Rhodeia had only just finished giving her solemn assurance when another thought occurred to her.
"Miss Lora," she asked seriously, "if someone were to discover your identity, would you like me to deal with them? Don't worry—I'm very efficient. I can throw them into the water, and the pure water spirits down there will help take care of the rest."
"Stop right there!"
Lora immediately cut off this horrifying train of thought.
"Remember this—we are law-abiding, upstanding citizens. I am the God of Justice, not some Inazuman crime boss. We do not have a habit of fighting people and then dumping them into the sea."
"Oh… we don't?" Rhodeia looked genuinely enlightened for a moment, then added thoughtfully, "Miss Lora, actually… I think it could be an option."
"This—absolutely—is not an option." Lora shook her head helplessly. "In short, without my explicit orders, you are not to do anything. Otherwise, I won't take you back to Fontaine. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Miss Lora! Absolutely, Miss Lora!"
The moment Fontaine was mentioned, Rhodeia jolted upright and nodded vigorously.
Watching her reaction, Lora let out a sigh that sounded suspiciously like resignation. She took Qiqi by the hand and continued toward Liyue Harbor.
Well… she was her own retainer, after all. Might as well raise her properly. It wasn't as if she could sell her off.
After entering Liyue Harbor, Qiqi tugged gently at Lora's sleeve.
"Sister," she said earnestly, "Qiqi needs to take the herbs she collected back to Bubu Pharmacy. It's already been several days. Even though Cryo can preserve them, it can't be delayed any longer. And Doctor Baizhu has probably been waiting for a long time."
"I see."
Lora thought for a moment, then turned to Rhodeia behind her.
"Rhodeia, could you escort Qiqi back?"
"Miss Lora, but I don't know the way!" Rhodeia froze in place. She didn't even recognize the streets—how was she supposed to escort Qiqi to that… pharmacy?
"Qiqi knows the way!" Qiqi looked up at her with a solemn expression.
"Sister Rhodeia, if you want to help your sister, the first thing you have to do is learn the roads. Otherwise, if your sister doesn't know the way and you don't know the way either, we'll get lost. That would be very troublesome."
"…Qiqi is right." Lora nodded seriously in agreement.
"After Qiqi puts the medicine away," Qiqi continued, "Qiqi can show Sister Rhodeia the way."
Lora turned her gaze back to Rhodeia.
"What do you think?"
Rhodeia looked at Lora, then at Qiqi. She recalled Qiqi's words—if she wanted to help Lora, the most important thing was to know the roads first…
With that thought, she nodded decisively. "No problem, Miss Lora! I'll take Qiqi back to that… um… that what-was-it-called place!"
"Bubu Pharmacy," Qiqi supplied helpfully.
"Ah, right! Bubu Pharmacy!" Rhodeia nodded again.
"Mm." Lora gave a small nod. "Stay close to Qiqi. Don't get lost."
Rhodeia gave several firm assurances, then followed Qiqi off in the direction of Bubu Pharmacy.
After watching the two of them leave, Lora turned a corner and headed toward Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
When she reached the entrance, the gatekeeper informed her that both Zhongli and Hu Tao were out.
"They're both out?" Lora asked. "Where did they go?"
The guard thought for a moment.
"As for Director Hu, I only remember her leaving this morning with a shovel over her shoulder. I don't know where she went. As for Consultant Zhongli, I do know that someone invited him to a banquet at Xinyue Kiosk. He went to attend."
"Xinyue Kiosk… could you point me in the right direction?"
Lora asked. She truly didn't know her way around.
The helpful guard pointed out the direction. After thanking him, Lora headed straight for Xinyue Kiosk.
Xinyue Kiosk was one of Liyue's high-end restaurants—expensive, refined, and famous for its excellent cuisine.
Logically speaking, someone who didn't have a single Mora to her name had no business standing at its entrance.
Unfortunately, Lora's sense of shame adjusted itself dynamically depending on the situation.
After explaining that she was there to see Zhongli, she was quickly escorted into a private room.
"Hey! Zhongli, long time no see!" Lora greeted cheerfully the moment she stepped inside. "Did you bring any Mora today?"
The greeting was… somewhat unconventional.
Zhongli set down his teacup and looked at Lora. Though slightly surprised, his composure remained impeccable.
"The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor has yet to pay my salary," he replied calmly. "So naturally, I have none. But you—asking that the moment you see me—are you short on Mora lately?"
Lora shook her head. She pulled out a chair and sat across from him.
"Nope. I just think that greeting is funny. A God of Mora with no money—however you look at it, it's amusing."
She could even borrow that approach for greeting other gods in the future. Something like, 'Yo, Venti, still busking today?' or 'Hey, Ei, any closer to eternity today?'
Though that last one would probably get her slashed by the Raiden Shogun on the spot.
Zhongli knew she was joking. He poured her a cup of tea and said, "Try the tea here at Xinyue Kiosk. I know you prefer sweet, clear water. The water they use is exceptionally pure, and the tea brewed from it has a clean, fragrant flavor. It's quite good."
Lora wasn't a tea connoisseur, but she was a connoisseur of water. Thanks to that, she could still speak knowledgeably about tea.
The two sat in silence and finished their cups.
Only then did Zhongli speak again. "You spent several days in Qingce Village. Did you meet your retainer?"
"Yes." Lora nodded and told him about Rhodeia.
After listening, Zhongli inclined his head slightly.
"She is your retainer. Naturally, her future should be decided by you. Without Rhodeia's regulation, the waters of Qingce may encounter some issues, but they should remain within a controllable range. There is no need to worry."
"That's good to hear." Lora nodded, then continued, "Aside from the matter of Qingce's waters, there's also an anomaly at Mt. Hulao."
"Mt. Hulao?" Zhongli's brows drew together slightly, and he loosened his grip on the teacup.
Seeing his reaction, Lora nodded again.
"Yes. The site of Azhdaha's seal. The Abyss Order has been active there—they seem to be planning something involving the Azhdaha sealed within."
"Azhdaha was sealed beneath Mt. Hulao by my own hand," Zhongli said calmly. "If the seal I set were forcibly broken by brute force, I would sense it."
His tone was steady, clearly signaling that Lora need not be overly concerned.