The Jade Chamber had always been a symbol of stability — an island of unshakable will floating above the ever-changing tides of Liyue. But today, silence gathered heavier than the ocean fog beneath it.
Ganyu stood by the polished marble table, hands folded, posture composed yet faintly tense. Ningguang sat opposite her, half-turned toward the door as she listened to the rhythmic echo of heels drawing nearer.
Keqing arrived in a swift stride, expression sharp with concern.
"Ganyu." She exhaled, relief flickering for only a moment before duty overtook her. "Welcome back. We all thought something had happened."
"I'm sorry for causing trouble," Ganyu said softly. "But the Lord required my assistance. It was… important."
Ningguang allowed herself a faint, controlled smile.
"If it involved the Lord of Geo himself, no one here would call it trouble."
Keqing crossed her arms.
"Important enough to leave Liyue entirely?"
She tilted her head, violet eyes narrowing.
"You vanished from every tracking route. Even the Millelith couldn't follow you."
Ganyu hesitated.
Ningguang spoke gently.
"Show her."
Ganyu lifted the stack of industrial books she'd brought back — Takumi's textbooks of technology, diagrams, infrastructure, engineering, and future sciences. She placed them on the table with a soft thud, and even Keqing, usually composed, blinked.
"…What are these?" she asked.
"Knowledge from another world," Ganyu said.
Silence.
Dead silence.
Then—
Keqing actually laughed, a small incredulous sound.
"You're serious."
Ganyu nodded.
Ningguang folded her hands beneath her chin.
"I've skimmed them," she said. "They contain theories and machines far beyond anything in Liyue — tools for large-scale industries, air filtration, metal purification, energy harnessing… The implications are enormous."
The Jade Chamber, always serene, suddenly felt like a living entity holding its breath.
Keqing stepped closer, flipping open one of the books.
Inside were diagrams of engines unlike anything in Liyue, sketches of urban power grids, superconducting materials, automated production lines.
Her eyes widened.
"These designs…"
Keqing whispered.
"They don't just improve our current technology… they completely replace it."
"Not replace," Ningguang corrected gently.
"Elevate."
"Where did you go? Who possesses this knowledge?"
Ganyu hesitated again — then finally spoke clearly.
"We went to a world belonging to Lord Takumi. He is a friend of our Archon."
Keqing blinked.
"Friend?"
"Archon?"
"That's what he called him." Ganyu nodded. "Lord Takumi is… extraordinary. His world is ruined, yet flourishing again under his hand. He guides civilization with knowledge and… beyond-human abilities."
Keqing stared at her.
"You're describing a god."
Ganyu tilted her head.
"He insisted he wasn't."
Ningguang let out a quiet breath.
"Regardless of titles, the knowledge he entrusted to us is invaluable. If used properly, it could advance Liyue by centuries. If mishandled…"
Her eyes hardened.
"It could shatter us."
Keqing thumbed through another diagram — this one illustrating a construction machine that could reshape entire landscapes in hours.
"Does the Lord trust us with this?" she asked.
Ganyu nodded.
"He said Liyue is stable enough to handle it — but also warned Teyvat will face change soon. The winds are already shifting."
Ningguang and Keqing exchanged a look.
The Jade Chamber doors opened again.
This time, it wasn't a Qixing member — it was Baishi, Ningguang's assistant. She bowed.
"Lady Ningguang. Word has spread that Ganyu has returned. The other Qixing are requesting an audience."
"Let them in once Ganyu finishes her report," Ningguang ordered.
Baishi bowed again and left.
Keqing pressed a palm lightly to the table.
"So. Another world. Another civilization. Another… power. What exactly are we dealing with, Ganyu?"
Ganyu thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully.
"Lord Takumi's world is recovering from devastation. Yet his presence alone changes everything. He builds cities with his mind — shapes technology as easily as we shape clay. His storage is infinite. His creations… limitless."
Keqing slowly lowered the book.
"That's not a mortal."
Ningguang's lips twitched.
"I suspect the Lord of Geo has made a very interesting friend."
Ganyu continued:
"He offered an alliance with Liyue. Not control. Cooperation."
Ningguang nodded slowly.
"That is consistent with Rex Lapis' tastes."
Keqing frowned.
"But why now? And why us first?"
"Because Liyue is the most stable of the Seven Nations," Ningguang said. "Because our policies adapt. And… because the Lord has always been interested in our nation's potential."
A moment of silence followed.
Then—
Keqing straightened her posture, expression sharpening.
"We'll need to evaluate these books in detail. If this knowledge spreads uncontrolled, Snezhnaya will exploit it first."
"Indeed," Ningguang agreed.
"Which is why we must proceed discreetly. Only the Qixing and a few trusted artisans should know."
Ganyu nodded.
"The Lord said the same thing."
Ningguang turned to her.
"You spoke with him?"
Ganyu's expression softened.
"He was kind. Calm. But… powerful. Not like the Archons of Teyvat. A different kind of existence."
Keqing raised a brow.
"And how did he treat the Lord of Geo?"
Ganyu smiled faintly.
"As a friend. An equal."
That sentence landed like a meteor.
Keqing's jaw tightened.
Ningguang's eyes sharpened with interest.
"A being who sees the Geo Archon as a peer…"
Ningguang murmured.
"That is someone Liyue must understand."
Footsteps approached again — heavier, coordinated.
The other Qixing were arriving.
Ningguang looked to Ganyu.
"For now, speak only of the essentials. Knowledge from another land. Sanctioned by the Lord. Potential for Liyue's advancement."
Ganyu nodded.
"Yes, Lady Ningguang."
"Do not mention inter-world travel unless asked directly," Ningguang added.
"And do not mention Lord Takumi's… abilities," Keqing finished, glancing at the blue-haired adeptus. "If we say too much, it will incite panic."
"Understood," Ganyu agreed.
The Jade Chamber doors opened once more, and the remaining Qixing — Yelan, Baizhu (as Liyue's leading medical consultant), Yanfei, and a few elite advisors — entered with brisk, focused steps.
Ningguang rose, greeting them with her usual calm.
"Everyone," she said. "Ganyu has returned from an assignment personally sanctioned by the Lord of Geo. And she brings knowledge that may shape the future of Liyue."
The quiet swallowed the room.
Ganyu bowed politely.
"I'm honored to share it."
Keqing folded her arms behind her back, posture disciplined as always.
Yelan leaned forward, eyes sharp.
"Another secret assignment with the Archon himself? This must be interesting."
Baizhu adjusted his glasses.
"If it concerns public health or the nation's infrastructure, we must proceed cautiously."
Yanfei pulled out her notebook, already jotting things down.
"If this information impacts Liyue law, I'll need to analyze its implications."
Ningguang nodded at Ganyu.
"You may begin."
Ganyu placed the first book on the table and opened it to reveal an industrial blueprint.
The room stilled again.
Yelan whistled.
"Now that's not from around here."
Baizhu leaned closer, eyebrows rising.
"These chemical processes… they refine metals without elemental reactions. Remarkable."
Yanfei blinked rapidly.
"This could revolutionize our entire economic structure…"
Keqing added,
"And disrupt it, if not controlled properly."
Yelan smirked slightly.
"Disruption isn't necessarily bad. Depends on who handles it."
Ningguang tapped a finger lightly on the table — the soft, decisive sound reclaiming everyone's focus.
"This knowledge comes with the Lord's approval," she reminded them.
"It is not stolen. It is entrusted. And it is now our responsibility."
The room fell respectfully silent.
Baizhu murmured,
"Then the Lord must anticipate something. An upheaval?"
Ningguang nodded slowly.
"That is my suspicion."
Keqing finally sat down.
"Let's begin analysis. Categorize everything — engineering, chemistry, energy, production lines. Evaluate which technologies Liyue can realistically implement without destabilizing our markets."
Yelan smirked.
"I'll handle internal watch. If this leaks, Snezhnaya will sniff it out within days."
Yanfei raised her pen.
"I'll prepare legal frameworks for cross-border knowledge protection."
Baizhu sighed.
"And I'll make sure nothing in these books poisons us all."
Ningguang smiled faintly.
"As expected of Liyue's top minds."
Ganyu felt tension ease in her shoulders.
The Qixing were already absorbing everything — without panic, without disbelief.
Only determination.
This was Liyue at its finest.
But then—
A tremor of power flickered through the air.
Barely perceptible.
A pulse, like a heartbeat far beyond mortal senses.
Ganyu felt it first — adeptal instincts tingling.
Keqing turned sharply.
"Did you feel—?"
Ningguang nodded once.
"Zhongli has returned to Liyue Harbor."
A faint, knowing smile curved her lips.
"He's watching to see how we handle this."
Yelan snorted.
"Of course he is."
Baizhu murmured,
"Then we must not disappoint."
Ningguang closed the book.
"Prepare yourselves," she said quietly.
"Liyue is stepping into an age unlike anything before."
She looked through the glass floor of the Jade Chamber at the sprawling harbor far below — lanterns flickering like stars, ships drifting like constellations.
"From this moment onward…"
Her voice softened into something almost reverent.
"The destiny of Liyue is no longer bound solely to Teyvat."
Ganyu bowed her head.
And somewhere far beneath the Jade Chamber, in a quiet corner of Liyue Harbor, Zhongli paused mid-step — a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
They were ready.