All in all, this crisis was finally resolved perfectly, and the price of Liyue's losses was not significant.
Only dozens of new Guizhong Ballistas in Guyun Stone Forest were lost. The Millelith on Guyun Stone Forest were unharmed thanks to Yuto. Ningguang's Jade Chamber was not destroyed again. The only one with severe losses was The Crux Fleet, but the core of the fleet remained, and restoring its structure was only a matter of time.
Oh, right, the most severe loss was the marine resources near Liyue Harbor. After Yuto's flood, fire, and lightning strikes, the fish in the nearshore waters were practically extinct, some dead, some fled. Large numbers of dead fish floated on the surface, and it seems that it will take several years of a fishing ban to restore it to its original level.
Ningguang: "Alright, since Yuto has said so, I am willing to believe him. In any case, we have safely weathered this crisis. Later, I will arrange a banquet at the Jade Chamber to entertain everyone. This time, it will be a true celebration."
Yuto: "So, the last one was fake, then."
Ningguang: "Hehe, that's natural. The Jade Chamber is my last trump card. I had originally planned to use it against Beisht, and I was prepared to sacrifice another Jade Chamber. Since I had such a plan, the Jade Chamber was naturally empty, with no wine, no delicacies, and of course, no new play from Mr. Yun.
However, what I am more concerned about now is the conclusion of the Adepti."
Paimon: "Conclusion?"
Cloud Retainer, skilled in rhetoric, added with a sneer: "Hmph! You ask for this Adeptus's opinion? The battle with Beisht would not have gone so smoothly if Yuto had not intervened. At the very least, your soldiers would have suffered greater casualties."
Ningguang: "I don't deny that, but it would merely have been a more arduous process. The ultimate victory would still belong to us.
Moreover, Yuto didn't help for no reason. This is the product of cooperation between Liyue and Inazuma. I paid two points of tariffs to secure Yuto's assistance, but from the results, it was absolutely worth it. Heh, this is also part of human strength, isn't it?"
Before Ningguang could finish speaking, she laughed, leaving the surrounding Adepti speechless. This is human strength? Aside from looking like a human, which of this kid's actions could a human accomplish? He's really taking advantage and still acting innocent.
Cloud Retainer: "Hmph! I have seen your replicated and modified Guizhong Ballistas. You indeed have some novel ideas, learning from failures, planning ahead for crises, and even inviting several key helpers into the fray. Compared to last time, there has indeed been significant progress.
For now, I'll consider you barely passed. I expect there will be many more trials in the future. This Adeptus will always be watching you. Top-tier assistance like Yuto will not always be available."
Ningguang: "As long as I hold the position of Tianquan, I will safeguard the security of Liyue, and I welcome the supervision of all Adepti."
Cloud Retainer nodded upon hearing this, then turned to look at Yuto and Shenhe. Seeing them so affectionate, Cloud Retainer finally sighed deeply and said:
"Yuto, your strength is now evident to all. I also trust that you can protect Shenhe well. Since you two are deeply in love, this Adeptus does not wish to be a spoiler. This child, Shenhe, I entrust to you."
Shenhe, hearing her master's blessing, couldn't help but blush, her eyes sparkling with tears, but she still held Yuto's hand openly and bowed to Cloud Retainer in gratitude.
"Thank you, Master, for your blessing."
Mountain Shaper added from the side: "However, if I ever find out that you relied on your strength to bully Shenhe, I won't let you off, uh... we will go to Lord Rex Lapis to seek justice for Shenhe."
At this moment, Yuto would not confront them head-on and quickly stated: "Please rest assured, three masters, I will definitely protect Shenhe and never bully her."
Cloud Retainer: "That's good. Speaking of which, this Adeptus still remembers many interesting stories from her childhood..."
Shenhe: "Uh... that won't be necessary."
Cloud Retainer: "Is that so? Hmph, both of you are like this. Ganyu doesn't like it either. If you don't want to hear it, then so be it. This Adeptus won't say it. This Adeptus is going back!"
With that, Cloud Retainer flapped her wings and flew towards Mt. Aocang. The other Adepti also turned and left. Among them, Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver flew towards the sea, seemingly uneasy about Osial's remains and needing to see them with their own eyes.
As Xiao was about to leave, Yuto quickly stopped him, saying he had something to discuss. A hint of doubt appeared on Xiao's face, but he still consciously followed Yuto to the side.
Yuto: "Vigilant Yaksha, is there any problem with the karma within your body now?"
Xiao shook his head and said: "I am different from your Shenhe. I have been tainted by karma for a long time, and there is no hope of a complete cure. However, Lord Rex Lapis ordered me to often take a few pots of fine wine to Mondstadt to ask the Anemo Archon to re-examine me. Now there is no major problem. Is something wrong?"
Upon hearing Xiao's words, Yuto exclaimed, "Good heavens!" Could Barbatos, who usually neglects his duties, actually be so reliable? No, that guy, he wouldn't intentionally avoid completely curing Xiao, would he? If so, wouldn't Barbatos have a stable wine delivery person? Able to constantly freeload Lord Rex Lapis's fine wine?
Yuto: "Do you remember when we first met at Wangsheng Inn? I think the time has come."
Xiao's expression instantly became very excited. He grabbed Yuto's shoulders and quickly asked: "Are you willing to tell me the whereabouts of Brother Bosacius?"
Yuto: "Not his whereabouts, but an opportunity for you to let go of your obsession."
Xiao's expression instantly became very desolate. His previously excited mood calmed down. He released Yuto's shoulders and asked expressionlessly: "Where is Bosacius?"
Yuto: "In The Chasm's underground mining area, there is a Skyfrost Nail that fell from Celestia back then. Directly beneath the Skyfrost Nail is a peculiar space."
Xiao: "The Chasm? Was the Nameless Yaksha from back then really Bosacius? I understand."
As Xiao had been searching for Bosacius for thousands of years, he had naturally heard of the deeds of the Nameless Yaksha who appeared during the Battle of The Chasm. However, due to Lord Rex Lapis's command to guard Dihua Marsh, he dared not leave his post without permission, so he had never gone to verify it.
Yuto nodded silently and added: "Wait, that space is quite peculiar. Once you enter, mere bravery is not enough to leave safely. So, I have prepared some external help for you."
"External help? I don't need it!"
Yuto had already spoken quite subtly, almost explicitly stating that Xiao's intelligence was insufficient, but he obviously didn't understand Yuto's unspoken meaning.
Yuto sighed: "Don't be so quick to refuse. Among the external help are the Traveler and Paimon. They are about to explore The Chasm's underground mining area. I'm worried, so I wanted to ask you to help secretly protect them. Don't worry, eventually, you will all reach the same destination.
There are still a few days before they set off to explore. I think you can go to Mondstadt first, find the Anemo Archon, and get your condition to its best. Oh, right, before you go, be sure to say hello to Lord Rex Lapis."
Reporting to your elders before going out still has its benefits; if you encounter a problem, your elders can still help you out.
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