Ganyu came to find Aether and Paimon, bringing an invitation from Ningguang.
She wanted to meet Aether, up in the Jade Chamber, to clear up some misunderstandings and to help him untangle the complex threads of the undercurrents.
After saying this, Ganyu left first.
She didn't seem to be in very good spirits.
After all, she had just experienced a major event like the Emperor's demise.
"Traveler, be careful when you go to the Jade Chamber. I have some other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."
After Ganyu left, Ryan quickly gobbled down a bowl of rice and stuffed his mouth with meat. Only after filling his stomach did he get up and speak to Paimon and the others.
Perhaps because he was an immortal disciple, Ningguang had not invited him. After all, the immortals' attitude towards the Liyue Qixing was clearly not very good right now, and they were discussing coming to hold them accountable, so Ryan also didn't plan to go along.
"Mm, you two go, but don't forget about the Rite of Parting. Our next meeting point is Dihua Marsh. I'll be waiting for you by the Statue of The Seven tomorrow afternoon."
Noticing that Ryan wasn't eating anymore, Morax then instructed them.
The three nodded, then said their goodbyes and left Sanwan Buguogang Restaurant.
"Boss, check, please."
"Coming right up, esteemed guest!"
When settling the bill, Morax breathed a sigh of relief, confirming that the salary he had advanced from Hu Tao was enough to treat everyone.
Paimon already had a big appetite, but now Ryan's appetite was no less than Paimon's. A meal for four people felt like a meal for over a dozen...
After leaving Sanwan Buguogang Restaurant, Ryan originally wanted to find Ganyu, but found that Ganyu had left rather quickly.
She didn't walk; she left from the rooftops, just as she had appeared... Unable to find her, Ryan had to give up the idea of following her and instead set his sights on another direction.
If one leaves Liyue Harbor from Chihuo Rock and then walks out from the foot of Mt. Tianheng, it won't be long before one can see the imposing golden-tiled building on the left, the Golden House.
Earlier, when he went up the mountain to assess the quality of the noctilucous jade, Ryan had seen the Golden House from a distance, so he knew its location.
Now that it was late and he was full, Ryan felt it was the perfect time to sneak into the Golden House to search for the Exuvia.
Thinking this, Ryan quickly approached the Golden House.
As the only mint in Teyvat, the Golden House's exterior guards were very strict, not to mention the Exuvia currently hidden inside. It would not be an exaggeration to say there was a guard every three steps and a sentry every five.
Ryan took a quick look from afar, then transformed into a white fox and slipped into the nearby bushes, secretly approaching the Golden House.
"Hoo hoo..."
Ryan stealthily moved towards the Golden House, hiding in the shadows.
It was known that his ability to hide in his true form was so good that even Yuheng Star Keqing couldn't find him for a while, so evading these on-duty Millelith was simple.
And even if he were discovered, was a wild little fox something to be wary of?
However, in front of the Golden House was a pond, with a stone path built in the middle of it. This path was also the only way to the entrance of the Golden House.
Ryan felt that if he crossed this way, even if he didn't alert the Millelith, he would certainly be driven away, and going by water would not be quiet.
After a moment of thought, Ryan looked up and observed the surroundings of the Golden House.
The Golden House was surrounded by mountains, built completely against the mountain body behind it, and from the surface alone, the Golden House did not appear to be very large.
But could a building of this size mint enough Mora to circulate throughout all of Teyvat?
Ryan thought it unlikely, so he guessed that a large part of the Golden House might be built inside the mountain.
However, he wouldn't tunnel through the mountain. The reason he noticed the surrounding mountains was because they were slightly higher than the Golden House.
By jumping down from the mountain, he could secretly climb onto the roof of the Golden House and sneak in from there... Thinking this, Ryan immediately turned back and headed towards the mountains surrounding the Golden House via a nearby path.
For Ryan, who resided in Jueyun Karst, climbing mountains was second nature, and he quickly reached the summit.
Then, the white fox leaped down from the mountain. Its fluffy fur made it look as if it might be blown away by a gust of wind, but in the end, it landed lightly on the golden tiles of the Golden House, without making a sound.
"Hmph, the Golden House's defenses are nothing special..."
Ryan snorted softly in triumph, then began to search for an entrance into the interior of the Golden House.
The visible architectural part of the Golden House also had a second floor, and Ryan quickly found a window.
However, the window was tightly shut, and Ryan wasn't sure if anyone was inside. To avoid being discovered by anyone inside while he was outside the window, he had to lie on the edge of the window, secretly raising his paw and trying to push it.
It didn't budge... Ryan scratched his head with his paw, then tried to extend his tail.
Ever since he ate the Qilin Pill, the strength of his tail had been astonishing; forcibly opening a window was no problem.
Click—
With a slight push from Ryan, accompanied by a crisp sound, the bottom of the window directly caved in a bit, creating a gap.
Forcefully widening the gap a little, Ryan, as a whole fox, barely squeezed through the opening.
However, it seemed he had eaten too much just now, as Ryan got stuck midway and struggled with his legs for a while before finally entering the Golden House.
"Good, it seems very quiet in here..."
Rubbing his ears, which had been squeezed by the window, Ryan cautiously observed the interior of the Golden House, confirming there were no figures before muttering.
Next, he had to go deeper into the Golden House and find the place where the Exuvia was stored.
Currently, it was extremely quiet in here; Ryan's keen ears heard no sounds of activity whatsoever.
"Why is it so quiet? Has the Golden House stopped minting Mora..."
Ryan carefully searched within the Golden House, while also wondering aloud.
"Could it be that they stopped minting Mora to store the Exuvia?"
Ryan couldn't help but speculate.
Since he saw no one at all, he gradually grew bolder as he explored deeper into the Golden House, no longer having to observe for a while before continuing to move forward.
The interior of the Golden House was indeed much larger than it appeared from the outside, and as he went deeper, Ryan saw no windows that let in light, only lanterns hanging on the walls for illumination. He guessed it must have been built inside the mountain.
Going deeper, Ryan quickly reached the innermost part of the Golden House, a giant warehouse for storing Mora.
In the center of the warehouse was a huge platform, surrounded by several storage rooms. Each storage room was piled high with golden Mora, like small mountains, dazzling under the light of the torches.
Not only the storage rooms, but even the area beneath the central platform was covered with Mora.
"So much Mora..."
Even though Ryan usually lived in the mountains, he couldn't help but feel shocked by the glittering sight.
However, he quickly regained his composure, glancing around the warehouse, and soon noticed the only storage room that was not filled with Mora.
In this storage room, a huge jar stood on the ground, and above the jar, the half-qilin, half-dragon immortal body was enshrined—it was the Exuvia.
"Emperor, ehehe, Emperor, I'm here..."
Seeing the Exuvia enshrined there, Ryan's mouth immediately watered, and he eagerly bounced and pounced towards it...