A few more days passed, and Lucian's new book was released. This installment had been long awaited, and as it contained crucial plot developments, it sold out instantly upon release.
It was then that the people of Liyue noticed the appearance of the "Prophet" himself—this was the first time they had seen him in person.
After the first two acts of the story, Mona had also made prophecies about Liyue's future, which largely aligned with what was written in the book. However, she lacked knowledge of the finer details, as she couldn't clearly foresee the actions of Lucian and Lumine—outsiders to this world. Matters involving Archons were also beyond her full comprehension, so she still relied on Lucian's book for clarity.
"So it really is about events that have already happened," Mona nodded.
Prophets generally avoided foretelling their own futures, often steering their visions away from personal outcomes. The fact that Lucian had included himself in this prophecy confirmed to Mona that this was a record of "history."
Mona wasn't particularly surprised. To a prophet, the "future" was merely "history" that had yet to unfold. But to ordinary people, whether it was recording "history" or predicting the "future," these were secrets beyond their reach, which was why readers remained enthralled.
The tone of the book then shifted, as Zhongli and Lumine ventured into the wilderness to search for wild Glaze Lilies—the final item needed for the Rite of Parting.
Just like in the original events, they sang to the flowers, only to attract Whopperflowers. The only difference was the song they sang, but since novels couldn't convey sound, it made no difference what they sang. Readers could only infer from the dialogue that the Traveler didn't seem particularly skilled at singing.
Then, Ganyu made her appearance.
["Ah, it's... it's Yangu!" Lumine said.]
At this point, the people of Liyue were stunned. They knew Ganyu well—she was the secretary of the Qixing, the head of the Yuehai Pavilion, and an Adeptus. For the Traveler to disrespect an Adeptus like this, surely Ganyu would be angry?
But contrary to their expectations, Ganyu wasn't upset at all.
[Ganyu only replied gently, "Traveler, my name is Ganyu."]
This came as a huge surprise to the people of Liyue. Though they didn't interact with Ganyu much, her status and her cool, reserved demeanor had given them the impression that she was unapproachable. No one had expected her to be so gentle and easygoing, not even minding when someone got her name wrong.
Those who had known Ganyu for a long time, however, weren't focused on whether her temper was gentle or not.
Yae Miko couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Sister Ganyu... Yangu, hehehe, it suits her so well~."
"If I ever get the chance to visit Liyue, I'll call her 'Yangu' too. I hope Sister won't be mad at me," Yae Miko giggled behind her sleeve.
Cyno pondered, "This joke... I'd give it a seven out of ten."
Cloud Retainer even took out pen and paper. "Yangu... Hmm, noted."
She really needed to learn more about her disciples... How had she not known about such an adorable nickname for Ganyu?
Ganyu herself remained unaware that her "Yangu" moniker had practically spread across all of Teyvat. She was still busy working alongside Keqing.
"The reconstruction of the Golden House, the road to Mondstadt... There's still so much to do. Guess I'll have to sacrifice more sleep..."
Keqing massaged her temples, staring wearily at the piles of documents before her.
After Rex Lapis's "death," the Golden House had lost its purpose, but as a place of symbolic importance, it still needed repairs.
"Diplomatic negotiations with the Fatui, maritime trade with Fontaine, alcohol imports from Mondstadt... Looks like I won't be sleeping these next few days either..." Ganyu sighed, equally overwhelmed.
While everyone else was reading the third act of the story, the "Ganyu-Keqing duo" had no idea when they'd get the chance to catch up.
Returning to the book's events, Venti and the others were discussing the opera "Divine Damsel of Devastation." Without hesitation, Lucian threw Venti under the bus, outright naming him—stopping just short of writing "Anemo Archon."
"Why would Mondstadt's Anemo Archon come to Liyue to compose music...?" The people of Liyue were baffled.
"Why would Lord Barbatos go to Liyue to compose music...?" The people of Mondstadt were equally confused.
"Why is the Anemo Archon in Liyue...?" The people of Fontaine, Inazuma, and Snezhnaya shared the same bewilderment.
With just a small cameo, Venti had left the entire continent scratching their heads.
"So, that bard was actually the Anemo Archon..." Yun Jin murmured in surprise. A god had helped compose the music for her opera.
Aside from Venti's appearance, this segment also revealed another detail—the story of "Divine Damsel of Devastation" was connected to Shenhe.
Most people didn't know Shenhe, with only a handful of Liyue citizens recognizing her.
"Oh, Shenhe? That ethereal beauty who often helps out at Wanmin Restaurant and runs errands."
To those who knew her, Shenhe was simply a stunning, otherworldly figure. No one had imagined she was the "Divine Damsel" from the story.
Though, as she herself mentioned in the book, her experiences differed somewhat from the tale. The specifics of those differences remained unclear.
While readers were curious about this, they didn't pause to go buy the new book just yet—because something even more intriguing awaited them.
The question of how Osial was dealt with.
Through Charlotte's news reports over the past few days, people already knew the outcome of the Liyue incident, but not the process. At the time, Liyue's citizens had been evacuated, and Charlotte's footage was taken from a distance. They knew Osial had been stopped, but not how.
Continuing to read, they reached the Golden House, where post-battle, Tartaglia unsealed Osial.
"So it was the Fatui's doing!" The people of Liyue were furious.
They had already been displeased when Tartaglia tried to steal the Gnosis, but now they learned he was also responsible for unleashing Osial!
Now it made sense why the Fatui had suddenly paid such hefty reparations in Mora.
Then again, this was all part of Rex Lapis's plan. Even if Tartaglia hadn't summoned Osial, the Geo Archon would likely have arranged some other trial for Liyue.
In the end, this was a "test" Liyue had to face sooner or later.
Viewed this way, not only did they receive compensation, but they also gained diplomatic leverage over the Fatui. Rex Lapis was truly brilliant—killing two birds with one stone.
Wait, no. Since Tartaglia, the unwitting pawn, also accomplished his mission, it was three birds with one stone!
Of course, this was only because Liyue had suffered minimal casualties, with civilians even avoiding property damage. Otherwise, even if Tartaglia was just a pawn, Liyue wouldn't have let him off so easily.
Though "let off" wasn't entirely accurate—the Fatui were bound to face hardships in Liyue for some time.
The story continued as Lucian and Lumine rushed to the harbor, where Cloud Retainer made her entrance.
["This Adeptus has been waiting for you. Come, this Adeptus shall take you up," Cloud Retainer said.]
[Paimon thought for a moment. "It's... uh... something-something Adeptus."]
She and Lumine truly were the perfect pair—one couldn't remember Ganyu's name, and the other couldn't remember her master's.
The people of Liyue broke into a cold sweat. Surely this Adeptus would be angry? Based on her earlier portrayal, Cloud Retainer had quite the temper.
===✧✦✧===
Character Voiceline · Ganyu: About "Yangu"
"Uh... How did this nickname even come about? While it does make me feel closer to others, I'd still prefer if you called me 'Ganyu.'"