"Lady Ningguang, this is Lady Keqing's activity log for today."
Baishi respectfully handed a sheet of paper covered in strange symbols to Ningguang. Ningguang scanned it briefly, pausing at the symbol representing Su Bai. Meeting with Adeptus Su Bai at a time like this—what was Keqing trying to find out? Ningguang took a sip of tea, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
"Did those two say anything to each other?"
"Lady Ningguang, according to our informants, Lady Keqing appears to have borrowed some Mora from Adeptus Su Bai."
Baishi's words nearly made Ningguang choke on her tea. What? Keqing borrowed Mora from Su Bai? Had the informant gotten the names mixed up?
Baishi looked equally surprised, but that was what the informant had reported, and she didn't dare alter the information. Ningguang continued reading. When she reached the part about Keqing returning home excitedly hugging a Rex Lapis doll, she began to piece things together.
"It seems our Yuheng may have developed a new interest in lottery games going forward."
"Baishi, spread the word. Find some skilled artisans to make a few Rex Lapis dolls and sell them through a lottery stall outside the Ke estate."
"Make sure the craftsmanship is exquisite, and the vendor must be someone Keqing doesn't recognize."
"Yes, Lady Ningguang."
Baishi bowed and left the room. Ningguang looked over the intelligence on her desk, her eyes narrowing slightly. Last night, informants had reported that the Fatui might be planning to move on the Golden House. This morning, more reports came in—Fatui agents had been spotted loitering near the Golden House.
"It seems that Fatui Harbinger is very interested in what's inside the Golden House. He's summoned quite a number of agents to scout the area."
Ningguang's eyes narrowed. She didn't know Childe's exact reasons, but this presented a perfect opportunity to test whether Rex Lapis had truly passed.
If Rex Lapis were gone and Childe walked out of the Golden House unharmed, the Millelith would be waiting for him. If Rex Lapis were still alive, he would face the Archon's wrath. Either way, Childe would not walk away unscathed.
"Pass this down. Tell the Millelith stationed at the Golden House that if anyone attempts to force their way in and proves too strong, their priority is to stay alive."
"Also, have the Millelith in Liyue Harbor begin monitoring the Fatui inside the city. All Millelith forces should be placed on combat alert. I have a feeling a storm is coming."
"Lady Ningguang, should we only monitor the Fatui inside Liyue Harbor? According to our informants, there are many hidden Fatui bases scattered throughout Liyue."
Baishi tactfully reminded Ningguang. The Tianquan might have forgotten these details, but Baishi, in charge of Fatui intelligence, could not. Ningguang smiled mysteriously in response.
"Don't worry. I've already found someone to handle the Fatui in the wild. And this helper is quite strong."
Out in the wilderness, Zhongli stood alone before a Statue of The Seven, gazing up at the stone figure representing the Geo Archon. Once upon a time, this place had been a battlefield, elements raging wildly. Back then, he had not yet suffered the erosion he now carried, and none of his old friends had yet left him.
In the blink of an eye, a thousand years had passed. Liyue had grown from a toddling child into a capable adult. Perhaps his mission was complete. The rest of the time, he would let Liyue develop on its own.
Perhaps the Yuheng had been right. He could protect Liyue for a hundred years or a thousand. But what about ten thousand? Now, it seemed what he and the adepti needed to do was simply provide a safety net when Liyue faced great disasters.
"Zhongli, we've brought the balm! Were you just staring at the statue? Did we keep you waiting too long?"
"Oh, you're back. I haven't been waiting long. Compared to what the statue represents, this was merely a brief moment."
Paimon scratched her head, not quite understanding what Zhongli meant. He was so young, yet he spoke like an old man. Was he thinking too much and hurting his head? It was better to be like her—just thinking about what to eat next.
Zhongli ignored Paimon's strange look and turned his attention to Su Bai, who was standing beside Lumine looking thoroughly disheveled. The scent of perfume and makeup clung to him, which made Zhongli curious. Had Chunxiang Boutique been that kind of place after all?
"Don't look at me like that. I didn't expect to run into those women on the street."
"And honestly, they're all noble ladies. You'd think they'd have some restraint."
Su Bai wiped the perfume and powder off himself with a cloth. Someone had apparently leaked his true age. Ever since these women found out, they had been relentless. Every time they looked at him, it was like they wanted to devour him.
Zhongli chuckled quietly. These noble families valued more than just Su Bai's status as an adeptus. What they truly wanted was his bloodline. If any of their daughters bore Su Bai's child, that family would be untouchable by the Qixing's blade.
Having a half-adeptus child would be like holding a charm for survival. With such a tempting prize, if Su Bai weren't so powerful, he might have been kidnapped by one of those families already.
And growing up among mortals had given Su Bai none of the typical adeptus aloofness or strange habits. His easygoing nature only added to his appeal.
Thinking about how some of those families had even sent gifts to him, Zhongli rubbed his chin. Perhaps these noble families could serve as a convenient wallet. After the Rite of Parting, he might take advantage of that to reduce Wangsheng's expenses.
"Still, being surrounded by so many pretty women must have been enjoyable, right?"
"Enjoyable? I have no interest in those young ladies. Don't even joke about that, Lumine. They all approach me with ulterior motives. I don't want anything to do with people like that."
Lumine's comment nearly made Su Bai jump. He had no affection for those highly calculating individuals. He would rather spar with Shenhe than spend time chatting and shopping with noble ladies.
"I'm relieved to see you see things so clearly."
Zhongli sighed. In all the years since Liyue's founding, he had seen countless promising mortals, but only a handful had truly lived up to his expectations. So many heroes had fallen to the Mora and beauties offered by noble families, willingly becoming their servants.
"By the way, how did the scented balm turn out?"
"Hehe, you can count on us. If this kind of thing comes up again, just leave it to Lumine. Miss Ying'er even taught her how to make balm."
Paimon puffed out her chest proudly. As she spoke, a brilliant idea seemed to strike her. Since Ying'er had taught Lumine how to make balm, they could just have Lumine make it for future Rites of Parting—and earn a nice pile of Mora in the process.