"Husband, you're back."
As Morax opened the door, Ghizhong greeted him with a gentle smile.
"Yes, I'm back." Though Morax wanted to return the smile, the weight of what had just occurred made it impossible.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Ghizhong immediately sensed something was off.
Morax recounted everything that had transpired. Ghizhong's expression shifted from initial shock to one of grave seriousness. Her brows furrowed deeply as she listened in silence, not interrupting once.
When he finished, she fell into quiet thought.
"If it's true that the deeper the origin, the stronger the monsters born from it, then Liyue Harbor will be in grave danger. We'll have to relocate inland and turn Tianheng Mountain into a fortified defense point—to prevent any powerful monsters from emerging from the sea."
"I've thought about that too," Morax replied. "But it depends on finding the right location—somewhere easy to defend and difficult to attack."
"Then... how about where the Adepti live?" Ghizhong suggested. "Jueyun Karst and Auspicious Cloud Peak—both are far inland, surrounded by mountains on all sides. The terrain is complex and perfect for setting up mechanisms and traps."
Hearing that, Morax paused, recalling the terrain in that area.
"Let's go take a look," he decided. It seemed like a feasible option, but he wanted to see for himself.
Before long, the two arrived at Jueyun Karst. The region was filled with mountains—many of them isolated peaks—but indeed, the terrain was ideal for laying traps.
The land, however, wasn't well-suited for settlement. That wasn't a major problem, though.
After all, reshaping the land was Morax's specialty.
"This place will do."
He raised his hand slowly, and the ground began to tremble violently. The uneven land gradually leveled out under his power.
"What about the Adepti...?" Ghizhong asked gently.
"I'll have to trouble you to explain it to them. I'm not good at handling such matters."
Morax hadn't expected to face something like this so soon after stepping down. At this point, keeping things hidden was no longer realistic.
"Leave it to me," Ghizhong said reassuringly.
"You're working so hard again," Morax murmured, placing a tender kiss on her forehead.
"It's for our home—hardly something to call hard work," she replied with a soft smile, tiptoeing to return the kiss.
Soon after, Ghizhong flew off toward where the Adepti resided, while Morax remained behind to reshape the land.
...
Meanwhile, outside Liyue Harbor, a fierce battle was unfolding.
Five Yaksha stood side by side at the edge of the harbor, their expressions sharp and alert. From the depths of the sea, they could clearly feel an ominous, corrupting aura.
"What is that?!"
"Monsters! Huge monsters!!"
"So many! How did so many monsters suddenly appear from the sea?!"
One after another, creatures emerged from the water, revealing grotesque, twisted faces as dark purple gas poured from their bodies.
They came in all shapes and sizes, but one thing made them easy to identify—every one of them was hideously deformed and completely purple.
The Yaksha charged forward, striding across the waves with incredible speed toward the swarm.
Moments later, the surface of the sea erupted in bursts of light—crackling thunder, roaring flames, and howling winds intertwined in a dazzling, chaotic spectacle.
Within half an hour, the five Yaksha had wiped out hundreds of monsters, leaving not a single one alive.
Their overwhelming victory drew cheers from the people of Liyue Harbor.
Yet the five Yaksha could not share in the joy. They knew too well—these were only the opening act.
A crisis that even the being above the Seven Archons couldn't resolve would never be that simple.
Even so, when they returned to the city, they wore bright smiles, like victorious generals coming home, responding warmly to the cheers of Liyue's citizens.
But as time passed, things began to change.
More and more people were injured in monster attacks. And once wounded, purple blotches would appear on their skin.
Within half an hour, the victim would lose all reason—falling into madness and attacking anyone nearby without restraint.
No treatment existed for this strange affliction. At least in Liyue, no one could cure it.
The Liyue Qixing quickly issued orders: the harbor would be sealed, and the nation would close its borders.
From that moment, Liyue became a one-way land—entry only, no exit. Anyone seeking to enter had to undergo strict inspection. No one bearing purple markings was allowed in, and all entrants had to remain in quarantine for half an hour before being permitted entry.
Meanwhile, the Millelith received direct orders from Bosacius.
Anyone found bearing purple patches was to be executed immediately.
The moment this order was enacted, it sparked outrage among the people.
Humans, long accustomed to peace and comfort, had forgotten what true calamity looked like.
They vehemently protested the decision to execute the infected. To them, those afflicted still had a chance to be cured. Killing them outright was inhumane.
"They're not dead! They still have the right to live! You have no right to take another's life!"
"Your decision is wrong! We should give the sick a chance!"
"They're just ill! They've done nothing wrong—what right do you have to execute them?!"
"Give us an explanation!"
"Give us an explanation!!"
Within a week, small protest groups began to organize.
They gathered at the foot of Tianheng Mountain, waving banners high and chanting their demands in unison.