Chapter 8 - The Deceptive One

"Preserve the balance between life and death."

A set of ringed fingers ran across the golden plaque on the wall, feeling each and every curve between the characters as a voice whispered their meaning from memory. Just a little higher, she could feel her name, right next to the building's denomination. Every day like clockwork, she would repeat this routine with her eyes closed, at the exact same time – two hours past sunrise. It had become somewhat of a calming ritual for her, to solemnly read the family's motto and repeat their millenial oath before heading to work. This was the only time of the day when her usually cheerful face would become so stern and serious.

Hu Tao adjusted her large hat, the faint scent of plum blossoms tickling her nose as she stepped inside the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

"Good morning, director. I hope today brings you many blessings."

The ferrylady appeared out of nowhere, but Tao will simply assume she came from a blind spot – as usual.

"Yoh!" she greeted back as she handed over her coat. "Did anything interesting happen while I was away?"

"Someone has been looking for you. Aside from that, no changes have been made to today's schedule."

The director raised a quirky brow. "When you say someone..."

The black silk-clad woman nodded. "The Lady Tianxuan arrived earlier this morning. I told her to take a seat in your office, as per the usual procedure."

Their long-awaited guest was finally here. Though she was smiling, Hu Tao still felt a little apprehensive. A member of the Qixing could only be here for one reason, after all. It wasn't a first for the Hu family, Qixing members had come to them for various ceremonies in the past centuries.

But never had they visited to plan a god's funeral before.

She clasped her hands together and tilted her head. "Well, let me entertain this fine guest by the book! She went to the trouble of coming all the way to this gloomy place by herself, so no pranks today!"

"I appreciate your wise approach, director. Everyone in this parlor is counting on you." her employee replied with a light bow.

Tao blinked for more than two seconds, and the ferrylady was gone. Then again, within expectations.

The funeral director skipped around the parlor's wooden halls, taking in the building's energies at her leisure – the Tianxuan could wait for a few more minutes, right? She walked through the archives, where her employees were bent over their desks, scribbling down rites and records.
Good. Hardworking souls usually have an easier time in the afterlife, since most of them felt a sense of purpose while living.
Hu Tao continued her little tour through the morgue, just to make sure that the dead were really dead. And lastly, she greeted a few of their consultants – true experts when it comes to funeral rites, and the cornerstones of her family's business.

Of course, she stopped by his office. The decoration was incredibly old-fashioned yet efficient, just like its previous occupant. Everything had remained the way he'd left it, with a few books on Liyue's myths and legends sitting on his desk, and an expired discount coupon to Heyu Teahouse left in the drawer.

She leaned against the doorframe, her lips curving up into a wistful smile. "Yeah, the old man's definitely dead. Shame."

The last time she'd seen Zhongli, he had just clocked out like he would any other day. The man was solemn as a stone, but his expression was oddly peaceful when he left. He knew. Whatever killed him, he knew it was coming and had made the choice to fully embrace it, to not defy fate. She wouldn't bother looking for him in the border – he clearly had no regrets.
And besides, if her hunch was correct, he wouldn't have to go through the border in the first place. It's reserved to mortals, after all...

She still muttered a small prayer for him though. That too had become a bit of a ritual, she'd noticed. Oh well. A new consultant will probably take his place soon, and they'll have to donate the few trinkets he'd left behind to goodwill. Life goes on.

Life certainly goes on, but she was going to be late to her meeting.

Regaining her composure, Tao dashed to her office a few halls down – too bad for the wooden flooring. Leaning on the door to catch her breath, she did not realize that it was unlocked and stumbled into her own office.

"Ah, finally, Director Hu."

A tall woman dressed in an opulent emerald qipao was waiting in the guest's seat. Silver earrings complemented her pale figure, as her teal hair fell to her shoulders. An amused smile made its way to her face upon seeing the director's rather clumsy arrival.

Lady Shuijing of the Liyue Qixing. Undisputed overseer of the harbor's history, culture, and arts.

Hu Tao dusted herself off. "Thank you for waiting, Lady Tianxuan. I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you in person before?"

"Indeed. I tend to keep a low profile when I'm in the city, and work behind the scenes. Our job naturally comes with its risks, so myself and a few other Stars only make public appearances when necessary." her guest replied.

"Hmm-mmh, gotcha." the director hummed as she crashed into her own leather seat. "So as the one responsible for the harbor's customs and festivities, you came here for our big event, the Rite of Parting?"

The businesswoman nodded. "That is correct. Several other parties offered us a lot of Mora for the chance to organize this ceremony, but we wanted to make sure only the cream of the crop is chosen regardless of our own cut, so we submitted it to a vote." She placed a thick file on the desk. "Needless to say, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor won by a landslide. I guess this is warranted, the Hu family does have an excellent reputation when it comes to conducting the final rites."

Tao flipped through the contract with little surprise. The Seven Stars would pay fifty million Mora for the Rite, a grand budget for a grand ceremony. While it sounded like a lot of money at first glance, the parlor would probably spend most of it in contractors and general costs like incense or lanterns.
Still, the leftover money would be quite the sum – more than enough to give her exhausted employees a raise this month, they deserved that much.

"Thankfully, we already had some supplies of our own..." she tallied. "We'll handle the preparations with these funds, the Qixing will provide the venue, but what of the Exuvia? We cant perform a cremation if there's nothing to burn!"

"Ah, do not fret about the corpse." she shot a slight glance around, and leaned over the desk to make sure they were out of earshot. "We are currently keeping it under Mt. Tianheng, and using one of the Archon War's Kongxin vaults as a storage unit. Chonghua thaumaturges are in charge of keeping the corpse in a Cryo stasis, and the seal is renewed everyday."

"Wait... You're keeping our Archaic Lord's corpse in the Kongxin maze? The same maze our ancestors used to establish themselves in the Sea of Clouds right under the enemy's nose?" Hu Tao asked in the same tone.

"Precisely." The Tianxuan tried her best to sound reassuring. "Less than ten people in the harbor know of this, and our thaumaturges are constantly monitored. If you need access to the corpse, you will find a recommendation letter in the folder. Do not attempt to make a copy, the ink would immediately give it away. If all goes well, the Exuvia will be brought out on the day of the Rite only, to avoid any potential incidents."

Yeah, she probably won't be taking her chances with the maze anytime soon. That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Also, incidents? What kind of incident could threaten a god's corpse? Or was there something else that needed protecting?

Shuijing deftly switched legs and subjects before she could ask. "The Rite of Parting will take place on Yujing Terrace. Since it is where Rex Lapis' unfortunate passing shook the entire nation, it is also where we shall bid our Lord farewell. The files you're holding contain documents detailing the terrace's exact dimensions and crowd capacity, to help with your planning – courtesy of the Yuheng's assistants."

Overworked assistants, she might add, but the Tianxuan would rather wait for Keqing to come back before making her own opinion on the matter. And she needed to come back fast, lest her reputation takes another blow.

"Yujing Terrace..." hummed the director. "Yes, I think I have a pretty good idea in mind. I'll need to pass it along to my consultants, but this Rite should be sumptuous and cost effective."

"I expect no less from you, director." the Tianxuan smiled. "If you can organize a ceremony worthy of the Lord of Geo on such short notice, the Seven Stars will be immensely grateful to you. And the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor might even receive a bonus from my personal wealth, as long as you're ready to put in the work."

Massive vaults of Mora filled up to the brim behind Tao's eyes. "Aiya!" she giggled. "You honored Stars really know how to speak to my heart! More Mora means higher-quality funerals, which means even more clients and even more Mora – the beautiful cycle of business!"

The businesswoman repressed a laugh upon seeing her freshly-acquainted business partner's glimmering eyes. "I take it everything in this contract has your undivided approval, then?"

"But of course!" Hu Tao shuffled through her drawer before pulling out her clan's stamp – a plum blossom in searing flames, and ceremoniously slammed it down the page.

She energetically shook the Tianxuan's hand. "A pleasure to be working with the Qixing!"

"Very well. A bailiff as well as my personal legal advisor will pay you a visit tomorrow to finalize the contract's details. We believe our collaboration with the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to be an investment that will bear many fruits."

The funeral director puffed her chest. "Trust me, your belief is not misplaced. Our establishment takes great pride in fulfilling our clients' last wishes with the utmost care - mortal and deity alike."

Both satisfied with an excellent deal, they exchanged the basic business courtesies before the guest took her leave. However, as Shuijing's hands rested on the doorknob, she seemed hesitant.

"Director Hu, if anything were to happen during the Rite of Parting..."

Metaphorical bells rang inside Tao's head. "Hmm? What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Well I..." The Tianxuan pursed her lips, as if she'd ultimately changed her mind. "No, it's nothing – I shouldn't jinx it. Everyone would be content if the ceremony could go smoothly."

She bowed one last time and took her leave, but to the 77th director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, it looked more like a tactical fallback. The Lady Tianxuan was scared of something, but what could possibly scare a fierce businesswoman such as her? Whatever caused her to be so on edge clearly couldn't be driven away by simply throwing Mora at it.

Which, in the land of business and contracts, was downright terrifying.

The twin-tailed director reached into the file, and pulled out Shuijing's recommendation letter. Bouncing out of her seat, she flipped her windows open. As she'd guessed, there was an ominous feeling in the air. The harbor was about to experience something great, and it was so indescribable, so mysterious, that even her well-spoken self wasn't able to put it into words.

Hu Tao quickly pulled the curtains and burned the letter. For the first time, she was not happy at the prospect of having new clients soon.


"There it is, Liyue Harbor is in sight."

Ganyu failed to repress a beam. It felt good to be home. Standing atop a cliff overlooking the Sea of Clouds, she sat down to contemplate her work. Even though the harbor was more of her divine assignment than anything else, she'd felt a sense of relief, purpose even, when she beheld the bustling city.

The Guardian of All Living Things belonged in the human realm first and foremost.

"So much stuff happened since I last saw that view."

She jolted with surprise when she noticed the Traveler, who'd just sat down next her. His look was fundamentally different from hers, he held a determined and apprehensive gaze directed towards his next challenge. Somehow, the overperceptive secretary was still unable to guess his inner thoughts.

"I know, right? Even though most of it happened because of me..." she concurred. "Hope the mention of Liyue won't leave a bitter taste in your mouth in the foreseeable future."

He chuckled. "Serves me right for trying to do some sightseeing past midnight, I guess. I make the mistake of running into a secretary, and nearly get thrown in the slammer for it."

The half-qilin buried her head into her hands at the recollection. "Ugh, I really need to step up my game... We were lucky everything worked out this time, but it could've been even worse."

"Do step up your game, but that's not a reason to overwork yourself, 'kay? Excessive overtime will only lead to you making more mistakes, Miss Guardian of All Living Things."

She accepted the well-meaning jab at her work ethic. Again. Hopefully she'd be able to find some sort of balance after having the same exhausting routine for over three thousand years.

"That being said, I really don't regret bumping into you that night." he sheepishly admitted. "And I probably wouldn't have met Shenhe and Cloud Retainer without these shenanigans so... guess it was all the mysterious work of fate. That cheeky girl just won't let me catch a break, it seems."

Ganyu laughed. "Really? Then I have to say, I'm kinda fond of this fate now."

"Yeah, so am I."

The daybreaking wind brushed past their faces as they gazed at the city in a comfortable silence, only disturbed by the feeling that they needed to get a move on soon. The view meant different things to them, but in the end, it was pretty much the same from an outside perspective. Liyue was a beautiful jewel of a harbor, sitting on a golden coast blessed by the gods. Come to think of it, this is exactly how they first met. A Traveler and a half-qilin, gazing at the city and people Rex Lapis has ruled over for millenia.

Keqing hollered the both of them. "Hey you two, we're ready to join the main road. Get on your horses."

The secretary snapped out of her reverie, as Aether helped her up. "We're coming!"

The harbor's northern gate was the same as before, save for several Millelith checkpoints dotted along the road leading up to the bridge. They took the form of poorly put-together wooden shacks where they could perform body searches and check identifications – clearly a last-minute structure. Traveling merchants and adventurers alike were being put through a strict inspection, and the soldiers detained the unlucky or ill-intentioned ones. Seeing the lengthening line of convoys being taken into custody, the Traveler couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. And Keqing's furrowed expression certainly didn't help.

The Yuheng called out to a nearby soldier who was patrolling along the line of visitors. "Hey, what's with the reinforced security? Did something happen near the city gate?"

The Millelith solemnly bowed. "Greetings, Lady Yuheng. By direct order of the Lord Tianshu, all roadside checks have been doubled in force. Many soldiers have already been sent to Stone Gate to filter all arrivals from the north, while here we inspect anyone attempting to enter or leave Liyue Harbor."

She didn't seem satisfied in the slightest. "The Rite of Parting is coming up. Who will defend the city from the inside then?"

"The remainder of our units is currently assigned to patrol duty within the city walls." he replied. "They will also stand guard during the Rite, and intervene if necessary."

"What's the number of units currently dispatched away from the harbor?"

The soldier shook his head. "I am terribly sorry, but this information is only available to members of the military corps, ma'am. Even before a member of the Qixing there are some things I cannot disclose."

"That stubborn old man..." she internally cursed. What in seven hells was he thinking? It baffled her. If there is a godslayer on the loose, why not prioritize the citizens' safety? Especially if the Fatui are involved – Northland Bank is sitting right in the middle of the business district, for Archon's sake!

"It seems the Tianshu and I are gonna have a lot of things to discuss tomorrow..." she huffed. "Well, can you let us through now? City gate checkpoints don't apply to Liyuean diplomats, do they?"

The Millelith once again bowed, and she knew her troubles weren't over yet. "You may cross without worry, Lady Yuheng, but my colleagues shall inspect the rest of your retinue. We will only need your soldiers' identification plates and clan names, but the others will have to go through the standard procedure."

An irritated violet glow flashed behind her orbits as they slowly neared the first checkpoint. She snapped her lilac head towards the soldier one last time. "Listen, these people have had a very tiring journey, and so have I. Can't you just-"

"No can do, honored Lady Yuheng."

Keqing ran a tired hand across her face. These fools were about to put her entire plans in jeopardy, all because she had no control over the city's state of emergency. Of course she didn't expect things to go her way, but without a doubt, her next course of action would go awry should a certain someone be detained.

Speak of the devil, the Traveler caught up to the arguing pair, Shenhe in tow. "Excuse me sir, but is the General Secretary of the Qixing considered a diplomat?"

The guard nodded. "Well, of course. If she wishes to accompany the Yuheng, she may be inspection exempt as well."

Aether mulled over the potential outcomes for a brief second. Worst case scenario, he actually gets arrested this time – which of course meant fighting the Millelith again. No, with Shenhe by his side, it would turn into an unnecessary bloodshed. Bitterly accepting that there was only one thing to do, he turned to the Yuheng. Judging by her nonplussed expression, she clearly couldn't tell what he'd planned.

He wasn't so sure himself.

"You and Ganyu go on ahead, we'll stay behind and do as this gentleman says." he calmly ordered. "The Seven Stars have an important meeting tomorrow and you'll probably need a secretary's support until then."

The half-qilin opposed. "Aether, we can't guarantee your safety if you don't stick with us. The harbor is not a welcoming place at the moment, if you were to get in trouble-"

"He won't be alone, Miss Ganyu." Shenhe cut her off. "I'll stay with him for protection, and we will keep eachother out of trouble. If something does come up, I'm sure the two of us can deal with it together."

The Traveler concurred. "The Rite of Parting is coming up, so we'll probably see you guys at the ceremony. But don't worry about me in the meantime, you both have crucial roles to fill."

He had a point. Both of them had already spent an unhealthy amount of time and resources on him, when some very important work still needed to be done. For the sake of Liyue's future, its diplomats needed to take action against all potential threats and prove themselves worthy of Rex Lapis' throne. Which meant shifting their focus from the Traveler to tackle the bigger issues. Namely, the Fatui.

"I guess you're right – we are needed. So let's part ways for now." Keqing admitted as her mare nickered. "I'd tell you to try and keep a low profile, but there'd be no point in that, seeing how unpedictable you can be sometimes."

"Touche. I make no promises." he chuckled. "I'll try to stay alive until the Rite, so you two do the same alright? May the stars shine down upon you."

Ganyu gave him a friendly goodbye wave as her horse trotted behind the Yuheng's. Aether sighed as the two gradually rejoined the main road, and their retinue heading to the soldier-specific checkpoints. Using their work as an excuse wasn't really his type, but if he were to build a safety net for himself, he needed the two gone. Mostly because a lot of his plan's steps would never get their approval. As for that promise of not getting in trouble...

Can't get in trouble if the troublemakers are dead.

The Traveler tied his horse's lead to one of the small shack's fenceposts, as he and Shenhe followed the soldier inside. It was incredibly damp and sweaty, with a small candle on a wooden table serving as the only source of light. Another soldier entered behind them, as the blond gestured for Shenhe to step aside. The first soldier handed his polearm to his colleague, and began the body search.

He shot a quick glance at the Traveler's attire. "Not from around these parts, huh?"

"I hail from a small village north of Mondstadt – you wouldn't know it." he lied.

"No Vision?

"Doubt I'll ever receive one."

"You carry a weapon around, kid?"

Aether obliged, and the Sword of Descension appeared in his hand. He handed it over the bewildered soldier, who in turn got even more wary of him. Not only was the intricate sword clearly not meant for anyone to wield, another detail caught his attention.

"You can summon items without a Vision?" he gruffed.

Crap. "That's... Mondstadian sorcery, sir. I practice a few spells in my free time."

The guard slowly nodded. "We'll see about that. Alright, your body's all clear. Where's your identification?"

He pulled the Guild's handbook out of his pocket. "Adventurer. I was told this is enough to get past checkpoints."

"I guess." the Millelith hummed. "You did start in Mondstadt... honorary knight... registered as a longsword user... The handbook is in order, now where's that sorcery license?"

Aether flipped a few pages, and a folded "certificate" slipped out of his handbook. Just what he needed. The soldier picked it up and inspected the official-looking paper, which had been penned by an elegant hand.

This document states that its holder is adept in novice and advanced levels of sorcery, delivered by Lisa Minci, honor student of the Sumeru Akademiya, to Aether, Honorary Knight of Mondstadt, during the First Century of the Second New Mondstadt Millenium.

Best of luck on your travels, cutie~

He'd forgotten about the last line. Bless that flirty librarian's soul.

The Millelith raised a brow. "That's a rather... odd certification, but it bears the seal of Mondstadt's Knights. Huh, guess you are sorcery certified."

The Traveler took his handbook and weapon back without asking, and swivelled around to face his companion. The two soldiers were already preparing for the second body inspection, except this time they looked a lot more eager to fulfill their duty. The way the eyed Shenhe's features made him sick to no end.

"Disgusting bastards... you're lucky I'm in a hurry."

"Shenhe," he pretended to suddenly remember "you're an adeptus disciple, don't you get a special exemption?"

The exorcist nodded, completely oblivious to the two men who were ogling her. "You're correct. I signed an apprenticeship contract upon becoming Cloud Retainer's disciple. This should be disculping identification."

She showed the two soldiers her contract, and their faces immediately went back into somber mode. It seemed to be made of the same paper as a Sigil of Permission, but took the form of a small scroll one could easily carry around. Liyue's ancient language was written in archaic ink, and its bottom had been signed with an eerie symbol, resembling a mix between a white comb and a feather.

"I can't really read this, but according to the Code, we can't restrict access to the city to a human who follows the path of the adepti." one of them mumbled. "This contract definitely radiates adeptal energy, so we shan't look at it for too long. You two are free to go, get out."

The Traveler mentally thanked Cloud Retainer. Without her resourcefulness, he'd probably be in a load of trouble right now. He exited the tent while shielding his eyes from the sunlight, as his companion gave one last bow to the two very much annoyed soldiers. Looking out for her was the least he could do to pay the Unfettered back, right? No, more than that, she was his precious travel buddy beside Paimon - albeit a sometimes clueless one.

Shenhe mounted behind him, and he quickly shot a glance at the main road. Just as he'd planned, Ganyu and Keqing were nowhere in sight. Which meant he could now enter the harbor by himself and get to work. Their shared horse cantered past the wooden bridge, and Liyue Harbor's gates opened before the two of them once more.

As they entered Feiyun Slope, the city's layout sprung back to his memory, and he could feel that things had changed since the Rite of Descension. The usually cheery and sunny air, fueled by the people's glee, had now been replaced by a tense shroud over everyone's mood. Though the merchants were still peddling their wares, they did so with little energy, and the buyers never seemed quite happy about their purchases either.
The Traveler wondered why their horse was progressing at such a fluid pace, and realized that the streets were way less crowded than usual. Judging by the clothes and faces, most natives prefered to stay at home, and over two thirds of the passersby were tourists.

Liyue's mercantile spirit had been dealt a major blow, and the famed trading hub was now a husk of its former self.

"So this is what a nation that's been stripped of its god looks like..."

It was still too early to tell if Liyue had been overly reliant on Rex Lapis, but its current state in the aftermath of a deicide showed that Keqing had reason to worry. If the Qixing wanted to rebuild the harbor's prestige to what it once was, they certainly had they work cut out for them. Well, he'd let the leaders be leaders. Things like holding grand meetings and establishing trade routes is none of his business.

The foot trafic extended upon reaching Chihu Rock, but the Traveler felt a dangerous tinge in his brain.

Not good. They were being followed.

Aether handed the reins over to Shenhe and immediately jumped down, much to the latter's perplexity.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I just remembered I had something to do in the harbor." He tossed her a hefty pouch of Mora. "Go to the Guild and ask for a stable. When you're done with that, Paimon will show you the inn we stayed at on the first night. Take a room for two and wait for me over there."

The exorcist frowned. "You're about to do something reckless again. I told Miss ganyu I'd keep you safe - I'm not leaving your side if there's danger."

"There's just... something I need to settle." he fumbled. "I'll explain everything when I get back, so please, just trust me on this one."

"Are you sure you'll be fine? Because if someone were to hurt you..."

He shook his head. "Don't worry, I won't let anyone kill me. I'll get back safely, I promise."

Shenhe spurred the horse forward. "You actually promised, so I'll hold you to it. If you come back to our room all battered and bruised... I'll feel hurt too."

Her steed trotted back on the paved road as they left Aether behind. Oddly enough, he felt a slight relief as the creeping sense of danger neared him – it meant whoever was watching him didn't have it out for Shenhe.

Following his instinct along, he ducked into a narrow alleyway and ventured deeper into the city. The presence was now above him, probably stalking him from the rooftops. It followed each one of his sudden twists and turns with terrifying accuracy, making its target more tense by the second. Their game of cat and mouse lasted for several long minutes, neither side seemingly giving up.

How could the inner parts of Liyue Harbor be such a maze? As he shot quick glances around him, the Traveler soon realized he was in what could only be called the slums. Most of the decrepit buildings were devoid of any human life, probably to be demolished and repurposed soon. On the flip side, he could detect any suspicious activity going on in the streets. But that also meant no witnesses if something were to happen to him.

Aether eventually stepped into a darker alley, and his own mistake suddenly dawned on him. He wasn't evading them. They had brought him here on purpose.

"You've gotta be kidding me..."

As he quickly swivelled around to rectify his course, a blue web untangled before his very eyes and blocked his only escape route. His head craned upwards, and an azure string wrapped around his neck and tightened, giving him little room to breathe. The Traveler clawed at his neck like an enraged animal, but the string was too thin, and wrapped in too many layers to be cut off.

Before he knew it, his wrists and knees were bound as well, and he internally cursed his lack of foresight.

"Well, aren't you an elusive one... Stop struggling already, I won't kill you."

A blue-haired woman rappelled down into the alleyway, the blue string that was binding him coming from a bracelet at her wrist.

He gritted his teeth. "Who... are you?"

"Oh, I have a lot of different names. Wanna try your luck and pick one?" she chuckled. "Jokes aside, I'm not your enemy. That's all you need to know."

"That's reassuring, coming from the woman who's restraining me right now."

He tried to channel Anemo into one hand, but the tightly-bound string cut off the elemental supply in his veins. A tiny wind orb sprouted in his palm, only to quickly disappear when it failed to gain power. Seeing as he was still trying to escape, she locked his arm behind his back.

The mysterious woman spoke softly into his ear. "Let me break it down for you – you're a wildcard, Traveler. Some people wish they could predict your next move, but obviously they can't. That's where I come in. Nothing personal really, I'm just doing my job."

"Some people? Like the Fatui?"

Yelan shrugged at his wrong guess. "Maybe. I've already told too much, now I need you to be a good boy and go to sleep~"

"Wait, don't-"

Snap!

Aether was silenced by a throbbing pain in the back of his head... and everything went black.


Alright, I can't write OCs... but it's also kinda hoyo's fault for only revealing half of the Qixing, right? Right? Just think of Shuijing as a placeholder. She's not fully fleshed out, because that's not her role in the plot. She's taking a spot originally meant for Ningguang, but you'll soon see that our Geo mommy has been busy with other matters.

Unlike her however, I quickly found that Yelan fit right in, and I'd been making plans to throw her into the mix for a while now. Do you think I did okay? Let me know! Still working on a few drafts on the side, even though I'll prolly have less free time in September. But I'll still do my best to bring quality content to you guys :)