"Lady Ningguang! It's an emergency!"
Above the skies of Liyue Harbor, on the Jade Chamber.
Baiwen burst into the office, clutching a glowing paper crane. She was breathless. "A Domain has appeared at the entrance of the Feiyun Commerce Guild! Several civilians have wandered inside by mistake. A huge crowd has gathered, and the Millelith are helpless to intervene!"
"What?"
Ningguang, who was discussing urban planning with Keqing, narrowed her eyes sharply. "A Domain appeared inside the city?"
"Impossible," Keqing interjected, her expression one of shock. "Liyue is stable. Ley Line disorders don't just manifest in the middle of a commercial district."
"I'm going there now."
Ningguang didn't waste time debating the why. She stood up immediately, her jade-tipped fingers summoning her catalyst. The priority was the safety of her citizens.
"I'm coming with you," Keqing said, already moving toward the exit.
The two leaders of Liyue leaped from the Jade Chamber, unfurling their wind gliders. They descended like comets toward the Feiyun Commerce Guild.
Feiyun Commerce Guild.
By the time they landed, the crowd had swelled into the hundreds. The noise was deafening—a mix of terrified screams from the screen and excited chatter from the onlookers.
"Lady Ningguang is here!"
"And the Yuheng, Lady Keqing!"
The crowd parted instantly. The arrival of the Qixing brought a wave of relief. If anyone could save the idiots inside, it was them.
Millelith soldiers had already established a perimeter, holding back the curious masses.
Ningguang and Keqing ignored the greetings and looked straight at the large screen mounted above the Horror House entrance.
The scene was nightmarish.
Black flames. Broken bridges. Civilians crying in terror. A creeping wall of fire devouring the platforms behind them.
One man on the screen was sobbing as he leaped desperately across a gap, barely landing on the next stone.
"What is happening?" Ningguang demanded, her voice cutting through the noise. "Is this a Domain inside the building? Report."
The Millelith captain rushed over, saluting. "Yes, Lady Ningguang! It's... complicated. This building appeared overnight. We've confirmed it's an item Young Master Xingqiu obtained from the Jar Shop."
"The Jar Shop again?" Ningguang's expression darkened. "Where is Xingqiu?"
"We've sent runners to find him," the captain replied anxiously. "The Guild workers are also searching."
"I'm going in."
Keqing didn't wait. She drew her sword and strode toward the entrance.
Thud!
As soon as she tried to cross the threshold, she hit an invisible wall. The air rippled, repelling her.
"I can't get in."
Keqing's face fell. "It's a locked instance. Unlike natural Domains, this one seems to have a lockout mechanism. Once a group enters, no one else can join until the trial is over."
"This is trouble," Ningguang murmured, watching the desperate civilians on the screen. "We can't force it open without risking a collapse that would kill everyone inside."
"We need the Shopkeeper," Ningguang decided instantly. "If he sold it, he knows how to break it."
"Young Master Xingqiu! Finally!"
A Millelith soldier spotted the blue-haired boy jogging down the street and practically tackled him.
"What? What happened?"
Xingqiu was confused. He had just returned from sparring with Chongyun. Why was he being arrested?
"People broke into your Horror House!" the soldier panted, dragging him toward the guild. "They're trapped! Lady Ningguang and Lady Keqing are there! You need to shut it down!"
"What?!"
Xingqiu's eyes went wide.
Someone went in?!
I specifically told my staff to guard it!
He knew the Domain wouldn't actually kill them—it was a high-level illusion—but the psychological trauma could be lethal.
He sprinted toward the guild.
"Young Master Xingqiu is here!"
"About time!"
"Hey, Young Master, your house is eating people!"
"Serves them right for sneaking in!"
The crowd jeered as Xingqiu arrived, breathless.
"Lady Ningguang! Lady Keqing!"
Xingqiu bowed hastily. "Please, don't worry! It's an illusion! The Domain is a harmless simulation. No one will die. I tested it this morning and toned down the lethality settings, but I didn't finish the setup."
"It's fake?"
Ningguang and Keqing paused, looking from Xingqiu to the terrifying lava on the screen.
"It looks incredibly real," Keqing noted.
"It's a 'Virtual Reality' Domain," Xingqiu explained rapidly. "It simulates death but doesn't cause it. But still... the fear is real. I need to reset it."
He ran past them and into the house. Unlike Keqing, he passed through the barrier effortlessly.
"The control rights belong to him," Ningguang observed calmly.
"Even pocket dimensions can be sold in jars..." Keqing muttered, shaking her head. "If we could utilize this technology for training... Liyue's military strength would skyrocket."
"Agreed," Ningguang nodded. Her interest in the mysterious Shopkeeper deepened. Just who are you, Felix?
Zap!
The screen outside went black.
A moment later, the door opened.
"AHHHH!"
"I'm alive! I'm alive!"
"Mommy!"
Andrei and the civilians scrambled out on their hands and knees, weeping with relief. They kissed the ground, looking like survivors of a war.
"Boo!"
The crowd outside immediately started heckling them.
"Look at you now! Not so brave, huh?"
"Xingqiu warned you! 'Don't go in,' he said! But no, you had to be smart!"
"Shameful. Making the Qixing worry over your stupidity."
The survivors buried their heads in their hands, utterly humiliated. They had nearly died of fright, only to be mocked by half the city.
Yun-Han Opera Troupe.
While chaos reigned at the guild, a different kind of drama was unfolding in a private dressing room.
Yun Jin, the famed opera singer, stood with a face as red as a Jueyun Chili. She pointed a trembling finger at the item in Ying'er's hands.
"H-How can one wear such a thing?!" Yun Jin stammered, her voice squeaking with embarrassment. "And you want me to wear that? And take pictures? For a magazine cover?!"
Ying'er, the perfume maker (and aspiring fashion mogul), held up a pair of sheer black silk stockings.
"Oh, come now, Yun Jin," Ying'er purred, her tone sultry and persuasive. "This is the height of fashion from another world! It's elegant, mysterious, and highlights the leg line perfectly."
"I pulled this from the Jar Shop myself," Ying'er continued, stepping closer. "Think about it. The Liyue Fashion Weekly. You would be the star. It's not vulgar; it's art."
"No!"
Yun Jin covered her eyes, her ears burning. "It's... it's scandalous! I can't possibly wear that! It's practically transparent! Impossible!"
She looked like a frightened kitten cornered by a predator.
"Impossible!" she repeated, though her curiosity—and Ying'er's relentless charm—was slowly eroding her defenses.
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