After coaxing her disciple, Ganyu turned her attention back to Keqing.
"Miss Keqing, I'll leave things here to you for now. I'll go find my master."
She planned to send Ze back to Yuehai Pavilion first, then hurry to Mt. Aocang. Based on her master's personality, she would most likely still be at her abode.
Keqing nodded. "Then I'll trouble you to—"
Before she could finish, an ethereal voice echoed from the sky.
"There is no need to look for this adeptus."
Everyone looked up. A crane descended gracefully from above. It was Cloud Retainer, with Shenhe by her side.
After meeting Shenhe at the demonic residue site, Cloud Retainer had brought her here. One reason was to deal with the situation at the sealed tree. The other was to check on both of her disciples.
Although her divinations had been vague and she could not clearly determine how Ganyu and Shenhe would clash, as a responsible master, she felt it necessary to take a look.
It was definitely not because she was bored and had no one to talk to.
Seeing Cloud Retainer appear, the Millelith soldiers all showed respectful expressions. This was a well-known adeptus of Liyue. None dared to be disrespectful.
"Lady Cloud Retainer."
"Master."
Ganyu and Keqing both looked surprised. They clearly had not expected her to arrive on her own.
Ganyu asked in confusion, "Master, why are you here? And Shenhe, why are you with Master?"
Cloud Retainer landed, flapped her wings, and lifted her head proudly.
"This adeptus has recently been traveling across Liyue, dealing with demonic residues that have broken their seals. Upon discovering that this place was once a convergence point, I came here."
Shenhe added calmly, "After delivering the documents, I found a trace of demonic residue. I followed it and dealt with it. Then I encountered Master."
"I see…" Ganyu nodded.
That likely explained why Ze had returned early. After all, chasing demonic residue while bringing a child along would be dangerous.
"Greetings, Grandmaster."
Ze only poked his head out from behind Ganyu after making sure the dark aura around him was completely concealed.
Hopefully, this adeptus would not see through anything.
"You little one… hm?!"
Cloud Retainer initially maintained her dignified posture, but the moment she saw Ze, she lost composure.
She leaned forward, staring at him in disbelief.
"You… have you ascended?!"
Her reaction was not without reason.
When she first met Ze, she could clearly sense the ferocious aura of a Taotie from him. But now, what was this?
This pure, ethereal aura made him look like the descendant of some divine beast.
Was this really what a ferocious Taotie should look like?
This was outright disgraceful for a Taotie.
Could it be that she had misjudged him from the very beginning?
Cloud Retainer fell into deep self-doubt.
"Uh…"
Ze did not know how to respond.
"…Maybe it's because of Master."
He decisively shifted the responsibility onto Ganyu.
At once, both Ze and Cloud Retainer turned their gazes toward Ganyu in perfect sync.
The pair looked surprisingly alike in that moment.
"Eh?!"
Ganyu panicked instantly when she heard that.
Why was it suddenly her fault?
"Ganyu, what is going on?" Cloud Retainer asked curiously. "This adeptus should not be mistaken. Why has this child changed so much?"
"Um… um…"
Ganyu's face turned red as she looked around helplessly, completely flustered.
Ganyu was put on the spot and had no idea how to answer.
What was she supposed to say?
"M… maybe… maybe it's the effect of qilin essence."
Ganyu shrank back slightly, her face flushed red.
"Qilin essence? It has… that kind of effect?"
Cloud Retainer looked at Ze, then compared him with what she knew about qilin essence, her face full of surprise.
The fact that Ganyu could produce qilin essence was not surprising. That was simply a trait of qilin.
But that it could have such an effect was truly unexpected.
It could actually conceal the ferocity of a divine beast.
Cloud Retainer circled Ze twice.
She leaned in close, sniffed lightly, then nodded as if she understood.
"Indeed, I can still sense the original aura. It is just being covered by this immortal quality."
"As expected of a qilin, an auspicious divine beast."
Her tone was filled with admiration.
"Ah… haha…"
Ganyu laughed awkwardly. "I… I'm not too sure either."
Ze watched his master's embarrassed expression and smiled as he reached out to hold her hand.
"Hm?"
Ganyu lowered her head to look at him.
Ze whispered softly, "So that was qilin essence. Thank you, Master."
"…"
Ganyu froze.
How did she forget that her disciple still had such an innocent misunderstanding?
She felt numb.
But she quickly reacted.
There was still room to fix this.
Ganyu forced a smile and said, "It's nothing. It's just that ordering coconut milk every day is a bit troublesome. Qilin essence itself is quite bitter, so Ze might not be able to drink it."
The trouble was not the main point. The important thing was to make Ze think it was diluted.
Yes. It was diluted.
Ganyu silently convinced herself of that.
Ze's lips almost curved up.
But to maintain his bright and innocent image, he had to hold it in.
"Then… then Master doesn't need to go through the trouble. Ze isn't afraid of bitterness."
He decided to tease her just a little more.
"It's not troublesome. Not troublesome at all. I've already ordered plenty. It's really not troublesome."
Ganyu's voice was trembling now.
At this moment, she truly wished her disciple would stop being so "thoughtful."
"I see."
Ze looked at her with a gentle smile.
Ganyu felt guilty under his gaze. She quickly shifted her attention to Cloud Retainer.
"Master, let's reinforce the seal first."
"Wait, hold on…"
Cloud Retainer still wanted to discuss the properties of qilin in more detail, but Ganyu had already pushed her toward the Dragon-Queller Tree.
Ze stood where he was, no longer able to suppress the smile on his face.
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