A few days later, inside the Feiyun Commerce Guild, in Xingqiu's private study.
Outside the window, bamboo shadows swayed; inside, the fragrance of tea curled in the air.
Xingqiu was leisurely flipping through a newly purchased batch of ancient books, while Chongyun sat to the side, somewhat absentmindedly wiping his claymore, occasionally glancing up at his friend who was immersed in the sea of books.
At that moment, a Shop Assistant from the guild knocked softly and entered, placing several of the most popular street novels and periodicals on the desk.
"Second Young Master, these are the ones you asked me to keep an eye on—all the newly released, best-selling publications on the market recently," the Shop Assistant said respectfully.
"Thank you for your hard work." Xingqiu nodded with a smile. After the Shop Assistant withdrew, he set down the ancient book in his hand and picked up those periodicals with great interest.
Chongyun also leaned over, asking curiously, "Looking for more interesting stories again?"
"One must read extensively to write with divine inspiration," Xingqiu said while quickly scanning the titles and author columns of the periodicals.
Soon, his gaze was drawn to a familiar and eye-catching title in one of the publications.
"Eh? "The Travels of Shi Po Chen · Part Two"?" Xingqiu let out a soft exclamation, a look of great interest instantly flashing in his eyes. "That Mr. Lovia actually released a new work so quickly?"
"Lovia?" The name was a bit unfamiliar to Chongyun.
"The author of that book "Record of Shi Po's Wanderings" from a while back, the one who wrote about Lord Rex Lapis... er, in a rather down-to-earth manner," Xingqiu explained, his tone carrying clear admiration. "The writing style is witty, the perspective is crafty, and even though it's clearly fictional, it's inexplicably captivating. It caused quite a stir in the streets."
"Oh, it's that person. I remember now," Chongyun realized. "I read that one too; it was quite interesting."
Xingqiu nodded and immediately flipped open "The Travels of Shi Po Chen · Part Two", reading it impatiently. Chongyun also squeezed in beside him, craning his neck to look.
At first, Xingqiu's face wore his usual composed smile of a literary critic. But as he read deeper, his expression gradually became subtle—sometimes raising an eyebrow, sometimes unable to stifle a laugh. When he saw Rex Lapis attempting to derive a 'limitless progression until free' business logic from a 'ten boxes for half-price' deal, he finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Wonderful! Truly wonderful!" Xingqiu clapped and praised. "This Mr. Lovia is truly... bold yet meticulous, with an extraordinary imagination! To actually link his old lordship, Rex Lapis, with street promotions and write it so righteously, as if the Lord truly would think that way!"
Chongyun, on the other hand, watched with wide eyes. Especially when he saw Rex Lapis distributing a hundred boxes of Scented Balm to The Adepti, even including the Conqueror of Demons, his mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg.
"Th-this... how could Lord Rex Lapis do such a thing?!" Chongyun felt his worldview being challenged. "And the Conqueror of Demons, receiving Scented Balm... that image..."
He really couldn't imagine what kind of expression would be on that Guardian Yaksha's face; he only felt a chilly breeze.
Xingqiu, however, read with great relish, his eyes shining with the light of someone who had found a treasure. "Mixing the false with the true, the real with the fake. Look at how he writes the reactions of The Adepti—Cloud Retainer's confusion, Mountain Shaper's wry smile, and even the Conqueror of Demons' silence. Though slightly exaggerated, it feels inexplicably real, as if they really would react that way."
"This level of grasp is definitely not something an ordinary author can achieve."
When he reached the part where Rex Lapis brought the Scented Balm to the Wordless Stele, the playful grin on his face gradually faded, replaced by a hint of faint surprise and deep thought.
"As for this last part..." Xingqiu's voice lowered slightly, his finger lightly tapping the text. "The tone shifts, and warmth suddenly appears, yet it's extremely subtle. It only mentions the 'Wordless Stele' without stating who it is, leaving infinite room for imagination..."
"This handling of emotion is quite delicate—it even... doesn't quite sound like a purely fabricated tone anymore."
Xingqiu stroked the paper, musing, "This author doesn't seem to be entirely ignorant of Rex Lapis or the matters of The Adepti. At the very least... they are very good at speculating. Is this a bold interpretation after reading a vast amount of related records?"
Chongyun finally recovered from the shock of 'Rex Lapis buying and giving Scented Balm.' Hearing Xingqiu's analysis, he also frowned. "Now that you mention it, it is a bit strange. What he wrote... though outrageous, seems to vaguely hit on something?"
He recalled some vague records in his family about Rex Lapis's incarnations traveling the world.
"Exactly." Xingqiu closed the publication, the light of inquiry in his eyes growing stronger. "This Mr. Lovia is no ordinary person. His writing style seems playful, but inside it seems to hide a unique understanding of Liyue's culture of gods and Adepti, just expressed in an extremely lively way."
He looked at the author column again—'Lovia'.
"'Li' should be taken from Liyue. 'Xin' can mean numerous or flourishing, it can also refer to a type of medicinal herb, or be the 'Xin' from 'Xinxin Xuezi' (diligent students)." Xingqiu thoughtfully analyzed the pen name. "It sounds like an author rooted in Liyue, knowledgeable and prolific. Taking this name might mean'standing out among the many in Liyue'? It certainly fits the writing style."
Chongyun scratched his head. "Sounds like a very learned person. Could it be some retired old professor? Or a playful work by an Adeptus with nothing better to do?"
He thought of certain Adepti with more lively personalities.
Xingqiu laughed and shook his head. "Works by The Adepti are mostly ethereal and profound, or solemn and ancient. Something so grounded and full of street humor doesn't seem like the handiwork of an Adeptus. Instead, it seems more like the work of a clever person who is extremely familiar with the mundane world, understands the readers' psychology, and is incredibly bold."
He paused, his tone becoming more certain. "Moreover, this person must have lived in Liyue Harbor for a long time, and might even be right beside us. Otherwise, it would be difficult to capture the current popular tastes and street atmosphere so accurately."
In his mind, he flashed through the reports he'd asked the guild to collect over the past few days regarding strange residents or new contributors in the city. There were no suspicious characters who particularly fit this profile. It did mention a few newly moved-in scholars who acted somewhat low-key, but after a preliminary investigation, none of their styles seemed to match 'Lovia'.
He had the guild keep an eye out partly to find Mr. Lovia, and partly because he wanted to test out the pen name of that Melusine writer he had encountered not long ago.
"This author is hiding quite deeply," Xingqiu lamented. Instead of frustration, his tone held even more interest. "However, since he is publishing works one after another, he will eventually leave more clues. As long as he is still writing and still in Liyue Harbor, we will always have a chance to glimpse a sliver of the truth."
He looked at Chongyun, eyes sparkling. "Chongyun, aren't you curious? What would the person who can write such a story look like? A knowledgeable old scholar, a playboy wandering the world? Or..."
Xingqiu's words paused slightly. For some reason, his mind quickly flashed back to that fleeting glimpse in the stationery shop—the petite figure hidden under a large hood, and those blue, soft antennae that trembled slightly from being startled.
A Melusine who needed a large amount of paper and pens, tried her best to hide her identity, had a youthful voice with a non-Liyue accent, and didn't seem very well-off financially.
Could it be her?
Lovia, Lovia, a Melusine of Liyue?!
But this thought only flashed by before he dismissed it himself.
Melusines... according to that ancient travelogue, although they are an intelligent race, they seem closer to nature and art, and their habits lean towards tranquility. This was far removed from a writing style that was sharp, humorous, and deeply understood the ways of the world.
What's more, when he saw her that day, she was clearly a little thing who was easily startled and flustered, even a bit clumsy—she actually fell down. All of this was truly hard to connect with the sophisticated and unconstrained 'Mr. Lovia' on the page.
It's probably just a coincidence.
Xingqiu smiled and suppressed this inexplicable association.
"Or what?" Chongyun pressed.
"Heh, nothing." Xingqiu flicked open his folding fan, regaining the composure of a graceful young master. "I just feel that Liyue Harbor is truly a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers; it's getting more and more interesting. Perhaps next time Mr. Lovia releases a new work, we can find more clues in it."