"The ceremony is canceled! All unrelated persons, please clear the area immediately!"
After waiting a whole year for the Rite of Descension, what they got was a disaster.
No one could accept it.
But with the Geo Archon nowhere to be seen, not even a hint of his presence,
Ningguang had no choice but to disperse the crowd and prepare for what came next.
Something had truly gone wrong.
From the stage, Ningguang shot a glance at Keqing.
Keqing understood at once, immediately blocking Su Ran and Ei as they tried to leave.
"Weren't you clearing out unrelated people?
Miss Keqing, by stopping me, are you saying I am related?"
He had been under her watch the entire time.
Not a single chance for tricks.
Whatever happened, it couldn't be pinned on him.
Unless someone was panicking.
And Keqing herself clearly wasn't.
So who was it?
Truly curious~
Su Ran cast a meaningful look toward the elegant figure on stage.
Whether she noticed or not, Ningguang was fully absorbed in controlling the scene.
But she never once looked in his direction.
"You may not have done anything, but with your identity, suspicion is inevitable.
So please stay here for now."
Keqing didn't know exactly what Ningguang intended, but she obeyed.
The matter was too grave.
What had happened today was more serious than any Rite before.
"So the Fatui must always be the scapegoat, huh?"
Their reputation was poor—he knew that.
But being accused of doing nothing at all?
That showed just how deep the prejudice ran.
Keqing bit her lip, unable to refute.
Because he really hadn't done anything.
She had blocked him only because of Ningguang's orders… and, truth be told, her own bias against the Fatui.
"If you don't trust me, surely you trust the one beside me?
Don't tell me you stared at her so long without realizing who she is!"
Brought into the spotlight, Ei met Keqing's guilty gaze calmly.
She could understand it.
What she couldn't understand was how Su Ran could act so brazen, when he was the true reason Morax could not appear.
"Uh…"
Keqing grew even more flustered.
In fact, she found the Raiden Shogun more suspicious than Su Ran.
But she hadn't said so aloud— because this was a god.
And gods, by the power they held, were naturally suspicious.
To detain Su Ran was to detain the Shogun as well.
More importantly, Su Ran didn't feel that difficult to deal with.
But to point a sword at a decent man?
She couldn't bring herself to say such a thing.
Only the title of Fatui Harbinger gave her any excuse at all.
Decent men shouldn't have guns pointed at them.
But Fatui could.
"Please stay for now.
If this proves to be a misunderstanding, I promise you'll be compensated."
There was a hint of pleading in Keqing's eyes.
She knew full well that she and Ningguang were in the wrong here.
"Any compensation?"
His interest was piqued.
Perhaps imagining where that could lead, Keqing shook her head quickly.
"Anything… except me.
And nothing that endangers Liyue!"
After all, this was a man who even entertained thoughts about Hu Tao.
She had to set limits.
Someone like this, no matter how talented— if she ever ended up with him, she knew she'd always be the one being teased.
She wanted no part of that future.
"Oh? Then how about this:
from now on, all my expenses in Liyue— you cover them."
Teasing Hu Tao was one thing.
He wasn't about to dig a pit for every girl he met.
"No problem!"
How much could one man spend?
Keqing figured she could easily afford it.
After all, her family was wealthy in Liyue.
She never expected that the very next day, her household would receive an invoice from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Once the situation was mostly under control, Ningguang returned to the Jade Chamber.
As for Su Ran and Ei, detained by Keqing, they were handed off to another to receive.
"L-Lady… Lady Shogun?"
The newcomer froze at the sight of Ei.
Keqing, hearing the voice, sighed in relief.
"Ganyu, I'll leave them to you."
Without another word, she fled like she'd escaped a fire.
That left only Ganyu, standing awkwardly in place, unsure what to do.
The qilin secretary herself.
No one could replace her in work.
After all, no one could work as tirelessly as she did.
Not even Keqing.
But the Qixing all knew her nature as a half-adeptus beast.
Precisely for that reason, Ningguang felt comfortable assigning her to face Su Ran.
Her status was unique.
She had long been acquainted with the Geo Archon, and naturally recognized the Raiden Shogun as well.
Perhaps Ei even knew her.
"It's been a while, Miss Ganyu."
Indeed, Ei knew this half-adeptus.
Back when she and Makoto visited Liyue, they had met her, and Ganyu had been close with Yae Miko besides.
So of course she remembered.
"Honored Shogun, and sir… please come with me.
Lady Ningguang awaits you in the Jade Chamber."
Ganyu's position in Liyue Harbor was high.
With her leading the way, no one dared stop them.
Their path was clear.
But along the way, Ganyu wore an expression of hesitation— wanting to speak, then holding back, again and again, until she seemed to forget what she meant to say.
"If you want to ask, then ask.
As a caring big brother, I'm always happy to ease the worries of a beautiful young lady."
Her shifting expressions were amusing enough, but if she bottled it up, she might make herself sick.
"I…"
Ganyu looked conflicted.
Age didn't matter much to her, but she still felt she had no reason to call Su Ran "big brother."
Nor did she see herself as a "young lady," having lived for over a thousand years.
"This gentleman… do you know why the Archon did not appear today?"
That was what Ningguang wanted to know too.
She suspected it had everything to do with the Shogun and this man.
~~--------------------------------------
To read 30+ future chapters head over to patreon:
patreon.com/YonkoSlayer