At this moment, on Blue Planet.
There was still one day until Genshin Impact's public launch.
The female streamer Guinaifen was struggling against the Red Ghost in Sekiro.
(The author is bad at naming things and likes Xiao Guizi. This is not the Honkai: Star Rail universe.)
She had been fighting for two hours and still hadn't beaten it.
She had already died so many times she'd lost count.
But naturally, the viewers weren't here to learn techniques.
They were here to watch boobs...
No, they were here to watch the streamer's terrible gameplay.
The streamer was about to overheat.
Warning! Warning!
Babe, if it really doesn't work out, just join the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sect.
Ding. Can you people get lost? Am I here to watch the streamer clear the game?
This was the closest Xiao Guizi had ever come to killing the Red Ghost.
She only needed to play it safe and land one more combo.
Just then, a paid message voice announcement suddenly sounded in the stream.
"Thank you, Spicy Turkey Rice Crust, for sending a highlighted message."
"Streamer, streamer, have you seen the PV Genshin Impact just released? The content is insanely hype—miHoYo is fucking awesome!"
"Huh? They released the PV?"
Guinaifen got distracted for just that moment.
And was killed by the elite monster, the Red Ghost.
Hahahahahaha!
The streamer got fooled again. It wasn't released at all.
Released my ass. I refreshed several times and didn't see anything.
Isn't this worth a 365-day ban?
Guinaifen stared at the giant "Death" on the screen.
She was furious.
She slammed her fist onto the desk.
Setting off a surging wave.
"Aminos! Mods, get him!"
"Thank you, Spicy Turkey Rice Crust, for sending a highlighted message."
"Bro, don't mess around on a new account. It really was released this time—the PV is called 'Footprints.'"
"User Spicy Turkey Rice Crust has been muted for 365 days."
Holy shit, it really was released.
Xiao Guizi, this time it's real. Hurry up and watch it—I want to watch it with you.
All I can say is, miHoYo is fucking awesome!
Spoilers get 365 days too!
Half-believing, half-doubting, Guinaifen opened Bilibili's website.
Right on the homepage was miHoYo's new PV—"Footprints."
One minute ago!
Over in Teyvat.
Mu Yang had already returned home to Yilong Port.
He could use the interface to connect to Blue Planet's streams and forums.
He was currently in Guinaifen's stream too.
After modifying the PV, he had the system release it ahead of schedule.
The "Footprints" preview.
Had quite a few things to look forward to.
Both the setting and the music.
Of course, the main attraction was the plot preview.
Especially Liyue's storyline...
He needed to show his face in Mondstadt.
The journey there wasn't short.
And there were all kinds of Hilichurls and Treasure Hoarders along the way.
It was fairly dangerous.
He might as well earn a wave of Popularity Points today.
Improving his strength would make traveling easier too.
In the real world.
Guinaifen clicked on the video.
Brother Dragon's voice came through.
"We never even got the chance to say goodbye."
"So... I won't treat it as a farewell."
After that came Teacher Sun Ye's riddle. Or rather, nonsense.
"The war has already begun. It is a continuation of the previous war."
"The gods gilded the outlines of desire with seven radiant hues."
"Thus proclaiming that their authority could be reached."
"But beneath the foundations of this world lie smoldering remnants."
"They are a warning to those who would overstep."
"The throne of the gods above was never a place reserved for you."
"But you who would overstep, do not stop here."
"No one can stand by and watch the fire from across the river..."
Guinaifen watched with a baffled expression.
"Guys, what the hell is he talking about?"
Da da da di da da, I don't know either.
Riddle-speakers, get out of Gotham!
Batman sent Dainsleif to Arkham overnight.
This feels weak. It's not even a fraction as good as "We Will Be Reunited."
Did Mihoyo burn out before it even started?
The barrage was full of pessimism.
They made such a big fuss promoting it.
I thought you were holding back something huge.
Turns out you dropped something huge instead.
After the video briefly went black, it entered the next segment.
[Mondstadt]
[The Outlander Who Caught the Wind]
"The dragon that protected the City of Freedom for a thousand years."
"Had finally become confused about freedom."
"Can freedom commanded by the God of Freedom still be called freedom?"
On-screen.
Diluc gripped a greatsword with both hands.
A blazing firebird burned fiercely behind him.
Damn, this is getting hot. Literally.
Holy shit! Husband!
Diluc, change swords. The hilt of my sword isn't any less impressive.
That's too outrageous, bro.
Guinaifen looked at the chat scrolling through her stream.
"Have some restraint, guys. Why do you all look like you've never seen the world before?"
The video entered the next segment.
[Liyue]
[Farewell, the Archaic Lord]
"Before the eyes of all, the god of 'contracts' was murdered."
"In his final moments, he would sign the 'contract' to end all contracts."
On-screen.
A white-haired youth wore black-and-white clothing.
Patterns were embroidered onto his clothes.
A Jade Pendant and a Cryo Vision hung from his waist.
His gaze was deep and dangerous.
It did not seem like the look someone his age should have.
He held a peculiar sword in his right hand.
The very image of a classical swordsman.
Only afterward did the scene switch to the wealthy woman, Ningguang.
That was the part Mu Yang had changed.
He had inserted his own character art before Ningguang's.
Xiao Guizi blurted out, "Husband!"
???
???
Fuck, one more love rival?
Streamer, rein it in. Your drool is practically dripping.
My husband is your husband too. What does that make us?
That's fucking bigamy. Straight to jail.
You're only looking at his face, aren't you? Didn't you notice the god of "contracts" was murdered?
Plot fans, seriously.
"But he's so handsome. I love him so much."
"What's his name? When can I pull for him?"
Guinaifen had no interest in watching the rest.
All she wanted to know now was what her husband was called.
Three minutes. I want all the information on this man.
Three minutes? I can finish in three seconds!
Are we talking about the same thing?
You're really starving.
The streamer's chat was as unhinged as ever.
None of you read the description, huh? 'Liyue Chapter—Mu Yang, Ningguang.'
Ningguang is the female character afterward, so your husband must be Mu Yang.
The chat's opinion completely reversed.
Everyone was thirsting over Mu Yang's character art.
They all called miHoYo divine.
"Are there any viewers here who took part in the closed beta? Tell me everything."
"When does Mu Yang appear?"
Guinaifen had not participated in Genshin Impact's closed beta.
There weren't many slots, and she hadn't gotten one.
The beta hadn't reached Liyue either. It ended after Mondstadt's story was completed. (Parallel Blue Planet setting.)
This is so exciting. Honestly, I'm already tired of straightforward RPG stories like Mondstadt's. But now? Murdering the Geo Archon!
Fuck, why does the game only launch tomorrow? Damn it!
Aaaah! Is this what it feels like when every day feels like a year?
Someone knock me out, please.
"Alright, guys, I'm ending the stream. I'm not in the mood to play anymore."
Guinaifen said to her viewers.
"I'm out, I'm out. Come early tomorrow, and we'll wait for the servers together. Bye-bye, mua mua mua."
With that, she ended the stream at lightning speed.
The world of Teyvat.
Mu Yang was very satisfied with the reaction in Guinaifen's stream.
After that, he switched to a few more streams.
Silver Wolf's stream.
She was different from Guinaifen.
The stream title was: Universe's Top Gaming Expert—
The main focus was companionship.
She seemed to have a solid understanding of the game.
At first, Silver Wolf was seriously explaining the characters.
She talked about early-game team compositions, how monthly pass players should play, and so on.
But as she spoke, she suddenly shifted to Mu Yang.
She talked about how handsome he was and how perfectly he matched her tastes.
I have to pull E6!
Tragic, the streamer has fallen in love—and it's with my husband.
Your husband? My husband!
Saving for E6—that's the streamer's game sense!
Sparkle's stream.
The flat-chested streamer Sparkle, dressed in cosplay, had just finished watching "Footprints."
"Is Mu Yang's character strong or not, bros?"
No idea if he's strong, but he should be a character the streamer can cosplay.
You know, I don't think any female streamer could pull off a Mu Yang cosplay like our steel plate can.
Came over from the next stream. I think you're right.
"I'm being serious here. Can you guys be useful for once? I swear, I'm done with you."
Like master, like pet—both completely useless.
Meta chasers are such a turnoff. Just for that character art, I'd pull even if he healed the enemies.
Steel plate, change your hair to white. I'm almost there.
"Get lost!"
Looks like the effects were all about the same.
Most people had been drawn in by Mu Yang's character art.
In every sense of the word.
A small portion of players who had seen the beta story began analyzing the plot.
They speculated about Mu Yang's identity.
All of this was the result of Mu Yang's deliberate arrangement.
He wanted to establish himself in Mondstadt as a stylish assassin.
He wanted the players to keep misunderstanding him.
To link him to the Geo Archon's murder.
To ride the Geo Archon's coattails and stir up more discussion.
All it would take was a few scenes.
By the time the story was implemented in Liyue,
the players would realize that wasn't what had happened.
And if they wanted to blame someone, they could only blame that cryptic Dainsleif.
Before you continue