarm the innocent villagers, he forced himself to remain calm and nodded. "Alright. Let's go."
Though Lumine had been the one to suggest finding a quieter place, it was Alphonso who led them to a cliff overlooking Vimara Village.
Standing at the edge, he gazed out toward the distant glow of Sumeru City, bathed in the last light of sunset.
Even from afar, his sharp eyes could still make out the towering tree rising from the city's heart.
As if bidding farewell to the mortal world, Alphonso lingered on that view of Sumeru's beauty for a long time.
After a while, without turning around, he asked quietly, "So… when did you notice?"