Some things, once learned, change everything.
Take Morax, for example. He had once been unaware of Gui Zhong's heart, but after hearing about it from Cloud Retainer, he too began paying closer attention to her.
He discovered that she, too, had many sides.
To her people, she was a guiding figure—listening to their voices, walking among them, and observing their lives.
But with close friends like Cloud Retainer, Moon Carver, and Marchosius, she became a mischievous young girl: lively, playful, and getting along effortlessly with all the Adepti.
When alone with her mechanical inventions, though, she grew intensely focused. She would often stare at a block of wood or a handful of parts for ages, pondering before attempting solution after solution.
Sometimes, failure stretched so long that her frustration nearly broke her. Yet she would always bounce back quickly.
Her little trick for recovering her mood? Scribbling aimlessly on a piece of paper. She never knew what she was drawing, but by the time she finished, she would always feel lighter, happier.
And then, when she was with Morax, she became reserved—stiff, hesitant, unable to act freely. She hadn't always been this way. But ever since Morax had sincerely apologized to her, she had started acting like this...
Morax took note of all these facets, and in the end, his conclusion was simple:
"What a strange one."
Of course, these observations were only made in rare idle moments while returning to Liyue. The rest of his time was spent expanding territory alongside the Adepti. By now, they had pushed their claim as far as Jueyun Karst, seizing the land for themselves.
Together with Gui Zhong, the Adepti had also outfitted the new lands with alarm devices. Any intrusion by another Archon would trigger instant detection.
But their growing domain was vast, and Archon incursions came frequently. Battles flared across Liyue's borders, and countless refugees were swept into the conflict, becoming casualties of war.
Such was the nature of these times.
"Geo Emperor! Please, help us! Monsters are invading Liyue!"
At that moment, Morax was not at Tianheng Mountain but at the Guili Plains. The one who heard the people's pleas was Elliot.
"Monsters...? Why did I sense nothing?" Elliot muttered in confusion.
Casting his gaze downward, he soon spotted the source: a bizarre creature.
It resembled a human hand, yet was dark blue, covered in tiny scales, and no larger than a teacup. Wherever it crawled, it left behind a glistening trail, like that of a snail.
Seeing such a thing, Elliot understood why he had failed to detect it.
The creatures were far too weak—their aura almost nonexistent. The real problem lay in their numbers. Disgusting, countless numbers.
"So this is the thing that made Morax so sick he never touched seafood again...?"
Elliot immediately pulled out a sheet of paper and scribbled swiftly.
Then, with a spear in hand, he hurled it down from Tianheng Mountain, the note affixed to its shaft, embedding it in the midst of the clamoring crowd.
The spear's sudden descent startled the people, but their fear gave way to relief as they spotted the message:
"I have heard your voices. Leave immediately and gather at the southeastern beach. Once the monsters are eradicated, you will be notified. Until then, do not return."
Cheers erupted instantly.
"The Geo Emperor heard us! He'll slay the monsters for us! Let's head to the beach—don't get in his way!"
"Thank the heavens! Those monsters are revolting—they crawl everywhere in the house, always hiding in damp little corners!"
"Right? They may not seem dangerous, but who knows what happens when we're asleep? Just thinking about it gives me chills!"
"Quick, spread the word! We can't keep the Geo Emperor waiting!"
"On it!"
And so the crowd dispersed like a flood. Word spread from one to ten, ten to a hundred, a hundred to a thousand. Soon, Liyue's people poured from their homes in droves, streaming in orderly lines toward the beach.
In less than half an hour, the once-bustling streets of Liyue stood empty.
Only then did Elliot descend from Tianheng Mountain and step into the city.
This was the first time he had set foot in Liyue since its founding.
"So this is the thing..." he muttered, pulling one of the creatures out from a house.
It felt like gummy candy to the touch. Though scaled, its skin was slick and slimy, like mucus—disgusting beyond words.
"No wonder Morax was repulsed. These slippery things are hard to deal with—neither Geo nor blades are much use against them."
But Elliot commanded more than one element. With a crackling surge of lightning, he shocked the writhing blue creature, instantly killing it.
One jolt for one monster. The efficiency was obvious.
As he electrocuted more and more of them, he discovered something useful: the slime they secreted also conducted electricity. As long as it wasn't completely dry, channeling lightning into the residue would flush out hidden creatures from their dark corners.
Once he learned this trick, his pace quickened dramatically.
All across Liyue, homes erupted with the crackle and pop of thunder, like firecrackers going off indoors.
Even so, their numbers were staggering. Clearing them out took four full hours, even at his speed.
If Morax had been the one handling it, it might have taken three or four days. Their hiding spots were simply too well concealed—without electricity to root them out, it would have been nearly impossible.
At last, when the task was complete, Elliot reported back to the people at the beach.
The residents of Liyue erupted in cheers of gratitude—"Long live the Geo Emperor!"—as they happily made their way home once more.