After the meal, Ryou, Keqing, and Ganyu sat in Ningguang's study, sipping tea.
"If you've got something to say, just say it," Keqing told Ningguang, watching her closely.
Ningguang met her gaze. "Fine. I asked you here because I want to talk this through. If nothing changes, something is very likely to happen at Guyun Stone Forest. If the ancient god sealed there stirs again, it'll be extremely dangerous. Are you two worried at all?"
Keqing stared at her for a long moment and didn't answer right away.
In the past, she'd been the loudest voice insisting Liyue should stand on human strength alone. But Ryou had slowly worn down that certainty—because when it came to things like an ancient god, "human potential" sounded noble and still meant nothing in the face of reality.
And now she knew Zhongli was right there in front of her, working. She'd met plenty of adepti too—Yanfei, Cloud Retainer, Ganyu herself.
With them around, why would she panic about an ancient god threatening Liyue?
"Guyun is dangerous, sure," Keqing said at last, "but we have Rex Lapis and the adepti. Liyue isn't going to fall apart that easily."
Ningguang blinked. "Keqing… that doesn't sound like you."
"I just finally understood something," Keqing replied, calm and matter-of-fact.
"Liyue has had peace and prosperity for thousands of years for a reason. It's because gods and adepti have been watching over it. We run the city day to day. We can handle small problems. But when something truly huge happens, we're not the ones who can stop it. Rex Lapis won't just stand aside. So instead of spiraling, I'd rather accept reality. And Cloud Retainer is already in Liyue Harbor lately, too."
"Cloud Retainer is in the city?" Ningguang looked genuinely surprised. "The adepti rarely show their faces in Liyue Harbor. Why now?"
Keqing nodded. "She's here."
Ningguang fell silent for a beat, then pressed, "Having the adepti nearby does help. But have you forgotten what you used to believe?
"You wanted humans to prove we could handle everything ourselves—so Rex Lapis would trust us completely. You wanted him to hand over full authority."
Keqing hesitated.
Before, she truly believed humans could achieve the impossible. Maybe they didn't need gods at all.
But after marrying Ryou, her life shifted. Her attention went to her home, her husband, her marriage—toward a quieter kind of happiness.
Somewhere along the line, her worldview changed with it.
And then the truth hit her like a wave: Rex Lapis was still here. Cloud Retainer was in the city. She'd even run into the Anemo Archon.
The gods hadn't vanished. They were still watching. Still present.
If this had happened before, she would've been terrified—because if Guyun erupted, Liyue could be devastated, and what could humans possibly do?
But with Zhongli, Venti, Cloud Retainer, Ganyu, and the others around… why pretend she had to carry that fear alone?
"Ningguang," Keqing said quietly, "I've been staying home a lot lately. I've had time to think. I used to believe everything had to be in our hands. That because we govern Liyue, we should control everything. But we ignored one thing: that authority came from Rex Lapis in the first place. He already trusts us. And we shouldn't betray that trust. Yes, Liyue is prosperous. Yes, our foundations are deep. Yes, the Millelith are strong. But that strength exists because Rex Lapis exists. He's ancient. He's one of the oldest gods in this world. He's older even than the Anemo Archon. If we lost him, we might still survive… but we'd be hit from every direction. Foreign powers would circle us like wolves. Just holding the line would be hard. Rex Lapis hasn't demanded anything unreasonable from us. He's trusted us completely. And I can't bring myself to spit on that trust anymore. Before, I would've agreed with you. But now…"
Keqing lowered her eyes, voice softening.
"I'm married. I don't want Liyue thrown into chaos. I want peace. I want a safe, steady life. I want to grow old without war at my doorstep. And… I want a home. I want children. I want to raise them, little by little, and watch them grow."
The room went quiet.
Ningguang didn't speak.
Ganyu didn't speak.
Even Ryou fell silent.
Ryou squeezed Keqing's hand gently. "Keqing's not wrong. Liyue stands where it does because Rex Lapis stands behind it. He's ancient, and he's a god of war. With him here, we don't need to panic ourselves sick over every catastrophe. Sometimes we really do overthink. Ningguang—if this worries you, talk to Rex Lapis directly. If he and the adepti step in, everything gets easier. Because an ancient god is an ancient god. We're human. You can hate that truth all you want, but humans can't wage war on an ancient god head-on. The ones best suited to face a god… are gods and adepti. Our focus should be on the Fatui instead."
Ryou glanced at her and left it there.
He knew it would be hard to change Ningguang's mind. Keqing had shifted because of him.
Ningguang was different. Her ambition ran deep. She wouldn't be persuaded easily.
Ganyu stayed quiet, but she didn't disagree. The adepti were strong—standing against an ancient god wasn't impossible for them.
For humans, though? It would be a nightmare.
But Ganyu's mind snagged on what Keqing had said—husband, children, a life together.
It painted a picture in her head. It was dangerously tempting.
She'd never been someone who longed for that kind of future… not until Cloud Retainer started bringing it up again and again, and little by little, the idea had begun to take root.
Ningguang finally set her teacup down. "Go home. I need time to think."
She paused, then added quietly, "And maybe… thinking too much isn't always good. Letting go can be lighter."
When they left the Jade Chamber, Keqing clung to Ryou's arm.
"Do you think she'll come around?" she asked.
"Maybe," Ryou said, shaking his head.
Ningguang wasn't small-minded. But she wasn't the type to surrender control, either.
Humans governing Liyue wasn't the issue. The issue was pretending gods and adepti should simply vanish.
That was something Ningguang would have to understand on her own.
"Either way," Ryou said with a small laugh, "we shouldn't carry her worries for her."
"In the past, I would've obsessed over it," Keqing admitted. "But now? This is so much better.
"And if anything really happens… Zhongli's there to deal with it."
She looked up at him and smiled brightly. "Let's go shopping."
Ganyu's head snapped up. "Why did you say 'Zhongli's there to deal with it'?"
Keqing froze.
"I—uh…"
Ryou stepped in smoothly. "Ganyu, you've probably already felt Zhongli isn't ordinary, right? There's no point keeping it from you."
Ganyu exhaled, half stunned, half unsurprised. "So he really is Rex Lapis."
Then she frowned, remembering something. "Shenhe once mentioned Zhongli sometimes goes to Jueyun Karst to drink tea with the adepti. I suspected he might be an adeptus…
"I didn't realize he was Rex Lapis himself."
Her expression turned odd.
Because Zhongli was currently… working for Ryou.
And not long ago, she'd even heard Ryou had gone to Zhongli's door with people, dragged him in, and strong-armed him into joining the General Affairs Department.
Had Ryou done that on purpose?
If so, that was insane.
"Ganyu, are you okay?" Keqing asked, worried.
"I'm just thinking about the time you 'arrested' Zhongli," Ganyu said, looking straight at Ryou. "Did you already know back then?"
Ryou coughed. "I didn't know at the time."
Then he hooked an arm around Keqing and started walking. "Come on. Ganyu—come with us."
"But Yujing Terrace still has work I need to handle…" Ganyu hesitated.
"What are you worried about?" Keqing said, grabbing her hand and tugging her along. "You've got this guy. He can help you."
The three of them disappeared into the streets near Yujing Terrace.
…
Near Guyun Stone Forest.
"Childe," La Signora snapped, "you're unbelievable. I told you to figure it out. Is this your 'solution'? You just sent another group to their deaths. You've been in Liyue for years—don't tell me you don't have a single useful connection."
Childe's face darkened. "And whose fault is that? You've caused so much trouble in the Ministry of Civil Affairs that there are Fatui wanted notices everywhere. What do you want me to do?"
If she hadn't been making messes, he might've had room to maneuver. As things stood, it was hard.
"Then go ask Zhongli for help," La Signora said coolly. "Isn't he employed by the Ministry of Civil Affairs now?"
"You think I didn't consider it?" Childe scoffed. "If those two brats hadn't ruined my work, we'd have finished the setup within half a month."
He stared toward Guyun. "But it's almost time anyway. I can feel it—something down there is stirring."
La Signora's eyes narrowed, thoughts racing.
Their earlier cooperation had been smooth—everything in place, moving exactly as planned.
Then, recently, everything shifted.
Zhongli had changed.
He'd been talking about retirement before. Now the reports said he'd stopped slacking off and was actively working at the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
That made La Signora uneasy. If Zhongli had truly shifted sides, their arrangement might already be dead.
Maybe forcing the ancient god to surface was their only remaining opening.
She didn't say that out loud.
Instead, she thought of one man—because too many problems seemed to start with him.
"Childe," she said suddenly, "send people to kill Ryou."
Childe stared at her like she'd lost her mind. "Are you insane? Do you not know his father is one of the Liyue Qixing? Killing him would be declaring war on the city."
The Fatui were already drowning in trouble. Why add more?
"Killing him isn't worth it," Childe continued sharply. "He has too many ties. The backlash would be massive. Instead of wasting time on that, think about how to bring the ancient god out. If Liyue falls into chaos, we'll have our chance to take the Gnosis."
He glanced at her. "And aren't you under orders to go to Inazuma? Why are you still here?"
La Signora laughed coldly. "That's none of your concern. I'll have the Gnosis before I leave for Inazuma. Or did you think I was relying on you?"
She turned and walked off.
"La Signora—" Childe started, then clenched his fist, furious.
Insufferable woman.
They were coworkers, and she still talked like that.
But when he thought of the Gnosis, he swallowed the rest of his anger.
His board was already set. A few surprises wouldn't ruin everything.
Then his expression changed.
A strange presence surged toward Guyun.
In the next instant, a blast shimmered into view—
And then vanished, as if swallowed whole.
No sound. No trace.
Something had wrapped the entire explosion and erased it clean.
"Childe-sama!" a Fatui agent shouted, pointing ahead.
"I see it," Childe growled, eyes fixed on Guyun. "Damn it. The adepti have stepped in."
Still, he didn't panic.
He'd prepared plenty of Sigils of Permission as insurance.
Even if one plan failed, he still had ways to force the outcome.
[End of chapter]
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