[Blessing of Alchemy: Supreme mastery of alchemy, turning decay into wonder.]
"Koji, who is this?"
On the ground lay a young woman in long sleeves. No breathing, no heartbeat. Lumine poked her curiously with a finger.
Koji had shaped a person out of dust. Though lifeless, the skin's texture was indistinguishable from that of a real human.
"Is this alchemy?" Eula asked in shock.
She had seen Sucrose's alchemy, but nothing like creating a whole person.
Alchemy could do this?
"Yes. The body lying here is meant for the God of Dust, Guizhong." Koji nodded.
Guizhong was not the Geo Archon, but Dust belonged to Geo's nature. She could serve as their "sister of construction."
"Guizhong, are you satisfied with this body?" Koji asked, addressing the Vortex Vanquisher.
Through a special sensory blessing, he felt a remnant of Guizhong's consciousness residing in the polearm.
"Satisfied… though the chest could be bigger."
A lively voice rang out. The weapon glowed warmly, and Glaze Lilies bloomed all around.
"Morax, that blockhead rock, so many years and he never unraveled the Vortex Vanquisher." Guizhong muttered.
"But if a dead god appears again, won't Celestia notice?"
"No need to worry. Celestia's situation isn't great these days."
Reassured, Guizhong's will entered the alchemically crafted body.
Her heart began to beat. Breath returned. Warmth spread.
Her eyelids fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
"Ah… it feels like I've slept so long."
"Dust returns to the world!"
She stretched. Strength was meager, but her divine authority over Dust remained.
"How does it feel, that body?" Koji asked.
It was his first time shaping a vessel with alchemy.
"Wonderful!"
Guizhong gave a thumbs-up.
She was only a remnant consciousness. If her remains could be recovered, she might reclaim her godly might.
But only Morax knew where her remains were sealed.
Divine remains did not easily vanish. Otherwise, the remnants of the Archon War would have long faded from Teyvat.
Most likely, Morax had sealed hers to prevent harm to Liyue.
Guizhong didn't want to face him yet. Better to prepare and surprise him with her return.
"By the way, what is Morax called now?" she asked.
"Zhongli."
Koji's lips curled. Guizhong was sharp—she would understand.
"Zhongli… to end, to part."
She sighed softly. Morax must have endured countless losses, weathered so much erosion.
"All right. Since you won the revival match, the house-building is on you."
Koji plopped a hard hat on her head and handed over blueprints.
The Sister of Construction was officially online.
"Eh?"
Guizhong froze. Just revived, and already construction duty?
"You're the God of Dust, the inventor of many devices. Building a house shouldn't be hard, right?" Koji said matter-of-factly.
"Well… since it's my benefactor's request, I'll accept."
Guizhong shrugged and studied the plans. She had helped humans build homes before. She had the experience.
"This year's Rite of Descension, don't miss it. Morax plans to fake his death and retire."
"He plans… to fake his death?"
Guizhong's face filled with question marks. She couldn't connect those words with the serious, steady Morax she knew.
Fake death retirement sounded like he just wanted to slack off.
"What happened to him all these years?" she asked blankly.
Was this really the Morax she knew? Had the erosion driven him to give up?
"Maybe he saw how carefree the Anemo Archon was, and wanted to retire too." Koji joked.
Eula and Noelle averted their heads. Their Anemo Archon really was that carefree.
"Forget it. If Morax does this, he must have his reasons."
"I'll see for myself at the Rite."
She let it go. After so many years, if Morax wanted rest, it was only natural.
"Ping'er, what about Liuyun and the others?" Guizhong asked.
"Madame Ping lives as an old woman among Liyue's people. The adepti like Cloud Retainer withdrew to the mountains, rarely entering Liyue Harbor. Among the yaksha, only the Golden-Winged one remains." Koji explained.
"Sigh…"
Guizhong let out a long breath. So much had changed.
Ping'er taking on the guise of an old woman reflected her change of heart. In truth, she had been the most beautiful among them.
"No need to rush with the house. Let's take you to Liyue Harbor to see Madame Ping."
"Good, good. I wonder if Ping'er will be shocked when she sees me again." Guizhong smiled.
She also wanted to see how Liyue had grown under Morax's rule.
…
Arriving at Liyue Harbor, Guizhong looked like a country girl seeing the city for the first time. Gazing everywhere, full of curiosity.
Such prosperity.
Her face softened with relief.
During the Archon War, there had been no such peace. Now, people lived and worked in contentment. It was the dream of a golden age.
"How wonderful, that Liyue has become this."
She spoke from the heart. As one of its founders, though absent through the centuries, seeing this flourishing harbor filled her with satisfaction.
"These two sisters must be from Mondstadt, yes? What do you think of Liyue?" Guizhong asked with a smile.
Noelle thought for a moment. "It's a beautiful city. But whether one is better than the other doesn't matter. Every nation has its own unique beauty."
Guizhong nodded. She harbored no disdain for other lands.
"Not as many drunkards as Mondstadt." Eula offered bluntly.
Mondstadt had too many. Many refused to work, just drank. Thankfully not everyone—otherwise Mondstadt would collapse.
Guizhong laughed. A Mondstadter's own complaint—quite amusing.
(End of Chapter)
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