The city of Liyue was abuzz with anticipation.
High above the harbor, on the magnificent floating Jade Chamber, the annual Rite of Descension was underway.
Down below, citizens formed a long, orderly queue, their faces a mixture of reverence and hope. As was tradition on the day Rex Lapis graced the mortal realm, they came to burn incense and offer their prayers.
Some prayed for prosperity in their businesses, others for the health of ailing family members.
A handsome, silver-haired young man named Su Han stepped up to the censer. He dutifully lit his incense stick, placed it among the hundreds of others, and closed his eyes.
I hope I can get a harem.
Yes. That was his wish. Simple, straightforward, and utterly unpretentious.
Wish fulfilled, he turned and followed the flow of the crowd towards the main plaza of the Jade Chamber.
He'd spent some time asking around and had confirmed that the Traveler's sister, Lumine, had not yet awakened. It wouldn't be long now, though. The tremors of the dragon disaster were already being felt in Mondstadt, which meant the main storyline would kick off in a few months.
But that has nothing to do with me, he thought.
Su Han was, after all, just a part-time consultant at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Over the past year, he'd struck up an unlikely friendship with the parlor's other consultant, Zhongli—a friendship that had progressed to the point where they were both aware of each other's true identities.
He was only here today because Zhongli had personally invited him, promising a "gift."
Half an hour later, the ceremony reached its zenith.
Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, emerged at the center of the plaza. Dressed in opulent ceremonial robes and flanked by her attendants, her presence commanded the attention of the entire crowd.
"The auspicious hour has arrived," she announced, her voice clear and resonant. "We invite the Lord of Geo to descend!"
With a wave of her hand, a pillar of pure golden light erupted from the platform, soaring into the heavens.
The Rite of Descension had officially begun.
Above Liyue Harbor, the very sky began to churn. A vast, celestial vortex formed in the clouds, swirling with Geo energy. Every head in the crowd tilted upward as the immense, golden form of a dragon—Exuvia, the vessel of Rex Lapis—slowly emerged.
For centuries, this tradition had been the cornerstone of Liyue's enduring prosperity. Every year, without fail, Rex Lapis would descend to lay out the divine guidance for the year to come.
But this year was different.
The divine dragon did not immediately speak of commerce or contracts. Instead, its colossal head descended further through the clouds, its ancient, golden eyes sweeping across the assembled mortals.
When those eyes found Su Han in the crowd, a flicker of what could only be described as mischief glinted within them.
A voice, deep and resonant as shifting bedrock, thundered across the entirety of Liyue Harbor.
"From this day forth, I hereby proclaim [Su Han]… a National Treasure of Liyue!"
The declaration echoed off the mountains, shaking the very foundations of the city.
Ningguang, the ever-composed Tianquan, was stunned speechless.
The crowd, gathered to witness the divine will, was utterly baffled.
And Su Han himself felt his brain short-circuit.
What the hell is going on? I just came here to watch the show! How did I end up becoming a national treasure?!
A wave of confused murmurs rippled through the onlookers.
"Who is Su Han?"
"I've… I've never heard of him."
"Could he be some ancient, slumbering Adeptus who once served Rex Lapis? Why else would he be named a national treasure?"
"Perhaps… or maybe he's an ancient immortal…"
As the crowd buzzed with speculation, a golden scroll materialized from the heavens, slowly drifting down until it hovered directly in front of Su Han. A single, glowing line of text burned itself onto the parchment:
[The contract is established. Those who break their promise shall suffer the wrath of the rock!]
…Well, shit.
Su Han knew there was no getting out of this one. He was being forcibly conscripted as Liyue's National Treasure.
At that moment, Ningguang gracefully approached him, her expression a mask of formal respect that barely concealed her deep confusion.
"May I ask," she began, her voice steady, "if you are Lord Su Han?"
"Yes, that's me," Su Han replied with a resigned sigh. He had no interest in finding out what it felt like to be pinned under one of Zhongli's stone spears in the Guyun Stone Forest.
"In that case, perhaps we could speak somewhere more private?" Ningguang suggested. "There are far too many eyes and ears here. Would you accompany me to the Jade Chamber?"
"Lead the way."
Su Han was already tired of being stared at like a panda.
Half an hour later, inside the lavish private office of the Jade Chamber, Ningguang herself poured him a cup of tea.
Seeing the famously proud and dignified Tianquan treating him with such gentle courtesy made Su Han think, You know, being a national treasure might not be so bad after all.
At Ningguang's side were Keqing, the Yuheng, and Ganyu, the Qixing's emissary.
Ningguang began the questioning. "Lord Su Han, may I ask which of the adepti you are? Or perhaps a divine beast who once walked alongside Rex Lapis?"
"I'm not an adeptus, not an illuminated beast, and not a god," Su Han replied calmly. "I can't even fight."
"???"
His string of denials left the three powerful women staring at him, utterly bewildered. If he was nothing, then why was he a national treasure? Had Rex Lapis gone senile?
Keqing, ever the pragmatist, pressed forward. "Then on what grounds are you a national treasure? Have you made some great contribution to Liyue?"
"None, really," Su Han said with a shake of his head. "But I imagine I was chosen because of a certain special ability I possess."
He leaned forward slightly. "Its name is the Multiverse Mission Group."
"Anyone who joins the group can communicate with any other member, instantly, with no barriers. What's more, by completing missions posted in the group, members can earn points. And those points can be exchanged for treasures in a special store…"
As he finished, a profound shock settled over them. Such a terrifying ability actually existed?
Ganyu's eyes widened with admiration. "Even my master, Cloud Retainer, possesses no such power. It seems Rex Lapis's judgment was perfect in designating you a national treasure."
Keqing's mind, however, jumped to the strategic implications. "If you can communicate instantly, does that mean we could place informants in other nations and receive intelligence in real-time?"
"Indeed, you can," Su Han nodded, approving of her analysis.
Of course, he mused, that's just the most basic function of the group.