After spending the night tangled up with the knights and the witch of Mondstadt, Su Xuan finally set out for Liyue.
He picked up Ganyu and Keqing first, then went to the Jade Chamber to get Ningguang and Yelan, who'd been stationed at her side these past few days.
Together, they headed for Su Xuan's personal Jade Chamber and found Cloud Retainer there waiting.
Since this place existed solely as a living space for Su Xuan and the diary holders, and everyone would come and go via the Flying Raijin Guided Thunder barriers, there was no need for any outside contact.
So Su Xuan simply extended his hand and raised a telekinetic barrier, wrapping the entire Jade Chamber in it.
"From now on, whatever we do in here, no one outside will be able to see."
Standing at the edge of the floating palace, he looked down at the sea below.
From the inside, they could still see the outside world—
but from the sea, from the land, from anywhere below…
no one would be able to glimpse what existed within this drifting fortress in the sky.
"It does feel… a bit like Teyvat under the false sky," Cloud Retainer sighed—
and then, realizing how that sounded, her cheeks flushed red.
Beside her, Ningguang glanced over curiously at that reaction.
Cloud Retainer quickly turned her head away.
What did this man just say?
No matter what we do here, the outside world won't know?
Hmph. In her opinion, he absolutely wasn't thinking anything decent.
"I've gone around and checked," Su Xuan continued. "Between the structures here and the inner domain Immortal Mansion you made, there's plenty of space."
"It's more than enough for everyone to live in."
"I've already set up the teleportation link with Mondstadt. Once they're done packing, they can come here and pick and shape their own rooms."
The Flying Raijin Guided Thunder network wasn't just a simple one-line link between each nation's capital and the Jade Chamber.
Su Xuan had also designated several important locations within each territory as connection points.
But those were strictly for the diary holders to coordinate work—
not for public use.
"As for the terminals in each main city," Su Xuan continued, "Mondstadt's will be in Lisa's underground laboratory. For Liyue, I'll use the villa Ningguang gave me. And in Inazuma, the node will be inside Tenshukaku."
"You'll be able to use those city points to jump to important regions as well."
"Places like The Chasm, Jueyun Karst, Starsnatch Cliff, the various islands of Inazuma…"
Hearing that, Keqing's eyes lit up.
"So that means when I go to the mining areas from now on, it'll be so much easier."
Feeling her excitement, Ningguang's gaze grew deep as she watched Su Xuan's back.
She'd always wanted to cast the Jade Chamber's shadow over all seven nations.
That day, it seemed, had already come.
The floating palace beneath her feet, built as a home for them, already linked three countries together.
It wouldn't be long before it touched all of Teyvat.
In truth, the meaning of this Jade Chamber went even deeper than her original dream.
High above the world, a drifting island in the sky—
its interior hidden from the eyes of those below.
And on this island lived the ones who would guide the fate of the world.
Once, it had been Celestia that managed all of Teyvat.
Now, everything on Teyvat would gradually be managed by the people here, working together.
This "Jade Chamber" of Su Xuan's—meant only as a living space on the surface—
was, in reality, another Sky Island.
Or rather, more accurately—
It was Teyvat's new Sky Island.
The thought of that future left Ningguang quietly trembling with excitement.
"Speaking of The Chasm," Keqing piped up, "we've already put the Ruin Serpent into operation."
"The efficiency of excavation is something manpower can't even begin to compare with."
"All of this is thanks to you."
She began excitedly describing the recent changes in Liyue.
With the Ruin Serpent working at full output, ore extraction had boomed.
Ruin Graders and Ruin Guards patrolled the mines, protecting the workers and even helping haul the ore.
The miners were working less, earning the same pay, and their safety was guaranteed.
They were grateful to the point of tears.
Of course, this sudden leap in productivity had left many ordinary citizens bewildered.
To soothe their doubts, Ningguang had simply told them that all of this came from a mysterious adeptus who wished to remain anonymous.
"So now," Keqing laughed, blinking those bright eyes, "everyone is gossiping about whether this anonymous adeptus might actually be the newly appointed Geo Archon."
She leaned in close to Su Xuan and studied him from different angles.
Smack.
Su Xuan's palm landed lightly on her backside, making Keqing yelp and almost jump out of her skin.
"You little tsundere cat," he said blandly. "I have zero interest in taking the job of 'Second Geo Archon' and babysitting Liyue."
His "evil claws" tightened, giving her a firm squeeze before he pulled the suddenly boneless Keqing smoothly into his arms and walked over to join the others.
Just as he reached them, Ganyu spoke up.
"Su Xuan, Director Hu from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor came to see me yesterday."
"She asked that I let her know when you arrived. She'd like to invite you over to sit and talk."
"Hu Tao, huh…" Su Xuan nodded. "Once I'm done with the things I have lined up, I'll go find her myself."
With that, he reached into his storage space and took out a set of design schematics.
"These are the structural blueprints for the Dainichi Mikoshi in Enkanomiya. Toss them to the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Public Works, and they'll be able to mass-produce them."
"As a large-scale energy storage and light-emission device that converts elemental power—'lightrealm energy'—its storage function might be compatible with the Guizhong Engine or the railgun schematics I gave you before."
"Combine them properly and you might be able to create a new type of large-scale elemental-powered offensive and defensive installation."
"When you've got downtime, try studying it. As long as a design makes logical sense, the ministry's workshops will be able to build it."
All eyes immediately turned to Cloud Retainer.
When it came to invention and engineering, no one here could compete with her.
Adjusting her spectacles, Cloud Retainer took the Dainichi Mikoshi blueprint in hand.
One glance—
and her vision went blurry.
"So… complicated?"
Staring at the dense lines of writing and the maze of diagrams, she was completely stunned.
"Well, it did come from Celestia," Su Xuan said with a pleased little smile. "Wouldn't it be stranger if it wasn't complicated?"
Cloud Retainer shot him a look.
"You just want to watch me struggle, don't you?"
"Listen to you," Su Xuan replied, utterly unashamed as his hand slid toward her.
Cloud Retainer's face flushed, and she couldn't help letting out a startled sound.
This guy! In front of all these juniors, he still doesn't behave himself. Where is my dignity supposed to go?
Seeing her flustered, the others very tactfully shifted their eyes away.
To be honest, with Su Xuan around, weapons and towers weren't particularly urgent.
If he ever decided to act seriously, anything short of a divine or cosmic threat would be crushed like a bug.
At best, it would be like using a giant cannon to swat a fly.
Fun to look at, but not really necessary.
Still, more techniques were never a bad thing.
If they could be used, excellent.
If not, nothing was lost.
After all, the state workshops didn't really have "costs" beyond time when making these things.
"And it's not like you'll be working on it alone," Su Xuan added, smiling at her.
Cloud Retainer paused.
"You mean…" she asked, suddenly hopeful. "You're going to help me?"
"Of course not," Su Xuan refused without a breath's hesitation.
Cloud Retainer: "…"
Right. Of course.
This man barely has enough time to "visit" every diary holder regularly. Expecting him to sit down and quietly develop tech… that's harder than getting him to willingly father heirs for everyone.
"I'll find you a good assistant," he said.
"Come on. You're coming with me alone for a bit."
Cloud Retainer: "?!"
Within the inner mansion of the Jade Chamber, Su Xuan and Cloud Retainer entered a quiet room together.
On the way, Cloud Retainer's heart thumped faster and faster.
"You look like you already know who I'm talking about."
Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by his voice.
She lifted her head sharply, staring at him without blinking.
She knew very well what kind of person Su Xuan was when it came to promises.
If he refused you, he truly refused—no wiggle room.
But if he agreed, he would do it.
She swallowed, suddenly nervous.
"Are you… talking about Guizhong?"
Guizhong, the God of Dust—
formally known as Hagnos, master of "dust," who could shroud thousands of miles of sky in a single gesture.
But it was a power that lacked killing edge. During the Archon War, the Dust God was far from the most formidable in direct combat.
However, her lively personality and inventive talent shone in another realm.
She excelled in invention and engineering, made great strides in mechanism design, and had been responsible for the defense of Mt. Tianheng during the war.
The "Guizhong Engine" wasn't named that just to memorialize her.
Cloud Retainer had designed it from the foundation of Guizhong's earlier "Foxshade Mechanism," improving and refining it until it became the weapon that existed now.
"That's right," Su Xuan nodded.
He lifted his hand, and a telekinetic barrier rose over the entire room like a transparent dome.
"Hmm?" Cloud Retainer blinked. "There's no one else here. Why are you setting up a barrier?"
"To keep Guizhong from bolting the moment she wakes up," Su Xuan said calmly.
Cloud Retainer: "?!"
She understood instantly.
This wasn't her first day dealing with Su Xuan.
The moment he said that, Cloud Retainer knew exactly what he meant.
She rubbed her temples in resigned frustration.
"I really don't know what to do with you…"
She didn't know how many diary holders Su Xuan had already "found and gotten close to" in Inazuma.
Just counting the ones he'd named in his diary, they were all people he'd interacted with very deeply.
And that didn't even include the Traveller, who he hadn't explicitly mentioned.
Of course, Cloud Retainer knew perfectly well that her own disciple, Shenhe, had long since followed the same path as herself and Ganyu.
Add them all up, and the numbers were getting scary.
Three secret domains per diary holder—and that still wasn't enough to satisfy him?
"Anyway, it's decided," Su Xuan went on cheerfully. "If you want to develop new designs, you can discuss them here with Guizhong."
"However, until she decides to become 'mine' just like you did, I'm not letting her go anywhere."
He smiled as he looked at Cloud Retainer's helpless expression.
There was something especially entertaining about teasing the usually strict and serious adeptus.
Seeing her flustered and thrown off balance made her look… surprisingly cute.
"Sigh. For Guizhong's freedom," Su Xuan added, patting her shoulder, "you, as her closest friend, will have to work hard to explain everything to her."
Cloud Retainer rolled her eyes.
Seriously?
Of all the tasks he could assign me, he wants me to be the one to talk Guizhong into opening her heart to him?
Where does that leave my dignity?
Still, she had no way to really argue against him.
Su Xuan had said long ago that he would resurrect Guizhong,
but only on his own terms.
Deep down, Cloud Retainer had already prepared herself for this.
"All right," she finally said softly. "I'll do my best."
But in her heart, she desperately hoped Guizhong would be smart enough to read the situation.
After all, the grace of resurrection was impossible to repay.
And most importantly—
This man was not someone any of them could measure with simple scales.
"Good. That's all I need," Su Xuan replied.
Those words made Cloud Retainer bristle.
"Hmph. Listen to you. Saying it like I don't care about you and I'm taking someone else's side."
"As if the others' efforts count, but mine don't."
Her spike of petty jealousy flashed, then faded, as she pressed on:
"So… are you going to bring her back now?"
Su Xuan nodded and drew out the Universe Mirror.
It was Cloud Retainer's first time seeing the treasure in person.
She couldn't help staring.
"Don't zone out," Su Xuan said. "All you need to do now is recall Guizhong's appearance in your mind."
"Even a fleeting memory will do."
Cloud Retainer took a slow breath and did as instructed.
In her mind, images rose unbidden—
the days she'd spent at Guizhong's side, a certain soft smile, dust and light swirling together…
The surface of the mirror shimmered.
Then, scenes from her mind began to play faintly across it.
Cloud Retainer's eyes widened.
She'd known the mirror was extraordinary, but seeing it render her memories so vividly still shocked her.
Before she could say anything more, the mirror suddenly flared.
A beam of soft light spilled from its surface and fell onto the bed beside them.
A petite figure slowly took shape within that glow.
When the radiance faded completely—
A beautiful girl lay quietly on the bed, like a sleeping princess.
Cloud Retainer's gaze trembled.
She rushed forward.
"Guizhong… it really is you…"
"But she…"
"She just came back," Su Xuan said with a smile. "She'll probably sleep for a few hours. She'll wake on her own later."
Only then did Cloud Retainer notice the steady rise and fall of Guizhong's chest.
"It's… incredible. You truly brought her—someone who died long ago—back into this world."
She looked down at the girl on the bed, eyes full of tenderness.
Su Xuan tilted his head slightly.
"She even still has the anklet on her ankle. I'm pretty sure she's the only one in all of Teyvat who dresses like that."
He stroked his chin, studying her curiously.
"Not bad… not bad at all…"
Cloud Retainer: "…"
"I wonder how she'll look in a full set of exotic-style clothes," he mused aloud. "And whether her dancing will be as captivating as yours."
Cloud Retainer: "…"
Of course.
Guizhong hadn't even fully woken up yet, and he was already planning her "future assignments."
With the telekinetic barrier around the Jade Chamber, they had nothing to worry about from outside.
All they had to do now was wait for Guizhong to wake up.
Su Xuan and Cloud Retainer didn't linger in the room.
They left together, chatting as they walked out.
"Just keep an eye on the time," he told her. "When you think she's about ready, come check on her."
"Or, if you're really missing her too much, you can stay and wait here until she wakes."
"I'm planning to rest for a bit at the villa in Liyue Harbor, then head to see Hu Tao around dusk."
Having said his piece, Su Xuan was about to leave when Cloud Retainer suddenly grabbed his sleeve.
"Mm?" he hummed, glancing back.
Her face went scarlet in an instant, as guilty as a thief.
"It's been a while since we've seen each other," she murmured. "Don't you want to talk a bit longer?"
Su Xuan: "?"
This is your home now. We're going to be bumping into each other all the time. Why are you acting like I'm about to vanish for eight lifetimes?
Still, with his experience, Su Xuan saw through her thoughts at a glance.
He gave a theatrical sigh.
"Sigh. I didn't get to see Hu Tao last time. And this time…"
"Time's a little tight."
Absolute nonsense, Cloud Retainer thought.
It's not even noon yet, and you're saying time is tight?
"How about we chat right here, then," Su Xuan said, suddenly smiling.
Cloud Retainer stared.
"Here?"
"You…"
"Are you insane? What if Ganyu or Ningguang suddenly walk in?"
"Wouldn't that be great?" Su Xuan leaned closer to her ear, voice low. "Then they'd get to see for themselves what their venerable true adeptus is really capable of."
Cloud Retainer: "…"
His hand rested lightly on her shoulder.
Her knees simply gave out.
She knelt before she even realized she'd moved.
It wasn't really that she couldn't resist.
It was that, deep down, she didn't want to.
"If Ganyu happens to come in…"
Cloud Retainer's entire body tensed.
But her next thought was—
She'll understand. After all, who could possibly refuse this man's requests?
Read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon -> patreon.com/lucarioTL