Midnight.

When Wei Geng returned home from his night shift, he remembered some things he had overheard during the patrol.

His mood instantly turned irritable.

"What's wrong with you?" his wife greeted him, taking off his animal-skin armor and long knife.

"Su'er, who in the world stole my meat?"

Wei Geng's middle-aged face flushed with anger as he paced around the room.

The meat and water he had painstakingly saved up had been stolen within just a few days.

And it wasn't a one-time theft—three times in a row! Could the thief actually be living inside their house?

"I don't know. I've always guarded the meat and water."

Su'er rubbed her temples, distressed. "It's just that the moment I took my eyes off it, I'd wake up and find the food and water gone."

"This damn thief dares to keep targeting our house. I checked—nothing else was stolen." Wei Geng gritted his teeth.

He had just been promoted to captain of the hunting team. With the higher pay, his home being robbed three times in a row was humiliating—people were starting to joke about it.

"What do we do? If this keeps happening, we won't be able to store enough food." Su'er glanced uneasily toward the inner room.

"I'll search the whole house again. I don't believe the thief can stay hidden forever."

Wei Geng wasn't a fool. Being robbed three times in a row without ever spotting the culprit meant the thief was most likely hiding inside their home.

At first, he had dismissed that possibility, but thinking back now, it seemed more and more likely.

The thought chilled his heart. A thief right under his nose—it was too dangerous.

"I'll help too." Su'er rolled up her sleeves and began rifling through cabinets.

Unable to stay quiet, she asked while searching, "Husband, when will the Moon Lord's injuries heal?"

"I heard it'll take a long time." Wei Geng sighed.

The Moon Lord was the lifeblood of the Moon Lake Tribe. If something happened to her, everyone would lose their home.

"I feel so sorry for her… every day she exhausts herself producing condensation water." Su'er's eyes filled with sympathy.

As one of the Moon Lord's maids, she knew at least a little about her struggles.

"…" Wei Geng froze, his hands stilled as he looked around their messy home.

A pang of shame struck him. He had been so frustrated over food and water, while the Moon Lord was working herself to the point of fainting just to keep the tribe alive.

"Husband, what's wrong?" Su'er asked in confusion.

"It's nothing." Wei Geng shook his head and resumed searching the cabinets, though his movements were slower now.

Casually, he asked, "Su'er… do you think the Moon Lord is good to us?"

"Of course. Without her, there would be no Moon Lake Tribe." Su'er answered without hesitation.

"If… I said if…" Wei Geng's bearded face twisted in hesitation, unable to put his thoughts into words.

"It's fine if you don't want to say it." Su'er placed her hands gently on his face.

They had grown up together as childhood sweethearts, married for thirty-five years. She could read his smallest expressions.

"Oh… I feel ashamed." Wei Geng thought of the orders he had recently received from above. He had a vague sense that changes were coming, tied to the Moon Lord's situation.

"Follow your heart," Su'er said softly. "Don't worry about me or the children."

She playfully tugged his ear, just like she had when they were young. "I've always said I'm not a burden to you."

"I know. I'll follow my heart." Wei Geng clasped her hand firmly.

He remembered his father's teachings. His father, once captain of the hunting team, had repeated a single truth again and again: We all owe a debt to the Moon Lord.

"But you can't bring another woman home, understood?"

Su'er's gentle face suddenly hardened. She raised two fingers in a "V" and made a sharp pinching motion.

"Of course, I know! I'd never do anything to betray you." Cold sweat broke out on Wei Geng's forehead and back—her reaction stirred shadows of childhood fear.

"Oh, why are you sweating so much?" Su'er smiled, wiping his brow.

"Captain, there's a mission!"

A shout came from outside.

"I'm coming!" Wei Geng called back loudly.

His face darkened. The time he had been dreading had finally arrived.

"Go. If it comes to it, we can always leave the Moon Lake Tribe."

Su'er handed him his armor and weapon, helping him put them on.

As the Moon Lord's maid and wife of a captain, she could guess what was happening.

"Don't worry. I won't let you or the children be in danger." Wei Geng patted her shoulder, then turned toward the door.

"I'll pack our things and wait for you to return," Su'er said gently.

"Then I'm off." Wei Geng opened the door and left.

As for the thief, that could wait until later.

---

Beneath Wei Geng's yard, inside a hidden safe house…

"See? There it is again, noisy even in the middle of the night."

Yu Feier pointed upward as the sound of things being overturned echoed from above.

"I bet the owner's looking for you, thief." Liyue said coldly.

"Impossible. He'll never find me." Yu Feier waved smugly. "I dug a tunnel from the side of his stone steps."

"… You're really something." Sometimes Liyue suspected this blonde woman wasn't nearly as clueless as she acted.

"By the way, Xiaoyueyue, since you're here—" Yu Feier suddenly grabbed the white-haired girl's arm and pulled her to the table.

"Wait—don't tell me you want me to—" Liyue's face paled, but she couldn't break free from the blonde woman's grip.

"Oh, don't fuss." Yu Feier picked up a wooden bowl filled with a strange purple liquid and thrust it toward her.

She grinned proudly. "This is my newest secret medicine! It'll definitely cure the Void Ghost infection. Try it!"

"I don't believe you. Drink it yourself first if you're so sure!" Liyue snapped, clamping her lips shut and leaning away from the bowl.

"I already did. Maybe I've taken too many of my secret medicines, though—I don't feel anything anymore." Yu Feier tilted her head, looking troubled.

"That's why I need someone else to test it, to see the effects. Don't worry, it's not poisonous!"

"You said the same thing last time! And after you tricked Yan Bing into drinking your 'secret medicine,' she had stomach pain for an entire day. And Alina slept for two days straight!"

Liyue's face turned pale. "How do you explain that?"

"Oh, those were just little accidents." Yu Feier pouted innocently, eyes drifting guiltily to the corner of the room.

"Don't think you can fool me! I'll never drink your so-called secret medicine again!" Liyue shook her head firmly and pulled away to avoid being tricked.

"You're so stingy…" Yu Feier squinted at her with mock anger.

"Stare all you want, it won't work." Liyue shot back coldly.

"Hmph! Fine, then I won't share my secret medicine with you anymore." Like a sulking child, Yu Feier lifted her chin—and downed the purple liquid herself.

"Pfft—!"

She licked her lips, tilted her head thoughtfully, and said, "Hmm, still no reaction. Strange."

"You're going to poison yourself to death one of these days." Liyue sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"Poison myself? Nah. I calculated the venom's dosage and the changes carefully." Yu Feier waved it off, speaking almost playfully. "Besides, I only have sixty-three days left to live anyway. Might as well die by my own hand."

Liyue froze, her heart tightening at the mention of her remaining days.

"Don't try to distract me—I almost forgot why I came." She tapped her forehead.

"Me? I didn't do anything," Yu Feier blinked innocently, her golden eyes wide.

"I found the Angel's Wings," Liyue said seriously.

"What? You really found Angel's Wings?" Yu Feier's golden eyes lit up as she rushed over.

She remembered that Liyue had been searching for them, even bargaining with Bloodbeard.

"Yes. I found them." Liyue nodded.

"How effective are they? And the flowers—did you get the Angel's Tears?" Yu Feier tugged anxiously at Liyue's pocket.

"Stop it." Liyue pressed her hand against Yu Feier's forehead. "Don't panic. I'll explain."

"Go on," Yu Feier blinked, trying to look obedient.

"The Angel's Tears… can't cure the Void Ghost infection." Liyue said softly, but firmly.

"What? Impossible!"

Yu Feier's golden eyes dimmed instantly. She sank weakly to the ground, clutching her head. "No… if anything could cure the infection, it should have been Angel's Tears…"

Though she often seemed like a carefree fool, she knew very well how terrifying the Void Ghost was. Fear gripped her heart.

"It's true. I tested it myself." Liyue crouched and wrapped her arms around the blonde woman.

"But after bad news… comes good news."

Her silver eyes softened as she whispered, "The good news is… Angel's Tears can slow the Void Ghost's erosion."

"… It can stop the erosion?" Yu Feier's tear-filled golden eyes lifted hopefully.

"Yes. As long as we keep taking Angel's Tears, we won't turn into monsters." Liyue smiled faintly, sharing this long-awaited relief.

"Where are the Tears? Let me see them! Maybe I can figure out how to make a real cure!" Yu Feier's golden eyes sparkled again, brimming with renewed determination.

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