"Conqueror of Demons, what do you mean by that?"
Madame Ping glanced thoughtfully at Ningguang and Keqing beside her, then at Xiao and Cloud Retainer, who stood with their arms crossed. Having wandered the mortal world for centuries, she seemed to understand something.
"Songstress of the Wind and Moon, are you saying..."
The three adepti of Jueyun Karst also noticed Madame Ping's gesture and turned their gazes toward the Tianquan and Yuheng.
The two, now the focus of everyone's attention, felt a momentary panic but quickly steadied themselves. Ningguang opened her mouth, having roughly understood Xiao's meaning, but when it came to speaking, the words wouldn't come out.
Once again, the atmosphere fell into silence.
"Um..."
Caught in the middle, Lumine felt awkward and restless. To escape the situation, she scratched her golden hair sheepishly.
"Haha... Well, as an outsider, I won't get involved in Liyue's internal affairs. Paimon is waiting for me at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, so I'll take my leave now!"
Lumine laughed awkwardly and left the armory. Only after closing the door did she let out a sigh of relief, though she quickly remembered something.
"Should I have brought Griseo out with me...?"
Back in the armory...
"Human governance. Lord Yun Fan wishes to delegate all authority to the Qixing. The future of Liyue will be left to its people to govern. We adepti need only protect Liyue from external threats to a certain extent."
Xiao conveyed Yun Fan's intentions to the group and then fell silent, waiting for their reactions.
"Sigh, fine, fine! If this is truly Lord Divine Sovereign's will, we shall comply," Moon Carver shook his head and sighed, expressing his stance. Truth be told, he had no interest in governing Liyue. If it weren't for the contract, he wouldn't have bothered with mortal affairs at all.
Moon Carver, you old fool, I'll remember this! Seeing Moon Carver be the first to voice his agreement, Cloud Retainer adjusted her glasses, her narrowed eyes filled with coldness. This sent a shiver down Moon Carver's spine, but when he looked around, he found nothing amiss.
Strange, was that just my imagination?
"Since Moon Carver agrees, I have no objections. However, I still have some doubts about the Qixing's ability to govern Liyue. If we are truly to hand over Liyue to the Qixing, I will periodically inspect various regions. If problems arise..." Mountain Shaper didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.
"Please rest assured, adepti. The Qixing will do our utmost to govern Liyue. We will spare no effort, even at the cost of our lives!" Keqing, who had always advocated for human governance, stepped forward and spoke with sincerity, her words clear and resolute, her eyes filled with determination.
"Very good," Mountain Shaper nodded in satisfaction. He had always held the Yuheng in high regard.
"I disagree!" Cloud Retainer immediately cast her dissenting vote, her attitude firm and seemingly non-negotiable.
"Cloud Retainer, you're still the same. Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment," Madame Ping shook her head helplessly. Cloud Retainer was excellent in many ways, but she was too stubborn... and perhaps not the best at communicating with others.
"Princess Griseo, what are your thoughts on human governance?" Seeing that even her good friend Ping didn't support her, Cloud Retainer could only place her hopes on Griseo. As Yun Fan's sister, even if they didn't look alike, her opposition to human governance could carry significant weight.
"I'll follow whatever brother Yun Fan decides," Griseo, being Yun Fan's loyal little sister, naturally wouldn't undermine him. Thus, Cloud Retainer's plan fell through.
"Tch! You all discuss this. I'm returning to Jueyun Karst!" Cloud Retainer clicked her tongue in frustration and quickly left.
"Farewell," Xiao's voice faded as he turned into a gust of wind and vanished.
"Ah, I'll take my leave as well," Madame Ping said with a smile before departing.
"This..." Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver exchanged glances. Why did everyone leave so quickly? What's the point of us staying here? With that thought, they too followed suit.
And so, only Keqing, Ningguang, and Ganyu remained in the Jade Chamber's armory. After a brief silence, the three looked up at each other and smiled.
This calamity was over.
And Liyue... was about to reach a historic turning point!
———
On the peaks of Guyun Stone Forest, Zhongli and Yun Fan stood side by side, gazing at the now-calm sea. They remained like this for a long, long time.
"So, are you satisfied with their performance?"
Hearing Yun Fan's words, Zhongli closed his golden eyes. "Although they had Griseo's help, the unity and indomitable spirit they showed in their battle against the Vortex God are commendable. As such, I see no need to arrange further tests. Let us entrust the future to them, allowing them to shape it with their own hands."
"Haha, that's just like you, Morax."
"There is no Morax in this world anymore. Only the idle mortal, Zhongli."
"Right, right, my dear friend Zhongli..."