Mt. Aozang
At this moment, before a vast Adepti manor on Mt. Aozang stood the entrance to an immortal abode known as "The Abode to Visit Immortals", the residence of Cloud Retainer.
At some point, a stone table and six stone chairs had inexplicably appeared before the gates.
They were probably prepared by that woman, weren't they? After all, in the game from her previous life, there had been nothing like this near Cloud Retainer's abode—aside from an ancient table and two stone chairs in the middle of the lake.
Cloud Retainer: I have a name, you know!
At the stone table sat one god and three adepti—a scene that had not appeared in over a hundred years.
"Rex Lapis!"
"Rex Lapis!"
Moon Carver, Mountain Shaper, and Cloud Retainer all raised their hands in respectful salutes toward Zhongli.
At present, they were no longer in their animal forms, but had taken on human appearances, sitting upright as they sipped tea.
Moon Carver had transformed into a handsome, mature man dressed in long brown robes, appearing refined and dignified, exuding immortal grace.
He had brown hair, with glowing brown antlers on either side of his head, and pale red eyes that were strikingly beautiful.
Mountain Shaper had taken the form of a child wearing light red robes, with pitch-black eyes and a slightly chubby build.
In short—he was only a little taller than Klee.
Though he looked like a child, he was in truth a several-thousand-year-old ancient being, and no ordinary child could emit such overwhelming adeptal aura.
Cloud Retainer appeared as an elegant woman wrapped in blue-green robes, her long hair loosely draped over her shoulders.
Those long lashes, pale blue eyes, and slender legs—anyone who saw her would find it hard to look away.
The presence radiating from these adepti carried an air of untouchability to mortals.
"There is no need for such formalities, guardians of Liyue," Zhongli said calmly. "Since all the adepti have gathered once more today, I trust you are already aware of the reason."
Zhongli—no, in this situation, he should be addressed as Lord Morax or Rex Lapis.
Morax lifted the tea Cloud Retainer had prepared, gently blew on it, and took an elegant sip.
"The tea you've prepared is excellent. Compared to tinkering with mechanisms, brewing tea may suit you better."
Morax commented casually. Though it could not compare to the tea prepared by Streetward Rambler (Madame Ping), it was still of high quality.
Cloud Retainer merely nodded respectfully in response, saying nothing further.
"It has been over a century since we last gathered," Moon Carver spoke first. "This time, it is regarding the matter of the Yaksha."
"Yaksha recorded as deceased suddenly reappearing gives me a bad feeling," Mountain Shaper said. "I wonder whether such unforeseen developments might bring disaster upon Liyue."
Mountain Shaper had always been wary of the unexpected, and among the adepti, he was the least patient.
"Records cannot represent everything," Cloud Retainer countered. "Even immortals cannot guarantee that all records are accurate."
"I, for one, believe the return of two powerful combatants is not a bad thing," Cloud Retainer continued. "The Yaksha have always honored their contracts. Those who perished, and the current Conqueror of Demons, prove this well enough."
These were indisputable facts—the Yaksha race had nearly given everything in order to uphold their contracts.
"To return without a word—don't you find that strange?" Mountain Shaper retorted.
"Whether it is strange or not, once the two arrive here, the truth will naturally reveal itself," Moon Carver said, attempting to halt the argument.
But it seemed ineffective.
"Hmph! In the recent battle, General Luoju blocked a direct blow from the beast on our behalf!"
"Even if that useless beast was already on its last breath, how could its strike be so easily endured?"
"And that Yaksha appeared completely uninjured. Do none of you find that odd?"
"Enough of this nonsense," Cloud Retainer snapped. "That beast had already been severely weakened by the Conqueror of Demons. How much power could its final struggle possibly have held?"
Morax sat in the center, eyes closed, silently listening without offering a word.
"Enough!" Moon Carver raised his voice. "As adepti, bickering like this—especially before Rex Lapis—is disgraceful."
As soon as he finished speaking, the two adepti fell silent, finally realizing their impropriety.
They straightened their posture at once, expressing apology through action.
Morax shook his head gently, indicating it was of no concern. He set his teacup down, opened his eyes, and spoke.
"By common rationality, each of you has a point. If the truth is what you seek, then we shall wait for the two Yaksha to arrive."
"Indeed," Cloud Retainer replied with a light, bell-like laugh, touching her smooth cheek. "With Rex Lapis present, no deception could possibly escape your gaze."
---
Xiao listened as Bosacius recounted his experiences—why Sister Bonanus was with him, and the existence of that unfamiliar god.
In short, Bosacius told Xiao everything he knew.
The information left Xiao thoroughly stunned, but he reached one conclusion:
Everything revolved around that god.
When he heard that the god had perished during the Archon War, Xiao wasn't sure whether to believe it. He had never encountered such intelligence, nor heard of such a deity.
Yet Bosacius didn't seem to be lying.
Strange.
Regardless, Xiao felt goodwill toward that god—because he had saved the two most important members of Xiao's family.
That alone was enough.
"We're almost there," Xiao said, turning to Bonanus with a faint smile.
Bonanus looked around and realized they had nearly arrived—only a few more steps remained.
That wasn't important.
What mattered was that Xiao had smiled.
He actually smiled.
Her heart practically exploded.
"Got it!" Bonanus smiled back.
"Ahem. I'll remain here to stand guard," Xiao said, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. "To prevent any reckless individuals or monsters from intruding."
Ordinary mortals rarely dared approach this area, knowing adepti resided here.
Still, reckless elemental creatures, Treasure Hoarders, or hilichurls occasionally caused trouble.
"Alright, Alatus! Wait for your big brother to return!" Bosacius struck a confident pose and led his younger sister forward.
"Thanks for your hard work, Alatus," Bonanus waved. "See you soon."
"…Mm. See you later…"
After the two departed—
Xiao sat down cross-legged and began adjusting his breathing.
The battle with the beast had exhausted him, and those unfamiliar emotions had taken their toll.
He needed time to regulate his energy.
And to organize the information Bosacius had just given him.
---
Elsewhere — Morax's Location
"They're coming…" Zhongli murmured, blowing gently on his tea before taking a sip, his gaze fixed on the still-empty staircase in the distance.
The truth was about to arrive.