Hearing Ryen's plans, Ganyu couldn't help but ask curiously:
"Ryen, what exactly is the Wither Storm? Why do you need to kill so many of them?"
"The Wither Storm, huh..."
Ryen chuckled and shook his head.
"It's a true boss in every sense—akin to the Archons in your world."
"Its power in the Overworld might rival the Ender Dragon. In short, it's an incredibly dangerous and powerful monster."
"But its drops are something we need in large quantities. They're sacred items capable of granting large-scale area buffs to allies."
"That said, the danger it poses is immense. We'll set that aside for now. When the time comes, I'll explain exactly what to do."
No one questioned Ryen further. Instead, they silently etched the term Wither Storm into memory.
Ryen's plans were always well thought out. He knew precisely what had to be done, and when.
With his leadership, they could mine and explore this world with steady progress.
No matter the danger, his knowledge and careful preparations ensured their safety.
This methodical and calculated strategy deeply resonated with Ningguang.
In the past, during her days in business, she enjoyed risks—bets, gambles, the thrill of sudden wealth. It was fast.
But now, as the Tianquan of Liyue, she had to prioritize stability.
Behind her stood thousands of Liyue's citizens. She could no longer afford to gamble.
And Ryen's approach—careful planning, steady progress—aligned perfectly with her current principles.
This was precisely why she had come to admire him.
Her man didn't need overwhelming strength, but he had to share her values and ideals.
The group didn't remain in the alternate world much longer and soon returned to Liyue Harbor.
But just as they stepped out of the teleportation portal, Zhongli's expression darkened.
Xiao, always alert to Zhongli's mood, immediately sensed something and approached him, whispering:
"My lord, what's wrong? Has someone else come poking around where they shouldn't? Do you need me to handle it?"
Even though Xiao had been freed from his karmic debt, he was still a Yaksha—his nature remained bloodthirsty.
During a recent period, after hearing from Ningguang that the Fatui had been trying to scout around certain areas,
Xiao had... "discouraged"... quite a few of their soldiers while out purging monsters at night.
That, perhaps, was one of the reasons why the Fatui were now so well-behaved.
Whether or not Liyue's civil departments took action, if an Adeptus was involved, people died.
It was that simple.
Zhongli, however, shook his head gently.
"Not the Fatui... Barbatos has arrived."
Xiao was momentarily speechless.
Seeing the glint in Zhongli's eyes, he understood instantly—Zhongli was thinking about that ancient event when Venti altered the contract.
Xiao couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic toward Venti.
This time, the Anemo Archon had set foot in Liyue himself—he wouldn't be able to escape Zhongli's wrath over the broken contract.
But it was a matter between old friends. Xiao had no right to interfere. He simply stepped aside, silent.
Tonight, he wouldn't be hunting monsters.
Venti had helped him a great deal in the past.
During his karmic torment, it had been Venti who helped suppress the lingering afflictions within him.
Xiao was truly grateful for that.
If Zhongli went too far tonight, Xiao decided he'd try to intervene.
Zhongli was lost in thought for a moment, then spoke softly:
"I have a personal matter to attend to. I'll leave for now—return here at dawn."
He nodded briefly to Ryen and the others before quietly exiting the courtyard.
Although Venti had withdrawn his divine aura, how could Zhongli not sense the dense Anemo energy gathering above Luhua Pool?
Very well.
You broke the contract once, centuries ago.
Now, you dare to use divine power in Liyue, against the rules once more?
If Zhongli didn't strip a layer off Venti today, he'd disgrace his title as the God of Contracts.
Xiao sighed inwardly.
His Lord Morax was flawless in every way—except when it came to contracts.
Then, he became rigid beyond reason.
Still...
Venti was an old friend.
Zhongli would never truly harm him.
Just as Zhongli left, Baiwen arrived in haste.
Upon seeing Ningguang, she spoke openly without avoiding the others:
"Lady Ningguang, the Mondstadt guest you invited—Miss Lisa—has arrived. She's also brought Acting Grand Master Jean and others."
Ningguang was seated, casually chatting with Ryen.
Upon hearing this, she chuckled softly.
"So soon? Did they request intercontinental teleportation?"
Baiwen shook her head.
That told Ningguang all she needed to know. She waved her hand.
"Set up a banquet in the Jade Chamber. I'll receive them there personally."
Baiwen responded with a nod and left quickly.
Watching Baiwen's retreating figure, Ningguang smiled faintly.
"No intercontinental request, yet the letter I sent yesterday already brought them here today..."
"Seems their Wind God is quite eager too."
Keqing looked puzzled and asked quietly:
"Why did you invite people from Mondstadt to Liyue?"
Ningguang sipped her tea slowly before responding:
"The export of low-grade resources has reached a saturation point. But those profits aren't our priority anymore."
"So far, we've built three village trade hubs. We've also established three alchemical potion production lines."
"And don't forget the wealth gained from the Lucky Blocks..."
"What Liyue needs now is to bind other nations through high-tier resource dependencies—items they can't easily obtain themselves."
"This was Ryen's idea."
She glanced softly at Ryen, eyes filled with affection—unhidden, even in front of Ganyu.
"Eating alone never lasts."
"Our goal is to make sure more and more people are always standing on Liyue's side."
Keqing seemed to understand and nodded slightly.
"You plan to export potions?"
"Not just those."
Ningguang shook her head gently.
"Diamonds, Ender Pearls, monster materials—and the unique mechanisms from Ryen's world."
"All of these are on the table."
"But these aren't items Mora can buy. I believe my pen pal knows exactly what Mondstadt must do."
Everyone suddenly understood.
To put it nicely, this was an alliance of mutual progress. But to speak bluntly—it was recruiting little brothers.
Ningguang also knew the story of Khaenri'ah.
What she aimed to do now was not to let Liyue follow the same path as Khaenri'ah, which had ultimately led the other nations to be coerced by Celestia into launching a crusade against it.
No—what she wanted was to make every nation Liyue's ally. At the very least, the majority of them.
That way, even if Celestia one day demanded the Archons to re-enact the obliteration of Khaenri'ah…
…the tightly bound network of interest among the nations would make it clear: if Liyue falls, the rest of them wouldn't survive either.
And when that day comes—
The whole of Teyvat will rise to protect Liyue.
That was Ningguang's true goal.
In any world, trying to eat alone was a major taboo.
So how to share that meal was a matter of strategy.
When the time comes—if Celestia dares utter the words "destroy Liyue"…
Then its so-called Second Throne will be met with enemies from every corner of the world.
And Liyue… shall become the hidden Third Throne.
As for the gods…
Did Celestia truly think the current Seven Archons were still willing to listen to them?
According to Ryen, six of the Seven Archons already harbored hostility toward Celestia.
When their own nations and people stand with Liyue in unity—
Ningguang wanted to see for herself: would Celestia's words still carry weight, or would the will of the people and their Archons prove stronger?
Once the seven nations were tied tightly to Liyue's chariot, then the so-called "gods of Celestia"—those who once rose from the seven nations—would have to decide:
Whose command do they follow?
She would reduce Celestia to utter isolation.
This was a plan Ningguang had been harboring ever since Zhongli told them about the fall of Khaenri'ah and Celestia's role in it.
Ryen gave Ningguang an admiring look as he hugged Nahida and said,
"I'll come with you this time."
Ningguang blinked in surprise, then narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"You're not going just because you've taken a fancy to them, are you? Lisa and Jean are both top-tier beauties, after all…"
Ryen chuckled and shot her a helpless look.
"What are you saying? I've never even met them before, okay?"
At least, not yet.
After thinking for a moment, Ryen added,
"Since they're here, that means the Traveler must've come with them too…"
At this, the others suddenly understood.
Ryen was someone from beyond the stars—so it was only natural he'd be curious about someone who was also a traveler from another world.
Ningguang gave a soft, mock-complaining sigh.
"So… my charm still isn't enough, huh? I've invited you to the Jade Chamber so many times, yet a single visit from the Traveler gets you to come along…"
Ryen laughed it off, grumbling in his heart.
Come on. You weren't inviting me to admire the scenery—you just wanted to get your hands on me!
With Ganyu watching him like a hawk these days, if Ningguang wanted to act on her intentions, she'd have to wait a bit longer.
After chatting for a while, Ningguang rose, feeling it was about time, and cheerfully led the group out of the courtyard.
They stepped onto the floating stone platform just outside the gate.
This was a recent creation of Ningguang's—essentially, she had placed her front door right in front of Ryen's house.
The meaning was clear enough: her home was always open to him. Anytime, even at night.
That said, Ryen rarely visited the Jade Chamber.
One—he was lazy.
Two—every time he even thought about going, Ganyu would grab him to play cards.
Baiwen had acted quickly, and with a special food delivery line linking Liyue's top restaurants to the Jade Chamber, everything was already prepared by the time they arrived.
This was Ningguang's show today, so Ryen quietly took a seat in the corner, not stealing the spotlight, simply waiting for Mondstadt's delegation to arrive.
Not long after they were seated, Jean and the others, now dressed in formal attire, were led into the Jade Chamber by Baiwen.
Ningguang rose gracefully and walked up to greet them, offering Jean a warm handshake and a smile.
"This should count as our first official meeting, Jean."
Her voice was gentle and welcoming—like a spring breeze.
Jean unconsciously relaxed a little, her earlier nervousness easing.
"I apologize for this sudden visit… Mondstadt's official letter is still en route."
"Hehe…"
Ningguang chuckled and shook her head.
"No need to worry. It's all just formalities. Let's not get too caught up in them. Please, have a seat."
With pleasant small talk, Jean and her group took their seats.
Lisa, ever calm and composed, observed everyone in the room with sharp eyes.
The people gathered here represented the very peak of Liyue's power:
Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing
Keqing, the Yuheng
Ganyu, the Secretary of the Qixing
And then… there were two others who had said nothing so far—a man and a woman whose aura was unmistakably similar to that of the adepti.
Clearly, they were Liyue's immortals.
Most likely, they were none other than the adepti Venti had spoken of—the Mighty and Illuminated Adeptus Xiao, and the Cloud Retainer herself.
Lisa wasn't particularly concerned with any of them.
What she really wanted to know was whether the alchemist she'd been thinking about was here.
Then, as if by accident, Lisa's gaze landed on a quiet corner—where Ryen sat with Nahida obediently curled up in his arms.
Lisa's pupils shrank. A ripple of shock ran through her.
"The Little Lucky Grass King…" she murmured under her breath.
~~----------------------
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