Chapter 6

The Jade Chamber.

This is a floating palace powered by buoyant stones.

It is also the private residence of Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing.

On clear days, standing on the deck outside the palace gates, one can overlook most of Liyue Harbor.

Both its resplendent exterior and its commanding height above Liyue Harbor unmistakably declare Ningguang's position as the foremost merchant in the harbor.

Initially, it was only the size of a room, but now it can obscure the true silver moon in Liyue's sky.

A significant portion of the vast wealth Ningguang has amassed has been spent on inviting top craftsmen to continuously expand the Jade Chamber, making it increasingly grand and luxurious.

In Ningguang's eyes, the Jade Chamber symbolizes her authority and determination, a sign of her thriving business.

Normally, this place is off-limits to outsiders, but today... a special guest has arrived.

"Weren't you heading to Inazuma? Why are you back?"

Looking at Beidou, who was carrying the Blackcliff Slasher in one hand and a wooden box in the other, Ningguang inquired.

The fact that Beidou could bring these items onto the Jade Chamber spoke volumes about her relationship with Ningguang.

"Something came up on the way. I thought it was necessary to come back and inform you."

Helping herself to the tea on the table, Beidou drank it in one gulp and replied.

After finishing, she frowned slightly.

Compared to alcohol, this stuff really was hard to swallow.

"The Fatui?"

Leaning against the railing, Ningguang gazed at Liyue Harbor under the night sky and asked softly.

"Huh? How did you know?"

Beidou paused mid-spit of tea leaves, looking surprised.

She had planned to tease Ningguang a bit, but the other woman had guessed it right away.

"How important the situation with the Inazuma resistance is, we both know. The only thing that could make you turn back midway would be the Fatui, right?"

Ningguang chuckled as she spoke.

Beidou's trip to Inazuma was less about aiding the resistance and more about investigating the Fatui's activities there.

It seemed the information she brought back was more valuable than anything from Inazuma itself.

"The Fatui have a new Twelfth Harbinger. Have you heard?"

"Of course. I put as much effort into gathering intelligence as you do."

While the Fatui of Snezhnaya have been infiltrating other nations under various pretexts, the other six nations have also planted their own spies in Snezhnaya.

Just an hour after the Fatui announced the appointment of the Twelfth Harbinger, Ningguang had received the news.

So far, all she knew was that the new Harbinger was the instructor of the Pyro Agents, but she had no information on his appearance or strength.

"But did you know... he used to be from Liyue?"

When Beidou said this, she lowered her voice.

Her words, however, surprised Ningguang.

"From Liyue?"

"Exactly. From his accent, he's from the southern part of Lisha. Not only does he speak Liyue dialect, but he also has acquaintances here. This is what he asked me to bring back."

Beidou gently pushed the wooden box at her feet forward.

Although her crew had already checked the box of coconut milk and found nothing suspicious, out of caution, she decided to let Ningguang inspect it as well, just in case something went wrong after delivering it to Qiqi.

"This is... coconut milk?"

Ningguang picked up a bottle of the milk product and sniffed it.

Although she rarely drank this stuff, due to a certain unique presence in Liyue Harbor, she was quite familiar with this distinctive beverage.

"He knows Qiqi?"

This was the first time today that Ningguang frowned.

On the surface, Qiqi was just a herb-gathering apprentice at Bubu Pharmacy, but in reality, she was also a fungal being with an immortal body, known for her healing abilities.

But from what Ningguang knew of Qiqi, the girl didn't seem to know anyone from Liyue who was now in Snezhnaya, right?

Wait... as an immortal, Qiqi was much older than Ningguang.

It wasn't unusual for her to know people Ningguang wasn't aware of.

"Did the Instructor say anything else?"

After sealing the box of coconut milk, Ningguang turned to Beidou.

She needed more information to determine the man's identity.

"[This is a gift for Qiqi. When you see her, tell her it's from... Little Bai.] Those were his exact words."

Beidou knew the importance of the matter, so she repeated Bai Luo's words verbatim, especially the crucial name "Little Bai."

"Baizhu?"

Like Beidou, upon hearing the name "Little Bai," Ningguang immediately thought of the owner of Bubu Pharmacy, a man named Baizhu.

Someone who knew Qiqi and had the surname "Bai"... it had to be him, right?

"I haven't heard of Mr. Baizhu having any brothers, but since the other party calls himself 'Little Bai,' there's a good chance he's related to Mr. Baizhu. However..."

Beidou took a sip from the wine flask at her waist and offered another possibility that had been on her mind.

"Is it possible that he just knows about Mr. Baizhu and Qiqi, and deliberately said this to make us suspicious?"

"That's absolutely impossible."

Without hesitation, Ningguang dismissed this idea.

"The fact that Qiqi likes coconut milk is something very few people in Liyue Harbor know. Only those close to her are aware of it. For him to know this... it's almost certain that he truly knew Qiqi at some point."

Little Bai... knows Qiqi... from Lisha...

Wait a minute? Lisha?

"You said he had an accent from Lisha?"

"Yes, specifically the southern part of Lisha. I have someone from there on my ship, so I'm very familiar with the accent. I couldn't have misheard it."

"Could it be him?"

Ningguang's gaze turned toward the direction of Lisha, her delicate brows knitting together once more.

She had once asked Qiqi why she liked this unique-flavored beverage.

At first, she thought Qiqi had been given the drink by some strange person in Liyue Harbor.

But Qiqi's answer had surprised her.

"Friend from Lisha... gave it to me. Cool... tasty."

After learning that Qiqi had a friend in Lisha, Ningguang had even taken the Millelith there to investigate.

Unfortunately, they didn't find the friend Qiqi mentioned, but they did manage to drive off a group of Treasure Hoarders.

Could the friend Qiqi met back then be the self-proclaimed "Little Bai," the Twelfth Harbinger of the Fatui?

"Let's go. We're heading to Bubu Pharmacy."

With a wave of her right hand, Ningguang used Geo energy to form a tray, lifting the box of coconut milk Beidou had placed on the ground.

Rather than speculating here, it was better to go straight to the source and ask Qiqi herself.

Although Qiqi's memory wasn't great, she had a habit of keeping notes. Perhaps in her notebook, they could find some clues about this "Little Bai."

"Are we taking this with us? Shouldn't your people inspect it first?"

Beidou had brought it over mainly because Ningguang had more professional inspectors here.

In her opinion, it would be better to check it before delivering it to Qiqi, especially since it was a gift from a Fatui Harbinger.

"Is there anyone in Liyue Harbor more qualified than Mr. Baizhu?"