Seeing Liyue Harbor safely enclosed by the barrier, the adepti—who had been ready to intervene—heaved a sigh of relief, now regarding Ningguang with a hint of approval.
Although this woman's desire for power was somewhat excessive, at least she had protected Liyue for now.
"The formation is impressive, but merely defending is useless," Mountain Shaper spoke solemnly. "Currently, Liyue Harbor is only facing Osial's waves. Once Osial begins his true attack, how long this formation will hold is uncertain!"
"Esteemed adepti, please lend us your assistance!" Without hesitation, Ningguang sought their aid.
She knew clearly that mortals defeating a god was a laughable fantasy. Ningguang was always realistic.
Madame Ping shook her head gently, sighing, "Even with all of us gathered here, defeating Osial outright might not be possible."
"Then is there truly nothing we can do?" Keqing stepped forward, unwilling to accept defeat.
If they couldn't resolve this completely now, then the next time—again and again—the god would reappear, endlessly threatening Liyue Harbor!
Ningguang turned toward the ruins atop Mt. Tianheng. "I consulted ancient texts. There's a device known as the Guizhong Ballista, immensely powerful, possibly strong enough to threaten a god. One existed on Mt. Tianheng, but it's incredibly old. Though I ordered repairs, none understood the method, making restoration impossible."
Upon hearing the Guizhong Ballista was broken, Cloud Retainer snorted unhappily. "Hmph! You mortals can't even safeguard your treasures—such negligence!"
Ningguang sighed faintly. "Perhaps the adepti, living secluded in mountains, fail to feel the passage of time. Over two millennia have passed since the Archon War. Even stones turn to dust given enough years. Those who once maintained the ballista are long dead; few records remain. Even if we wished to restore ancient artifacts, we wouldn't know where to begin."
Cloud Retainer momentarily fell silent. Two thousand years… Had it truly been so long already?
"Never mind," she said curtly. "Since this adeptus is here, let me forge a new Guizhong Ballista. Afterward, we adepti will infuse it with our power—it should suffice to face Osial."
Osial was still far away in Guyun Stone Forest. They had enough time.
They had agreed to assess whether the Qixing could protect Liyue. Now that the Qixing had proven themselves, the adepti could hardly stand idle.
Cloud Retainer flapped her wings, choosing an empty space on the Jade Chamber and beginning her forging on the spot.
...
Outside the Golden House, rain poured in relentless torrents.
Jiang Bai and Aether emerged from the Golden House, carrying the unconscious Childe. The moment they looked up, they saw the Jade Chamber gliding overhead, clearly headed toward Guyun Stone Forest.
Paimon used her tiny hands to cover her head from the downpour, while Jiang Bai and Aether simply endured the rain hammering them.
They stared anxiously at the god looming on the distant horizon.
Paimon eyed the Jade Chamber worriedly, asking, "The Qixing and adepti should all be up there, right? They're going to attack the god, aren't they?"
Aether's concerns were more practical. "How do we get up there?"
If they were to participate in a counterattack against a god, naturally they had to stick with the main force.
The problem was—the main force was currently flying high above, and they had no way up!
Jiang Bai was completely exhausted, unable to fight anymore—but that didn't dampen his desire to join the spectacle.
It'd be a real shame not to witness a battle against a god up close.
"How we're getting up there is indeed a problem…"
After a moment, Jiang Bai's eyes suddenly brightened, and he yelled toward the Jade Chamber above:
"Xiao! Can you hear me? Xiao-shīzūn!"
If they couldn't get up themselves, they just needed someone who could take them there.
Since all the adepti were aboard the Jade Chamber, Xiao was surely up there too. Getting him to bring them along wouldn't be too difficult.
As soon as Jiang Bai shouted, a swift, green figure appeared instantly before them.
Rain fell on Xiao, yet it seemed as if an invisible membrane shielded him—not a single drop dampened his hair or robes.
Looking at Xiao standing elegantly amidst the torrential rain, Jiang Bai—completely drenched and miserable—felt a deep surge of envy.
Xiao crossed his arms, his gaze sweeping over the three bedraggled figures. "What do you need?"
"Wow! He really appeared instantly—amazing!" Paimon's eyes sparkled brightly.
If calling out worked this well, could they just yell for adepti whenever they faced danger in Liyue from now on?
Somewhat embarrassed, Jiang Bai admitted, "The adepti are all aboard the Jade Chamber, right? We can't get up ourselves. Could I trouble Xiao-shīzūn to bring us along?"
"Fine." Xiao nodded, his gaze finally falling on Jiang Bai's bloodied and bandaged hand.
"What happened?"
"Had a fight with the guy responsible for releasing that god." Jiang Bai nodded toward Childe, half-dead in Aether's grasp.
Cold killing intent flashed across Xiao's eyes. "He's responsible?"
"Technically, he didn't release Osial personally—but it was his plan and his tools, so it's essentially his doing. But this guy still has some value, so we can't kill him yet."
Feeling Xiao's murderous aura, Jiang Bai suddenly realized bringing Childe aboard the Jade Chamber would almost certainly end in the Harbinger getting erased by enraged adepti.
He still intended to ransom Childe to Northland Bank!
And after getting the ransom, he could kidnap Childe again during delivery and sell him to Ningguang for another huge sum of Mora.
One captive, two payments!
He had no choice—his debts were massive, and he still needed Mora to care for a certain spendthrift old man. Without clever thinking, how would he ever manage?
After considering briefly, Jiang Bai found a suitable spot nearby, took out a shovel, and started digging.
Xiao, Aether, and Paimon watched with identical confusion.
Thanks to the rain-soaked ground, Jiang Bai dug rapidly. In no time, he'd excavated a huge pit. Inside it, he gathered a coffin using what little mental strength he'd regained. Then he grabbed Childe from Aether's hands and unceremoniously tossed him inside.
After carefully leaving sufficient air for breathing, Jiang Bai sealed the coffin shut and began covering it with dirt.
Paimon gasped in shock, her tiny hands covering her mouth. "Wait! Are you seriously burying him alive?"
Jiang Bai diligently shoveled soil back into the hole, movements practiced. "Nah, this guy's still useful. But I can't bring him aboard the Jade Chamber, so I'm just hiding him temporarily. I'll dig him out when we're done."
Aether rubbed his temples, thoroughly impressed by Jiang Bai's method of hiding someone alive underground.
"You sure he won't just die down there?"
Childe was severely wounded—shot once already. Even though the bullet hadn't fully penetrated his armor, the sheer impact likely caused internal bleeding. Then he'd gotten his face brutally beaten, and had fallen from quite high afterward.
He genuinely worried Childe might quietly expire underground.
"You underestimate the survival ability of someone who received power from the Tsaritsa. He isn't bleeding out badly, so he won't die that easily. Besides, I carefully calculated it. There's enough air down there to last him until we dig him out tonight."
"Well…alright." What else could Aether say?
Your captive, your rules.
After burying Childe, Jiang Bai carefully packed down the earth, memorizing the exact location. He brushed himself off, turned, and looked expectantly at Xiao, who was still watching silently with crossed arms.
---
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