While Lu Heng was happily wandering around Inazuma with Yae Miko, far away in Liyue, in the depths of the Chasm—
"Brothers, what do you think?"
"I, your streamer, have come all the way here in person. Doing the story here makes it feel more immersive!"
Ying was live on stream, and the way she acted in front of her audience was completely different from her usual self. Paimon held up the recording device, occasionally glancing around nervously.
The Chasm was pitch black, with strange echoes reverberating through the tunnels, enough to make Paimon uneasy.
Normally, Ying would've been just as cautious. But that was the old Ying.
Now, with her "invincible frames," she barely worried. As long as it wasn't an unavoidable sneak attack, a quick sidestep or roll would be enough to dodge almost anything.
"This streamer is crazy!"
"All for the viewers' experience—live on-site exploration, I respect that. No wonder you're Teyvat's biggest gold-earning streamer!"
"Stop stalling, Ying! Do the quest already! I finished it days ago!"
"Think fate will guide Dainsleif to meet Ying here?"
"Hard to say…"
"Huh?" Ying blinked. "This quest is related to Dain too?"
When she learned the new quest took place in the Chasm, she had asked Ningguang for permission and came straight here. After all, she had profited handsomely during the last quest, We Will Be Reunited, when she found her brother and managed to squeeze some allowance out of him.
She knew the odds of making money again this time were low. But with her live stream, her absurd antics would guarantee viewer satisfaction.
If she couldn't get real cash, she could still rake in plenty of coins from her audience.
Brimming with confidence, Ying started the quest. Wherever the story took her, she mirrored it in real life.
As time went by, Ying's scalp tingled. "Brothers, even though it's just a game and I'm meeting the Abyss Order's leader—my twin—I'm actually kind of scared right now…"
"Scared of what? Just run up and punch Aether in the face!"
"Better yet, arrest him and turn him over to the authorities of any nation. The bounty will be massive!"
"Really?!" Ying's eyes lit up. "If my brother's actually wanted, how much would the bounty be?"
"Oh no, I think she's serious!"
"With the card shop around, Mora is everything. A brother? Sell him if you have to!"
"Yeah, just exploit the system: turn him in, collect the reward, let him escape, then catch him again. Infinite loop!"
Ying nodded solemnly. "Exactly! We'll bug the system. I hand him in, he escapes, I catch him again… repeat! And of course, I'll share the bounty with you guys watching!"
"Generous streamer!"
"Share the bounty? I say nations should raise the reward for the Abyss Prince even higher!"
"Count me in for guarding him. I'll 'look the other way' when he escapes!"
Inside the Abyss Order—
Aether stared at the live stream, silent for a long moment. He pointed at the screen and asked, "This… is my sister?"
The Abyss priest beside him hesitated, studying his expression. "Possibly…?"
"…."
This sister felt so unfamiliar. What on earth had she gone through to become like this?
He couldn't understand. But she seemed happy—always smiling, always lively. Aether didn't get it, but he respected it.
Still…
She really was a good sister.
After all, she had accepted his allowance—and now she was plotting to sell him out for bounty money. She was so filial it made his teeth ache.
"Hafdan!"
"Hafdan!"
The quest was called Requiem of the Echoing Depths. But before the requiem could echo through the abyss, a wailing roar already rang out from the depths below.
Ying had just finished her tasks.
She sighed. "But I didn't see a single Black Serpent Knight along the way. What's going on?"
"Could it be the Abyss Order's plan hasn't started yet?" Paimon speculated.
"Hmm…" Ying frowned in thought. Aether wasn't stupid. In this era, if the Abyss Order made too much trouble, they'd be crushed head-on by the Qixing or other powers.
So some plans were surely abandoned already.
Like this one—there were no signs of the Abyss Order anywhere in the Chasm.
"Streamer's relieved."
Ying nodded with satisfaction. "My brother has grown up. He knows how to weigh the pros and cons now."
Aether: "???"
"What are you even proud of? Shouldn't it be Aether who's relieved that you grew up?"
"This streamer really reversed the roles—totally upside down!"
"The most unfilial little sister ever, lol."
Ying just waved them off, grinning. "Anyway, since nothing's happening here, let's go treasure hunting! Who knows what riches lie hidden in the depths?"
"Treasure hunting? Perfect timing! I just did a quick reading—I think we're about to strike it rich!" Paimon declared.
"Of course we are!" Ying said firmly.
They wandered deeper into the underground passages.
But soon—
"Wait!" Ying narrowed her eyes at the tunnel ahead. She summoned her peachwood sword, pointing it forward.
"Who goes there?" Paimon tensed up as well.
The tunnel looked like a mining shaft. Bare rock lined the walls, but strange flowers were blooming upon the stones. Their petals shimmered with dangerous energy, ready to explode into deadly blossoms at the approach of an enemy.
Ying braced herself.
"…Traveler?"
A voice called curiously from the end of the passage.
Ying shone her flashlight toward it. When the shadowy figure raised a hand to block the glare, Ying's eyes widened.
"Dain?"
"Indeed. I didn't expect to meet you here."
"You're here chasing the Abyss Order, right?" she asked.
"Yes." Dainsleif nodded.
It was his first time meeting Ying in person, but he wasn't entirely uninformed. He knew about the "game story" and that in We Will Be Reunited, he had already crossed paths with her.
"Has anything happened here?" he asked.
"Something big." Ying nodded. "And it concerns you as well."
"Me?" Dain frowned.
Ying quickly pulled up a video on her phone and handed it to him. "Here. See for yourself."
Dainsleif watched silently. By the time it ended, his face was pale.
"Hafdan…" He exhaled slowly. "Where is he?"
"I don't know," Ying admitted. "I didn't see any Black Serpent Knights on my way here."
"Then they must be hiding in the shadows. They carry the duty of guardianship. Unless threatened, they won't reveal themselves."
"Could be," Ying agreed. Then she asked, "The Abyss Order surely isn't foolish enough to keep pushing this plan. What will you do next?"
"Me?" Dain thought a moment. "I'll find Hafdan and the others. After that… it depends on what lies within the Abyss."
"Then I wish you luck." Ying smiled. "As for me, I still have another task."
"Very well. We'll part ways here."
He turned to leave, but Ying suddenly called out: "Wait. How do you even plan to save Hafdan?"
Dain froze, frowning deeply. After a long silence, he shook his head. "I don't know."
"Uh…" Paimon tilted her head. "I thought you had a plan already. But their curse—can't it be purified?"
"Purified?" Dain's expression grew grave.
"Not the Abyss's so-called purification!" Ying clarified quickly. "I mean the card shop's purification—the one that can even turn hilichurls back into humans!"
"What?!" Dain's eyes widened in shock.
"You didn't know?" Paimon gaped, looking at him like he'd been living under a rock.
Wasn't Dain supposed to know everything? Why did he sound so clueless now?
"I know of the card shop, but I've never bought anything there," he admitted. He'd even met Lu Heng once in Liyue Harbor, but he hadn't been interested in shopping at the time.
But now… now he had to admit he wanted to visit.
"You'd better," Ying said seriously. "Whether it's the phones that keep everyone connected, or the cards' insane abilities—you need to keep up with the times."
She paused suddenly. "…Wait. You're chasing the Abyss Order, and my brother is their prince. By telling you all this, am I basically giving aid to the enemy?"
"Exactly. Took you long enough to notice, traitor." Paimon snickered.
Dain ignored the banter, his gaze steady. "What exactly is your stance?"
"My stance?" Ying's voice was calm. "I don't know what either of you is truly after, or what your goals are. For now—I'm not choosing a side."
She smiled faintly. "I'm learning from Lu Heng. Whatever you're both doing… it has nothing to do with me."
"That's all I have to say. I've got another mission waiting. Good luck."
"…Farewell," Dain replied quietly.
They parted ways.
Ying turned her attention to the second part of her quest.
"Brothers, we've cleared quite a few missions in the Chasm already. Now we know there's something down here, like those nails in Dragonspine."
"Last time Yelan helped us out. Now, looks like we're back again to figure things out."
"At least both quests are in the same place. Convenient," Paimon agreed.
Ying found the right spot. "Okay. Mission, start!"
She followed the quest, watching the cutscenes.
"Yeah, this looks familiar—we met Yanfei here. But wait… who's that guy? He looks like he knows us pretty well."
She pointed at the screen—Arataki Itto.
"Probably from another questline," Paimon said.
"Whatever, let's keep watching."
"Focus! This cutscene is amazing. Morax is too handsome!"
"One flick of his cloak and I died inside!"
"That's our Rex Lapis!!!"
Meanwhile, in Fontaine—
Zhongli, wearing the exhaustion of a man at work, was handing out funeral parlor flyers on the street.
Some might ask—why hand out flyers in this digital age? Why not just advertise online?
But Hu Tao was clever.
When the very Geo Archon himself handed you a flyer, you couldn't just toss it in the trash. Out of respect, you'd at least read it.
And once you read it, you'd understand Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's services.
The strategy worked brilliantly. With Furina's cultural insights and Neuvillette's official support, adapting funerary customs to Fontaine's culture was simple.
Still, business was scarce in these times. Unless someone died naturally of old age, most ailments could be healed easily.
But Hu Tao wasn't worried. Immortality wasn't for everyone.
Buzz—
Zhongli stopped, pulled his phone from his pocket, and read a message.
[Azhdaha]: Bro, you looked amazing! (video link)
[Azhdaha]: By the way, can Fuxue still be saved?"
"Fuxue?" Zhongli blinked, then tapped the video.
It showed the events leading up to the current quest—and lingered on a close-up of his cloak.
"Fuxue…" he murmured.
He immediately returned to Wangsheng's Fontaine branch, dropped the flyers on the desk, messaged Hu Tao for leave, then vanished in golden light—heading for the Chasm.
At the same time, Xiao, having also received word, transformed into a streak of turquoise light, racing toward the Chasm.
Inside the depths—
"Hiss…"
Blocked from entering the domain itself, Ying stood by what she thought was its entrance.
"Good thing Zhongli's here," she muttered.
"Exactly. That's why having connections is so important," Paimon nodded wisely. "If Xiao had come alone, he might not have made it."
"Rex Lapis really is like a responsible parent," Ying said sincerely.
The live chat erupted in praise.
Just then—two beams of light streaked down.
Ying turned, spotting Zhongli and Xiao approaching quickly.
"Huh? You two?" she asked.
"We're here… to see Fuxue." Xiao's expression was heavy. He knew this meeting might be the last.
"Then let's go inside," Zhongli said.
He raised his hands, golden light blooming from his palms. The sealed entrance rippled and opened into a portal.
Without hesitation, Zhongli stepped through. Xiao followed at his side.
Ying and Paimon exchanged a look—then hurried in after them.
Within the domain—
With Zhongli leading the way, there was no need for puzzles or detours. His power carried them straight to their destination.
The moment they arrived—
A flickering black shadow lunged at them!
--------
T/N:
You'll also get 5 extra chapters just for being a free member!
Access 50 chapters in advance on my Patreon : [email protected]/furinaimpact