Settling Things and a Visitor from Liyue

After the gang leader was knocked, his henchmen finally snapped out of it.

Lu Chen watched as the thugs drew their weapons, surrounding him with serious expressions.

He remained seated calmly at the bar, sipping his juice one mouthful at a time, showing no reaction at all.

One of them grew increasingly uneasy at Lu Chen's composure. But after all, he was just a kid—so the thug gritted his teeth and barked,

"Let's do this together! Smash the place!"

"Get them!"

All five charged at once. Lu Chen slowly put down his juice, raised a finger, and gave it a casual wave like a conductor leading an orchestra.

The flames in the fireplace trembled violently, and suddenly, a breeze kicked up in the sealed-off bar.

A sly gust of Anemo brushed past their ankles—angled just right, as if someone had stuck out a leg to trip them. All five thugs slipped and toppled flat onto their backs.

"Ugh... what just happened?"

"Ow, that hurt..."

"Are we haunted or something?!"

Lu Chen turned away from the chaos, picked his juice back up, and took another slow sip.

Diluc's expression didn't change, but the bartender beside him looked completely stunned.

He'd known these bosses weren't ordinary people, so he'd managed to stay calm even when thugs barged in. But to see all five fall over before they could even strike—now that was something he'd never expected...

Venti, lounging on the other side, applauded the show enthusiastically.

Watching Lu Chen sip juice like nothing happened, he marveled. He had expected the outcome, sure—but the precision of Lu Chen's elemental control had clearly reached a new level.

Mastery of elemental power wasn't about size or spectacle. The true pinnacle was finesse—the kind that could pull off a scene so bizarre, it felt supernatural. Just like now.

"Are you really returning to your prime...?"

...

After Lu Chen's little demonstration, cleanup was left to Diluc.

Lu Chen watched in surprise as Diluc walked past the bar, knocked each of the downed thugs unconscious one by one, and...

Dragged them all into the underground wine cellar—tied up tight.

"Damn... did you turn this place into a dungeon?" Lu Chen was stunned when he first saw it.

Besides the six newly captured thugs, the two from yesterday—those who had caused trouble disguised as customers—were already locked in a separate room. The dim space looked more like an interrogation cell than a wine cellar.

"One down, one tied up..." Venti rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Two last time, six this time. How many next time?"

"Doesn't matter," Diluc said expressionlessly. "Whoever dares to come, none of them are leaving."

"What, are you trafficking people now?" Lu Chen shivered. So this was Mondstadt's righteous man? Cold-blooded, more like it!

"Fishing for bigger prey," Venti explained on Diluc's behalf.

Diluc turned to Lu Chen's confused look and added, "Given how the 'underground' operates, these guys don't dare call the police. So they'll just keep sending more. I'm unfamiliar with this world and don't have an intelligence network, so I can't trace their leader directly. This is the only way."

Lu Chen nodded silently.

Whether it was to deter the organization behind them or to smoke out the mastermind, this really was the most efficient method. Trust Diluc to think of it.

"So what's your plan after this?" Lu Chen asked curiously. As Mondstadt's so-called "man of justice," was he seriously planning to play vigilante and wipe out an entire gang? They didn't need superheroes in this world.

"Remember our mission?" Diluc asked.

"Of course!" Lu Chen nodded. "Rebuild the Dawn Winery and create a top-tier otherworldly drink."

The first half was already done—only the second remained.

"Our bar is in a remote location, with no natural advantages or any 'connections,' so it's easy for business to be sabotaged. The rival bar is the opposite. So why not use their own channels to promote our Mondstadt specials?"

"Damn..." Lu Chen hadn't expected him to be this ambitious—he actually wanted to swallow the rival bar whole.

"Then I'll leave it to you." He glanced at the terrified thugs again, thinking this cellar might not be big enough at this rate.

"Just... don't turn our wine cellar into a prison, alright?"

...

Back upstairs, the bartender was busy with new customers. By evening, the place was much livelier.

Just as Lu Chen was about to finish his juice, his phone rang.

It was Ei.

That alone made him pause—she rarely called.

He answered, and Ei's voice came straight through.

"There's a new guest at home. Get back, now!"

"A new guest?" Lu Chen was curious—what kind of guest?

Before he could ask, the system chimed in:

[Challenge Quest: Thousand-Year Karma]

[Through centuries of killing, a millennium of karma has accumulated. This body now bears the threat of becoming a terrifying being of resentment and wrath.

Please assist Xiao in overcoming his "karma," and in releasing the hatred, obsessions, and pain that it brings.]

[Completion Reward: 8,000 Primogems + 8 million yuan in real-world currency.]

"Yes... it's a Liyue Adeptus," Ei confirmed on the other end.

"I got it! I'm heading back now!"

Lu Chen hung up, a bit shocked. It had been a while since the last mission. He didn't expect Xiao to be the next one summoned into this world.

He informed Diluc and Venti, then hurried back to the seaside villa.

As he stepped through the door, green mist was just dissipating—and standing there was a handsome youth with short teal hair and golden eyes.

His aura was distinctly inhuman. His exposed right arm bore tattoos of divine beasts, and a fang-shaped mask hung at his waist. There was an ethereal Adeptus presence about him—yet also a dark, oppressive aura Lu Chen could only assume was the so-called "karma."

Ei and Miko seemed to have already spoken with him. Xiao wasn't holding a weapon, but he hadn't fully lowered his guard either. His sharp golden eyes scanned the room warily.

"Chen, you're finally back."

Ei exhaled in relief when she saw him enter.

"You're more familiar with him—so you explain."

Lu Chen gave a helpless smile. Xiao, a literal immortal, appearing here out of nowhere... Yeah, it'd be hard for anyone else to explain.

"Lu Chen?" Xiao's golden eyes briefly softened when he saw him. A flicker of confusion passed across his face.

"You're here too?"

"And..."

He glanced at Ei.

"Why is the Electro Archon of Inazuma here?"

"That's a long story..." Lu Chen was just about to launch into a long explanation when the door behind him opened again.

Xiao's previously guarded and suspicious expression immediately shifted—to one of calm recognition and trust.

Lu Chen turned around—Zhongli had come home, right on time for dinner.

Though his look today was... slightly off.

He wore a modern, loose polo shirt, prayer beads around his wrist, and was pulling a small market-style trolley. The cart was stacked high with dusty, blackened jars—clearly more "treasures" from some antique store...

The Geo Archon was still handsome, no doubt about that. But his current appearance might have... differed a little from what Xiao remembered.

"Empe..."

"Emperor..."

"Lord Zhongli?"

Lu Chen looked back and saw Xiao wearing an expression of complete bewilderment—like he wasn't even sure if he should believe his eyes.

The usually composed golden eyes blinked several times before calming down.

He rubbed his chin, furrowed his brow, and assumed a thoughtful pose.

"Lord Zhongli... is there some deeper meaning to all of this?"