In the days following Osial's attack, the people of Liyue managed to fully repair the damaged facilities in just a short time.
The Tianquan, Liyue's de facto ruler, imposed trade sanctions against Snezhnaya.
Through diplomatic channels, she secured substantial reparations. Despite the many obstacles, she made it clear to outsiders that Liyue was not a pushover.
As a result, relations between the two nations grew strained. Many cooperative ventures came to a halt, though communication remained open on certain fronts.
Some ties ran too deep to cut overnight. Ripping them out by the roots would only backfire.
As for Liyue's adepti, they maintained contact with the Qixing. But not the three adepti from Jueyun Karst—they were too stubborn for that. They preferred to watch from the shadows and offer subtle help when needed.
It was the five Yakshas who worked alongside the Qixing. The age of humanity came with its share of turbulence, and the Yakshas provided a stabilizing presence.
It was a quiet warning to troublemakers: "The adepti are still here. Behave yourselves."
What the future held, only time would tell.
...
On the Streets
Bonanus strolled along casually, with Lumine and Paimon by her side. Lately, she had been spending quite a bit of time with the Traveler.
They would eat together, and she would accompany her on commissions.
Now, they had just left Wanmin Restaurant and were walking to digest their food.
"Xiangling is so strange. Her ingredients look weird, but they taste amazing." Paimon lay sprawled on Lumine's head, looking utterly content.
"All you think about is food. If only you'd help in a fight for once. I always end up fighting several enemies alone." Lumine sighed at the weight on her head.
"Hehe, don't be like that, Traveler." Paimon grinned, completely unfazed by Lumine's complaint.
"I heard Cloud Retainer recently built a small mechanical flying device called 'Qianji Bird.' It can fire hidden crossbow bolts." Bonanus linked her arm with Lumine's and grinned.
She always did this when out with other women. It was a habit from another world, hard to break.
It often made people mistake them for very close friends.
"Hmm, that does sound useful." Lumine nodded. She wouldn't mind having one of those.
"Hey! Traveler, you're so greedy! Isn't having me enough?" Paimon floated up and stomped her feet indignantly.
If not for being best partners, Paimon would have come up with a terrible nickname for Lumine.
"Don't be mad, Paimon. Have a candied hawthorn." Bonanus chuckled, pulling a fresh skewer from her storage.
Paimon quickly snatched it. The sweet and sour taste hit her tongue, and she was immediately lost in the bliss of food.
Watching this, Lumine rubbed her forehead in exasperation. Best partner? More like a pig.
Bonanus laughed. She loved doing this to Paimon. It was like having a pet.
Paimon went off to enjoy her snack, while Bonanus and Lumine switched topics.
"Lumine, where are you heading next?" Bonanus asked, already knowing the answer.
"Inazuma. I've already spoken with Captain Beidou. She'll take me there when the time comes." Lumine gazed toward the sea.
"I'd say you should go to Sumeru instead. It's connected to Liyue by land."
Mentioning Sumeru reminded Bonanus of the Aranara quests, the insufferable scholars, and the imprisoned Dendro Archon.
The length of the quests and the scholars' irritating attitudes made her blood pressure spike—especially when she lost the 50/50 pulling for Nahida.
She could have smashed her keyboard.
"We'll see. I'm not in a hurry to leave anyway. I heard there's a festival coming up called Lantern Rite."
"I should at least experience that before moving on." Lumine rubbed her chin.
Experiencing local culture was part of the journey.
"You won't be disappointed." Bonanus said with confidence. She had been looking forward to it too.
With that, she released Lumine's arm and took a deep breath.
"I should go. I've got a little brother waiting at home."
"Alright. I'm meeting Zhongli. See you." Lumine nodded.
After a few more words, they parted ways. Watching Bonanus vanish in an instant, Lumine couldn't help but feel a little envious.
If she had that speed, she could finish her journey and find her brother much faster.
...
Yujing Terrace
At Yanfei's Residence
Bonanus pushed open the door heavily, stepped inside, closed it, and turned on the lights.
Just as she was about to look for her little brother, she spotted Xiao in the bathroom.
He was holding a towel, repeatedly wiping his face.
He wasn't washing up. He was trying to remove the doodles his naughty sister had left on his face before she left.
And the worst part? They wouldn't wash off with water.
Since his sister was back, it was time for payback.