41: The Meeting at Yuehai Pavilion

Yuehai Pavilion, the administrative nerve center of Liyue, stood as a branch of the Qixing's operations, closely tied to the General Affairs Office. Normally, Ningguang seldom visited it in person—documents that required her review would first be filtered and categorized by the Pavilion, then handed off to Baiwen, Baixiao, and Baishi, who would deliver them to the Jade Chamber.

So when Ningguang appeared at Yuehai Pavilion's entrance, she startled Huixin, the secretary on duty.

"Lady Ningguang! What a rare visit. What brings you here today?" Huixin greeted her at once, her tone full of respect. Coming from a distinguished family herself, Huixin understood just how dangerous this woman could be—sharp, meticulous, and unrelenting. She dared not slack even a little.

Ningguang smiled faintly. "Huixin. It's been a while. I'm not here to conduct an inspection. I'm simply here to see Ganyu."

Though she was curious, Huixin didn't pry. She merely turned and led Ningguang through the Pavilion's doors and toward Ganyu's office.

As they walked, Ningguang made casual conversation. "I heard Uncle Tian's been ill. Has he recovered?"

Uncle Tian, or TianShu, was the current holder of the TianShu Star title among the Liyue Qixing—retired, but still influential. Since passing his leadership position to Ningguang, he had embraced the peaceful life: fishing, sipping tea, and enjoying operas like any regular elderly man.

"Thank you for your concern, Lady Ningguang. My father has made a full recovery, thanks to Doctor Baizhu's treatment," Huixin replied politely.

Indeed—besides her secretary role, Huixin was TianShu's daughter. An insider to Liyue's bureaucracy, a true official-born second generation.

The two arrived at Ganyu's office.

"I'll take my leave, Lady Ningguang." With a respectful nod, Huixin exited, leaving Ningguang to approach the quietly working Ganyu.

Hearing footsteps, Ganyu didn't even look up. "Just leave the documents on the desk. I'll get to them shortly." She'd clearly mistaken Ningguang for another Yuehai Pavilion staffer.

Seeing Ganyu so buried in paperwork, Ningguang sighed and rubbed her forehead. She made a mental note to address Yuehai Pavilion's excessive workload. But she knew well that Liyue was massive, and its bureaucratic needs wouldn't lessen just because someone wished it so. It was a fleeting ideal, one she dismissed as quickly as it had come.

Eventually, realizing no response was forthcoming, Ganyu looked up—and froze.

"Lady Ningguang?! I… I apologize, I didn't realize… Is there something you need?"

Ningguang had long grown used to this kind of respectful treatment from Ganyu. Back when she first became a member of the Qixing, she had been uncomfortable with how Ganyu—her senior in both age and experience—treated her with such deference. But other Qixing had told her that Ganyu was simply like that: respectful to all, focused entirely on her duties, never overstepping boundaries. That very attitude was what allowed her to serve as a crucial link between mortals and Adepti. So long as Ganyu remained in Yuehai Pavilion, communication between Liyue's mortal leadership and its divine protectors was guaranteed.

Even if, thanks to Rex Lapis's presence, such a "link" was rarely needed.

Ganyu led Ningguang into a small guest room. After brewing tea and serving it herself, Ganyu finally sat and asked, "Did Lady Ningguang come because of work?"

Ningguang took a sip of the tea and asked instead, "Ganyu, did you stay up late again last night?"

Ganyu blushed. "Yes… Lately, there've been many staffing changes. People have been reassigned from their usual posts, and the new ones aren't yet familiar with the workflow. It's led to a lot of backlog… I'm sure things will ease up once they've adapted."

Ningguang nodded. She already knew about the staffing reshuffles; that part checked out. But she also knew that Ganyu, like Keqing, had a terrible habit of overworking herself. In Ningguang's opinion, this was absolutely unacceptable. A government worker collapsing from exhaustion would be far more damaging to operations than a couple of unfinished memos.

"As a matter of fact," Ningguang said after another sip of tea, "I had a dream last night. The kind that only comes from one person."

The moment she said it, Ganyu's eyes lit up. "You mean… the Lord of Geo?"

Ningguang was not surprised. Practically every Liyue citizen adored the Geo Archon—except, perhaps, Zhongli himself.

"I received a directive," she continued. "A distinguished guest is arriving in Liyue soon, and the Lord wishes for you to personally receive them. I don't know why you were chosen, but those were the exact instructions. Do you have any guesses as to the guest's identity?"

Ganyu furrowed her brows. "A distinguished guest…? If I recall, many years ago, before Inazuma closed its borders, I received the White-Furred Fox Lord from their side. Her name was Lady Kitsune Saiguu."

Her voice softened with memory. "She was beautiful… silver hair, fox ears… It's been so long. I thought after what happened in Inazuma, I'd never receive another foreign envoy."

Ningguang's ears perked at that. "What happened?"

"It's not entirely clear," Ganyu replied. "Lady Saiguu fell in the disaster that struck Inazuma five hundred years ago. Since then, they've isolated themselves. I suspect something serious happened."

Ningguang's brows lifted slightly. That five hundred years ago stood out—events from that era were often shrouded in taboo. Ganyu herself had lived through those times, making her a rare firsthand source.

"Could it be… that this guest is also from Inazuma?" Ningguang speculated.

Ganyu hesitated. "It's possible. But I haven't heard any news of them lifting the Sakoku Decree. Why would they send someone here now?"

Ningguang knew this line of questioning wouldn't get far. "We'll find out soon enough. For now, I'll assign others to your duties. Please focus on preparations for the visit."

She set her cup down and stood.

Ganyu followed, bowing her head slightly. "Understood."

Their conversation was brief—but decisive. With only a few exchanged words, three people's fates were sealed. None of them—currently still relaxing in the Jade Chamber—had any idea what they were about to face.

Beyond Liyue's shore, aboard the Crux Fleet

The Alcor, flagship of the Crux Fleet, sailed steadily toward Liyue Harbor. Standing at its prow was a pink-haired woman in a pristine shrine maiden outfit, enjoying the sea breeze.

Yae Miko.

She hadn't disguised herself at all—this time, she traveled under her own name.

Beside her, Beidou leaned against the railing, sipping wine from a gourd.

"I still can't believe it," Beidou said, flipping through a light novel. "That woman actually writes books?"

The book in her hand was one of Saphir's. Though Beidou wasn't fond of reading, the author's name had piqued her curiosity. Before she knew it, she was drawn in—even if the Inazuman text made it slow going.

Yae Miko chuckled behind a fan. "Interested in importing some to Liyue? You could make a fortune."

Beidou considered it, then shook her head. "The Crux mostly ships necessities. Our space is limited. A few copies for fun is fine, but bulk orders are heavy, hard to store, and they take up too much weight."

She had a point. Yae nodded without pressing.

"But I could put a few on display at Wanwen Bookhouse," Beidou added. "Maybe you could release a Liyue-translation edition?"

That suggestion surprised Yae—not because of what Beidou said, but because of the logic behind it.

Bring over a few books as samples, test the foreign market, and if they sell well, invest in local language editions. If they flop—no harm done. A textbook soft-launch strategy.

"You're sharper than you look, Captain Beidou," Yae teased with a smirk.

Beidou waved it off. "Learned it from a certain woman. She's the real deal when it comes to business. I'm just a sailor—I don't mess with all the scheming. Unlike some people in the merchant world. Hearts blacker than abyssal slimes."

Yae Miko laughed quietly behind her fan.

"Black-hearted merchants, hmm? You must mean the Tianquan herself—Ningguang."

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