After a dizzying shift in space, they found themselves atop a mountain peak.
It was midday, and the sun cast its warm light over Mt. Aozang, illuminating the region between Dihua Marsh and its surroundings.
Dainsleif stood in stunned silence, his gaze fixed on Qiu Bai with an expression of disbelief.
Lumine and Paimon, however, seemed completely unfazed this was nothing new to them.
"To possess such a terrifying ability…"
"You don't even have a Vision, yet you can achieve something like this."
Dainsleif furrowed his brows as he studied Qiu Bai carefully.
Qiu Bai merely chuckled.
"Heh, now's not the time to talk about that."
"Look down there, those Abyss Mages seem to be rummaging through the Ruin Guards for something."
Following his gaze, they spotted a group of Abyss Mages scouring the remains of Ruin Guards below.
"Oh? That reminds me… The Traveler does that all the time too."
"Something about Chaos Devices, Chaos Circuits, or whatever."
Paimon waved her hand nonchalantly as she glanced between Qiu Bai and Dainsleif.
"Yep! Those are really important materials!"
Lumine nodded enthusiastically in agreement.
"Pfft—"
Qiu Bai covered his mouth and let out a quiet chuckle.
Lumine immediately turned her gaze toward him, hands on her hips, puffing up her cheeks in annoyance.
"But the Abyss Mages… they probably aren't looking for something as common as that, right?"
Paimon waved her hand again, dismissing the idea. After all, something as basic as Chaos Devices shouldn't be that hard for the Abyss Mages to find.
Dainsleif crossed his arms and exhaled.
"The reason I've been investigating outside is that those Abyss Mages frequently leave the ruins for exploration."
"It seems they're trying to retrieve a very specific and valuable item from within the Ruin Guards' remains to bring it back to the ruins."
He gestured downward at the group of Abyss Mages, watching their movements carefully.
"But judging by their disappointed reactions, they haven't found it yet."
Dainsleif turned away from them, his sharp gaze locked onto the departing Abyss Mages, who once again left empty-handed.
Lumine tilted her head, puzzled.
"Then why don't we just capture a few of them and interrogate them?"
"Even Diluc Grandpa has used that method before just be a little harsh, and they'll talk."
She looked at Dainsleif curiously, wondering why he hadn't already considered that approach.
Dainsleif let out a low sigh.
"It's not that I intend to be merciful to these creatures…"
"But something tells me that this matter holds extraordinary significance to the entire Abyss Order."
"The truth behind it cannot be uncovered through mere interrogation."
His expression was firm as he met the questioning gazes of Lumine and Paimon.
Then, after a brief pause, his voice cut through the air with determination.
"Enough stalling. Let's continue the pursuit."
Without another word, he sprinted off in the direction of the ruins.
Paimon blinked, then turned to Lumine in confusion.
"I mean… we have Qiu Bai, so why is he still running?"
She waved her hands in exasperation, still baffled by Dainsleif insistence on doing things the hard way.
"Not sure. Let's follow him and see."
"Let's go, Qiu Bai."
Lumine glanced at Paimon, then at Qiu Bai, before taking off in Dainsleif direction.
Seeing this, Paimon stomped her foot in frustration before flying after them.
Qiu Bai nodded and picked up his pace as well.
After running for a while, they spotted a group of Abyss Mages ahead alongside a Ruin Guard.
Without hesitation, Dainsleif and Lumine charged forward, swiftly dealing with all enemies in a short time.
"Whew… Aside from the Abyss Order, the Ruin Guards here are really active too."
"It feels like wherever the Abyss Order lurks, there are always Ruin Guards roaming nearby. Is that just a coincidence?"
Paimon hovered in the air, looking between Lumine and Qiu Bai as she waved her hand.
She scratched her head, unable to come up with an answer.
Dainsleif crossed his arms, his expression deep and thoughtful.
"There are no coincidences in this world only seeds planted long ago, waiting for the right time to sprout."
"Just like your appearance at the tavern, time merely waited for it to happen."
He glanced at Lumine, his words cryptic as ever.
Lumine blinked, confused.
"Uh… I don't really get it."
"I only heard about you by chance."
She stared at Dainsleif, still puzzled by his words.
Dainsleif shook his head and waved a hand dismissively.
"Never mind. Just unnecessary musings."
Then, his gaze turned serious again.
"The connection between the Abyss Order and the Ruin Guards is no coincidence."
"They are branches extending from the same root."
His voice was calm but resolute.
Paimon folded her hands behind her back and tilted her head.
"Root? Branches? What do you mean?"
Dainsleif met her curious gaze and, after a pause, spoke gravely:
"They both originate from the ancient nation that was destroyed five hundred years ago."
"Khaenri'ah."
The weight of his words hung in the air.
"Huh? Khaenri'ah?"
Paimon clutched her chest, eyes widening in shock.
"So the Abyss Order and the Ruin Guards they're the remnants of Khaenri'ah after its destruction?"
Her voice was filled with disbelief.
She took a deep breath and turned toward Lumine.
"Speaking of Khaenri'ah… That's a really, really old name."
"Oh, right! As your guide, I should explain it to you. Khaenri'ah was—"
But before she could finish, Lumine cut her off.
"I know the name Khaenri'ah."
Lumine voice was calm, her golden eyes unwavering.
Paimon blinked, surprised.
"Eh…?"
Lumine placed a hand over her chest, her expression turning solemn.
"Because I have memories of Khaenri'ah."
Paimon eyes widened in shock.
"You have memories of it?"
"But that nation was destroyed five hundred years ago!"
Paimon looked at Lumine in shock.
"Is that so? Everyone has their secrets. You've never asked me about time, after all."
"And I won't ask you either. But if you're willing to tell me, I will listen."
Dainsleif furrowed his brows as he gazed at Lumine.
Meanwhile, Qiu Bai stood in the back, arms crossed, listening with mild interest.
After a moment of hesitation, Lumine spoke.
She described Khaenri'ah engulfed in a sea of flames, the strange gold-and-black cubes within the fire, and the gods she encountered afterward.
Then, she recounted her reunion with her brother in Mondstadt.
But when they met, he did not speak to her. Instead, he simply stepped into a deep purple portal and vanished.
"Wait… Mondstadt? That meeting?"
Qiu Bai expression suddenly tightened.
So it really changed, huh? My presence is shifting events.
According to the original story, Lumine was supposed to reunite with her brother much later.
Why, then, did they meet in Mondstadt?
What had changed?
Three hundred years ago, Azdaha and Morax fought their great battle but…
"No, that's not right…"
"The location of Azdaha and Morax's battle…"
"It's far from where Lumine initially woke up. That doesn't match up."
Qiu Bai rubbed his chin. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't pinpoint what had shifted.
"Heh… This is getting more and more interesting."
"I've changed more things than I expected. A chain reaction, huh?"
He chuckled internally, a faint smile playing on his lips as he turned his gaze back to Lumine, who was still speaking.
Paimon blinked, processing everything.
"So that's how it all happened in order, huh?"
"I thought you met that mysterious god right away but it turns out it happened later."
Lumine nodded slightly.
Dainsleif, who had been listening closely, spoke up.
"After you descended into this world. Your first awakening was when your brother called you forth from the meteor."
Lumine eyes filled with uncertainty.
Paimon waved her hand.
"Looks like your brother woke up before you did."
"We just don't know how much earlier…"
(T/N: Like the story fellow daoist? Read 20 chapters ahead on my P@treon [p@treon.com/DaoistRongyi] Thanks for your support! 😊)