"Kid, who said I was playing some sand-table game with you?"
"I was showing you reality."
Sand-table simulations? Who would bother with those? If you're going to do it, do it real. And he certainly had the means.
"Reality?"
Keqing's rose-colored eyes shrank sharply as she gradually calmed down.
The man before her was no mere mortal—he was on the level of the adepti. Why would he need to spin absurd lies to deceive her?
That could only mean one thing. Everything that had just happened inside that pocket realm… could happen in the real world.
Her heart jolted.
Cold sweat beaded on her forehead as the thought sank in.
If everything unfolded as it had in that trial…
"Figured it out?"
Watching her, sweat dripping, Taro tapped a finger on the table.
"Bit of a tsundere, aren't you? I get it."
"Trying too hard to prove yourself can backfire."
"Your thinking isn't entirely wrong. But you're overlooking the most important point."
"The Rock King Emperor thinks on a level completely different from yours."
"His perspective covers all of Teyvat. Yours only covers Liyue. That's the difference."
It wasn't that Taro was nitpicking.
Keqing was good. Excellent, even.
Zhongli himself had recognized her worth.
If she were just an ordinary person, she'd be flawless—a true prodigy.
But as one of the Liyue Qixing, one of the city's actual rulers, she couldn't be judged by ordinary standards.
"Huuh…"
Keqing drew a long breath, then cupped her hands respectfully.
"Thank you for the guidance. Keqing has learned much."
A loss was a loss.
As the Yuheng Star, she could accept defeat.
As long as she could clearly see what she had done wrong afterward, that loss became a gain.
Today, she had indeed been taught a valuable lesson.
Yes—she admitted it. She had been wrong.
If you err, you change.
Keqing lifted her head sharply.
Her amethyst eyes gleamed strangely, burning with curiosity.
"This… adeptus—sir. I ask you, please do not withhold your teachings. Keqing is willing to—"
"Hah? Hold on a sec."
Taro froze, then shook his head.
"I've got nothing worth teaching you."
What he'd just said was already the best he could give.
He wasn't as familiar with Teyvat as Zhongli.
He understood even less of Liyue's governing mechanics.
As an outsider, there was nothing he could truly teach Keqing.
"Keqing was presumptuous…"
Refused outright, Keqing lowered her head and bit her lip.
Right. She was known for her irreverence toward the adepti.
Her words often strayed from orthodoxy, her manner too arrogant.
Of course the adepti would have no fondness for her.
"Hey."
Taro raised a finger and pointed at Zhongli.
"If you really want to learn something, I recommend you ask him. What I know doesn't compare to him."
"..."
Zhongli blinked, caught off guard.
He didn't mind, but being shoved into the role so bluntly… really?
And wouldn't this blow his cover?
"Zhongli… you're an adeptus?"
Keqing's eyes widened.
That explained a lot.
No wonder he ignored Ningguang's recruitment attempts.
If he was an adeptus, of course he would.
"Yuheng Star misunderstands."
Zhongli's face remained calm, his voice warm:
"Taro and I are both ordinary men, just with a touch of skill. The true adeptus among us is this one—"
He gestured smoothly toward Madame Ping.
"Her name: Streetward Rambler."
To avoid blowing his cover, Zhongli shoved Ping forward as a shield.
Revealed her true title outright, desperate to keep Keqing convinced.
He wasn't ready to drop his mortal mask.
So Ping would just have to take the fall.
"You—Zhongli, you…"
Ping's eyes went wide.
You drag me into this to save your own skin?
Shameless!
"Appropriate. Perfectly appropriate," Zhongli thought to himself, nodding inwardly.
Her identity was already half-known among the Qixing anyway.
"..."
Keqing blinked in confusion.
Wait. Just a touch of skill?
If they weren't considered adepti, then what on earth was a true adeptus…
Her gaze inevitably drifted toward Ping.
"Cough."
Realizing she couldn't avoid it, Ping shook her head slightly.
Light shimmered over her body.
Her form shifted twice in succession.
"Enough, girl. He wasn't lying."
"Do you still remember this old one?"
"You're… Granny Ping?"
Watching her transform before her very eyes, Keqing's suspicions crystallized.
"I'd long suspected… but never thought I'd see it confirmed here."
Ping hadn't tried too hard to hide in Liyue Harbor.
Moon Carver often dropped by her pavilion.
The Qixing already had their suspicions.
They'd just never said it aloud.
And now she saw—behind the frail façade, an elegant beauty.
Of course. Adepti were masters of transformation.
If they didn't wish to reveal their true selves, no mortal could pierce their disguise.
"Girl, want to learn something new?"
Ping smiled at Keqing, then pointed at Zhongli.
"I recommend him. This consultant of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is learned and gifted."
"And he's got plenty of time. Every day it's either strolling, bird-watching, or listening to opera. He's as idle as they come."
"You won't go wrong with him."
"..."
Keqing's eyes lit up.
If even an adeptus praised him so highly, he must indeed be exceptional.
She had to learn.
"Zhongli, sir, I wonder if…"
Her gaze fixed on him, bright with eagerness.
"...Sigh."
Zhongli inwardly mourned the loss of his leisure time.
Then he nodded quietly.
"Guidance may be too strong a word. But in free moments, we may exchange thoughts."
"Thank you, Zhongli sir!"
Keqing bowed deeply.
"When matters here are done, I will call on you. I hope you will not withhold your teaching."
"..."
Zhongli inclined his head gently.
This girl was stubborn.
Very well. Guiding her directly might be for the best.
At that moment, footsteps echoed.
Their dishes arrived, carried by a waiter.
Fragrance spread through the air.
"I won't disturb your meal. I'll take my leave."
As the food was set down, Keqing quickly tied her headscarf back on.
She excused herself, returning to her post as a waitress.
Though so much had just happened, she wouldn't slack off.
She would finish her shift.
That was her way—leading by example.
"Come, Taro. Taste Xiangling's cooking."
Zhongli brushed aside the rest.
It was time to eat.
At the table, no other topics belonged.
Good wine and fine dishes must not be wasted.
"Indeed. Xiangling has walked far along the path of the culinary arts."
Ping smiled brightly.
"Good, good. Let's eat together!"
Taro snatched up his chopsticks without hesitation.
Time to dig in.
(End of Chapter)
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