On the main street of Liyue Harbor,
Keqing, acting as the guide, walked ahead of the three adepti, leading them toward the Northland Bank. However, her current state seemed slightly fatigued.
At the request of the adepti, Keqing had been explaining the Fatui's activities non-stop throughout the journey, leaving her parched and unwilling to speak further.
The adepti, including Mountain Shaper, noticed Keqing's condition and didn't press her to continue. From what she had already shared, they had enough information to form a general judgment.
According to Keqing, the Northland Bank was currently overseen by a Harbinger named Tartaglia, who held the lowest rank among the Harbingers. While they weren't sure of the exact strength of the Harbingers, being the "bottom of the pack" likely meant he was no match for them.
"Keqing, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. We are all subordinates of the Geo Archon, so speak freely," Mountain Shaper, now in the form of a middle-aged man, addressed Keqing. He had noticed her subtle movements since entering Liyue Harbor.
From the moment they entered the city, Keqing would occasionally glance at them, seemingly unintentionally, and appeared hesitant to speak. Although Mountain Shaper sensed no malice, being constantly watched, even by an adeptus, felt intrusive and uncomfortable.
"Huh?" Keqing was taken aback. Were her actions that obvious? She hadn't noticed at all.
But now that she had been called out, Keqing couldn't continue pretending. Coincidentally, she had something she wanted to ask the adepti.
"My apologies for the presumption, honored adepti. This junior does have a question I would like to ask."
"What is it?" Mountain Shaper was intrigued. Keqing had been hesitating for so long, just to ask a single question?
Keqing took a deep breath, clasped her hands, and asked with determination, "It's about my master. Do any of you know where Fan has gone?" Keqing's tone was humble, but her heart ached. Her master had promised to return after a year, but now, with such a major event in Liyue, he was nowhere to be seen. He hadn't even come to check on his disciple.
"Fan? You mean Yun Fan?" Mountain Shaper was momentarily stunned before understanding. So, the "Fan" Keqing was referring to was Yun Fan. That meant the golden-haired Traveler who had delivered the message was likely looking for him as well.
"Ahem, Mountain Shaper," Moon Carver coughed lightly. He remembered that Yun Fan had always worn a mask in front of Keqing, clearly not wanting to reveal his true identity. Yet, Mountain Shaper had just blurted out his real name.
"So, my master's real name is Yun Fan?" Keqing's voice, filled with surprise, reached Mountain Shaper's ears. Only then did he realize he might have misspoken. Would Yun Fan pluck his feathers and roast him over a fire for this?
"Honored adepti, could you tell me where my master has gone?" Keqing pressed, having gained useful information.
"Unfortunately, we haven't seen him for a full year either," Mountain Shaper shook his head, indicating that they, too, had lost contact with Yun Fan.
"Is that so? Thank you, honored adepti..." Keqing's voice trailed off, her amethyst eyes dimming with disappointment. But she wasn't ready to give up. "Could you at least tell me my master's adeptus title?"
Keqing suddenly felt a pang of sadness. She had trained under Yun Fan for so long, yet she didn't even know his full name or adeptus title. Had she been apprenticed to a fake master?
"This..." Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver exchanged hesitant glances, unsure how to proceed. They turned to Cloud Retainer, as she was the closest to Yun Fan among them.
"Hmph, what's the harm in telling her?" Cloud Retainer snorted. Yun Fan had left Shenhe for so long, gallivanting on his own. Why should he live comfortably?
"Keqing, your master doesn't have an adeptus title because he isn't part of the adepti lineage."
"Not an adeptus?" Keqing was momentarily confused, but before she could process this, Cloud Retainer's voice rang out again.
"He is of the same rank as the Geo Archon. He is the Divine Sovereign you have never seen."
"Is Yun Fan the Divine Sovereign?" After escorting the three adepti near the Northland Bank, Keqing, unable to stay, took her leave. On her way back, she still couldn't believe it. Her seemingly ordinary master had transformed into the Divine Sovereign. Did that make her the Divine Sovereign's top disciple?
But why had he hidden this from her? This was something Keqing couldn't understand.
"My master's real name is Yun Fan. Perhaps I can investigate this lead..."
"Those are Mountain Shaper and the others' auras. This direction... the Northland Bank?" Zhongli raised an eyebrow. This wasn't part of his original plan. He hadn't expected the adepti to bypass pressuring the Qixing and go straight for the Fatui. This could be problematic.
"Well, let's hope Tartaglia can hold his ground," Zhongli mused, sipping his tea. He believed in Tartaglia's strength—the man wasn't easy to kill. But just to be safe, he'd keep an eye on the situation. If things went south, who would help him test the Qixing?
Meanwhile, in Sumeru...
Within a green, restraining barrier, the Dendro Archon, Lesser Lord Kusanali, who had been keeping her physical body asleep while her consciousness roamed Sumeru, slowly awakened.
Nahida opened her eyes, a symbol of wisdom glowing in her light green pupils. The divine power within her small body began to stir and flow. Then, she softly spoke, "In the name of the God of Wisdom, Buer, all restraints are void—break!"
Boom!
As Nahida's divine words echoed, the entire Sanctuary of Surasthana trembled violently. Darkness and light intertwined, and the green orb that had imprisoned her shattered like glass.
"What's going on?" Azar, who had been reviewing documents in the Akademiya, was startled by the sudden disturbance. His quill fell onto the desk, and the papers he had just finished reviewing scattered across the floor.
"Guards!" Azar shouted. Soon, a soldier rushed in.
"Grand Sage," the guard greeted respectfully.
"What's happening outside? Why is there such a commotion?" Azar frowned, a sense of unease creeping into his heart.
"I... I don't know," the guard stammered. The tremor had come out of nowhere, and he had no explanation.
"Useless! Get out!" Azar barked. After the guard left, he connected to the Akasha Terminal to investigate the cause.
"What is this?!" When Azar saw the scene in the Sanctuary of Surasthana, his face filled with shock and a hint of fear.