"We're leaving," Shao Yun said as he stepped out of the hall to rejoin the others.
Paimon, curled up in Lumine's arms, was softly sobbing, bracing herself for the screams and gunshots she had anticipated.
Shao Yun approached, placing a heavy but gentle hand on her small back and gave it a soft pat.
Feeling the reassuring presence, Paimon quickly turned around.
"Ah… Shao Yun, you…"
Tears still glistened in the corners of her eyes. Shao Yun reached out with a finger and gently wiped them away, asking calmly:
"What's got you crying like this?"
Her throat caught; words refused to form. But she stopped crying, staring at Shao Yun with confusion and disbelief.
After a few moments, her trembling voice barely above a whisper, she asked:
"You… you didn't…"
She sniffled, eyes darting toward the hall.
Shao Yun sighed lightly and answered.
"Those guys were already scared out of their minds. They're no threat anymore. So, I let them go."
Diluc's brows furrowed deeply as he heard this, concern flashing across his eyes. He was clearly weighing the risks.
"Shao Yun, are you sure about this?" His voice was skeptical. "Leave even one root behind, and the weeds grow back. Especially with the Fatui… and their Eighth Harbinger, The Fair Lady. What we did today—"
His concern was warranted. The Fatui weren't infamous for nothing.
"Our job was to retrieve the Holy Lyre," Shao Yun said with a shrug. "We got it. Mission accomplished."
"And you speak like I'm scared of being hunted. There's no one who can kill me—except me."
Diluc studied Shao Yun's unwavering confidence. He wondered what this man had experienced to carry such certainty. Was it ignorance? Or true power?
"Shao Yun… what have you been through to be this sure of yourself?"
But Shao Yun had seen that question coming. He didn't answer directly.
"I'm not the kind to lay my past bare just because someone asks. And if I couldn't trust myself, I wouldn't be traveling with Lumine."
That vague reply left Diluc with a strange sense of disappointment. It made Shao Yun seem all façade, no substance.
What, afraid your past would make people think less of you? Diluc wondered.
Had Shao Yun known his thoughts, he'd likely have mocked him outright.
"No. I'm afraid of scaring people. Bragging about past glory to prove your strength? That's either calculated bravado—or cowardice in disguise."
The absolute conviction in Shao Yun's tone stirred something in Diluc. That kind of calm, quiet strength couldn't be faked.
"Well, if you won't talk about it, I won't ask," Diluc said, waving it off.
Venti took the Holy Lyre from Lumine, lightly strumming the strings. A clean, crisp note rang out.
Sounded nice, but… no different from a regular lyre.
"It's been a thousand years. The wind's blessing has faded. Right now, the Holy Lyre's just another instrument," Venti said, lifting his fingers from the strings.
Paimon wiped her eyes, stunned. "Then… everything we did was for nothing?"
Venti didn't answer. They were still technically in Fatui territory—not the place for this discussion.
Diluc caught on and spoke in a low voice, "Let's return to the tavern. This isn't the place to talk."
"Yeah, let's go."
As the group exited the domain, the two guards—one dead, one unconscious—remained exactly where they had fallen.
On the road back to Mondstadt, the sky shifted slowly. Faint white crept across the horizon.
The deep night lightened to a soft blue-gray. Soon, the distant silhouette of Mondstadt came into view.
Shao Yun glanced up, reflecting. A night of nonstop action, and he wasn't even tired. The Vision's stamina efficiency really was effective.
Crossing the stone bridge over Cider Lake, they finally returned to Mondstadt.
By now, the pale pre-dawn had given way to brilliant sunlight. City life had resumed, citizens bustling about their morning routines.
Back at Angel's Share, the tavern was filled with drunks passed out from all-night binges.
The group returned to the bar—finally, a place they could speak freely.
Paimon turned to the lyre in Venti's hands, her curiosity reignited.
"Venti, we're alone now. Tell us—what do we do about the lyre?"
"I can't fix it," Venti replied, then looked at Lumine. "But you can."
Lumine pointed to herself, startled. "Me? I… I don't know how to fix instruments!"
"You don't need to. Just use the crystalized tears of Dvalin. Let the wind flow through them."
Lumine took out the two gleaming tear crystals and carefully placed them on the lyre.
Wind energy shimmered and slowly soaked into the wood. The lyre gave a soft hum—then fell silent again.
It was working, but the energy wasn't enough.
"We need more of Dvalin's tears," Venti said after checking the resonance.
Immediately, Shao Yun and Paimon chimed in: "Where do we find them?"
Venti looked surprised. Paimon's urgency was expected—but Shao Yun's?
"No need to rush. You've been up all night. Take a break," Venti said with his usual carefree smile.
But Shao Yun frowned. It wasn't about patience—it was about the System.
He knew they needed more of Dvalin's tears. But every time he tried to get ahead of the story, the System would block him.
He had to push Venti to get on with it, fast-track the quest, and unlock mount functionality.
"Cut the fluff. We're not strangers here. What's next?"
Venti signaled him to calm down. "One step at a time."
"It's not about being impatient. We just want to finish this before things spiral out of control."
That earned nods all around. Everyone wanted to solve the Dvalin issue quickly.
Diluc nodded slowly. "Shao Yun is right. If we don't act soon, the Fatui might resort to even more unhinged tactics."
He paused, brows furrowed. "They won't confront us openly—but behind the scenes? We can't give them the chance."
Realizing he couldn't delay further, Venti sighed and finally relented.
"We need to find the scattered tears of Dvalin."
"And where exactly are they?"
Venti closed his eyes, pretending to sense their location. The others waited, hopeful.
He opened them—and stuck out his tongue.
"Eh… nothing."
Shao Yun's expression darkened, his brows pinched.
"Don't mess with us. We're alone here—"
That word—alone—made Venti glance meaningfully at Shao Yun.
"Are we really alone?"
His cryptic reply made Shao Yun pause. They were at the bar. Who else could—?
His gaze swept the room and landed on a suspicious figure pretending to sleep.
Their eyes met.
Fatui.
The man's face went pale as death. He flipped the table and bolted.
Shao Yun's fury erupted like a volcano. His glare burned with a lion's rage.
"This is getting ridiculous. Lumine, you handle the rest. I'm going to KILL him!"
He burst through the tavern doors, eyes locked on the fleeing man.
His hand reached for his revolver—but a System Notification stopped him.
[Warning: Killing Fatui diplomats in Mondstadt without open conflict will result in being reported and becoming wanted by the Knights of Favonius.]
Shao Yun's gut twisted. He bellowed, hoping to scare the man into stopping.
"STOP!"
And then—like a mountain lion—he charged.
…
"GET BACK HERE, YOU FAT BASTARD!"
Shao Yun's roar echoed through Mondstadt's streets as onlookers stared in shock at the spectacle.
The Fatui agent ran from the bustling commercial district into a narrow alley, still somehow keeping pace.
Then he tossed something dark behind him.
It arced and landed—bang! A thick cloud of smoke erupted.
A standard Teyvat smoke bomb. Harmless—but choking.
Shao Yun didn't even blink. He ran straight through the haze.
The agent, thinking he was safe, slowed to catch his breath.
"You're NOT getting away!" Shao Yun's voice roared through the smoke like a thunderclap.
Panic flooded the man's veins.
Shao Yun grabbed him by the collar, yanked him back, and slammed a fist into his jaw.
Boom! The man's head snapped back. Blood sprayed from his nose and ears.
He flew backward, spinning through the air like a ragdoll, and crashed to the ground.
But Shao Yun wasn't done.
He stormed forward, raised a boot, and kicked hard into his side.
"No Paimon here to save you now. No witnesses. I'll beat you to death right here!"
Just as his foot struck—someone shouted behind him.
"STOP!"
The familiar voice froze him in place.
He turned slowly.
A familiar figure stood nearby, eyes blazing.
"Shao Yun… you're assaulting a Mondstadt citizen?"