[Location: Mt. Tianheng – Guizhong Ballista]
[Time: 1:15 PM]
The massive blue crane hovered above us, her wings beating up a storm of dust.
"ONE is outraged!" Cloud Retainer squawked, her voice echoing like a trumpet. "One simply went for a mid-afternoon flight, only to find one's pristine mechanism molested by mortals!"
She glared at the Treasure Hoarders I had tossed into a pile. Then she glared at me.
"And YOU. You reek of strange laws. You are not of this world, yet you dare touch the legacy of Guizhong?"
"We repaired it," Aether shouted over the wind. "We're here to find the Cocogoat!"
"Cocogoat?" Cloud Retainer paused. The wind died down. She landed gracefully, folding her wings. "One has lived for thousands of years. One has never heard of such a beast."
"It produces Coconut Milk," Paimon explained helpfully.
Cloud Retainer stared at us. Then at Zhongli.
"Morax... surely you—" She cut herself off, remembering Zhongli was "incognito." "Ahem. Surely this gentleman knows that Coconuts grow on trees?"
Paimon froze. "Trees?"
"Wait," I facepalmed. "So the 'Coco' part is the plant, and the 'Goat' part is... just Qiqi's imagination?"
"Precisely," Cloud Retainer huffed. "Now, begone. Unless you wish to test one's patience further."
I looked at the Ballista. It was fixed, but... it was clunky. The gears were grinding. It offended my [Great Sage] sensibilities.
"Hey, Bird Mom," I stepped forward.
"Bird... Mom?!" Her feathers ruffled indignantly. "One is Cloud Retainer!"
"Yeah, yeah. Listen, your tracking mechanism is off by 0.4 degrees," I pointed at the central scope. "And the elemental conduit is leaking energy. Efficiency is at 78%. I can get it to 99%."
Cloud Retainer bristled. "Preposterous! One designed this personally! No mortal could—"
"Great Sage," I commanded silently. "Activate [All of Creation]. Overlay Blueprint: Type-Zero Ballista Optimization."
[Great Sage]
My hand began to glow with golden geometric patterns. I placed it on the wooden frame of the Ballista.
Hummmmmm.
The wood groaned, then shifted. The rusty iron gears dissolved and reshaped into gleaming steel. The tension strings tightened to the perfect frequency. The elemental scope realigned with a sharp click.
The entire machine hummed with a quiet, lethal efficiency.
"Done," I dusted off my hands. " optimized the reload speed and added a dampener so it doesn't shake when it fires. You're welcome."
Cloud Retainer's beak hung open. She walked around the machine, inspecting it with wide eyes.
"This... this craftsmanship..." She looked at me, her arrogance replaced by shock. "You understand the principles of Mechanism Artifice? Not even Ganyu could calculate these variables so quickly."
"Ganyu works too hard," I noted. "Maybe her mother should visit her more often?"
Cloud Retainer coughed, looking away awkwardly. "One... is busy. But... very well. You have improved the device. One shall overlook your transgression. And as for your 'Cocogoat'..."
She laughed.
"Go to the market. Buy a Coconut. Do not trouble the Adepti with your grocery shopping."
With a powerful flap of her wings, she shot back into the sky. "And tell Ganyu... One says hello!"
[Location: Bubu Pharmacy]
[Time: 3:00 PM]
We walked back down the stairs. Paimon was devastated.
"Qiqi is going to be so sad..." Paimon whined. "There's no such thing as a Cocogoat. Just boring coconuts."
I frowned.
I remembered the look on Qiqi's face. The dull, monotone hope. I couldn't just hand her a fruit and say "Deal with it."
I am a Dragon. I don't follow the rules of reality; I eat them.
"Great Sage," I whispered. "Do we have Coconuts in the [Stomach] inventory?"
[Great Sage]
"Do we have Milk?"
"Combine them. Use [Predator] synthesis. Enhance the flavor profile. Add a trace amount of [Vitality] so it tastes like 'life'."
[Great Sage]
A glowing bottle materialized in my hand. The liquid inside was pearlescent white, swirling with faint magical energy.
We entered the pharmacy. Baizhu was counting Mora. Qiqi was staring at the wall.
"You returned," Qiqi looked up. "Did you find... the Cocogoat?"
"Well..." Aether scratched his head.
"We found it," I stepped in, holding up the bottle. "It was a rare breed. Very fast. But I caught it and milked it."
Zhongli choked on his own spit in the background. Paimon covered her mouth to stop from laughing.
Qiqi's eyes widened. She shuffled out from behind the counter.
"Really?"
She took the bottle with two hands. She popped the cork and took a small sip.
Her reaction was immediate.
Her eyes sparkled. A faint flush of color returned to her pale cheeks. The [Vitality] in the milk was reacting with her zombie physiology, giving her a momentary taste of being "alive."
"Delicious..." Qiqi whispered. She hugged the bottle to her chest. "Taste like... hope. Thank you... Mr. Raiden."
Baizhu stared at the bottle, his snake eyes narrowing. He could sense the magic in it.
"Incredible," Baizhu murmured. "That isn't normal milk."
"It's part of the deal," I slammed a hand on the counter, leaning over Baizhu. "We got the milk. Now give us the Incense. Discounted."
Baizhu raised his hands in surrender. "A deal is a deal. Two million Mora. I cannot go lower, or the Guild will have my head."
"Childe!" I yelled over my shoulder.
Childe walked in from the street, looking bored. "Yes, yes. I heard. Two million." He tossed a heavy sack onto the counter. "You guys are expensive friends."
As we packed the Incense, Qiqi tugged on my coat.
I looked down.
"Can... Mr. Raiden come back?" she asked softly. "To check pulse? And... bring milk?"
My heart melted.
"Yeah," I patted her head, careful not to mess up her talisman. "I'll come back. I promise."
[Location: Liyue Harbor – Entrance]
[Time: 6:00 PM]
"We have everything!" Paimon cheered. "The Jade, the Perfume, the Kite, the Incense... surely the Rite of Parting is ready now?"
"Almost," Zhongli nodded. "We merely need to—"
"Excuse me."
A calm, authoritative voice cut through the air.
We turned.
Standing there were two Millelith guards, and between them, a familiar purple-haired woman with twin tails.
Keqing.
She looked less tired than last night, probably thanks to the shrimp and the pep talk. She was holding an elaborate invitation letter.
"Lady Yuheng," Zhongli bowed slightly.
"Mr. Zhongli. Traveler," Keqing nodded to them professionally. Then she turned her gaze to me. Her expression softened just a fraction.
"And Raiden."
"Hey," I grinned. "Get some sleep?"
"Four hours," she admitted, crossing her arms. "It was... adequate. Thank you."
She cleared her throat, returning to business mode.
"I am here on behalf of Tianquan Ningguang. She wishes to speak with you."
"With me?" Aether pointed to himself.
"With all of you," Keqing corrected. "Specifically, the 'Traveler' and the 'Consultant who fixes Adepti Tech'." She looked at me pointedly. "Word travels fast, Raiden. Cloud Retainer was... surprisingly vocal about your modifications."
She extended the invitation.
"The Jade Chamber invites you. We need to discuss the Fatui... and the Dragon in our midst."
I took the letter. It smelled of expensive paper and intrigue.
"The Jade Chamber, huh?" I looked up at the floating palace in the sky. "I've always wanted to see if that thing has a turbo mode."
Keqing smirked. "Try not to break it. I just finished the structural audit."
"No promises," I winked.
[Great Sage]
Warning: High concentration of political schemes detected.
Suggestion: Prepare [Formal Attire] via Mimicry.>