"Ryen and Guizhong are…?"
Ningguang looked curiously toward Pingzi. The latter shook her head helplessly.
"Guizhong is also someone who loves pursuing flashy elemental attack effects. She and Ryen hit it off instantly. The two of them have been discussing combat visuals related to the Authority of Dust for quite a while now."
Ningguang was a little surprised.
"Guizhong too… shares Ryen's way of thinking?"
Cloud Retainer nodded.
"These two have almost identical concepts and standards when it comes to attack ideas and visual effects. It didn't take long before they became kindred spirits."
"I see…"
Ningguang pursed her lips and smiled lightly, saying nothing more.
Cloud Retainer, however, seemed a little concerned. After a moment of silence, she spoke pointedly to Ningguang.
"Guizhong has only just been revived and is unfamiliar with the ways of the world. She's still just a lively young girl. It would be best not to involve her too deeply."
Ningguang chuckled softly.
"That's something you should say to Ryen, Adeptus Cloud Retainer. But I think he understands his limits."
"From the looks of it, he simply regards Guizhong as a like-minded companion."
Cloud Retainer sighed.
"I hope so."
As she finished speaking, Ryen and Guizhong's private discussion also came to a pause.
Aside from Tengai Shinsei, Ryen had designed three other extremely dazzling techniques for Guizhong, each with elegant names, guaranteed to look gorgeous while hiding lethal intent beneath the surface.
As for actual damage…
If it looked cool, that was enough.
This was the first time Ryen had spent so long seriously discussing flamboyant, over-the-top skills with someone else.
And what surprised him even more was that the other person actually had insight and ideas of her own.
Ryen looked at Guizhong with genuine admiration.
"I'm very satisfied with today's artistic discussion. If we get the chance, we should talk again."
"If you ever have new ideas about elemental power, feel free to bring them up with me."
Guizhong looked delighted, clearly very pleased with the abilities Ryen had described earlier.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Ganyu standing nearby. Guizhong immediately patted Ryen on the shoulder and smiled at Ganyu.
"Ganyu, the man you chose really understands art. I fully support you!"
Ganyu returned an awkward but polite smile.
Ryen waved her over, and Ganyu quickly walked up and sat beside him.
The two began whispering to each other again, their clingy behavior making everyone else sigh helplessly.
Noticing the time, Ningguang spoke up to interrupt their affectionate murmuring.
"Ryen, do you have any plans for today?"
Ryen paused, a little surprised.
"So soon? Not everyone's here yet."
"By the way, Ei and the others went to assemble their troops, so it's understandable they aren't here yet, but where are Lisa and Jean?"
Before he finished speaking, Lisa's voice sounded from outside the courtyard.
"We're here, we're here~ Don't rush."
"Jean and I talked for a long time last night, about many very important things."
Lisa cast Ryen a meaningful smile, leaving him slightly confused.
He glanced at Jean unintentionally. Her gaze flickered, her expression clearly different from usual.
This was nothing like Jean's normal demeanor.
What on earth had Lisa talked to her about?
Ryen was curious, but not enough to ask right now.
He could always ask Lisa privately tonight.
"That just leaves Ei and the others."
Ryen clapped his hands lightly.
"Judging by the time, they should be here soon."
"Once we get the Inazuman troops settled, then, "
"Back to the Twilight Forest?"
Lumine looked at Ryen expectantly. He couldn't help but laugh.
"We just spent three straight days camping in the Twilight Forest. There's no need to rush that much, right?"
Lumine giggled.
"But there are new mods! Wouldn't it be better to move faster?"
"We still need to adjust our pace."
Ryen shook his head.
"Guizhong was just revived, and Ei's group barely arrived before following us straight into the Twilight Forest."
"They haven't even seen the Overworld properly."
"I plan to take a break these next few days. No Twilight Forest, just the Overworld."
"First, to let Guizhong and the others get familiar with things."
"Second, to get Guizhong up to speed with Redstone technology as soon as possible."
Guizhong pouted and complained,
"So I have to start working right after being revived? What a capitalist."
"Well, fine!"
"For the sake of the payment you gave me, and the new attacks you designed for me, I'll reluctantly work for you!"
Ryen chuckled and patted Guizhong on the shoulder without saying anything else.
At that moment, Hu Tao finally emerged from the house, yawning.
Seeing that most people had arrived, she lazily raised her hand.
"Good morning…"
"Huh?"
Lumine blinked in disbelief.
"Hu Tao looks this tired? That's really not like Director Hu!"
Hu Tao glanced at Ryen and muttered softly,
"I didn't sleep at all last night…"
Instantly, everyone's expressions turned a little ambiguous.
Ningguang rubbed her temple.
"You really don't need to say things like that out loud."
"Tch, why hide it? Ryen is my man anyway!"
Hu Tao sat down beside Ryen without a care and started eating breakfast.
Laughing and chatting, everyone finally seemed to be present.
All that was left were Ei and her group.
They didn't make everyone wait long.
Ei and Yae Miko soon walked into the courtyard.
After greeting everyone, Ei immediately turned to Ryen.
"Our troops are ready. When do we depart?"
Ryen stretched lazily.
"Then now it is. You look like you've been itching to move."
Yae Miko smiled knowingly.
"Ei didn't sleep all night because she was so anxious."
Ei shot her a glance but didn't refute it.
"There's one more thing."
Just as Ryen and the others were preparing to head out, Yae Miko casually mentioned something.
"By the way, when we were on our way here, there were two little tails following behind the army."
Hearing this, Ningguang and the others were slightly surprised.
Given how far Liyue had developed, anyone with common sense should know that this area was an absolute restricted zone of Liyue.
Yet someone still dared to follow the Inazuman troops, trying to slip through unnoticed?
Ningguang didn't feel angry, only curious.
It had been a long time since she'd encountered someone this bold.
"Where are they?"
She asked casually.
Ei replied softly,
"They've already been restrained. Two people from Sumeru."
At once, Nahida, who had been dozing in Ryen's arms, perked up.
It had been a long time since she'd heard any news from Sumeru.
Ryen glanced at Nahida, gently rubbing her head as he asked calmly,
"From the Akademiya?"
Yae Miko thought for a moment.
"Probably not… They don't seem to have that rigid, pedantic scholarly air the Akademiya types usually carry."
"But one of them does seem to be from the desert."
Ryen frowned slightly in thought, but Nahida had already lifted her head and was looking at him with pleading eyes.
Her small hands hooked around his neck as she spoke softly,
"Ryen… I want to go see them…"
Her big eyes blinked pitifully, full of expectation.
With Nahida like this, there was no need for further consideration.
Never one to refuse her, Ryen immediately said,
"Bring them here first. Let Nahida take a look, then we'll head to that world."
Yae Miko raised an eyebrow, feigning regret.
"If I'd known it would be like this, I wouldn't have mentioned it earlier."
As she spoke, Kujou Sara had already turned and briskly walked off to fetch the two people.
At this moment, Dehya and Nilou felt that today was probably the unluckiest day of their entire lives.
After a full day of asking around in Liyue Harbor yesterday, they had finally confirmed something.
The mystery behind Liyue's transformation originated from the foot of Mt. Tianheng.
The Traveler, and even people from Mondstadt, seemed to be living there.
From that, they concluded that if they wanted to find Lisa, and find a way to cure Eleazar, this was the only place to go.
But that area was Liyue's most tightly guarded zone.
Security there was unimaginably strict.
Not to mention entering, even taking a distant look would invite investigation.
As two people from Sumeru, how could they possibly enter Liyue's forbidden area?
Just as they were completely at a loss, they heard that an Inazuman army was moving to station itself near the foot of Mt. Tianheng.
With no other option, they decided to gamble, quietly following behind the Inazuman troops.
Unfortunately, they had underestimated things.
Leaving aside the countless checkpoints required to enter the area at Mt. Tianheng's base,
Light infantry, heavy cavalry, firearms units…
With Kujou Sara leading the force, and Ei and Yae Miko personally overseeing it, what kind of existence could possibly slip through unnoticed?
As expected, before they even reached the foot of Mt. Tianheng, the two were caught by Kujou Sara.
Originally, the plan was to escort them directly back and detain them in Liyue's prison.
But in her panic, Dehya shouted that they had come for the Lesser Lord Kusanali.
That single sentence left Kujou Sara and the others unsure how to proceed.
The fact that Nahida was in Liyue wasn't exactly a secret, but it wasn't common knowledge either.
Those who clearly knew she was here were very few.
And given how Ryen treated Nahida, anything involving her was bound to be taken seriously.
Left with no better choice, Kujou Sara and Ei discussed it briefly and decided to bring the two along under heavy guard, first asking Ryen how to handle the matter.
Only then did Dehya and Nilou fully realize just how unlucky their situation was.
Over a thousand soldiers led by Kujou Sara, with the Electro Archon and Inazuma's divine familiar present,
This was truly walking straight into a tiger's den.
Still, from another perspective, they were also fortunate.
At least they had been caught before entering Mt. Tianheng's restricted zone.
Otherwise, the Millelith would have likely executed them on the spot.
Dehya sighed, glancing at the densely packed troops surrounding them, and muttered,
"Looking at it optimistically… being surrounded by Inazuma's elite forces, personally apprehended by the Raiden Shogun and her familiar…"
"That's kind of an honor, isn't it?"
Nilou forced a small smile, lowering her head as she spoke softly,
"I just don't know what will happen to us… Following them without permission and trying to enter Liyue's restricted area, will Liyue…"
"Relax."
Dehya, on the other hand, remained optimistic, patting Nilou's shoulder with a grin.
"At least we weren't dealt with on the spot. That means there's still room to talk things out."
Just as she finished speaking, the sound of approaching footsteps rose in the distance.
The Inazuman soldiers around them parted, and both Dehya and Nilou tensed up instantly.
Even if they had spoken bravely earlier, this situation was literally life and death out of their hands.
No one could truly stay calm in a moment like this.
Kujou Sara walked through the ranks, her gaze calmly assessing the two of them.
After a moment, she spoke quietly,
"Come with me. Someone wants to see you."
Nilou looked nervously at Dehya, but Dehya only shrugged and boldly followed Kujou Sara forward.
Nilou sighed. At this point, words were useless.
She could only follow along and see what awaited them next.
~~----------------------
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