"The Sigil of Permission?" Slowly extending her hand forward and opening it, a talisman gradually materialized in Kiana's palm.
Then, she muttered to herself, "If it weren't for you, Shenhe, I would have forgotten I even had this."
After speaking, Kiana's gaze shifted from the Sigil of Permission to Shenhe and Cloud Retainer before her.
"Me?"
Shenhe was very confused by the girl's words.
Then, as if realizing something, she said, "Wait! How do you know my name?"
She remembered very clearly that she had never once told this girl her name, and she had never met this girl before.
So… How did she know my name?
Looking at the other girl, Shenhe's face was filled with confusion.
Just as Shenhe was feeling puzzled, Cloud Retainer spoke up.
"What do you mean by that?"
At this moment, Cloud Retainer felt more and more that there was something extraordinary about the girl before her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.
Moreover, what the girl was saying was also very strange.
What did she mean, if it weren't for Shenhe, she would have forgotten she had the Sigil of Permission?
Originally, she had thought this girl was bringing the Sigil of Permission to see her, and had happened to run into Shenhe on the way, so they came here together.
But now, it seemed things were not as she had imagined.
Also, the fact that this girl knew Shenhe's name without being told was clearly very strange.
It would be one thing if Shenhe lived among mortals, where the probability of her name being known would be high. But Shenhe had always lived far from the world of humans, which made this highly unusual.
And more importantly, she hadn't even noticed when the other had entered her abode. This truly astonished her.
An evil spirit that can peer into one's heart, perhaps?
But… No, that doesn't seem right…
Regardless, Cloud Retainer no longer considered Kiana an ordinary human, and was even starting to think she wasn't human at all.
"You're not here to see Master?"
At this point, Shenhe realized she might have made a mistake.
After all, the girl before her had never said what she was here for.
It was only after sensing the aura of the Sigil of Permission that she subconsciously assumed the other was here to see an adeptus—her master.
She… She must have some other purpose!
Thinking this, Shenhe prepared herself for battle at a moment's notice.
"I am here to see your master. You just reminded me that I had a Sigil of Permission, that's all."
Kiana slowly shook her head, retracting her hand and the talisman at the same time.
Although their meeting involved a bit of a misunderstanding, she was indeed here to find Shenhe's master. There was no mistake about that.
Taking a step forward to shield Shenhe behind her, Cloud Retainer asked this question.
"Then what business do you have with this one?"
Since the other was here to see her, she naturally had to ask for a clear reason.
And seeing the other's fearless demeanor, Cloud Retainer knew that today's matter would not be a small one.
"It seems you do not know who I am."
Instead of answering Cloud Retainer's question, Kiana spoke with a condescending tone.
She now understood that Cloud Retainer had no idea who the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles was; otherwise, she wouldn't have asked who she was.
Therefore, Kiana decided to act profound and mysterious for a bit, to make Cloud Retainer feel that her identity was anything but simple.
In any case, the goal was to leave that impression first. Later, when she claimed to be the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, it would be easier for everyone to believe her.
Of course, if that didn't work, she still had Zhongli to help.
She knew that if she later hinted at knowing Zhongli, Cloud Retainer would definitely go to him to inquire about her identity.
Then, with Zhongli's assistance, Cloud Retainer would certainly believe her identity as the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles.
Her current plan with Zhongli was actually a bit like the incident with the great serpent back then—the idea that the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles wanted to eliminate Zhongli at the Rite of Descension, while Zhongli, for the sake of the people of Liyue, chose to generously face death.
"Hmph! Such theatrics. Why should this one need to know who you are."
With a sudden cold snort, Cloud Retainer seemed very displeased with Kiana's words.
However, this was merely on the surface.
In reality, she was already quickly running through her memories of the girl's appearance, wondering if she had forgotten her.
"It seems Morax never taught you how to communicate with people." Kiana smiled, and continued, "Oh, that's right. You're nothing more than a bird or a beast, after all. It's normal for you not to understand these things."
Cloud Retainer: "!"
Shenhe: "!"
The Lord Monarch?!
She knows the Lord Monarch?
At this moment, the thoughts of the master and disciple pair, Cloud Retainer and Shenhe, were surprisingly aligned.
Neither of them had expected the girl before them to actually know the Lord Monarch.
And from her tone, it seemed she was an existence on the same level as the Lord Monarch.
What in the world... is going on?
___
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