A week has passed, Aether and Paimon saw the shady Fatui again who is now unofficially, Zhongli's financial aid, shouldering all the expenses for the funeral of Liyue's beloved Archon.

It was a tall order but with the collaboration of Zhongli's expertise whether it be chatting someone's ears off or spouting some ancient traditions literally no other normal mortal resident of Liyue could ever know, Aether's haggling and errand boy skills, Paimon's blackhole of a stomach, and the Fatui's money, the funeral preparations has been complete.

"Finally, time to relax." Paimon exhales as she floated lazily beside Aether who was walking sluggishly.

"Don't jinx it." Aether groaned at his little tour guide who let out a grumble but didn't retort.

-0-

"Paimon you jinx!" Aether couldn't help but shout, disappointed but not surprised as Childe battled them for the Gnosis in the Golden House.

"How is this Paimon's fault?!" the floating tour guide shrieks as the Harbinger transformed into something bigger and more terrifying as they fell somewhere under the Golden House.

As Aether battled the Harbinger, he couldn't help but wonder; where is Lili?

"Oh no!" the little tour guide shrieks as they left the Golden House, their sacks of mora fatter than ever. "what's that?!"

"what's- "Aether turns to the direction where Paimon was pointing and sure enough, there's a water monster flailing around in the distance. "What the hell?!"

"let's hurry to the Jade Chamber!" the floating girl shouts as she pulled on Aether's clothes towards the direction of the floating chamber as the Traveler sigh, resigned. Maybe this is his fate, to fix some other nation's problems that doesn't relate to his in any way.

When will this end so he can find his sister in peace?

-0-

"I will sacrifice the Jade Chamber to stop Osial." Lady Ningguang states as she, the Traveler, and the Adepti stood on the floating chamber, one of the ballistae graciously lent by the Adepti is now smoking, broken from Osial's onslaught. "Evacuate everyone off the Chamber."

With grave nods, the Adepti and Aether went to work, gathering and transporting everyone off the chamber, with Aether being the last one to leave, the Adeptus Xiao saving his ass in the last minute before the Chamber slam on Osial.

And so, once again, with the combined effort of the Liyue Qixing, The Millelith, Aether, and the Adepti, The Vortex Overlord is once again sealed beneath the calm waves that surrounds Guyun Stone Forest.

As the Adepti and the Qixing realized some things, Aether couldn't help but stare in the distance. Specifically, in the area where the Jade Chamber slammed Osial back into the depths of its watery prison. With a deep sigh and furrowed eyebrows, he couldn't help but remember the figure he thinks he saw moments before Xiao saved him from plummeting into the depths with nothing but Osial for company.

"It couldn't be… could it?" Aether mumbled to himself as he stood on the edge of the pier where they landed as the Qixing and the Adepti continued to converse behind him.

"What is that?" Paimon asked loudly as a screeching eagle dropped a flopping fish which Xiao caught by reflex, his tight grip keeping the fish in his grasp as everyone stared at the fish that was choking on a glass bottle?

"What the..."

Pulling the bottle out of the fish's mouth and tossing the poor animal back into the sea, the Yaksha uncorking the bottle with a pop and shaking the bottle to get the paper, only for it to uselessly bounce inside the bottle.

"Oh, here, let me." Aether then grabbed the bottle and smashed it on the pier, earning looks from the Qixing and the Adepti around him. "What?" they all exchanged glances but said nothing.

"Ah."

"What is it?" Lady Ningguang asked, worried that another ancient sea monster will arose from the depths of the sea to enact revenge to the now dead Rex Lapis.

"it's a letter." Aether slowly says, eyes still scanning the paper. "From our financial aid." He blinks, eyes still on the paper, unaware that the Qixing and the Adepti once again exchanged glances, now more weirded out than worried. "She said she's in the area…" Aether then squints as he brought the paper closer to his face. "And that mora's on the way." Aether lowers the paper, revealing a weirded-out face.

"What?"

Another eagle screeched before a bigger cloth sack fell from the sky, slightly shaking the wooden pier they were all standing on.

"Isn't this kind of dangerous?!" Paimon shrieks as hairline cracks appeared on the wooden pier. "And what's up with the animal delivery express?!"

Aether disregarded the shrieking child and opened the cloth sack; revealing precious ores. Noctilucous Jades that glimmered in the fading sunlight, Cor Lapis that glows from within, the pure Geo energy that made up the ore swirling inside, silver and crystal ores, and loach pearls.

"How did she get her hands on these?!" Paimon shrieks as she pulled on her own hair, scared, mystified, and confused at the package's contents. "Has she been mining all this time?!"

"These items are of the highest quality." Lady Ningguang whispers, amazement glowing in her eyes as she surveyed the cloth bag's contents.

"How much will we get if we sold all of this?!" Paimon turns to the Tianquan who placed a hand under her chin.

"You can probably reduce the mora in the Golden House by half."

"HALF?!" Paimon shrieks in amazement, her head snapping towards Aether who held the bag tighter unconsciously as Paimon's crazed gaze landed on him. "let's sell them now Aether!"

"Stop, we'll probably flood the market with these items!" Aether then began to lug the cloth sack around as Paimon floated around him, bugging him to sell the items as the Adepti and the Qixing watched the two squabble like children. A moment has passed and one by one, the Adepti left the area, leaving Lady Ningguang to leave last, Aether and Paimon now alone on the pier, the cloth sack in Aether's tight embrace.

Replies:

Redaer Copious: the loach is a freshwater amphibian that resembles an axolotl and let's just say lili is just that friendly.

Henderson the Unbroken: lili the super-granny sends the stupidest things, that's for sure. also, sending a Qiqi sounds nice. maybe one day.