On the mountain peak platform of Mt. Aocang.
The Traveler, Aether, explained the details of the Lord's assassination to Xianyun, who was in her white crane form.
Xianyun snorted angrily, "Audacious! How dare someone assassinate the Lord! With such villains at large, this adeptus ought to first suppress Liyue Harbor, and then wait for the other adepti to gather..."
"Suppress Liyue Harbor?" Paimon asked in terror upon hearing this. "You're not thinking of destroying the entire harbor, are you?"
Xianyun, with a serene expression, explained nonchalantly, "Merely employing some thunderous methods. Not, of course, destroying Liyue Harbor."
Then, her tone grew urgent. "Alright, I will personally investigate the matter of the Lord's assassination. You two, leave at once, and do not disturb me again!"
Hearing this, Aether and Paimon had no choice but to leave first to find the next adeptus and explain the situation.
After they left, Xianyun quickly returned to her human form and let out a long breath. "Thankfully I didn't appear in human form. I was actually a little nervous just now, almost flubbed my lines."
Just at that moment, a graceful young woman floated down from the sky like a light feather, elegantly landing in front of Xianyun. Her face was cool and beautiful, her ice-blue eyes as deep as a frozen pool, exuding an otherworldly, ethereal quality, like a fairy who did not partake in the mortal world.
"Master," the young woman's lips parted, her voice crisp and cool.
Although she had never seen Xianyun's human form, she recognized at a glance that the woman before her with the red-framed glasses was none other than her master, Xianyun, who had raised her.
A flash of surprise appeared in Xianyun's eyes. "Shenhe, you have never seen this adeptus in this form. How did you recognize me at a glance?"
Shenhe replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "After spending so many years together day and night, I can recognize you no matter what form you take."
A current of warmth flowed through Xianyun's heart as she gazed at Shenhe. She said softly, "Shenhe, in a few days, I will be heading to Liyue Harbor to serve as the Chief Overseer of the Celestial Oversight Commission, supervising all matters in Liyue. I hope you will accompany me."
After a brief moment of thought, Shenhe said calmly, "Master, I prefer my current life, peaceful and far from worldly disturbances."
But Xianyun stated her view with a firm attitude, "Shenhe, you must go live in Liyue Harbor. If you remain in seclusion here for too long, your emotions will gradually fade, and you may eventually become as cold and unfeeling as a stone."
Hearing this, Shenhe nodded silently in compliance. "I understand, Master. Since you have decided, your disciple will naturally obey."
…
In the afternoon in Liyue City, sunlight streamed through the half-drawn curtains, dappling the wooden floor of the Dove Coffee Shop.
Lin Yide sat at the counter, his gaze focused and sharp, a delicate fountain pen in his hand, carefully reviewing a stack of documents submitted by the West Factory. The contents of these documents were extremely important and required his personal signature.
Handling these documents was no easy task; from time to time, he had to bury his head in thought, weighing the pros and cons before cautiously writing down his opinions.
Just then, the coffee shop door was gently pushed open, accompanied by the crisp chime of a wind bell. Lin Yide looked up to see Ningguang's figure at the entrance. She wore a magnificent cheongsam, her steps elegant and poised.
Ningguang walked slowly to him, and her first words were, "Director Yide, you've won."
Lin Yide did not show a triumphant smile of victory. He simply responded with a nonchalant, "Oh." It was as if this victory was an insignificant matter to him.
Ningguang said in a low voice, "Director Yide, let's negotiate. As long as the West Factory's terms are not excessive, I can accept them."
But Lin Yide was not swayed by her proposal. He refused the request for talks. "Now is not the time for negotiations."
Ningguang knew very well that as Liyue's grain supply grew tighter, her situation would become increasingly difficult. More seriously, once the scandal of the Qixing selling off reserve grain for their own benefit—and even going so far as to burn down the granary—was exposed, the whole of Liyue would descend into chaos.
Ningguang adjusted her wording, expressing her intentions with a more sincere attitude. "I will seriously consider any condition proposed by the West Factory and do my best to accept it within my capabilities."
Lin Yide's attitude remained as firm as before. He reiterated his position, "I have already said, now is not the best time for negotiations."
A sense of humiliation welled up in Ningguang's heart, but she could only forcibly suppress it and ask helplessly, "Then, when can we negotiate?"
Lin Yide replied calmly, "After the turmoil over the Lord's assassination has subsided." He then added, "Rest assured, during this time, I will sell grain to the public at a low price to stabilize the people's morale."
Hearing this, Ningguang no longer dwelled on the matter of negotiations. She changed the subject and asked, "Yide, do you really think merchants are unfit to govern a country? They actually understand better how to balance the interests of all parties."
Lin Yide couldn't help but laugh out loud at this question.
Ningguang frowned in displeasure and looked at him. "That doesn't seem very funny."
Lin Yide explained with a smile, "Merchants governing a country is a joke in itself, because their very nature is to chase profit. When faced with the temptation of profit, they will gradually abandon the principles they once upheld."
Ningguang immediately retorted, "But in the several hundred years of Liyue's history, the Qixing have always adhered to their principles."
Lin Yide spoke with a hint of mockery, "That is because of the existence of a god. When the god is away, most people will immediately abandon their principles."
Ningguang fell silent, not arguing further. The facts were indeed so; if the Lord had not fallen, Kaiyang and the others would never have dared to burn the granary.
At this moment, Lin Yide suddenly asked, "Ningguang, what would you like to drink? Tea, or coffee?"
Ningguang was taken aback, then immediately understood the implication in his words. Wealth and power—she could only choose one. Yet, for her, both were difficult to part with.
She stared at Lin Yide and asked in return, "You are the owner. Which do you think I should order?"
Lin Yide smiled faintly. "Personally, I prefer to drink tea. The fragrance of tea is pure and tranquil; true character is found in simplicity, and it can calm the mind. But most of the time, I choose to drink coffee, because I often work late into the night and need it to stay awake. If you want my recommendation, my suggestion is to drink coffee."