The morning sun painted streaks of gold across the sky, illuminating the fish-scale clouds with a dazzling glow.
Though it was still early, Liyue Harbor's docks were already bustling with life. Over a month had passed since the Emperor's departure, and time seemed to have mended the wounds of his loss. The resilient and diligent people of Liyue had once again restored their city's vitality.
Today was the day the Liyue Cultural Exchange Delegation would depart for Fontaine, a formal diplomatic visit symbolizing friendship between nations. Because this mission represented the unity between Liyue and Fontaine, it was conducted with the highest standards and solemnity.
It was Liyue's first major external initiative since the great upheaval, one that the entire nation took very seriously. The delegation was led by Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, and even an adeptus was among the entourage.
"Sigh… if it weren't for that child Shenhe, I wouldn't have bothered traveling all the way to Fontaine to find that man," said Cloud Retainer, standing beside Ningguang, sighing deeply.
"With that time, I'd rather study mechanisms instead. Honestly, I'm not the sociable type; this exchange visit may not be of much use to you."
At the moment, she appeared in human form. To avoid unnecessary trouble, her name was recorded under an alias, Xianyun.
It wasn't truly an alias, though. Cloud Retainer had decided that from now on, she would walk among mortals using this name.
Since the Archon's passing, the adepti were becoming relics of Liyue's past. Now, Liyue belonged to its people; that was the Archon's will, and they, the adepti, would abide by it.
Yet while others could retreat from worldly affairs, Xianyun could not. With both Shenhe and Ganyu around, seclusion was impossible.
After all, Shenhe was not a true adeptus. Cloud Retainer knew it was unrealistic to keep her isolated forever atop the mountains of Jueyun Karst.
Especially because of Shenhe's fated condition, the "Calamitous Fate," which cursed her with immense destructive energy. To protect her and others, the adepti bound her with red ropes that sealed her soul, restraining her murderous aura, but also, inevitably, her human emotions.
Because of this side effect, Shenhe had become increasingly detached from humanity; everyday matters barely stirred her heart. What others valued, to her, was but fleeting dust in the wind.
As she grew, she became more and more like a beautiful statue, perfect, yet devoid of the seven emotions.
Xianyun knew that to change this, Shenhe had to be exposed to human society, and more importantly, to someone who could move her heart.
And Xianyun knew exactly who that person was. In all these years, only two people had left a mark on Shenhe's life: her master and the man who once saved her.
So when Shenhe heard they would be looking for that man, she immediately packed her things through the night, stuffing all the clothes Cloud Retainer had made for her over the years into a suitcase, as if planning never to return.
You think Cloud Retainer wanted to visit an old friend in Fontaine?
Wrong, she was afraid her disciple of twenty years would run off with someone else!
After all her painstaking effort raising Shenhe, losing her to a man would be a total loss!
And the worst part? The man who might "steal" her away was the same one who abandoned her years ago!
It was like giving a farmer a seed to grow into a tree. After years of hard labor, when the peaches finally ripened, the original owner suddenly showed up, wanting to pluck the fruit without paying a coin. Was that fair?
Of course, the analogy wasn't perfect; peaches don't walk into people's arms, but Shenhe might.
Which only made her master even more frustrated.
"Master Xianyun, you jest," Ningguang said with a gentle smile. "Your joining us is already a great honor. Liyue would not have stabilized this quickly without the help of the adepti."
Indeed, Cloud Retainer's participation carried far more symbolic than practical value. Her presence sent a clear message.
Though the adepti and the Qixing had once been divided, there was no longer any irreconcilable rift between them. They could sit together, talk peacefully, and cooperate for Liyue's future.
Such an act instantly silenced the rumors of internal conflict within Liyue. Anyone wishing to exploit such gossip now had little to work with.
"Call me Xianyun," Cloud Retainer corrected herself. "From now on, I'll use that name here in Liyue Harbor."
"Then please, call me Ningguang," Ningguang replied with a graceful nod.
But Xianyun blinked in confusion.
"I've… always called you that, haven't I?"
Even the composed Ningguang paused, and after thinking for a moment, realized it was true. The adepti had always referred to the Qixing by name, not title.
Well, that was understandable. The adepti's standing was comparable, even superior, to that of the Qixing. The adepti had fought beside the Archon himself, unlike the mortal Qixing, who changed with each generation.
Iron-willed adepti, ever-shifting Qixing.
"Then it seems I've been too formal," Ningguang said, laughing softly."No matter, I don't
," replied Xianyun with faint amusement. Despite her usual aloofness toward the Qixing, she respected Ningguang for her devotion to Liyue, especially her willingness to sacrifice the Jade Chamber. That act alone had earned the adepti's admiration and trust.
Meanwhile, at the dock-
"Miss Shenhe, this way please. Lady Ningguang has arranged your quarters. You may leave your luggage; our staff will take care of it…"
The attendant was sweating profusely, not from heat, but from fear.
Moments earlier, Shenhe had been surrounded by Millelith soldiers, not because she had caused trouble, but because a few thugs had foolishly tried to rob her.
The result?
By the time the soldiers arrived, the thugs were already unconscious, lying in a heap on the ground, skulls cracked, faces pale.
Eyewitnesses said the ethereal woman had dispatched them in the blink of an eye, smashing their heads into the ground three times each.
Three times per person.
The witnesses even admired the gangsters' toughness, not because they fought back, but because they didn't make a sound during the beating.
Fortunately, Shenhe had shown restraint. Had she used her full strength, there would've been nothing left to arrest.
After a quick statement, the case was closed, and the criminals were charged with attempted robbery and sentenced to three years, pending medical recovery.
"I'll carry my own luggage," Shenhe said flatly.
Her voice was void of emotion, not cold from anger, but empty, like that of a lifeless doll.
If it weren't broad daylight, her presence might've frightened people; beauty that looked too perfect could be ghostly.
The attendant hesitated but eventually nodded, leading her aboard. Yet as Shenhe stepped onto the ship, the vessel noticeably sank an inch.
At first, the attendant thought it was the tide until she saw the deck slightly dent beneath the suitcase Shenhe carried.
Cloud Retainer finally approached, looking at her disciple's bag with visible concern.
"Didn't I tell you not to bring so much? Are you moving out?"
Her sharp eyes immediately recognized the technique: Shenhe had used a dimensional expansion enchantment, vastly increasing the suitcase's storage space.
Unlike the magician twins Lyney and Lynette's "magic pouches," Shenhe's bag had one drawback: the weight of everything inside remained the same.
But to Shenhe, that hardly mattered. She was strong enough to lift it with one hand.
"So this must be Miss Shenhe," Ningguang greeted warmly. "I've heard much about you from Xianyun. Once you've settled in, perhaps you could visit my quarters for a chat?"
Shenhe looked at Ningguang, then at her master. She knew this was Liyue's most powerful woman, and after a moment's thought, and seeing no objection from Cloud Retainer, she nodded.
"Alright."
She wasn't agreeing out of respect for authority, but because she had heard that Ningguang might know something about Richard, the man who once saved her life.
Ningguang, meanwhile, had her own reasons. She knew Shenhe was once entrusted to Cloud Retainer by Richard, and that she, too, was now traveling to Fontaine, likely to find him.
In other words: a potential rival in love.
Naturally, Ningguang wanted to understand her; after all, know your rival, know yourself, and you'll never lose.
But perhaps they didn't have to be enemies. Depending on circumstances… they could even become allies.
Still, Ningguang noted Shenhe's strange manner, not unkind, but emotionless, distant from all mortal affairs.
As Mountain Shaper once described:
"A woman of rare bones and quiet temperament, pure, unworldly, untouched by mortal reason."
But Ningguang believed such people could still be reached, not with strategy or flattery, but with sincerity.
And so Cloud Retainer added with a faint smile:
"My disciple is much like me, introverted and poor with words. Please forgive her."
Ningguang smiled back, though she couldn't help thinking: 'Really?'
Cloud Retainer was anything but quiet. She had been talking nonstop since they met.
Why, then, did she describe herself as "introverted"?
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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