The road crested a hill—and the world opened.
A sea of lanterns. Stone terraces layered like clouds. The Harbor of Liyue, a golden gem set into the earth, breathing commerce and warmth. Night had fallen; lamps bloomed one by one, their glow mingling with the marsh's cool mist. Mountains ringed the city like sleeping beasts; within their arms the streets glittered as if a mortal fairyland had been poured into a bowl of stars.
Vermilion gatehouse. Curled eaves. Glazed tiles winking with a faint aureate sheen. Two great red lanterns swayed beside the arch, haloing every traveler who passed beneath. Beyond, wooden galleries climbed the cliff in tiers, the city rising like a hanging palace. Even from outside the walls, you could hear it—the hawkers' calls, the laughter, the clatter of wheels—life, layered and bright.
"Wow… so this is Liyue?" Lumine breathed, eyes wide. It was a different kind of splendor than Mondstadt—denser, older, confident.
"Pretty, right?" Kairo said, the real thing outshining any memory of a game map. Even Paimon hovered quiet for a moment, then squeaked, "It's so pretty!"
They joined the flow toward the bridge that spanned the gate. Lanterns lined the rail. Millelith soldiers in lacquered armor watched the queues with calm, practiced vigilance.
"Keep your place—orderly, please. You'll be through soon," the squad leader called, checking cargo, asking names, waving families along.
Then Kairo stepped onto the bridge.
Cold—thin as wire—twanged through the crowd. Heads turned as if pulled by a string.
"What… is that?!"
Behind Kairo walked a blue-lit sentinel of ice—the Everwinter Shade. Hoarfrost limned the plates of its armor; a great axe rested easy in its grip. It gave off no killing intent, but its existence spoke of winter and deep water and long, still nights. People edged back. Someone shakily raised a Kamera.
The Millelith straightened. The squad leader's pupils tightened; he sucked in a breath.
The memo from the Yuheng… Earlier that morning they'd been briefed: Within two to three days, two special visitors may arrive at the gate with an unusual "ice warrior." Do not deny entry. Report immediately.
Two to three days.
It had been… one.
"They're early?" he muttered, then snapped to it. "Notify Lady Keqing. Now."
A runner bolted for the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The leader paced forward with composed politeness. "Travelers from Mondstadt? Please wait a moment. The Yuheng will be informed and a proper escort arranged."
Kairo dipped his head—unsurprised. If Yelan had already spoken with Keqing, then the dots were connected. That weird "Navigator" prompt last night had to have been the system mapping "Yukong" onto Keqing—no wonder it felt off.
Paimon tugged Kairo's sleeve, glancing at the Shade. "Uh… we're not gonna get banned at the door because of our frosty friend, are we?"
"We'll be fine," Kairo said, ruffling her hair. Lumine stood at his side, serene, letting him do the talking.
Murmurs rolled through the lines.
"Why does that guy look familiar…?"
"Wait, didn't someone say they saw a golden-haired girl at Wangshu Inn with a cold-looking bodyguard? I heard a Millelith squad ignored him because he just… stood guard all night. Someone even got a photo."
"Then how are they at the gate already? That's faster than a caravan sprint!"
"Bro, I left the inn two days ago and I'm just getting here—how'd they tie me?!"
Speculation spiked. Another thread wound through it—uneasy curiosity.
"They don't wear Visions," someone said, frowning at Kairo and Lumine's belts. Heads turned again. In Liyue, Vision bearers wore them openly—status, strength, blessing. These two had none… yet the Millelith were treating them as honored guests.
"Invited by the Qixing?"
"Ganyu usually greets foreign envoys…"
"That ice retainer—how could a normal traveler keep such a thing at heel?"
The squad leader kept the crowd at a courteous distance, posture easy but ready. Report sent. Order maintained. Now: wait for the Yuheng.
—
Liyue Harbor — Ministry of Civil Affairs
Footfalls quickened through the marble hall. A Millelith trooper knelt in front of a purple-haired woman in black stockings, a sheaf of ledgers open beneath her fingers.
"Urgent report, Lady Keqing."
She set the scroll aside. "Speak."
"The visitors you mentioned this morning have arrived at the main gate—no Visions, accompanied by a small white flying creature, and… the ice warrior. Identities appear to match the Mondstadt travelers you flagged."
Keqing's eyes tightened. "Already?"
She'd heard from Yelan the night before last. Even an all-out march from Wangshu Inn took the Millelith a day and a half—longer, if anything complicated the route. And if those two rested yesterday, they should've reached the city tomorrow at the earliest.
Unless they barely slept and pushed through. Or… unless there was a method she hadn't accounted for.
She exhaled once. Questions later; stability first. The Rite of Descension was near. She couldn't afford ripples now.
Keqing closed the ledger, slid her sword into place, and lifted her chin.
"Hold them at the gate. Keep civilians back. I'll handle it personally."
Outside, the harbor wind shifted. A faint ring of frost traced itself along the gate's plaque as the Everwinter Shade's helm turned—slowly—toward something only it felt.
Keqing stepped from the threshold into the night, heels bright against stone.
"So fast," she murmured, eyes narrowing. "Let's see how."
Visit my patreon for more chapters
Advance 60+ Chapters Available
patreon.com/ZeusOp