Genshin Impact 5.8 Tracing Vanishing Trails event story explained 

The recent version 5.8 of Genshin Impact has brought a special story event featuring Yelan, titled Tracing Vanishing Trails. It dives into a crime investigation that stretches across Liyue, Fontaine, and Chenyu Vale. Yelan, known for her intelligence work and secret dealings, takes the Traveler on a chase to expose a criminal mastermind.

This is a case where both the Millelith as well as the Maison Gardiennage of the Fontaine are involved in tracking down the mastermind Dark Financier. There are a lot of webs that we untangle during this event in Genshin Impact as we track the case and the people involved with it, along with Yelan's supervision and tactics.

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Yelan's mission in Genshin Impact 5.8 Tracing Vanishing Trails event

The event begins with the Traveler meeting Yelan at Yilong Wharf, where she’s working alongside Officer Edler of the Maison Gardiennage. Though the Millelith have already arrested several smugglers in this case, Yelan makes it clear that the operation’s leader has yet to be caught. This figure is only known through the codename “Dark Financier.”

Yelan explains the case (Image via HoYoverse)

Yelan explains the criminal network’s methods and how they are laundering Mora (Teyvat's currency in Genshin Impact) through Fontaine’s antique auctions. She further explains how genuine antiques from Chenyu Vale are smuggled out, disguised as lost rarities, and then sold at inflated prices to wealthy buyers. The two spies at the beginning who were overhearing Yelan and Edler were Financier's two agents, identified as key operatives.

Corder and Doddamani are the two agents under Dark Financier (Image via HoYoverse)

These were Corder, a member of Fontaine’s Antique Association, and Doddamani, a merchant from Sumeru in Genshin Impact. They keep the chain of supply and Mora running, but Financier remains hidden behind them.

The Traveler’s first task in Genshin Impact 5.8 Tracing Vanishing Trails event is surveillance, where we follow scouts disguised as fishermen. We further uncover coded messages, suspicious cargo, and a stockpile of antiques. Yelan’s careful deductions pieces their trail together, making it clear this isn’t just petty smuggling they are doing.

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Genshin Impact 5.8 Tracing Vanishing Trails event: Scamface's role in sabotaging the goods

Yelan recognizes Scamface's insignia on the goods (Image via HoYoverse)

The investigation in Genshin Impact 5.8 Tracing Vanishing Trails event heats up when Yelan receives intelligence that a ship carrying these antiques for laundering is about to be sabotaged. The Traveler further finds antiques and boxes with a unique insignia. It is a mark of a Treasure Hoarder's Insignia, whose name is Scamface, according to the information received by Yelan. This ship was to set sail towards Fontaine in Genshin Impact, where it was about to be auctioned to Financier's dedicated buyers.

Yelan talks to Corder and Doddamani as the Traveler investigates (Image via HoYoverse)

Yelan talks to Corder and Doddamani to learn more about this while the Traveler investigates the ship. The Traveler locates and dismantles the explosives all around the ship with Scamface's insignia.

To cover any track or trail leading to Financier, Scamface had originally planned to blow up the entire cargo along with anyone who might testify. This includes Corder and Doddamani, as Financier believes they might tattle on him out in fear. Unlike ordinary bandits, this Treasure Hoarder in Genshin Impact was willing to destroy valuable goods along with himself if it meant eliminating witnesses and proofs (antiques).

Maison Gardiennage officers take Corder and Doddamani at the dock (Image via HoYoverse)

Yelan and the Traveler secure the ship by taking control and docking at Fontaine. The involved criminals are handed over to Maison Gardiennage authorities, including Corder and Doddamani, but with a chance to repent for their mistakes.

With the ship saved and antiques secured, Yelan launches the next phase of the plan with the Traveler, which is to catch the mastermind’s buyers red-handed in the auction.

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Genshin Impact 5.8 Tracing Vanishing Trails event: Sting operation at the auction in Fontaine

At this point in the Genshin Impact 5.8 Tracing Vanishing Trails event, Yelan finds out that the auction, which involves the stolen antiques, is going to be held at Hotel Debord. The Traveler goes undercover by posing as a bidder while Yelan disguises herself in her new skin in Genshin Impact and watches from the sidelines. The main objective isn’t to win the auction, but rather to disrupt it and locate Financier's buyers.

Yelan discusses the strategy at the auction (Image via HoYoverse)

The Traveler deliberately keeps raising the prices, and eventually, Yelan is able to spot the main buyer called Monsieur Diderot, and secretly follow them outside. She is able to force him into a corner by calling the Maison Gardiennage officers. In this way, she is able to put pressure on the buyer to come clean and to tell us about the Financier's plans.

The buyer Monsieur Diderot is caught (Image via HoYoverse)

The buyer panics and immediately confesses about Dark Financier and his crew's betrayal in exchange for his life to be spared. He agrees to cooperate with Yelan and the Maison Gardiennage in exchange for leniency. Corder and Doddamani are going to be handed over to Fontaine and Sumeru's authorities, respectively. Meanwhile, Scamface is being hunted by the Millelith in Liyue.

Even so, the Dark Financier remains just beyond reach in Genshin Impact. Yelan is able to get hold of certain fragments with coded communication hinting at one of the warehouses in Fontaine. She and the Traveler decide to go there, suspecting it to be as Financier's hideout.

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Genshin Impact 5.8 Tracing Vanishing Trails event: Dark Financier's identity and Yelan's possible appearance in Nod-Krai

Dark Financier finally appears in Genshin Impact 5.8 Tracing Vanishing Trails event (Image via HoYoverse)

Yelan and the captured client from yesterday draw out Dark Financier from the warehouse by activating the mechanisms. However, instead of running, Financier faces head-on and delivers a cold monologue on greed and consequences as if he's admitting his defeat already. He is also from Nod-Krai in Genshin Impact. This scene escalates into a full battle where Yelan takes him down decisively.

Dark Financier is finally caught (Image via HoYoverse)

After his downfall, both the Liyue's Millelith and Fontaine's Maison Gardiennage celebrate the success of the operation, with the Traveler and Paimon recognized for their help. Yelan, at the end of the Genshin Impact 5.8 Tracing Vanishing Trails event story, allows herself to enjoy a walk through Fontaine and talk about a new mission for her in Nod-Krai following Financier's case. Before leaving, she even suggests taking a picture together.

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Yelan takes a picture to commemorate the success of the mission and for future cases in Nod-Krai (Image via HoYoverse)

This event in Genshin Impact's 5.8 shows Yelan being a sharp investigator who balances deduction with diplomacy across nations. With Genshin Impact version 6.0 opening Nod-Krai, we’ll likely see her return in a new event story set within the upcoming region.