Ten minutes later.
Rita and the surviving Valkyries were imprisoned together, with Kevin sitting beside them as their guard. Next to them stood the Judgment of Shamash.
Welt had tied Otto to a tree, and he, Yuri, and Zhongli sat beneath it, drinking tea and chatting leisurely. Every now and then, Welt would casually kick Otto.
"Did that knock you out? Wake up!"
Otto groaned, stirring from unconsciousness, his eyes fluttering open.
Welt noticed immediately.
"Did I say you could open your eyes? Keep them closed!"
Otto sighed, defeated, and shut them again. But his injuries were severe, and as soon as he did, sleep threatened to pull him under.
Seeing Otto dozing off again, Welt jabbed his stomach with the Star of Eden, causing a sharp pain that jolted him awake.
March 7th, watching from the sidelines, was stunned by the sight of Welt's expression.
"This is the first time I've seen Uncle Yang like this."
Hu Tao, standing nearby, nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, Mr. Welt is always so serious. Who's that blonde guy, anyway? He must be important if Mr. Welt is treating him like this."
March 7th thought for a moment before turning to Kiana, who was munching on melon seeds.
"Kiana, do you know that man?"
Kiana was too engrossed in her snack to answer right away. The seeds were just too good—once she started, she couldn't stop.
"Huh? You mean Archbishop Otto? He's our Archbishop."
March 7th blinked.
"Archbishop?"
Mei chimed in.
"We're part of an organization called Destiny. The Archbishop is our leader, and we all follow his orders."
Kurumi furrowed her brows, confused.
"Then why didn't you try to save him just now?"
Kiana and Mei exchanged glances. They didn't have an answer—Theresa gave the orders, and they followed them. If Theresa said to beat someone up, they beat them up. No questions asked.
Yuri glanced at Otto's pitiful state, a sudden thought flashing through his mind. He turned to Zhongli.
"Zhongli, your neighbor, Ying, is gathering funds to buy a resurrection item. What about you? Are you interested?"
Zhongli raised a brow.
"A resurrection item?"
Yuri nodded.
"Yes, it can unconditionally resurrect anyone at Ying's level or below. What do you think? Want one?"
Zhongli folded his arms, considering.
"Yes, I do. More than one, in fact. However, my Stellar Jade is currently allocated elsewhere."
Yuri wasn't in a rush.
"Fair enough. You still have planetary expansion to focus on."
Otto, who had been listening intently, widened his eyes in shock. He stared at Yuri with desperation.
"Sir, do you truly have resurrection items for sale?"
Before Yuri could answer, Welt walked over and delivered another sharp kick to Otto's side.
"Shut that filthy mouth of yours. You're polluting the air."
With that, Welt pulled out a fan and waved it dramatically, as if to rid himself of Otto's presence.
Yuri didn't respond to Otto's question. Instead, he walked off with Zhongli, purposely dangling the conversation like bait.
Otto lowered his head, lost in thought.
After some time, the group prepared to head home. Yuri and his crew departed, while Zhongli and his companions returned to Liyue Harbor.
The moment they arrived, Asmodeus sprinted towards the Wangsheng Hall Internet Café. He turned to Hu Tao, practically bouncing with impatience.
"Master, hurry up! Get me back there!"
Hu Tao straddled her Hellfire motorcycle and called out to Zhongli.
"Zhongli, what are you waiting for? Hop on, we're going back together."
Zhongli glanced at Asmodeus, who was vibrating with excitement.
"Hurry up! Stop wasting time! I need to get online!"
At that, Zhongli sighed and climbed onto the bike.
With a rev of the engine, Hu Tao sped off towards the Internet café.
More than ten minutes later, they arrived. Asmodeus leapt off the bike, bolting inside and straight to the third floor.
Zhongli bid Hu Tao farewell and returned to his courtyard. Hu Tao, realizing it was still early, decided to take a walk.
Liyue was dazzling at night, its streets bustling with people. Many greeted Hu Tao as she passed. Thanks to the Internet café, Wangsheng Hall was no longer feared for its funeral services but instead known for its gaming hub.
Gone were the days when people avoided her for fear of being roped into a funeral package deal.
As she wandered, Hu Tao found herself at the entrance of Ying's milk tea shop. Milk tea was new to Liyue, but its deliciousness had made Ying's business explode. What had started as a tiny ten-square-meter shop had now grown into a full-fledged storefront, with employees to help with the workload.
Hu Tao stepped inside.
"Ying, give me… hmm, three cups of milk tea."
She initially planned to get just one, but then figured she might as well bring some for Asmodeus and Keqing too.
Ying looked up and smiled.
"Oh, Master Hu! It's on the house."
Hu Tao shook her head.
"Nope, nope."
She handed her 3,000 Mora, refusing the freebie.
Seeing no way around it, Ying accepted the payment.
She then asked, "By the way, is Asmodeus at the Internet café? I stopped by earlier to see her, but she wasn't there."
Hu Tao nodded.
"Yep, just got back. Why do you need her?"
Ying grinned.
"She commissioned me for something."
Hu Tao chuckled.
"Ah, makes sense. Knowing her, she's gonna be up all night. Funny thing, all the guests at my Wangsheng Hall turned out to be big shots. I just didn't realize it at the time."
Ying gave a forced smile, the corner of her mouth twitching.
So, you do know. Here I thought you were oblivious.
"Alright, I'll stop by later. Here you go, Master Hu—your milk tea."
Hu Tao took the cups, thanked her, and walked off, sipping as she went.
10 PM.
After Ying led the employees to clean up the place, she held a meeting for them.
"I'm going to be away for a while. During this time, everyone should operate as normal. Follow Ada's arrangements. Do you understand?"
Ada was the first employee in the store. Diligent and honest, he nodded firmly.
"Don't worry, boss. I will take good care of the store," Ada said, patting his chest.
Ying nodded, reassured.
"Well, everyone has worked hard. I'll bring you gifts when I come back."
Afterwards, Ying closed the shop door, handed the key to Ada, and walked towards the Internet café.
Upon arrival, she headed straight to the third floor, only to be stopped by the staff at the entrance.
"Hello, ma'am, please show me your proof."
Ying replied, "I'm here to see someone. Can you call Asmodeus for me?"
Recognizing the name, the staff immediately nodded. "Alright, please wait a moment, I'll report for you."
A few minutes later, the staff returned with Nahida, who greeted Ying with a warm smile.
"Good evening, Ying."
Ying smiled back. "Good evening, Nahida. Is Asmodeus in there?"
Nahida nodded. "Yes, come on, I'll take you in."
As Ying walked inside, a keyboard cap suddenly flew at her face. Before she could react, Asmodeus darted over, snatched it mid-air, and returned to her furious typing.
Ying sighed.
Anyone who played Audition was a keyboard destroyer. The Internet café had lost many keyboards to this very game. Every round, players would slam the space bar like they were trying to break it in half.
After finishing her game, Asmodeus spun her chair around and faced Ying.
"So? What do you want?"
Ying crossed her arms. "I'm leaving for Sumeru tomorrow."
Asmodeus considered this for a moment, then tossed an Eye of the Extinguishing Earth God to Ying.
"What people say on the Internet is true. You're three points weaker. With your strength, I doubt you can handle it. Take this. If you're in danger, break it, and I'll come."
Ying was about to argue, but after a moment's thought, she realized Asmodeus had a point. She was three points weaker.
Without another word, Ying took the Eye of God and pocketed it.
Afterwards, she and Nahida agreed to set off for Sumeru at noon the next day.
Inazuma Castle – Inside the Castle Tower
Ying, March 7th, Paimon, and Yae Miko were enjoying a hot pot meal together.
Ying asked, "So, how many Stellar Jades have you gathered? I heard you got a hunting order."
Yae Miko turned to Yae Miko.
"The progress is good. We've collected over 20,000 Stellar Jades so far."
Ying sighed. "It must be nice having power. People like me can only grind for Star Rail passes."
Yae chuckled. "I envy you. You get to do what you like, free of responsibility."
Ying thought about it and realized she had a point. She really was free.
"Do you have any plans tomorrow?" Yae asked.
Ying raised a brow. "Why?"
"I want you to come with me to Watatsumi Island to meet Kokomi."
"Hmmm...I just want you to come with me!"
Ying thought for a moment before simply stating the following.
"I'll think about it."
They resumed eating.
Later That Night – Inazuma's Main Street
Yae Miko strolled through the streets, searching for a certain delinquent.
She soon found Arataki Itto playing rock-paper-scissors with some children. Unsurprisingly, he lost all his snacks.
"Ah! I actually lost! You little brats, come back tomorrow! I'll win everything back!"
The kids laughed. "We're not scared of you!"
After they ran off, Yae called out, "Arataki Itto."
He turned and scowled. "Ugh, it's you! Trashy fox!"
Yae sighed. "Do me a favor, hmm?"
"Sure!" Itto puffed his chest. "Just tell me what it is."
"Come with me tomorrow and play a game. For every match you win, I'll give you 100 kilograms of food."
Itto waved his hand dismissively. "Pffft, I don't need a reward! I'm all about loyalty! Just tell me where to be."
Yae smiled. "Meet me at Narukami Shrine."
Ying's RV
As Ying and Paimon returned to the RV, they spotted a girl wrapped in bandages sneaking around it.
Ying approached her. "Hey, who are you? What are you doing near my car?"
The girl turned. "Oh! Is this yours? Hi, my name's Yoimiya."
"Yoimiya? Are you from around here?"
Yoimiya nodded. "Yep! My family sells fireworks in Inazuma City. I just saw your RV and got curious."
Ying smirked. "Wanna see inside?"
Yoimiya's eyes lit up. "For real?!"
"Of course. Move aside, let me unlock the door."
Yoimiya quickly stepped back as Ying unlocked the RV. Stepping inside, Yoimiya was wide-eyed, marveling at the modern interior.
Ying handed her a glass of orange juice. "Here."
"Thanks!" Yoimiya took a sip, then asked, "You're not from Inazuma, are you?"
Ying sighed. "Nope. Kinda regret coming here—the weather sucks."
Paimon pouted. "Yeah! And don't even get me started on the supplies!"
Yoimiya blinked. "Supplies? What supplies?"
Paimon huffed. "We distributed food in a village."
Yoimiya stared at them in shock. "Wait—you're that kind person? The one who gave food to Konda Village?!"