After they had departed, Ganyu suddenly leaned towards Su Han and whispered, "Actually… my master is also incredibly skilled. She possesses a great deal of knowledge…"
"Mm, I know," Su Han said, picking up a piece of food with his chopsticks. He smiled. "But your master is an adeptus, and she is unwilling to meddle in the affairs of the mortal world." Cloud Retainer was a master of mechanics; she had even participated in the creation of the Guizhong Ballista, a testament to her terrifying capabilities. But it was a commonly known fact that the adepti were reluctant to interfere in the world of humans.
Hearing Su Han's assessment, Ganyu's expression fell. Her master had secluded herself from the mortal realm. She feared that even if she went to beg for help herself, it would be of no use. It seemed that between adepti and mortals, there would always be an insurmountable gap. Slowly, Ganyu's thoughts turned to herself. If the day came when the Lord Emperor also departed, where would she go? She was not quite an adeptus, nor was she quite a mortal.
Seeing the "Cocogoat's" dejected mood, Su Han's eyes glinted, and he asked, "Ganyu, have you ever considered that Cloud Retainer's way of thinking… might actually be wrong?"
"Hm?" Ganyu lifted her head, her expression one of utter shock. Master's ideas are wrong? That was something she had truly never considered. Her master was an adeptus, after all.
"Think about it," Su Han elaborated. "The oceans turn to mulberry fields; Liyue has already passed through several thousand years. The world is changing, and people are changing along with it. But your master, Cloud Retainer, always views the Liyue of today through the lens of the past. That is, in itself, a form of prejudice. In the era when demons ran rampant, her mechanics were used to fight against gods. Powerful siege engines could not only slay gods but also defend Liyue. But now… there are no more gods to fight within Liyue's borders. Yet, her mechanical arts have not been shared among the people. Cloud Retainer even once said that the humans of today wouldn't even know how to use a powerful weapon like the Guizhong Ballista."
He paused, letting the thought sink in. "It's not that Liyue has no enemies today, but that our enemies are too small. Take the Fatui within our borders, or those Treasure Hoarders. Would you really use the Guizhong Ballista on them? Wouldn't that be like using a cannon to shoot a mosquito? You'd end up blowing up your own house in the process."
Pfft. Hearing his vivid description, Ganyu couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Using a cannon to shoot a mosquito. It was a rather lively image. But upon serious consideration, it seemed her master really was as he said: high and mighty, looking down on the short-lived mortals.
Ganyu looked at him with a pleading gaze. "Su Han, how can I get my master to change her perspective?"
"Words are useless," Su Han said, shaking his head. "Only when Liyue truly changes on its own will she understand that her way of thinking was wrong. Otherwise, Cloud Retainer will never realize her own shortcomings. Adepti are just people, too. There are things that even they cannot do."
"Mm. Thank you for your guidance today, Su Han. Thank you…" Her mood restored, Ganyu's beauty was breathtaking, so much so that it left Su Han staring dumbfounded for a moment.
He finally snapped out of it. "Ahem… a simple 'thank you' won't do. Come with me for a stroll to see the city at night. It's only eight o'clock, still early before bedtime."
"Okay. It's been a long time since I've gone for a walk, too," she agreed.
The two of them left the Jade Chamber together and headed towards Liyue Harbor, chatting for a long time along the way. However, much to Su Han's slight exasperation, the "Cocogoat," for all her wonderful qualities, frequently asked about that old fellow, Zhongli. Did she really want him to tell her that the Rex Lapis she so deeply admired was, in reality, a deadbeat old man who never asked for prices, frequently forgot to pay his bills, and only wanted to retire? He decided against it. He was in a good mood today, so he would just indulge her. They wandered outside until late into the night before finally returning.
A day later, the Knights of Favonius received a special letter. It was stamped with a unique seal and signed: Ningguang, Tianquan of Liyue.
"Acting Grand Master Jean, an important letter has arrived from the Tianquan of Liyue!"
"What? Bring it to me at once!" The blonde-haired woman, who had been buried in official documents, immediately had a change in expression upon hearing of Ningguang's letter. She had met that noble woman who held power over Liyue many times. Whenever a letter arrived from her, it was invariably about a matter of great importance. It absolutely could not be ignored; she rarely, if ever, wrote for a casual chat.
A moment later, the golden letter was delivered to her desk. Jean broke the seal and read its contents:
[Acting Grand Master Jean, it has been some time. Recently, we in Liyue have been preparing to establish a large-scale alchemy laboratory, but we are lacking a master alchemist to guide us. We hope that Mondstadt would be willing to allow Miss Sucrose to come and provide us with some guidance…]
The letter not only detailed the plan for a transport railway between Liyue and Mondstadt but also contained a very important commercial proposal. For example, essential minerals for forging weapons could be transported to Mondstadt via the railway, and in return, Mondstadt's products could be transported to Liyue, creating a mutually beneficial relationship. There was, of course, a price. Mondstadt had to allow Sucrose to go to Liyue to provide "guidance" and to remain there for a period of three years. It was not a short amount of time, but the benefits it would bring were something Jean could not refuse.
Currently, Mondstadt City had only Liyue Harbor as its main transportation hub. But this posed a problem, as it was impossible to transport everything through a single port. Therefore, Mondstadt's logistics still relied heavily on horse-drawn carriages. If they could open a railway line, it would greatly alleviate the pressure on their transportation network.