Lori was no mind reader, so he couldn't fully understand what the girl was thinking.
But he could sense the emotion Ganyu was struggling to hold back.
Finally, unable to suppress her question any longer, she asked softly:
"Teacher… how long will you stay in Liyue this time?"
"Mm… I'm not too sure about myself."
According to Lori's plan, he intended to chat with old friends for a bit, then return to Inazuma soon after.
Before leaving, though, he needed to subtly warn Liyue about the approaching Abyss calamity.
Most importantly—he needed to make sure Ganyu survived it.
If his first disciple died to the Abyss, he truly could not accept it.
As thoughts stirred, Lori raised a hand—
and in an instant, a radiant longbow appeared.
"What's this?" Ganyu asked curiously.
With a deeply nostalgic expression, Lori brushed his fingers along the bow's surface.
"Its name is Amos' Bow. Long ago, it belonged to a companion."
He had received it more than two thousand years ago—
when he had just arrived in Teyvat, still weak, and fighting alongside
the winds' fragment,
a red-haired knight,
and the bow's original master
against the oppressive High Tower Lord.
A tragedy, truly.
The bow's owner had loved the Anemo Archon of old—
but her love had turned into hatred.
In the end, her unfulfilled feelings were never known by the god she adored.
Just before she was torn apart by the violent winds, she entrusted the bow to Lori—
asking him to one day find a worthy wielder.
Teyvat was filled with heartbreaking stories like this.
As Lori gently traced the bowstring, dormant power revived—
a soft hum echoed, as though responding to him.
"And now, I'm entrusting it to you."
He handed the awakened bow to Ganyu.
She froze for a moment, then quickly became captivated by its beauty.
Her hand trembled as she stroked the bow's elegant curves.
"I'll… cherish it. Truly."
She held it reverently in her arms.
This was a precious gift from Teacher—
with meaning far beyond the bow itself.
She would cherish it with her life.
Lori believed her completely.
"In addition to the bow, here is a protective charm."
He removed a jade talisman from his chest and leaned in to tie it around her snowy neck.
Because he was close enough, a faint fragrance from her skin brushed past his nose.
Ganyu, though shy, secretly wished the moment would last longer.
But Lori stepped back quickly, speaking with rare seriousness:
"If you're ever in danger, crush the talisman.
It will form a sealing barrier around you.
Even a god wouldn't break it for at least fifteen minutes."
Ganyu heard none of this.
Her entire mind was filled with one dangerous thought:
Teacher's warmth… pressed against my chest…
She cupped her hands over the jade talisman now nestled between the valley of her black-stockinged chest, her face burning bright red.
Lori had no idea.
While he worried about her safety—
his obedient little disciple was fantasizing about all sorts of improper "student-rides-teacher" scenarios.
Finally regaining some sanity, Ganyu panicked.
Her face was crimson to the point of glowing, and she didn't dare look at him.
She muttered a flustered farewell and rushed back toward the Adepti.
Before Lori could even react, Barbatos—who had been watching—dragged him aside for more drinking.
Cup after cup, jar after jar, wine was brought in by attendants.
As the atmosphere grew increasingly boisterous, the Seven Archons began speaking freely—
revealing stories of secrets, hidden treasures, forgotten truths.
Things mortals would spend their lives seeking—
for the Seven, they were nothing more than amusing tales shared over drinks.
Even Morax, normally the most dignified, sang and composed verses with the others.
To the Qixing watching from the side, this was shocking—
they had never seen gods behave so humanly.
It made sense.
Aside from Makoto and Ei, each Archon lived aloof, high above their nations,
with not a single peer who could truly understand them.
Even the two Raiden twins had things they couldn't reveal to each other—
and even less to outsiders.
The Seven's banquet was the only time they could speak freely,
without masks,
as equals.
The feast continued from moonrise to moonset, still lively.
The Qixing showed no trace of authority, humbly serving wine like attendants.
"More!"
Breathing strong wine fumes, Barbatos cracked open the last jar of Celestial Immortal Drunk, challenging everyone again.
This wine was potent—
each cup required time to recover.
Drinking repeatedly would knock out even a god.
Ei and Makoto were already dizzy and resting.
The Hydro and Dendro Archons also withdrew.
Only the fiery Pyro Archon and the icy Cryo Archon remained ready for battle.
And of course, Morax—as host—would never retreat.
Together with Barbatos and Lori, he insisted on settling things.
Yet from moon-bright night to dawn's first light—
they still came to no conclusion.
Exhausted, they agreed to settle the score next time.
Once the banquet ended, a slightly tipsy Lori watched as the Dendro, Pyro, Cryo, and Hydro Archons bid farewell.
The Pyro Archon slapped his back.
"I don't believe that's your last jar of Celestial Immortal Drunk! Next time, you'd better bring out whatever you're hiding!"
"If… we ever meet again," Lori replied quietly,
"even if I must bring out everything remaining—so be it."
Only a few present understood the weight of those words.
The Pyro Archon only laughed loudly and told him not to forget his promise.
The Cryo Archon gave Lori a long, knowing glance, saying nothing.
The Hydro Archon smiled politely and nodded.
The Dendro Archon seemed like he wanted to say something—
hesitated—
but in the end said nothing at all.
With that, the four gods vanished as quietly as they had arrived.
The wind god collapsed onto the table, mumbling:
"I'm not going back tonight… I'm sleeping here."
Morax didn't mind and instructed the Qixing to prepare a resting place for him.
After a night's rest, Makoto awoke mostly recovered.
She and Ei approached.
"Morax, Barbatos—Ei and I will return to Inazuma."
Before leaving, she spoke a few final words to Lori—
then the sisters transformed into lightning and vanished into the sky.
In the end, only three figures remained at Yujing Terrace:
Lori, Morax, and Barbatos—
those who had known each other the longest.
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