"Qiqi can't remember too many things. Just call her Qiqi," Lora said as she held Qiqi's hand and spoke to Xiao.
Xiao looked at Lora, then at Qiqi. His gaze finally settled on their clasped hands, his expression still filled with confusion.
"You and Qiqi…"
"Sisters. I'm her older sister," Lora replied with a smile, making no effort to hide the relationship they had just established.
"Yes. Sister is my sister," Qiqi nodded earnestly at Xiao, her tone serious and sincere.
Xiao was not slow-witted. Seeing the way Lora and Qiqi stood together, he quickly understood. He smiled faintly and said, "To have you as her sister is surely Qiqi's good fortune. Her life has been full of hardship. I hope you will treat her well."
"Don't worry. Even if you hadn't said anything, I still would," Lora replied, giving a slight nod.
After that, silence fell between them once more.
Noticing Xiao's hesitant expression, Lora asked, "Is there something you want to say to me? You can speak plainly—there's no need to hold back."
Xiao looked a little embarrassed after being seen through. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "That… I wanted to ask you about His Majesty the Emperor."
"Oh, that," Lora said, suddenly understanding.
She looked up at the sky—the sun was already overhead. She then rubbed her stomach and smiled at Xiao.
"Could we eat first? We can talk while we eat."
Xiao followed her gaze upward, glanced at the sun, and nodded.
"That's no problem. Let's go to Wangshu Inn."
With Xiao joining them, Lora and Qiqi picked up their pace. Before long, the three arrived at Wangshu Inn.
Xiao was a distinguished guest there. When the staff saw him, they immediately led the group upstairs.
The innkeeper, Verr Goldet, greeted Xiao with a smile when she saw him. Her gaze then fell on Lora and Qiqi beside him. Sensing that the two were anything but ordinary, she gave them a friendly nod.
After they were seated, Lora ordered a serving of Black-Back Perch Stew along with some vegetarian dishes. She also asked whether the inn had coconut milk. Upon hearing that it did, she ordered a cup for Qiqi, and naturally added Xiao's favorite almond tofu as well.
"Alright, while we wait for the food, let's continue what we were talking about," Lora said, turning to Xiao.
"What is it you want to know?"
Xiao fell silent for a moment before finally speaking.
"I want to know… His Majesty the Emperor… is he… is he still alive?"
Zhongli had once instructed Lora not to reveal his survival to the Qixing or the adepti until everything was over. Looking at Xiao's expectant eyes, she shook her head.
"I'm sorry. I can't answer that."
"What?" Xiao froze, staring at Lora in confusion. "Aren't you a god? Why—"
"I am a god," Lora interrupted gently, "but compared to Rex Lapis, my current power is very weak. His affairs aren't something I can speak of."
She sighed softly.
"I'm sorry. I can't give you the answer you want."
Hearing this, Xiao seemed to understand. He looked at Lora and nodded.
"I see. His Majesty the Emperor must have his own profound reasons for doing this."
Seeing that Xiao had grasped the implication, Lora didn't say anything more on the matter. Instead, she asked, "By the way, have you encountered any members of the Fatui recently? What have they been doing?"
"I have encountered quite a few Fatui lately," Xiao replied with a nod. "They seem very interested in the Ruin Guards scattered across Liyue. Many of them have been trying to reactivate them. However, I've already dealt with those people."
"Good," Lora said with satisfaction. "Just keep eliminating those Fatui."
Xiao continued, "Aside from the Fatui, a group calling themselves the Abyss Order has appeared near Mt. Hulao. Their origins are unknown, and their actions are very secretive. The Millelith have tried to uncover their objective, but so far, they've failed."
"The Abyss Order?" Lora frowned slightly.
Seeing her reaction, Xiao immediately asked, "Do you know who they are?"
"I do," Lora nodded. "They've caused trouble in Mondstadt as well."
She then recounted the matter involving Dvalin to Xiao.
By the time she finished, Xiao's expression had grown extremely grave.
"So the Abyss Order is trying to seize the power of the Elemental Dragon Sovereigns? Then their activity near Mt. Hulao… could their target be Azhdaha?"
The fact that Azhdaha was sealed beneath Mt. Hulao was no secret among the adepti.
All of the surviving adepti of Liyue had lived through the era when Rex Lapis and Azhdaha fought side by side. Naturally, they all knew what had happened back then.
"Azhdaha is sealed beneath Mt. Hulao?" Lora asked.
When she played the game, she always teleported directly and never paid attention to where the weekly domains were located. She genuinely didn't know that Azhdaha's area was called Mt. Hulao.
"Yes," Xiao replied, nodding. "Azhdaha was sealed underground at Mt. Hulao by Rex Lapis. If the Abyss Order is seeking the power of an Elemental Dragon Sovereign, then their presence there can only mean one thing."
Lora fell into deep thought.
Compared to Dvalin, Azhdaha's power was unquestionably far greater. If he were to be corrupted by the Abyss and fall into madness as Dvalin had, it would be a catastrophe for all of Liyue—one far more terrifying than any ancient god of the vortex.
"On our way back from Qingce Village, should we take a detour to Mt. Hulao?" Lora asked, turning to Qiqi to seek her opinion.
She wasn't familiar with the roads and would need Qiqi's guidance.
Qiqi looked up at her and nodded.
"I don't have any objections. I'll listen to whatever Sister decides."
"Then I'll leave it to you," Xiao said with a quiet sigh of relief.
The karmic debt across Liyue still required his attention. If he went to Mt. Hulao, he wouldn't be able to manage the other areas. With Lora there, at least he wouldn't need to worry.
Just then, the server brought over the dishes Lora had ordered.
"Oh my, I'm starving. Let's eat first," Lora said, handing the coconut milk to Qiqi before picking up her chopsticks.
"Coconut milk! Coconut milk!" Qiqi hugged the cup and began drinking happily.
"Then I won't hold back," Xiao said. "Thank you for the meal."
He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of almond tofu, and ate.