The next morning, the sky was bright and clear.
Chihu Rock. Wanmin Restaurant.
"Traveler, Paimon — your buns, and two cups of soy milk."
Xiangling set a large plate of steamed buns and two cups of soy milk down on Lumine and Paimon's table.
"Thank you, Xiangling!"
The aroma drifting off the buns made Paimon bounce with excitement. She picked one up with both hands and was just about to take a bite when a conversation from the next table drifted over.
"Heard the news?"
"You haven't said what the news actually is, but — blind guess — you're talking about Lady Ningguang summoning all the Adepti... wait, no. I've been listening to too many storytellers lately, my head's full of Rex Lapis summoning all the Adepti to restore peace and order to the realm... You mean Lady Ningguang gathering the great merchants of Liyue at Yujing Terrace, right?"
"Wonder what it's all about."
"Lady Ningguang's mind isn't something I could ever hope to fathom. Come on, eat up — we still need to get to the docks to load cargo."
The two men began eating quickly. Lumine and Paimon exchanged a glance.
"Once we're done eating, let's head to Yujing Terrace and have a look. Paimon can smell Mora in the air."
Paimon's eyes lit up as she said it.
"Mm."
Lumine nodded.
They wolfed down their breakfast and made their way to Yujing Terrace.
By the time they arrived, Ningguang was already standing at the elevated platform above, presiding over the gathering. She was dressed in a cheongsam of interwoven gold, white, and black, her platinum hair pinned up with an elegant hairpiece.
She was in the midst of explaining to the assembled merchants why she had summoned them.
Paimon and Lumine didn't rush forward to greet her. They hung back quietly and listened.
Ningguang got straight to the point — she intended to rebuild the Jade Chamber, and the reason she had called them together was that the reconstruction required three specific materials: Mingxia Floating Stone, Qianqi Core, and Adepti Talismans.
The first three people to deliver all three materials would each be granted one question — any question at all — which Ningguang would answer truthfully.
The crowd erupted in excitement at the promise.
"So it's about rebuilding the Jade Chamber. Paimon thought she was rallying the merchants to fund a new film for Fang Qiu... But since we're already here, we might as well take a look, right?"
Paimon said, a little deflated.
Ningguang noticed Paimon and Lumine approaching and showed no surprise. She gave a mild smile. "I trust you heard everything I said just now. What do you think — care to take part?"
"Anything we want to ask, really?" Lumine said.
"So long as it is something I know, I will answer honestly."
Ningguang's smile remained placid.
"Really?! Then Paimon wants to ask how Miss Ningguang does business! That way we'll never run short of Mora on our travels!"
After chatting for a little while, Ningguang excused herself — she had pressing matters to attend to — and departed.
"Miss Ningguang really is a busy woman... We'd better get moving too."
Paimon turned around — then furrowed her brow.
"Hey, Lumine, look — isn't that Miss Fang Qiu? What's she doing here? The vibe over there seems a little... off. Let's go check it out!"
"Mm."
Lumine nodded.
"Those two look like they're trying to sell Miss Fang Qiu some kind of information, and they're being really pushy about it. We should hurry over before she gets bullied!"
Paimon urged.
"Alright."
Lumine called back, already moving. Paimon followed close behind.
But when they passed through the archway, there was no one on the other side.
"That's strange. Even at Miss Fang Qiu's pace, how did she vanish so completely?"
Paimon said.
In the end, they spotted the group outside Bubu Pharmacy.
Rather than rushing in themselves, they called for the Millelith. By the time they arrived with the soldiers in tow, the white-haired woman had ice-blue talismans glowing around her, every muscle coiled and ready for a fight.
The two troublemakers were taken away by the Millelith.
"Miss Fang Qiu, are you alright? Did they do anything to you?"
Paimon and Lumine rushed over, faces full of concern.
"I'm fine... but who is Fang Qiu?"
The white-haired woman looked genuinely puzzled.
"Good, good... wait — huh? Isn't Fang Qiu you?"
Paimon caught herself mid-sentence and blinked in confusion. "Traveler, you don't think Miss Fang Qiu got so frightened just now that she's lost her memory, do you?"
"Does that seem likely to you?"
Lumine gave Paimon a flat look.
"Given how delicate Miss Fang Qiu is, it's entirely possible."
Paimon considered this with great solemnity and nodded.
"You have the wrong person. My name isn't Fang Qiu. I'm Shenhe."
The white-haired woman shook her head.
"Shenhe?"
Paimon looked baffled. "So you're really not Miss Fang Qiu?"
"I'm not."
Shenhe shook her head again.
"I thought Miss Fang Qiu was playing a joke on us, but it seems we really did have the wrong person."
A faint flush crept across Paimon's face. "Now that I look more carefully, they are a little different — the color of their eyes, the way they dress, even the sound of their voice... And, hmm, Miss Fang Qiu is a little shorter, and slightly more slender too. But apart from all that, they look almost exactly alike. Isn't that incredible? Two people in this world looking so much like each other!"
"They really do," Lumine agreed, nodding.
"Sorry about that — we had the wrong person."
"We're so sorry! You look so much like a friend of ours, we got completely mixed up. I'm Paimon, and this is Lumine. What's your name again?"
"I've heard of you both. And — thank you for helping me just now."
Shenhe said, then added matter-of-factly: "Though I could have handled it myself. By my estimate, if I had grabbed that man's head and knocked it against the ground three times, he would have capitulated."
"Eeek! No, no, no! We can't go around doing things like that!"
Paimon waved her hands frantically. "Okay, apart from looking almost identical, she really is completely different from Miss Fang Qiu in every other way. Paimon cannot even begin to imagine Miss Fang Qiu — who can barely lift a finger in her own defense — grabbing two men by the head and slamming them into the ground."
"Agreed," Lumine said, nodding.
"This person called Fang Qiu — do I really look that much like her?"
Shenhe asked.
"You really do! You're like two people cast from the same mold! Anyone who didn't know better would think you were twin sisters. Oh! I actually have a signed photo of us with Miss Fang Qiu — here, take a look."
Paimon produced the photo she treasured dearly and held it out to Shenhe.
"We do look remarkably alike... Even I find it difficult to tell us apart."
Shenhe stared at the photo, visibly taken aback.
"Oh! We should introduce you two — for all we know, you really might be twin sisters!"
Paimon was practically vibrating with excitement. "I can't wait to see Miss Fang Qiu's reaction when she sees you."
Just as they were bubbling with anticipation, a low, unmistakable grumble rose from Shenhe's stomach.
She was hungry.
When Paimon asked what she'd like to eat, Shenhe told them that her usual meals consisted of Qingxin flowers, Glaze Lilies, and Violetgrass.
And so the three of them headed to Bubu Pharmacy together.
Once there, Shenhe ate half a jin of each of the three ingredients she'd mentioned.
Then she asked what they planned to do next.
"Well... we were going to introduce you to Miss Fang Qiu, but it turns out we still haven't finished the Jade Chamber competition."
Paimon said, hesitating. "If we... if we spend too much time on other things, we won't get everything done."
"That's no trouble. Meeting her can wait — take care of your business first. I heard about the competition just now."
Shenhe shook her head. "I had no intention of entering, but given the help you've shown me today, I'd like to lend you a hand. Don't worry — I ask nothing in return."
"Oh, we couldn't possibly— "
Paimon scratched the back of her head, a little embarrassed — then very decisively accepted Shenhe's offer to join their team.
"Then let's not waste time. I have a strategy in mind."
Shenhe said.
"Ooh! A strategy from Shenhe is definitely going to be amazing!"
Paimon said, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Lumine nodded in agreement.
"Whether it's amazing or not, I can't say — but it should be effective."
Shenhe said. "We simply need to take out everyone ranked above us, and we'll be in first place."
"We absolutely cannot do that! That's never going to be okay under any circumstances!"
Paimon stomped her foot, looking deeply troubled. "Somehow hearing that come out of a face that looks exactly like Miss Fang Qiu's makes it feel even more wrong..."
Lumine pressed her hand to her forehead.
After some effort, they managed to talk Shenhe out of it. They also managed to get information from Baizhu about the whereabouts of the Floating Stone.
And so they set off for the Feiyun Commerce Guild.
When they arrived, they found Xingqiu in the middle of a conversation with one of his staff.
"Xingqiu! There you are."
Paimon called out. "We wanted to ask you about something."
"Traveler, Paimon... and Miss Fang Qiu? Give me just a moment."
Xingqiu finished his instructions to Ah Xu, then turned to look at the three of them. "I didn't realize you two knew Miss Fang Qiu. What is it — do you need my help with something?"
"Xingqiu, you know Miss Fang Qiu too?"
Paimon blinked.
"Mm. Miss Fang Qiu and I share the same editor, so we've crossed paths a few times."
Xingqiu nodded.
"I see... oh — wait, no! This isn't Miss Fang Qiu. Her name is Shenhe — she just looks a lot like... well, a lot like Fang Qiu."
Paimon said.
"Shenhe?"
Xingqiu rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That name sounds so familiar. I feel like I've heard it somewhere before..."
"But still — can two people really look this alike? Are they twins, perhaps?"
Xingqiu said, puzzled.
"That's not the point right now! Xingqiu, have you ever heard of a Mingxia Floating Stone?"
Paimon asked.
Xingqiu shared everything he knew without holding anything back. Once they learned that a Mingxia Floating Stone could be found within the cave dwelling of the late Minghai Fuxia Adeptus, the three of them took their leave of the Feiyun Commerce Guild.
"I feel like I've forgotten something..."
Xingqiu frowned, watching them disappear into the crowd.
Once they were gone, it finally came back to him.
"That time I went with Chongyun to the riverside to catch ghosts — we ran into Miss Fang Qiu there. Chongyun seemed to get confused back then too. I think he called her Shenhe."
Xingqiu murmured to himself, the pieces clicking into place. "So she's Chongyun's maternal aunt... She really does look exactly like Miss Fang Qiu. Hard to believe I only just remembered. I really shouldn't stay up reading novels all night — but I can't help it. Miss Fang Qiu's Sword and Fairy 2 is just too gripping. I read all night yesterday, and the arc in Shennong Cave is absolutely heartbreaking. It's a shame I have to help with the family business later and can't keep reading. I'm dying to know what happens to them in the Ghost Realm..."
Xingqiu let out a long sigh, turned, and walked back into the Feiyun Commerce Guild to find Ah Xu and get started on the day's orders.
Meanwhile, Paimon, Lumine, and Shenhe made their way through the streets of Liyue Harbor.
"By the way — what are all those people queuing for?"
Shenhe asked, noticing the long line snaking outside a bookshop.
"They're queuing to watch Miss Fang Qiu's film!"
Paimon said. "It's so good — it made Paimon cry!"
"A film?"
Shenhe looked puzzled.
It took considerable effort on Paimon's part to explain to Shenhe what a film actually was.
"And those people — are they queuing to watch her film too?"
Shenhe pointed at the line outside another bookshop.
"Not quite — most of them are there to buy Miss Fang Qiu's books, though some might be buying other people's as well."
Paimon said.
"I thought she made films?"
Shenhe frowned.
Paimon then had to exert herself all over again to explain the relationship between novels and films to Shenhe — and what exactly Fang Qiu did for a living.
By the time she was done, Paimon was gasping for breath and desperately craving water.
"You know, it's surprising — it's been so many days, and the bookshop queues are still this long."
Paimon remarked.
"Well, a lot of people watched the Sword and Fairy film and then wanted to read the original novel. And that's without even counting Miss Fang Qiu's new work, Sword and Fairy 2."
Lumine said.
"Sword and Fairy?"
Shenhe tilted her head.
"Sword and Fairy is a book Miss Fang Qiu wrote!"
Paimon said. "Once we get the Floating Stone and finish the competition, we'll take you to buy a copy — and we can watch the Sword and Fairy film together too! It's a story about Adepti and gallant heroes. Oh, and actually — the character Yun Tianhe in Sword and Fairy 2 reminds Paimon a lot of you. You're both a little... hmm... unworldly! Yes, that's the word. Miss Fang Qiu used it in her book and Paimon thought it was perfect."
"A story about Adepti and gallant heroes..."
Shenhe considered this for a moment. "Then I'll trouble you to get me a copy."
"No trouble at all! We'll call Miss Fang Qiu and all explore Liyue Harbor together properly!"
Paimon beamed. "But before all that, business first. If everything goes smoothly, we could be meeting her tonight!"
"Mm."
Shenhe gave a small nod. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the Sword and Fairy standee propped outside the teahouse, then she turned away and followed the others toward the city gates.
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