After bidding farewell to Zayn and Morax, Guizhong left Liyue and returned to her own domain.
The moment she returned to Guizhong City, she gently tapped the translucent pale barrier surrounding it.
As its creator, Zayn immediately felt the ripple of her touch.
It was the secret signal they had agreed on.
Recognizing it, Zayn withdrew his sustaining power.
The pale shield slowly disintegrated, dissolving entirely above Guizhong City.
Back in her palace, Guizhong could not stop thinking.
After speaking with Morax and Zayn, after seeing Liyue with her own eyes,
her desire to form an alliance had become more certain than ever.
Morax was somewhat lacking in the art of ruling a territory—
but after Zayn joined him, those shortcomings were clearly compensated for.
Still, Guizhong did not view Zayn's presence as an obstacle to an alliance.
He had great wisdom…
…but he certainly wasn't someone who placed his full attention on governance.
Morax's strength, her own wisdom and technology—
together, they could create the future she envisioned.
And more importantly, their ideals aligned.
This strengthened her resolve.
"If we are to form an alliance, there must be a symbolic object."
That thought lit a spark in her mind.
With her deep knowledge of mechanisms, Guizhong decided to create a lock—
a lock that no one could open without wisdom surpassing her own.
She would pour all of her knowledge, all of her technique into it.
Yes.
It was decided.
She sat at her stone table, happily sketching designs.
Every line, every symbol, every component was filled with her intellect.
This lock would be the emblem of their covenant—
the symbol of the alliance between the God of Dust, Guizhong, and the God of Rock, Morax.
As long as the lock remained, the covenant would never be broken.
And if Morax ever discarded the symbol of their bond,
then an alliance would no longer be meaningful.
But after all her years observing Morax's deeds,
Guizhong did not believe he was that kind of god.
He valued promises.
He honored contracts.
For an entire month, she immersed herself fully in the work,
pouring her life's knowledge into the creation.
Finally—
with the last rune and final piece snapping into place—
The lock was complete.
It floated before her, mechanisms rotating within,
golden light shimmering across its surface.
"I shall call you the Lock of the Mortal World—for you will be the symbol of our pact."
Guizhong hugged the lock to her chest, smiling brightly,
already imagining the moment she would personally hand it to Morax.
—
Zayn, meanwhile, lay lazily in the pavilion, chin in hands.
Over a month had passed.
Ever since the day Guizhong visited Liyue and returned to her domain,
there had been no news from her at all.
"When is she going to propose the alliance, seriously…"
"When will this butterfly flap its wings and finally start a tornado…"
Zayn muttered irritably.
He didn't know the precise historical moment when Guizhong and Morax were supposed to meet—
but he was certain he had pushed their encounter far earlier than the original timeline.
He had even personally invited Guizhong to tour Liyue.
They ate together. We talked happily.
Everything should have sped up the alliance.
So why was there still no movement?
Was this really the same Guizhong who, according to vague future records,
was supposedly obsessed with forming that alliance?
Even after a whole month?
"That's it. I can't just wait around."
If Guizhong wouldn't come, then he'd go to her.
…with Morax, of course.
He began contemplating excuses.
He rubbed his chin.
Then—
"Got it!"
An idea flashed.
"Morax! Morax!"
Zayn shouted as he rushed into Morax's room.
Hearing his voice, Morax raised his head.
He sensed no other gods near the territory, so clearly nothing major had happened.
Sigh.
"…What is it?"
"Let's go visit Guizhong-jie together!"
"You want to visit Guizhong?"
"You can just go alone," Morax said. "Why drag me with you?"
He assumed Zayn was bored again.
Those two childish gods got along well—no surprise Zayn wanted to visit her.
"No, no! If you don't go with me, what if something dangerous happens on the way?"
"Guizhong-jie said to herself—many gods near her domain are fighting over territory every day! What if I run into them?"
Zayn even put on a frightened expression.
Morax sighed again.
He could tell Zayn was plotting something,
but he didn't know what.
As the God of Manifestation, Zayn certainly wasn't weak.
Even if he had slacked off for ages, fleeing from other gods would still be trivial for him.
"Tell me the real reason you want me to go."
Seeing Morax ask so directly, Zayn dropped the act.
"Because I want to, duh."
"And also—because you stay cooped up indoors every day! If you keep going like this, you'll turn into an actual rock!"
Zayn said accusingly.
"I was—"
Morax tried to explain that he was planning Liyue's future,
but Zayn cut him off.
He leaned closer, staring at Morax.
"Just answer me—
Are you going?
If not, then you're playing chess with me.
I haven't played with you in so long."
Zayn plopped down across from him.
Morax fell silent.
…
So he was pulling this trick again.
Between going with him,
and being dragged into another one of Zayn's "chess" games—
Morax chose…
to go.
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