A single fist cannot stand against Celestia.
But what about a hundred fists? A thousand?
Liyue—must become the bond that unites all of Teyvat's power.
Beidou strolled through the streets of Liyue alongside Kaedehara Kazuha and Kamisato Ayaka.
Everywhere they looked, they saw Liyue citizens brimming with joy, heads held high.
All around, conversations like:
"How many sea beasts did you slay yesterday?"
"Liyue really is the strongest in all of Teyvat!"
The pride the Liyue people had for their homeland was written all over their faces.
But neither Ayaka nor Kazuha found this strange at all.
To fight a Demon God with mere human strength was already worthy of being called a great feat.
And Liyue didn't just stand against Osial and powerful sea monsters with human power—
They crushed them. Effortlessly.
This would go down in history as an epic to be passed down for thousands of years.
To call it the start of a new era wouldn't be an exaggeration.
They had every right to be proud.
In fact, though it might sound extreme, if Liyue wanted to—
And if the Geo Archon approved—
They could mobilize their forces and sweep across Teyvat, turning the entire continent into Liyue's territory.
Of course… that was just Ayaka and Kazuha's own thought.
If they said that out loud, someone like Zhongli would probably scoff.
Liyue had no interest in conquest.
But that didn't mean they were afraid to display their dominance.
Military might was always the last resort.
The true goal was to get every other nation to genuinely believe that as long as Liyue stood strong, they—and their countries—could live in peace and prosperity.
Winning hearts was the ultimate strategy for ruling a nation.
"Captain Beidou, good morning!"
As they passed by Wanmin Restaurant, the busy Chef Mao looked up with a grin and waved.
"You saw the battle from the Jade Chamber yesterday, right? Any juicy details you can share?"
At his words, the nearby Liyue citizens immediately perked up with excitement.
Sure, they had all watched the battle through the Tainyan Surveillance System,
But that was nothing compared to someone who had seen it with their own eyes from the Jade Chamber.
Beidou chuckled and shook her head.
"Details? What details? It was just like what you all saw—Ningguang and the others took down Osial effortlessly."
"See! I told you!"
One man slammed his hand on the table in excitement.
"I said we didn't need any fancy strategies! We're this strong—suppressing a Demon God is as easy as flipping our hand!"
Chef Mao walked out from the kitchen, handing Beidou a bottle of liquor and a serving of Steamed Triple-Layer.
"Same as always. Xiangling says this one's on her."
He grinned warmly as he spoke.
Beidou nodded, not the least bit shy.
"Tell Xiangling I said thanks. Oh right—she's not back yet?"
"Nope, still in Mondstadt," Chef Mao replied with a sigh. "But she sent a letter last night. By the looks of it, she should return to Liyue within the next few days."
He added with a helpless smile:
"She missed out on the grand event… she's going to be so disappointed."
Then he looked curiously at Ayaka and Kazuha.
"Haven't seen you two around—are they new crew members of yours, Captain Beidou?"
Beidou nodded with a smile.
"Kaedehara Kazuha and Kamisato Ayaka—new crew members I picked up from Inazuma," Beidou explained.
"Inazuma…"
Master Mao paused thoughtfully, then gave a knowing nod.
"So they're refugees, huh… That must've been hard for you."
Saying that, he quickly returned to the kitchen and brought out two more dishes.
"Here, try some of Liyue's specialties. Since you're now Captain Beidou's crew, that makes you half-Liyuean already."
"With things so chaotic in Inazuma, you'd be safer staying here in Liyue."
Ayaka and Kazuha looked toward Beidou, who gave them a small nudge, motioning for them to accept Master Mao's kindness.
It seemed Master Mao had a lot on his mind and finally had someone to share it with.
"We really didn't expect it… Without making much noise, Liyue became this powerful. To be honest, when we saw that Demon God get crushed yesterday, we were shocked."
"But... it's a great thing. Now we can protect ourselves, and the Lord Emperor won't have to bear everything alone."
"After suffering divine punishment, maybe it's finally time for the Emperor to take a well-deserved rest."
Others around them sighed as well.
Although they were proud that Liyue had defeated a Demon God, the fact that the Geo Archon was gravely injured and hadn't awakened... was not something easily brushed aside.
He had always been the spiritual pillar of the Liyue people.
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