Shao Yun and Venti were once again roughhousing in the plaza in front of the cathedral.
Eventually, after enough playful scuffling, the group walked together into the Favonius Cathedral.
Shao Yun led the way, pushing open the heavy cathedral doors with effort. The hinges creaked and groaned, as if recounting the weight of the years gone by.
As soon as they stepped inside, they saw Barbara counseling Noelle. Noelle looked rather dejected, while Barbara comforted her gently, her voice soft yet full of strength.
Hearing the doors open, Barbara turned her head, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
When she saw Shao Yun, Venti, Lumine, Paimon, and Jean, a warm smile lit up her face. She said a few words to Noelle, then stood up and walked over to them.
Barbara pursed her lips slightly and greeted the group.
"Ah? Hello, everyone."
Her gaze involuntarily fell on the Holy Lyre in Lumine's hands, and she looked as if she couldn't wait to snatch it away.
Seeing the eager look in Barbara's eyes, Shao Yun couldn't help muttering to himself, 'Is this Holy Lyre really that important? Sure, the Anemo Archon used it, but still, no need to get this excited.'
Lumine, catching Barbara's fervent gaze, hurriedly handed over the lyre. "We've brought the Holy Lyre back."
Barbara received the lyre, restraining her excitement as she examined it carefully. Only after confirming it wasn't damaged did she breathe a sigh of relief.
She looked up at the group with a complex expression before her eyes finally settled on Shao Yun.
"So it really was you who stole the Holy Lyre," Barbara said softly. There wasn't much reproach in her tone—more a sense of resignation.
Shao Yun scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly. "I'm really sorry. This thing was a crucial item in solving the Dvalin issue. It's too complicated to explain, so I had to act first and report later. I'm truly sorry for the trouble."
Looking at Shao Yun's sincere apology, most of Barbara's blame faded. She shook her head helplessly and smiled. "It's fine. Acting Grand Master Jean already spoke with the Church, so we won't give you a hard time."
Then she carefully put the lyre away and said earnestly, "Although you took it to solve the Dvalin problem, rules are still rules. Next time you want to borrow the lyre, go through the proper channels, okay?"
Barbara, don't worry. I swear, in my next life, I won't go near the lyre—or even this cathedral—with Lumine again!
Once the lyre matter was settled, Jean walked up to Barbara, cleared her throat softly, gathered her thoughts, and spoke.
"Um, Miss Barbara, I remember you had official business with me a few days ago? I'm really sorry. I was too busy to handle it back then. Could you tell me about it now?"
Barbara blinked in confusion and tried to recall, then shook her head. "Official business a few days ago? I don't remember anything specific."
Jean looked puzzled by her response.
"But Shao Yun said you needed to speak to me."
As the two puzzled over it, Barbara suddenly clapped her hands, recalling the issue with the strange bird.
"Oh, I remember now! Acting Grand Master, you mean the matter with the artifacts stolen by the Stormterror Bandit? But Mr. Shao Yun already handled it. He returned the artifacts to me."
Jean looked surprised.
So, Shao Yun had already taken care of it—what official business was there?
Jean turned to look at Shao Yun, who immediately glanced around, hands in his pockets, whistling innocently.
"You two go ahead with your business talk, no need to look at me! I'm just passing by, know nothing."
Jean and Barbara, being sharp, realized something. They exchanged glances, understanding dawning on their faces.
"Ah! Acting Grand Master, I remember now. It was indeed very important business."
Barbara played along, giving Jean an easy out.
Then, with perfect coordination, Jean and Barbara walked away to discuss their "business."
Paimon watched their retreating figures and turned to Shao Yun and Lumine, asking curiously, "So, are we done with everything now?"
Shao Yun glanced over at Noelle, who sat alone on a cathedral pew, her figure seeming forlorn. So caught up in Barbara and Jean's issue, they had forgotten about the girl.
Pointing at Noelle's back, Shao Yun sighed softly and said, "I think we should check if Noelle has truly gotten past her emotional trauma. Would you two mind joining me? It might be easier for girls to talk to her."
Lumine stayed silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the situation, then said, "I'd love to help her, but…"
Her voice trailed off as her gaze shifted toward Venti.
Sensing Lumine's look, Venti returned it with a questioning glance.
"I have something I need to ask Venti privately. If you can't comfort Noelle, come find me," Lumine said softly.
Shao Yun understood what she meant. Following her gaze to Venti, he asked in a low voice, "Is this about your brother?"
Lumine nodded. "Yes. It's part of why I'm on this journey."
Shao Yun was worried the three might run into the Fatui Harbinger "La Signora." If he wasn't around, it could be dangerous.
Looking around the area thoughtfully, he pointed to a quiet corner near the door. "That corner's quieter. I suggest you talk there. And don't leave when you're done—wait for me."
Lumine looked over and agreed. "Alright, we'll talk there."
With that, Lumine and Venti headed to the corner, while Shao Yun approached Noelle.
He came to her left, leaned against the bench's backrest, and gently tapped her arm, trying to break the silence.
"How did your talk with the Sister go?"
Noelle looked up, her eyes full of sorrow and confusion. She sighed deeply and shook her head slowly.
"To be honest, not great. Sister Barbara kept talking about Lord Barbatos, the Anemo Archon, and how he would drive away my nightmares. But… I don't think that helps me at all."
Shao Yun fell silent. Everyone has their faith and solace, but not all find comfort in it.
Unsure what to say, he simply replied, "Oh, really?"
Noelle looked at him, her eyes brimming with trust and expectation. She said wearily, "I think your comfort is better. You've seen life and death. You probably understand these things more deeply."
Shao Yun frowned slightly, noticing the dark circles under her eyes—it was clear she hadn't slept well. He asked gently, "From the looks of it, you had a nightmare?"
Noelle lowered her head, fiddling with the hem of her clothes as she recounted the dream.
"Sort of. Last night, I dreamed of a nightmare… I saw all the Knights die. I stood alone, watching familiar faces fall one after another, and I couldn't do anything. That helplessness and despair woke me up in terror."
This isn't something you should tell me—you should go to Sumeru and find the little Dendro Archon. Am I a dream interpreter now?
After hearing her story, Shao Yun stayed quiet for a while, lost in thought. Then he looked up and began to speak.
"I'm not going to force you to look at death lightly," Shao Yun's voice was calm yet firm. "On the contrary, feeling empathy in the face of death is normal. It's part of being human—and it's how we connect to this world. But don't let death become a nightmare that haunts you."
Even a hardened man like Arthur Morgan could show fear before the unknown of death—that was normal.
He paused, then continued. "Don't see yourself as a cold killing machine. But don't grow too sentimental over death either."
Shao Yun pressed his lips together. His brain felt drained.
"Physical death doesn't mean spiritual death. Your actions, your kindness and bravery—they'll be remembered and passed on. As long as someone remembers you were here, you're still alive. Only when everyone forgets you, that's when you truly die."
Seeing Noelle's expression ease, he cracked a joke to lighten the mood.
"So, find a way to carve your story in stone. That's why tombstones are made of stone, right? To last longer."
Noelle chuckled at his joke. The gloom in her heart faded, like mist dispersed by a breeze. Still, she pondered his words deeply.
"Ha ha, Shao Yun, you're really funny. Carving one's story in stone might preserve it longer, but even the sturdiest rock turns to dust eventually."
Shao Yun scratched his head and smirked playfully.
"You're right. Stone disappears too. But if you carve it on wood, it'll be forgotten even faster. Wood rots—stone's at least tougher."
Noelle laughed heartily at that. The shadows in her heart vanished completely. She looked at Shao Yun gratefully and said sincerely, "Thank you, Shao Yun. Your words really comforted me. You're so wise."
Shao Yun, however, chuckled self-deprecatingly and waved it off. "No, Noelle, you give me too much credit. I'm actually a fool. There are still so many things I don't understand."
Noelle was surprised. She'd thought Shao Yun was a confident and incredibly smart person. She hadn't expected him to speak of himself that way.
A trace of curiosity and concern appeared in her eyes. "But I don't think you're foolish. Especially when it comes to life and death, you always offer such deep insights."
Shao Yun burst into laughter at her words, amused that Noelle saw him as so wise.
If I were truly wise, I wouldn't have ended up like that.
After laughing, he fell silent for a moment. Memories long forgotten surfaced in his eyes. He sighed softly.
"It's just… I've been through too much. Like an old horse knowing the way. When you've been through enough, you go numb."
Seeing Shao Yun's heavy expression, Noelle felt a pang of sympathy. She asked gently, "Shao Yun, do you have worries or troubles? You can talk to me. Maybe I can help you too."
That's like one psychologist asking another for help, then the second finds someone else—and in the end, everyone's got problems.
"No need. As long as you're happy, that's enough. You're still young, the future's long—you don't need to shoulder others' sadness."
After comforting Noelle, Shao Yun felt emotionally drained and exhausted.
He felt hollow, overwhelmed by a profound sense of helplessness, and vowed not to comfort others so easily again.
Leave professional work to professionals. I'm not jumping into this kind of mess next time.
Just as he was thinking about how to pass the time waiting for Lumine and Venti, a system prompt suddenly popped up, interrupting his thoughts.
[Warning: Proceed outside the cathedral immediately!]
Frowning at the message, Shao Yun wondered if the system was malfunctioning. Those three were just fine…
But when he looked back at where they'd been, he found it empty.
It didn't take a genius to guess—Lumine must've ignored his advice, gone outside, and run into the Harbinger "La Signora."
A surge of urgency hit him. Given La Signora's temperament, she could easily lash out violently. He couldn't let Lumine and Venti face danger alone.
Without even saying goodbye to Noelle, Shao Yun pulled out his dagger and cowboy revolver, striding toward the grand doors, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"Come on, La Signora. Let's see what a Fatui Harbinger is really made of!"