"Noctilucous Jade, Silk flowers for perfume, some kites, and Everlasting Incense, correct?"
"Yes. Let us go retrieve the items."
Keqing was working with Zhongli to get the Rite of Parting done. It was exceptionally embarrassing during the beginning, once Keqing knew that Zhongli was Rex Lapis, but Zhongli didn't seem to mind. Keqing decided to visit Shitou first, as she knew he was a very successful seller of Noctilucous Jade.
Once she reached the shop, she was greeted by Shitou.
"Hello again, it is an honor to have you here, Yuheng. Can I interest you in betting on Jade? It really is quite simple. You see-"
"I simply need Noctilucous Jade. Some of the highest quality, please." Without Aether, Keqing slipped back into her old habits of being direct and to the point. She didn't necessarily dislike it, but she still wished he was here. The Lantern Rite was in a couple of weeks, would he be back by then?
"Of course, of course. If I may be so bold, what exactly do you need them for? You don't need to tell me, I'm- I mean, I am just slightly curious as to why you need such high quality Noctilocous Jade."
"It's for the Rite of Parting. We have to send Rex Lapis off in good style. I know I've been extremely critical about him, but he's left me what he loved most. I cannot fail him." She responded.
"Parting…? I've heard rumours, but… So it's true, then?" Shitou's eyes filled with tears. "Rex Lapis is- is dead?"
Keqing nodded mutely, unsmiling. "It is true."
Shitou nodded sadly. "If this Jade is being used to send off our Lord, then I'll give it to you for half price. It's to show my thanks to Rex Lapis."
"Thank you for your generosity," Keqing said, taking the box. "Here is your payment."
Keqing mentally checked it off her list, wondering what came next. Ah, right. Silk Flowers. It was strange, being a young woman, but not using perfume. She only really needed it for special events, but with Aether, it never mattered. He certainly didn't care what she used, so why would she need it on an average day? Maybe she could try some when he came back...
Afterward, she went to see Bolai, the shopkeeper at Wanyou Boutique. There were three specific Silk Flowers she was given the task of purchasing. Golden House Maiden, Valley Weaver, and… Fate's Wanting? No, Yearning. That was it.
"May I have a Golden House Maiden, a Valley Weaver, and a Fate's Yearning? It's for the Rite of Parting."
"Sure, go ahead. Free of charge, no worries." Bolai replied, bowing.
"I couldn't do that!" Keqing said, looking astonished. "You still need to make money, no?"
"Please, it's no trouble. If Rex Lapis hadn't made those poems about my wares, I'd only be able to sell them for a fraction of their worth today. Take them along with my sincerest regrets." Bolai replied.
"Alright, thank you." Keqing said, picking out the three flowers.
As she walked away, she felt a creeping admiration for Rex Lapis, being able to boost the economy by just a few words. Maybe she did have a lot more to learn. How to make perfume? As she walked the streets of Liyue, she heard a faint voice saying, "Don't be shy… Come inside!"
Ah yes. Keqing remembered her. Ying'er, the lady that flirted with every single male that passed in front of her shop. Including Aether. Thankfully, he hadn't paid any mind. However, Ying'er had some of the best perfume, so she went to see her.
"Ah, hello, dear. You look stunning today. Would you like to come inside Scent of Spring? I'm sure you'll find something unforgettable~" Ying'er said, smiling
"I'm here to make perfume. I wasn't sure how to do it, so I came to you." Keqing said, slightly embarrassed. She didn't like admitting that she couldn't do something, but when honoring Rex Lapis, some of her pride had to be shelved.
"Hmm, very well. Although I must confess myself surprised," Ying'er said, eyebrows raised. "You never seem to be the type to wear perfume. Unless you have some… romantic troubles? With a certain golden haired traveler, perhaps?
"N-no, of course not! It's for the Rite of Parting, we need to offer them to Rex Lapis' final spirit," Keqing said, flustered.
"Are you sure? Or maybe there aren't any troubles, and you'd like to spend some… personal time with him together? Hmm?" Ying'er asked, still smiling.
"O- of course not! I- I need them for the Rite of Parting!" Keqing said, blushing furiously.
"Hmm… Are you confident? You seem quite sure of yourself, dear," Ying'er said teasingly.
"Yes, I'm sure! Now, can you help me make these perfumes, please?" Keqing asked, face still red.
"Very well…" Ying'er said, still eyeing Keqing teasingly. "We need a stove. Any place you have in mind?"
"Maybe Wanmin restaurant? They have one." Keqing suggested.
"Let's go, then" Ying'er said.
Half an hour later, the perfumes were ready. Keqing especially liked the first one, the second one was decent, but the third wasn't to her taste. Of course, she had to prevent Ying'er from noticing it, otherwise she'd tease Keqing to no end.
"The first one is as sweet as candy, straight out of a fairy tale… Younger women will love it." Was there a knowing look in her eye? No, that'd be impossible. "The second one is for those with more refined tastes… The first choice for daughters of high society. Finally, the third one has a soft but lingering scent, like a mist that captures the last light of dusk. Mature women adore this one." Ying'er finished.
"Thanks for your help," Keqing said.
"No problem," Ying'er replied. "And if you ever want something to spend some time with your boyfriend, I'm always open~"
"I- I don't-'' Keqing stuttered, blushing furiously. Ying'er chuckled.
"It's fine, I'm only teasing. Although, if you ever do want to, I am always open. It's been great making perfumes with you!" With a cheery wave and still chuckling softly, Ying'er waved goodbye. Ok, so two items down. She needed kites and Everlasting Incense. She visited Granny Shan, Liyue's foremost kite seller. To her surprise, she found Zhongli there already.
Zhongli noticed Keqing. "Ah. You have the Jades and the perfume? Good, good. We'll leave them at Yujing Terrace. That's where we'll be holding the Rite. Let us go to Bubu pharmacy next, to get some Everlasting Incense.
Once they reached Bubu pharmacy, they were greeted by Qiqi, the cute but forgetful little zombie. When they asked for Everlasting Incense, however, Qiqi asked for their prescription. When they said they didn't have it, Qiqi asked them to hunt a cocogoat. The tips she gave were less than helpful, however. "Hunt a cocogoat. Please and thank you. Where it came from - I don't know. What it looks like - I don't know either. I just know it gives very good-tasting milk."
Zhongli suggested that they visit the Guizhong ballista, as it was meant to find and attack large threats to Liyue. Once they reached it, however, they found it broken.
"Any way to fix it?' Keqing asked, looking at the machine.
"If memory serves me correctly, there should be backup materials in the shed. I think I should be able to repair the Ballista."
As Keqing left for the shed, she noticed Zhongli pressing his hand on the Ballista, eyes closed. She didn't know what he was doing, but she went to the shed regardless. There were a couple hilichurls there, but she took care of them quickly. As she came back to the machine, she handed the spare parts to Zhongli. She tried to understand what was happening, but her technological skills weren't very sharp.
Once Zhongli was finished fixing up the Ballista, Keqing looked through the scope to try and find one of those so-called "cocogoats." Instead, she saw nothing. Until a loud and rather rude voice tore her away from the Ballista.
"Hey! Just what do you think you're doing?!" someone yelled.
She looked away from the ballista and looked at the newcomers. According to their jackets, they were treasure hoarders.
"So, you've fixed up this turret… Because you're planning to do what, exactly?!"
Keqing was on the verge of snapping back, when Zhongli came and looked down at the treasure hoarders.
"This is not a turret. It's proper name is the Guizhong Ballista. Also, state your name before asking a question, it is just good manners." he said, looking down at the treasure hoarders in distaste.
The treasure hoarder ignored his comment, and continued his rant.
"This area's supposed to be filled with treasure, but you can't get close to them with this thing keeping watch. It might look like any other mechanical device, but trust me, it's got a mind of its own! Last time we went to the mountain, it nearly skewered one of our guys… A few of us risked our lives to disarm it - which, amazingly, we managed - then we turn our backs for two seconds and you've ALREADY GONE AND REPAIRED IT?! THE NEXT THING YOU'LL BE REPAIRING IS YOUR FACES, AND THAT'S IF YOU GET OUT OF THIS ALIVE!" he yelled.
"How dare you," Zhongli said quietly. Keqing looked at Zhongli in shock. It wasn't the words that shocked her. It was the quiet tone of his voice, the menace in it unmistakeable. He had turned so suddenly from a calm and collected gentleman into an extremely pissed off god. "Vandalizing the work of an adeptus responsible for Liyue Harbor? For SELFISH GAIN?" The last words came out as a roar. Keqing didn't understand. Everyone knew Rex Lapis had created Liyue, so he was the one building the Guizhong Ballista? If so, why was it called Guizhong?
Zhongli's clothes shimmered, and turned into a flowing white cloak, with the diamond symbol of Rex Lapis still on his back. There was a hole in his hood where his ponytail flowed out, and the tip of it glowed a bright rich amber. He only said one phrase, while crossing his arms.
"Order guide you." A tear ripped open the skies, golden clouds blotting out the sun. The treasure hoarders looked up in fear, as a meteor came soaring down from the heavens. It crashed down upon them, and they turned to stone with bright orange cracks. Keqing thought this would be an appropriate punishment, but Zhongli wasn't finished. He thrust out his arms, golden light glowing, and the ground rumbled, throwing the statues into the air. Once they were all in the air, Zhongli, or in this case, Rex Lapis, lashed out with blinding speed, grabbed his polearm, and slashed them all to dust.
After this, Rex Lapis reverted back to Zhongli and walked back over. "Sorry about you needing to witness that. They are terrible people."
Keqing nodded silently, noting to herself never to get onto Zhongli's bad side. She also had a question. "What did you mean by the adeptus responsible for Liyue Harbor? Weren't you the one who created it?"
"That… Is a complicated piece of history. Not many know about it," Zhongli said, his eyes tinged with sadness. "I can tell you once Aether comes back. And yet… something is wrong. Even when he is in that 'limbo,' I can still sense his presence. Except now… he's gone. Gone from the limbo, yet not rebirthed onto any world. I do not know what it means. I will have to converse with the other Archons. As for you, go back to Liyue Harbor. There may be a spot of trouble where you can help. I'll explain the situation to Qiqi." He waved his hand, and Keqing found herself back in Liyue Harbor. What caught her attention was an injured milellith soldier, lying down on the ground. When Keqing ran over, he looked up, eyes clouded in terror. He could barely manage a few words, but all he said was enough. "Golden… House…" he muttered, then fainted. Heart beating, Keqing ran as fast as she could to the Golden House, where the Exuvia was kept.
Along the way, she saw Milellith soldiers, all on the ground. None were dead, thankfully, but all were extremely injured. A few had arrows sticking out of their armor, while others had vicious slash marks that dripped with water. A sense of dread weighing on her mind, she ran even quicker, her feet tearing at the ground.
Once she reached the golden house, Milellith soldiers were strewn about, groaning. She went inside, sword at the ready. As she approached the Exuvia, nothing seemed to be harmed. Nothing seemed to be damaged, or even off. None of the Mora was even disturbed. They all stayed where they were, in glittering heaps of gold.
She walked even more cautiously, having the feeling that she was being stalked. Her senses on high alert, she gazed up at the Exuvia. She thought she detected a couple of shadows, flitting in and out of her peripheral vision, but when she looked, they weren't there. She looked up at the Exuvia one last time, to make sure it hadn't been damaged, when a cold voice echoed around her.
"It's quite a nuisance to have one of the Liyue Qixing be in my way. But you won't stop me from my goal here."
Keqing turned, and there was who she was dreading to face. Tartaglia, the one and only Harbinger who preferred one on one combat. Keqing held her sword in front of her, ready to intercept any move Tartaglia would have tried to do. Tartaglia, however, continued, unconcerned.
"I can't have you running back to the Jade Chamber and telling the Tianquan about this, nor can I allow you to speak of it to anyone else. As everyone knows, the saying goes…"
Tartaglia pulled out his bow and nocked an arrow, aiming straight at Keqing.
"Dead men tell no tales."
Thanks for all the support recently, I never expected my first ever fanfiction to reach this many followers! I'm absolutely hyped, 1.3 looks so cool! I'm really excited for the new tower defense gamemode lol. Also the lantern rite. Vlad and Nadia needed to meet each other lmao. Thanks for reading so far!
Also who tao?