Mid-slope of Qingyun Peak, between the clear skies and Auspicious Cloud Top of Jueyun Karst.
Lumine held the Sigil of Permission and had already summoned the Mighty and Illuminated Adeptus, Moon Carver.
The plum-blossom qilin radiated immortal aura; its golden eyes shone like candles in the night, and the mysterious cloud patterns over its body glimmered brilliantly.
"So this is an adeptus?"
Watching Moon Carver appear, Paimon suddenly remembered a roast venison leg Ken once made.
The sizzling, crispy, juicy flavor replayed in Paimon's mind; she couldn't help glancing at Moon Carver's legs, a little drool flashing in her eyes—only to be dispersed at once by the awe of an adeptus.
That was close… I've been with Ken too long—now I even want to gnaw on an adeptus's thigh… Paimon, you've gotten full of yourself!
Little Paimon patted her chest quickly, a bit shaken.
"Who art thou? Why trespass into Jueyun Karst and disturb the adepti!"
A bell-like, sonorous voice issued from the plum-blossom qilin.
Lumine raised the talisman and said, "I am a traveler from another world. I was entrusted to visit the adepti of Jueyun Karst."
"The Sigil of Permission? I didn't expect such a talisman to still exist among mortals…" Moon Carver mused, his attitude shifting. "I am the three-eyed, five-manifestation adeptus, the Mighty and Illuminated Moon Carver. Traveler, state thy purpose."
Lumine pressed her lips together and delivered the prepared words: "At this year's Rite of Descension in Liyue, the Geo Archon was assassinated. I've come to inform the adepti of Jueyun Karst."
?
Moon Carver froze, those golden eyes turning instantly cold as ice. "What? Traveler! If you come bearing the Sigil of Permission only to make such a jest…"
"We're not joking, it's true!" Seeing Moon Carver about to get angry, Paimon hurried to explain. She and Lumine objectively recounted what happened at the Rite of Descension.
As their words fell, even the surrounding mountains seemed to tremble slightly.
"Outrageous!!"
Moon Carver flared with wrath, raising his hooves and stamping the ground.
The entire Qingyun Peak.
"The Liyue Qixing are truly disappointing!"
"At the Rite of Descension, how could anyone attempt to assassinate the Archon! And after the Archon was attacked… how could suspicion be pushed onto the mortal onlookers!"
Even though Lumine explained the Qixing's predicament, Moon Carver still directed blame at them.
After all—
The Rite of Descension has always been overseen by the Qixing. Even if pinning suspicion on a mortal was a stopgap measure, the Archon being assassinated at the Rite is something the Qixing in charge cannot wash their hands of.
After a brief surge of anger, Moon Carver forced himself calm. He took a deep breath and said as steadily as he could, "Traveler, I understand thy message. But this is not for me to decide alone; I must inform the other adepti. Traveler, wilt thou carry word for me?"
It wasn't that Moon Carver couldn't go himself; rather, the matter needed to be communicated by Lumine as envoy to keep things objective. If he showed himself now, it might cause other ripples.
"Of course. That's why we're here," Lumine, having done her homework, agreed readily.
Moon Carver sighed. "Mountain Shaper and Cloud Retainer are both within this realm, though fate may or may not bring you to them—let it be to chance. There is also the vigilant yaksha, the Conqueror of Demons. If you go to Wangshu Inn, you may find his traces."
"What if we can't find the other adepti?" Paimon couldn't help asking.
She'd found it odd when watching the "plot." With something this major, why leave it to chance? What if fate doesn't align?
Moon Carver sighed. "If that happens, return to me. I shall come forward personally… though it may cause unnecessary disturbances."
"Alright…" Paimon said, half-understanding.
…
Mid-slope of Qingyun Peak, Lumine and Ken regrouped.
"Things went as smoothly as in the story."
Lumine exhaled with a bright smile. Since everything matched the plot, her preparations weren't in vain.
That lingering anxiety melted away. Now she could speedrun Jueyun Karst.
"What's the plan next?" Ken asked with a smile.
Lumine pursed her lips. "Mm… I'm going to clear Jueyun Karst in one go. You can head back to Blue Star or Liyue Harbor. Once I'm done, I'll come find you on Blue Star."
Sweet as it was to have Ken along, Lumine didn't want him waiting alone in the mountains. Plus, upcoming plot points included combat. If Ken stayed, he'd definitely help her… and Lumine wanted to use this chance to hone herself.
After seeing Hu Tao and Xiangling appear in quick succession, Lumine had become more forthright about her feelings for Ken. She needed to become stronger fast, then make the first move.
With so many ladies around him, if she kept playing coy, when would it be her turn?
Since her brother had agreed, there was no need for her to be shy.
Since she had the Jueyun Karst plot down cold, why drag her beloved along and waste time?
Ken had a company on Blue Star and must be busy… Lumine didn't want to waste his time.
Also, what if they ran into the rumored white-haired adeptus maiden? She hadn't secured Ken yet—Lumine wouldn't let someone else beat her to it. At least she had to get there first; afterward, the other big sisters and little sisters could come.
"Alright, I'll head back first."
Jueyun Karst's scenery was beautiful, but it felt dull to admire it alone. Better to invite a few friends to sit and drink while enjoying the view.
If Ken knew what was on Lumine's mind, he'd laugh—he'd already met Shenhe.
Thinking of that calm, aloof ice-cold beauty, Ken actually looked forward to bumping into Shenhe in Liyue Harbor. Unversed in worldly ways and common knowledge, she might stir up a lot of amusing incidents.
"Traveler, why are you so tender toward Ken now?"
After Ken left, Paimon put her hands on her hips and asked.
She felt tired herself and wanted to rest on Blue Star, but Lumine sent Ken away—clearly she was being considerate.
This time, faced with Paimon's question, Lumine didn't deny it. She said with perfect confidence, "Is there a problem with feeling bad for my beloved?"
"Shameless, shameless!" Paimon covered her face, sticking out her tongue in mockery. "Hmph! Traveler's so shameless now. You weren't like this before—guess people change when they meet someone they like!"
Lumine curled her lip. "Enough. Next, let's go find Mountain Shaper."
The original route would be to go to Wangshu Inn to find the Conqueror of Demons, Xiao. But now that Lumine knew the story, there was no need to run back and forth: handle the Jueyun side first, then bring almond tofu to find Xiao. This order would save a lot of trouble.
As for Paimon's disdain…
Lumine didn't care at all.
She had been a reserved and shy girl. But as more and more girls gathered around Ken, she couldn't afford shyness.
It was too competitive.
If she kept refusing to admit her feelings and hesitating, whether it was Hu Tao or Xiangling, or even that proud and noble Yuheng, any of them might beat her to it.
If it were Master Jean and the others, fine—they'd known Ken longer. But if someone from Liyue seized the lead, wouldn't she suffer a big loss?
Lumine might be shy and reserved, but she was also open-hearted. Once this Liyue matter ended, she would certainly take the initiative to win Ken over.
…
The Magic City.
After returning home, Ken took the videos he'd recorded—Treasure Hoarders, Fatui, and bouncing Slimes—and edited them carefully before uploading them to Facebook.
He'd filmed them himself on location, so it wasn't convenient to hand them to employees.
Fortunately, Ken was skilled enough in this area. Simple editing was no problem.
"As more guests arrive, even though the villa is big—it can host over twenty people—if men are staying here, it's not ideal."
After finishing, Ken thought of this.
Leaving the others aside for now, Zhongli and Venti would definitely settle on Blue Star eventually. This place greatly reduces wear and tear; for gods, it's a rare opportunity. Settling here would preserve themselves and let them watch the realms they protect develop for longer.
If they were girls, fine, but living with two men long-term really wouldn't do.
"Looks like I should arrange fair trades with Zhongli and Venti and, ideally, buy up all the nearby properties. Then this area could become Teyvat's base of operations on Blue Star."
With that plan set, money was the sticking point.
In the Magic City, where every inch of land is gold, villa prices are sky-high.
Still, with the system, he might get lucky and draw a few homes. And since Liyue's affairs weren't settled yet, those two wouldn't be moving to Blue Star right away.
With a plan in mind, Ken felt clearer. He was about to invite new guests when he sensed a subtle tremor from the system in his mind—someone had arrived on Blue Star.
"Eula?"
The visitor surprised him.
He expected Qiqi or his little daughter, but Eula.
"Mm-hmm? You don't look very happy to see me. I'll remember this grudge!"
The Eternal-Grudges-Lord crossed her arms, a hint of tsundere in her clear eyes.
"I'm just surprised you aren't taking an ice bath on Dragonspine and instead came to me," Ken said honestly. Eula wasn't as much a workaholic as Jean, but close—often tracking monsters in the wild. In her rare downtime she practiced swordsmanship, took ice baths, and then issued a fresh challenge to Jean.
"Mocking me? I'll remember this grudge!"
Eula narrowed her eyes tsunderely at Ken.
Ever since Ken had seen her bathing last time, Eula had kept up her baths. Ken didn't show up afterward, which left her feeling oddly… off. The inexplicable feeling made it hard for her to focus; unlike her usual composure. So she came to Blue Star. She did have something to ask of Ken—and wanted to sort out that weird knot in her heart.
"I missed your cooking."
After a moment's silence, Eula licked her lips and spoke again, a glimmer of anticipation in her eyes.
Ken's cooking truly outshone anything in Mondstadt.
Even if her main goal wasn't food, she still wanted to taste his dishes.
"Just about lunchtime. You've got good timing," Ken glanced at his phone. "What do you want to eat?"
"Tea-break Pancakes and Satisfying Salad," Eula said.
Ken raised an eyebrow. "Wait here. It'll be quick."
Eula hummed assent, but instead of sitting in the living room, she stood at the edge of the kitchen, quietly watching Ken cook.
He washed fresh raspberries, mixed eggs with flour, then put the batter into the oven.
Tea-break Pancakes weren't complicated—actually quite simple—just mind the oven temperature. The Satisfying Salad, though, had lots of ingredients. After watching for a while, Eula volunteered to wash produce.
…
Half an hour later.
Ken brought the dishes to the table.
Tea-break Pancakes, Golden Shrimp Balls, Satisfying Salad, and cured bamboo-and-pork soup.
A well-paired spread—color, aroma, and flavor all top-notch.
Eula couldn't help digging in.
Ken checked his vibrating phone, then brought out his laptop to run a video meeting with his employees while eating.
"Wait… boss, was that Eula?!"
As the video turned on, the camera briefly caught Eula eating, and the team erupted.
Honestly, as Genshin's popularity soared, players adored its characters more and more. Many people posted cosplays, but even famous cosplayers couldn't compare to Ken's guests—they were like the real Eula. So even a split-second frame and they recognized her.
Jealousy!
A sour wave flooded the meeting.
The boss barely comes to the office… and he has top-tier cosplayer dining with him every day.
Comparisons are odious…
"Cut the chatter. Get to the point."
He'd been busy with Teyvat and had indeed neglected the company a bit. Since they were in a meeting, they'd do it properly and focus on key items.
"Fine, fine… boss is heartless."
"The preview livestream is at 8 PM in three days. Don't forget."
"Venti's PV is done—we sent it to your email."
"And about Genshin's recent revenue…"
They were pros; kidding aside, when work started, efficiency was high.
About twenty minutes later, Ken ended the meeting. As it ended, the women on the team were jealous of Eula, and the men felt stabbed in the heart.
Eula, our wife… is getting taken!
…
"Mm… Ken, with that thing, you can talk face-to-face?"
Eula asked curiously after Ken finished. She'd visited Blue Star a few times but never stayed long; she didn't know much about computers.
"Yep. If you're interested, I can give you a phone. Lots of Blue Star info is on it—and it's convenient."
Ken set the laptop aside, smiling.
Eula looked a little awkward. "Um… I don't have Blue Star money. If it could be exchanged for Mora…"
"No need to be polite with me," Ken said casually.
Eula opened her mouth, then swallowed her words. Mm… seems she really didn't need to be so formal. She'd had so much help from him—if she tried to tally it all up, she'd never finish repaying it.
…
After lunch.
Ken fetched a brand-new spare phone from the study, installed essential apps, and handed it to Eula.
The only snag: many apps required real-name verification, which made Ken helpless. He could use someone else's ID, but to live on Blue Star, an ID card was unavoidable—he'd have to rely on the system.
"We can talk on Messenger from now on?"
Eula looked at Ken's account on the Messenger screen, curious.
"Yep. But only on Blue Star—and with internet." He gave her the basics. "I'll add you to a group. It'll be easier for everyone to talk about Blue Star stuff there."
The Messenger group was a spur-of-the-moment idea. Since they'd be living on Blue Star more often, phones and Messenger needed to be part of the plan.
"Just the two of us?"
Looking at the group chat, Eula felt a faint, odd flutter.
Ken nodded. "Mm. More will join later. Then everyone can discuss Blue Star matters there."
Oh, so that's all… A flash of disappointment crossed Eula's eyes, but she soon returned to normal. She coughed lightly: "Ken, can I stay here for a while?"
"Of course," Ken said, noting her expression. "Something bothering you?"
Usually when Eula was upset, she chose Dragonspine. Coming to Blue Star hinted at something else.
Eula shook her head. "No… I just want your help with something."
…