"Hmph, to put it bluntly, does Mor—Mor—Mora—Morax really know everything?" Iron Tongue Tian wiped his sweat.
These were clearly Keqing's words, but for the sake of storytelling, he had no choice but to say such things in front of the Geo Archon himself.
Zhongli showed no reaction, merely watching him calmly and listening attentively to the tale.
Iron Tongue Tian continued, "What kind of experiences led Keqing to say such words? Allow me to elaborate.
"This Yuheng Star, Keqing, was born into a prestigious family and understood the influence of the Geo Archon better than most.
"Even so, she often wondered: If one day Liyue were to lose its Archon, what path should the nation take?
"Liyue was like a grand sandcastle on the shore, yet the tides of the ocean were not something humans could control.
"How could this be acceptable? Human affairs should be handled by humans themselves!
"If people lazily relied on the Geo Archon for their livelihoods, then why should they be worthy of the gods' love?"
At the time, few agreed with Keqing's words, for the Geo Archon had always been there.
But now that the Archon had 'retired,' humans had no choice but to carve out their own future, making Keqing's words all the more thought-provoking.
And here was the Geo Archon himself, watching them—did they truly want him to witness their laziness and cowardice?
The Adepti and the Archon had walked alongside humanity for far too long. Now, it was time for humans to tread their own path.
"To achieve her ideals, Keqing put her words into action.
"Keqing believed that only with ample experience could one make swift judgments and take decisive action.
"Thus, she personally involved herself in every task, no matter how trivial.
"She hauled carts in The Chasm, tamped earth at the docks, and even waited tables in small eateries—anything related to the lives of the people, she had done it."
This came as a surprise to many. Who would have thought that the lofty Qixing had undertaken such menial labor?
Only those who had worked alongside Keqing knew just how hard she strived, which was why they had supported her long before the Archon's 'retirement.'
"And when Keqing obtained her Vision, all her efforts seemed, in the eyes of others, to be credited to the Vision itself.
"She rejected such 'recognition'! She even attempted to destroy her Vision, though her efforts ended in failure.
"As time passed, Keqing came to accept her Vision, for as a pragmatist, she recognized its usefulness.
"If it was useful, then it was good.
"Later, during the Rite of Descension, Keqing boldly declared, 'The Geo Archon has protected Liyue for a thousand years, but what about the next thousand? Or ten thousand? Or a hundred thousand?'
"But now, with the Archon gone and the responsibilities once overseen by him distributed among the Qixing and the Eight Trades, Keqing—who had long yearned to prove herself—found herself bogged down by an overwhelming pile of tasks.
"Even her accomplishments paled in comparison to what the Geo Archon had achieved effortlessly in the past.
"Keqing realized: Even if her 'disrespect' had earned the recognition of the divine… that did not mean she was currently capable of 'replacing' him.
"Yet Keqing did not lose heart. Instead, she buried herself in study, absorbing all the knowledge she needed.
"During this time, she calmed her mind, gradually letting go of the long-held 'opposition' she had felt toward the Geo Archon.
"Now, whenever she felt lost, she would think, 'What would the Geo Archon do in this situation?'
"And when Keqing recalled the faint smile on the Archon's face as she spoke those words during the Rite of Descension, she gained a sliver of understanding—it had been a look of expectation and approval."
Here, Iron Tongue Tian paused, for the final segment involved Keqing secretly purchasing a Geo Archon figurine.
Sweat poured down his back. Speaking disrespectful words in front of the Archon was bad enough, but now he had to reveal the Qixing's little secret?
Iron Tongue Tian was at a loss. Making a living in Liyue was truly too difficult.
While he hesitated over how to deliver the last part, the readers had already reached it.
[Despite dedicating the vast majority of her energy to Liyue Harbor, Keqing's leisure activity was something few could have predicted—shopping.]
[While strolling through the streets, she happened to spot a small, inconspicuous stall selling chibi-style Geo Archon figurines.]
[Without hesitation, Keqing concocted an excuse to send her friends to a silk shop across the street before approaching the stall herself.]
[She carefully examined the figurine in her hand, cautiously scanned her surroundings to ensure no one was watching, then swiftly completed the purchase—payment and all.]
[Unfortunately, her secret was exposed. Everyone was baffled: Keqing, the one who seemed least reverent toward the gods, had bought a Geo Archon figurine?]
[Keqing defended herself: "I—I bought this for self-reflection! There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"]
[Except the 'self-reflection' trinkets had already filled an entire cabinet.]
Reading this, the people of Liyue chuckled in relief. As expected, there were no true 'anti-Archon' critics in Liyue.
Only Keqing was 'dead' from embarrassment—her little secret had been exposed!
"Lucian! You still owe me Golden Shrimp Balls, and now you've leaked my 'scandal'?!"
Ganyu, watching Keqing lying on a chair in silent despair, couldn't help but laugh. So even Keqing had such a side to her.
Pantalone, however, was disappointed. He had hoped at least one of the Qixing had 'awakened.'
What disappointed him even more was that Keqing had obtained a Vision—and even tried to shatter it!
As he flipped through the Northland Bank's records, he came across Zhongli's expenses.
Naturally, Pantalone had cleared Zhongli's bills. Though he disliked the man, fair trade was one of Pantalone's principles.
He scrutinized page after page of Zhongli's spending habits, hoping to discern the consumption patterns and tastes of the God of Gold.
Pantalone did not approve of Keqing, but Kokomi and Jean did.
All three were hands-on leaders, and they felt a mutual respect, hoping for a chance to engage in deeper exchanges.
In Fontaine, there was another 'leader,' but this time, without Furina's urging, Neuvillette did not read the story. He remained buried in paperwork.
"Keqing... Wasn't she the Qixing who received me at the Jade Chamber last time?" Furina mused.
Back then, Keqing had left a favorable impression—she hadn't seemed 'disrespectful toward the gods' at all.
Now, it appeared she had never been 'disrespectful' to begin with. She simply wished for humanity to forge its own future.
Furina, lacking memories of her time as a god, did not yet realize that she, too, shared this belief.
She, too, trusted that humans could carve out their own destiny.
On this point, Yae Miko agreed.
It was a shame that in present-day Inazuma, not only were the people stagnant, but even the god had no intention of moving forward.
Yet in the past, the god and people of Inazuma had stood together.
Yae Miko sighed. She couldn't even send the book to Ei anymore. Now, all she could do was wait for someone to break the stalemate.
Nahida finished reading the book, unaware that her people would not only walk their own path but also create their own god.
In other nations, gods tested humans. Here, it was humans who tested their god.
"This Yuheng is truly remarkable," Guizhong remarked with satisfaction.
Long ago, before the destruction of Guili Plains, she had shared knowledge with humans, hoping they would find their own way.
Now, centuries later, seeing a figure like Keqing filled her with genuine relief.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice · Keqing: About Her Own Story (Book) · Known
"Ugh... cough, let's just forget about this. After all, his Golden Shrimp Balls are quite delicious..."