"Keqing, how did you manage it?"
Su Han was deeply curious. From what he remembered in the PV, that teahouse owner was quite the sly one, he loved taking out loans from the Northland Bank just to squeeze out more Mora, only to get caught when he tried to flee at the last moment.
As for the rest of his shady dealings, Su Han honestly didn't know much.
When Keqing heard the mention of the Rock Tea House, she gave a cold snort and said, "That man? Hmph, he didn't just owe money to the Northland Bank. He also swindled every tea merchant in Liyue Harbor, one of whom happened to be under Ningguang's business network.
"When I led the Millelith to confront him, he fell to his knees instantly. He practically answered every question before I could even ask. And as for that Forbidden Talisman of No Taboo, the moment I told him it could offset 200,000 Mora of debt, he pulled it right out of his vault!
"Thankfully, you warned us ahead of time. If not, he would've vanished by tomorrow."
By the time she finished, Keqing couldn't help feeling a chill. If she'd arrived just a little later, or if she hadn't come with Ningguang that day, Liyue Harbor might've faced a massive crisis.
Truly… that was a close call.
"Now that the Forbidden Talisman is in our hands," Ningguang said, "let's keep it with Su Han for now. It could serve as a bridge between Liyue Harbor and the adepti someday. In any case, we owe you our thanks this time."
Su Han waved a hand modestly. "No need to be so polite, we're all friends here. I only provided a bit of information. You're the ones who actually handled the operation."
To him, it wasn't a big deal. The safer Liyue was, the more comfortable his own life became. In the end, they were all grasshoppers tied to the same rope.
Seeing him so humble, Keqing felt a pang of guilt. She'd doubted his judgment earlier, while he'd noticed problems she'd completely overlooked. Thinking back, her face flushed red with embarrassment.
Keqing quickly waved her hands. "No, no, this was all thanks to you. I merely led the Millelith to wrap things up. About this morning… I really owe you an apology."
Su Han laughed. "It's fine, a misunderstanding's just that. If you still feel bad, how about treating me to a meal sometime?"
"No problem," Keqing said with a small smile. "Though it might not be soon. I'll need to discuss reforms for the Millelith with Ningguang."
After today's events, both women had realized how many flaws Liyue Harbor still had. Reform was inevitable, but deciding how to reform would take time and discussion.
"Then we'll eat when you have the time," Su Han said lightly. "I'm free pretty much whenever."
After they'd agreed, Keqing and Ningguang took their leave. They'd been out all day, and it was time to return to their duties.
But on the way back, Keqing's expression was unusually distant. She kept zoning out, so much that she sometimes didn't even respond to Ningguang's questions.
Finally, Ningguang stopped and asked, "Something on your mind?"
"Hm? I suppose you could say that." Keqing blinked and nodded slightly.
"It's about Su Han, isn't it?"
"Yes. I can't help but feel… I still have a lot to learn."
Realizing Ningguang had seen right through her, Keqing admitted it without hesitation.
Ningguang smiled faintly. "Then we'll just learn step by step. Don't let it discourage you. In fact, this is a good thing, you used to be a bit too straightforward and quick to judge. That has its merits, but also its flaws.
"It's normal to feel defensive when someone criticizes our work. But Su Han gave us a new perspective, one we've never considered. The moment we learn to reflect, we start to grow.
"And the longer we hold positions of power, the easier it becomes to overlook certain voices. We Seven Stars of Liyue must never forget this lesson."
"You're right," Keqing said, nodding with conviction. Failure itself wasn't scary, what was truly terrifying was failing to learn from it.
"Now then," Keqing asked and continued, "about these Liyue reforms. What's your take?"
"Oh, that?" Ningguang's lips curved slightly. "Su Han and I have already discussed a detailed proposal. He even gave me a martial arts technique."
"What?" Keqing's eyes widened. "A martial art?"
"Cloud-Palm Strike."
Keqing froze in disbelief. "Wait, what? The Cloud-Palm Strike!?"
"Yes," Ningguang said with a calm smile. "That very same technique. I can only say that Su Han hides far more than he shows."
Her reaction was perfectly understandable, Ningguang herself had been just as shocked when she first received it.
A martial art that existed only in his comic… was real.
Who could have imagined such a thing?
It took Keqing a full five minutes to recover. Finally, she sighed. "I really misjudged him. I thought he was just a genius comic artist."
"That's why," Ningguang said gently, "you should show more respect to both the adepti and the Geo Archon. And we should also strengthen our ties with Su Han. The martial art is just a bonus. What truly astonished me was his insight, his intelligence gathering and his views on reform.
"Tell me, do you remember what Su Han said the first time we met? Think carefully, what did we miss? Here's a hint: foreign affairs."
"Foreign…?" Keqing frowned, then her face suddenly changed color.
Foreign affairs.
The Dragon Catastrophe in Mondstadt.
The Isolation Decree in Inazuma.
The turmoil in Sumeru's faith system.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "You… you can't mean—"
"I know it sounds impossible," Ningguang interrupted, her voice cool and sharp. "But think about it. If we add Liyue's demon god incident to that list, four nations, all thrown into chaos at once, doesn't that seem too convenient?
"Viewed together, the pattern is clear. There's only one nation capable of orchestrating a scheme on this scale, Snezhnaya."
Her gaze grew colder with every word. Through Su Han's hints, Ningguang had pieced together a chilling truth.
Taken individually, each crisis seemed unrelated: Mond's dragon rampage, the Raiden Shogun's oppressive rule, Sumeru's turmoil over faith.
But seen from afar, it formed a single, unified picture.
And the only party that stood to gain… was Snezhnaya.
Keqing's brow furrowed. "But what's their goal? Overthrowing the Archons' rule? That's madness. Not even the Fatui Harbingers could achieve something like that."
"Perhaps not," Ningguang said softly, "but understanding their motive isn't our priority. Now that we've guessed their hand, verifying it will be easy. In fact, there's already an opportunity before us."
"The Rock Tea House?"
A faint smile appeared on Ningguang's lips. "Smart."
After seeing off the two Liyue Qixing, Su Han finally returned upstairs. He'd barely opened the door when he heard someone crying.
"H-hic… The Second Dream… so pitiful… Why does it have to end like this…"
"Huh? Does curing demonic corruption really require a blood replacement…?"
Su Han blinked in confusion. Then his expression turned odd. Seriously? Never thought Young Master Xingqiu would be this sentimental.
The moment he heard the door open, the crying stopped.
Xingqiu slowly turned around, eyes red, and asked in a trembling voice, "Brother Su… can't you change the ending a little? It's just too cruel. How many wives has Nie Feng lost already?"
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