Outside Liyue Harbor, the Jade Chamber, floating in the sky, slowly drifted toward the sea. On board, Ningguang and the others wore solemn expressions. They had never witnessed the power of a god firsthand, but the ancient texts of Liyue described them as forces capable of destruction on a catastrophic scale.
Now that Rex Lapis was gone, facing an aggressive god, Ningguang didn't know if Liyue Harbor could withstand the attack.
"Pass down my orders. Notify all the noble families in Liyue Harbor to bring out their hidden forces and help the city survive this crisis."
"Inform the Millelith. Any noble family attempting to flee Liyue Harbor is to be executed."
Gone was Ningguang's usual elegance. She was now even more decisive than Keqing, her words laced with killing intent. Though she believed most families would make the right choice—after all, if Liyue Harbor fell, the centuries-old families would suffer the most—human nature wasn't always predictable.
Unaware of Ningguang's orders, the noble families were already locked in heated debates. Some, without waiting for orders, had already mobilized their people to defend Liyue Harbor. The Ke family was especially active. Almost every able-bodied member had taken up arms, leaving only the women and children behind.
But as the saying goes, in a large forest, there are all kinds of birds. Among these families were some greedy cowards. They concocted all sorts of excuses to convince their clan leaders to flee.
"Clan leader, we should pack our valuables and leave Liyue for now."
"Yes, clan leader. We only have some properties here anyway. We can take our Mora to Mondstadt and live just as comfortably."
"Clan leader, Rex Lapis is gone. Liyue is nothing but a piece of meat now. Others will want a bite. We should run while things are still chaotic."
Using Rex Lapis's death as an excuse to nullify contracts, these cowards convinced many clan heads to lead their families out of Liyue Harbor. They comforted themselves with the thought that they were only fleeing to save their lives. There was nothing wrong with that.
The fleeing families began packing their belongings, gathering anything valuable. They planned to leave before the war began.
Unfortunately for them, the Millelith had already received their orders and would show no mercy. But that's a story for another time.
On the Jade Chamber, the four adepti stood at its bow, gazing at the turbulent sea. Perhaps it was their imagination, but they felt something off about Osial. It seemed as if he was stuck, like a piece of food lodged in a throat, unable to move in or out, thrashing helplessly beneath the waves.
The sudden change left the adepti puzzled. Had Osial gotten fat during his imprisonment? Why couldn't he even break free from his seal?
"Esteemed adepti, what is happening? Has something gone wrong?"
Ningguang didn't know what was happening beneath the surface. But as a successful merchant, she had mastered the art of reading people. Seeing the troubled expressions on the adepti's faces, she immediately asked for an explanation.
The adepti exchanged glances, silently deciding to let Cloud Retainer take the lead. They ignored her protests and all turned to look at her.
"Well..."
Cloud Retainer was at a loss for words. She couldn't very well tell Ningguang that Osial was stuck in the seal. That would ruin Rex Lapis's plan and displease him.
"Cloud Retainer, please be direct. If there's a problem, I need to relay it to Liyue Harbor in time."
Ningguang's tone was urgent. Every second of delay could cost many lives.
"I was simply observing that the Vortex God seems to be preparing something beneath the surface. That's why I hesitated. But with us adepti here, nothing will go wrong."
Left with no choice, Cloud Retainer bluffed her way through, hoping to stall Ningguang for now, regardless of whether Osial was actually preparing anything.
Back at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Azhdaha was rolling on the floor, laughing so hard she couldn't breathe. In all her years, she never imagined a god could get stuck in a seal.
Zhongli's mouth twitched as he held his forehead. Osial was an embarrassment to all gods. Couldn't he have shrunk himself before trying to escape? Why did he have to force his massive body through?
"I thought the Hundred-Eyed Talismans Childe carried would be enough to tear a large enough rift in the seal. Why is it so small?"
Zhongli was puzzled. He had sensed the quality of the counterfeit talismans. Though inferior to the originals, their sheer numbers should have made up for the difference. Yet something seemed to have gone wrong.
"Say, Morax, did Osial get dumb from being sealed so long? He doesn't seem too bright."
Azhdaha pointed at the churning sea, a teasing grin on her face. Zhongli looked embarrassed. He had just told her his plan was flawless. Before he could even finish his tea, Osial had made a fool of him.
"Never mind. I'll give him a little help."
Unaware of the specifics in Liyue Harbor, Su Bai and Lumine were running toward the city. As they got closer, the Hydro energy around them grew denser.
"Phew... Looks like we made it in time. It wasn't a waste to spend all that adeptal energy weakening those talismans."
Su Bai gazed at the sea, now a dark blue-black, and let out a long breath. In the Golden House, he had tried to drain the power from Childe's activated talismans with his adeptal energy.
He hadn't expected much. Though he knew how to make the talismans, he had never actually crafted one himself. He had simply tried channeling some energy into them. It seemed the counterfeit talismans were of poor quality, since he had weakened them so easily.
Lumine gripped her Blackcliff Longsword and stared at the Jade Chamber floating in the middle of the sea. She was at a loss. How was she supposed to get up there? She couldn't just fly there with Anemo. That was impossible.
"Lumine, if you want to get to the Jade Chamber, I have a way. It might be a little dizzying, though."
"Dizzy? That's fine. As long as I can get up there, a little dizziness is nothing."
Lumine didn't take Su Bai's warning seriously. A bit of dizziness was nothing. As someone determined to traverse all of Teyvat, she wouldn't be stopped by something so trivial.