"The next one? The next what?"
Just like Shenhe before her, Cloud Retainer now had the same question.
She couldn't understand what "the next one" meant in the words Shenhe had relayed from that girl.
The next Adeptus?
Or...
The next Qixing?
But Adepti don't have concepts like "previous" and "next"...
The Qixing, on the other hand, do...
But why would she care about that?
"She left suddenly without answering that. I don't know what she meant by it either."
Looking at her master's confused expression, Shenhe slowly shook her head.
She hadn't expected her master not to think along the same lines as her, which made her begin to doubt her own speculation again.
After all, the replacement of a god was an incredibly momentous event, something that was basically impossible.
"Does that girl really enjoy being so deliberately mysterious?"
After hearing Shenhe's reply, Cloud Retainer really felt like hitting someone.
Ever since she first met that girl, she had been told things that made her incredibly curious, but they were never followed up on.
If there was truly no follow-up, that would be one thing, but that girl clearly knew the rest of the story. She just spoke in half-truths as if on purpose, which was making Cloud Retainer rather irritated.
She was now even wondering if people from "that place" had to be deliberately mysterious, much like how she herself sometimes acted in front of mortals.
Of course, in this situation, she was the one being put in the position of a mortal.
"Could it be that she's here to help Rex Lapis replace someone?"
Pacing back and forth and muttering to herself, Cloud Retainer couldn't help but speculate.
After all, since she used the words "the next one," it had to mean there was some change in position.
But a change...
What could it possibly refer to?
Could she be planning to replace us Adepti?
After thinking it over and over, Cloud Retainer could only conclude that the target was them, the Adepti.
No matter what, that girl was from "that place"; she certainly wouldn't be here for some mortal affair.
And if that was the case, the only ones she could think of were the Adepti.
"Master."
Just as Cloud Retainer was lost in thought, she suddenly heard Shenhe call out to her, seeming as though she wanted to say something.
"What is it?"
Regaining her focus, Cloud Retainer looked at Shenhe.
"Master, about this 'next one'..."
"The next what? Speak your mind freely."
Seeing Shenhe's hesitation, Cloud Retainer urged her to say it directly, without any reservations.
She knew that this child, Shenhe, must have thought of something.
"This 'next one'... perhaps it refers to Rex Lapis."
As if having considered it again, Shenhe slowly voiced her speculation.
She felt that the reason her master hadn't reached the same conclusion was likely because she had only heard a secondhand account from her.
After all, the feeling of experiencing something firsthand is different from the feeling one gets from hearing about it from someone else.
Not having lived through it yourself truly makes a difference, and perhaps that was why her master couldn't make that same guess.
"What?! Rex Lapis?! That's impossible!"
The moment she heard Shenhe's words, Cloud Retainer immediately dismissed it as impossible.
No matter how you looked at it, Rex Lapis governed Liyue so well; how could there possibly be a "next" Rex Lapis?
And even if we concede the point, if Rex Lapis were truly to step down, who could possibly take his place?
Besides, Rex Lapis has protected Liyue for several thousand years. Why would he suddenly want to abdicate?
However...
That girl is from "that place"...
And Rex Lapis still hasn't said what that girl is here to do...
Could it be...
No!
Impossible!
At this, Cloud Retainer began to pace again, her steps noticeably much faster than before.
On the one hand, she didn't believe Shenhe's theory, but on the other, Rex Lapis's strange reaction and the girl's identity were making her waver.
She had considered that something major might happen, but she had never imagined it could be something this major.
"Oh, Master, I forgot to mention Kiana's last words."
Seeing her master pacing back and forth, Shenhe suddenly remembered she hadn't relayed Kiana's final sentence.
She continued, "As Kiana was leaving, she said that I would know everything tomorrow—about that 'next one' matter."
"Tomorrow? Tomorrow is the Rite of Descension."
Cloud Retainer stopped pacing and muttered this to herself.
The Rite of Descension...
It's tomorrow...
Hearing her master say this, Shenhe abruptly remembered that tomorrow was indeed the Rite of Descension, which added more credence to her own speculation.
"This won't do. I must go and ask Rex Lapis."
After saying this, Cloud Retainer swiftly vanished from Shenhe's sight.
Cloud Retainer didn't want to guess anymore; she was going to question Rex Lapis directly.
Master...
Master...
...has gone to find Rex Lapis...
Looking left and right, Shenhe saw that her master was already gone.
___
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