Legacy | Genshin I. |

Chapter VI: Act XVIII

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An Invitation
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Zhongli took notice of the trio heading up to him and the table he sat at and smiled, urging them to sit down.

"Ah, you're here. There's no need to order, I've already done so. "Third-Round Knockout" is not for lightweights, like those taverns in Mondstadt. Here, the owner does not take such unorthodox orders as fruit juice," Zhongli states.

"So, does that mean I can order wine this time?" Aether asked in excitement.

"I ordered some wine-fermented sweet rice balls for you, if that counts," Zhongli answered.

Aether gave a look of disappointment. "I guess I should have expected this..." He mumbled.

"...If it is to your liking, dear customers, I shall continue the tale of Lady Ningguang's Jade Chamber." The storyteller piped up.

"Hey, there's even a storyteller here! Great atmosphere!" Paimon exclaimed in happiness.

(Y/n) sweatdropped at the trio before him while quietly biting into one of the rice balls that he was supposed to share with Aether.

"Besides fine wine, the excellent ambience is the reason why this place is so well-loved. But when I say ambience, I refer to a different sort from the one the Teyvat Travel Guide uses to judge other establishments," Zhongli explained.

"As you all know, high above the land of Liyue lies a pavilion in the clouds, a palace in the mist... What does it mean to have all-seeing eyes? This, my friends: Lady Ningguang's masterwork that bridges earth and sky. Imagine. The weather is clear, and you gaze down from the deck on the world below... Behold! The glorious sights of Liyue Harbor, stretching out far and wide!" The storyteller exclaimed.

(E/c) eyes darted upward and in a direction where their owner felt as if the group was being watched.

"They say when Lady Ningguang important affairs. She retreats to her Jade Chamber. With none but her three closest confidants in tow... Why brings she these trusted three? To sift through sources, dig through documents. Piece by piece, facts, and figures. Paint a picture on the walls of the chamber... Lady Ningguang's mind is made up. Having made her call, and fwoosh! She scatters the shavings out her window. Ah, look at them! How they billow in the wind. Like a sudden swirling blizzard! As the fragments fall, traces of text flicker before the eyes of the merchants of Liyue. Like ink in white snow. The saying goes, the rarest treasures in the land are the words brought by the paper snow. For the words of the Tianquan have the power to move mountains, and all throughout the land know it," the storyteller said.

Aether and Paimon listened to the story with a look of awe on their faces.

(Y/n) quietly sat there, keeping his (E/c) hues concentrated upon the gaze of those who were watching them from afar.

'Looks like Lady Ningguang sent out a specific messenger once more... isn't that right, Ganyu?' (Y/n) wondered, remembering the female adeptus that he had grown up with when he was younger.

"These are but scraps of paper, and yet they guide Lady Ningguang's hand – such is their value. Merely grasping one or two of them will surely gift you a fragment of her wisdom – enough to stay a step or two ahead of your peers," the storyteller finished off.

Paimon turned her attention to the three males beside her. "Tianquan Ningguang... feels like we're hearing this name a lot. Liyue locals talk about her, the Fatui hate her, she's most likely the one who hid the Exuvia, and we saw her at the Rite of Descension... Huh, Paimon wonders what sort of person she is," she points out in realization.

"At last, I have found you, you who returned from Jueyun Karst," a female voice made its entrance from above.

"Who's there!?" Paimon exclaimed, looking for the person that spoke up.

"Paimon, (Y/n), we gotta go...!" Aether exclaimed in a hurried tone.

"Wait! I am not with the Millelith, nor am I here to claim your bounty," the female voice spoke up once more.

This caused the group to look upwards and take notice of a female with blue hair.

"However, I am an emissary of the Liyue Qixing. My name is Ganyu, secretary at the Yuehai Pavilion, and I have come specifically to meet you," Ganyu introduced herself with a gentle smile on her lips.

(Y/n) chuckled, waving a hand at the female.

Ganyu's eyes brightened at the familiar (H/c)ette and nodded her head back in a silent greeting – also indicating that the both of them should catch up later.

"Emissary?" Aether asked, raising a brow at the female that appeared out of nowhere.

Ganyu nodded her head. "Well, in concrete terms, I am the corporate secretary for the Qixing. At the moment, I am serving as Lady Ningguang's special emissary," she answered.

Paimon gave an unsure look. "Ningguang sent you? We were literally just talking about her..." Paimon trailed off.

"My apologies, you who have returned from Jueyun Karst... I am duty-bound, and cannot extend my courtesy to you in full. But I have with me a letter from Ningguang. She extends a formal invitation to you in her capacity as Tianquan. She invited you both to her palace in the sky," Ganyu apologized lightly.

Paimon squinted her eyes. "An official invitation...?" She repeated in disbelief.

Ganyu hummed softly. "Lady Ningguang said this: "Invite him and our fellow (H/c) friend to come here. I wish to meet them. At the Jade Chamber, together, we shall snip every one of these entwining dark threads"." She reported.

Aether, Zhongli, and Paimon watched as (Y/n) waved goodbye to Ganyu.

"And tell her the next time she tries to get my opinion on shit that I don't give a fuck about, that I'll send some type of greeting her way," (Y/n) states.

Ganyu gave an amused stare but nodded her head before heading off.

"Eh? You know Ningguang, (Y/n)?" Paimon asked in awe.

(Y/n) shrugged his shoulders. "Kinda? I accidentally got into a debate match with her when I was younger and still in Liyue," he answered.

Zhongli stared in amusement. 'You've never changed, (Y/n).' He thought.

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"And with that, the emissary who called herself Ganyu just disappeared... But we've received an invitation from the Liyue Qixing. Paimon still can't believe it! Aether! (Y/n)! We'll be meeting people that have way more money than Paimon could ever count... We should be on our best manners!" Paimon exclaimed, turning towards her two companions.

"Paimon is up to something again..." Aether sighed.

Zhongli chuckled. "Hah... An invitation to visit the Jade Chamber is a rare honor, indeed. You'd best be on your way now. But don't forget about the Rite of Parting. Once you've both finished at the Jade Chamber, meet me at Dihua Marsh."

"Don't worry, we won't forget! Dihua Marsh. We'll see you there!" Paimon declared.

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