Grus Serena Chapter is the Story Quest chapter for Xianyun.
List of Acts[]
- Act I - A Thousand Moonlit Miles
- Requirements:
- Reach Adventure Rank 40
- Spend 1 Story Key
- Complete Archon Quest Interlude Chapter: Act I - The Crane Returns on the Wind
- Requirements:
Summary[]
Act I - A Thousand Moonlit Miles[]
Adepti are hard to find, and their blessings harder still. Just how many went on pilgrimages to Mt. Aocang since ancient times, yet returned empty-handed, none know.
But now, that once captivating figure has voluntarily absconded from her abode, looking in the direction of Liyue Harbor.
- Leisurely Chatter
While wandering around Teyvat, Paimon wonders how Cloud Retainer is doing and decides that they should pay her a visit, in part due to her "surprise" visits where she would often come in unannounced. They head to Mt. Aocang, where Paimon remarks on their first meeting with her when informing the adepti of Morax's supposed death. They soon find a woman standing by the table and decide to introduce themselves to her, believing she's another adeptus coming to visit her. As Paimon tries to introduce themselves to her, the woman suddenly scolds them for failing to recognize her, shocking them as they realize that she's actually Cloud Retainer. Cloud Retainer had taken on a human form as she was going to visit her disciples, Ganyu and Shenhe, to check on how they were doing without causing too much trouble.
Heading to Yuehai Pavilion, they find Ganyu speaking with Huixin. Cloud Retainer insists that they speak to her alone, as she feels that if she were to announce herself, Ganyu would claim she would have no work, only to make up for it later. But before they could go to her, Ganyu recognizes Cloud Retainer and sends Huixin off to talk with her. Ganyu is surprised to see Cloud Retainer in her human form, and she fails to convince her otherwise. Cloud Retainer tells her she was just passing by for a quick visit, and reminds Ganyu not to overwork herself. She is proud of how respected and independent she is now and attempts to reminisce about her youth, only for Ganyu to cut her off out of embarrassment. The Traveler then talks about their travels, impressing Ganyu. Ganyu then suggests to Cloud Retainer that she pick a human name, and she decides on the name "Xianyun" as Ganyu explains the meaning behind it. Paimon is impressed with Xianyun's feats during the Archon War, though she insists that if not her, another adepti would have done the same. Xianyun then asks about Shenhe, having learned that she had acquired a job and wonders of her conditions. Ganyu tells her that Shenhe was helping out at Wanmin Restaurant.
At the restaurant, two customers, Wenliu and Qingji, remark about Shenhe before she approaches them, asking what they would like to order. The two men are quickly intimidated and order Mora Meat to go. As Paimon greets Shenhe, she asks about Xianyun, only to recognize her as Master. Xianyun is shocked that she was recognized so quickly, as she had never shown her human form to her. Shenhe is focused on work, but Chef Mao allows her to take a short break, as the lunch rush hasn't arrived. Sitting behind the restaurant, Xianyun reveals why she came, while Paimon talks about her feats from Ganyu. Thus, Shenhe tells them another story about Master, where she had a competition with Moon Carver which she won, due to her flying abilities. Thus, she agreed to a rematch, where she had made a "Bi-Cyclical Thunderflash-Mobile" to use against him, though she ended up losing due to the mountainous terrain. Shenhe then asks Xianyun if she's ever felt lonely, though she refuses to admit it.
Suddenly, the lunch rush arrives, prompting Shenhe to return to work. As the Traveler, Paimon and Xianyun eat, the latter remarks about Mao's skill and is already planning the next generation of Supreme Cuisine Machines. A customer then asks Mao if they have any space, to which he has no empty tables, but tells her that she could try asking if others would not mind sharing. Thus, she goes to their table and they agree to share. The young girl introduces herself as Shuyu and her grandmother as Yuandai. Paimon notes that she seems a lot younger than she lets off, while Xianyun appears to recognize her. Yuandai tries ordering braised earthworms as Shuyu stops her, explaining to the three that she her dementia has gotten worse recently and she is taking care of her, since her parents died young. Suddenly, Yuandai remembers one of her dreams, and thus Xianyun concludes that they might be able to restore her memories if they visit places she went to in her youth.
Shuyu explains that when her father was alive, he told her that Yuandai was a martial artist heroine who saved plenty of people, and thus there might be books about her feats. Paimon then decides they could ask Xingqiu, so she and the Traveler go to look for him, while Xingyuan decides to pay a visit to Streetward Rambler, thus they would meet back at Yuehai Pavilion when they were finished.
- A Search for Secrets
The Traveler and Paimon find Xingqiu at the Feiyun Commerce Guild, asking him about the mysterious heroine. Xingqiu is not sure if they're the same, but recalls having heard about a nameless heroine that was featured in various chivalric novels; roughly fifty years ago, when the nation was suffering from drought, a mysterious heroine came and cleared both evil spirits and bandit camps, thus making the people idolize her but never knew of her name. Eventually, she met an exorcist from Mt. Tianheng and after the drought ended, lived a reclusive life. He had also done research out of personal curiosity and marks three places where she had appeared; Wangshu Inn, Qingyun Peak and an area north of Jueyun Karst.
After speaking with Xingqiu, the Traveler finds Xianyun with Ping, where she remarks on how she hadn't seen Cloud Retainer in her human form for some time. Xianyun then asks Ping how much Mora she would need to live a comfortable life in the city, not like hers. But before she could answer, Paimon interrupts them with their discovery. They fetch Shuyu and Yuandai, making Shuyu wonder if her grandpa was the nameless exorcist, as she found a box full of sigils in the past. Shuyu then asks the Traveler and Xianyun for a private conversation, where she asks if they were all adepti. Only Xianyun is, and Shuyu explains that when she had a fever, a pure white illuminated crane came down, flew her to her adeptus home and gave her a potion that allowed her to recover. She did not get the chance to thank her, though she wonders if they knew her. Xianyun does not confirm it was her and is unaware of any other pure white-looking adepti, believing it to be embellishment.
The group heads to Wangshu Inn, where Yuandai begins to reminisce about her time there. As she goes off to look for the room she stayed in, Xiao suddenly teleports in, scaring Paimon. Xiao had sensed the presence of a non-human and came to investigate, pleased to see that there was no trouble and Cloud Retainer in her human form, having fought with her in the past. Xiao states that she was also skilled with sigils and was much more solemn and taciturn during the war, rarely speaking. Paimon then asks Xianyun why she reverted to her human form after the war, and she tells her that she had no need to use it living in the wilds. However, he does remark about her having used her human form thirty years ago, but she cuts him off, stating that it was a bygone matter. Xiao then leaves, knowing that they were in capable hands.
Suddenly, Shuyu and Yuandai return, who had remembered more of her memories while walking around the inn. She had stayed to recuperate from an illness, and met a merchant at the time who gave her Soul-Revitalizing Teapills, which kept her illness suppressed for several decades. They then head to the area north of Jueyun Karst, where some abandoned villages were. They find a group of Treasure Hoarders and drive them off, where Yuandai remembers she stayed at the house briefly. Continuing to investigate, they find another house further in, where she remembers it as the place that Shuyu's father was born; she and her husband were chased by an unknown being in the fog, where she prayed for breaking an oath which she does not recall. The following day after setting up defenses, she gave birth to Shuyu's father.
Finally, they head to Qingyun Peak, though Yuandai does not seem to remember anything special in the area. Suddenly, she points towards Mt. Aocang and appears to be paralyzed with fear, though Xianyun states that there was an item in there that would help suppress her fear and restore her memories.
- Lovely Dreams
Returning to Mt. Aocang, Xianyun reveals that the device in question is the "Suspensus Somnium Mechanism", a device that releases a soft breeze and gentle adeptal tune that could listeners subconsciously relax and enter a semi-hypnotic state, which could help restore lost memories. As she turns the device on, Yuandai begins to relax and relive her memories. She then addresses Xianyun as Cloud Retainer, having remembered what she once was. Yuandai then explains her story; in the past, she was not actually a human, but a long-living wild crane. She suddenly gained sentience and wisdom, which Cloud Retainer had noticed and took her in; while not an official disciple, she followed her faithfully until fifty years ago. When she learned of her feats, she wanted to emulate them, thus Cloud Retainer prepared a potion of human mimicry for her that would last for ten years. But during that time, she met an exorcist from Mt. Tianheng and fell in love with him, wanting to stay with him even after the potion expired, thus resulting in her dementia. Ashamed and fearful she would not approve of her decision, she left a letter chose to live a secluded life. While recalling her stay at Wangshu Inn, she then realizes that the merchant who gave her the pills was actually one of Cloud Retainer's disguises.
Cloud Retainer states that the pills were actually a gift from her and continues on the story. When she received her letter, she was furious and set out to bring her back to her senses. She did not approve of his partner due to his lack of skill, but upon seeing his devotion to her, overlooked it. Wanting Yuandai to live a life without regrets, she made medicine for her and took on the form of a merchant to avoid rousing suspicion. She was also the one responsible for healing Shuyu when she had a fever. Yuandai asks Xianyun why she did not take her back by force, who tells her that she knew everyone had to leave one day, but states that they would be welcome back home. As the medicine begins to expire, Xianyun states that Yuandai would return to her natural form as a crane, albeit without sentience. Shuyu is saddened at losing her grandmother, though Yuandai states that she would resolve to train hard and be able to revert to a human in the future.
As Yuandai reverts to a crane and flies off, Shuyu begins to cry. Xianyun asks the Traveler to relax to the device, and as they do so, they dream of their sibling and spending time with them across Teyvat. The Traveler then wakes up from their dream, remarking that it was good, though Xianyun is aware that they weren't ready to wake up. Shuyu and Paimon wake up soon after, and the former asks Xianyun to take her as a disciple. Paimon warns her that she would have to live in the mountains and eat herbs, though Xianyun denies the claim, stating that she was going to move to Liyue Harbor, thus making Shuyu her first disciple in the human world, explaining that she wonders what the city was offering that made her other disciples want to stay there.
Two days later, the Traveler and Paimon head to Chihu Rock to visit Xianyun, where they find her arguing with Shaozu over her wares. Shaozu, cautious about spending his Mora, reveals that he had also hired an expert who was coming. Shuyu then arrives, revealing her new uniform that Xianyun made for her; she was busy moving her belongings and leaves to check them. The two immediately recognize each other and Zhongli verifies the authenticity of Xianyun's wares. However, upon learning they were acquainted, Shaozu is worried over the two working together to swindle him. Zhongli insists they were not and verifies the value of the items. However, they are too much for Shaozu to pay in full, so he decides to pay with an initial deposit from the Northland Bank. As he leaves, Zhongli and Xianyun have a short conversation regarding the past and future. Xianyun decides that they'll have a feast tonight, wanting to introduce Shuyu to Ganyu and Shenhe. Shuyu then comes in and Xianyun introduces Zhongli to her and they walk towards the restaurant.
Characters[]
19 Characters appear in this Chapter:
- Baotai
- Chef Mao
- Dixin
- Ganyu
- Huixin
- Madame Ping
- Paimon
- Qingji
- Shaozu
- Shenhe
- Shuyu
- Traveler
- Traveler's Sibling
- Wenliu
- Xianyun
- Xiao
- Xingqiu
- Yuandai
- Zhongli
Total Rewards[]
1,725 Adventure EXP
60 Primogem
114,300 Mora
12 Hero's Wit
Gallery[]
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Grus Serena Chapter | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 闲鹤之章 Xiánhè zhī Zhāng | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 閒鶴之章 Xiánhè zhī Zhāng | |
| Japanese | 閑鶴の章 Kankaku no Shou[!][!] | |
| Korean | 한학의 장 Hanhagui Jang | |
| Spanish | Grus Serena | — |
| French | Grus Serena | — |
| Russian | Вольный Журавль Vol'nyy Zhuravl' | Free Crane |
| Thai | บทแห่งกระเรียนเมฆา | |
| Vietnamese | Chương Nhàn Hạc | |
| German | Grus Serena | — |
| Indonesian | Chapter Grus Serena | — |
| Portuguese | Capítulo de Grus Serena | |
| Turkish | Ulu Turna Bölümü | |
| Italian | Capitolo della Grus Serena | Grus Serena Chapter |