Mu Yang returned to [Three Bowls Won't Cross the Harbor].
At this moment, he was sitting in the third-floor office, his fingers rhythmically tapping the desk.
The sudden situation had clearly disrupted his original plans.
However, it wasn't entirely unexpected.
Mu Yang knew he could suppress Forbidden Knowledge to some extent.
That much he was aware of.
But that was all—elimination was likely impossible.
Otherwise, Clarisse's dark aura wouldn't have been able to cling to him.
In this case, strength alone wasn't enough.
He needed to uncover the source of his power.
This gave Mu Yang yet another reason to investigate his origins.
Mu Yang summoned the system. "Do you know what 'I' really am?"
The system chuckled. "Haha, do you hear yourself?"
Mu Yang ignored it and pressed on, asking if, once he understood the source of his power, the system could use popularity points to enhance that specific ability, rather than the vague upgrades it currently provided.
The system's response was: Yes.
That settled it. He'd focus on this next.
Knock knock knock—
"Come in."
Mu Yang knew it was Shenhe at the door.
He had told Shenhe she didn't need to knock.
The girl thought her master was testing her manners.
Her insistence on proper etiquette was admirable.
Shenhe walked in with an elegant envelope.
"Your delivery, Master. It was brought by a box cat."
"A cat?"
"Yes, but she seemed in a hurry and left already."
Mu Yang had already guessed who it was when he heard about a delivery and a cat.
Add to that the fox tail and heart on the pink envelope.
Sigh, that sly fox Yae Miko was still up to her tricks.
What a pity he didn't get to see Kirara.
It would've been nice to treat her to a cat-themed drink.
That's just how it is when you love making friends.
Mu Yang estimated the timing. For Kirara to be out delivering, the Lockdown Decree must have been lifted.
The lifting of the Lockdown Decree meant Inazuma's Kōsai Festival was approaching.
To help Inazuma recover its vitality quickly, that fox was pulling out all the stops.
She'd invited bards, writers, and artists from various nations.
Sure enough, Mu Yang opened the envelope and saw the letter addressed to "Lingyuan Xianyu."
He knew he couldn't hide from Yae Miko.
The pseudonym was created specifically for the Kōsai Festival anyway.
— — — — — —
A few days later, at Liyue Harbor.
Mu Yang was waiting for a ship—a ship from Mondstadt bound for Inazuma.
It would make a brief stop at Liyue Harbor.
Besides Mondstadt's specialty, Dandelion Wine, the ship carried bards invited to the Kōsai Festival.
Naturally, this included the best of them.
Additionally, there was Master Albedo and Klee.
Though the letter didn't specify when Lingyuan Xianyu needed to arrive, for popularity points, the earlier, the better.
That was Mu Yang's current thinking.
He wouldn't think that way for long.
Meanwhile, on a parallel Earth.
Workhorse Guinaifen went online and started her stream immediately.
Now a major streamer, she couldn't slack off like before.
But her antics were still unchecked by moderators.
After all, with Mu Yang, the top donor who casually dropped huge sums, the platform didn't dare restrict her too much.
The chat was buzzing with Mu Yang's name.
Whenever a new version or preview dropped, if Mu Yang's Super Governor account left a highlighted comment during her stream, it meant this version featured his storyline.
If this version's events didn't include him, players could only hope for a cameo in the plot.
Every new version, this was what Guinaifen looked forward to most.
"Please, Mu Yang, big shot, show up!"
[Maiden's Prayer]
[Mu Yang Manifests]
[Did I stumble into some cult?]
Thank you, Mu Yang, for the highlighted comment: "Something to look forward to" (10,000 yuan)
"Woo-hoo! Prayer works, brothers!"
"Here comes my brain husband!"
Guinaifen swiftly dove into the main storyline…
Urgent, urgent, urgent!
— — — — — —
Back in Teyvat.
Since being summoned to Inazuma by Yae Miko, Lumine had seen it all.
There was a clear difference between bosses when it came to hiring others.
Helping Mu Yang manage the tavern and assisting Shenhe?
Food and lodging included, the boss personally cooked, plus new clothes and hefty Mora payments.
And Yae Miko?
Exorcising demons and evil spirits, crossing time and space for grueling tasks.
All she offered were empty promises.
That stingy fox wouldn't even let her see her little fox form.
The difference was stark.
How she missed Mu Yang, sigh…
Just as Lumine was sighing and planning to hightail it back to Liyue, Katheryne stopped her.
She said there was a job from a client specifically requesting her.
"Specifically? Sounds a bit intense. What's the job about?"
Paimon, after so many episodes, was still as innocently cheerful as ever.
Lumine, hearing this, took a step back, shielding Paimon.
This was obviously bad news.
And who else would pull such a stunt besides Yae Miko?
Sure enough, it was Yae Miko's commission.
Inazuma's Kōsai Festival was being organized by the Yashiro Commission and Yae Miko.
And Yae Miko had chosen these two to assist.
Lumine went to Yae Publishing House and had quite the discussion with Yae Miko.
They finally reached an agreement.
She'd help, but the price was a childhood picture of the fox lady.
[Something's fishy; how could Yae agree so easily?]
[She is the fox, a big one at that.]
[I wanna see little Foxy too, hehe.]
After discussing with Yae Miko and Ayato, Lumine began preparing for her task.
That task was to guide foreign visitors.
She glanced at the schedule and one name stood out.
"Lingyuan Xianyu?!"
Paimon gritted her teeth. "That Lingyuan Xianyu, when I catch him, he's done for!"
Lumine was also annoyed. Who writes books like that?
If he showed up tomorrow, she'd make him pay!
The next day, the first ship arrived in Inazuma.
Mu Yang was irritated.
He was starting to regret chasing Lingyuan Xianyu's popularity points.
Yesterday, as soon as he boarded the ship, almost everyone was talking about his books.
All three of them.
No matter which book, the conclusion was the same:
Lingyuan Xianyu, you cliffhanger dog, you deserve to die!
He was panicking now. If Mondstadt, not even the main distribution hub, was like this, what would Inazuma be like?
What solidified this feeling was Lumine and Paimon.
Mu Yang was the first to disembark, and their initial reaction upon seeing him was delight.
After some brief pleasantries, Paimon asked,
"Mu Yang, did you see 'Lingyuan Xianyu' on the ship?"
Judging by their expressions, Mu Yang sensed trouble. He felt like Lingyuan Xianyu was about to get roasted.
Lumine, being considerate, answered for him.
She figured Mu Yang wouldn't read such books and might not know who Xianyu was.
But if he wasn't a writer or poet, why was Mu Yang at the Kōsai Festival?
Mu Yang, exasperated, realized the literary path was a dead end. That left only…
Withering Glory: Snow Burial Over a Thousand Peaks appeared in his right hand, slightly unsheathed.
"I'm here to challenge [The Musou no Hitotachi]."
Lumine was shocked. Seriously, you again?!
— — — — — —
(Not writing about the Kōsai Festival, just passing through. Next stop, the Chasm.)