Chapter 201.
Ultimately, Paimon succumbed to decision paralysis.
It wasn't that she couldn't spot the valuable items in the Jade Chamber; rather, she was actively avoiding anything that looked conspicuously expensive.
She couldn't help it. Even though Ningguang had generously offered her the pick of the room, Paimon didn't dare grab something priceless—especially since their investigation hadn't technically uncovered the Fatui's grand master plan yet.
If she took something staggeringly valuable, she would die of embarrassment. So, she gravitated toward the unassuming corners of the office.
"Hmm..."
Paimon's eyes landed on a delicate, rather plain-looking smoking pipe resting casually on a side table. It was small, inconspicuous, and didn't look like it belonged in a museum.
"This one?"
Paimon asked, floating over to it.
Ningguang watched Paimon pick up the pipe, a glint of amusement flashing in her eyes.
"That item is currently valued at roughly ten million Mora."
"Ah?!" Paimon froze in mid-air. She stared at the tiny wooden pipe in horror. "Ten million Mora?! This?!"
She desperately wanted to ask if Ningguang had been swindled by a merchant.
Even Lumine's jaw dropped slightly in shock.
Futsu Mitama, however, understood the economics of Liyue perfectly.
"If that pipe were sold purely for its materials, it would probably only fetch a few hundred thousand Mora." he explained calmly. "But because it was once personally used by the Tianquan, its baseline value skyrockets to ten million. If it were put up for a public auction, the final bid would be significantly higher."
He was spelling it out for them: the pipe itself wasn't valuable. The owner made it priceless.
Within Liyue Harbor, countless wealthy merchants would gladly burn tens of millions of Mora just to have dinner with Ningguang, hoping to secure her favor.
To own a personal item previously used by the Tianquan herself? It was the ultimate status symbol.
"Wow..."
Paimon finally grasped the concept. She looked down at the pipe, her greed warring with her conscience.
"Ningguang, is this important to you?"
Truthfully, Paimon didn't even want the pipe. She only grabbed it because she thought it was cheap! She never expected the secondary market for Tianquan memorabilia to be so absurd.
"It's fine." Ningguang smiled, shaking her head. "I bought it on a whim out of boredom. It didn't suit my tastes, so I switched to a different pipe shortly after. For me, it holds only a fleeting sentimental value. If you like it, take it. Honestly, given your ravenous nature, I fully expected you to grab something much more valuable."
The room was filled with exquisite antiques, yet the aggressively money-grubbing fairy had accidentally stumbled into the cheapest corner of the room. Ningguang was genuinely surprised.
"Hahaha..."
Paimon laughed awkwardly, a bit embarrassed that even the Tianquan knew about her insatiable greed.
Lumine remained silent, a fond smile touching her lips.
This was exactly why they traveled together.
Paimon was undeniably greedy, but when push came to shove, she had her own moral bottom line. If Paimon were a truly bottomless pit of unchecked greed, Lumine never would have kept her as a traveling companion; it would have only brought them endless disaster.
"Since we've made our choice, Paimon and I should get going."
Lumine said politely.
She could read the room. Ningguang and Futsu Mitama clearly had matters to discuss, and Lumine had no intention of playing the third wheel.
"There's no need to rush off. You two can rest in the adjoining lounge." Ningguang offered smoothly. "Futsu Mitama and I only need to chat briefly. Afterward, we can all leave together—or stay for a late-night snack."
"LATE-NIGHT SNACK?!"
Paimon intercepted the keyword instantly, her eyes practically turning into Mora symbols as she vibrated with excitement.
Lumine, however, cast a questioning glance at Futsu Mitama.
He nodded in confirmation.
"It's fine, Lumine. Wait for me in the lounge. Ningguang and I just need to finalize a few things."
"Understood." Lumine agreed. She looked back at Ningguang. "We'll wait next door. As for the snack—we can discuss it later. Paimon and I just had dinner not long ago, so we aren't particularly hungry."
"LUMINE!!!" Paimon gasped, clutching her stomach in utter betrayal. "I'M NOT FULL YET! I CAN ALWAYS EAT MORE! I BARELY ATE ANYTHING TONIGHT!"
Lumine rolled her eyes. She clearly remembered Paimon groaning and rubbing a painfully distended belly at the restaurant less than two hours ago.
Ningguang watched the display with deep amusement. The little fairy was truly fascinating. She felt guilty accepting free Mora, but absolutely shameless when offered free food.
With that, Lumine dragged the protesting Paimon into the adjacent lounge, leaving Futsu Mitama and Ningguang alone in the sprawling office.
"So, what is the matter?"
Despite being alone with the most powerful woman in Liyue, Futsu Mitama felt no romantic tension. Instead, his internal alarms were blaring. He was hyper-vigilant, terrified that one wrong word might expose tomorrow's grand finale and completely derail Zhongli's retirement plan. Ningguang's shrewdness was legendary; he had to tread incredibly carefully.
"It's nothing overly complicated, actually."
Ningguang said, her tone shifting from playful host to authoritative ruler. She leaned against the heavy mahogany desk, her piercing eyes locking onto his.
"I would like to formally invite you to perform the Rite of Descension with me tomorrow."
Futsu Mitama blinked. He certainly hadn't expected that.
Normally, the Qixing rotated the responsibility of performing the Rite. But this year was unprecedented—it was the dawn of a new era. Knowing the profound respect the Geo Archon held for Futsu Mitama, Ningguang had decided to invite the young man to share the stage on Liyue's most sacred day.
"Me?"
Futsu Mitama asked, slightly taken aback.
"Yes, you." Ningguang smiled softly. "Would you really deny the request of a weak, helpless woman who hasn't had a full night's sleep in over a month?"
She sighed dramatically.
"I've been so utterly exhausted these past few weeks, I've even considered finding a good man to marry, resigning as the Tianquan, and living a quiet life of domestic bliss."
Futsu Mitama gave her a flat, deadpan look.
"You? A weak, helpless woman?"
If literally any other woman in Teyvat had said that, he might have felt a shred of pity.
But this was Ningguang.
She had clawed her way from poverty to the absolute zenith of Liyue through sheer, terrifying competence.
Keqing regularly ground her teeth in frustration because Ningguang could casually casually obliterate her in petty arguments simply by throwing mountains of Mora at the problem until it went away.
And if Ningguang ever publicly announced she was looking for a husband to retire with?
The line of desperate, wealthy suitors would stretch from Liyue Harbor all the way to the gates of Mondstadt.
Marrying the Tianquan was the equivalent of winning the lottery of life.
"Mm-hmm~" Ningguang chuckled, dropping the dramatic facade. "In truth, I have a rather selfish motive."
Her expression hardened, the exhaustion momentarily replaced by the cold calculation of a general preparing for war.
"Based on multiple intersecting intelligence reports, I am certain the Fatui are going to launch a massive operation during tomorrow's ceremony. If an unforeseen variable arises and I am unable to control the chaos immediately—I need to know I can rely on you to crush it."
She was deadly serious. She had told Eula and the Mondstadt delegation that she would never use Futsu Mitama as a trump card unless the situation was apocalyptic.
But there was an old saying in Teyvat: The prettier the woman, the better she lies.
Ningguang was accustomed to holding cards up her sleeve. No disasters were permitted tomorrow.
Based on the intelligence Lumine had gathered, combined with the Qixing's own spy network, Ningguang knew the Fatui were plotting to subvert the entire nation.
She had no idea where the Harbingers found the sheer audacity to attempt a coup during the Rite of Descension, but she refused to underestimate them.
Futsu Mitama—a being who had crossed into the Demon God Realm, possessed the legacy of the Geo Archon, and held the title of the Next Electro Archon—was the ultimate insurance policy. As long as he stood on that stage, no mortal threat could derail the ceremony. If a threat arose that even Futsu Mitama couldn't stop... well, then it was time to wake up the Geo Archon anyway.
Her calculations were flawless.
"Alright. I accept." Futsu Mitama agreed without hesitation. "I just need to stand beside you during the invocation?"
"Yes." Ningguang nodded in relief. "However, your friends and your—maids... cannot be on the altar with us. They will have to remain in the designated VIP viewing area."
She phrased it delicately, but the implication was clear. Tomorrow, Ningguang would stand in the position closest to Rex Lapis. It was the ultimate honor, a sacred privilege reserved strictly for the presiding Qixing. Futsu Mitama, as the acknowledged successor to the Geo Archon, had the divine clearance to stand there. But allowing a sprawling entourage of foreign dignitaries and maids onto the sacred altar would be a catastrophic breach of protocol.
"Not a problem."
Futsu Mitama waved it off. He understood the political intricacies perfectly, having navigated similar sacred protocols in Inazuma and Sumeru.
"The Rite will proceed flawlessly."
"Thank you."
Ningguang breathed a genuine sigh of relief. She knew she was unfairly dragging him into a geopolitical mess that wasn't his responsibility.
"Why are you thanking me?" Futsu Mitama smiled gently. "I thought we were friends. You don't need to be so formal. At the end of the day, I'm just an ordinary retainer of the Raiden Shogun."
As more and more divine titles stacked upon his head, Futsu Mitama noticed that the people around him were becoming increasingly reverent.
He hated it.
Power changed people.
Some became arrogant tyrants, expecting the world to bow. Others grew entirely detached from humanity, bored by their own invincibility.
Futsu Mitama just wanted to be normal. If everyone he met treated him like a walking god and called him "Lord" at every turn, life would become incredibly boring.
"An ordinary retainer of the Shogun? Please."
Ningguang scoffed, her elegant composure slipping into exasperation.
The title of an Archon's family was vastly more prestigious than a Liyue Qixing. Even the Fatui Harbingers had to bow to protocol; they couldn't just demand an audience with a foreign Archon. They had to go through grueling diplomatic channels.
An Archon's Family, however, carried the voice of their god.
When Ganyu—the Qixing's secretary, but also an Adeptus and retainer to Rex Lapis—received the Inazuman delegation, her status was treated as equal to Yae Miko's. Identity and status were the absolute currencies of Teyvat, and Futsu Mitama was practically drowning in them.
"It's just my personality." Futsu Mitama shrugged casually. "Forget the Retainer title—even being called the 'Next Electro Archon' is a massive headache. Being an Archon means taking on a horrifying amount of responsibility. The days I spent filling in as the Acting Dendro Archon are memories I actively try to repress."
"~~~~"
Ningguang covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking with quiet, genuine laughter. It was incredibly refreshing to meet someone who held the keys to the heavens and found them entirely bothersome.
Conversing with him felt like a balm on her exhausted mind.
After finalizing a few logistical details for the ceremony, Ningguang generously offered to let him sleep in a luxury guest suite in the Jade Chamber to avoid the commute.
Futsu Mitama vehemently declined.
If he didn't return home tonight, Aila and Black Aila would probably tear the city apart looking for him.
Worse, Raiden Makoto and Ei were highly paranoid that the Qixing were trying to permanently poach him for Liyue. If he spent the night in the Tianquan's floating palace, the twin thunder gods might actually strike the Jade Palace.
Amused by his panic, Ningguang escorted him to the lounge. They retrieved the tea-sipping Lumine and the wildly snacking Paimon, and the group made their way to the descent platform.
The atmosphere on the walk was warm and cheerful. They didn't speak of Fatui plots or divine rituals. Instead, Ningguang asked about Lumine's adventures in the harbor, and Futsu Mitama recounted his exhausting days managing Sumeru's paperwork, drawing a series of bright laughs from the Tianquan.
"Get some rest tonight." Futsu Mitama advised as they stepped onto the descent array. "You need to be at your absolute best tomorrow."
"I will." Ningguang smiled, looking up at the moon. "I must be radiant to welcome Rex Lapis. No matter how exhausting this month has been—once tomorrow passes, a massive weight will be lifted from my shoulders."
She has no idea how right she is, Futsu Mitama thought, knowing exactly what Zhongli had planned.
"Good luck."
The array activated, carrying the trio down to the harbor and leaving Ningguang alone in her floating palace, gazing out over the city she loved.
The house was quiet when they returned. Mona was still deeply unconscious, but Aila, Black Aila, and Kokomi were waiting in the living room.
Futsu Mitama quickly summarized his meeting with the Tianquan. No one was particularly surprised. Kokomi praised Ningguang's tactical foresight in securing a trump card, while Shinobu noted that ignoring a massive Fatui conspiracy on the eve of the Rite would have been a dereliction of duty.
Aila and Black Aila were predictably unfazed by the geopolitics. They only cared about whether their Young Master was hungry, immediately offering to cook a midnight meal.
"I'm fine, really. We should all just rest."
Futsu Mitama yawned.
Tomorrow was the grandest festival of the year, filled with rare cuisines, street performances, and massive crowds.
Everyone agreed, bidding each other goodnight and retreating to their respective rooms.
"Is the Azhdaha Mech that Guizhong has been building ready for deployment?"
Futsu Mitama asked his maids once they were alone in his room.
"It is slightly incomplete."
Aila reported smoothly.
"Actually, it is severely handicapped." Black Aila corrected. "Due to insufficient power core output, the chassis can only exert the baseline combat power of a standard Demon Gods. While its raw physical strength slightly exceeds Lady Guizhong's, the energy drain is catastrophic. If deployed in combat, the Mech can only operate for exactly one minutes."
One minutes? What is this, Ultraman?
Futsu Mitama mocked internally.
Still, it made sense. The raw, cataclysmic power output of the Demon God Realm was absurd. Reaching that level of power through mechanical engineering was a miracle in itself. They would just have to trust Guizhong and Cloud Retainer to invent a better battery later.
"Well, if it can move at all, it's a success." Futsu Mitama shrugged, too tired to worry about it. "Let's get to bed. Good night."
He fell backward onto the mattress, closing his eyes without even bothering to check the Chat Group.
Aila and Black Aila exchanged a long, silent look.
A moment later, the mattress dipped on both sides.
Futsu Mitama's eyes snapped open in sheer panic.
Wait. They aren't fighting? They actually reached a consensus?!
Normally, the two maids engaged in a vicious, silent war over who got to serve him at night, bickering from dusk until dawn. But tonight, they had silently agreed to a truce.
"Good night, Young Master."
Aila whispered, wrapping herself around his left arm.
"Good night."
Black Aila echoed, a terrifyingly happy smile on her face as she secured his right arm.
Futsu Mitama was completely trapped.
What was he supposed to do? Kick them out? That would be incredibly rude.
He mentally thanked the Archons that they were at least fully dressed.
He lay perfectly rigid, staring at the ceiling as the night dragged on.
—
When he finally woke up the next morning, his arms were free.
The maids had vanished.
After washing up, he headed downstairs to find the entire house buzzing with festive energy—except for one person.
Mona was slumped over the dining table, looking like a deflated balloon.
"Morning, Futsu Mitama."
Mona mumbled over a bowl of porridge, her voice dripping with exhaustion.
"So, I hear you were the one who convinced Lesser Lord Kusanali to surrender the match?"
Futsu Mitama shot a glare at Paimon. The fairy immediately stuffed a massive bite of food into her mouth and stared at the ceiling, pretending to be deaf.
Paimon had completely spilled the beans.
Upon waking up, Mona had been complaining non-stop about her terrible luck. Not wanting to listen to it, Paimon had bluntly informed the astrologer that Futsu Mitama had already secured her victory, and it was her own stubborn pride that forced the catastrophic divination.
Realizing she had literally inflicted the backlash upon herself when she could have just taken the free win, Mona was wallowing in profound regret.
"I didn't expect you to be so... stubbornly honorable."
Futsu Mitama said diplomatically, taking a seat beside her.
"It wasn't about honor! I just didn't expect my opponent to be a literal Archon!" Mona groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I've met so many Archons since coming to Liyue! The Geo Archon, the next Electro Archon, the Dendro Archon—I even divined the prophecy of Fontaine! If I go back to my master now, I could brag that I'm stronger than her!"
"How are you feeling physically?"
Futsu Mitama asked, accepting a bowl of fresh porridge from Kokomi.
"Terrible. The backlash fried my circuits." Mona yawned. "I won't be able to use hydromancy for at least four or five days. Honestly, I'm just lucky she didn't view me as a threat, or my brain would have melted."
"Just be careful next time, Mona." Lumine chided gently from across the table. "Stop trying to scry on Archons."
"I won't! I'm not suicidal!" Mona protested. "Who expects to find an Archon competing in a random trivia tournament?!"
"Mmm~ It smells amazing in here!"
A cheerful voice interrupted the pity party as Hu Tao waltzed through the back door.
"Did you just climb over the wall?"
Futsu Mitama raised an eyebrow. The parlor was right next door, but they had a perfectly functional front gate.
"Yup!"
Hu Tao nodded brightly, pulling up a chair as if she owned the place.
"Knocking wastes time! We're all friends here anyway. Wow, your breakfast spread is incredible!"
Without waiting for an invitation, she started aggressively piling food onto a plate and inhaling it.
"Slow down." Futsu Mitama sighed, handing her a napkin. "Aila and Shinobu are still cooking. You don't need to inhale it."
Looking at the dark bags under her eyes and the frantic way she was eating, he knew she was running on fumes. She had likely collapsed into bed the moment she returned to the parlor last night.
"I'm fine, no rush— Mmph! "
Hu Tao choked violently on a piece of steamed bun.
Lumine quickly patted her on the back until she managed to swallow it down.
Ten minutes later, the breakfast was over.
"I am alive again." Hu Tao sighed blissfully, rubbing her stomach. "That was brutal. I was starving."
"Have you not eaten in three days?"
Futsu Mitama asked, shaking his head.
"Just a day and a night."
Hu Tao corrected, slumping back in her chair.
"Yesterday was a nightmare. After the job out in the wilderness, Zhongli and I had to sprint back to Liyue Harbor so we wouldn't miss the Rite of Descension. But then he remembered he had 'business' to attend to and vanished, leaving me to run the rest of the way alone!"
"You skipped meals just to get back in time?"
Paimon looked at her in absolute horror. As a creature who ate six meals a day, the concept was unfathomable.
"Duty calls!"
Hu Tao grinned proudly. Then, she perked up, her plum-blossom eyes sparkling.
"Oh! Right! Since I just finished a massive commission, Director Hu is loaded! Do you all want to go to Liuli Pavilion for dinner tonight? I booked a massive table, and I want to treat all of you!"
"I have no objections to free food."
Futsu Mitama agreed instantly.
"Me neither!"
Shinobu chimed in from the kitchen, already looking forward to the feast.