That evening, Sam Li, Xiao, Nicole, Billy, Zhu Yuan, and the others spent the night at a villager's home at the foot of Mount Hulao.

The people of Liyue were remarkably hospitable. Upon hearing that the famous Vigilant Yaksha, Xiao, had come to visit, they prepared an entire table of delicious dishes for the group.

Though their cooking couldn't compare to the professional chefs of Liyue Harbor, every ingredient was fresh—wild boar hunted that day, vegetables grown around their homes, and poultry raised in their own yards.

For Zhu Yuan, this was her first experience of rural life in Liyue, and it stirred deep emotions within her.

Even those living outside Liyue Harbor could still enjoy peace and contentment... yet beyond New Eridu, the people living in the Outer Ring were already separated by a vast divide from those in the city.

Once Hollow Zero was subdued and the land around the Outer Ring improved, perhaps the people there could one day live as peacefully as these Liyue villagers.

During dinner, one of the villagers eagerly began recounting the strange phenomenon they had witnessed on Mount Hulao earlier that day.

"It must've been the spirit of our late Geo Archon manifesting!" the villager said excitedly. "There's been a nasty dragon lizard causing trouble nearby, scaring away all the wild boars on the mountain. We've had to go farther and farther to hunt. But the moment those golden lights appeared, that vile beast turned tail and ran!"

The villager's eyes gleamed with reverence. "Even though Geo Archon has ascended to the heavens, he still watches over the land of Liyue..."

At those words, everyone turned to look at Sam Li.

Sam Li said calmly, "By ordinary logic, as long as the Geo Archon lives, he will protect Liyue."

The villager shook his head insistently. "No, no. Even if Geo Archon has passed away, he must be watching over us from the heavens. And if Liyue ever faces danger again, he will surely return to save us."

Nicole smiled lightly. "That makes sense too. The Geo Archon's power is vast—surely not something bound by life or death."

Nekomata nodded vigorously. "Exactly, exactly!"

Sam Li fell silent. "..."

Xiao also said nothing. "..."

...

After a long night, dawn finally arrived.

Early the next morning, Sam Li, Nicole, Billy, Zhu Yuan, Hoshimi Miyabi, and the others shared breakfast at the villager's home before setting out on their journey back to Liyue Harbor.

Before leaving, Xiao took some Mora from his wallet to pay for the lodging and meal.

However, to the villagers, hosting the Yaksha was already an honor beyond measure. No matter how much Xiao insisted, they refused to accept any Mora.

With no choice, Xiao sighed and returned the coins to his wallet—but before departing, he quietly placed a few Mora on the table as he left.

Then, the group began their journey back to Liyue Harbor.

They crossed mountains, skirted amber deposits, and passed through canyons and forests until they finally reached the borders of the Tianheng Mountains.

From the summit, they looked down over the magnificent expanse of Liyue Harbor, the city's lively brilliance spreading out before their eyes.

Zhu Yuan spoke earnestly. "Now that Azhdaha has regained his full power, it's time for us to return to New Eridu..."

Her brow furrowed slightly. Even though they had only been away from New Eridu for two days, she couldn't help worrying that Hollow Zero might already have caused new disturbances.

Soon after, the group followed the winding path back to Yujing Terrace in Liyue Harbor.

Just as they arrived, they ran into Ganyu.

Seeing them, Ganyu quickly hurried over. "Mr. Sam Li... Miss Zhu Yuan, Miss Nicole... welcome back."

Sam Li asked, "Where is Miss Keqing?"

Ganyu replied politely, "Keqing is sorting through some important documents. I'll go notify her and have her come over right away—"

Sam Li raised a hand. "No need. We were just about to go find her ourselves."

Nicole suddenly remembered something. "The disciple that Cloud Retainer—Xianyun—asked us to bring along was Miss Ganyu, right?"

Nekomata smiled. "That must be her. I wonder if the other disciple is also a mystical creature? A student of an Adeptus must be incredibly strong."

Sam Li replied calmly, "We'll meet them soon enough."

...

A short while later, the group entered Keqing's office, finding her busily working.

She wasn't organizing local records of Liyue Harbor, but rather the materials brought back from New Eridu. When she had been there, she'd lacked assistants and had struggled to keep up with all the administrative work.

The Adepti had no interest in managing mortal affairs, which was why Cloud Retainer had asked Sam Li to bring Ganyu to assist her.

Seeing Keqing so overwhelmed, Zhu Yuan immediately stepped forward. "Let us help you."

Hoshimi Miyabi remained quiet, while Nicole followed and said, "Wait—aren't these classified documents? Are we even allowed to touch them?"

Keqing looked up and said seriously, "It's fine. I trust you."

Since these files were all related to New Eridu, having Zhu Yuan, Hoshimi Miyabi, Nicole, Anby, and the others help organize them was far faster than leaving it to the staff at Yujing Terrace.

In no time, everything was sorted.

Then Keqing called for a subordinate to deliver the documents to the Jade Chamber and hand them over to Lady Ningguang, the Tianquan.

With that, Keqing finally finished her main work.

Next came preparations for the return to New Eridu. She planned to bring a few additional aides from Yujing Terrace, along with a detachment of Millelith soldiers.

Of course, before their departure, they also needed to find Shenhe and bring her along, as per Cloud Retainer's instructions.

...

That afternoon, Keqing led the group to look for Shenhe.

In the past, Shenhe had lived atop the mountains alongside her master, Cloud Retainer, training in seclusion. But now she had settled in Liyue Harbor and made her home there.

When the group arrived to visit her residence, they found the gate locked.

They waited for a while before seeing Shenhe's figure appear around the corner.

The moment she came into view, Nekomata rose on her toes curiously. "So that's Shenhe? She really does have that ethereal air—just like Cloud Retainer."

Shenhe approached with light, measured steps. "My apologies. I was cleaning my master's residence and kept you waiting."

Ever since Cloud Retainer's departure for New Eridu, Shenhe had visited the Adeptus's Liyue residence nearly every day, sweeping away dust and tending to the celestial herbs in the courtyard.

Keqing smiled gently. "It's fine. We just arrived ourselves."

She then introduced Nicole, Billy, Zhu Yuan, Hoshimi Miyabi, and the others before explaining Cloud Retainer's request.

Upon learning it was her master's instruction, Shenhe did not hesitate for a moment. "Then I shall accompany you to New Eridu. I will be in your care for this journey."

Nekomata grinned. "No need to be so polite. We're quite familiar with your master, after all."