"The Snezhnayan Prince… is indeed a very captivating man," Ningguang said slowly, lost in thought.
"He's eloquent, extraordinarily learned. I've met countless men in my life, yet he's the only one I can neither see through nor predict."
Yelan chuckled.
"Since even you think he's reliable, what do you say I ask him to help introduce me to a man from Snezhnaya?"
Ningguang turned to look at her.
So Yelan's object of affection wasn't the Snezhnayan Prince after all.
"Why Snezhnaya?" Ningguang asked, puzzled.
"Have you taken a liking to one of the Harbingers under his command?"
That made even less sense to her.
"I want to stand with Snezhnaya against the Heavenly Principles," Yelan replied calmly.
"Marrying into Snezhnaya is the only way to obtain its nationality."
"You've never been someone who acts without certainty," Ningguang said gravely.
"What exactly made you think this way? When you infiltrated Snezhnaya for intelligence last time—did you discover something?"
"If I must call it a secret," Yelan answered after a pause,
"then it's this: I believe that the Snezhnayan Prince truly has the ability to lead Snezhnaya in defying the Heavenly Principles. I trust him. Completely."
"Yelan, do you know why I never allowed myself to be moved by him?"
Ningguang sighed softly and suddenly asked.
"You can't let go of your pride," Yelan replied.
In her view, Ningguang was simply shackled by her identity as the Tianquan.
"If only it were that simple…" Ningguang shook her head.
"The first time I met him at the Jade Chamber, the feeling he gave me was the same as when Rex Lapis stands before me—"
"Vast. Profound. His elemental power surging like an endless sea… like a slumbering dragon."
"From that moment on, I realized that he and the Geo Archon both exist on a level far beyond us."
"Something we can look at—but never touch."
Many people—especially women—envied Ningguang.
After all, she was the only woman who had ever truly stood close to Rex Lapis.
The Geo Archon was mysterious and majestic, a dream figure in the hearts of countless women.
Yet only Ningguang understood the bitterness behind it.
The closer she stood to him, the clearer she saw the insurmountable chasm between them.
And the Snezhnayan Prince gave her that same feeling.
These two men were too perfect—so unreal they felt like dreams.
Untouchable.
Unreachable.
Impossible to pursue.
As a woman herself, Yelan understood Ningguang's feelings immediately.
"To be honest," Yelan said with a grin,
"I have another reason for wanting to marry into Snezhnaya—one that was a bit embarrassing to say earlier."
"I want to see what kind of woman will one day earn the Snezhnayan Prince's favor. Ningguang… you're curious too, aren't you?"
"You," Ningguang said helplessly, lifting her pipe,
"never take anything seriously."
She exhaled a cloud of smoke.
But her reaction was, in itself, an unspoken admission.
"Why so stiff? There's no one else here," Yelan teased, looping her arm through Ningguang's.
Their relationship had long surpassed that of mere partners—they were closer to confidantes.
"Yelan," Ningguang said after a moment,
"I've heard that your family received instructions from your ancestor, Boyang, and deposited all their assets into the Northland Bank."
"Is he… truly still alive?"
Ningguang remained skeptical.
Boyang had been a legendary mystic five hundred years ago, one who fought alongside the Yakshas.
The existence of a lingering remnant of consciousness wasn't impossible.
But why did it appear now, during the Snezhnayan Prince's visit?
And why instruct Yelan to deposit assets specifically into Northland Bank?
Something about it felt wrong.
"You think I was deceived?" Yelan asked quietly.
Had anyone else questioned it, she would have dismissed them outright.
But Ningguang's insight was razor-sharp. If even she sensed an issue, caution was warranted.
Yet the Fortune Die—and the unmistakable voice from the bangle—were proof enough that Boyang had manifested.
"I suspect you were… used by the Snezhnayan Prince," Ningguang said frankly.
"Try contacting your ancestor again. I'll listen and help you judge."
"If it truly is Senior Boyang, then perhaps ask him what he thinks of your intention to marry."
"…All right."
Yelan immediately took out the jade bangle and attempted to establish contact.
But no matter how many times she tried, there was no response.
She could only attribute it to her ancestor's poor condition.
The two agreed to try again another time.
That night, just as Yelan was about to fall asleep, the voice from the bangle returned.
"All these years… I have been watching your growth."
Boyang's voice sounded ancient—and exhausted.
"Ancestor!" Yelan said reverently.
"Years ago, you were full of ambition and chose to cooperate with Ningguang. She provided resources; you gathered intelligence. It was a perfect arrangement."
"At that time, you still had comrades who followed you into life and death."
"But as your missions increased, those comrades fell one by one."
"Until the last of them collapsed in a pool of blood—only then did you realize how dangerous the work of an intelligence officer truly was."
"From that day on, you stopped recruiting partners and chose to carry out missions alone."
Yelan was stunned.
Aside from Ningguang, no one in Liyue knew this about her.
If so—
This truly could be her ancestor.
Only Boyang would have the ability to observe her life so closely.
Perhaps he had even heard her conversation with Ningguang earlier that day, and appeared now to guide her thoughts.
"Ancestor," Yelan said softly,
"to uncover the truth behind your death, any sacrifice is worth it—even my own life."
"My fall," Boyang replied,
"was caused by the invasion of Abyssal darkness. Rex Lapis has already avenged me—those monsters were all slain."
"I died without regret."
"As my descendant, you must find a new direction in life—something worth striving for."
"Not marriage.
Not career."
"But a path that guides your soul forward."
His voice weakened again.
Yelan hurriedly asked, "What does it mean—to guide the soul forward?"
"Heroic blood flows within you. You must inherit the will of your ancestors."
"When darkness descends again, when the horn of war is sounded, it will be your duty—one you cannot refuse—to charge at the enemy."
"You are the descendant of heroes… and will become a hero for those who come after."
"Refusing mediocrity—that is your path forward."
At that instant, the words pierced straight into Yelan's soul.
Her confusion vanished.
Her gaze hardened with resolve.
"Ancestor," she asked at last,
"may I inherit your mystic arts and secret techniques?"
"There is no time… My remaining spirit is about to dissipate…"
The bangle fell silent.
The connection was severed.
Yet a sly glint appeared in Yelan's eyes.
After Ningguang's reminder earlier that day, she had deliberately asked about the mystic techniques as a test.
According to her family records, the mystic inheritance was extremely simple—only a short incantation.
If this were truly Boyang, he would have passed it on immediately.
Claiming that there was "no time" was a lie.
Which meant—
This was not Boyang.
"Ningguang's intuition was right," Yelan murmured.
"The one behind all of this… is the Snezhnayan Prince."
She took out the Fortune Die.
The moment she spoke those words—
The die dissolved into a streak of light and vanished.
"So I really was outplayed by you."
Yelan smiled bitterly.
She slipped the jade bangle onto her wrist and walked to the window, gazing out over Liyue's magnificent mountains and rivers.
"Still… I thank you, Prince."
"Even if Ancestor Boyang were truly alive, he would probably have said the same words to awaken me."
"I am the descendant of heroes—
and I will become a hero for those who come after."
"This… is the path I will walk."
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