Mt. Aocang, Adeptal Abode.
The girls were in the middle of a mahjong game when the ground suddenly shook. The table trembled, tiles toppling over.
"What's happening?!"
"Waaah!"
"An earthquake?"
"The cups fell over! Tea's spilling everywhere!"
...
A moment later, the tremors stopped.
Silence returned.
The girls exchanged confused glances, unsure what had just happened.
Except for Shenhe and Ganyu.
They already knew Xia Zhi, Xia Ci, and Xia Zhen had gone to negotiate with Azhdaha about the server issue.
They'd heard Azhdaha had gone mad due to erosion.
From the looks of it, the negotiations hadn't gone smoothly...
Shenhe said calmly, "It's fine. No need to worry. Just an earthquake."
"Do earthquakes happen often here?"
"Sometimes."
"Oh! I see!"
"Let's keep playing."
"Okay!"
The girls tidied up the scattered tiles, assuming this was normal, and resumed their game.
Only Madame Ping gave Shenhe a thoughtful look.
She knew the earthquake was unusual, but why would Shenhe lie to reassure everyone? Unless...
As she pondered, the ground shook again.
The table trembled, and the newly stacked tiles collapsed once more.
"Another earthquake?!"
"Ow! My chin hit the table... It hurts..."
"Like last time, it'll probably stop soon, right?"
"Wait, why isn't it stopping?"
...
Contrary to expectations, this quake didn't fade.
It continued relentlessly.
Almost as if... someone was repeatedly punching a drum, making it shake without pause.
Beneath Dragon-Queller.
The once-roaring Azhdaha now lay motionless on the ground like a salted fish.
When it came to "negotiations," fists were the most persuasive language.
Xia Zhi looked down at the shimmering progress bar above the dragon.
[Progress: 98%]
Just two more points until completion.
He pondered for a moment, then asked, "Ready to talk now?"
Azhdaha didn't respond.
"Are you pretending to be unconscious?"
Xia Zhi was skeptical. The treasure chest was secondary—he just wanted to be thorough.
Thud! Thud!
The ground shook violently twice.
Azhdaha's Diamond progress bar inched forward.
[Progress: 100%]
At the same time, the system's voice echoed in Xia Zhi's mind:
"Progress bar at 100%. Diamond Treasure Chest obtained."
"No reaction. Guess He's really out cold."
Satisfied, Xia Zhi waved over the three spectators still munching sunflower seeds in the distance.
"Cousin, you were amazing just now!"
"Thanks."
"How's Azhdaha?"
"He threw a tantrum after waking up. Now He's taking a nap."
"Such good sleep habits."
"Alright, bring out the tea leaves."
"Haven't picked them yet. I'll go get them."
Xia Ci took out a Serenitea Pot and stepped inside.
This was a specialized subspace for growing premium ingredients: [Cream of Mushroom], [Rainbow Fruit], [Silver Dew], and more...
Originally, [Silver Dew] tea leaves were Silver-tier, and the seeds sold in the [Shop] were also Silver. After purchasing them, Xia Zhi had evolved the seeds to Gold-tier before handing them to his cousin to cultivate, resulting in Gold-quality [Silver Dew].
[Silver Dew]
Quality: Gold
Type: Consumable
Trait: Simulation
Effect: Sharpens the mind, enhances inspiration and intuition, allows mental simulation of desired scenarios.
Hidden Effect: Recalls any past memory fragment, re-experiencing moments from the past.
Xia Zhi had learned about Azhdaha from Zhongli.
Born from elemental crystallization, He embodied the power and memories of the earth, as ancient as the mountains and seas.
This was His greatest strength—and His greatest weakness.
Because the earth's memories were vast.
Every grain of sand held unique memories. Compared to this ocean of recollections, His own memories were but a drop of water.
The longer He lived, the more the earth remembered, and the fainter His own memories became.
This was Erosion.
One of Teyvat's immutable laws.
Erosion had stolen Azhdaha's reason, making Him forget the faces of old friends, the Liyue Harbor He once protected, driving Him to madness...
To restore Azhdaha's sanity, Xia Zhi needed to help him reclaim those lost memories.
And the hidden effect of [Silver Dew] was perfect for this.
The only issue was the quantity problem Zhongli had mentioned.
For a being like Azhdaha, sifting through the ocean of memories to recover scattered droplets wouldn't be possible with just a cup or two of tea.
It would take a lot.
But for Xia Zhi, with his [Essence Bottle], this wasn't an issue.
When Xia Ci returned with a large harvest of tea leaves...
"Cousin, his mouth is closed."
"I'll pry it open."
"All the leaves are in."
"Good."
Before long, Azhdaha's eyes slowly opened.
This time, His gaze wasn't filled with rage, but confusion.
His eyes landed on the group, as if uncertain.
"You are... Cloud Retainer?"
"Yes, It's me."
Cloud Retainer looked up at the towering dragon, her expression complex.
Azhdaha's gaze shifted from Cloud Retainer to Xia Ci, studying her youthful appearance—far younger than he remembered—and hesitated.
"You are... Buer?"
"Your memory serves you well, Dragon King."
"..."
Seeing the teasing smile on her face, Azhdaha silently averted his eyes and turned to Xia Zhen.
Her appearance, at least, hadn't changed much, making her easy to recognize.
"You are Raiden Makoto... but why are you only a spirit now?"
"It's a long story. I've already died once."
"?"
Azhdaha was taken aback by her melancholic words.
What did she mean?
Returned from death?
One regressed to youth, the other resurrected from death?
Just what has happened in the outside world during my years of imprisonment?
Azhdaha then turned his attention to the towering Titan beside him.
"And this is...?"
"Xia Zhi."
Xia Zhi smiled and clasped his fists in a Liyue-style salute.
"You likely don't know me, Dragon King, but I'm acquainted with Morax and have long heard of you from him."
Azhdaha stared at the two fists clasped before him, recalling the terror of being dominated by those very fists during his earlier frenzy.
"If you are a friend of Morax, then you are a friend of mine as well, Mr. Xia. A pleasure."
"The pleasure is mine."
With Azhdaha now fully restored to sanity, Xia Zhi dismissed his Titan transformation.
Azhdaha promptly assumed human form.
Unlike Zhongli's tall, elegant, and ethereal demeanor, Azhdaha looked utterly ordinary—more like a miner who'd vanish in a crowd.
He raised a hand, and under the influence of Geo energy, the ground solidified into a set of stone chairs and a table.
"Please, have a seat. My earlier behavior was inexcusable. I must apologize."
Xia Ci waved it off. "No need. We were already aware of your condition. In fact, we came at Morax's request to help resolve this matter."
"Morax's request, huh..."
Azhdaha chuckled, nostalgia coloring his voice at the mention of his old friend.
"It's been so long since I last saw him."
Xia Zhen smiled. "Now that you've regained your senses, you can visit him anytime."
"True. Thank you all for your assistance."
"No need for thanks."
Xia Zhi retrieved a food box he'd brought along and handed it over.
"I didn't bring much as a gift, but I happened to make some pastries this afternoon, so I brought some along."
"You're too kind, Mr. Xia!"
Azhdaha opened the box, and the sweet fragrance of osmanthus wafted out, momentarily stunning him.
"How did you know I love osmanthus cakes? Ah, did Cloud Retainer tell you?"
"Ah, yes."
Cloud Retainer blinked. When did I ever say that? I don't recall...
"That girl..."
Azhdaha shook his head with a smile, setting the box aside. Glancing at the barren rock surroundings, his expression turned apologetic again.
"This place is too crude to offer tea. I've been a poor host."
"Tea?"
Xia Zhi chuckled and produced a tea set and a teapot.
"Good thing I brought some."
Cloud Retainer's face froze.
Wait—isn't that the tea set from my Mechanism Workshop?!
When did you take that?!
"Mr. Xia, you're truly thoughtful!"
"Ah, you're mistaken, Dragon King. It wasn't my idea—Cloud Retainer reminded me to bring it."
"Oh? Cloud Retainer?"
"See this teapot? It's one of her mechanisms. Not only does it heat water automatically, but it also keeps it warm. Incredibly convenient."
"Hah! Who'd have thought that girl would become so considerate? When she was little, she was always reckless and impatient. She caused so much trouble—"
"Dragon King!"
Cloud Retainer cut him off, her face flushing.
"Don't spout nonsense!"
"Young lady, what's wrong with sharing amusing childhood stories?"
Azhdaha sighed, looking like a doting father watching his child finally grow up.
Despite his exasperation, there was a hint of pride in his eyes.
"Fine, fine. I won't say more. Who'd have thought you'd even learn to be shy now..."
"Dragon King!"
Watching Cloud Retainer's flustered reaction through his God's Eye, Xia Zhi found it amusing.
No matter how old one gets, they'll always be a child in the eyes of their elders.
He raised a hand, summoning Hydro energy from the air, which condensed into a clear stream and poured into the teapot.
The display immediately drew the others' attention.
Cloud Retainer was merely surprised.
But Xia Ci, Xia Zhen, and Azhdaha sensed the unmistakable ripple of Hydro divinity.
Xia Ci and Xia Zhen exchanged thoughtful glances.
Azhdaha, however, was stunned. Is this Mr. Xia the current Hydro Archon? What happened to Egeria? Has she... passed?
Xia Zhi acted oblivious to their reactions. Once the teapot was filled, he sealed the lid.
"Cloud Retainer."
"Huh?"
"I'm not too familiar with this mechanism. Would you mind handling it?"
Cloud Retainer was taken aback again.
That was clearly a lie.