Early the next morning, the sky was still dim.
Somewhere on the outskirts of Liyue Harbor, a small floating creature with a scarf shimmering with tiny stars pointed excitedly at the buildings ahead.
"Look, Traveler! We've made it to Liyue!"
The blonde-haired girl beside it gazed at the sight before her. Even in the early morning, Liyue Harbor was alive with lights and activity. The ships docked along the port and the buildings lining the streets glowed with a soft crimson hue, giving the city an air of prosperity.
"Yes, Paimon. We've arrived in Liyue."
Smiling, the girl patted Paimon on the head.
"Brother, I will find you—no matter what."
The girl, known as the Traveler, clenched her fist, determination shining in her eyes.
"Whoa! So this is Liyue Harbor?!"
"There's grilled fish over here—and more delicious food over there!"
As Lumine walked through the bustling streets, a small floating figure hovered beside her.
Paimon was completely distracted, darting back and forth as the scent of Liyue's street food lured her from one stall to the next.
Lumine sighed, crossing her arms before calling out.
"Paimon!"
Paimon turned back guiltily.
"W-What is it, Traveler?"
"We're here to find the Geo Archon. And that Immortal Lord."
"Oh, right!"
Paimon clutched her head, realizing she had nearly forgotten their mission.
"Ugh! It's all Liyue Harbor's fault! The food smells way too good—it totally threw Paimon off!"
Lumine sighed again, exasperated.
"If we want to find the Geo Archon and the Immortal Lord, we only have this one chance all year."
"Good thing Venti reminded us earlier. Otherwise, we might have missed this year's Rite of Descension."
Paimon waved her hand in emphasis as she reminded Lumine.
"Do you know the exact time and place, Paimon?"
"Hmm… It might be today… or maybe tomorrow?"
"Since we're already here, we should just ask the locals."
Paimon patted her head as if she had just remembered something.
"Oh, right! Speaking of the Geo Archon—Morax."
"You know the currency we use, Mora? It's actually named after him."
"But if we foreigners call the Geo Archon by that name here in Liyue, people will think we're being rude."
"So it's best to call him 'Rex Lapis' like the locals do."
Paimon pointed at the bustling citizens on the street.
For a moment, both she and Lumine hesitated. There were so many people—where should they even start?
"Let's just ask around. The locals must know the exact time of the Rite of Descension."
...
Meanwhile, Qiu Bai was strolling through Liyue's streets when he happened to spot the Traveler and Paimon.
"Well, well… I didn't expect it to be Lumine."
Thinking of a certain someone's usual smug expression, Qiu Bai couldn't help but find it amusing.
As he pondered this, he casually made his way toward Lumine and Paimon—just as they began walking in his direction.
"Traveler, look up ahead!"
"That handsome guy over there—let's ask him!"
Lumine looked curiously toward the figure Paimon had pointed out. Sure enough, a strikingly good-looking young man was approaching them.
"Hello!"
Paimon waved at Qiu Bai.
"Oh? And what is this curious little creature?"
Qiu Bai walked toward them, feigning curiosity as he looked at Paimon.
"I am not a 'little creature'! My name is Paimon!"
Paimon huffed, crossing her arms indignantly.
"Paimon, huh? Nice to meet you. I'm Qiu Bai, a guest consultant at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
Lumine politely extended her hand.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Lumine. And this little one floating beside me is my best companion, Paimon."
"By the way, do you happen to know when and where the Rite of Descension will take place?"
Lumine looked at Qiu Bai, her tone a little shy. After all, which girl wouldn't feel a little flustered standing in front of such a handsome young man?
...Though, she supposed she wasn't exactly a girl anymore.
"Ah, the Rite of Descension."
"You must be a foreigner."
"My name is Qiu Bai, and I'm a guest consultant at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
Qiu Bai studied Lumine as he spoke. After all, her attire was unlike anything commonly seen in the Seven Nations of Teyvat.
"I am a traveler from another world."
Lumine didn't shy away from the question and answered directly—just as she always had in Mondstadt.
"A traveler from another world?"
"No Vision, yet you possess the power of both Anemo and Geo."
Qiu Bai looked at Lumine with intrigue, his tone carrying a hint of mystery.
It felt as if he had seen right through her. Instinctively, Lumine summoned a blade, gripping its hilt tightly as she fixed her gaze on Qiu Bai.
She found it unsettling—how did he know she wielded two elements?
Her guard immediately went up. As far as she knew, ordinary people shouldn't be able to perceive her elemental abilities.
"Who are you?"
"How do you know I have two elemental powers?"
Qiu Bai noticed Lumine's wary expression. How do I know? Of course, because I've seen the story unfold. If he was going to act mysterious, he had to commit fully.
"I'm just an ordinary citizen of Liyue."
"But didn't you ask me about the time and place of the Rite of Descension?"
With that, Qiu Bai turned around and gestured for Lumine to follow.
"Liyue has been in a bit of turmoil lately. Just a few days ago…"
"The Yin-Yang Immortal of Liyue mysteriously vanished."
"The Liyue Qixing have used every resource at their disposal to find him, but he's nowhere to be found."
As Qiu Bai spoke, he continued walking forward. Behind him, Lumine and Paimon exchanged glances before following.
"Vanished? But wasn't he an immortal on par with Rex Lapis?"
"What could possibly make him disappear?"
Paimon asked, puzzled. Before their journey to Liyue, Venti had told them about this particular immortal.
"He's missing... Does that mean my only lead is the Geo Archon now?"
Lumine's heart sank. If she wanted to uncover the whereabouts of the god who had taken her brother, she would have to search among the Seven.
"Every year, during the Rite of Descension, the Lord of Geo bestows a divine oracle to guide Liyue forward."
"This is Liyue—the land where mortals walk alongside gods."
Qiu Bai turned back slightly, smiling as he explained.
"Up ahead is Yujing Terrace—the site of the annual Rite of Descension."
"As it happens, I'm heading there myself. Why not come along?"
With that, Qiu Bai turned and walked forward.
Lumine and Paimon watched his back for a moment before following.
There was something enigmatic about this man. He gave off an air of mystery, yet she couldn't sense any hostility from him.
...
Upon arriving at Yujing Terrace, Paimon curiously flew ahead. Lumine, seeing the massive crowd gathered, couldn't help but sigh in amazement.
At the center of the gathering stood Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing.
"I heard that if you make a wish on the day of the Rite of Descension, it's highly likely to come true! Do you two want to give it a try?"
Paimon turned to Lumine and Qiu Bai, her voice filled with excitement.
Qiu Bai chuckled. A wish? At this point, he couldn't think of anything he truly desired.
"I don't have any wishes in particular… but your friend here—she must have one, right?"
Lumine nodded. Of course, she did.
Qiu Bai didn't even have to think about it—her wish was undoubtedly to find her brother.
"Come on, the incense burner is just ahead. Simply offer incense, and you can make a wish."
Saying this, he walked forward.
"Oh? If it isn't Mr. Qiu Bai, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's guest consultant."
"Are you here to bask in the Immortals' blessing too?"
A woman dressed in shades of green and purple approached Qiu Bai with a knowing smile.
"Madam Changshun, I'm not the one here for a blessing—it's my friend beside me."
Qiu Bai clarified.
"And who might this be?"
"My name is Lumine, and this is Paimon."
Lumine introduced herself as she looked at the woman before her.
"I'm Changshun."
"You're quite knowledgeable, young lady! If you make a wish today, both Rex Lapis and the Immortals will surely bless you."
"I've already made my wish, so I'll leave this spot to you. Here, take this incense as a gift."
"Thank you!"
After handing over the incense, Changshun took her leave.
Qiu Bai rubbed his nose awkwardly. Blessing, huh? Well, I suppose that's one way to put it.
But if he were to make a wish… would he end up blessing himself?
Lumine took the incense and placed it in the burner. Closing her eyes, she brought her hands together in front of her.
"Please… let me find my brother soon..."