Location: Liyue Harbor, The Jade Mystery
Current Form: Human
Status: Expensive taste test, confusing the merchant
The sun beat down on the harbor. Zhongli stood before the merchant Shitou like a statue of perfect composure.
"We require Noctilucous Jade of the highest quality," Zhongli stated. "For a ritual of great importance."
Shitou rubbed his hands together. "Ah, Master Zhongli! I have three batches. But... jade is tricky. Without cutting it open, it's hard to tell which is the 'Candle-Grade' you're looking for."
Zhongli nodded sagely. "Indeed. A common method involves heating the jade. The blue light of the highest quality ore will deepen under thermal stress."
"But I can't let you burn my merchandise unless you buy it first!" Shitou protested.
Zhongli crossed his arms, falling into his thinking pose. "A dilemma."
"Move over, Grandpa," Raiden stepped forward. He picked up a chunk of jagged blue rock from the first pile.
"Hey! Careful with that!" Shitou warned.
Crunch.
Raiden bit a piece off the corner of the rock like it was a hard biscuit. The sound of grinding stone echoed in the quiet street.
Shitou's eyes bulged. Paimon covered her mouth. Zhongli merely raised an eyebrow.
Raiden chewed thoughtfully, sparks of Geo energy flying from his teeth.
"Dry. Chalky. Low elemental density," Raiden spat the gravel out. "Trash."
He moved to the second pile. Crunch.
"Better. Tastes like sparkling water. But still gritty."
He moved to the third pile. He took a bite. His eyes lit up.
"Ooh. Rich. Smooth texture. High purity. Tastes like... blueberry cheesecake." Raiden swallowed the rock.
"This is the one," Raiden pointed to the third pile. "We'll take the whole box."
Shitou was trembling. "You... you ate my jade..."
"It's quality control," Raiden grinned, wiping rock dust from his lips. "Childe, pay the man."
Childe, who had been watching from the back with a mix of horror and amusement, sighed and pulled out a heavy bag of Mora. "Does he always eat the merchandise?"
"Only the expensive stuff," Zhongli noted, seemingly unfazed. "An effective, if unorthodox, method. We shall take the third batch."
Their next stop was Yujing Terrace to retrieve the Cleansing Bell.
"Madame Ping holds the bell," Zhongli explained as they walked up the stairs. "She is... an old friend."
They found the elderly woman admiring the Glaze Lilies.
"Oh? Youngsters?" Madame Ping smiled, her voice frail and sweet. "Here for the bell? My, it's been a long time since anyone asked for it."
"Granny!" Paimon waved. "Can we borrow it?"
"Of course, child. But I'm afraid I put it inside my teapot for safekeeping. I'm too old to rummage around for it. Why don't you go in and get it?"
"Go... in?" Aether looked at the small ceramic pot on the table.
"I love pocket dimensions," Raiden cracked his knuckles.
He touched the pot. The world twisted.
ZOOP.
They landed on a floating platform in a beautiful adeptal realm—golden skies, floating islands, and giant spider webs everywhere.
"She really needs to clean in here," Paimon sneered. "There are slimes everywhere!"
"Intruders!" A hoard of Electro Slimes bounced toward them.
Raiden didn't even draw his sword. He inhaled deeply.
[Dragon's Roar: Low Frequency].
He let out a sharp kiai—a shout infused with Haki.
BOOM.
The shockwave didn't kill them; it terrified them. The slimes stopped bouncing, turned a pale color, and rolled off the edge of the platform in mass suicide rather than face him.
"Efficient," Aether noted.
They found the bell on a table in the upper sanctum. Raiden picked it up.
"It's a nice realm," Raiden commented, looking at the spatial architecture. "But the feng shui is off. The main house should be facing south to maximize solar mana intake."
He tapped the air. [Deus Ex Machina: Minor Edit].
The entire floating island shifted ten degrees to the right. The lighting instantly improved.
"There. Fixed it."
They exited the pot.
Madame Ping blinked, looking at her teapot. "My... the flow of energy feels much smoother. Did you rearrange the furniture, young man?"
"Just a little renovation," Raiden winked. "You're welcome, Streetward Rambler."
Madame Ping's eyes widened. The frail grandmother act slipped for a split second, revealing the sharp gaze of an Adeptus War God. Then, she chuckled. "My, my. Kids these days are scary."
As they placed the perfumes and the bell at the ritual site, a soft voice called out to them.
"Excuse me? Are you the travelers organizing the Rite of Parting?"
They turned. Standing there was a woman with light blue hair and dark red horns. She wore a bodysuit that defied physics and carried a clipboard.
Ganyu. The General Secretary of the Qixing.
"I am Ganyu," she bowed politely. "Lady Ningguang has sent me to..."
She stopped. She sniffed the air.
Her eyes locked onto Raiden.
Being a half-Qilin, Ganyu had keen senses. To her, Raiden didn't smell like a human. He smelled like an Apex Predator—a being far older and more dangerous than even the Prime Adepti.
Her instincts screamed: Submit.
"Eek!" Ganyu squeaked, dropping her clipboard. She instinctively bowed so low her forehead almost hit the floor. "I-I apologize! I didn't know a Sovereign was inspecting the harbor! Please forgive my lack of preparation!"
Aether and Paimon stared. "Sovereign?"
Raiden sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Stand up, Ganyu. You're making a scene. I'm just a consultant."
Ganyu peeked up, trembling. "A... consultant? But your aura... it feels like the sky falling down."
"I'm undercover," Raiden whispered, leaning in. "Don't blow my cover, or I'll tell everyone you fell asleep in a hay wagon that one time."
Ganyu turned bright red. "How do you know about that?!"
"I know everything," Raiden lied (he just knew the lore). "Now, what does Ningguang want?"
Ganyu scrambled to regain her composure, adjusting her glasses. "R-Right! Lady Ningguang invites the Traveler to the Jade Chamber. She wishes to discuss the... political situation."
"The Jade Chamber?" Paimon looked up at the floating palace in the sky. "How do we get up there?"
"Usually, you need a password," Ganyu said. "But..."
"I can fly," Raiden interrupted. "I'll just throw them up there."
"Please don't throw us," Aether begged.
Before heading to the Jade Chamber, they had one last errand. Silk Flowers.
They went to the perfume shop. Ying'er, the notoriously flirtatious shopkeeper, was waiting.
"Oh? Three handsome men?" Ying'er purred, looking at Aether, Childe, and Raiden. "Here to buy perfume for a lover? Or perhaps... to practice for later?"
Aether blushed. Childe looked confused.
Raiden leaned over the counter, matching her energy.
"I need a scent that says 'I'm mourning a god' but also 'I'm rich and mysterious'," Raiden said, his voice dropping an octave. "Do you have anything that smells like... gold and regret?"
Ying'er paused. She blinked. She wasn't used to people flirting back successfully.
"I... well, I suppose the Golden House blend..." she stammered.
"And add a hint of chili," Raiden added. "For the kick."
Ying'er fanned herself. "My, you are a bold one. I might have to charge you extra... for the service."
"Put it on his tab," Raiden hooked a thumb at Childe.
Childe looked at the growing pile of receipts in his hand. "I am a Harbinger of the Fatui. I conquer nations. Why am I currently an errand boy paying for perfume and rocks?"
"Because we're friends," Raiden patted his back. "And because if you don't, I'll tell Teucer you collect stamps."
Childe froze. "You wouldn't."
"Try me, Tortellini."
That evening, Raiden stood on the docks alone with Zhongli.
"The preparations are nearly complete," Zhongli said, looking at the ocean.
"You're really going through with it," Raiden said, leaning on the railing. "Testing Liyue. Giving up the Gnosis."
Zhongli closed his eyes. "A contract is a contract. The era of gods is ending. Humanity must learn to stand on its own."
"And if they fail?" Raiden asked. "If Osial crushes the harbor?"
Zhongli's eyes opened, glowing like molten gold. "Then I will step in. But I do not believe they will fail."
He turned to Raiden. "Especially not with a variable like you in the equation. You intend to intervene, don't you?"
Raiden grinned, his teeth flashing white in the moonlight.
"I intend to eat a sea monster, Morax. I've never had calamari that big before."
Zhongli chuckled, a low, earthy sound. "Then I wish you a hearty appetite. Just... try to leave the harbor intact."