Genshin Impact: I Made the Entire Playerbase Cry

"What are you two dawdling for back there?"

Fujin turned around and saw Mu Yang and Yaojun lagging behind. She called out to them, urging them to catch up.

Though Fujin and Lingyuan had been fooling around, they hadn't slowed their pace. Compared to them, Mu Yang and Yaojun really were falling behind.

"Quit rushing us—Mt. Aocang isn't going anywhere."

The two quickened their steps and rejoined the group.

Before long, they arrived before a massive waterfall—one of Fujin's favorite sights. Every time she swam upstream against the crashing currents, she was filled with inexplicable joy.

(Not that Mu Yang and the others could understand that feeling, of course.)

"Wahooo—!"

The four of them each employed their own methods to charge toward the summit of Mt. Aocang. Unsurprisingly, Mu Yang was the fastest, reaching the peak first.

He swept a glance over the stone table set for their gathering.

"Looks like we're just in time!"

The other three followed closely behind, arriving one after another.

Little Ganyu was the first to react—because the other adepti seemed to be embroiled in some heated debate.

"Mu Yang's here, and, uh… a lot of other people…"

The shy young half-adeptus tugged at Cloud Retainer's sleeve. She wanted to go greet Mu Yang, but since she'd never met Fujin and the others before, she hesitated.

Too scared to move. Completely frozen.

Thanks to Little Ganyu's outburst, the circle of adepti around the table finally paused their argument and turned their attention toward Mu Yang's group.

Cloud Retainer spoke first. "Ah, so it's you. Perfect timing—we could use your input."

Mingxiao the Sea Gazer, standing beside her, let out a disdainful snort. "Fine. Onlookers see most clearly—there's no doubt the treasure I brought is the rarer one."

Fujin, ever the social butterfly, cheerfully stepped forward with a smile. "Mingxiao the Sea Gazer, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

The reason she said this was because Mingxiao's greatest hobby was treasure hunting across Teyvat. He often disappeared for ten to fifteen days at a time, making him hard to track down—not just for Mu Yang and the others from Chenyu Vale, but even for the adepti of Mt. Aocang.

But since he was a treasure hunter, whenever he found something, he'd inevitably bring it back to show off.

So, from what Mu Yang remembered, he'd attended a few of these "treasure appraisal gatherings" before.

Cloud Retainer pulled Fujin over.

"Fujin, you be the judge. Between these two treasures on the table, which one is more impressive?"

"'Impressive'? That feels like a vague comparison…"

Fujin picked up the two objects on the table and examined them side by side…

Mu Yang, meanwhile, didn't bother joining the commotion. This was clearly a trap question.

No way was he stepping into that mess.

Better to play with Little Ganyu for a while—no risk of offending anyone that way.

He beckoned Little Ganyu over and introduced the others one by one.

"This is Lingyuan, and this is Yaojun."

Then, pointing at Fujin—who was already embroiled in the adepti's debate—he added, "And that's Fujin."

Yaojun gently patted the little one's head. "Hello there, Little Ganyu."

Clearly, Ganyu was still quite timid around strangers. She hid behind Mu Yang, peeking out with just half her face.

"H-Hello…"

Lingyuan found this odd. "What's going on? Didn't this kid only meet Mu Yang for the second time? Why isn't she the least bit wary of him?"

"Maybe you just look scarier."

Mu Yang shrugged. My fault?

That attitude made Lingyuan fume. "Who talks like that?!"

Little Ganyu spoke up weakly, "N-No, that's not it… I'm sorry…"

Her voice was soft and delicate, a stark contrast to Lingyuan's loud tone.

Mu Yang chuckled. "Sister Lingyuan's too scary. Let's stay away from her…"

With that, he actually took Little Ganyu's hand and walked toward Cloud Retainer's abode, leaving Lingyuan behind.

Lingyuan, left standing there, was like "a mute eating bitter herbs"—unable to voice her frustration.

"You—!"

Yaojun shook her head with a smile, patted Lingyuan's shoulder, and followed them.

Lingyuan, now annoyed, decided to ignore Mu Yang and Yaojun for the moment and instead went to see what Fujin was up to.

Fujin was currently holding two small spheres, staring at them intently—or at least, looking like she was.

Mingxiao the Sea Gazer asked, "Well? Isn't the blue one more impressive?"

Cloud Retainer lifted her chin. "Hmph. Clearly, the green one is superior."

Fujin gently placed the two treasures back on the table, took a deep breath, and—

The adepti all thought she was about to deliver her verdict.

But instead, Fujin smiled and asked, "So… what's the difference between these two beads?"

The adepti: …

If you couldn't tell, you should've said so earlier! Why act all serious?!

"Beads?! This is the 'Elastic Divine Mechanism'—handcrafted by this one!"

"What 'Elastic Divine Mechanism'? You just copied the treasure I found—"

Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver shook their heads.

Here we go again.

It seemed Fujin's involvement hadn't changed the situation.

Well, that wasn't entirely true—just as the two were about to resume their endless debate, Fujin cut in.

"Alright, alright, let's pause the argument for now. Mu Yang's already prepared the food. How about we eat first and continue this discussion later?"

Normally, this peacemaking role would fall to Guizhong. But today, Fujin took up the task.

As for Mu Yang, he handled the part usually managed by the Stove God, Marchosius.

Earlier, he had gone into Cloud Retainer's abode to prepare the meal. With Little Ganyu and Yaojun assisting, things went quickly.

Now, the table was laden with dishes—the aroma alone was enough to whet anyone's appetite.

Mu Yang's culinary skills were so refined that even Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver—adepti who normally cared little for indulging in food—couldn't resist sampling a few bites.

With fine wine and delicious dishes laid out, even Cloud Retainer and Mingxiao the Sea Gazer knew better than to keep arguing.

Business could wait until after the meal.

Everyone gathered around the table, eating and chatting.

Each of them praised Mu Yang's cooking.

"Mu Yang, your skills have improved yet again."

"The student has surpassed the master—this dish has even outdone Marchosius' version."

Mu Yang remained humble.

In culinary arts, he knew he was still far from the Stove God's level.

But the way everyone kept reaching for their chopsticks spoke for itself.

Soon, the entire feast had been devoured.

Now Little Ganyu wouldn't have to worry about gaining weight—because these old-timers ate everything.

With bellies full and spirits high, the group seamlessly transitioned into afternoon tea mode.

When it came to pastries, Mu Yang was no slouch either. He personally prepared many novel treats, leaving Little Ganyu overwhelmed.

"Too much… my mouth is really too full…"

They didn't let him handle the tea, though—he deserved a break, after all.

Lingyuan eyed the small cakes on the table. "Don't you usually spend all day waving that sword around? Where do you get all these strange ideas?"

Of course, Mu Yang wouldn't tell her that this ideas was something from the future.

He could make small changes like this—but nothing that would actually affect Teyvat.

Otherwise, it'd be "defying the natural order."

Mu Yang noticed Moon Carver frowning deeply, staring at the tea leaves in his cup.

(Eating and drinking tea—NPC behavior. Hilarious.)

"Does it taste bad?"

"No. The divination is unfavorable. Chenyu Vale… may face calamity."