The monsters outside Mondstadt were growing in number and ferocity. They weren't the sort the current Knights of Favonius could handle alone — that much was painfully obvious. If the situation were to be resolved, the city needed something greater: the Anemo Archon, Barbatos, to take action.
Eula listened as Kael spoke. She remembered Venti — the carefree bard who wandered Mondstadt — and how he had once shown her small kindnesses. Could that same frivolous bard really be Barbatos in disguise? The idea was ridiculous and yet the thought wouldn't leave her. If Barbatos were truly involved, he could be the key to turning the tide.
"You've already worked it out, haven't you?" Kael teased, seeing the thought cross her face. "It's the best option we have. The corruption on Dvalin has to be lifted — without the Anemo Archon's power, dealing with it will be nearly impossible."
Eula said nothing for a beat. If Kael was right, it was the best chance they had. Barbatos' involvement would change everything, and if the Archon acted, the Abyss Order's scheme could be stopped before it spread.
"I need to speak with Jean," Eula said finally. "And then I'll trace Schubert and his associates. If they really colluded with the Abyss Order…" Her voice hardened. "They won't get away with it."
"Don't expose yourself recklessly," Kael warned. "If you're discovered too early, the plan collapses and saving Mondstadt becomes far harder."
"I understand." Eula's voice was steady. She did not reject the notion of uprooting the traitors in her family; many of their actions were unforgivable. Her only worry was innocent relatives getting caught in the crossfire. The Lawrence family still numbered among Mondstadt's old houses; if the matter became public, it could drag the entire clan down.
Barbara had listened in silence. She couldn't grasp all the political nuance, but she felt the weight of the discussion. Eula had done so much for Mondstadt and yet still carried the burden of her family's past. Barbara trusted Kael. He had stood up for people; she believed he was sincere.
—Meanwhile in Liyue, a major meeting was underway.
The Liyue Qixing had been convened by Ningguang and Keqing and was chaired by Secretary Ganyu. Documents, photographs and financial records had been laid out — damning evidence directly implicating two members of the Qixing: Tianxuan and Tianji.
Tianxuan stared at the spread of papers with a face gone pale. "This is slander. Why would I collude with the Fatui at Northland Bank to suppress our own merchants?" he barked.
Ningguang's expression was cold as she answered, "Are the photographs fake? The bank records forged? I, Ningguang — Tianquan of the Qixing — swear before Rex Lapis that these documents are authentic. Can you swear the same?"
Tianxuan faltered. To swear before Rex Lapis was no small thing. Even if you had hidden your deeds from the public, swearing to the Geo Archon was effectively suicide if you lied.
Keqing stepped forward. "A traitor within the Qixing — I never imagined it. Each of us is supposed to work for Liyue's prosperity under the Archon's watch. Yet you ally with foreign powers and betray our people while wearing authority bestowed by Rex Lapis. It's shameful."
Tianji said nothing at first; he examined the records in silence before finally exhaling. "How did you get access to Northland Bank's transactions? They aren't that careless."
Ningguang smiled thinly. "Some people were willing to cooperate." That was all she would say — and it was enough. The evidence would force the Fatui into a corner.
Tianxuan's face drained of color. He and Tianji had thought Ningguang was simply removing rivals. They hadn't expected the full, public weight of Liyue's institutions to come down on them. Now they feared that not only their positions, but their families would be investigated.
"Secretary Ganyu," Ningguang said, "as Tianquan, I request that Tianxuan and Tianji be stripped of their positions and that their households be thoroughly investigated."
Ganyu nodded solemnly. "Understood."
This hearing would be sent to Rex Lapis for the final verdict, but for the Qixing to act so decisively in public was already an earthquake.
Tianxuan and Tianji panicked. "What will you do to our families?" they demanded.
"You're asking mercy after this?" Tianxuan snarled as he tried to bargain. "You don't know what our ancestors did—"
Ningguang's eyes were steel. "I have no family. The people of Liyue are my family. Anyone who harms them becomes my enemy."
A low murmur rippled through the chamber — and then a deep, resonant voice cut the air.
A massive presence entered the hall. Even veiled, the figure carried an authority that silenced the room.
Zhongli had arrived.
Everyone rose. Even the Qixing's rituals and debates paused in deference. Those present bowed and murmured the formal greeting: "Emperor," — a courtesy to Rex Lapis himself.
Tianxuan and Tianji shrank back; the gravity of the situation hit them like a physical weight. Their palms were clammy. They had expected political theater, not the Geo Archon's personal judgment.
Zhongli's voice was calm but final. "Tianxuan and Tianji are hereby dismissed for treason. Their families will be subject to a thorough investigation. No direct descendant may hold public office for five generations. Announce this immediately."
The Qixing members listened in stunned silence as Zhongli's verdict fell like a gavel. Even those who expected lesser punishment were taken aback by the severity. Five generations barred from official posts — that was not merely removal; it was social death.
"Tianxuan, you fought with my people 2,500 years ago!" Tianxuan pleaded. "Have mercy for old alliances!"
Zhongli's eyes hardened. "If those ancestors saw their descendants now, they would pray for childlessness rather than bear the shame of it."
The chamber was hushed, the finality absolute. Ningguang and Keqing exchanged looks — both satisfaction and sorrow lingering in their expressions. Ganyu had delivered the motion to Rex Lapis, and now the Archon had spoken.
Outside the hall, whispers spread like wildfire. The Qixing's internal purge would send shockwaves through Liyue's merchant houses. Tartaglia (Childe) and the Fatui would be forced into damage control. If the Fatui had agents tied to local institutions, the political fallout could be enormous.
Back in Mondstadt, Kael read the feed on his device. The Liyue purge meant the Fatui would have to cover their tracks — and damage control often meant reckless moves elsewhere. The timing mattered: Stormterror was looming. Schubert's plan in Mondstadt could be accelerated if the Fatui felt cornered.
Kael closed the device and looked up. "This changes the game," he murmured. "If Liyue tightens its grip on Fatui collaborators, the Harbingers will respond — and not always cleanly. We need to keep pressure on Schubert and the Abyss Lector's plans. If the teleport gate opens during Stormterror's assault, Mondstadt will be in mortal danger."
Eula stepped forward, determination blazing in her eyes. "Then we move fast. Quietly. I'll go home and start rooting out Schubert's contacts. Kael — tell Venti to shadow Schubert. We can cut the scheme down before it starts."
"Agreed." Kael's reply was curt and certain. "Gather only people you can trust. If the clan turns on you publicly, they will brand you a traitor. Work in the shadows, then strike precisely."
Eula nodded. "I will not let the family burn the city for some lost pride. If any Lawrence is a traitor to Mondstadt, they will answer to me."
Kael allowed himself a small, approving smile. The coming days would be dangerous. Lies would unravel, loyalties would be tested, and the true measure of leadership would show itself.
Outside, the wind moved as if in sympathy; Stormterror's name hung like a threat on the horizon. Time was tightening. Plans had to be made now — before the darkness arrived.
For more advanced chapters visit patreon
patreon.com/Roninz47