"We just received funding from Childe and haven't even started preparing yet. Qingge, since you're also organizing the Rite of Parting, how far along are you?"
Mu Qingge pulled out a Noctilucous Jade from her pouch, opening it as she spoke:
"I'm sorry, I've only just begun preparations myself. So far, I've only secured this Noctilucous Jade."
"Mr. Zhongli is renowned for his profound knowledge of ancient lore and his expertise in gemstones. This Noctilucous Jade is one from my personal collection. I only know it's exceptionally bright, but I'd greatly appreciate your expert assessment of its quality."
"Not at all, this humble one merely possesses a modest understanding," Zhongli replied modestly, accepting the jade from Mu Qingge's hand. After a careful examination, he immediately recognized its quality.
"This Noctilucous Jade far surpasses the market standard. It must have been mined from the depths of The Chasm and remains perfectly preserved. By all reasonable standards, it is ideally suited as a material for the Rite of Parting."
Mu Qingge seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
Although she understood the ritual's steps, failing at the first hurdle—acquiring the proper materials—would be an utter betrayal of the Geo Archon's trust.
"In that case, I'll head to a jeweler immediately to commission the ritual vessels. We need to secure them as soon as possible. I believe the next step is crafting the Perfume, correct? The rest of you can proceed to procure the ingredients. I'll join you shortly."
Zhongli suddenly stopped Mu Qingge.
"Forgive my impertinence, but I must ask: what sort of vessels are required?"
Mu Qingge understood Zhongli's meaning. She smiled faintly and shared the information she had gleaned from the ancient texts.
Zhongli nodded in satisfaction.
Lumine hurried to Mu Qingge's side, producing a pouch of Mora. "This is the funding Childe provided. We'll use this to pay the artisans later."
To their surprise, Mu Qingge gently pushed the pouch away.
"Thank you, but it's not necessary. I have some savings of my own, and I wish to contribute to the Rite of Parting myself. Please keep this money—we'll have plenty of expenses later."
Lumine sighed and scratched her head, retreating back to Zhongli's side.
Zhongli chuckled softly. "Such is the nature of the current Kaiyang. Pay her no mind."
Lumine shook her head to indicate she didn't mind at all. In fact, she found such a personality rather endearing. At least, she certainly liked it.
"Mr. Zhongli seems to know Qingge quite well," Lumine ventured as they walked to buy flowers. "Could you tell us more about her?"
"Yeah, yeah! Paimon's super curious too!"
Zhongli paused thoughtfully before answering.
"The current Kaiyang, Mu Qingge, holds considerable renown in Liyue Harbor. Like Yuheng Keqing, she was elected to the Liyue Qixing at a remarkably young age. Here in Liyue Harbor, you could likely ask anyone on the street and they'd have a story about her to share."
"She received a Geo Vision at the age of three and has displayed extraordinary intelligence and talent since childhood. From a young age, she has excelled in every skill she learned, consistently achieving top marks—no one could surpass her..."
"Three years old?!" Paimon exclaimed, her eyes widening in astonishment.
A Vision at three?! Lumine found it equally incredible.
"I thought the criteria for obtaining a Vision were extremely stringent. It's said that the Gods only bestow their gaze upon those whose heartfelt desires reach a certain intensity. But three-year-old Qingge... How could such a young child possess such a profound wish that it would attract the attention of the Gods?"
An idea suddenly flashed through Paimon's mind. "Since this is the Geo Archon's domain, could Rex Lapis have recognized Mu Qingge's exceptional talent even as a child and made an exception by granting her a Vision?"
While Lumine pondered the possibility, Zhongli spoke up:
"No, to my knowledge, the authority to bestow Visions does not rest with the Seven Archons. Even Rex Lapis himself may have been puzzled by this."
"Oh~" Paimon responded blankly.
Zhongli continued their discussion:
"Four years ago, during a Rite of Descension, she received the Geo Archon's blessing. Rex Lapis even bestowed his own weapon upon her. It was on that very day that she joined the Millelith."
"After that, I'm not too clear on the details. All I know is that she excelled in the military, repeatedly performed extraordinary feats, and won over the entire army."
"During the last Qixing reshuffle, she was elected Kaiyang at the remarkably young age of fifteen. Since then, she has never made a single mistake in her position, and the Millelith have grown even stronger under her leadership."
-
Player World
[Holy moly, she's the real deal!]
[Cough, cough, honey, you're too outstanding—you'll lose me!]
[I knew it! The moment I saw Qingge, I could tell she was incredibly powerful and exceptionally special. That face... she's the kind of super-capable, aloof beauty I only dream of!]
[Yuheng, huh? Thanks to those twenty pulls Qingge gave me, plus what I'd saved, I was aiming for Childe's banner. But I ended up pulling Keqing instead! A cat-eared beauty with black stockings!]
[Those aren't cat ears, idiot! That's just Keqing's hairstyle. Damn it, why can't I pull her? I got the ginger instead. He's alright, but the Yuheng is way cooler!]
[So, Qingge's weapon used to belong to Rex Lapis himself?]
[Looks like the Geo Archon truly valued Mu Qingge!]
[Ah, what a pity. If only the Geo Archon hadn't died...]
[Even after getting this far, I'm still completely baffled. Did the Geo Archon really die so suddenly? No God has offered any clues about how he died. Could the Liyue Qixing truly be responsible?!]
After taking care of the vessels, Mu Qingge headed to Wanyou Boutique to purchase perfume for the Rite of Parting, the best place for such supplies.
Upon arriving, she found Zhongli and the others had already negotiated the price with the Boss and were discussing the remaining arrangements.
Paimon's eyes lit up when she spotted Mu Qingge.
"Qingge, over here! Come quick!"
As Mu Qingge approached, Paimon continued, "We were just talking about who could help us make the perfume. We were about to go find someone to make perfume. Wanna join us?"
"How are you planning to find them?"
Lumine suddenly sniffed the air ahead, as if she'd discovered a treasure. "Qingge, you smell sweet too! Do you know how to make perfume?"
Mu Qingge was surprised by Lumine's keen sense of smell. Her own scent didn't seem particularly strong...
With many matters to attend to on Kaiyang, Mu Qingge often used incense in her room to soothe her mind and help her fall asleep quickly.
"I don't know how to make perfume myself, but I know someone... a rather special... friend, I suppose, who's quite knowledgeable about these things. Perhaps we could ask her for help."
"Then let's not waste any time! Let's set off right away!"
Zhongli shook his head. "I'll wait for you near the Statue of The Seven. Once you've made the perfume, we'll meet there."
-
After bidding farewell to Zhongli, Mu Qingge led Lumine and Paimon to Ying'er's shop.
"I'll stay here. You two go ask for help. I won't go inside."
"Qingge, aren't you coming with us?"
"No, I... don't get along very well with that friend. You two... never mind. I'll wait here for you. Take your time, there's no rush."
Mu Qingge had no intention of entering. Let Ying'er and the Traveler handle it.
What outrageous things might Ying'er say if she saw me? she wondered. I... can't deal with that right now.