About an hour later, Jiang Yan stepped out of the room looking completely refreshed.
Behind him, Ganyu followed, her delicate face flushed red and her eyes full of quiet resentment. The only problem was… her gait looked a little off.
"Jiang Yan, you're awake?"
Passing by, Menogias looked over with a friendly smile.
"Yeah, had a really good sleep," Jiang Yan said with a grin. His whole demeanor was radiant, brimming with energy.
Ganyu said nothing, but the faint rosy glow on her cheeks hadn't faded. Her face was still warm and pink.
"You… you two…"
Menogias's smile froze as his eyes widened slightly, suspicion dawning.
Jiang Yan avoided his gaze, suddenly finding the floor very interesting.
"Ahaha… well, um, how should I put it…"
He clapped his hands suddenly. "Right! Where's Sister Guizhong? I should check in with her!"
Yixiao blinked. "Guizhong and the others are at the Administration Hall. The northern part of Guili Plains was heavily flooded, so they're discussing reconstruction plans."
As he spoke, his gaze swept up and down Jiang Yan once more.
"You little rascal… don't tell me you actually—"
"Cough, cough! Well, I should get going!"
Jiang Yan tugged Ganyu by the wrist and darted off before the immortal could finish.
Menogias stood there in the wind, utterly dumbfounded.
After a long pause, he muttered to himself, hands clasped behind his back:
"I'll have to ask the Geo Lord later—what kind of species would the child of a Qilin and a spirit being even be…?"
Administration Hall
Guizhong, Cloud Retainer, and Indarias were buried in piles upon piles of paperwork stacked like miniature mountains.
"Sister Guizhong, Cloud Retainer, Madame Ping," Jiang Yan called cheerfully as he entered with Ganyu.
"Ah! Little Jiang Yan, you're awake!"
Guizhong clapped her hands happily. "Wonderful! Come here and help us with these documents."
Before Jiang Yan could react, she grabbed him and pulled him to the table.
He stared at the mountainous heap of files, swallowed hard, then began to quietly retreat.
"Um… I just remembered I have something urgent to do…"
"Eh? But didn't you come to help us~?"
Guizhong looked genuinely disappointed as Jiang Yan inched toward the door.
"Cough… yeah, about that, something came up." Jiang Yan gave an awkward laugh, then quickly asked, "Has Morax not returned yet?"
Guizhong shook her head, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes.
"The Liyue Millelith Law Enforcers came to report this morning. Clouds and waves still churn over Guyun Stone Forest. Their battle hasn't ended."
"I see…"
Jiang Yan rolled his shoulders, stretching. Then he looked back at her and asked, "How's your injury? Nothing serious, I hope?"
Guizhong smiled and shook her head. "Just surface wounds. Thanks to you, we all made it through safely."
"That's good."
"Ganyu, stay here and help Sister Guizhong with the paperwork. I'll head out for a bit."
Ganyu blinked, then nodded obediently.
As Jiang Yan turned to leave, Cloud Retainer asked, "Where are you going?"
Without looking back, Jiang Yan's calm voice drifted through the hall:
"I'm going to check on Morax."
The door closed behind him.
In the silence that followed, the three immortals turned their gazes toward Ganyu—simultaneously.
"My dear disciple," Cloud Retainer said slowly, eyes narrowing as she examined Ganyu up and down, "why do I feel… something about you seems different today?"
"Hehe, little Ganyu," Guizhong chimed in with a knowing smile, pressing her fingertips together meaningfully. "Could it be that you and Jiang Yan…"
Indarias didn't say a word, but the teasing glint in her eyes said it all.
"Master! Sister Guizhong! You… you're all…"
Ganyu's face turned scarlet in an instant, her head ducking low as steam practically rose from her horns.
The three immortals exchanged glances—each wearing the unmistakable grin of a mischievous rogue.
"Good girl," said Ping, drawing clOsial with a smirk. "Come, let Madame Ping have a look…"
"N-no!"
"Let your master see!"
"Don't—!"
"Come now, come now, why so shy?"
"Please, nooo—!"
And just like that, the once-serious Administration Hall, usually filled with the rustle of papers and the sound of quills, burst into cheerful laughter and girlish teasing.
Guyun Stone Forest
"Damn you, Morax!!!"
Osial's furious howl echoed through the churning sea.
Beneath the waves, three powerful demon gods were pinned to the ocean floor—skewered by Morax's immense stone spears.
By the time Jiang Yan arrived, the battle had only just ended.
Morax stood above the waves, his platinum battle robes torn and ragged, revealing a muscular chest marred by countless wounds.
Even for one as mighty as him, the victory had not come easily.
If not for the faith of his people—strength amassed over a hundred years—he might not have triumphed at all.
"To build a world upon humanity…"
Morax's deep voice murmured the words someone had once told him.
"How… interesting."
He stood there upon the vast, rolling sea.
And so, the war between the apex demon gods came to its end—
with Morax standing as the final victor.
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