Even the roaring waterfall had been frozen solid by the terrifying wave of Cryo energy.
But a second later, the ice shattered and melted, replaced by flowing water as the Hydro energy surged back.
The moment Shenhe arrived, her gaze locked onto the blue-haired boy.
She recognized him.
It was her "nephew," Chongyun.
However, the Cryo power erupting from him far exceeded her expectations. She had observed him from afar in the past; his strength was respectable for a mortal exorcist, but nowhere near this level.
How has he changed so much in such a short time?
"I didn't expect the Six Arts of the Cold Arrogance from the Jar Shop to be this potent," Xingqiu remarked, panting slightly as he parried another blow. "But your Six Pulse Divine Sword isn't bad either. And I still haven't used my Flying Immortal Beyond the Heavens. I'm honestly afraid to test that one fully."
Chongyun and Xingqiu were sparring and chatting simultaneously. After the morning's "frozen harbor incident," they had retreated to this secluded waterfall outside the city to continue training without the risk of arrest.
But then, they both sensed it.
A presence. Cold, sharp, and unmistakably powerful.
They stopped their duel instantly, looking toward the cliff edge.
"Uh."
Xingqiu's eyelid twitched as he saw the tall, ethereal woman with white hair standing there.
Her again.
As the young master of the Feiyun Commerce Guild, Xingqiu had seen Shenhe before. But every time their paths crossed, he felt a distinct chill from her—a look that seemed to say, "If you annoy me, I will bury you." It made him hesitant to ever strike up a conversation.
"Uh."
Chongyun also froze.
Auntie Shenhe.
He recognized her immediately. His family had told him about her—the "cursed" child taken in by the Adepti. He had even gone to Jueyun Karst looking for her, hoping to reconnect the branch family member, but she was elusive as mist.
According to the family tree, she was technically his aunt.
But looking at this cold, majestic woman who looked barely older than him, the word "Auntie" stuck in his throat. It felt... weirdly embarrassing to say out loud.
Whoosh.
Before either of them could speak, Shenhe moved. With a blur of white and blue, she vanished from the cliffside, heading toward Liyue Harbor.
"She's gone," Xingqiu blinked, looking baffled. "I didn't expect to run into Miss Shenhe here. She must have been drawn by the elemental fluctuations of our fight."
He sighed. "Every few months, she comes down from the mountains. I've seen her a few times. I wanted to say hello, but... well, you saw her eyes. She looks like she wants to murder someone."
"Mmh."
Chongyun frowned, deep in thought.
He needed to tell his family. The elders always talked about Shenhe with pity and hope, wishing to bring her back into the fold. They prepared gifts every year, just in case. But they could never find her.
"Xingqiu, I need to go back home," Chongyun said suddenly. "I have to inform the elders that she's in Liyue. Do you want to come with me?"
"Of course," Xingqiu nodded readily. "Let's end the sparring here. I need to go back to the Guild anyway to redesign my Horror House layout this afternoon."
"Okay."
Chongyun grabbed his sword, and the two hurried back toward the city.
On the road to Liyue.
"Jar Shop... Six Arts of the Cold Arrogance?"
"Six Pulse Divine Sword?"
Shenhe murmured these terms as she walked. Her steps were light, each stride covering several meters with supernatural grace, like a cloud drifting over the earth.
Her hearing was sharp; she had caught every word the two boys exchanged.
The "Six Arts" sounded like a cultivation manual. The "Six Pulse Divine Sword" was clearly the technique Xingqiu used to shoot water arrows from his fingers.
And both seemed to originate from this "Jar Shop."
As she entered the outskirts of Liyue, the ambient chatter of the populace drifted to her ears.
"Did you hear? Chongyun froze the entire harbor this morning! The ships are stuck!"
"Chongyun? The exorcist kid? Since when can he do that?"
"Idiot, he has a Cryo Vision! Maybe he ascended or something. Freezing the sea isn't that weird for a Vision bearer, right?"
"No, it's not just freezing. They say he slashed once, and a giant beam of sword-light split the ocean! It was terrifying!"
"So envious... I want a Vision too. Any element would do."
"Keep dreaming. Visions are the favor of the Archons. Unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Unless you go to the Jar Shop! Remember Zhang Xu? That guy opened a Pyro Vision from a jar! Normal people can get them too!"
"Right! I forgot about him! Is he out of jail yet? He burned down a stall, remember?"
"Yeah, but still... a Vision for 100,000 Mora. It's expensive, but worth it."
"I need to save money. If I can just buy one jar..."
Shenhe walked past them, her expression unchanging, but her mind processing the data.
Liyue. Jar Shop. Selling Visions to mortals. Chongyun's sudden power boost.
She turned her gaze toward the harbor.
The ice from the morning had mostly melted, leaving only flowing water, but the residual Cryo energy in the air was palpable to her senses. It carried Chongyun's signature.
She stood there for a moment, verifying the truth of the rumors.
So it is real.
Without further hesitation, Shenhe turned and walked deeper into the city. She would find this shop.
Millelith Detention Center.
"Finally... I'm out!"
A man with thinning hair—almost bald from stress—stepped out of the prison gates and squinted at the sun.
Zhang Xu took a deep breath of free air. Tears almost welled up in his eyes.
Being locked up for "arson and destruction of property" after gaining his Pyro Vision had been a nightmare. The Millelith "re-education" training was brutal.
"You're free to go," a Millelith guard said sternly from behind him. "But remember: no more destruction. And report to the Millelith HQ tomorrow morning for your mandatory service assignment."
"I know, I know," Zhang Xu nodded frantically like a chicken pecking rice. "I won't cause trouble."
He hurried away without looking back.
"Holy crap, is that Zhang Xu?"
"I haven't seen him in days! So he was in jail!"
"Hey Zhang Xu! How was prison food?"
"Show us the Vision! Let us see the fire!"
"What are you going to do now? Are you working for the Qixing to pay off your debt?"
As he reached the main street, a crowd instantly recognized him.
Zhang Xu was a local celebrity—the first "normal" person to pull a Vision from the Jar Shop. His story had ignited the gambling fever in Liyue.
People swarmed him, eyes filled with envy and curiosity. They wanted to know if the power was real, if it was worth the jail time.
Zhang Xu puffed out his chest, feeling the heat of the Pyro Vision hanging at his waist.
They envy me. Of course they do.
A few days ago, he was a nobody. Now, he was a Vision bearer.
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