"Um… th-this guest… are you serious?"
The shopkeeper's gaze toward Rhodeia grew visibly uneasy. The destinations she had just listed were hardly minor factions.
The Jade Chamber.
Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Northland Bank.
Rhodeia nodded. She had originally wanted to swear by the Hydro Archon, but after a moment's thought, she remembered this was the land of the Geo Archon and changed her wording instead.
"By the Geo Archon, just send it. There won't be any problems."
"A-Alright."
The shopkeeper nodded quickly and hastily handed her a bottle of coconut milk. Watching her leave with it in hand, he filled out the receipt, hesitating over where the delivery should actually go.
The Jade Chamber was crossed out immediately. As for the Northland Bank…
Forget it. Better to send it to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and look for that legendary Guest Consultant, Zhongli.
Holding the coconut milk, Rhodeia asked for directions all the way to Wanmin Restaurant.
By the time she arrived, Lora and Qiqi were already seated. When Lora spotted Rhodeia, she waved her over.
"Over here, Rhodeia."
Rhodeia walked over, set the coconut milk in front of Qiqi, and only then sat down herself.
Xiangling wasn't at Wanmin Restaurant today, so Lora didn't order her signature Black-Back Perch Stew. Instead, she chose dishes with pleasant textures and flavors. Qiqi couldn't actually taste them, but she could sense that this was one of the few things Lora was able to do for her right now.
Once the dishes were served, Lora did as she always did, describing the flavor of each dish to Qiqi in turn.
Qiqi listened attentively.
After the meal, Lora still asked Rhodeia to escort Qiqi back to Bubu Pharmacy.
Rhodeia tilted her head in confusion.
"Why do I have to send her back again? Isn't she an Adeptus? The Adepti of Liyue should be really powerful. She couldn't have forgotten the way home, right?"
"But Qiqi is a child—much younger than you," Lora said with a smile, gently coaxing her. "Go on, stop complaining. I'll reward you when you get back."
She understood Rhodeia perfectly. It was nothing more than a bit of jealousy over Qiqi.
When one's follower is too fond of them, that can be troublesome too.
The moment she heard there would be a reward, Rhodeia immediately perked up. She nodded firmly.
"Don't worry, my lady. I'll make sure to escort Qiqi back properly! I won't let anything happen to her on the way."
"Alright. What could possibly go wrong in Liyue Harbor? Go on, and come back soon," Lora said with a smile.
After Rhodeia left with Qiqi, Lora headed toward Yujing Terrace.
It didn't take long before she arrived and spotted a white-haired old woman standing there. Of course, with Lora's keen perception, she could see through the disguise and discern the woman's true form at a glance.
Lora walked over, sat down across from her, and greeted her casually.
"Streetward Rambler, you had Yanfei go all the way to Bubu Pharmacy to find Qiqi and ask her to contact me. Why go through all that trouble instead of coming to see me yourself?"
"The title 'Streetward Rambler' doesn't really belong in Liyue Harbor," the old woman replied. "Here, people call me Madame Ping. As for you, Adeptus of Purifying Water and Judgment—just call me Ping'er."
Ping'er had already learned from Cloud Retainer that Lora's true identity was that of a god, so she naturally wouldn't allow Lora to address her as "Madame Ping."
That would really shorten her lifespan.
If that little girl from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor ever found out, she'd laugh herself silly.
"Then don't call me the Adeptus of Purifying Water and Judgment either," Lora said with a smile. "Otherwise you'll draw too much attention."
"Then may I call you Purifying Water?" Ping'er asked, seeking her consent.
Purifying Water?
A water purifier?
For some reason, Lora suddenly felt her name sounded a bit like one. She nodded.
"That works. No problem."
"Purifying Water, do you like tea?" Ping'er asked as Lora settled in. "I know you're from Fontaine. Their tea should be rather different from ours in Liyue. I wonder if you're used to it."
"That's fine," Lora replied. "I mainly savor the water itself."
Ping'er personally poured her a cup of tea before sitting down again.
"Then… where should I begin…"
"When news of Rex Lapis's assassination reached me, I was indeed furious at first. But perhaps after staying in Liyue Harbor for so long, I've grown more thorough in how I think. Once that initial anger passed, I realized there was no eruption of demonic god residue—which meant the Rex Lapis had not truly fallen."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"I quickly understood that this might have been his own deliberate act. His goal, I believe, was to allow Liyue to completely step out of the age of gods…"
Lora nodded slightly.
"Mm. You guessed correctly. Cloud Retainer isn't as sharp as you are."
"Hahaha—don't let her hear you say that, or she'll pester you endlessly," Ping'er laughed heartily.
After she finished laughing, she continued.
"From that day on, I paid close attention to every change in Liyue Harbor. Naturally, the changes in the sea did not escape my notice either. In the depths of the ocean, something terrifying was brewing—destruction itself."
"A terrifying destruction…" Lora echoed softly.
"It's… the Overlord of the Vortex, Osial, isn't it?" Ping'er asked, looking straight at her.
Lora nodded.
"Yes."
"Back then, the Rex Lapis sealed it in the outer seas of Liyue. Ever since, it has harbored boundless hatred toward Liyue. Its revival this time will likely bring an unimaginably terrible disaster."
Ping'er's voice slowed, growing heavier.
"Liyue now stands on the brink of turmoil. I don't know your origins, but since you are on good terms with Rex Lapis, could you lend us your strength and help protect Liyue?"
She looked at Lora steadily, waiting for her answer.
"You can rest assured," Lora replied. "I made an agreement with Zhong— with Morax. In this matter, I will stand guard over Liyue on his behalf, and he will assist me in the future. It's simply a mutual exchange, so there's no need for concern."
Ping'er rose from her seat and bowed solemnly.
"Then I offer my thanks."
Lora was different from Zhongli. Zhongli himself was Liyue's god, and although his relationship with the Adepti was one of deity and followers, his gentle nature meant that even after learning his true identity, Ping'er and the others could still interact with him as old friends on equal footing.
But Lora was an outsider god, and proper etiquette could not be neglected.
Moreover, judging from everything Lora had shown so far, her identity was very likely that of Fontaine's "Hydro Archon," the God of Water herself. That status made her even more exalted than an ordinary deity.
Lora accepted Ping'er's bow. By either seniority or age, she was above Ping'er anyway.
Sigh… sometimes, old things really were quite interesting.
Just as Lora was sipping her tea, familiar voices reached her ears from behind. She turned her head and saw Lumine and Paimon walking toward her.