Why is Lu Heng here?!
Ying's mind exploded in panic.
She kept wailing inside, convinced her image in Lu Heng's heart had completely collapsed.
Sure, she acted absurd and silly in her livestreams, and though she suspected Lu Heng might watch them, she always lied to herself: He's behind a screen. There's no way he can really see me like that, right?
But now… he had truly seen it with his own eyes.
What should she do? What should she do?!
Her carefully crafted image—ruined!
If it were anyone else, she wouldn't care. But Lu Heng was different.
Ying always wanted to show her best side to him, not the side that would make him disappointed.
Even if her antics weren't that bad, she still felt mortified.
"Haha…"
She forced a stiff smile, stammering: "W-what a coincidence… running into you here."
Seeing her so flustered she could dig herself into a three-room apartment with her toes, Lu Heng chuckled.
"Relax," he said warmly. "I understand."
Don't say it out loud!
The more he acted like he understood her, the more Ying felt her soul shriveling up.
It was like having her middle-school cringe exposed and someone looking at her with a "I get you" smile.
Can I just die right now?!
She wanted to move to another planet altogether.
[Hahaha, Ying is completely breaking down in front of Lu Heng!]
[She always pretends to be cool in front of the audience, but once her crush catches her acting silly, it's instant secondhand embarrassment.]
[Streamer is too weak! I thought she'd boldly confess, but nope—just pure social death.]
"You've frightened her," the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata said gently to Lu Heng.
To her, this was nothing unusual. In this age of short videos, who hadn't stumbled across a livestream or two?
Everyone knew that public personas and private realities were often different.
Furina, for instance, was a glamorous superstar in Fontaine, but her real personality at home was another story. Ying was no different.
Still, it was clear Ying cared a great deal about Lu Heng's opinion.
The goddess' serene face carried a knowing smile.
"…Alright," Lu Heng sighed with a helpless shrug. "I just worried you'd worn yourself out after all that work. Seeing you fine puts me at ease."
"I'm fine!" Ying quickly shook her head.
If it were her livestream chat showing concern, she'd puff out her chest and brag: Me? Your amazing streamer? Something this small? Nothing at all!
But standing in front of Lu Heng, her proud facade melted away, leaving her soft and shy.
"That's good."
Lu Heng nodded, then glanced around.
The situation at Port Ormos was under control.
"Well handled," he said with approval.
The crowd had managed things without the goddess needing to intervene directly.
"Lu Heng!"
Collei came running over.
"Slow down." Lu Heng smiled at her.
Her cheeks were flushed with excitement. Today was the happiest day of her life.
"How many Dottore segments did you deal with to be this happy?" Rukkhadevata teased.
"Three!" Collei blurted without thinking.
"Only three?" Lu Heng raised a brow.
"I… I left some for the others!" she quickly explained.
Lu Heng nodded, realizing what she meant.
So, it was like farming monsters together, then splitting the rewards.
But he didn't criticize. After all, there were dozens of Dottore fragments. Collei's hatred for him was deep, yet she still shared the fight with others who carried grudges.
"From today, Dottore no longer exists in Teyvat!" Collei's voice trembled with joy, as if years of pain had finally lifted.
"Don't get too carried away."
Lu Heng lifted his hand and lightly tapped her forehead.
Collei's rising emotions, threatening to spiral out of control, instantly calmed under his touch.
Thankfully, he stepped in before she embarrassed herself.
"Thank you!" she said earnestly.
"You're welcome," he replied with a smile. After studying her for a moment, he added, "Your condition has improved a lot. Since I happen to be free today… why not heal it completely?"
"Eh?" Collei froze.
"And while I'm at it," he continued casually, "I'll get rid of the sealed fragment of a god lingering in you."
Her eyes widened in shock. "W-wait—this…!"
"Is it hard to accept?" Lu Heng teased. "But look—there are only so many people in Sumeru, and you're one of them. With everything going on, the nation needs your help. The goddess depends on you."
"That's true." Rukkhadevata smiled. "With your health restored, you can fully take up your duties as a forest ranger. Tighnari will be relieved, and we can reassign him elsewhere where manpower is scarce. That solves a lot of problems."
"Eh?!"
Collei understood immediately.
They were giving her a reason to accept treatment, easing her guilt, while also showing trust in her abilities.
Her heart wavered under the weight of that trust.
"I… I'll try my best."
"That's the spirit." Lu Heng nodded.
He placed a fingertip on her, golden light flowing into her body.
In that moment, her lifelong curse was gone.
The withering disease, the remnants of the god—erased, like they had never been.
Collei trembled, overwhelmed.
"Go," Lu Heng pointed toward the empty docks. "No one's there. Release your emotions."
She nodded gratefully and ran off toward the sea.
The others watched her go with gentle smiles.
Then Tartaglia approached, eyes lighting up as he spotted Lu Heng and Rukkhadevata.
"Sis-in-law! Brother Lu!" he greeted enthusiastically.
Lu Heng glanced at him, amused at how quickly he had learned tact after spending so long in Liyue.
The Greater Lord smiled faintly at the respectful "sister-in-law." Tartaglia's flattery worked.
Watching Collei shout joyfully to the ocean in the distance, he asked curiously, "What's she doing?"
"Letting it all out," Lu Heng replied. Then his tone shifted. "So—how did it feel to take down Scaramouche?"
"Refreshing!" Tartaglia grinned, then pulled out the Dendro Archon's gnosis and handed it over respectfully. "Sister-in-law, this belongs to you."
"The gnosis…" Rukkhadevata murmured, memories stirring.
Once, it powered the Akasha system. After her fall, the sages had twisted its purpose.
She held it for a moment, then asked Tartaglia, "Do you want to keep it?"
"Yes!" he said eagerly.
"And abandon the Akasha system?" Lu Heng asked with a chuckle.
"What use is that, when we already have phones and computers?" the goddess smiled. Then she added, "I won't cheat you—five hundred million mora."
It was neither too much nor too little. For Tartaglia, it was practically free.
"Thank you, Sister-in-law!" he exclaimed.
Lu Heng asked, "No one will ambush you this time, right?"
"Definitely not!" Tartaglia shook his head. Everyone in Teyvat now knew he was not someone to cross lightly.
"But just to be safe, I'll head back to Snezhnaya myself and bring Sister-in-law the mora," he added.
"Alright. When will you leave?"
"Right now. If I move fast, I'll be back tomorrow."
Lu Heng nodded, and Tartaglia departed northward with two gnoses in hand.
Though Port Ormos had calmed, unease still lingered among the people.
"I'm exhausted… but knowing how useful I was today, I don't even feel tired!"
Paimon's face was weary, yet her eyes shone with pride.
From a mere "foodie" in the story, she had now defied fate itself—she was a fifth-rank powerhouse!
The weakest of that tier, perhaps, but still fifth rank!
"What do we do now?" she asked.
"Of course, we head to the Akademiya," Lu Heng replied, looking to Diluc and Kaeya. "And you two?"
"We'll pass," Diluc said. "Kaeya and I plan to inspect Sumeru's wine industry."
"Alright. Then we'll go to the Akademiya."
Lu Heng opened a portal, and the group stepped through, arriving at its gates.
Sumeru City was still unsettled. The oppressive divine aura from Devantaka Mountain had reached the city, and with no official explanation, fear spread quickly.
Fortunately, though the top sages were gone, Alhaitham had managed to stabilize the situation.
Together with Kaveh and two scholars who hadn't joined the "God-making project," he had temporarily secured order within the Akademiya.
As Lu Heng and the Greater Lord approached, Alhaitham recognized them instantly.
Bowing with composure, he said, "Mr. Lu, Lady Rukkhadevata."
Lu Heng nodded slightly. "How are things here?"
"No major unrest," Alhaitham reported. "Though… Grand Sage Azar took his own life."
"What?!" Paimon gasped. "He committed suicide?!"
"Why would he choose that?" Tighnari was stunned.
"Was it out of guilt?" Cyno muttered.
"I believe it was because of Lady Rukkhadevata's return," Alhaitham explained. "Azar always worshipped her. The so-called 'God-making project' was already a betrayal of that faith. When the goddess returned, it shattered his convictions completely. His shame drove him to destroy himself, seeking forgiveness in death."
"…I see," Cyno murmured, his expression complicated. "No wonder he didn't restrict me when he stripped my position, even letting me leave Sumeru freely…"
"He wanted to preserve a spark of hope for the rainforest," Tighnari sighed. "Faith drove him to betray, but also to show mercy."
Rukkhadevata lowered her gaze with a sigh. "Humans truly are complex beings."
"And the other sages?" Lu Heng asked.
"One also chose suicide. The other two are inside, awaiting judgment," Alhaitham answered.
"Let's see for ourselves."
They entered the great hall of the Akademiya.
Some scholars knelt in remorse, weeping bitterly.
Others, confused and lost, knew nothing of what had transpired.
Still others, aware of the goddess' return, were ecstatic—casting scornful glances at their fallen peers.
So many emotions clashed under the same roof, yet the lines were clear.
Rukkhadevata turned to Alhaitham, her gaze both kind and testing.
"What do you think should be done with them?"
Alhaitham hesitated.
With four sage seats suddenly vacant, new ones would need to be filled.
Truthfully, he preferred his current lifestyle and didn't desire the heavy responsibilities of a sage.
But under the goddess' expectant gaze, he could not refuse.
No one in Sumeru could.
Not after learning the truth of her sacrifice.
It was like a fallen hero looking upon you, believing in your potential.
And so, even Alhaitham could not turn away.
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T/N:
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