[Location: Mt. Aocang – The Divine Abode]
[Time: 8:45 PM]
The moon hung high over Mt. Aocang, reflecting perfectly off the placid lake in the center of the peak. It was a place of breathtaking serenity, disturbed only by the sound of Paimon's stomach growling.
In the center of the lake sat a stone table with three chairs.
"It looks... lonely," Aether whispered, walking across the water (thanks to the shallow stone path).
I stood by the table, running a hand over the cold stone. [Spirit Perception] picked up faint, ancient echoes. Laughter. Wine. The scent of Glaze Lilies.
"Three seats," I murmured. "One for the Dragon (Rex Lapis). One for the Bird (Cloud Retainer). And one for..."
I paused at the third seat. The energy there was different. Dust. Memory.
Guizhong. The God of Dust.
[Great Sage]
Conclusion: This location serves as a memorial.>
"There are recipes here!" Paimon shouted, hovering over a stone stove nearby. "Look! 'Jewelry Soup', 'Matsutake Meat Rolls', and 'Mora Meat'!"
"But we don't have anyone to cook them," Aether sighed. "I'm okay at cooking, but..."
"Step aside," I said, rolling up my sleeves (or rather, adjusting my scales). "You are looking at a master."
"You?" Paimon squinted. "You're a dragon. Do you just breathe fire on it until it's crispy?"
"Cooking is chemistry, Paimon. And I have a supercomputer in my head." I tapped my temple. "[Great Sage], pull up the optimal thermal preparation for Matsutake."
[Great Sage]
"Aether, prep the ingredients. I'll handle the heat."
[Time: 9:15 PM – The Cooking Montage]
The air filled with the mouth-watering scent of searing meat and rich broth.
I held the wok with one hand, tossing the Mora Meat with practiced ease. Instead of using wood, I channeled a tiny, controlled stream of [Dragon Fire] from my fingertips directly under the pan.
"Whoa," Aether watched, chopping vegetables. "That's convenient."
"Precision is key," I lectured, sprinkling salt. "Too much heat destroys the enzymes. Too little, and the flavor doesn't bind. This needs to be perfect. Adepti have refined palates."
I plated the dishes on the stone table.
Jewelry Soup: shimmering like liquid jade.
Mora Meat: perfectly seared, juicy and wrapped in crisp pastry.
Matsutake Meat Rolls: the aroma was earthy and rich.
"It smells so goooood!" Paimon reached out.
Smack.
I flicked her hand away with a tail whip. "Not for you. We are summoning a Goddess."
Almost on cue, the wind shifted. The mist parted.
From the clouds above, a majestic white crane with blue and gold plumage descended, her presence elegant and imposing.
Cloud Retainer.
She landed gracefully, her eyes immediately locking onto the food.
"Hmph. One sensed a disturbance in the culinary qi of the mountain."
She tucked her wings. "Who has trespassed upon one's abode? And... who has prepared these offerings? They smell... adequate."
"Adequate?" Paimon whispered indignantly. "It's a masterpiece!"
"We are travelers," Aether bowed. "We prepared this meal to honor you, Cloud Retainer."
Cloud Retainer stepped closer, inspecting the Jewelry Soup. "This recipe... One has not smelled this since the days when Rex Lapis and Guizhong dined here. You have recreated it with surprising accuracy."
She looked at me, her sharp eyes narrowing. "And you. The entity with the aura of a Storm and the form of a... what are you? A Vishap? No, your intelligence is too high."
"I am Raiden," I introduced myself, leaning against a tree. "A guest. And the chef."
"A Dragon Chef," Cloud Retainer mused. "One has seen many things in three thousand years. This is a new novelty. Very well. One shall accept your offering."
She didn't eat physically (being an Adeptus), but she inhaled the essence of the food. The steam vanished, and the food lost its glow, accepted as a spiritual offering.
"Acceptable," she declared. "The texture of the Matsutake was preserved well. Now. State your purpose. You did not come here merely to feed one."
Aether took a breath. "We have the Sigil of Permission. And bad news."
I watched her closely as Aether explained the situation: The Rite of Descension, the assassination, the lockdown.
Unlike Mountain Shaper's explosive rage, Cloud Retainer went eerily quiet.
She turned away, looking at the empty seat of Rex Lapis.
"Rex Lapis... assassinated?"
Her voice was low. Dangerous.
"Vile," she hissed. "Absolutely vile. To think the city he built would turn its blade against him."
She spread her wings, and suddenly, glowing blue runes appeared in the air—schematics. Complex mechanical diagrams.
"One shall not stand for this," Cloud Retainer declared. "One shall mobilize the mechanisms. One's abode is filled with devices of war. One shall fly to Liyue Harbor, unleash the Guizhong Ballista, and flatten the entire city! We shall purge the corruption from the roots!"
"Whoa, whoa!" Paimon waved her hands. "Flatten the city?! But there are innocent people there!"
"If they cannot protect their God, they do not deserve to live in his city!" Cloud Retainer argued, her logic ruthless.
"Hold on, Tech-Support," I stepped in.
Cloud Retainer glared at me. "Tech... Support? You dare mock one?"
"I'm admiring your inventions," I lied smoothly (though Great Sage was actively scanning her blueprints to steal them). "But destroying the city is inefficient. If you wipe out Liyue, you wipe out the contracts Rex Lapis made. You destroy his legacy."
I walked up to her, looking her in the eye.
"Besides, if you just bomb the place, you'll never know who actually did it. You're a scholar, aren't you? An inventor? Since when do inventors act on incomplete data?"
Cloud Retainer paused. "One... values logic, yes."
"Then be logical," I pressed. "Join Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver. March on the city, sure. Scare them. But don't fire the first shot until you know who the target is. If you destroy the city, the true killer might escape in the rubble."
Cloud Retainer tapped her beak. She looked at the blueprints, then at the empty soup bowl. The memory of the meal seemed to soften her slightly.
"You possess a sharp tongue, Dragon," she huffed. "And your reasoning... is not without merit. To destroy the city indiscriminately would be... inelegant."
She dispelled the runes.
"Very well. One shall suppress the urge to annihilate the harbor. For now. One shall rendezvous with the others."
She looked at Aether. "Traveler. You have done well to bring this to one's attention. And you, Raiden... your culinary skills have saved the lives of many mortals today. Do not expect one to be so lenient next time."
"I'll bring dessert next time," I smirked.
"Hmph. See that you do."
With a powerful gust of Anemo, Cloud Retainer launched herself into the sky, flying toward Jueyun Karst's center.
[Location: Mt. Aocang – Lakeside]
[Time: 10:00 PM]
"She's terrifying," Paimon exhaled. "She really wanted to blow up the city!"
"But she listened," Aether said, sitting on the stone bench. "That's three Adepti. Just one left."
"Xiao," I said the name. "The Conqueror of Demons."
"Moon Carver said we might find him at Wangshu Inn," Aether recalled.
I looked at the schematics stored in my memory thanks to [Great Sage].
Analysis Complete: Cloud Retainer's Mechanical Arts.
Acquired Knowledge: Mechanism Construction (Basic), Sigil Weaving.
"Wangshu Inn is on the way back," I said. "But Xiao isn't like these three. He doesn't care about offerings or polite conversation. He's a soldier. He's in constant pain."
I clenched my fist, feeling the [Lust] skill humming deep inside me. Specifically, the Kiss of Love aspect—the ability to heal souls.
Maybe... maybe I can help him.
"Let's move," I said, summoning the Motorcycle Eradicator (which I had mentally upgraded with some amber plating for better defense). "Next stop: Wangshu Inn. I hope you like heights."
Aether groaned. "Not the bike again..."