After two days and one night of travel, they finally arrived at Jueyun Karst.
The moment they set foot there, Ganyu grew visibly excited. "I remember this place!! I'm finally back!"
Her bouncing and skipping looked somewhat comical, but it was clear she was overjoyed.
Once inside Jueyun Karst, Ganyu took the lead, chatting away as if she had come home, completely at ease. Along the way, she eagerly introduced Elliot to the "delicacies" of Jueyun Karst.
Of course, what she described as delicacies were flowers and herbs—Qingxin, Jueyun Chili, Glaze Lily, and the like.
"Your Majesty, my master is over here. Normally, one must serve the delicacies they favor and pass their trials before being granted an audience. But there's also a special hidden passage we can use."
"Hmm... then I'll follow your lead."
"Great! Please, come with me."
Guided by Ganyu, they located an Adeptus mechanism hidden deep in a secluded spot. After several adjustments, a hidden path revealed itself.
Following the path, they soon arrived at a concealed palace.
"Who dares trespass upon the sanctuary of the Adepti?" Before they could step inside, a stern voice rang out from within the palace.
"Master, it's me! Ganyu! I'm back!" Hearing the familiar voice, Ganyu immediately bounced with excitement, but her round body tilted dangerously.
Fortunately, Elliot reacted quickly, steadying her before she fell.
"Ganyu!?"
A white crane appeared before them.
"It really is you! Where did you disappear to? I searched for a full half hour!"
At this, Elliot's lips twitched slightly. Cloud Retainer was as blunt as ever.
"Master... only half an hour...?" Ganyu felt crushed. She had imagined her master and the others had been beside themselves with worry, searching for weeks.
Instead—just half an hour? The revelation struck her like a bolt from the blue, and her excitement turned to regret for having come back at all.
"What else could it be? I circled the whole of Mount Aozang and Jueyun Karst, but couldn't find you."
As Cloud Retainer finished, her gaze fell upon Elliot. "Esteemed god, tell me—has Ganyu caused trouble?"
"Not at all! Ganyu hasn't caused any trouble. This lord is the Dark God, one of Liyue's patron deities. People revere him as the Dark Night Sovereign." Ganyu quickly explained Elliot's identity.
"A patron deity of Liyue...? But I've only ever heard of the Geo Emperor…" Cloud Retainer's eyes hardened with suspicion as she studied Elliot.
Clearly, she doubted his authenticity. At the same time, she suspected Ganyu's naïveté had made her easy to deceive.
"Master, he is also Liyue's patron deity! Liyue has two protectors. And I saw his power with my own eyes—there's no mistake!"
Ganyu realized her master was questioning Elliot and grew flustered, afraid he might become angry and destroy this place. She hurried to explain, her tone anxious.
But Cloud Retainer paid little heed to Ganyu's words, remaining wary. To her, Ganyu was still a naive child whose words could not be trusted.
Even so, she managed a polite smile. "I see. Since you've traveled so far to my humble abode, may I ask what business brings you here?"
Elliot, a veteran of eight lifetimes, could easily see through her guarded attitude. But it was understandable. Ganyu was still young, easily misled, and few had ever heard his name.
"Truthfully, nothing major. Ganyu only hoped you might join Liyue. I came to see if you possess the strength required to stand alongside it."
In negotiations like this, one must never approach from a position of weakness—especially for an god like Elliot, who stood above them by nature. Thus, he would never say something like, I came to invite you to join Liyue. Instead, he framed it as a test of their qualifications.
"Mm-hmm! That's right, Master. The world is getting more chaotic lately. Let's join Liyue together!"
"After leaving Jueyun Karst, I went to a place called Cuijue Slope. It was once as desolate as Jueyun Karst, but lately more and more refugees have gathered there. And gods too—more than before. I can't shake the feeling something bad is about to happen."
Ganyu followed Elliot's words, adding her own persuasion.
But Cloud Retainer was unmoved. She had full confidence in her mechanical arts. No matter how strong an god might be, without extraordinary means it would be nearly impossible to locate their hidden sanctuary.
Of course, if an god truly occupied Mount Aozang, it would be troublesome. Leaving would then become nearly impossible, and stepping outside would risk immediate discovery.