"Relax," Ningguang said. "I'm not going to do anything."
Keqing stayed rigid anyway, and Ningguang let out a soft laugh. She'd noticed it clearly—Keqing cared about Ryou far more than she ever expected. Compared to the Keqing she knew, it was like a different person entirely.
Ningguang shook her head, dropped the teasing, and her tone turned sharp.
"As for the second matter—recently, Tabibito captured a group of Fatui near Mt. Tianheng. Keqing, you were there as well. After that, she handed me a talisman."
She paused. "I had Ganyu examine it. We can confirm it was a Sigil of Permission."
"A Sigil of Permission?" Keqing blurted.
Her fingers tightened. In her understanding, those were already extremely rare—and most had been recovered long ago.
"That's right." Ningguang's voice stayed steady. "Before I went to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, I received a report from Yelan. She discovered the Fatui are imitating the Sigil of Permission and producing replicas."
Ningguang's gaze held as she continued, word by word. "She obtained one. There's power condensed inside it—no doubt about that. If these things go into mass production, the situation becomes catastrophic."
"The Rite of Descension is right around the corner, and they're making these in secret." Her voice went cold. "I suspect they plan to assassinate Rex Lapis."
"They've lost their minds," Keqing snapped. "That would cause mass casualties. And if we trace it back to them, they won't be walking away from it."
The image flashed through her head—countless Sigils detonating at once—and her throat went tight. The fallout wouldn't just be "bad." It would be unthinkable.
Ryou sat beside her without speaking.
He'd never had a good opinion of the Fatui—or Childe. He knew exactly what they were willing to do for a Gnosis.
And yet Childe had caused that much chaos in Liyue Harbor… and still walked out alive.
Ryou understood why Ningguang had swallowed it: diplomacy with Snezhnaya. But in his eyes, Childe wasn't someone to be spared. He'd dragged the city into a god-level disaster, led Fatui forces straight to the Jade Chamber, and nearly turned all of Liyue Harbor into a grave.
If the harbor had fallen, countless people would've died with nowhere to be buried.
And when everyone was trying to suppress the god, he'd even sent the Fatui up to the Jade Chamber to sabotage them.
That alone was more than enough for him to die in Liyue.
"Ningguang," Keqing said, forcing herself back onto the track, "you didn't tell us this just to vent. What are you thinking? Whatever it is, I'll support you."
She had her issues with Ningguang, sure—but on matters like this, she knew what came first. The Fatui threat was already spreading through Liyue Harbor, and she could see how close to the edge this had gotten.
"I called you both here because I want to hear your thoughts," Ningguang said. "As a couple—now that you know all this, what would you do?"
Keqing went quiet.
Liyue didn't have ironclad proof. Arresting people blindly wasn't an option. And even if they exposed the Sigil-of-Permission angle, the Fatui would simply deny it and bury it under excuses.
"I'm sorry," Keqing said at last. "I can't think of a good solution. If we investigate, we won't have the time. The Rite of Descension is in two days."
Her voice caught. "But if we arrest them outright… we don't have evidence. I…"
She trailed off.
Ningguang nodded once. Keqing wasn't wrong.
Ningguang had collected quite a bit already, but the core problem remained: it was difficult to make arrests, and leaving it alone was dangerous.
Even if they flooded the area with the Millelith, it wouldn't solve it. The Sigil of Permission's effect was too extreme. If hundreds detonated at once, then unless the adepti intervened personally, it would still be a massacre.
"Ryou," Ningguang said, turning to him. "What do you think?"
"I do have an idea," Ryou said. "First—delay this year's Rite of Descension."
He didn't rush; he laid it out cleanly. "I know there's no precedent for that. But if the Fatui use the ceremony to launch an attack and civilians get caught in it, the damage will be irreversible."
He looked between them. "The impact won't stay inside Liyue. Word will spread, and Liyue's reputation will take a direct hit. That's serious enough that I think it's worth trying."
Ningguang and Keqing both hesitated.
The Rite of Descension had been held for countless years. And by now, Liyue Harbor was already packed with visitors.
To delay it at this moment…
[End of chapter]
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