Before long, the two arrived at Xingqiu's personal library.

Chongyun went up to knock on the door.

"Knock—knock knock knock—knock—"

Mu Yang was speechless. Was this some kind of secret code?

This kid Xingqiu—no surprise given his obsession with wuxia novels—had clearly let it get to his head a little.

As the second young master of the Feiyun Commerce Guild and the heir to a wealthy Liyue merchant family, Xingqiu wasn't particularly interested in the world of money and fame.

What he loved was chivalry, and his greatest hobby was reading novels.

Mu Yang understood the purpose of this "knock code"—it was to prevent his father and elder brother from discovering him hiding here, "stealing a half-day of leisure amidst a busy life."

In truth, Xingqiu was overthinking it. They had no intention of interfering in the first place...

His father had only stepped in once—to stop him from spending all day reading at "Wanwen Bookhouse"—and instead allowed him to study at the Guhua Clan.

And then, within the Guhua Clan, he attained enlightenment.

With his vast knowledge and insights drawn from ancient texts, Xingqiu single-handedly revived the long-declined martial arts of the Guhua style.

He penned "The Song of Blade and Sword" in a single flourish—a hundred-word masterpiece that distilled the essence of Guhua's martial techniques.

The head of the Guhua Clan wept on the spot and immediately decided to enshrine the song in the clan's sacred hall, "Wangshan Hall," forbidding disciples from viewing it. Outsiders, of course, had no chance of seeing it at all.

This wasn't because he didn't want the disciples to learn.

It was just that Xingqiu's handwriting was so atrociously abstract that no one could decipher it...

After Xingqiu's father heard about this incident, he never bothered controlling his son's activities again.

Thus, this "secret knock" was really just Xingqiu indulging in his little wuxia fantasy.

From inside, Xingqiu's voice rang out:

"Who goes there, and for what purpose?"

"Xingqiu, stop messing around. We've got something important."

"Alright, alright. Don't tell me you've found another haunted house and want to go exploring?"

Xingqiu opened the door and stepped out, spotting Mu Yang behind Chongyun. His eyebrows lifted.

"Oh? And who might this new friend be?"

Chongyun cleared his throat.

"Ahem, allow me to introduce you."

"This is the compassionate, benevolent, demon-slaying, evil-purifying Adeptus Mu Yang—who vanquishes malevolent spirits with a single thought and suppresses demons with a single sword!"

Xingqiu bowed respectfully.

"So it is an Adeptus! My apologies for the disrespect. This one is Xingqiu."

Mu Yang knew that Xingqiu usually maintained this refined, scholarly demeanor around outsiders.

Only in front of close friends like Chongyun would he reveal his mischievous, whimsical side.

Chongyun continued, "You remember that day when we saw that… uh, that god-thing…"

"The Overlord of the Vortex—Osial," Xingqiu reminded him.

"Right, the Overlord of the Vortex. Remember how several of its heads suddenly shattered afterward?"

Chongyun planted his hands on his hips, looking immensely proud.

"Well, that was Adeptus Mu Yang cutting them down with a single sword! Impressive, huh?"

The honest boy had now become Mu Yang's little fan.

Though, out of all the stories Mu Yang had told him, this was the only true one...

Xingqiu pondered Chongyun's words.

"Could it be… the Adeptus has taken you as a disciple and plans to bring you up the mountain to cultivate? Is this a farewell visit?"

Chongyun's face fell.

"I wish! But Adeptus Mu Yang said my destined opportunity lies elsewhere, and the time isn't right yet..."

Xingqiu patted his friend's shoulder, his tone noticeably brighter than before.

"Don't lose heart, Chongyun. Having a destined opportunity is better than none, right?"

Then, Xingqiu asked the two—if they weren't here to say goodbye, what were they here for?

Mu Yang explained his request.

"Hmm… I see, I see."

Xingqiu rested his chin on his hand, considering Mu Yang's proposal.

After a long pause, he spoke slowly.

"For the Adeptus to think so highly of my meager skills is an honor. However… I'm afraid I must decline."

Chongyun, standing beside him, was stunned.

"Huh?! Why? This is such a rare opportunity!"

Xingqiu replied, "Because it would contradict my chivalric principles."

"Hah?!"

Xingqiu began spinning nonsense.

"The meaning of 'chivalry' varies from person to person."

"Those who uphold justice freely are chivalrous. Those who distinguish good from evil are chivalrous. Those of unwavering righteousness are chivalrous..."

"The greatest of chivalrous heroes do not falter at minor setbacks, nor do they halt at small joys."

"The chivalry I pursue is best encapsulated in the phrase: 'After the deed is done, brush one's sleeves and depart, leaving no trace of fame or glory.' Does that make sense, Chongyun?"

For once, Chongyun wasn't fooled by his rambling.

He called Xingqiu out directly.

"You're just afraid that if things get too lively, your father and brother will find out, and you'll get lectured again, aren't you?"

Xingqiu scratched his nose awkwardly.

"Heh..."

Chongyun sighed.

"If only I knew sword techniques too… then I could help Adeptus Mu Yang..."

Mu Yang fed him some encouragement.

"Do not trouble yourself over it. Each has their own expertise. Continue honing your exorcist path, and you will surely achieve great things in the future."

The little fanboy instantly regained his confidence, feeling that if he trained for a few more years, he could take on the terrifying demons and evil spirits from Mu Yang's stories!

Mu Yang pulled out a few books from his spatial storage and addressed Xingqiu.

"Since Young Master Xingqiu is unable to assist, I shall take my leave. These are gifts I prepared—please accept them."

He handed the books to Xingqiu, who refused at first.

"I haven't done anything to help. How can I accept gifts?"

Mu Yang insisted it was just to "establish a favorable connection," and only then did Xingqiu take them.

Chongyun glanced at the titles.

"'Battle Through the Heavens'? What's this?"

"A novel. I heard Young Master Xingqiu loves reading, so I had someone find a few copies."

Xingqiu prided himself on his broad knowledge, but he had never even heard of this novel.

Was it from another nation?

Unlikely. Mondstadt mainly had fairy tales, poetry collections, and fantastical tales.

If it were from Inazuma, the title would probably be longer—something like "Please, My Fox Enshrined Priestess" to fit the style.

Sumeru had some fairy tales too, but most of its books were academic.

Fontaine's popular genres were mystery and detective novels.

And "Battle Through the Heavens"—just from the name alone—screamed Liyue.

So why had he never come across it before?

Mu Yang didn't pay attention to Xingqiu's reaction.

Instead, he considered what to give Chongyun.

The boy had been guiding him around and helping a lot.

Since Chongyun liked strange tales, maybe "Classic of Mountains and Seas" or "Cthulhu Mythos"?

…No, no. Best not introduce such forbidden knowledge to Teyvat.

"Battle Through the Heavens" could still be explained away, but those two would be harder to justify.

Who knew what conceptual-level horrors might emerge...

Mu Yang mimicked Cloud Retainer's hand seals and conjured a few talismans out of thin air, handing them to Chongyun.

"These are tokens of gratitude for Young Master Chongyun. If you encounter an especially powerful evil spirit, they will ensure your safety."

Chongyun numbly accepted the talismans, once again stunned.

He had never seen techniques like Mu Yang's—who could draw talismans like this?!

Xingqiu nudged him.

Snapping out of it, Chongyun hastily bowed.

"Ah—thank you, Adeptus Mu Yang!"

Mu Yang bid them farewell and left Xingqiu's library, heading toward Bubu Pharmacy.

From Xingqiu's earlier reaction, it wasn't that he disliked the idea itself—he was just afraid of drawing too much attention and getting scolded by his brother.

So, Mu Yang hadn't given up on having him showcase the Guhua sword techniques.

He just needed to employ a little trick to make Xingqiu come to him instead.

"I refuse to believe you won't be curious about how Xiao Yan managed to escape the Yunlan Sect unscathed..."

That's right—Mu Yang had only given Xingqiu the first part of "Battle Through the Heavens," cutting it off right in the middle of the Yunlan Sect arc.

Even if Xingqiu mobilized the entire Feiyun Commerce Guild, he would never find the rest of the story anywhere in Teyvat.

And when that time came… he would have no choice but to volunteer himself.

"Heh heh heh!"