Xuanling Sings, Storm Quelled

Discuss with Liangyu your next moves

Liangyu: The frequency trace ends northwest of the Eastern Xuan Peaks. Either it's heading somewhere a Skywatch Ring cannot monitor, or...

Rover: Wait. There's something on the back of this letter.

Rover: These marks... Were they left by the Streams?

Rover: "Sky... works?"

Liangyu: A factory in the Western Fang Peaks. It is where Xuanfang Hold produces its Autopuppets and "disposes" of Tacet Discords.

Liangyu: The Ministry of War just flagged it. They say the Skyworks has become a hive for rogue Autopuppets. Even the Xuanfang Wardens and the Ministry of Development can't get close anymore.

Liangyu: You think... Yangyang went there?

Rover: She went out of her way to leave us this message. I can't ignore it.

Rover: What about you? What's your move?

Liangyu: The Hold is under siege from all sides. My Commander's order was to reach Jinzhou through Shaftpost Yard's mountain gate. To call for reinforcements.

Liangyu: But the gate is sealed. There is no other way out... If I do nothing, I'll just be waiting for death.

Liangyu: I'm coming with you. If Yangyang went to the Skyworks, she must have sensed something important.

Liangyu: Besides... I owe her a great debt.

Liangyu: Only the Skyworks has become a den of horrors. Two souls alone... may not be enough.

Rover: We'll just have to find out.

Liangyu: ...Right.

Leave the Shaftpost Yard

Rover: You mentioned earlier that the Sentinel of Mengzhou is missing?

Liangyu: Well, she holds a residence in Xuanfang Hold, but the doors have not opened in a long time.

Liangyu: The Warden Commander tried to contact her many times, but received no response.

Rover: We're missing too many pieces of the puzzle at this point in time.

Liangyu: Agreed. Let's hope we find some clues at the Skyworks.

Liangyu: I was wondering, did you come here alone?

Rover: No. I had a companion. We got separated before I ran into you.

Liangyu: Was it because of the Disorienting Fog? Aren't you worried about her?

Rover: I am... But we agreed we'd stick to our own goals unless things got really bad.

Rover: She knows what she's doing. This fog won't stop her.

Liangyu: Is that so... Then we should pick up the pace too.

Make your way to the Skyworks

Inspect the Autopuppets' wreck

Rover: These Autopuppet kernels...

Rover: Abby.

Abby: Nooooo—! Absolutely not! It looks nasty!

Abby: Ugh, fine, if you say so... I'll do it.

Abby: It's all for Yangyang, okay? Even if I get a stomachache, I'll still do it—!

Abby: Bleh... That tasted awful.

Rover: What did you "taste"?

Abby: Well, I'm not sure how to put it... The frequency was messy, like a billion math formulas all tangled together. Looking at it makes my head hurt.

Abby: It's weird... On top of that string of numbers, there's a ton of... emotions.

Abby: Rage, regret, disappointment...

Rover: A machine... isn't supposed to have emotions.

Rover: Could that be what's causing them to go rogue?

Abby: Blegh... Too much bad juju... My stomach's feeling all kinds of wrong.

Abby: I'm out. Gotta crash for a bit... Wake me if something goes down.

Liangyu: These are... Someone fought an entire squad of Autopuppets here.

Rover: The traces on the remains... It was Yangyang.

Liangyu: Really...! Then we should be able to track the frequency she left behind.

Rover: (Hang on, Yangyang... I'm almost there.)

Rover: (Were those emotions implanted? Or...)

Liangyu: Sorry, but... What was that thing back there?

Rover: Hm? You mean Abby? That's my Echo. It has a big appetite.

Liangyu: (I guess I'd better not pry...)

Continue forward

Liangyu: For an Autopuppet kernel to possess emotions similar to those of people... I've never heard of such a thing.

Liangyu: For the Ministry of Development, Autopuppet technology and the Hold itself both originated from the Sentinel's black box.

Investigate the nearby markings

Defeat the remaining Autopuppets

Liangyu: ...

Rover: Are you alright?

Liangyu: I'm fine... Just been overusing my Forte the last few days. I'm a little tired.

Liangyu: You, on the other hand... You look like you have barely broken a sweat.

Rover: Let's just say I got plenty of practice against humanoid weapons back in Lahai-Roi.

Liangyu: What...?

Rover: ...Compared to everything else, fighting is the easy part.

Liangyu: Just what kind of life have you lived?

Liangyu: The fighting stretched all the way here...

Liangyu: Yangyang... She did this alone.

Rover: Watch out—! These things aren't dead yet!

Continue forward

Defeat the Autopuppets along the way

Rover: Someone treated their wounds here... It must be Yangyang. She's injured.

Liangyu: It must not have been too serious. She doesn't appear to have stayed long.

Liangyu: How many Autopuppets did she fight... They do attack humans sometimes, but she doesn't seem like the type to provoke them.

Rover: She must've found something... Maybe the source of the Autopuppet rebellion.

Liangyu: These tracks... It's a Cloud Ride. She took one to the Skyworks.

Rover: Let's keep moving.

Head to the Skyworks

Liangyu: The wind...

Rover: Yangyang's doing. She left it for us.

Liangyu: This is... Yangyang's Cloud Ride.

Liangyu: But... where is she?

Rover: This is Yangyang's...

???: How unexpected. Uninvited guests... at a time like this.

???: Let me guess... it was that foolish girl's Rafter Kite that led you here?

Liangyu: Who are—

???: Hmm... a Watcher who slipped the net. It seems I miscalculated the Paragon's capabilities.

Liangyu: You...

Rover: Where's Yangyang?!

Muyu: A shame, really. She could have contributed to my grand experiment. Instead, she chose... the path of self-destruction.

Muyu: Interesting... Black hair. Golden eyes. You match the description given by the woman in red.

Muyu: Such a shame. You fancy yourself a hero, but you are too late. Far too late.

Rover: —!?

Muyu: The experiment is nearing its final stage. Soon, Xuanfang Hold, this little "toy box" of the Sentinel, will finally realize its true value.

Liangyu: Tch—

Liangyu: Come on... What else can we use—?!

Find another way to the Skyworks

Liangyu: That man—he's the mastermind behind the Autopuppet rebellion?!

Rover: Hurry! We can't let him get away!

Head deep into the Skyworks

Liangyu: Just now... He spoke like he knew you. Have you met him before?

Rover: No, I don't think so.

Rover: (The woman in red... Did he mean a Fractsidus Overseer?)

Defeat the Tacet Discords inside the Skyworks

Rover: Those people over there...

Liangyu: How dare they use Censure Cages on civilians!

Rover: We need to get them out.

Rescue the people locked inside the Censure Cage

Uncle Dong: Oh, thank the heavens... Thank the heavens! I thought my time had come.

Rover: Are you... Uncle Dong from Jinzhou?

Uncle Dong: Eh? Y-y-you... aren't you Rover? Oh, what a relief! Everyone, Rover has come to save us!

Liangyu: Are you the ones Yangyang was looking for? The missing people from Jinzhou?

Uncle Dong: That... Oh! Long story short, I was on my way to Mengzhou to visit family. When I passed through Xuanfang, I ran into a group of masked brigands.

Uncle Dong: Ah...! And it was not just us. They seemed to have seized folks from all over these lands.

Uncle Dong: Oh, yes, yes! You must hurry! They've been taking people deeper into the factory, and no one ever comes back.

Liangyu: We will do everything we can.

Head to the depths of the Skyworks

Muyu: A ghost that will not rest—

Muyu: But even a variable like you still falls within my margins.

Muyu: You wish to charge at windmills? Very well. I will indulge you.

Muyu: Go on. Strike it. Break it. Tell yourself you are saving something. It will be your only triumph.

Rover: Yangyang...!

Rush to Yangyang's aid

Break the barrier

Rover: That's—

Yangyang: —My sister's...?!

???: —Arbiter.

???: This was never meant for you to wield...

???: Thus, I ask of you a vow.

???: The moment you choose to defy the ordained course—

???: You must be ready... to bear the cost, and—

???: Never... never ever forsake this city.

Use your newfound powers and defeat the Myriad Snare

Yangyang: Finally... We defeated it.

Yangyang: Rover...

Rover: Yangyang...

Rover: You're awake.

Yangyang: I...

Yangyang: It was you. You brought Rover here.

Yangyang: This isn't a dream, is it?

Yangyang: If it is, it's far too...

Rover: Hey, relax. Feel that? I'm right here.

Yangyang: Yes... You're just much earlier than I expected.

Rover: And yet, much later than I'd hoped.

Yangyang: I'm sorry. I couldn't stop him.

Rover: No, we couldn't stop him.

Yangyang: Thank goodness.

Rover: Next time, don't throw yourself into danger like that.

Yangyang: ...I suppose it's a bad habit I picked up without realizing.

Yangyang: After all, a certain "role model" of mine likes to rove the world and send back stories of his own reckless adventures.

Yangyang: But you're right. I owe everyone an apology when we get back.

Yangyang: And... I'm sorry, Rover. For making you worry.

Rover: Don't lose it again, okay?

Liangyu: You two...

Yangyang: Liang-Liangyu—?! You're here too—

Liangyu: (I've been standing here for a while...)

Liangyu: Are you okay, Yangyang?

Yangyang: I'm... I'm alright. Liangyu, the civilians... did everyone make it back to the city?

Liangyu: They did. Thanks to you.

Liangyu: (I didn't see Yanlang and Mingyu. I fear they have...)

Yangyang: I'm sorry, Liangyu. I couldn't—

Liangyu: Say no more, Yangyang. Apologize to anyone you wish, but not to me. This burden is mine. This failure is mine. Let me bear it alone.

Liangyu: The architect of the rebellion has fled. Now we must decide what comes next.

Yangyang: My sister...

Liangyu: I see. It seems your other companion has made some progress elsewhere as well.

Liangyu: Then that is where we go first.

Liangyu: I need to report the situation at the Skyworks to the Warden Commander. And the rescued civilians need to be settled.

Liangyu contacts the nearby Xuanfang Wardens. After arranging for the civilians to be escorted to safety, you prepare to head toward Xuanfang Hold.

Get ready to head for Xuanfang Hold

Head to Xuanfang Hold

Yangyang: Actually, Rover, weren't you in Lahai-Roi? What brought you back so suddenly?

Rover: I got your letter. Figured it was time to come back.

Rover: I just didn't expect all of this to happen the moment I returned to Jinzhou...

Yangyang: So... I have dragged you into trouble again.

Rover: Nothing I'm not used to. Besides...

Rover: Seeing you safe is the most important thing.

Yangyang: ...Looks like we're almost at Xuanfang Hold.

Rover: You're right... I wonder what the situation is like in there.

Yangyang: ...Rover.

Rover: Hmm?

Yangyang: It's nothing, just there was something I wanted to say back there... but the moment passed, and then it felt a little too late.

Rover: It's fine. Go ahead.

Yangyang: ...Long time no see, Rover.

Rover: Long time no see, Yangyang.

Continue with Suisui's line

Not long ago...

Find a way out of the fog

Suisui: This fog... It's not natural...

Suisui: Dumpling? Are you alright?

Suisui: It seems... to be confusing my senses.

Suisui: Dumpling, go check if there's a way out.

Suisui: I'm finally out...

Suisui: Rover... Looks like we got separated.

Suisui: The fog is blocking the way back to the gate... It feels deliberate.

Suisui: The locator... everything looks normal. With his skills, he should be able to get out of here safely.

Suisui: Seems I have no choice but to press on.

Continue forward

Suisui: A village... Tacet Discords tore through here.

Suisui: But no bodies. No wounded. They must have evacuated before the attack.

Investigate the village

Suisui: More of that fog here... I should probably find a way around just in case—

Suisui: What's...

Suisui: Really, now—

???: Hey! Over here!

???: This trick won't hold them for long. If you don't wanna die, get into the fog!

Suisui: Tch—

???: Here, take this. It'll stop the fog from messing with your head.

???: Picked it up from a fortune-teller in Mengzhou. S'posed to calm the mind. Thought she was full of it, you know those Jianghu types. But wouldn't ya know, it actually works.

???: Hmph... 'bout time. This job's becoming a real pain. If I'd known Xuanfang would turn into this kind of circus, I'd have listened to my master's old lady. Saved up a little nest egg and quit while I still could...

Suisui: You...

???: Hey, hey... don't tell me you don't recognize the man you hired.

???: What, trust issues? Come on, look at my gourd. That'll prove it.

Suisui: ...Preloaded frequency data. The Terminals were set to alert each other when we drew close.

Suisui: Ahem... Then you... Ugh—Cat of the Nether Lamp, I presume?

"Cat of the Nether Lamp": The one and only. S'pose that makes you the Chongming Pruner herself.

"Cat of the Nether Lamp": You've been hiding your identity this whole time. Not the sort of thing you share with any Tom, Dick, and wandering rogue, I imagine. So what changed? Why come to Xuanfang at all?

Suisui: With all that is happening here, I should think you'd already possess certain insights, no?

"Cat of the Nether Lamp": ...You mean the sudden Autopuppet rebellion. Think Zhuojun Atelier's got their hands in it, do you?

"Cat of the Nether Lamp": Hmm... In Mengzhou, their "Flowerveil Puppet" Grand Helm hasn't made any moves. She doesn't seem to give a crap about Xuanfang, far as I can tell.

"Cat of the Nether Lamp": Ten years I've been at this. Tracked every operative Zhuojun Atelier sent to the Ministry of Development. Every single one, except...

"Cat of the Nether Lamp": ...Sorry. Say any more and I'd be out of a job. And I happen to enjoy eating.

"Cat of the Nether Lamp": Anyway, I did what you asked. Mapped the whole Fogveil Pagoda top to bottom, just like you asked in your letter.

"Cat of the Nether Lamp": Right then. If that's everything, I'll be off. Believe it or not, I do have honest work from time to time.

Suisui: Wait. One last question.

Suisui: Did you happen to come across a girl with a blue hat? Hair with feathered tips?

"Cat of the Nether Lamp": Those features are hard to miss... If I'd seen her, I'd remember. Sorry, doesn't ring a bell.

Suisui: I see...

"Cat of the Nether Lamp": What, is she important to you?

Suisui: She's my sister. She... shouldn't have come here.

Suisui: And I... shouldn't have come here either.

"Cat of the Nether Lamp": What's that saying again? Ah, right: "The fairest judge fails family feuds." Let alone a street rat like me.

"Cat of the Nether Lamp": Looks like my work here's done. Well, Chongming Pruner, I'll be on my way.

"Cat of the Nether Lamp": If you're aiming to get into that Fogveil Pagoda, head north. The Elseway Shroud's your ticket in.

"Cat of the Nether Lamp": Look, I don't know if you're hunting a person or a prize, but you've put a lot of work into this. Don't choke at the finish line.

"Cat of the Nether Lamp": The more you waver, the more you waste what was hard to win—Huh. That was pretty good. I should write that down...

Suisui: I really am a terrible older sister...

Suisui: ...I'll go where he said.

Enter through the Elseway Shroud north of the Fogveil Pagoda

Enter the interior of Fogveil Pagoda

Suisui: (I made it inside.)

Suisui: (And the place I'm supposed to meet Her is... Hm, I'll need to look around.)

Search for clues in the hall

Suisui: These... don't seem to be just for decoration. There's probably some kind of mechanism hidden here.

Suisui: The solution... Hmm, looks like the key lies in the "reflections" on the water.

Suisui: The reflections in the water don't line up...

Suisui: I should try aligning them.

Solve the shadow puzzle

Suisui: That's it!

Suisui: ...That should be the meeting place.

Enter the Sonoro Sphere

Suisui: This is inside a Sonoro.

Continue onward

Suisui: I should keep going.

Suisui: This...

Try to strike the correct pose

???: You have arrived at last, my ally.

Suisui: This... this isn't your true self, is it? Am I right, Sentinel of Mengzhou—Hsin?

???: That's right. What remains here is merely a thread of my frequency.

???: You have reached the agreed place. Good. That completes the first step of our pact.

???: The second step is the pivot upon which everything turns. Listen carefully, my ally—

Suisui: Hold on. Before we proceed, I have something to say.

Suisui: Our agreement did not cover how our transaction would proceed in the event of a "force majeure."

Suisui: And with the chaos sweeping through Xuanfang... as its Sentinel, do you not have a duty to act?

Suisui: Why the silence, Hsin? As a Sentinel, isn't protecting the people your foremost duty?

Suisui: ...This Prism of Fate. It's a piece of you, isn't it?

Suisui: You had me come to Xuanfang to retrieve it and deliver it to the "true" you, the one hiding somewhere.

Suisui: Does that mean... you cannot move freely now?

???: It seems I have fallen victim to my own cleverness. I should have chosen a less perceptive ally.

Suisui: This Prism of Fate... can only you wield it? If I were to—

???: Absolutely not. Do not mistake my patience for permission. That particular desire has no claim here.

???: You...

Suisui: I'm so very sorry, but I prepared a "backup key."

Jinhsi: ...Miss Suisui, you are claiming you entered into a direct deal with Sentinel Hsin the Moon Fox?

Suisui: Yes. By chance, I once entered into a contract with that elusive Lady Sentinel.

Suisui: She requested I meet Her at a certain place in Xuanfang. To that end, She gave me an encrypted frequency.

Suisui: This was meant to be a private matter, but the situation has spiraled. I will not walk into Xuanfang Hold blind.

Suisui: Magistrate, may I ask if this frequency is the same as the one you gave to Rover?

Jinhsi: Mm... Yes, the spectral pattern matches exactly.

Suisui: Then, about the Sentinel of Mengzhou... do you have anything more to share?

Jinhsi: I am afraid I have little to offer. In recent years, Jué has shared very few updates regarding Hsin, and I can't confirm that what I do know is even true.

Jinhsi: However, if She summoned you to the Land of Xuanfang, then that soil must hold a deep significance for Her.

Jinhsi: Jué once mentioned that Hsin separated Her tail to create multiple Prisms of Fate. Each one contains a fragment of the Sentinel's power. If one is hidden in the Hold, it's no coincidence...

Jinhsi: Only... I cannot say why Hsin's intentions are so veiled. I suspect you will only learn more once you are there.

Jinhsi: Miss Suisui, you're wondering if that Prism of Fate can be used to find Yangyang, aren't you?

Suisui: Is that not possible?

Jinhsi: Naturally, a vessel for a Sentinel's power would be heavily restricted. Likely, only Hsin or Her Resonator could wield it.

Jinhsi: No... There is one more exception.

???: Jué... and the young girl it rescued...

Suisui: Our prior agreement is forfeit. I did break faith first. But now, Sentinel Hsin, I would propose a new contract. Will you hear it?

???: How sly... you sought out Jué and its Resonator to cheat the terms. You wear the fox's skin better than I.

Suisui: Forgive me. I am backed into a corner. But I truly believe this serves us both. If only you would—

???: ...No. Even if I cannot cast you out, do not think I will bend so easily.

???: You do not know what weight of "duty" lies beneath your own words.

Suisui: Looks like convincing Her will take some effort...

Ask the people around for information

Suisui: What's going on here?

Conclave Attendee: Ah, well... Today's a big day. A Trade Conclave hosted by the Sentinel Herself! But didn't you hear, a thief actually stole Her token...!

Conclave Attendee: If the Sentinel decides to hold them accountable for this...

Suisui: (Trade Conclave... I see...)

Suisui: (I suspect it is the same one I attended back in Mengzhou.)

Suisui: (That's when I signed the contract with Hsin. Is She trying to remind me of that?)

Conclave Attendee: No, no, no, what should I do? How could anyone commit such sacrilege...

Suisui: Where was the Sentinel's token stolen from?

Conclave Attendee: Right over there, on the platform! No one even saw it disappear. The hall went pitch black, and then—

Suisui: Thank you. I will take a look. Perhaps the thief left a trail.

Check the display stand

Suisui: This must be the spot.

Suisui: And this... is it... a "cheat sheet" you left for me?

???: If you have no use for it, I can always take it back, you know.

Suisui: What kind of answer are you expecting from me?

Suisui: ...Or is it simpler than that? Is this you wanting me to make the same choice you did?

???: A spoken lesson is soon forgotten. A lived lesson, never. Wouldn't you agree?

Use the "cheat sheet" left by Hsin the Moon Fox

Suisui: The thief seems to have fled to the left.

Follow the clue

Continue onward

Suisui: The recording ends here...

Suisui: ...

Suisui: There seems to be a clue by the flowerbed...

Look for new clues

Suisui: Did the thief go that way?

Suisui: No... It's probably not that simple.

Suisui: They even disguised their footsteps. I almost fell for it.

Suisui: Which means the real way... is the opposite, of course.

Track the correct path

Suisui: There's something behind this door...

Enter the exhibition room

Suisui: This mask... it matches the one the thief was wearing. They finally slipped up.

Suisui: Did they escape through here?

Suisui: (The hole in the wall... It connects back to the previous room...)

Suisui: (And this mask on the ground... It might come in handy...)

Inspect the clues

Find a way into the adjacent room

Talk to the guard

Guard: Miss, please stop. This area is only open to those with an invitation.

Suisui: By "invitation," I assume you mean this mask?

Guard: My apologies. Please, go right in.

Enter the VIP room

Suisui: As I thought, that one is definitely hiding something...

Catch up to the culprit

Suisui: This game of cat and mouse is almost over... no, cat and fox? Hmm. Does that make me the cat?

Suisui: Either way, time to give chase.

Enter the hidden room

Suisui: I can see every single move in the hall from up here...

Suisui: I've been watched this entire time, haven't I?

Suisui: This...

Continue onward

Suisui: ...Does that mean this isn't over yet?

Suisui: What a terrible spectacle... Is this part of the test too?

Use the Refluent Hourglass on the puppets

Suisui: I see. So these people... they were...

Reconstruct the scene

Suisui: Have I... returned? To before any of this began?

Suisui: If so... how am I supposed to change the ending?

Suisui: That Beacon over there... Maybe I can make use of it.

Talk to the guard near the Resonance Beacon

Suisui: (That guard over there... Time for a little performance.)

Suisui: (If I just tell him plainly, he might not take it seriously.)

Suisui: Help! P-please! Can you use that Beacon to call for help?

Trainee Guard: Stay right there. Is there anything I can help you with?

Trainee Guard: The Beacon is damaged. Only technicians are allowed near it. Anyone else could get hurt.

Suisui: (No access then...)

Trainee Guard: Have you calmed down? You were shouting for help... Were you attacked by Tacet Discords?

Suisui: No, a group of Exiles... I think they were planning to raid the village!

Trainee Guard: What?! All the senior guards are out on patrol... I have to warn them!

Trainee Guard: You stay here. Lock the village gates and don't let anyone in until we get back!

The trainee guard rushes off in a panic.

Suisui: A bit impetuous, that one. But that ought to be enough...

Close the village gate to prevent Exiles from attacking

Suisui: This is all working a little too smoothly...

Suisui: ...I should check on the villagers first.

Talk to the elder

Elder: The Beacon is still down... What's happening beyond the walls right now...

Suisui: Don't worry. It's just a few bandits. They're no match for our guards.

Elder: Ah... I hope so.

Talk to the young people

Bragging Young Man: I could do a better job than those so-called guards!

Flattering Young Man: Yeah! Show 'em, Boss!

Suisui: (Now is not the time to add to their worries.)

Open the village gate

???: Open the gates!

Suisui: That voice...

Little Girl: Daddy!

Suisui: The patrol has returned.

Talk to the guards returning from patrol

Senior Soldier: Are the children all in the shelter?

Young Soldier: Yes...

Suisui: ...

Senior Soldier: You must be the one who warned him. Thanks to you both, we intercepted those Exiles before they reached the gates.

Suisui: He was supposed to find you. How did this happen?

Young Soldier: He ran straight into those brigands. The sound of the struggle was what alerted us.

Young Soldier: If it wasn't for both of you... the situation could have been far worse.

Suisui: (No... it can't be.)

Suisui: (There has to be another way!)

Return to the past node and prevent the attack once more

Suisui: ...One more time.

Suisui: Can't let that man risk his life this time.

Talk to the trainee guard

Trainee Guard: Stop right there. Do not come any closer.

Trainee Guard: The Beacon is damaged. Only technicians are allowed near it. Anyone else could get hurt.

Suisui: (I can't tell him the truth...)

Suisui: Are you the only guard on duty?

Trainee Guard: No, the seniors are out on patrol. I am watching the village in their stead.

Suisui: I see... In that case, could you let me out for a moment?

Suisui: A child in the village told me she lost her pet fox. I promised her I'd help her find it.

Trainee Guard: A fox? Children these days certainly have strange tastes in pets.

Trainee Guard: But just you alone...

Suisui: It's alright. I'm a Resonator. I can look after myself.

Suisui: I'll only be searching the area nearby. It won't take long.

Trainee Guard: ...If you insist. Just make sure to return before nightfall.

Go outside the village to track down the Exiles

Suisui: (Phew... I think he bought it.)

Suisui: (The rest is up to me now...)

Suisui: This time, I should be able to keep everyone safe.

Defeat the Exiles

???: Fatal malice... It strikes the moment when you are least on guard.

???: When you cannot count the blades hidden in the dark, there is no single answer to this test.

???: Someone must stand in this position, whether it's you or that soldier. Someone... must be sacrificed. This Prism of Fate represents that burden.

???: If... one life could settle this, I would not ask for two. Surely you understand.

Suisui: No, I don't.

???: Child... Are you feigning ignorance?

Suisui: How can I possibly understand if you don't explain it to me from the beginning?

Suisui: Besides, I'm still here, alive and kicking.

???: If I had not intervened just now, you would have already "died."

Suisui: Yes. I have you. I have you, therefore I can take the risk. I can try to overturn an outcome that's already been decided.

???: ...Reality is not like the questions I set. It has no gaps for you to slip through.

???: What you're attempting is nothing more than a desperate gamble.

???: The greedy lose everything in the end. Always.

Suisui: Yes. Unless of course—

Suisui: We happen to have...

Suisui: A "trump card" powerful enough to flip the table entirely.

Complete the task given by Hsin

Suisui: The Magistrate of Jinzhou told me what happened on Mt. Firmament. If it weren't for him, things would have ended exactly as you said.

Suisui: You're right. I am greedy. Greedy enough to want to keep everyone safe. Greedy enough to dream of an ending where no one bleeds.

Suisui: And I believe that person... Rover, can carry the weight of that greed. You should know that better than anyone, Sentinel Hsin.

Suisui: I understand that perhaps under your current circumstances, you can't tell me the truth. But I want you to take a chance with me. One bet. A bet on a future... you've never dared to imagine.

???: Honeyed words, sweet promises... How many souls have you sold such pretty illusions to?

Suisui: Well, I admit I've never tried them on a Sentinel before.

???: Heh... Silver-tongued little thing, indeed. I find I do not entirely dislike it.

???: I see... So the Arbiter has come here as well...

???: But at this moment, the one standing before me to make this deal is not him... it is you.

???: If you wish to convince me, then... let us place our bets.

???: One round. Winner takes all.

???: So be it...

???: A bet is a bet. I yield.

???: My ally... No, Suisui—

???: For now, I place my "hope" in your hands.

Enter through the Elseway Shroud north of the Fogveil Pagoda

Make a new deal with Hsin

Suisui: That direction...

Suisui: Dumpling, it's your time to shine. I'll treat you to as many plates of dumplings as you wish, so—

Suisui: I'm counting on you.

Liangyu: Yangyang, Rover, I need to report to the Commander. Why don't you two find your companion first?

Yangyang: Alright. We'll meet you later.

Yangyang: My sister... I wonder if she made it here safely.

Suisui: YANGYANG—!

Yangyang: S-sister...?!

Suisui: Oh, my poor Yangyang! You've gotten so thin! Is no one in Jinzhou looking after you? Do you not eat properly?

Suisui: This will not do. This will not do at all. You need to eat more, darling. How else am I supposed to enjoy hugging you?

Yangyang: Sister, please! I'm not a child anymore. And I've been eating perfectly fine...

Suisui: Oh? Since when has my little Yangyang been so shy?

Yangyang: Sui—sui—

Suisui: Mm... All these years, and you don't hang on to me anymore. I find that rather crushing...

Yangyang: That is not how it was! You were the one who dragged me everywhere. I missed so many of my vocal lessons...

Suisui: Oh Really? Hmm... it all gets quite blurry, doesn't it? But I seem to recall a certain someone begging me to sneak her out to see the festival boats, pestering for me to keep it from Mother.

Yangyang: That was... But you were always sneaking out at night to watch the opera...

Rover: Somehow... it feels like you're a completely different person now.

Suisui: Well, things were urgent back then. Now that the weight on my mind has lifted, of course I'm more at ease.

Suisui: Though the little sister I went through so much to see seems to have forgotten how to be nice to her older sister.

Yangyang: Ahem... Thank you for taking the time to come see me, but let's focus on the issues at hand first.

Rover: This thing you sent... What exactly is it?

Suisui: Just as I thought. You are qualified to wield it. My efforts to persuade that stubborn fox weren't in vain after all.

Yangyang: Fox... Suisui, you don't mean—

Suisui: ...My apologies, Rover, Yangyang. There is something I've been keeping from you.

Suisui: Well, let me start from the moment Rover and I got separated.

Yangyang: I had no idea... You and the Sentinel of Mengzhou shared such a complicated history.

Suisui: I'm sorry, Rover, for keeping this from you. My deal with Hsin was meant to stay between us. Until I stood before Her, I wasn't sure if revealing the truth would help or just make things worse.

Suisui: Thank you for finding Yangyang. In the end, I wasn't much help in that department.

Suisui: In any case, the Sentinel's token has passed into your hands. That means your fate is now woven with Hsin the Moon Fox. When those threads will come undone, I cannot say.

Yangyang: Before that, we have to stop the Autopuppet rebellion.

Yangyang: Sister, you mentioned Zhuojun Atelier. Did you find something specific about them back in Mengzhou?

Suisui: They are a unique organization renowned for their mastery of mechanist art. Their roots run deep in Mengzhou, and their expertise rivals that of Huaxu Academy.

Suisui: But they lack discipline and have no unified code of conduct. Their leader, the Grand Helm "Flowerveil Puppet," is especially elusive, with questionable morals.

Yangyang: That man, Muyu... he was a member of the Atelier two hundred years ago. But it seems he's long since cut ties with them.

Suisui: Two hundred years ago... Even for a Resonator, that is an exceptionally long life. He might've had multiple identities in that time. Tracing his origins will prove difficult.

Rover: There's something else. He knew me. The way he spoke... he knows my history.

Rover: And he mentioned a "woman in red"...

Yangyang: Could it be the woman we encountered in Jinzhou? Scar's companion?

Rover: No, I don't think it's her... It sounds like an Overseer we haven't met yet. Someone still lurking in Huanglong.

Yangyang: Zhuojun Atelier and the Fractsidus... If he has ties to both...

Yangyang: With a Forte we don't yet understand, infiltrating the Autopuppet system and causing the chaos in Xuanfang would be well within his reach.

Yangyang: At least now we know who we need to stop.

Yangyang: Let's find Liangyu and the Warden Commander. Maybe they can help us make sense of these leads.

Meet up with Liangyu and the Warden Commander

Rover: By the way, earlier, I asked Abby to "analyze" the abnormal Autopuppet's kernel.

Rover: It was packed with negative emotions. If those were somehow implanted from the outside...

Yangyang: That could be how Muyu is controlling them...

Yangyang: (But the source of those emotions... Could it be...)

Qiuhong: ...Check the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Development, and Huaxu Academy. If there's any space left, get the elderly and children in first.

Qiuhong: When the last civilian is inside the Hold, recall the remainder of our forces. Leave only a handful of scouts. The Autopuppets within the city remain operational, but watch them closely. Do not let them fight. Not until we know why this is happening.

Qiuhong: ...You three must be the ones Liangyu spoke of. In these desperate hours, your willingness to stand with us is a comfort beyond words. I, Qiuhong, owe you a debt!

Yangyang: Commander Qiuhong, there are things we need to discuss with you and Liangyu.

Qiuhong: I have just finished our next deployment schedule. We can talk at the Ministry of War.

Head to the Ministry of War and discuss your next course of action

The group arrives at the Ministry of War to exchange the intelligence they have gathered.

Qiuhong: So, this Muyu... spent years disguised as a Ministry Artisan, all to lay hands on the Sentinel's technology... That was a grave oversight on our part.

Qiuhong: And since Zhuojun Atelier never discloses its members' identities, I fear tracing his origins will lead nowhere...

Qiuhong: However, if one digs deeper, the Atelier's connection to Xuanfang Hold runs deeper than most realize.

Yangyang: What do you mean?

Qiuhong: I discovered the connection in a dossier collected by the Commanders who came before me. Everyone knows when the Threnodian stirred at Norfall Barrens and Tacet Discords swelled beyond control, Sentinel Hsin looked ahead. She chose to build this Hold.

Qiuhong: But She did not build it alone. No. She needed hands and sought out a council of helpers.

Qiuhong: Back then, Zhuojun Atelier had already stood in Mengzhou for generations. Masters of the mechanist arts. Architects of YuanAbyssal Fortress. So when the call went out, they answered. They wished to take on the commission for Xuanfang.

Qiuhong: Yet for some unknown reason... the Sentinel passed them over.

Yangyang: Who did Hsin choose to assist in the construction instead?

Rover: I remember Xiangli Yao telling me that a group from the Court of Savantae once came to Mengzhou...

Qiuhong: Exactly. They were the ones who helped build the Hold, but no records of their whereabouts were found afterward.

Liangyu: Could it be... that the Atelier has held a grudge against the Sentinel and Xuanfang Hold after being turned down?

Suisui: To wait two hundred years for revenge? That Muyu is certainly patient, if nothing else.

Yangyang: No... While I can't say for sure, I believe his motives run deeper than a simple grudge.

Yangyang: Manipulating the Autopuppets to cause chaos may only be one step in his plan. So far, only one place in Xuanfang remains untouched by rogue Autopuppets and Tacet Discords...

Qiuhong: ...The Hold itself.

Suisui: Given the sheer value this Hold represents to this land, it's only natural that he would set his sights on it.

Qiuhong: Regardless, we must stand ready to fight. Perhaps... without hope of aid. A fight to the death against rogue Autopuppets and Tacet Discords.

Rover: Count me in the fight.

Yangyang: We stand together, no matter what.

Qiuhong: Our people have guarded this Hold for over two centuries...

Qiuhong: I hope that its history does not end with us.

Liangyu: Communication across Xuanfang has been severed by unknown interference. Fortunately, the Ministry of Development has just finished a batch of signal nodes. Once we place them around the Hold, they will restore our internal comms and link directly to the defense systems.

Yangyang: I'll go with you, Rover.

Fix the first node

Yangyang: I just remembered... I need to return this sword to the villagers...

Rover: That so?

Yangyang: It's a long story. A local I met earlier asked me to keep it for them.

Yangyang: It's just... I don't know why, but I feel a strange familiarity with it.

Yangyang: Looking at its edges, I've even started to see things. Flashes of the past.

Rover: Like the visions I had when I saw Jué's statue?

Yangyang: But that was because of the history you shared with Jué.

Yangyang: I have never set foot in the Land of Xuanfang before...

Rover: What if you've lost your memories too, like I did?

Yangyang: Rover... Really now? How could that be...?

Rover: (Yeah. That... probably couldn't be true.)

Head to the second node

Fix the second node

Yangyang: There. The two nodes we were assigned are in place...

Yangyang: We still have a bit of time. Let's go find the village chief.

Head to the location where the Xianling villagers are sheltered

Qiankun: If it isn't Yangyang! You returned unharmed!

Yangyang: Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern.

Qiankun: Your safe return... your safe return is all that matters...

Yangyang: I brought back the blade you entrusted to Liangyu. There was... some trouble along the way, but I managed to keep it safe.

Qiankun: This is... ah, thank you. Thank you.

Yangyang: No thanks are needed, Chief. As I said, this blade gives the courage to walk forward even in the face of death.

Yangyang: It... will bear witness as we weather this storm together.

Rover: What was that...

Yangyang: Did you hear it too, Rover?

Yangyang: Xuanfang Hold... It's like... we're in the past again.

Yangyang: This song...

Yangyang: Let's find out where it's coming from, Rover.

Head toward where the singing is coming from

Yangyang: Could these be... Xuanling Birds?

Yangyang: I didn't think I'd ever get to see them...

Yangyang: (...Why... when I see them... do I have this feeling like...?)

Talk to Lingfang

???: I'll be leaving soon, Xuanling.

???: Now now, don't be so stubborn. Beyond Xuanfang, there are oh so many melodies waiting for you...

???: Hm?

Yangyang: You are... Liangyu?

???: Liangyu? Liang... Yu... Hmm. A beautiful name, but it is not mine.

???: My name is Lingfang. Are you new recruits as well? Heh, the Ministry must truly be in dire straits if they cannot even give you proper uniforms.

Yangyang: (She's the one I saw in those memories. She and Liangyu... Could it be...)

Yangyang: If I remember correctly, you were once... a musician?

Lingfang: Oh? I did not expect to be recognized so far from Mengzhou.

Lingfang: A shame I cannot play for you now. I have already sold my liuqinstringed instrument. No place for music on a battlefield.

Lingfang: The only thing I kept was this xiaobamboo flute. My husband made it for me. I could not bear to part with it.

Lingfang: It never made a single note, but I never told him. That lumbering man was never good with his hands...

Rover: Why did you join the army...

Lingfang: No grand reason. Tacet Discords killed my beloved. So I took up a blade to avenge him. It is as simple as that.

Lingfang: My father served in Mengzhou's Ministry of War. He taught me how to fight when I was young, but I grew bored after a few years and ran away to study music. It was during those wandering years that I met him.

Lingfang: Others might have seen only an ordinary painter, but I saw the colors within him. He walked away from a chance to study at the Mingting Institute of Art, all to stay in the hometown he loved so dearly.

Lingfang: He loved painting the Xuanling Birds. They were his voice. They helped him confess what he was too shy to say to me himself.

Lingfang: But it's all gone now. Tacet Discords took everything.

Lingfang: The thought of those monsters coming here to trample the land he held so dear...

Lingfang: Makes me... tremble with rage.

Lingfang: So I took up the sword again, just like my father had always wished. He used to say a sword is wielded for one's country and people. I still don't think I understand what that means.

Yangyang: ...They're the same thing.

Yangyang: Whether it's for a person, an ideal, or something more profound that's hard to put in words...

Yangyang: We feel for the things we hold dear. Sorrow. Joy. Fear. Shame. Anger.

Yangyang: That is why we choose to protect.

Yangyang: And you're protecting more than the memories you made with him. You're protecting the place where countless new memories and feelings will be born.

Lingfang: Protect, you say... We have a baby girl, and I... I only wish I could protect her as she grows.

Yangyang: Don't worry, she will grow up healthy and safe.

Yangyang: She will find her own love, career, and family, and she will protect her child with the same love you gave her. That will pass on, for generations.

Yangyang: To the future and to faraway tomorrows we can't yet see.

Lingfang: I see...

Lingfang: Then... I will hold onto that hope.

Lingfang: I must go. Though I do not know your name, it was a comfort to speak with you before I march onto the battlefield.

Lingfang: I have nothing to offer you in return, so... I give you my song.

Return to the Xuanfang Hold of the past

Defend Xuanfang Hold from the rogue Autopuppets and Tacet Discords

Liangyu: Rover! Yangyang! Can you hear me?

Liangyu: The last node is in place. Communications around Xuanfang Hold should be fully restored.

Liangyu: We have mobilized all functional heavy siege weapons from the reserves, and Commander Qiuhong has completed the defensive deployment.

Liangyu: However... the enemy moves faster than we anticipated.

Liangyu: No time to explain. Meet me at the front gate!

Yangyang: Let's go, Rover.

Yangyang: It's our turn to protect this land now.

Meet up with Liangyu and the others

Rover: Too many. If they break through here... the Hold falls.

Rover: Hsin the Moon Fox... Lend me your strength now!

Amazed Xuanfang Warden: Incredible...! They actually held back that many Autopuppets and Tacet Discords!

Qiuhong: Soldiers, now is our chance! Press the attack!

Brave Xuanfang Warden: Charge!

Eliminate rogue Autopuppets and Tacet Discords

Eliminate Tacet Discords and rogue Autopuppets

Yangyang: (Rover is taking the brunt of it...)

Yangyang: (I will not be another one he has to carry!)

Yangyang: (Need to push harder... Need to be stronger!)

Yangyang: (I will... protect everyone!)

Suisui: So this is what they call a battlefield...

Suisui: (Yangyang... she's been fighting in places like this all along...)

Brave Xuanfang Warden: Thank you! That was a great help!

Drive back the elite Autopuppet

Yangyang: Rover! Are you alright?!

Suisui: These things... Cut down one wave, and another rises to take its place...

Rover: Stay focused! We need to survive this wave!

Liangyu: Damned monsters! Will they never stop?!

Qiuhong: There is no retreat... We fight until the very end!

Liangyu: Paragon Qingxiao?!

Qingxiao: Forgive me. I should have come sooner.

Rover: The Censure Court... it's growing...

Yangyang: Muyu... he's probably hiding in that one.

Qingxiao: The assault grows fiercer by the moment. My sword formations will not hold long. We must end this quickly.

Qingxiao: If you can find the one pulling the strings... go. Strike the root of this evil.

Liangyu: The Paragon is right. Yangyang, Rover, you two go. We will manage here.

Liangyu: ...This ground will hold while you are gone. That is a promise!

Suisui: Yangyang!

Suisui: ...Be careful.

Yangyang: ...I know. Let's go, Rover!

Head deep into the Censure Court and confront Muyu

Yangyang: (The Streams' Resonance is getting stronger...)

Yangyang: W-what is happening—?

???: ...Votary of the Voice. Do you finally understand?

Yangyang: Who... Who are you?

???: Even if the choice before you is but a single stone cast into a boundless ocean...

???: The "ripples" it creates shall touch the fate of the entire worldplanet.

???: Turn back here. Leave what follows to ■■■, and you may remain in ignorant bliss, living only for "yourself."

???: Once this "wind" rises, it will never cease.

Yangyang: ...

Yangyang: I'm sorry. I don't understand what you're saying...

Yangyang: But no matter what, I won't let him face this alone.

???: Is that so...

???: Forgive us. We never intended for any living soul to hear this Voice.

???: For in every ending, not one has ever succeeded in saving anything.

???: Will this time be different? We do not know.

???: If this is your will, your wish, and the path you have chosen...

???: Then steel yourself... to leave everything behind.

Rover: What's wrong, Yangyang?

Yangyang: ...No. It's nothing.

Yangyang: Let's go, Rover. Together, we will...

Rover: End it. End it all.

Venture into the depths of the Censure Court

Muyu: Oh? Having chased me here, did you enjoy this little game of pretend? And you—I wonder where you picked up that sickening habit of playing human.

Muyu: No, there's no question that the Autopuppets are functioning exactly as they should. How could a mere mortal like me command the Sentinel's creations?

Yangyang: ...Liar. If not for your interference, how could the Sentinel's constructs ever harm the very people they were built to protect?

Muyu: Heh... Sentinels protecting humans... What an absurd delusion.

Muyu: Is it because they guide civilization? Because the Sentinels of Huanglong reign alongside humans? You're from Jinzhou, aren't you? Did that girl who became the Sentinel's Resonator feed you that pretty fantasy?

Muyu: We know nothing of the Sentinels. Not their design, not their internal structure, not where they obtained knowledge that eclipses all human understanding.

Muyu: Is "protect humanity" written into their core code? Has a single Sentinel ever confirmed it to you?

Muyu: No. That idea is rooted only in shallow experience, in the numbness of those who have grown comfortable under borrowed protection.

Muyu: Sentinels... Why do they guide us? And to what end? No one knows.

Muyu: You cling to this notion that they protect us, because of what? Because they have grown to "feel" for us?

Rover: ...And what if they have?

Rover: Every Sentinel I've met has sacrificed everything for the people under their watch.

Rover: You dragging their names in the dirt won't change that.

Muyu: Hah... "Feeling." If you want to say the world indeed walks on ice this thin...

Muyu: Then my work here is proof of how easily that feeling can curdle into carnage and suffering.

Voice of Reverberation: Kill... Kill all of you... Tacet Discords... Rot in hell...

Voice of Reverberation: Spare no one... Do not let any escape...!

Yangyang: Those voices...?!

Muyu: It took me two centuries to learn how to shape these useless passions into something useful.

Muyu: I have to admit, the process was not without its pleasures.

Muyu: I simply altered the perceptionparameters of these Reverberations. Redirected their rage. Not at the Tacet Discords, but at humanity itself. Then I installed them into the Autopuppets.

Muyu: And just like that, the protectors become the butchers. A single thread of foolish obsession is enough to shatter every line of logic, every careful protocol.

Muyu: Feeling... is this dangerous. The enemy of reason. The wellspring of chaos. Humans must learn to control it... No, to discard it entirely.

Yangyang: ...You're wrong.

Yangyang: When the ones we love are taken, and our homes are trampled... when a parent realizes they will never watch their child grow, or a peaceful soul is forced to pick up a blade just to survive...

Yangyang: Of course we grieve. Of course we resent. Of course we rage.

Yangyang: Humans are not puppets. From the moment we're born, we find our own "voice."

Yangyang: Whether it laughs or weeps, roars or wails... those voices make up the colors of this world.

Yangyang: But you... you twist them. Mock them. Treat them as tools. You will never understand what they truly mean.

Yangyang: You are nothing but a coward covering his ears! A madman worshipping his own delusions as truth!

Rover: You pride yourself on seeing through everything, but you're a greater fool than any you scorn.

Yangyang: And before this is over...

Rover: You will be eaten by the very "rage" you created.

Defeat the Thousand-Puppet Pavilion

Muyu: The simple addition of one superfluous thread, and the perfect guardian becomes a fearsome executioner in an instant.

Muyu: If the Sentinels protect humanity only because they "feel," then one day, one moment, one of them could "feel" differently and do the opposite.

Yangyang: You still don't get it, do you? You don't believe, that's all. So you're desperate to be right and lord it above everyone else.

Yangyang: What you have done... is not worth the breath it would take to refute it!

Rover: Yangyang!

Attack the kernel

Muyu: These Reverberations have echoed in the abyss for two hundred years. Even now, their remnants serve my purpose.

Witness what happened in the past

Attack the kernel

Muyu: Isn't it ironic that the very voices you resonate with and mourn for are burying you alive?

Witness what happened in the past

Attack the kernel

Navigate through the Reverberations

Voice of Reverberation: Damn you... Tacet Discords...

Dodge the attacks of the Xuanfang Wardens

Muyu: Stopped already? Feeling pity for these Reverberations?

Muyu: Heh... So this is what your so-called "rage" looks like.

Bring release to the agonized Reverberations

Defeat the Thousand-Puppet Pavilion

Muyu: This... power...?

Muyu: I knew it. You truly are special...

Muyu: I failed to claim your Reverberation at the Skyworks, but it is not too late...

Yangyang: ...In your dreams!

Yangyang: You will never... toy with another soul again!

Yangyang: Rover!

Rover: Yangyang, you look...

Yangyang: Everyone... entrusted their final voices to me.

Yangyang: Let's... guide them to the end, Rover.

Muyu: It's almost impressive that you two held your own against the Thousand-Puppet Pavilion for this long...

Yangyang: Two hundred years of Xuanfang's history breathes through us—

Rover: You face a will more powerful than you can imagine!

Muyu: ...Pathetic fools. You have guarded this Hold for over two hundred years, yet still you're blind to its fundamental nature.

Muyu: I am but a single step away from my "destination." Anything that stands in my way now is nothing more than a momentary diversion.

Yangyang: ...Everyone knows what this Hold means better than you ever will.

Yangyang: You climbed this high by trampling others beneath you—

Yangyang: You will never reach your "destination." Not today. Not ever.

Rover: A puppet...?

Yangyang: Rover...

Yangyang: I...

Go to the Ministry of War and gain information from the Warden Commander

Qiuhong: Rover, Yangyang, you're here.

Yangyang: Commander Qiuhong, how's the situation now?

Qiuhong: Stable, mostly. But the list of work never ends. Rescue and recovery. Reorganizing the garrison. Caring for the displaced... All of it takes time.

Qiuhong: Liangyu has the makings of a leader, but she pushed herself to the brink of Overclocking to defend the Hold. She's currently at Huaxu Academy receiving treatment.

Qiuhong: She has already departed for the Censure Court to purge the remaining Tacet Discords. But even she cannot be everywhere at once.

Yangyang: ...

Qiuhong: Still, we won a victory. We should take some comfort in that.

Qiuhong: All held at the Ministry of Development for observation. They are no longer hostile, but their state remains abnormal.

Qiuhong: The Artisans do not know how to repair them. They cannot even shut them down.

Yangyang: My new ability only restored the distorted emotions within them to their original state. It didn't purge the Reverberations from their kernels.

Yangyang: Yes, I want to know how Chixia's recovery is going.

Qiuhong: Then I will leave you to your business. If any emergency arises, I will contact you immediately.

Yangyang: Rover, let's find somewhere quiet to call Baizhi.

Yangyang: My voicemail is... wait. Ninety-nine missed calls?! Baizhi, Zhezhi, Taoqi, Suisui, Jianxin... even Magistrate Jinhsi called!

Rover: Everyone seems to be losing sleep over you.

Yangyang: Haha... It's going to take me a long time to call them all back...

Call Baizhi from a nearby location

Yangyang: Hello? Baizhi—

Chixia's Voice: Baizhi! Is that Yangyang?! Oh, finally! Yangyang! Rover! CAN YOU HEAR ME—

Zhezhi's Voice: CHIXIA, NO—! A-are you alright?! Miss Baizhi, Chixia just fell right out of her bed!

Baizhi: ...You're not fully healed, and you thought jumping out of bed was a good idea?

Chixia's Voice: You're one to talk, Baizhi! Weren't you just—Mmph!

Baizhi: ...Done? Good, back to bed.

Rover: Sounds like quite the scene over there.

Yangyang: Ahaha...

Baizhi: Well, you heard her. No need to worry about Chixia. A few more days, and she'll be bouncing around like nothing happened.

Baizhi: Yangyang, Rover, I don't know what you've faced in Xuanfang Hold these past few days...

Baizhi: But knowing that you are both safe is more than enough.

Yangyang: ...I am sorry. I made everyone worry.

Xiangli Yao: Don't blame yourself. Consider it a blessing to have so many people holding you in their thoughts.

Yangyang: Principal Investigator Xiangli...! You're there too.

Xiangli Yao: Yes, just happened by. Seems you two managed to find each other, Rover. Though... I hear you've stumbled into fresh trouble at Xuanfang Hold.

Rover: Mengzhou's Sentinel, Hsin the Moon Fox, has gone missing.

Xiangli Yao: Really...? I'm sorry that I can't personally assist with the investigation. But if you need help, contact Huaxu Academy at any time. Everyone here will do their utmost to help you.

Xiangli Yao: I should be returning to my lab. I wish you a swift and successful conclusion to this case.

Baizhi: Yangyang, Rover, what are your plans now?

Yangyang: Hmm...

Baizhi: Don't let Jinzhou weigh on you. Just focus on the problem at hand.

Baizhi: As for that... new look of yours, the explanation can wait until you've caught your breath. Best to wait until Chixia has fully recovered. Otherwise, the shock might land her right back in that hospital bed.

Yangyang: I understand. Thank you, Baizhi.

Yangyang: Chixia seems to be alright. What a relief.

Rover: You'll give her quite the surprise when you see her next.

Yangyang: ...If I had it my way, I'd go back to the way I was.

Rover: A new look is just proof of a new journey.

Yangyang: Hm... perhaps you're right.

Qiuhong: Rover, Yangyang. When you have a moment, come to the Ministry of War.

Qiuhong: There is a call for you. From someone you both know well.

Rover: (Someone we know well? Could it be...)

Yangyang: I want to visit Liangyu at Huaxu Academy first. If you have things to do, Rover, we can meet at the Ministry afterwards.

Rover: All right, let's finish what's at hand and meet the Commander there later.

Walk around the Xuanfang Hold

Suisui: Hehe. Looks like Dumpling has taken a liking to you.

Rover: You seem cheerful.

Suisui: Oh this is nothing. If I really put my mind to it, I could make Xuanfang Hold every bit as lively as Mengzhou.

Suisui: Although I do like the feel of this place. It's less flashy, maybe... but the people are kind. Genuine. Is Jinzhou like that too?

Rover: Next time there's a chance, Yangyang and I will give you a proper tour of Jinzhou.

Suisui: Oh? And when exactly is this "next time?"

Suisui: I don't have my sister's patience. If you don't set a date, I'll have to assume I'm free to hijack your schedule whenever I please.

Suisui: Relax, I'm joking. At least until the dust settles here in Xuanfang.

Rover: Speaking of... why did you convince Hsin to give the token to me?

Suisui: Well... plenty of reasons. The Magistrate of Jinzhou told me a bit about you, so I knew you could handle a Sentinel's token.

Suisui: But you want to know why I "trusted" you so suddenly, don't you? Especially since I was keeping my deal with Hsin a secret from you before.

Suisui: Well, it's either terribly complicated or terribly simple... There's the respectable version, and the clever one. Which would you like to hear, darling?

Rover: I want to know your real thoughts.

Suisui: ...How blunt. But you should know a girl's thoughts aren't something you get to hear just by asking.

Suisui: It's either that you have this terribly dependable sort of air about you. Or maybe it's just that you never try to be anything you're not.

Suisui: Trust can be a connection built over years, or it can be a single note that rings true the moment you hear it.

Suisui: For you, I think it was the latter.

Suisui: In other words, you have a girl's sincere trust. How does that sit with you? If it's too much, I don't mind taking it back, you know.

Rover: ...Thank you for trusting me.

Suisui: ...Oh, no need to thank me. Really, I've just saddled you with a rather enormous headache.

Suisui: But that promise you made? I'm holding you to it.

Rover: Should we draw up a contract?

Suisui: That's not a bad idea! We could even add a few extra clauses. Say, naming you as an honored guest of my Guild?

Suisui: As for what that actually gets you... Well, you'll simply have to visit me in Mengzhou to find out, darling.

Regroup with Yangyang at the Ministry of War