After leaving Acting Grand Master Jean's office, Shao Yun told the others where Amber's residence was.
"Sorry, when Stormterror attacked Mondstadt, I had to put off finding a place to stay. I'm still crashing at Amber's house."
"It's totally fine, Shao Yun. You've already done your best," Paimon reassured him. Given the chaos with Stormterror, it was understandable he hadn't found lodging.
Shao Yun suggested they head to Amber's place to rest for a bit—after all, the storm had cleared. It was a good time to recharge: wash up, get some food, change clothes, and recover before the next step.
"How about we rest at Amber's place for a while? Proper rest boosts productivity, you know."
Lumine thought for a moment, then shook her head and voiced her thoughts. "Let's wait until tonight. While it's still daylight, there are a few things I need to investigate."
Paimon caught on right away, realizing Lumine was referring to the mysterious green figure they'd seen with Stormterror. "You mean… that green guy?"
"Exactly." Lumine nodded. "I want to investigate on my own first. Anyone who can talk to a dragon isn't ordinary. I don't want to burden the Knights of Favonius with a potential unknown threat."
Since Lumine insisted, they had no choice but to go along with her plan. Advancing the story a bit earlier or later didn't really make much difference.
"Alright, I'm in." Honestly, it wouldn't be bad to meet Venti—but the real question was: where to find him?
"Where do we even look?" Mondstadt wasn't small anymore. Aside from a few landmark spots, the city had grown so much it was practically unrecognizable.
Lumine offered a rather direct solution.
"Uh… we'll search around Mondstadt for now. Let's split up. Staying together just slows us down."
It was the only viable option. No spoilers, and no story triggers yet—this was the best plan. Plus, Shao Yun could take this chance to swing by Amber's house and change into something better.
"Great idea. Let's split up, then."
Lumine and Paimon obviously wouldn't separate, so they had two groups: Shao Yun would search the west side of Mondstadt, while Lumine and Paimon took the east. If neither side found anything, they'd regroup at Amber's place in the evening.
With the plan in place, Lumine and Paimon departed from the Knights of Favonius Headquarters.
Watching them walk off, Shao Yun wasn't in a hurry.
Venti would eventually show up playing music in front of the Anemo Archon statue near the Cathedral. He could just wait there later—first, he'd head to Amber's and get changed.
As Shao Yun considered what outfit to wear, the system suddenly popped up with a new objective.
[Mission Update: Head to the Knights' Library.]
Huh? The library? Why go there? He could've accepted "go find Venti," but the library?
That was Lisa's domain. Was he supposed to ask Lisa to help search? Or was he supposed to tell her about Venti?
But wouldn't that be Lumine's job? Why him?
It would feel like betraying a friend.
Despite the confusion, the system's objectives always had meaning. There was no harm in going.
Luckily, they were splitting up to search for Venti—otherwise, explaining to Lumine why he'd gone back to see Lisa would've been awkward.
"What could I possibly have to say to Lisa?" Shao Yun muttered as he turned back toward the Knight of Favonius Headquarters. Once inside, he took a right and stopped in front of the library doors, debating how to approach her.
Should he say, Oh, fair and celestial Miss Lisa, you're the most unique woman I've ever met—care to join me for afternoon tea?
He lingered at the entrance, but inside the library, Lisa was at her usual seat… with her head slumped over her desk.
Lisa didn't look well at all. Her face was pale as a sheet, and her forehead was slick with sweat. Beads of perspiration trickled steadily down her cheeks onto the wooden surface. The back of her outfit was soaked through.
Her lips trembled as if she were holding back a groan. Her brow was furrowed, eyes tightly shut, and she gripped her clothes with white knuckles. Every breath was a struggle.
The finger that had touched the crystal now felt like it was being pierced by a thousand needles. The pain spread from fingertip to palm, to wrist, then surged through her entire body. She trembled violently.
The corrupted crystal had reacted severely to Lisa's elemental energy. She had kept it together back in the office, but now in the library, she couldn't hide it anymore.
Lisa was relying on sheer willpower to resist the overwhelming pain.
She had numbed her senses so much that she didn't even notice Shao Yun entering the library—he was nearly at her desk before she realized he was there.
Shao Yun had been thinking about how to start a conversation, but upon seeing Lisa trembling, he rushed over immediately.
"Miss Lisa? Miss Lisa!" He touched her shoulder gently.
The fabric was damp to the touch.
"Just how much did she sweat?!"
Looking around, he spotted a lounge chair and quickly helped her up.
Lisa was weak and unresponsive. The pain had dulled her senses to the point where she didn't even register being touched. Only when he supported her upright did she realize someone was there.
She was like a puddle of jelly—completely limp and unable to walk, even with help.
With no other choice, Shao Yun picked her up and laid her on the lounge chair.
Lisa looked up at him and forced a faint smile. "Cough, cough… it's you… tall and handsome… cough…"
Watching her cough with every word stirred something in Shao Yun's heart. The scene felt oddly familiar. A sense of déjà vu washed over him.
"Don't talk. Just rest. Should I find Acting Grand Master Jean? Or someone else...?"
He was at a loss. Jean? Or maybe the ever-resourceful Albedo? But they hadn't reached that part of the story yet. Would he need to trek to Dragonspine?
"No need… cough… If you tell Jean, it'll only worry her. She has enough on her plate. I just need… to rest a bit…"
Lisa weakly shut her eyes. Her breathing was ragged. She hadn't expected that a cursed crystal could have such an impact—just from a touch.
"You don't look like someone who just needs rest. You need treatment—or something that works."
Easier said than done. This was an Abyssal curse—the same one that turned the Dragon of the East Wind into Stormterror. Should he go to the cathedral and ask Barbara for a blessing?
As he wrestled with what to do, a sudden realization struck him. He smacked his forehead.
"Oh no, how did I forget this!"
He reached into his Legend of the East Satchel and started digging.
Lisa opened her eyes and watched him rummage around, giving a faint smile. "No need… If there were a potion that worked, I'd have taken it already."
But his potions weren't normal—these were legendary concoctions from Wang Wei's poems!
Well, not exactly. But they were premium healing tonics worth thousands of Mora—maybe they could help.
"You won't know if you don't try," Shao Yun muttered as he kept searching.
His warmth and determination comforted Lisa. Having someone care for you while you're suffering—it truly was healing in itself.
Even if all he did was bring her a glass of water, Lisa still would've been touched. Her mind began drifting toward how she could thank him once she recovered.
Meanwhile, Shao Yun kept digging through his backpack. It was like a bottomless pit—why was finding one item so difficult?
Suddenly, his fingers brushed against a glass bottle. Excited, he pulled it out. Even if it wasn't a healing potion—even if it was whiskey—it would do. He'd used that to treat wolf bites and trap injuries before.
Then, like a delayed punchline, the system gave him a tip about how to properly use the backpack.
[Backpack Tip: Focus clearly on what you want, then reach in—you'll pull out exactly what you need.]
Shao Yun looked at the system prompt with the exasperated face of a subway-grandpa meme.
"Now you tell me?"
Just as he was about to try again, he glanced at what he'd already pulled out—and a description appeared.
[Special Miracle Tonic:Fully restores HP, Stamina, and Elemental Energy. Greatly enhances all three.]
[Effect:Tier-2 enhancement of key stats, purifies blood, reduces anxiety, and restores focus.]
This was the stuff from Herbalist Master Challenge 7! He remembered how much trouble it took to make five of these—gathering herbs from Saint Denis to Butcher Creek to Heartlands, and finally to Horseshoe Overlook...
Ah, those were the days.
"Drink this. It might help." Shao Yun crouched beside her with the Special Miracle Tonic in hand.
It might not work—but it was plant-based. At the very least, it wouldn't make things worse.
Lisa eyed the old corked green bottle suspiciously. It looked like a scam tonic—one of those that might kill you from a single sip.
Even if it didn't kill her, it looked like the kind that would definitely cause… gastrointestinal issues.
But she had no strength to resist. She could only watch as Shao Yun gently tilted the bottle to her lips.
It was bitter—unbelievably bitter. The kind of bitterness that lingers for days, even in water.
Yet almost instantly, she felt better.
The pain vanished, and within seconds, Lisa's energy returned. She looked as if she'd just woken up from a long, refreshing nap.
As she stared blankly ahead, Shao Yun snapped his fingers twice in front of her.
"Miss Lisa, feeling better?"