"Wow, what's going on here? Why are there so many Millelith at the city gate? And Fatui too."
"Hmm, the atmosphere is unusual. Something big must have happened. To be safe, we should probably ask around."
Seeing many Millelith soldiers interrogating Fatui agents and even some drawing their weapons, Paimon sensed something was off. The air felt tense, almost deadly. Zhongli agreed with her assessment.
"Then let's go ask the Millelith... Actually, let's ask a Fatui agent instead. The Millelith all look busy."
After finding a Fatui agent who wasn't surrounded by Millelith, Zhongli used his influence on both sides of the law to get the agent to spill everything he knew.
"The adepti from Jueyun Karst have arrived at Liyue Harbor. Their intentions don't seem friendly."
"Oh? Are they here to demand answers?"
Zhongli hazarded a guess. The Fatui agent nodded cheerfully. As long as Liyue Harbor was in trouble, he was happy.
"That's probably it. I heard several of the Qixing went out early to welcome them. 'Welcome' might be putting it kindly—more like they wanted to keep the adepti out of the city."
"Judging by the looks of it, that plan failed. Before we Fatui were put under surveillance, someone already spotted an adeptus inside the city. Looks like the Qixing's plans fell through."
"I heard both sides are being stubborn. Things are at a standstill now."
The agent snickered. He was practically hoping the adepti and the Qixing would clash. If they did, the Fatui might reap the benefits.
"The adepti don't recognize the Qixing's authority. They only follow their contracts with the Geo Archon. If they decide to storm in and reclaim the Archon's body, I'm not sure Liyue Harbor can hold them off."
"And that Tianquan, talking about 'monitoring Fatui movements in these turbulent times.' Ha! Trying to control us now is way too late. The Qixing aren't all they're cracked up to be."
"Anyway, Mr. Zhongli, you're Lord Tartaglia's partner and friend. Your stance is half our stance. Don't let anyone catch you slipping."
The agent even reminded Zhongli to be careful. What he didn't realize was that, beyond his line of sight, Su Bai was staring at the Fatui with the cold detachment one reserves for the dead.
"Once this is over, I should recommend that Ningguang conduct a thorough investigation of Northland Bank. Judging by this guy's tone, the Fatui are hiding more secrets than I know."
Zhongli chatted a bit more with the agent. Lumine could tell from their conversation that Childe was definitely up to something. Even Paimon thought that rotten Childe would do something bad at the most chaotic moment.
Zhongli dropped a few hints. Combined with what the agent said, Lumine deduced that Childe had likely gone to the Golden House. He must be after Rex Lapis's body—or the Gnosis inside it.
"Su Bai, we should go to the Golden House. I have a feeling Childe is after Rex Lapis's body."
Su Bai hesitated. He couldn't decide whether to resolve the conflict between the adepti and the Qixing first, or head to the Golden House to deal with Childe.
"Su Bai, go to the Golden House. I'll handle things in Liyue Harbor."
"If I try to mediate, I believe the adepti here will show me some respect."
"Alright. I'll leave it to you, Zhongli. I'll buy you a drink when I get back."
Su Bai didn't stand on ceremony. He took Lumine and ran toward the Golden House. Between the two, he preferred dealing with Childe. In front of those adepti, he was just a junior. His words probably wouldn't carry much weight.
Zhongli nodded calmly, but inside he was secretly pleased. He hadn't expected the plan to go so smoothly. Now all he had to do was wait at Wangsheng for Azhdaha to return and keep an eye on her. Then he could retire peacefully.
Thinking about his future retirement, Zhongli's gaze drifted across Liyue Harbor. He eagerly anticipated how the Qixing would handle this, especially Keqing and Ningguang. If not for having to watch over Azhdaha, he would have gone to observe their performance in person.
...
Meanwhile, in Liyue Harbor, Ningguang, Keqing, and Ganyu stood with a contingent of Millelith, facing off against four adepti. Though the adepti's aura was intimidating, the Millelith showed no signs of backing down.
"Liyue Qixing, you are merely mortals chosen to oversee Liyue. Yet you attempted to conceal the assassination of Rex Lapis from us?"
Facing a feigning, furious Cloud Retainer, Ganyu—who knew the truth—had no choice but to appear flustered to avoid Ningguang's gaze. As secretary to the Qixing, she couldn't keep ignoring the Tianquan's looks forever.
But Ganyu really didn't want to step in and mediate with Cloud Retainer. She was afraid she'd laugh the moment she opened her mouth. That would be awkward.
After all, Cloud Retainer's illusion was quite shoddy. Even as an adeptal beast, Ganyu could see right through it.
This only made Ningguang more anxious. She had brought Ganyu to be the main mediator. Instead, she had turned into dead weight.
The three other adepti—Xiao, Mountain Shaper, and Moon Carver—exchanged glances. According to the script, Ganyu should be calming Cloud Retainer down right about now. But she looked about ready to burst.
Look at her, face red from holding it in, head lowered, not daring to lift it. Who knew if it was to save Cloud Retainer's face or to keep from laughing.
Xiao glanced at Ganyu with a hint of pity. Cloud Retainer, trying to preserve her dignity, had wrapped herself in an illusion. Ordinary people wouldn't notice, but as an adeptal beast, Ganyu saw everything. Poor thing was suffering.
As for Azhdaha, Xiao wasn't too worried. With his speed, if he wanted to run, Azhdaha could never catch him. And during the great battle back then, he hadn't done anything underhanded to her. Since she had already gotten in one punch, that should have been revenge enough.
His companion Mountain Shaper, however, didn't share that confidence. The old adeptus had already decided that once this play was over, he would take human form and blend into Liyue Harbor. Even if Azhdaha came looking for him at his cave, she'd find nothing.
As for Moon Carver—by helping Azhdaha transport her underlings, the old adeptus had already repaired their relationship. Azhdaha had made it clear she wouldn't hold a grudge over his earlier sneak attack. So he had nothing to fear from her.