Bookworm Swordsman is the first act of Xingqiu's Story Quest, the Fabulae Textile Chapter. In order to unlock this quest line, the player must have completed the Lisa's Story Quest, Tempus Fugit Chapter: Act I - Troublesome Work, and reached Adventure Rank 26.
During the act, the Traveler seeks to buy a copy of the Liyue volume of the Teyvat Travel Guide upon their arrival to Liyue. But to acquire it, they have to settle a certain debt for their benefactor.
Quests[]
- Justice, for Books' Sake
- Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy
- Calm Before the Storm
- Justice Is Its Own Reward
Summary[]
- Justice, for Books' Sake
After having been riveted by the Mondstadt volume of the Teyvat Travel Guide, the Traveler and Paimon travel to Wanwen Bookhouse in Liyue Harbor in hopes of purchasing the Liyue volume. However, the bookstore's boss, Jifang, informs them that the book wasn't kept in stock due to its low popularity. She suggests they visit Chang the Ninth, an avid book collector living in Qingce Village, who may have a copy to lend if they are lucky.
The conversation is interrupted by a passerby, Xingqiu. As a fan of the Legend of the Shattered Halberd series, he has spent three years looking for its final volume. Concluding that Chang the Ninth may have it in his collection, Xingqiu suggests he and the Traveler visit him together.
At Chang the Ninth's residence, the trio learns that his mining business has recently gone south. To pay off his debts, he pawned off most of his book collection, including the Liyue volume of the Teyvat Travel Guide. Much to Xingqiu's delight, the sixth volume of the Legend of the Shattered Halberd remains in Chang's collection, due to its value and rarity. Before Xingqiu can request to borrow the book, Changhu enters the scene.
It is revealed that Gentry Maocai, a powerful Liyue merchant, wishes to purchase Chang's stockpile of Cor Lapis. However, Gentry wants to buy it at 30% of the market price, which is too low for Chang to turn a profit. At Chang's refusal, Changhu threatens to kill him if he refuses to sell the ore. Unable to ignore the blatant coercion and intimidation happening in front of him, Xingqiu intervenes in Chang's defense. He reveals himself as a disciple of the Guhua Clan, but the Changhu simply laughs at this due to the brotherhood's fall from grace. In the end, he leaves with a final warning to Chang. Because Xingqiu stood up for Chang, Chang agrees to lend him the volume of Legend of the Shattered Halberd. Xingqiu subsequently leaves after obtaining what he was searching for.
After leaving Chang's residence, the Traveler and Paimon find Xingqiu still in Qingce Village, deeply engrossed in his new book. As they brainstorm how to help Chang, they are confronted by Changhu, who has brought in a few thugs and an Fatui Electro Cicin Mage. The situation quickly devolves into a fight, and Xingqiu demonstrates his prowess with the sword and his Hydro Vision. Changshu runs away with a parting promise of revenge. Due to the mage's presence, the Traveler worries that the Fatui are somehow involved in the purchase. Xingqiu instructs the Traveler and Paimon to investigate Gentry, starting with his residence in Liyue Harbor, while he remains behind to finish reading the book.
- Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy
At Gentry's residence, the Traveler and Paimon speak to the guard outside under the guise of a VIP client from Mondstadt. With the use of some threats, they learn that Gentry is meeting a special client at Xinyue Kiosk. Guessing the client to be one of the Fatui, the two quickly head over to eavesdrop on the meeting.
Hiding behind a room divider, the Traveler and Paimon overhear Gentry discussing business with a Fatui agent. The agent, Javert, placed an order with Gentry, who hopes to procure the necessary Cor Lapis cheaply from Chang the Ninth. Javert confirms that he will offer aid, but also warns him to complete the order soon. With this information in hand, the Traveler and Paimon leave Xinyue Kiosk to inform Xingqiu.
The Traveler and Paimon meet up with Xingqiu near Yujing Terrace and inform him of Gentry's deal with the Fatui. Xingqiu, with a plan in mind, then asks them to deliver a letter to the Feiyun Commerce Guild for him, requesting their assistance in teaching the merchant a lesson. The letter, written perhaps in an ancient script or a secret cipher, is illegible to the common layperson, but Xingqiu assures them a Guild member will be able to read it.
- Calm Before the Storm
At the Feiyun Commerce Guild, the Traveler and Paimon speak with Xu, who deciphers Xingqiu's letter and agrees to help. The pair is led to Liuli Pavilion, where they discuss the next steps in Xingqiu's plan. In order to deal a grievous blow to Gentry, they must force him into desperation by buying up every stock of Cor Lapis in Liyue. Although it appears a nearly impossible task due to the large amount of Mora needed, Xu gives them more than enough to cover the costs. The Traveler buys all of the Cor Lapis stock from the merchants situated in the city and from Shizhuang the Strong in The Chasm before visiting Chang. Chang is surprised the Traveler wishes to buy his ore. He initially believes that they will ask for a discount, but is caught by surprise when Paimon tells him that they'll be buying off him at market price, which relieves him as he could finally make a profit. He then remembers about Gentry's thugs, but Paimon reassures him that they'll never bother him again.
- Justice Is Its Own Reward
After purchasing all the ore from the sellers, the Traveler and Paimon meet up with Xingqiu at the Feiyun Commerce Guild's warehouse outside the city. While waiting for Gentry to arrive, Xingqiu explains his carefully planned orchestration. By buying all the Cor Lapis available in the market, they become the only holder of the material, forcing Gentry to confront them.
Right on time, Gentry arrives at the warehouse with Javert. They attempt to seize the ore by force, but are no match for the Traveler and Xingqiu. Javert, realizing that the matter was costing him too many resources, decides to cut his losses and withdraws, leaving Gentry alone.
Xu then arrives on the scene, belated with his "lord's" safety, revealing Xingqiu's identity as the heir of the Feiyun Commerce Guild to everyone present, surprising the Traveler and Gentry. As punishment for intimidating Chang, Xingqiu triples the price on the Cor Lapis stockpile, which Gentry begrudgingly complies with. With the matter resolved, Xingqiu then gives the Traveler the book he borrowed from Chang, asking them to return it for him.
Back at Chang's residence, Chang tells the Traveler and Paimon that the pawnbroker gave his entire book collection back just that morning. He thanks the pair for all they've done and reward them with the Liyue volume of the Teyvat Travel Guide. Although Chang is initially certain that Xingqiu had little involvement in helping him, a strange bookmark falls from the returned book, hinting that his belief is mistaken.
Characters[]
14 Characters appear in this Story Quest:
- Bolai
- Chang the Ninth
- Changhu
- Changshun
- Gentry Maocai
- Ivanovich
- Javert
- Jifang
- Paimon
- Shizhuang the Strong
- Sturdy Wu
- Traveler
- Xingqiu
- Xu
Soundtracks[]
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| English | Bookworm Swordsman | — |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 江湖不问出处 Jiānghú Bù Wèn Chūchù | The Martial World Asks Not One's Origin[• 1] |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 江湖不問出處 Jiānghú Bù Wèn Chūchù | |
| Japanese | 出自は問わない Shutsuji wa Towanai | Undoubted Origin |
| Korean | 강호의 출신 불문 Gangho-ui Chulsin Bulmun | World's Undoubted Origin |
| Spanish | El ratón de biblioteca espadachín | The Swordsman Library Mouse |
| French | Un combattant féru de lecture | A Fighter Passionate About Reading |
| Russian | Мечник, который любит читать Mechnik, kotoryy lyubit chitat' | Swordsman Who Likes to Read |
| Thai | นักดาบหนอนหนังสือ Nak Dap Nonnangsue | Bookworm Swordsman |
| Vietnamese | Giang Hồ Không Hỏi Xuất Thân | |
| German | Umherziehender Held | Wandering Hero |
| Indonesian | Knight Kutu Buku | Bookworm Knight |
| Portuguese | Espadachim Rato de Biblioteca | Swordsman Library Mouse[• 2] |
| Turkish | Kitap Kurdu Kılıç Ustası | |
| Italian | Lo spadaccino secchione |
- ↑ Chinese: The phrase 江湖/江湖
Jiānghú, "Jianghu," lit. "rivers and lakes" refers to remote places ungovernable by the law, or the criminal underbelly of a society. The term was later popularized during the rise of Wuxia novels to refer to the milieu in which Wuxia stories of wandering heroes were set. - ↑ Portuguese: Rato de Biblioteca "Library Mouse" is a term used for a person who spends a lot of time in a library.