"So this cola… it really isn't poisonous?"
Even after Lin Ze's explanation, the appearance of the drink was still a little too avant-garde for Ningguang and the others. Black liquid. Constant bubbles. It simply didn't look safe.
Left with no choice, Lin Ze took out the cola recipe and casually tossed it to Ningguang.
The three gathered together to study it. After some discussion, they even followed the steps and made a cup themselves.
Only after personally tasting it did they finally relax.
"This flavor is… quite unusual," Ningguang said thoughtfully.
"And it does have a mild stimulating effect."
"The only issue is the appearance," she added. "But that can be solved."
Her eyes flickered—clearly, she had already started calculating.
"Mr. Lin Ze… this cola—"
"Yes, yes," Lin Ze waved his hand lazily. "The recipe's yours. Do whatever you want with it. Just don't forget my cut."
Then his tone shifted slightly.
"Speaking of which—
The three of you didn't come together tonight just for a misunderstanding over a drink, did you?"
As if on cue, Ningguang immediately set up another layer of geo-based soundproofing.
At the same time, Ganyu quietly formed a secondary adeptal ice barrier, sealing the space completely.
Only then did Ningguang speak again.
"Now that we've obtained—"
She stopped mid-sentence.
A sudden wave of instinctive dread washed over her.
It was the same sensation she had felt the first time she tried to hint at the diary's existence—
A clear warning.
Someone else was listening.
"…Obtained the cola recipe," Ningguang smoothly corrected herself with a cough.
Then, after the pressure faded, she immediately turned to Lin Ze.
"Mr. Lin Ze—within this barrier… is there anyone else present?"
The diary had warned her.
That meant either:
a non-holder was nearby, or
the system had patched the loophole she was exploiting.
Either way, she needed confirmation.
"I'm checking."
Lin Ze had already begun scanning the area the moment Ningguang froze.
Inside the barrier—nothing.
So he extended his perception outward.
A moment later, his expression turned… complicated.
He looked up, waved casually in a certain direction above the estate—and then cut the connection.
"No one inside," Lin Ze said.
"But your timing was unfortunate."
"You arrived—and right after that, your Excellency followed."
"That was Rex Lapis's divine sense observing this place just now. I've already greeted him and temporarily blocked it."
Silence.
Then—
"…So it was the Geo Archon."
Ningguang exhaled slowly, regaining her composure.
"We cannot disclose matters related to the 'opportunity.'
Our recent behavior must have drawn his attention."
Despite the shock, all three maintained their calm.
Liyue was, after all, a nation that walked alongside its god.
And yet—
The implication was terrifying.
Rex Lapis's divine perception—blocked. Casually.
Keqing quickly followed up, her expression steady.
"It could also be because of what Mr. Lin Ze mentioned in the diary—
The Anemo Gnosis."
"After all, you did create a Divine Heart right in front of him."
A Gnosis.
The proof of a ruling Archon.
A creation tied directly to Celestia.
To gods like Morax—perhaps no more than an accessory.
But the act itself?
Unprecedented.
"Let's put that aside for now," Lin Ze said, waving it off.
"I'll probably talk to Zhongli privately later anyway."
"Let's get to the point."
Ningguang straightened.
"I'll be direct."
"How much Mora would it take…
for us to purchase a Gnosis from you?"
Lin Ze blinked.
Then raised an eyebrow.
"You want to become a god?"
"No."
Her answer was immediate.
"Once we understood what a Gnosis truly represents, another idea emerged."
"Mr. Lin Ze has stated that Rex Lapis intends to fake his death and return Liyue to human governance."
"But those who know the truth will only be a few of us."
She continued, voice calm but heavy.
"The Anemo Archon merely vanished for a century, and Mondstadt was pushed around by Snezhnaya to this extent."
"I do not dare imagine what Liyue would face once the Geo Archon is believed dead."
"Therefore—"
"We need deterrence."
"And not just one."
Lin Ze understood instantly.
"Like holding a sword without drawing it," he murmured.
"Different from having no sword at all."
He looked at her with new appreciation.
"You thought this far ahead already."
The Jade Chamber itself was already comparable to a strategic super-weapon.
And yet Ningguang still wanted more.
Gnosis-based armaments.
A nuclear deterrent for a godless age.
"To ensure Liyue isn't bullied once Rex Lapis steps down."
Lin Ze let out a soft laugh.
"Impressive."
"Truly."
"Looks like the title 'Liyue Qixing' isn't for show after all."
Then his smile turned faintly amused.
"That said…"
"Have you considered how you plan to explain this—
to your Geo Archon?"
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