Ningguang answered seriously: "Three thousand seven hundred years. According to records, the adepti and the Geo Lord made a contract to protect Liyue three thousand seven hundred years ago. To this day, the mountains, waters, and lands of Liyue remain as solid as bedrock, unchanged from a thousand years past. This is a praiseworthy, monumental achievement."
"But that doesn't mean Liyue is still the Liyue of three thousand seven hundred years ago."
"Please, do not fix your protective gaze solely on this land. Look also upon this city. Look upon every person here."
The Moon Carver's large head stared intently at Ningguang: "Are you questioning our methods of protecting Liyue?"
Another adeptus snorted coldly.
[Paimon: What's the point in protecting just the land? We should protect the people.]
[Lumine: Where the people of Liyue are, that is Liyue.]
[Navia: If... if it could bring them back, even if all of Poisson turned to ruins, it would be worth it.]
[Furina: I would also give up eating cake forever to have them back.]
[Cloud Retainer: We adepti naturally understand this principle. But from the video, is it not we who have doubts about the Seven Stars themselves?]
[Paimon: So the adepti do have brains!]
[Cloud Retainer: Disrespect to adepti! Disrespect to adepti!]
[Lumine: The adepti have protected Liyue for millennia. Paimon, you mustn't speak like that.]
[Furina: Paimon dares to mock even me, the Hydro Archon. I wouldn't be surprised at anything she says. Watch, she'll definitely roast Zhongli in a moment.]
[Yae Miko: I think so too. Just what is Paimon's identity, to hold even deities in such disregard?]
[Ningguang: I recall Paimon has a crown on her head.]
[Lumine: I don't know Paimon's identity either. I fished her out of a river.]
[Paimon: I'm just Paimon!]
[Furina: That statement is meaningless. From a not very laid-back person who needs to catch their breath.]
Ningguang: "I mean no offense. I merely hope you seniors can consider Liyue once more."
"Hmph." Cloud Retainer said sternly: "Still calling us 'seniors'? You juniors of the Seven Stars hold no seniority before me."
Ningguang: "This morning, I dreamt of the Geo Lord. In the dream, I wanted to tell him: we of the Seven Stars, though mortals, also bear a contract upon us. The accumulations of successive generations of Seven Stars—each generation leaves behind things worthy of being passed down."
"I also wanted to tell the Geo Lord that successive generations of Seven Stars, under your guidance, have striven to survive in the human world, weaving a web of contracts called 'trade.' But I said none of this. I merely watched him until I awoke."
[Paimon: Ningguang's feelings for the Geo Lord run really deep.]
[Ningguang: Every person in Liyue loves the Geo Lord.]
[Paimon: Yeah, stone merchants not making money, flower merchants giving away their goods for free... everyone was willing to do their part for the Geo Lord. I remember, some system said Keqing had a whole wall of Geo Lord dolls at home.]
[Keqing: N-no, I, I don't...]
[Lumine: Why worship the Geo Lord in secret? Wouldn't open admiration be better?]
[Paimon: I think Keqing genuinely wants to forge a human-ruled Liyue.]
[Zhongli: Indeed a rather bold idea. But I quite admire it.]
Paimon looked at Ningguang with sympathy, softly calling her name: "Ningguang?"
Lumine: "Actually, everyone's stance is essentially the same."
Cloud Retainer looked at Lumine: "As the saying goes, the onlooker sees most of the game. What do you wish to say?"
Lumine thought of her experiences in Mondstadt and said: "Once conflict arises between protectors and those they protect, things become hard to salvage."
Paimon continued Lumine's train of thought: "Yeah, that's a story that happened in Mondstadt. The story of the Four Winds and the people of the Anemo Archon."
"The Anemo Archon wanted to stop their conflict, because he felt that as long as there is conflict, scars are left in the hearts of both sides. There's no benefit to it."
Lumine: "This is something I learned in the city of freedom."
Keqing sighed: "Each of the seven nations of this world has its own troubles."
[Venti: Ah, to think the concept resolving this dispute is mine. Zhongli, you owe me a drink, a good one, to thank me properly.]
[Paimon: A deity who likes to drink?]
[Zhongli: Venti is a famous drunkard.]
[Ningguang: Then we should indeed prepare some of Liyue's fine wines as thanks.]
[Venti: Great, great! Send them to the tavern in Mondstadt. But be careful, don't send them to the Cat's Tail.]
[Paimon: Why's that?]
[Venti: Because I'm allergic to cat hair. The Cat's Tail, as the name suggests, surely has cats.]
[Lumine: I never thought a deity could have allergies.]
[Paimon: A deity who likes to drink is also weird.]
[Venti: What's so weird about me? There are deities who especially love eating cake.]
[Furina: Cake is so delicious, what's wrong with liking it? Hmph!]
The Mountain Shaper said: "What you say, though a simple truth, is something we, as adepti, should not let an outsider who helped us witness as a spectacle."
Madame Ping: "Alright, didn't Ningguang just say, please take a good look at this city, look at every person here? I have attempted such observation. Why don't you all try?"
[Paimon: I suspect that without Granny Ping smoothing things over, the Seven Stars and the adepti would have fought long ago.]
[Furina: Seems that way. Although Ningguang also prefers negotiating at a table, she, like Keqing, has a firm stance and won't back down.]
"Esteemed adepti, forgive this humble soldier for being clad in armor, unable to offer a full salute." A soldier in armor, holding a spear, walked over.
The Moon Carver: "And who are you?"
The soldier introduced himself: "I am Fengyan, a Millelith drill sergeant. I came specifically to thank the adepti. I thought this battle would be my last. It was only with the adepti's assistance that our squad didn't suffer devastating casualties."
"Witnessing the mighty prowess of the adepti... I am but an ordinary soldier. But I will hold the line henceforth, not to disappoint the kindness of the adepti."
The adepti were visibly moved.
Then, a little girl in a dress ran over: "Huh? Why does everyone look so down? Didn't we just beat the big monster?"
"Hehehe." Madame Ping responded: "Weren't you afraid, little girl? It was so dangerous just now..."
The little girl, Changchang, looked at Madame Ping and said: "Changchang wasn't afraid! Because the Millelith uncles were there, the amazing grown-ups with Visions, the amazing big brothers and sisters! And everyone in all of Liyue!"
"When it's dangerous, everyone protects Changchang. Usually, everyone makes fun things, yummy food, and makes the harbor prettier and prettier."
"Big brother over there, thank you for protecting Liyue Harbor. Come visit during the next Lantern Rite!"
Xiao lowered his head with a sigh: "I cannot come. Because I am an adeptus."
Changchang: "Is that so? Then being an adeptus must be really hard too."
[Furina: Changchang is so adorable.]
[Ningguang: She's also a very smart, optimistic child.]
[Lumine: She played a big role in Liyue Harbor today.]
[Ningguang: If she is willing to learn, I can teach her everything I know.]
[Paimon: Ah, but that's your secret to becoming a great merchant! Aren't you afraid she'll surpass you?]
[Ningguang: I will grow old eventually. The Seven Stars will change with the times, but Liyue Harbor will remain prosperous. I hope the name 'Ningguang' can live on, no longer representing just me, but becoming a symbol. That way, my thoughts and deeds can transcend the limits of time.]
[Paimon: 'All know that Tianquan is supreme!' Ningguang is truly impressive.]
[Alhaitham: I would like to help Ningguang rebuild the Jade Chamber.]
[Nahida: Without divine authority, yet shouldering the responsibility of a deity.]
[Raiden: I see inheritance and eternity in you.]
[Venti: If you all keep praising, Zhongli's smile will become unstoppable.]
Madame Ping concluded: "Everyone, look. This is the shape of this era."
"The nation of contracts remains grateful to the adepti. But over these many years, the numerous problems, big and small, in Liyue Harbor have not necessarily required reliance on adeptal power to solve. The humans we call mortals, though frail in body, are also resilient."
"The contract between the god and Liyue has lasted over a millennium. Now, it is the era of Liyue's contract with humanity."
The Moon Carver: "Sigh... Look around. Merely standing in this harbor, we already feel somewhat out of place... Don't you agree, Cloud Retainer?"
Cloud Retainer: "Why ask me? It wasn't I who led the charge to come interrogate Liyue Harbor."
[Paimon: Hahahaha! Cloud Retainer is so direct, doesn't leave any face at all!]
[Moon Carver: Cloud Retainer has always been like this. Sigh, I'm used to it.]
[Furina: There's such a feeling of helplessness.]
[Lumine: I imagine Neuvillette is quite familiar with this feeling.]
[Furina: ???]
Paimon: "Huh? The atmosphere on the adepti side seems to have changed."
Lumine: "They are trying to understand the people's hearts."
Xiao was the first to speak: "Let us return."
Having said that, he turned and left.
"Conqueror of Demons..." The Moon Carver wanted to call out to Xiao, but Xiao did not look back.
The Mountain Shaper said: "Hmm. I can understand the Conqueror of Demons's meaning. This Liyue, unseen for so long, is indeed vastly different from what I recall. I fear by the time we figure out the new contract of this place, you humans will have forged an even newer face for Liyue."
"Forget it. Better to return. Better to return."
The Moon Carver sighed: "Very well. If all esteemed adepti agree, I shall not persist either."
"But after the adepti depart, whether the Liyue Qixing will monopolize power is, in my view, still something to be guarded against."
Madame Ping smoothed things over: "Alright, alright, Moon Carver, you old fellow, don't fuss over so much. In my opinion, this power of oversight should be left to the people of Liyue."
With that, the adepti took their leave.
[Furina: Granny Ping saves the day!]
[Madame Ping: I, having lived in Liyue for a long time, watching Liyue change bit by bit into what it is today, naturally have a somewhat different perspective.]
[Paimon: Oh right! The other adepti live year-round in Jueyun Karst and aren't clear on Liyue's changes.]
Paimon let out a sigh of relief: "Whew. The crisis of a human-adepti war was peacefully resolved, I guess."
Lumine: "The adepti were fairly reasonable."
Paimon then remembered something: "Oh, right. Though peace is good, there's still one thing unresolved."
"The cause of this crisis was Childe unleashing an ancient god to attack Liyue, aiming to force the Geo Archon to appear! Since the crisis was resolved by us alone, the Geo Archon still hasn't appeared."
"Hmm, thinking about it this way, just what exactly happened with that god's death?"
"Still completely lost. But isn't the most likely clue the Rite of Parting we organized, the one with no adeptus to send off? I wonder where Zhongli went. Let's go ask at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
[Furina: It's coming, it's coming! Zhongli's second identity-revealing famous scene is about to happen!]
[Paimon: Furina seems really excited.]
[Furina: Of course! This is a drama with a deity as the main character.]
[Paimon: So Furina is treating it as a play.]
[Furina: Now, I'm also very curious about the Electro Archon.]
[Yae Miko: I'm also curious about where Inazuma's eternity will lead.]
Arriving at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, the people there said Zhongli wasn't inside and seemed to have gone to visit the Northland Bank.
Paimon rested her chin on her hand: "Northland Bank? Isn't that the Fatui's property?"
"Right, the last time we saw Zhongli was before we went to the Golden House. Maybe he doesn't even know about the ancient god attacking Liyue? Going to the Fatui's territory at a time like this feels very dangerous."
"Can't be helped. In that case, though it's dangerous for us too, we still have to go check."
Saying this, Lumine and Paimon ran towards the Northland Bank.
---
Northland Bank
Childe said discontentedly: "And you call this cooperation between Harbingers? For so-called cooperation, there should at least be information sharing."
"Tch." La Signora spoke in a haughty tone: "Don't nitpick, Childe. In the end, you ignored all deals and schemes and simply raised hell. Weren't you quite pleased? It suits your style."
"Wait a moment. It seems some familiar faces of yours have arrived."
After Lumine entered and saw La Signora, she immediately assumed a combat stance: "Signora!"
La Signora replied dismissively: "It's you? We met once in the city of the bard, didn't we? Not bad, you remembered my name well."
"Ah, after all, the feeling of helplessly watching a friend have something precious taken away, powerless to stop it, is hard to forget."
Lumine: "It's not too late to take it back now."
[Jean: Signora!]
[Paimon: What did she do in Mondstadt?]
[Jean: She was the Fatui's diplomat in Mondstadt, repeatedly pressuring Mondstadt amidst the chaos.]
[Paimon: So Signora is a big villain on par with Childe. No wonder Lumine was so guarded upon seeing her in the video.]
[La Signora: The description 'on par' is not accurate. My ranking is higher than Childe's.]
[Childe: Only temporarily ahead. I'll overtake your ranking sooner or later.]
[Paimon: Fight, fight!]
[La Signora: So you can reap the benefits? A laughable notion.]
Paimon tried to stop her: "Lumine, don't be rash! You who haven't collected all seven elements yet, that fight in the Golden House was already your limit, right? Now with two of the Eleven Harbingers present, it's better not to act."