The approval of Moon Carver and Mountain Shaper had settled a new layer of security around Ren, a comforting blanket woven from the acceptance of ancient gods. In the days that followed their visit, a new energy buzzed in the air of Mt. Aocang. It was the energy of anticipation, and it emanated almost entirely from the small boy with stars in his eyes.
Xianyun would watch as he'd stand at the edge of the peak, his gaze fixed not on the familiar sea of clouds below, but on the distant horizon where the sky met the sea. She believed he was trying to imagine Liyue Harbor. He had heard her stories of its golden roofs, its bustling wharves, and the great, floating palace that hung in the sky like a second moon. To him, it was a city of legends, a place as magical as the adeptal realm he now called home.
Seeing this bright, forward-looking excitement, Xianyun knew she could not delay. She had made the decision to break the cycle of isolation, and the time had come to act on it.
"Today, we descend," she announced one bright, clear morning. Ren, who was trying to teach a curious crystalfly to land on his finger, whipped his head around, his azure eyes flaring with a light so brilliant it seemed to outshine the sun.
"To the Harbor, Master?" he breathed, his voice filled with a hopeful tremor.
"Indeed," Xianyun confirmed, a small smile playing on her lips. She had found his unvarnished joy to be… infectious. "However, our first stop will not be the marketplace. We must speak with Ganyu. She is another of this one's disciples, and serves the Liyue Qixing as their secretary. She is… diligent. She will be able to arrange suitable accommodations for our stay."
Ren's mind, the repository of a gamer's encyclopedic knowledge, immediately conjured an image of the half-qilin adeptus. Ganyu, the workaholic with a gentle heart and a surprising appetite for Qingxin flowers. In his old life, she had been a powerful cryo character on his team. In this life, she was about to become something akin to his older sister. The thought was both strange and wonderful.
"Your other disciple?" Ren asked, playing his part as the amnesiac child perfectly. "Is she like you, Master?"
"In some ways. In others, she is very much her own person," Xianyun replied, her gaze softening with a hint of fond memory. "You will see. Now, come. The day is wasting."
Once again, she lifted him into her arms, the familiar and comforting princess carry feeling as natural as breathing. And once again, they stepped off the edge of the world, borne upon the invisible currents of Anemo. This time, their trajectory was different. They did not soar between the peaks of Jueyun Karst, but headed out, towards the coast.
The landscape below them began to transform. The sharp, jade-colored stone pillars gave way to rolling green hills and terraced fields that clung to the slopes like patches on a quilt. He saw winding rivers glittering in the sun and small, scattered villages with smoking chimneys. It was a lived-in land, a land of mortals, and it was beautiful in a way that was completely different from the stark, divine majesty of the mountains.
And then, he saw it.
At first, it was just a golden haze on the horizon, where the green land met the endless, sparkling blue of the sea. As they drew closer, the haze resolved into the most spectacular city Ren had ever imagined. Liyue Harbor sprawled out from the base of a massive mountain, a stunning tapestry of crimson, gold, and dark wood. Its curved roofs, adorned with intricate carvings, cascaded down to the water's edge, where a forest of ship masts stood tall against the sky. The harbor itself was a hive of activity, with ships of all sizes—from humble fishing boats to the grand, multi-leveled trade vessels—gliding across the turquoise water.
And floating high above it all, serene and magnificent, was the Jade Chamber. It hung in the sky like a celestial palace, a testament to the wealth, power, and audacity of the Liyue Qixing. Its golden roofs gleamed, and Ren could just make out the waterfalls that cascaded from its floating base, dissolving into mist long before they reached the ground. The sight confirmed what he already suspected: he was here before the storm, before the plot of the game he knew had ever been set in motion. He was in a time of peace, under the watchful, living gaze of Rex Lapis.
Xianyun did not fly them directly into the city. That would have caused a panic, a sight far too strange for the everyday citizens. Instead, she guided their descent with practiced grace, landing in a secluded grove of bamboo just off the main road leading into the harbor. She set Ren down gently, his small feet touching the soft grass. The air here was different—thicker, humid, and filled with the tang of salt and the scent of a million lives being lived all at once.
"We will walk from here," she said, taking his small hand in hers. Her grip was firm, reassuring. "Stay close. The Harbor can be overwhelming for one not accustomed to it."
Overwhelming was an understatement. The moment they stepped onto the main thoroughfare and passed through the grand entrance gate, Ren's senses were flooded. The sheer volume of sound was the first thing that hit him. It was a symphony of human activity: merchants calling out their wares in a dozen different dialects, the rhythmic clang of a blacksmith's hammer from down a side street, the boisterous laughter of sailors spilling out of a tavern, the squeak of cart wheels on stone, and the constant, overlapping murmur of hundreds of conversations.
Then came the smells. The briny scent of the sea was the foundation, but layered over it was the savory aroma of sizzling meat from a food stall, the sweet, intoxicating fragrance of spices pouring from a shop nearby, the clean, earthy smell of wet stone, and the faint, delicate perfume of silk flowers planted in ornate pots.
His eyes, already a vibrant, glowing blue, went wide with wonder. He saw everything at once. He saw tough-looking Millelith guards standing at attention, their polearms gleaming. He saw merchants from Inazuma in elegant kimonos haggling with a stoic Snezhnayan trader. He saw children chasing each other through the alleys, their laughter echoing off the walls. The architecture itself was a marvel, with every building, from the grandest bank to the humblest teahouse, adorned with intricate carvings and elegant, sweeping rooflines.
He was so captivated that he almost walked directly into a stack of crates were it not for Xianyun's gentle tug on his hand. "Observe, but also be aware of your surroundings, Ren," she chided softly, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"It's so… alive, Master," he whispered, his head swiveling in every direction, trying to take it all in.
"It is the heart of the contract," she replied, her gaze sweeping over the bustling crowds with a distant, proprietary air. "The heart of the nation Rex Lapis built. A place where all who are willing to abide by the rules may prosper."
She guided him through the lower levels of the city, her pace unhurried, allowing him to soak in the atmosphere. They navigated the crowded streets, her elegant form moving through the chaos with an effortless grace that parted the crowds before them. They began their ascent towards the upper terraces, climbing the grand, sweeping staircases of red-lacquered wood and polished stone.
As they climbed, the chaotic energy of the commercial district began to fade, replaced by an air of serene elegance and quiet power. Here, the buildings were more spacious, surrounded by meticulously manicured gardens. The air was filled with the sweet, heady fragrance of Glaze Lilies and Silk Flowers, and the only sounds were the gentle rustle of leaves, the soft trickle of ornamental fountains, and the quiet, purposeful footsteps of city officials.
This was Yujing Terrace, the political and spiritual heart of Liyue.
They approached a magnificent pavilion. It was a place of quiet dignity, inside of which, secretaries and administrators moved with a hushed efficiency, their brushes scratching softly on parchment. This was the Yuehai Pavilion. And sitting at a large, mahogany desk, almost completely obscured by a mountain of scrolls that threatened to avalanche at any moment, was a young woman with hair the color of twilight.
Xianyun paused at the entrance, her presence alone causing a few of the nearby secretaries to look up and bow their heads respectfully. She cleared her throat, a soft, delicate sound that nonetheless cut through the quiet hum of the pavilion.
"Ganyu."
The mountain of scrolls rustled, and from behind it, a head popped up. Ganyu blinked, her purple-amethyst eyes slightly unfocused from hours of staring at fine print. Her long, dark blue hair was a little messy, and a smudge of ink was on her cheek. She pushed her glasses—which Ren's gamer brain noted were not part of her usual design, a detail of her 'overtime' appearance perhaps—up her nose and squinted.
"Master?" Her voice was soft, laced with disbelief. Then, her eyes focused, and she shot to her feet, her stool scraping back loudly. The scrolls on her desk wobbled precariously. "Master! What are you… You're here!"
In an instant, the overworked secretary was gone, replaced by the reverent disciple. She hurried towards them, her movements graceful despite her haste, and performed a deep, formal bow before Xianyun.
"Master, forgive my disheveled appearance. I was not expecting… Is everything alright? Are the mountains safe?"
"The mountains are as they have always been," Xianyun replied, her tone calm and reassuring. "This one is here on a personal matter. There is someone I wish for you to meet."
She gently nudged Ren forward. Ganyu, who had been focused entirely on her Master, now looked down. Her gaze fell upon the small boy standing half-hidden behind Xianyun's legs. She saw the cascade of messy black hair, shot through with those impossible, beautiful blue stripes. She saw the simple but well-made clothes. And then she saw his eyes. Luminous, impossibly blue, and glowing with a soft, gentle light, they were fixed on her with a shy, innocent curiosity.
Ganyu's breath hitched in her throat. The stream of work-related anxieties, the half-finished reports, the looming deadlines—it all vanished in an instant, washed away by a powerful, overwhelming wave of emotion she couldn't immediately name. It was a fierce, sudden, and deeply maternal urge to protect. Her heart, so often burdened by the weight of her duties, seemed to melt into a puddle in her chest.
"Oh," was all she could manage to whisper.
"Ganyu," Xianyun said, placing a gentle hand on Ren's shoulder. "This is Ren. He is a new disciple, and he will be staying with me for a time."
Ganyu slowly knelt down, bringing herself to eye-level with the child, her movements careful as if she were approaching a timid fawn. "Ren?" she said, her voice impossibly soft, all the normal stress and formality gone. "That's a beautiful name. It's… it's a pleasure to meet you."
Ren, feeling the genuine warmth radiating from her, gave her a small, shy smile. "It's nice to meet you too, Miss Ganyu," he said, his voice a soft murmur.
The smile was a critical hit. Ganyu's professional composure shattered completely. This child… this beautiful, precious child was her Master's new disciple? He was, in a way, her new little brother.
"Master, he's…" she looked up at Xianyun, her amethyst eyes shining. "He's wonderful."
"He is," Xianyun agreed, her expression unreadable but for the faint hint of pride in her eyes. "And he is also new to the world of mortals. This one intends to stay in the Harbor for a week, to allow him to acclimate. We require lodgings. Something quiet, comfortable, and secure."
"Of course! Absolutely!" Ganyu said, her mind already racing, but not with logistics. It was racing with concern for Ren. Was he tired from the journey? Was he hungry? Did he like sweet flowers? "There is a house in my mind. It's the most private place on Feiyun Slope. It's quiet and has a lovely garden. I can have it prepared immediately! I'll arrange for meals to be sent from Wanmin Restaurant, or perhaps… I could bring some snacks myself?"
She was fussing over him, her earlier work-fatigue completely forgotten, replaced by a vibrant, protective energy. She reached out a hesitant hand, as if asking for permission, and gently brushed a stray strand of blue-streaked hair from Ren's forehead. The touch was feather-light and full of a tenderness.
Xianyun watched the interaction with a quiet, profound sense of satisfaction. Her two children, one born of Liyue's ancient past, the other a stray from an impossible another world, were connecting. Her plan, born of a desire to rectify her past failings, was not just working. It was blossoming.