Aha had decided to leave shortly after to pursue the scratching of his scratch tickets that he had bought from the shop. Everyone else chatted for a while and then went on to do their own things shortly thereafter.
Those who should go to work went to work, those who should study studied, and those who should do research continued their research.
Qingque saw Fu Xuan, Jing Yuan, and his group leaving and waved her hand.
"Is there anyone coming to Diyuan Qiongyu?"
Kevin raised his hand and signed up first.
"Me! I want to go!"
Hu Tao followed closely. The internet café's business was being watched by someone else, so nothing would go wrong. Ningguang was also involved in the business.
The people of Liyue would never dare to cause trouble in the internet café. As for foreign forces? The two Fatui executives most likely to stir up trouble in Liyue had already been punished.
Hu Tao believed that Childe and La Signora wouldn't be foolish enough to make a mess at her place.
And she was right.
At this very moment, Childe and La Signora were happily surfing the internet in the café with a group of Fatui soldiers.
"Count me in!" Ye Lan said, intrigued by the Emperor Yuan Qiong Yu game on the table.
"Count me in too."
Qingque saw how easily she had set up a card game just by shouting and suddenly felt that the Astral Express was an incredible place.
Since she came here, not only did she land a stable and comfortable job, but she could also play Emperor Yuan Qiong Yu anytime she wanted.
Even in Luofu, if she wanted to start a game, she would have to contact people first.
Here? Just a shout, and plenty of people came running.
—
At the back door of the Liyue Hall of Rebirth, next to Ying's RV.
Ying and Paimon had just returned from Yuri's shop when they saw Aether sitting at the door of his RV, waiting for them.
Asmodeus had placed a chain formed from spatial authority around Aether's ankle.
This chain was invisible to anyone without elemental vision. Its sole function was to seal Aether's power and prevent him from opening a portal back to the Abyss.
Aether was effectively imprisoned within a 3,000-meter radius of the Hall of Rebirth. If he moved beyond that, Asmodeus would sense it immediately.
Asmodeus had made it clear—she had finally caught this guy, and she wasn't letting him go.
Ying placed her hands on her hips, looking at Aether with displeasure.
"What are you doing here?"
Aether was completely speechless about his sister. How could she betray him like this? Bringing someone to the Abyss just to capture him?
"Nothing. Just strolling."
Ying rolled her eyes.
"I know you better than that. If you have something to say, just say it."
Seeing this, Aether didn't waste any more words.
"How did you recover your power so quickly? I had to gather all seven elements to break my seal."
Ying didn't hide anything.
"I bought an elixir that removes seals from Yuri."
Aether frowned.
"Yuri? Is he your friend?"
Paimon interrupted excitedly.
"Yes! Yuri is a good friend of Ying and me. He has a shop with all sorts of magical things~"
Aether processed this information and then said, "Ying, I need the Unsealing Pill."
Ying refused outright.
"No way. You still want to go back to the Abyss? What's there that you miss so much?"
Aether's voice was firm. "The people of the Abyss Order were once the people of Khaenri'ah. I can't just ignore them."
Ying shook her head again. "No. Unless Asmodeus agrees."
Aether took a deep breath. "Ying, I want to lead them to restore our nation and rebuild our home."
Ying's expression darkened. "I already know what the Abyss truly is from Kevin and the others. That kind of thing must never spread across Teyvat. You should understand its horrors better than anyone."
Aether's mind flashed back to the destruction of Khaenri'ah—the Seven's judgment, the screams of his people, the way they were twisted into monsters.
"Only the Abyss can save Teyvat. It was Asmodeus who led the Six to destroy Khaenri'ah."
Ying was about to refute him and tell him the truth when Asmodeus suddenly appeared.
Her cold gaze locked onto Aether, and his expression turned to realization.
"I see. No wonder."
Asmodeus reached forward and extracted a black mist from Aether's chest.
"I was wondering why this little golden-haired brat suddenly sided with the Abyss. It turns out you've been whispering to him, you wretched sinner."
A sinister, bone-chilling laughter came from the black mist.
"Hahahaha! Asmodeus! The Abyss will swallow everything!"
Asmodeus snorted and crushed it in her palm.
Paimon looked between Aether, now collapsed on the ground, Ying, and Asmodeus in confusion.
"What's going on?"
Asmodeus dusted her hands off.
"I suspected something was wrong ever since I caught him yesterday. Turns out he was being manipulated. Ying, your brother is fine now. When he wakes up, bring him to me—I have questions for him."
Ying nodded and helped Aether into the RV to rest.
—
Jing Yuan.
After parting ways with Fu Xuan and the others, he found Jingliu with the scroll of sword techniques.
Jingliu was currently in the Scaled Abyss, raising the baby with Rios.
The four little ones were happily frying fish by the shore.
Jingliu noticed Jing Yuan approaching and spoke without looking up.
"Give me the scroll. Tell your apprentice to come find me the day after tomorrow."
Jing Yuan chuckled and handed the scroll over.
"Thank you."
Jingliu shook her head slightly. "No need. It's my job."
Jing Yuan hesitated. "Yanqing told me he had a sparring match with you before?"
Jingliu nodded. "Yes, he did. You have a good eye—he's a promising student."
Jing Yuan was about to boast, but Jingliu cut him off with a single remark.
"It's a pity that his teacher doesn't know how to teach properly. He's been learning all wrong."
Jing Yuan sighed in defeat. Well, he couldn't argue—after all, she was his master.
If anyone else had said that, Jing Yuan would have taught them a lesson.
But since it was Jingliu? He could only stay silent.
—
Inside the train...
Kafka arrived with Blade.
Outside the train, Blade and Dan Heng had fought fiercely. Now, they sat together in the same room, wounded but silent.
However, their tension had eased—just a little.
At least now, they could be in the same room without trying to kill each other.
Fortunately, at this time, Jingliu and Rios returned with the four little ones.
As soon as March 7th saw Bai Lu, she quickly called her over to treat both Blade and Dan Heng's wounds.
Bai Lu rolled her eyes at the two of them in exasperation.
"How old are you two? Still fighting like kids? So childish!"
She bandaged their wounds with practiced ease, then pointed a tiny clawed finger at them in warning.
"You two are not allowed to fight anymore, do you hear me? If you do it again, I won't treat you next time!"
Her words sent Blade and Dan Heng into a brief daze, stirring a long-buried memory.
Bai Heng: "Yingxing, Dan Feng, can you two be more careful when sparring? If you do this again next time, I won't bandage your wounds!"
The two nodded in unison.
"Fine. Not next time."
Bai Lu huffed, satisfied. "Good. Keep the wound dry for a day, and remove the bandage in three."
Dan Heng and Blade nodded in agreement.
Blade's wound had actually almost healed—his body's regeneration was far beyond that of a normal person—but he still chose to follow Bai Lu's instructions.
Kafka, who had been watching from the side, smiled knowingly at the scene before her.
"Aren, sit here and rest for a while. I'll go find Silver Wolf."
Blade nodded, closing his eyes as he leaned back on the sofa, arms folded.
Kafka opened the door to Silver Wolf's room but found it empty. Instead, she spotted Stellar Jade at a nearby table, drawing a card.
"Jade, have you seen Silver Wolf?"
Without looking up, Jade answered, "She's at Walnut Internet Cafe. Asmodeus dragged her into playing games."
Kafka quirked a brow at the unfamiliar name.
Jade continued, shuffling her deck. "You should wait a bit. She'll be back for dinner soon."
Since there was time to kill, Kafka strolled over to a small bar nearby and took a seat.
Behind the counter, Yuri was mixing cocktails. Upon seeing Kafka, he grinned.
"Well, well. If it isn't Kafka. Long time no see."
Kafka returned the smile. "Yeah, it's been a while. Your place has changed a lot. I remember it being smaller before."
Yuri chuckled. "Business has been good. Made some money, did some renovations."
He leaned in slightly. "How long are you staying this time? Last time, you left in a hurry."
Kafka swirled her glass. "I can stick around for a bit longer this time. My next job isn't for a while."
Yuri nodded. "Then make the most of it. The store's a lot livelier these days."
Kafka glanced around. Kevin and the others were still deep in their mahjong game. Welt and Kevin were playing chess at another table, and a very tipsy Venti was slumped nearby.
She sighed. "Yeah, this place is way livelier than our base. It used to be fun when Silver Wolf and Sam were around, but now that they're gone, it's too quiet."
Yuri thought for a moment. "I'll give you a portal later. That way, you can come here anytime."
Kafka's eyes widened. "Seriously? Why didn't you give me one earlier? I was suffering in solitude!"
Yuri shrugged. "Didn't think of it at the time."
Kafka chuckled. "Fine, you're forgiven. What's for dinner tonight? I heard you were the cook on the train."
Yuri smirked. "Tonight, we're having dumplings. But I'm not the only one cooking—Pom and Xiangling are helping. There are too many mouths to feed for me to do it alone."
Kafka grinned. "Then I'll be looking forward to it."
She sipped her cocktail. "By the way, do you sell coats here?"
Yuri poured her another drink. "Of course. Go check the touch screen."
Dinner time arrived before long.
Kevin sat at the table, staring at the ceiling in despair.
"Gone… all gone… hehe…"
Across from him, Qingque was happily counting her winnings, her stack of Star Coins significantly thicker than before.
Stellar Jade slumped over, looking equally miserable. She had only 100 Star Coins left to her name.
March 7th sighed. "This bad, huh? Only 100 left?"
Hu Tao, sitting beside Kevin, patted his shoulder. "Don't feel bad Kevin! You're still super awesome!"
She sighed. "I lost over a thousand today. If I hadn't gotten lucky, I'd be in your position."
At that moment, Yuri arrived with a large bowl of steaming dumplings. "Alright, eat up! Weren't you all planning to explore Suiyuan tonight?"
Kevin perked up. "Right, we still have to explore Suiyuan! March, message Guinaifen and Su Shang. Ask where they're meeting us."
March 7th stuffed a dumpling into her mouth, then pulled out her phone. After a moment, she received a reply.
"They're waiting at Jinren Lane. Guinaifen found a secret passage into Suiyuan."
Kevin grinned. "Perfect. Let's eat fast and head out."
Hu Tao eagerly devoured her dumplings. She could go ghost-hunting tonight!
After dinner, the group rushed off the train before Himeko could call them back for a meeting about their next destination, Pinocchio.
Himeko sighed. "Guess we'll do it in the morning."
Kevin and the others arrived at the clearing where several Star Rafts were parked, courtesy of Jing Yuan for their use in Luofu.
Boarding the Star Raft, they headed straight for Jinren Lane.
Upon arrival, the sight before them was bleak. Once a bustling commercial street, it was now desolate, with only a few scattered shops still open.
Fortunately, their destination wasn't here.
After a quick phone call, they found Guinaifen and Su Shang waiting for them.
Guinaifen waved enthusiastically. "Finally! You guys are here! Come on, follow me! I, Guinaifen, have found a secret path!"
With that, she led the way toward Suiyuan.
Deep in Suiyuan, the group moved cautiously, stepping lightly between shadows.
Hu Tao, however, was more thrilled than cautious. The ghostly lights floating around had her absolutely ecstatic.
"This place is amazing!" she whispered, eyes gleaming.
Unable to resist, she leapt up and grabbed one of the will-o'-the-wisps in her hands.
But instead of extinguishing, the blue flame burned even brighter.
Hu Tao leaned in, curious—
Suddenly, the flame twisted, forming a human face.
She yelped, flinging it away, then quickly composed herself. Forming a hand seal, she used the secret art of soul pacification to pin it in place.
A slow grin spread across her face.