"That sword?" Keqing noticed the plain white longsword Ning Zhen was holding, instinctively asking the earlier arrival to confirm.
"It was given by that woman in white. Who is she?" Victor Wang happened to have the same question.
Keqing observed for a while longer before sighing.
"That is Ye Caizhen, the master of Yunyan Hall, the leading force in Liyue's tobacco trade. I haven't had much contact with her, but I've heard of her.
Her mother died in childbirth, and her father fell ill from lovesickness. On her fifth birthday, he went mad and left home, abandoning her and the business of Yunyan Hall, never to return.
Fortunately, her father's deputy was loyal, maintaining the hall's business while raising her. She was also remarkably capable—after coming of age, she took over Yunyan Hall and, with extraordinary skill, pushed it step by step to its current position.
I heard from Ningguang back when Youshan Orphanage was established that Yunyan Hall was the largest contributor aside from the Qixing. I imagine Master Ye genuinely loathes such matters."
"...No wonder."
"By the way, Ningguang has quite a good relationship with Master Ye. She once casually mentioned her childhood nickname was 'Zhenzhen'. Ye Caizhen and Ning Zhen... perhaps that made her think even more of her younger self."
Tobacco trade… if Victor Wang remembered correctly, both Rosaria and Ningguang smoked. Could Yunyan Hall have been secretly supported by Ningguang?
"Let's go." With a single sentence, Keqing pulled Victor Wang out of his wild speculations.
"Where to?"
"Weren't you going to get your ID?"
"Oh, oh... wait, aren't you going to see Ning Zhen?"
"If she sees me, it will definitely remind her of her father. Since someone else is already looking after her, I'll stay away." Keqing flicked one side of her ponytail and turned to leave.
Once Victor Wang also turned away, Ye Caizhen finally looked back from behind two flowerbeds, watching the departing backs of him and Keqing with a thoughtful gaze...
When they arrived at the Ministry of Civil Affairs, it was as crowded as a post office, most people there to file complaints about the losses caused by the Overlord of the Vortex and the Young Master. Luckily, despite the crowd, aside from some congestion, it didn't affect other business.
"This way."
Under Keqing's lead, they bypassed the congested crowd through several quiet side paths and came to the door of an office.
"Go in and fill out your personal information first. I'll go get my seal."
"Alright."
As soon as he entered, the clerk closest to the door glanced up at him, quickly lowered her head again, and continued sorting some documents in her hands. Her tone was cool.
"Hello, I don't know how I can help you. Please state your request within two seconds."
"Uh?"
"Can't decide? Then please come back next time when you know."
"No, excuse me—"
"If it's about me, I'm a clerk at the Ministry of Civil Affairs in Liyue. If it's about my name, and you're trying to flirt, please wait until after work."
"Actually, I wanted to—"
"Eligibility exam? Taxes? Going abroad application? Ship docking? What service do you need?
"Please be quick, faster.
"Serving you has already cost me a lot of time, and I can't waste precious minutes on someone like— no, forget it..."
She's really infuriating... Victor Wang suddenly recalled her—probably the clerk named Clerk Zhao who usually stood at the ministry's entrance.
Seizing the next turn in their back-and-forth, he quickly said, "I want to apply for an ID."
Clerk Zhao adjusted her glasses and finally looked at him properly. "Lost or damaged? Do you still remember your ID number? Did you bring your parents' ID documents?"
"No—"
"No? No what?"
"Nothing! None of it!" Victor Wang couldn't stand it anymore. He took a few steps forward to Clerk Zhao's desk, pressing down on the stack of papers she kept fiddling with. "Please, listen to me!"
"...Then please be quick. Time shouldn't be wasted like this."
"I've never had an ID before, I don't have a number, and my parents don't have Liyue IDs."
Clerk Zhao let out a long sigh. "Immigration business should be handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Coming to the Civil Affairs Department is... just wasting time."
Victor Wang exhaled as well. "Keqing brought me here. You just need to give me a personal information form—nothing else."
He deliberately slowed his words to torment her.
"The Yuheng Star herself? Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"Heh."
"No, but this is just your claim. I can't take your word for it. If you're here to cause trouble, leave now, or I'll call the guards to escort you out."
So, this is what they mean by better to deal with the king of hell than his petty underlings?
But someone had already arrived behind him, so Victor Wang stepped aside, letting Clerk Zhao notice...
"The Yuheng Star?"
"It's true, I brought him." Keqing's gaze made Clerk Zhao avert her eyes. "Clerk Zhao, you're too impatient. This kind of attitude isn't very citizen-friendly."
"The Yuheng Star..." Clerk Zhao was both delighted and shocked—delighted that The Yuheng Star remembered her name among so many staff, shocked because she was being criticized. The shock clearly outweighed the joy.
"We'll discuss your matter later. Bring two personal information forms."
"Yes!" Clerk Zhao scrambled to search the cabinet.
...
"Don't rush. Don't worry about mistakes—there are spares."
"Mm."
Name… should he write his real full name?
But his Adventurer's Certificate only had the single name Victor, and he had always introduced himself to friends like that. No changing it now.
Home address… It specifically said it must be a long-term, stable residence in Liyue—no inns, hotels, or the like.
Victor Wang glanced at Keqing beside him. She noticed the next field he needed to fill and asked bluntly, "Do you have a house in Liyue?"
"...Is it too late to buy one now?"
"Houses in Liyue Harbor are expensive, and going outside the harbor would waste time. Here, let me fill it in." Keqing took the form and wrote down an address in sword-like strokes.
"This is?"
"My place. It's just an address, so let's use it.
"It's just a formality, don't overthink it. Leaving it blank would cause trouble in later registration, and making you buy a house after agreeing to help you isn't reasonable."
Ugh, Keqing, you're so kind! He almost blurted out that he could afford a house—thank goodness he didn't.
But then came the field for place of birth.
"Don't look at me like that. Just write the truth. Out-of-town is fine."
"I... I don't remember."
"Don't remember, or inconvenient to say? Forget it, just put the home address again..."
Keqing sighed helplessly. Liyue's ID system wasn't built for such special cases. Cutting corners was fine—a fake but well-documented record wouldn't stir any trouble.
Victor Wang was overjoyed. Now not only was his residence set to Keqing's place, but even his birthplace.
Birthdate... count back 18 years from this year... gender, male.
Nothing else needed filling.
"Let's go take your photo."
"Photo too?"
"Of course. National IDs are stricter than Adventurer's Certificates. Not only do you need a photo, but you must update it every ten years."
"But I—"
"What are you saying? Come on."
"…"
Following Keqing, they arrived at another room—a photography studio. The two stood face-to-face, one inside the door, one outside.
"Mask."
"Mask?"
"You have to take it off."
"Must I?" That was his weak spot. Seven eyes gleamed—anyone who had seen a Hilichurl's true face would probably guess.
"The photo is one of the most important parts of an ID."
"My face is injured, inconvenient to show for now. Maybe I'll come back later..."
Keqing's eyes flashed with unfulfilled curiosity, but she compromised. "Then keep the mask on for now. Update the photo when you can."
The staff naturally questioned it as well, but at Keqing's request, Liyue's first-ever masked ID photo was taken.
Back at the office, Victor Wang's file was stamped with the Yuheng Special Permit, and together with the unusual photo, handed to Clerk Zhao after a few extra instructions. Then came a twenty-minute wait.
"They're putting the Young Master on trial today, right? You're not going?"
"That matter... Ningguang can handle it."
Keqing lounged lazily on the guest sofa, her tone matching her posture. After answering, she closed her eyes, unwilling to speak further...
Ever since the Archon's death, she'd been on edge. Yesterday, she faced the Overlord of the Vortex, and for two nights straight, the Archon had appeared in her dreams, robbing her of peaceful sleep. Now, the first wave of the aftermath was settling.
But to fully take over Liyue, there was still much to do. It was only thanks to Ningguang's insistence that she allowed herself a half-day break.
She hadn't expected to meet Ning Zhen at You Shan Fang, run into Victor Wang, and end up back at the ministry.
Although earlier—shopping in the streets, eating Golden Shrimp Balls and Almond Tofu—had eased some of her burden, only real rest could cure the fatigue. Now, with her eyes closed...
"Yuheng—"
"Shh." Victor Wang cut Clerk Zhao off, nodding toward Keqing. "She's asleep."
"Oh, Keqing-sama is actually... this exhausted."
"So? Is my ID done?"
"Mm." Clerk Zhao quietly handed over a card of special material. On it was Victor Wang's masked photo, his name, birthdate, home address, and a unique number in all of Teyvat.
"This is my Liyue ID... my identification in Teyvat..." The feeling was exactly the same as when he'd gotten his ID back in Shenzhou.