At daybreak, the sun rose in the east.
A light morning mist draped itself over Yujing Terrace.
Granny Ping appeared without warning, strolling to the pond's edge with a handful of fish feed, which she scattered across the water.
As the fish jostled and darted for food, a gentle smile spread across her weathered face.
No one knew when she came or when she left. No one knew where she lived, or even if she had a home at all.
Yet whether it was the Millelith or the residents of Yujing Terrace, everyone had seen this old woman.
She regularly watered the rare Glaze Lilies growing in the Terrace, tending to the nearly extinct blooms with great care. She fed the koi in the pond daily, watching fondly as the vibrant red fish grew plumper with time.
She had a bright, precocious young disciple who behaved more like a little adult, a senior disciple with masterful culinary skills, and a close bond with Liyue's legal prodigy Yanfei. Aside from that, she seemed no different from an ordinary old lady.
But only a precious few knew the truth—she was an adeptus.
Her true name was unknown, her age a mystery. She lived in Liyue Harbor disguised as a kindly elder.
Sometimes she gazed at the city lights, other times wandered the bustling streets. Occasionally she visited the mountains to reminisce with old friends. When in good spirits, she'd offer advice to promising youngsters.
Her days passed slowly yet swiftly, until even she had lost track of how long she'd been in Liyue.
...
Hu Tao arrived at Yujing Terrace with Jiang Bai in tow, scanning the area for Granny Ping.
Behind her, Jiang Bai looked around with wide-eyed wonder, gawking like someone who'd never stepped foot in a big city.
Yujing Terrace, home to Liyue's elite, exuded an elegant, timeless opulence. From the intricately carved stone steps to the jade railings along the staircases, from the ornate latticework of the pavilions to the overall architecture—every detail whispered of wealth.
The name "noble district" was well earned.
Jiang Bai merely looked around in quiet awe—no fidgeting, no attempts to pocket a loose tile for resale.
Hu Tao quickly spotted Granny Ping by the lake and called out, motioning for Jiang Bai to follow.
"Granny Ping!"
Hearing the voice, the old woman looked up and smiled kindly.
"Hu Tao. Looks like you've gathered everything you need."
"Hehe, with me on the case, how could it not be done?"
"Have you eaten, Granny? I brought you a little something." Hu Tao pulled out a food container.
"Why, thank you." Granny Ping accepted it with a warm chuckle.
Then she turned her gaze to Jiang Bai. "And who might this be?"
Hu Tao stood on tiptoe, giving Jiang Bai's shoulder a pat, clearly pleased with him. "This is Jiang Bai, our funeral attendant at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. I'm putting him in charge of the 'Falling Leaves Return to Roots' project."
"Greetings, Granny!" Jiang Bai bowed politely, flashing a wide grin of white teeth.
"A fine young man," Granny Ping said approvingly.
She tossed the remaining fish feed into the pond, then slowly made her way toward a stone table in a lakeside pavilion.
They chatted casually over breakfast. Afterward, Granny Ping produced a large teapot and, to their confusion, lifted the lid.
"Follow me."
A gentle suction flowed from the teapot's mouth, pulling all three of them inside.
The next moment, Jiang Bai and Hu Tao found themselves somewhere entirely different.
Just a heartbeat ago they were in Liyue Harbor—and now, they stood within a realm straight from a celestial painting.
Floating pavilions, mist-wrapped peaks, clouds swirling at their feet—this was no place of mortals.
At the base of a nearby mountain stood a small, unassuming courtyard. Vegetables and fruit grew in neat rows outside the house, its doors shut, suggesting someone might live within.
Jiang Bai, experiencing an adepti's realm for the first time, looked absolutely dumbfounded.
"This place is…?" Hu Tao had always suspected Granny Ping wasn't just some ordinary elder—but this was far beyond her expectations!
Does Xiangling even know how amazing her master is?!
Still, her own Zhongli wasn't too shabby either. Who's to say he wasn't some ancient adeptus living in seclusion?
The thought made Hu Tao stand up a little straighter, her chest puffing with pride.
Proud.exe activated.
"This is my home," Granny Ping said with her ever-present smile, utterly unbothered by the fact that her true nature had been revealed.
"You're an adeptus?!" Hu Tao blurted out.
Granny Ping nodded. "How's Mountain Carver these days?"
Now that the truth was out, Hu Tao dropped any notions of pitching Wangsheng's services to Granny Ping once the job was done.
People often mistook an adepti's elderly form as a sign of frailty—but it was just a disguise. If they wished, adeptis could appear as children, or any age they liked.
So judging an adepti's lifespan by their apparent age was meaningless.
Granny Ping might look like she was nearing the end of her life, but truth be told, she'd still be around long after Hu Tao was gone.
Same with Zhongli—he looked young, but who knew how many lifetimes he'd lived through?
Which meant… there was nothing wrong with her calling him "old man" after all!
"Lord Mountain Carver is doing well," Hu Tao replied. "Still as leisurely as ever, and his flowers are thriving."
Granny Ping chuckled knowingly. "That does sound like him."
"Now, bring out the materials."
"On it!"
Hu Tao began pulling items from her storage ring, one by one, until a small mountain had formed on the ground.
Jiang Bai now had a whole new understanding of just how much her ring could hold—it definitely wasn't as "tiny" as she claimed.
He couldn't help but stare in envy. If only I had a storage space like that...
"Very good." Granny Ping waved her hand, and the materials rose into the air and floated into a nearby workshop.
"This way," she said.
Jiang Bai's eyes gleamed with excitement—was this it? Was he about to witness an adeptus forging an artifact with his own eyes?
Getting out of bed early for this was so worth it!
As they stepped into the workshop, a wave of heat washed over them.
Granny Ping might appear frail and hunched—but that was only in appearance.
With a flick of her wrist, a chunk of White Iron flew into her hand and melted into a silvery liquid, hovering in the air beside her.
Then came the Magical Crystal, Cor Lapis, Noctilucous Jade, Jueyun Jade, and Basalt Sand.
The meltable ores turned to liquid and floated around her, while the unmeltable ones like Basalt Sand transformed into fine particles, coalescing and swirling in midair.
Hu Tao and Jiang Bai stared, unblinking—afraid to miss a single moment of this otherworldly forging process.
The True Soul of the Four Directions floated forth, and Granny Ping closed her eyes, fingers forming one intricate seal after another.
Wisps of adeptus energy flowed from her fingertips, wrapping around the soul essence and minerals.
Gradually, under her control, the shape of a compass began to form.
As her power continued to gather, the compass took on clearer detail.
Then she waved her hand again, and the remaining materials condensed into slender golden sticks, glowing with light. Runes etched themselves slowly along their surfaces.
After some time, the golden glow faded, revealing two finished items.
The compass was both elegant and substantial, roughly the size of Jiang Bai's palm. When held, it had a satisfying weight to it.
Its face bore the twenty-four directional markers, inscribed in ancient script. At the center sat a glowing golden orb—but when touched, it gave no sensation at all, as if one's fingers passed through nothing.
Yet the compass lacked one crucial component:
The directional needle.
---
...
Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.
Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.
WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it... or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.
If you had fun, you know what to do:
👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]
And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.
👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]
Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.
—Leaf