[Location: Liyue Harbor – Entrance]
[Time: 9:00 AM]
Liyue Harbor was loud.
That was my first impression. Unlike the breezy, drunken freedom of Mondstadt, Liyue smelled of money, incense, and the salty tang of the ocean. It was a city of stone and wood, built vertically against the mountain like a testament to human stubbornness.
"Wow! Look at all the people!" Paimon spun in the air, nearly knocking into a merchant. "And the food stalls! Chop Suey! Tiger Fish!"
Xiangling waved at us. "I have to head to Wanmin Restaurant to see my dad! Come visit later, okay? I'll save you the good chilies!" She dashed off into the crowd, Guoba bouncing behind her.
I walked beside Aether, my hands in the pockets of my leather jacket (transmuted via [All of Creation]). My eyes, silver and slit-pupiled, scanned the crowd.
[Great Sage]
Source 1: The Golden House (Currency Mint).
Source 2: Yujing Terrace (Ritual Site).
Source 3: Unknown entity within the crowd (Energy signature: God-Class).>
I paused. "God-class?"
I looked toward the bridge. A tall man in a brown suit was examining a piece of Cor Lapis being sold by a merchant. He had an air of absolute calm amidst the chaos.
For a split second, our eyes met.
His eyes were amber, glowing with a faint, internal light. He didn't look surprised to see me. He offered a polite, almost imperceptible nod, then turned back to the merchant.
Zhongli. The Geo Archon himself. Walking among mortals like he didn't own the ground they stood on.
"Raiden? What are you looking at?" Aether asked, nudging me.
"Nothing," I smirked. "Just admiring the local architecture. This city is built on secrets."
[Location: Yujing Terrace]
[Time: 11:30 AM]
We pushed our way to the front of the crowd at Yujing Terrace. The incense burners were smoking heavily, creating a mystic haze.
"This is it!" Paimon whispered excitedly. "The Rite of Descension! We finally get to see the Geo Archon!"
Lady Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Qixing, stepped forward. She was radiant, her presence commanding silence without saying a word. She began the incantations, summoning the power of the Geo element. The sky swirled. Golden clouds gathered.
"Here he comes!" Paimon cheered.
I activated [Great Sage].
"Analyze."
[Great Sage]
Warning. Anomaly detected. The summoned energy is fluctuating wildly.
Prediction: Structural failure.>
BOOM.
The clouds turned black. A massive shape plummeted from the sky, smashing into the ceremonial altar. Dust and debris flew everywhere.
When the dust settled, a massive dragon—the Exuvia—lay motionless on the stone tiles.
The crowd gasped.
Ningguang rushed to the body. She checked it, her face paling.
"Rex Lapis has been killed! Seal the exits!"
Chaos erupted.
"The Lord of Geo is dead?!"
"Murder! It's an assassination!"
The Millelith soldiers swarmed the terrace. "Nobody leaves! Question everyone!"
Aether looked panicked. "We're foreigners. We're close to the body. We're going to be the prime suspects."
"Correct," I said calmly, staring at the dragon corpse.
[Great Sage]
Subject: Exuvia (Vessel of Rex Lapis).
Status: Empty. No divine soul detected.
Conclusion: This is a decoy. A very high-quality fake.>
I wanted to laugh. Morax, you dramatic old man.
"Freeze!" A Millelith sergeant pointed a spear at us. "You there! Identifiable outsiders! Hands in the air!"
Aether reached for his sword.
"Don't," I placed a hand on Aether's shoulder. "If we fight the guards, we declare war on Liyue. We need to leave. Fast."
"How? They've blocked the stairs!" Paimon shrieked.
I grinned, showing my teeth.
"Who said anything about stairs?"
I grabbed Aether by the back of his collar and Paimon by her cape.
"[Shadow Motion]."
We sank into the shadow of a large incense burner just as the spears thrust toward us.
[Location: Side Alleyway, near Northland Bank]
[Time: 11:45 AM]
We popped out of a shadow in a dark alleyway, causing a stray cat to hiss and scramble up a wall. Aether stumbled, regaining his balance.
"That... felt weird," Aether groaned. "Like being squeezed through a tube."
"Raiden! You can teleport?!" Paimon was dizzy, spinning in circles.
"Only short distances through shadows," I explained. "But we're not safe yet. The Millelith are everywhere."
"Indeed they are."
A voice came from the entrance of the alley. We spun around.
A young man with ginger hair and a gray uniform leaned against the wall. He wore a red Fatui mask on the side of his head. He was clapping slowly.
"Impressive escape. Shadow magic? I haven't seen that since I trained in the... well, never mind."
Aether drew his sword immediately. "Fatui."
The man raised his hands in a surrender motion. "Whoa, relax! I'm not here to fight. Not yet, anyway. The name's Childe."
I stepped forward, towering over Aether. I looked Childe up and down.
[Great Sage]
Name: Tartaglia (Childe).
Rank: 11th of the Fatui Harbingers.
Threat Level: High.
Element: Hydro / Electro (Delusion).
Note: Subject emits a faint trace of Abyss energy.>
"Tartaglia," I said, my voice dropping an octave. "The Tsaritsa's weapon of war."
Childe's smile sharpened. His eyes, dead and blue like the deep ocean, locked onto mine. "Oh? You know me? And you... you're not human, are you? My instincts are screaming that I'm standing in front of a predator."
"I'm Raiden," I crossed my arms. "And if you're looking for a fight, take a ticket. But right now, the whole city thinks we killed their god."
"And I can help with that," Childe said, stepping closer. "I run the Northland Bank. It's diplomatic soil. The Millelith can't enter. Unless you'd prefer to fight the entire Liyue army?"
Aether hesitated. "Why help us?"
"Because I like chaos," Childe winked. "And because I believe you're innocent. The Geo Archon isn't someone who can be killed by ordinary means. Come on."
I leaned down to Aether's ear. "He's using us. But he's right. We need a base of operations. Let's go."
[Location: Northland Bank - VIP Room]
[Time: 12:30 PM]
The bank was lavish. Gold everywhere.
Childe sat on a velvet couch, tossing a bag of Mora in his hand.
"So," Childe began, "Rex Lapis is dead. The Qixing have locked down the city. They'll try to pin this on anyone suspicious. You need to clear your names."
"How?" Aether asked.
"The Adepti," Childe said, pointing to a map on the table. "The divine guardians of Liyue living in Jueyun Karst. If anyone can override the Qixing, it's them. You need to go there and tell them what happened. Tell them their God has been murdered."
"Jueyun Karst?" Paimon gulped. "Isn't that place, like, super haunted?"
"It is the abode of the divine," I corrected. "Moon Carver. Mountain Shaper. Cloud Retainer. And... the Conqueror of Demons."
Childe looked at me with interest. "You seem to know a lot about Liyue's hidden history, Mr. Raiden. For an outsider."
"I read a lot," I lied.
Childe stood up and handed Aether a Sigil of Permission. "Take this. It will stop the Adepti from killing you on sight. Probably."
Aether took the sigil. "Thanks... I guess."
"Don't mention it," Childe grinned, walking us to the back exit. "Oh, and Raiden?"
I paused at the door. "Yeah?"
"When this business is over," Childe's eyes lit up with a manic battle-lust, hydro energy crackling around his fingers, "fighting you is going to be the highlight of my year. Don't die before then."
I let a small burst of [Dragon's Haki] leak out, just enough to make the air vibrate.
"Careful what you wish for, Harbinger. I bite."
[Location: Outside Liyue Harbor - The Road to Jueyun Karst]
[Time: 2:00 PM]
We were safe, for now. The city walls were behind us.
"That guy was creepy," Paimon shuddered. "He definitely wants to fight you, Raiden."
"He's a battle maniac," I said, summoning my Motorcycle Eradicator from my [Stomach].
The sleek, black metal beast materialized on the dirt road. It hummed with Anemo energy (the engine ran on slime condensate). Aether looked at it with envy.
"Hop on," I said, patting the seat. "Jueyun Karst is a long walk, and I don't feel like walking."
"This thing again?!" Paimon floated excitedly. "Shotgun!"
"Paimon, you fly," Aether sighed, climbing onto the back seat.
I revved the engine.
"Hang on tight. If we're going to meet the Adepti, let's make a loud entrance."
[Great Sage]
Sub-objective: Analyze Adeptal Arts for skill acquisition.
Current Evolution Progress: 18%.>
With a roar of the engine, we tore down the path, leaving a cloud of dust for the Millelith to choke on.