The Jade Adeptus widened her eyes, staring at Changsheng in sheer disbelief. "Medi... no."
She shook her head, a complex array of emotions flickering across her gaze. Times had changed. The Medicine Lord of the past had likely lost all of her memories, much like Guoba. She probably did not even remember her anymore.
Shortly after being resurrected by Zhongli and the others, the Jade Adeptus had immediately rushed to Mount Yaogun. Unfortunately, she found nothing there. She had heard from Zhongli that the Medicine Lord had not truly died, but rather survived in another form. Though it was an existence arguably more agonizing than death itself.
Seeing Changsheng now, the resonance within her soul instantly confirmed the snake's true identity. Yet, looking into those gleaming eyes, it was clear she held no recollection of their past.
Changsheng stared quietly back at the Jade Adeptus. For some inexplicable reason, she instinctively felt a strange mixture of profound annoyance and deep familiarity toward the person before her. Her conscious mind found the Jade Adeptus highly irritating, but deep within her soul, a quiet joy bloomed at the sight of her.
Acting purely on instinct, Changsheng slithered off Baizhu and climbed onto the Jade Adeptus. Her warm crimson eyes quietly assessed the woman for a moment before she grumbled in deep dissatisfaction.
"This person is an adeptus too? She does not look like an adeptus at all! What an insult to the title!"
The Jade Adeptus, initially delighted by Changsheng's spontaneous closeness, instantly darkened at the remark. She let out a cold laugh, grabbing Changsheng and giving her a firm tug.
"Oh, I see. Even after turning into a snake, you cannot change your obnoxious nature!"
"Let go of me, you annoying ghost!"
"Beg me! Otherwise, I will throw you into the water! And then I will throw away your veiled hat!"
"What veiled hat! Despicable! I am going to bite you!"
"Bring it on! Let us see if your fangs are harder than my immortal jade body!"
The two had barely exchanged a few words before descending into a tussle, tumbling out of the villa together.
Zhongli shook his head with a helpless laugh. "They remain exactly as they were in the past."
"Indeed, always bickering," Skybracer replied, a relieved smile gracing his features. "In the past, whenever she invited us to Mount Yaogun for tea, they would inevitably start arguing midway through. So much time has passed, yet they reunite with the exact same clamor. It is truly a joyful sight."
Baizhu, who had observed the entire exchange in quiet realization, finally spoke softly. "My master once told me that our founder ascended Mount Yaogun seeking the adepti, but only found a dying white snake. That was Changsheng. She could only survive through forging contracts with mortals. If that adeptus just now was the Jade Adeptus, then Changsheng... is indeed the legendary Medicine Lord, is she not?"
Zhongli gave a slight nod. "That is correct. Changsheng is the Medicine Lord. During the great cataclysm of the past, the Jade Adeptus sank into the water and perished. Changsheng lost the ten fingers she used to pick tea and was transformed into a white snake, losing all of her memories in the process. However, old friends have reunited. These minor details no longer matter. You need not worry about her. The two of them are closest confidantes. Ah Yu will know exactly what to do."
Baizhu nodded, deciding not to intervene further. Whether or not her memories were restored was a matter for the adepti to settle among themselves. With this world at their disposal, there would be no issue even if Changsheng wished to return to her original adeptal form.
"Tsk," Ryen curled his lip. "Liyue truly is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Adepti are walking around everywhere. Xiangling carries around Guoba, the God of the Stove, and Baizhu walks around with the Medicine Lord. Incredible, truly incredible. The rocks in the mountains turn out to be Azhdaha, the unpolished jade in the river is the Jade Adeptus... Is there anything in Liyue that cannot become an adeptus?"
Hearing this, Zhongli exchanged a meaningful glance with the other adepti, a subtle smile touching his lips. "Do you truly believe Ah Yu is merely an adeptus?"
Ryen raised an eyebrow. "Is there another story behind her?"
Zhongli took a leisurely sip of his tea. "In the ancient era, there was a demon god in Chenyu Vale who despised war. Due to her unique innate traits, she was targeted by numerous other gods. Knowing she could not protect herself, she entrusted her people to me, willingly surrendering her divine essence and her name. Ningguang and the others should be well aware of this historical account."
Ningguang and the others nodded. "Indeed. Legend states that this god could summon sweet rain, making her a highly coveted prize among the warring factions. If my memory serves me correctly, that god was the Jade... the God of Jade?!"
Ningguang's head snapped up, her eyes locking onto Zhongli in disbelief. "The Jade Adeptus is actually the God of Jade?!"
Zhongli gave a slow nod. "Precisely. Ah Yu is the former God of Jade. She possessed the power to summon sweet rain, revitalize the earth, and accelerate the growth of crops. I need not explain the strategic value such an ability held during the Archon War. However, Ah Yu possessed very little combat prowess. At best, she sat at the level of a mid-tier god."
"An innocent person holding a precious treasure will inevitably draw disaster. She understood perfectly well that her power would only bring calamity to her people. Thus, she entrusted her followers to my care and requested that I divide her true form into several pieces, shaping them into different entities. A koi fish, a jade ring, a mountain spirit... hidden deep within the mountains and rivers. The koi fish served as Ah Yu's core consciousness. Therefore, your assumption is correct. The Jade Adeptus is indeed the nameless God of Jade."
A collective murmur of shock rippled through the room. Ryen rolled his eyes. "Great, another god added to the roster. Liyue truly has boundless resources."
"So, the Jade Adeptus who was just resurrected is..." Ningguang furrowed her brow slightly, keeping her gaze fixed on Zhongli.
The former Archon spoke softly. "She is the demon god, Ah Yu. However, she was never skilled in combat. Even with the status of a god, she holds little battle power. Furthermore, Ah Yu herself has no desire to claim the title of a god. Therefore, there is no need to treat her differently. Simply regard her as an adeptus. To her, the identity of an adeptus is far more comfortable."
Ningguang and the others sat in silence for a moment before nodding in agreement. While it was deeply shocking that Zhongli and the others had quietly resurrected another god for their side, the truth was that Liyue no longer needed an excess of gods to maintain its standing. The God of Jade lacked combat strength anyway, and she actively disliked the title. Treating her as a regular adeptus was the best course of action.
Liyue already possessed an abundance of god-level combatants. Zhongli, Azhdaha, Guizhong, Skybracer, Madame Ping, Xiao, Bosacius... If one factored in the immense buffs provided by the Minecraft world's resources, Mountain Shaper and the rest were equally formidable. Gaining or losing one more god truly made little difference in the grand scheme of things.
"She does not want to be a god, yet here you are, exposing her true identity to everyone." Ryen looked at Zhongli with amusement.
The older man let out a soft sigh. "How Ah Yu wishes to perceive herself is her own choice; we will not interfere. However, during the Archon War, it was solely due to Ah Yu's abilities that the people of Liyue were able to eat and cultivate their lands. She is a massive contributor to Liyue's very survival. Just because she does not care for the recognition does not mean we can afford to ignore it."
"In the legends, the God of Jade even lost her name. The people of the world remain ignorant of Ah Yu's contributions. That is deeply unfair to her." Realization dawned on Ningguang's features, and she nodded firmly. "I understand. Once the Lantern Rite concludes, I will dispatch scholars to properly document and publish the contributions of the God of Jade. The people of Liyue will never forget a single hero, nor will we allow any hero to remain nameless."
Zhongli offered a slight nod. This was exactly what he had hoped Ningguang and the Qixing would do. During the brutal years of the Archon War, without the God of Jade's abilities, the people of Liyue would have starved to death, let alone had the strength to wage war. The power to summon sweet rain and rapidly revitalize the earth provided an absolutely terrifying level of logistical and supply support during a protracted conflict.
"Ehe! We are back!" A sudden, incredibly cheeky shout echoed from outside the door.
Accompanied by a gentle breeze, Venti led Jean and the rest of the Mondstadt group back into the villa. Upon spotting the two extra little girls sitting beside Ryen, Lisa paused, her eyes widening in amusement.
"I have only been away for a single morning. Where did you manage to abduct two more daughters from?"
Ryen rolled his eyes. "What do you mean, abduct? Do I look like that kind of person? This is Qiqi and Yaoyao."
He then gave the group a brief rundown of Qiqi's situation. Jean and the others immediately softened, their expressions filling with pity. Jean had previously thought Klee being left behind in Mondstadt by Alice was heartbreaking enough. She had never imagined a child like Qiqi existed.
Her maternal instincts surging, Jean gently picked Qiqi up. "This poor child has suffered so much. Ryen, what are your plans for her moving forward?"
Ryen shrugged his shoulders. "Her physical ailments are completely cured, but I believe it is best if she stays with us. Baizhu has already transferred her custody over to me, so she will be sticking by my side from now on."
With that, Ryen took Qiqi back from Jean and gave her a tight, affectionate hug. Qiqi offered no resistance, settling obediently into his arms. She did not mind staying with him; deep down, she genuinely enjoyed the warm aura Ryen provided.
"Right, there is also the matter regarding you and Shenhe." Ryen suddenly recalled that Baizhu and Shenhe were still present in the room. He glanced over at Shenhe, who was standing quietly by Cloud Retainer's side. It seemed there was no need to make any special arrangements for her.
"Do you plan on having Shenhe stay here permanently?" Ryen asked casually.
Cloud Retainer nodded. "This child's body and soul harbor certain afflictions, but they are not critical. I do not plan on having her consume an Enchanted Golden Apple for a quick cure just yet. While this issue causes her temperament to be dangerously cold, it also serves as the very foundation of her adeptal cultivation. If she can learn to master this homicidal urge, she will grow exponentially stronger and truly evolve into an adeptal being. However, the process is incredibly long and poses a significant threat of collateral damage to the outside world. By staying here, your world's natural suppression, combined with the presence of Rex Lapis and the others, will make it far easier to keep her in check."
Ryen looked mildly surprised by Cloud Retainer's thorough explanation. "I did not realize that beneath your daily obsession with Lumine, you actually harbored the qualities of a strict, responsible teacher."
"What do you mean, obsession with Lumine! You never speak properly!" Cloud Retainer's face flushed with indignant embarrassment. She shot Ryen a harsh glare before pulling Shenhe aside, urgently whispering instructions for her to never let herself be deceived by Ryen.
Her precious daughter, Ganyu, had already been thoroughly tricked to the point of preparing to have his children. Shenhe was Cloud Retainer's absolute final remaining sprout. Under no circumstances would she allow Shenhe to fall into Ryen's demonic clutches.
However, Ryen merely scoffed internally at the display. If he genuinely wanted to make a move on Shenhe, no amount of guarding from Cloud Retainer would stop him. He was fully confident he could win Shenhe over within a single month. Cloud Retainer severely underestimated him.
Unfortunately for the bird adeptus, Shenhe perfectly matched Ryen's tastes. Cloud Retainer's frantic warnings were entirely futile, and would likely only serve to draw Shenhe's direct attention toward him instead.
After silently thanking Cloud Retainer for the flawless assist, Ryen turned his attention back to Baizhu. "And what about you? What are your plans moving forward? You are highly intelligent. Ningguang and the others intend for you to join the Alchemy Workshop to research the resources of this world. Primarily the various potions and the like, which should fall perfectly into your area of expertise. However, for Qiqi's sake, if you have any other requests, I am willing to consider granting them."
Baizhu fell silent for a moment, his gaze burning intensely as he looked at Ryen. "If it is at all possible, I wish to reside in this world on a long-term basis."
"Long-term?"