The Fall of the Archon, the Sorrow of Liyue
Lü Bu's army was marching toward Liyue. The unfamiliar rich floral fragrance and the eerie mist and clouds put him on high alert. Red Hare stamped its hooves restlessly, and Lü Bu tightened his grip on the Sky-Piercing Halberd, muttering under his breath: "What place is this?"
Before he could ponder it for long, several figures clad in outlandish attire and wielding weapons hurried over. The leader shouted furiously: "Who dares trespass into Liyue!" Lü Bu threw back his head and laughed, his voice shaking the surrounding lands: "I am Lü Bu, unparalleled under heaven! I care not where this is. Since I have come, I shall conquer it!" Before the words faded, he had spurred his horse forward and charged into the crowd like a bolt of black lightning.
The Sky-Piercing Halberd carried a thousand-catty force, glinting with cold light, and blood and flesh flew wherever it struck. Those men were no more than mantis trying to stop a chariot, scattered and defeated in the blink of an eye. With a contemptuous smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, Lü Bu rode his horse toward the direction of Liyue Harbor.
Within Liyue Harbor, the adepti sharply sensed the abnormality. Ningguang sat in the Jade Chamber, her expression grave: "It seems a powerful foe is approaching. We must defend Liyue with all our might." Zhongli nodded slightly, an air of calm composure radiating from him: "I shall go and meet this uninvited guest."
Lü Bu arrived before the walls of Liyue Harbor. Gazing at the towering city walls and the prosperity within, a flash of greed crossed his eyes: "Such a precious land shall belong to me in time!" As he prepared to launch a fierce assault, a figure stepped forward steadily—it was Zhongli. "Halt, stranger. This is Liyue; you shall not run amok here." Zhongli's voice was calm yet carried an unquestionable majesty.
"Who are you? Do not stand in my way!" Lü Bu's eyes blazed with rage, and he pointed the Sky-Piercing Halberd straight at Zhongli's throat. With his hands clasped behind his back, Zhongli spoke unhurriedly: "I am Zhongli. It is my duty to safeguard Liyue."
Lü Bu snorted coldly and struck first, the Sky-Piercing Halberd lunging at Zhongli like a flood dragon bursting from the sea. Zhongli shifted his figure and dodged with ease; with a flick of his sleeve, the power of mountains and rivers surged forth, neutralizing all of Lü Bu's offensive.
The two exchanged blows relentlessly, clashing with intense sparks between Lü Bu's fierce, brute strength and Zhongli's calm and mysterious prowess. On the city walls, the people of Liyue watched the battle with bated breath, and Ningguang knitted her brows, plotting a countermeasure.
In the midst of the fight, Lü Bu gradually realized that Zhongli's power was unfathomable, and a trace of anxiety welled up in his heart. "Am I to fall here today?" He ground his teeth, let out a loud roar, and unleashed all his skills. Red Hare, as if emboldened by its master, neighed and leaped high, coordinating with Lü Bu's attacks.
Zhongli thought to himself that though the man before him was valiant, he acted recklessly; if he could find a flaw, he might defeat him with a single strike. As he pondered, Lü Bu suddenly erupted, swinging his halberd in the move "Cleaving Mount Hua", the Sky-Piercing Halberd bearing the force of splitting mountains and rocks down toward Zhongli. Caught off guard, Zhongli crossed his arms in a hasty defense.
At this critical moment, Lü Bu suddenly twisted his wrist, and the tip of the halberd abruptly changed course, stabbing straight for Zhongli's chest. Zhongli's pupils constricted violently; it was too late to dodge. With a wet "poof", the Sky-Piercing Halberd pierced through Zhongli's chest.
"Impossible…" Zhongli stared at the halberd tip protruding from his chest in disbelief, coughing up a mouthful of blood. Lü Bu yanked the Sky-Piercing Halberd out violently, and Zhongli's body slowly collapsed, falling unconscious until he was rescued by the Traveler Aether, who had been moving in secret.
"Your Majesty!" The people on the walls let out desperate cries. Ningguang collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face.
Lü Bu tilted his head and roared to the sky: "From this day forth, Liyue is my domain!"
Aether: Your Majesty! No, no, no, no, no, no!!! We're too late… Waaah…
Above the Jade Chamber, Liyue, stripped of its Archon's protection, descended into chaos. Leaderless, the adepti were disoriented, and the people fell into panic. Lü Bu led his "army"—in truth, Liyue citizens coerced by him—on a rampage of plunder throughout the harbor.
The once-prosperous Liyue Harbor was now engulfed in flames, filled with deafening wails. Shops were ransacked bare, and the bodies of citizens lay strewn haphazardly across the streets. Adepti such as Xiao and Ganyu attempted to resist, yet they could only retreat steadily under Lü Bu's tyrannical might.
Ningguang stared at the devastated Liyue, her heart consumed by remorse and resentment. She knew that from the moment the Archon fell, Liyue's glory had become a thing of the past. And all of this was the doing of that demon from another world—Lü Bu.