The other four members of the Bubblegum Squad were all watching Victor Wang's back, seeing that—just as expected—he had gone to touch the teleport waypoint again.
"He already touched one of those pillars back at Qingxu Pool, didn't he? Said something like 'touching them more might help you grow taller'... like coaxing a kid," Xiangling remarked, unimpressed by the pillar itself, but intrigued by Victor Wang's behavior.
Chongyun said earnestly, "I actually touched a bunch of them when I was little… and I only grew this tall."
"We're still at the age where we're growing! If you're growing slowly, it's probably because of a nutrition deficiency. I'll cook up a few new dishes when we get back to help supplement you all!"
However, Chongyun, Xingqiu, and Hu Tao all hastily averted their eyes from Xiangling, doing their best not to meet her gaze.
"Ahem! Hu Tao, you said Victor's poetry is good—any works you can share?" Xingqiu coughed deliberately, shifting the topic.
"Sure! Listen to this one, 'Golden Brocade Robes': 'Don't begrudge golden brocade robes, treasure your youthful years; pluck the blossoms while they bloom, don't wait till the branches are bare.' Isn't it beautifully written?"
"'Pluck the blossoms while they bloom, don't wait till the branches are bare'…" Xingqiu immediately felt the meaning resonate within him. "A great poem—truly brilliant! We absolutely have to bring him to the next poetry gathering!"
Just in time for dinner, the group finally returned to Liyue Harbor, but parted ways with the people from the Jade Chamber after reaching Feiyun Slope.
The Jade Chamber team headed toward Yujing Terrace, while the Bubblegum Squad accompanied Hu Tao back to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
According to those at the parlor, Zhongli had already returned briefly and then left again for a stroll. That eased everyone's minds, but curiosity about the aftermath at the Northland Bank drove them there next.
At the moment, the Northland Bank was a cacophony of angry voices, with a massive crowd gathered outside, all blocked by the Millelith stationed at the gates.
Rumor had it the Qixing had presented evidence proving the Fatui's attempt to incite a rift with the adepti and to release the Overlord of the Vortex. They had suspended trade with Snezhnaya, announced a full-scale purge of Snezhnayan influence, and officially brought Childe to court.
No wonder every last person here was condemning the Northland Bank.
"Liyue Dragon Team! Find all their criminal evidence!"
"The Northland Bank must pay for starting a war!"
"Damn it! Give me back my ship and cargo!" Occasionally, there were even voices from foreign supporters…
In any case, no one could see what was going on inside the bank.
"Liyue Dragon Team?" The name sounded oddly familiar. Victor Wang glanced around at his companions in confusion.
"There's a rumor that Liyue has a team directly under the Archon, made up entirely of Vision bearers. But as far as I know, that team doesn't actually exist," Xingqiu explained with a shrug, then suddenly put on a mysterious look. "If you ask me, Ningguang's 'Three Eyes' sound a lot more believable!"
"What's that?"
"They say Ningguang possesses three eyes—not in the literal sense, of course. One watches Liyue's surface world, one monitors the world beneath, and the last keeps an eye on the neighbors surrounding Liyue.
"Everyone knows about the friendship between Captain Beidou and Ningguang, right? That's obviously the third eye. More believable than the Dragon Team, don't you think?"
Speaking of Beidou, Hu Tao sighed. "Big Sister Beidou, huh… She really is one of Liyue's legends. Too bad I know of her, but she doesn't know me… I really want to be friends with her."
"Huh? I know Big Sister Beidou," Xiangling replied, surprised that Hu Tao had never mentioned this before.
Xingqiu nodded. "Same. My family has some dealings with her too."
Hu Tao copied the trick Victor Wang had once used to shut her down: "But, but… none of you asked me?"
"Ah…" Xiangling and Xingqiu were both instantly stumped.
"Wait, are you guys talking about the protagonist of The Wrath of Haishan? The captain whose fame in Liyue is second only to the Qixing?" Victor Wang asked, beginning his performance.
"That's right."
"Actually… I'd like to meet her too." He definitely wasn't going to swim all the way to Inazuma, and he'd have to hitch a ride on the Alcor to get through the thunderstorm anyway.
"But the 'Crux Fleet' has already sailed to Inazuma. No chance of introducing you to her for now. Sigh… If Big Sister Beidou were here, she definitely wouldn't have stood by during the battle with the Overlord of the Vortex…"
Xiangling pondered for a moment, then said, "But I can make some of the seafood dishes that the Crux Fleet eats regularly. Consider it a celebration for the successful tasting of our gum and bubblegum—and for defeating the Overlord of the Vortex!"
"And don't forget Victor's Stir-Fried Qingxin with Slime Condensate!" Hu Tao reminded her.
"Then let's go, it's dinner time anyway—come to my place!"
…
Under the astonished and awestruck gazes of Hu Tao, Xingqiu, and Chongyun, Victor Wang finished an entire plate of freshly cooked Stir-Fried Qingxin with Slime Condensate.
Xiangling eagerly asked, "How was it?"
"From a rational standpoint, it was truly awful. Qingxin is naturally very bitter, and when paired with the bizarre flavor of slime condensate… How do I put this? Even the usual smooth texture of slime couldn't redeem it—in fact, it only made things worse. And being a hot dish on top of that… I absolutely, absolutely will never eat it again."
His expression remained calm only because Victor Wang was doing his utmost to manage it.
The hot slime condensate reminded him of mucus, and the bitter, slippery Qingxin conjured up the taste of stomach bile during vomiting… Not something he could bring himself to say out loud.
"See, see? Nobody can handle it!"
Hu Tao looked like someone who had waited ten long years just for this moment—to clear her name with this one final piece of evidence.
"Even Victor couldn't take it? Could it really be that… hmm…" Mid-sentence, Xiangling's expression hardened with resolve. "Still, the gum and bubblegum made from slime will be going on the official menu starting tomorrow. There's still hope for slime as a culinary ingredient!"
"Trust me—slimes won't thank you for this…" Chongyun sighed, hand to his forehead.
"If we're putting it on the menu, I think it needs one more thing. Right now all the flavors look the same, so it's easy to mix them up. Maybe try dyeing them or adding designs so customers can tell them apart more easily," Victor Wang suggested, making his final contribution to the advent of slime gum.
"Dye them?" Xiangling considered it seriously. "Setting aside how to find food-safe, vibrant dyes… Normally, the slime's consistency makes it really hard to dye evenly. It might even ruin the translucent look. Drawing designs… ehh, I'm not great at that…"
Everyone fell into deep thought for a moment.
Xingqiu, thinking of certain businesses his family's Feiyun Commerce Guild was involved in, offered:
"That's true. The dyes we use for fabrics aren't edible, and the ones for porcelain aren't either. But… since the gum is moldable, couldn't you just stamp the design with molds instead? That way, it doesn't rely on the chef's artistic ability and also saves time."
"That's totally viable! But I'm not good at carving either…"
"I'll do it, I'll do it!" Hu Tao volunteered. "I'm great at carving!"
"You? Since when do you know how to carve?" Her friends were dubious.
"Hmph! Carving coffins and spirit tablets is basic training in our profession. If a customer wants a flower, we carve a flower. If they want a bird, we carve a bird." She patted her utterly unremarkable chest and promised, "Leave it to me! I'll bring exquisitely carved molds tomorrow!"
"Alright, alright, we'll hold you to it."
After enjoying some seafood dishes just like those served on the Crux Fleet, everyone finally headed home.
Back at Wangshu Inn, Victor Wang immediately sat down to continue writing that unfinished story. He had to show it to everyone tomorrow, so an all-nighter was in order.
But tonight, he wouldn't be the only one who couldn't sleep.
Many overseas merchants who had lost everything in a single day were taken in by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and given a place to stay. Though the Qixing promised compensation after Childe's trial, they still tossed and turned anxiously.
The Qixing themselves, though asleep, all dreamed of the Archon…
Keqing stared blankly at the massive black-gold dragon—far larger than the one seen during the Rite of Descension. It was the Archon's divine form.
They were both silent for a long time. Then, as if slightly disappointed he hadn't heard her true thoughts during the last ceremony, the Archon finally spoke:
"Well done. I entrust Liyue's future to you all."
And then he flew away. The dream ended.
"It's real… It's really real… Ahhh!" Keqing wanted to dig a hole and bury herself in it, rolling under her covers in embarrassment.
The others—Ningguang, Uncle Tian, and more—had similar dreams. Regardless of the exact conversations, the dream always ended with the Archon entrusting Liyue to them.
This dream visitation had been premeditated by the Geo Archon. The trial had passed—there was no need to leave them guessing anymore.
Afterward, Moon Carver, Mountain Shaper, and Cloud Retainer all dreamed of the Archon too. Only Xiao remained ever alert, keeping silent watch over Dihua Marsh. Sweet dreams… truly were just dreams for him.
After observing him for a long time, the Geo Archon finally used a rare moment of Xiao's meditation to deliver his message.
"Archon! Why did you fake your death?"
"I've fulfilled my duty. It's time to hand Liyue over to humans. From now on, I'll observe Liyue as a mortal."
"Duty… My duty is nearly complete too."
"Yes. You've done well. If ever you face a problem you cannot solve—call for me."
"…Alright."
Zhongli opened his eyes and saw Hu Tao still carving something next to him.
"Zhongli, how do you think I should carve an apple so it's not too plain, but still instantly recognizable?"
"From a rational standpoint, apples have simple forms to begin with. If you want it to look refined, try carving more detail."
"Oh, you mean adding the leaf too? That's a great idea!"