The night before the Rite of Descension.
Another day of carefree fun in Liyue.
Led by Su Xuan, Lumine and Paimon ate their way through the city. That evening, back home, the two of them soaked blissfully in the mansion's bath.
"I thought tons of people would come calling on Su Boss today, but it was weirdly quiet," Paimon said, hair piled high with suds.
Lumine lifted a pale leg, flicking water with her toes. "They're probably waiting for tomorrow. Su Xuan said he'd met Rex Lapis—and Barbatos had already told him stories about Su Xuan. If the Rite shifts because he's around, they won't want to act prematurely. Calm before the storm."
"True." Paimon finished rinsing and grinned. "So, who do you think gets the Workshop appointment?"
"That depends on who can make Su Xuan happy," Lumine said, lips quirking.
At the mention of the Workshop, she spared three seconds of silence for Ningguang. The gifts came before any Workshop talk—mansion, ten million Mora, Jade Chamber foundations—and even this bath felt like a private hot spring. The sincerity was obvious… and then, out of nowhere, the Workshop appeared, and after that, the coming Human Rule era.
From what Lumine had learned in her rounds through Liyue's markets, Ningguang's holdings spanned everything—and to close the loop she'd built the largest logistics network in Liyue. If Starships launched in someone else's hands… even the transport piece alone would make the Tianquan grind her teeth.
And if Human Rule truly arrived, no more being constrained by divine edict. She could build exactly as she envisioned.
"Facing all that at once… she might be going crazy," Lumine murmured. "I can't even guess what she'll do to secure that appointment."
"It's not our business. We just travel with the Boss and enjoy the ride," Lumine added lightly.
Paimon nodded. "Yup! Tomorrow we'll go watch the Rite in person."
At dawn, Lumine cooked breakfast, then roused Su Xuan and tidied his room.
After they ate, she asked, "You really won't go to the Rite?"
Su Xuan's mouth twitched. He shook his head. "Nothing worth seeing."
"What if Rex Lapis suddenly decides not to retire?" Paimon tried. "We could get a photo of a god appearing!"
He still shook his head. The two gave up with a smile.
"Then we'll go play."
"Go on. Stay safe; don't wander off," Su Xuan waved.
They opened the door—and a cool breeze carried in a familiar, slightly dopey smile.
"Long time no see, Lumine, Paimon…"
They flinched in unison. Paimon yelped, "Troubadour!? What are you doing here?"
Venti scratched his cheek, then glanced at the tall, steady man beside him. "A friend asked me to drop by and pay Su Xuan a visit."
Lumine and Paimon turned to the other guest.
"Lumine, Paimon," the man inclined his head. "I have long heard of you."
Zhongli.
The two exchanged a look. We have a reputation? All we've done is trail after Su Boss eating and freeloading—like, well, this troubadour.
Wait. Venti's "friend"… the other man who drifts around Liyue, tasting tea and attending operas…
Venti chuckled. "I don't know what you're thinking, but you're not wrong."
"…I knew it," Lumine groaned. No wonder Su Xuan's expression earlier looked like he was holding in a sigh—he'd already noticed both the Anemo and Geo Archons at the door. Why go to the Rite when the headliners had come to his house?
"Let them in," Su Xuan's voice floated from inside.
Whatever Barbatos and Morax wanted, Lumine knew better than to meddle. If Su Xuan needed her, he would say so.
So, leaving the Archons to their tea, Lumine and Paimon went out to enjoy the festivities.
It was worthy of deciding Liyue's path for the year: streets thronged with foreign merchants and dignitaries, wealth glittering from every corner. After lunch, they reached Yujing Terrace, the main venue.
By an incense burner, Paimon whispered, "They say wishes made here are super effective. Want to try? Maybe wish to find your brother?"
Lumine shook her head. "Better to wish I never lose my grip on Su Xuan's leg."
Paimon: "…"
She rubbed her chin, then nodded solemnly. "That's… actually smart. If we stick with Su Boss, we might learn something about your brother whenever he's in a good mood. But—uh—Rex Lapis is currently in our living room, and he's nowhere near Su Boss's level. Wishing for something through Su Boss might be hard for him to grant."
Lumine froze. "Right… Ugh! I wasted my incense money!"
"Let's hurry," Paimon tugged her sleeve. "It's getting crowded. We'll lose the good spot."
Feeling utterly secure these days, they easily reached the very front.
Ningguang noticed them and inclined her head in welcome.
In a shadowed corner of the venue, a blue silhouette leaned against a wall, waiting for the moment. Farther back, a proud girl with violet twin-tails gazed at a nearby ridge where a blue-white adeptus crane perched—something she'd never seen at the Rite.
主持人 Ningguang scanned for Su Xuan, but aside from Lumine and Paimon, no sign. The sun reached its zenith; she set aside her worries and began the ceremony.
Orange starlight poured into the censers; gold flared skyward—magnificent.
Merchants and dignitaries waited for Liyue's guidance for the coming year.
Ningguang, Yelan, Keqing, Cloud Retainer… waited for another truth: whether the Archon would truly retire by feigning death, handing Liyue to its people.
A bead of fragrant sweat formed in Ningguang's palm.
Then—clouds swallowed the golden light. Her heart clenched.
An ill omen at the Rite? Never seen.
Which left only one explanation.
Excitement surged through her. Just as Su Xuan had said. The Archon would step back—and Liyue's future would be decided by humans.
Lumine and Paimon squinted up—right as a long shadow fell.
It crashed into the offering table, shattering it.
The terrace erupted. Natives and foreigners alike stood stunned.
Ningguang hurried forward and knelt, examining the half-kylin, half-dragon body, tongue lolling.
No breath. No movement. Dead.
Ningguang: "…"
After the necessary motions of inspection, she raised a hand. "The Archon has fallen. Seal the grounds."
In the same motion, she flicked a glance. Yelan vanished from Yujing Terrace like mist.
Elsewhere, the violet twin-tails met the gaze of the blue-white crane. Cloud Retainer beat her wings once, let out a cool "Hmph," and left the terrace.
Keqing pressed a knuckle to her chin, thinking.
As Yuheng, she'd measured every corner of Liyue, yet never seen a bird with such spirit at the Rite. And no birds ever lingered here. That crane seemed to have come to watch—and, with the result clear, departed.
"So it was an adeptus…," Keqing frowned. "Which means besides Ganyu, another adeptus holds a diary copy."
She moved quickly toward Ningguang.
At that moment, Ningguang—using the Thousand Rock Army's investigations as cover—was speaking quietly with Lumine and Paimon.
Keqing arrived, dipped her head politely. "Greetings. Keqing, Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing."
Paimon's eyes rounded. "Another Qixing!?"
Lumine's brow twitched. Another woman?
Keqing acknowledged Paimon with a small nod, then glanced at Ningguang. "There was an adeptus present in the mountains. Shall we…?"
Her violet eyes slid back to Lumine and Paimon, and both felt an odd pressure.
Paimon asked, "What do you mean 'an adeptus present'?"
Ningguang answered for them. "Likely an adeptus who also holds a diary copy—just like us."
Between humans and adepti, the latter had always guarded Liyue from the mountains. But with Morax stepping back to hand Liyue to humans, some adepti might be… unhappy. They couldn't oppose his decision—but a diary-holding adeptus could still approach Su Xuan to bargain.
If they reached an understanding, it could hurt Ningguang and Keqing's position.
"This is starting to feel like infighting," Lumine said, amused.
"In the past," Ningguang replied softly, "Liyue followed a single will—Rex Lapis. Adepti and mortals scarcely mingled. Now, as we enter Human Rule, many things will change. Frictions we never imagined may surface."
"And if I can foresee this," she added, "any adeptus with a diary copy can, too. So…"
The clever traveler pieced it together at once: they wanted to reach Su Xuan first, to plant their flag before the adepti did.
"Lumine, Paimon," Ningguang said again, "if you have time, could you introduce us to Su Boss?"
"Uh…" Paimon scratched her head; Lumine looked equally stuck.
Keqing's eyes narrowed slightly. "Is something the matter? If our request makes it difficult, we can discuss terms."
Lumine spread her hands, sighing. "If you want Su Xuan, you can visit him yourselves. He won't hold it against you."
Ningguang nodded. "We know. We only hoped to confirm his schedule so we don't intrude."
"About intruding…" Paimon exhaled. "He's busy right now."
"Before we came here—"
"The troubadour brought a friend to pay a visit. You'll have to wait. Honestly, you could just watch the diary and decide afterward."
Keqing and Ningguang traded looks.
"The troubadour… and his friend?" Keqing asked. "Who?"
Lumine answered simply, "Barbatos of Mondstadt and Morax of Liyue."
Ningguang: "?"
Keqing: "!?"
No wonder Su Xuan skipped the most spectacular Rite in years.
He was at home having tea with today's main act.
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