"This is Granny Ping??!!!!!!"

At this moment, Paimon finally noticed the name on the card and turned to look at Granny Ping with near-horror.

"Ah!"

Keqing also suddenly realized—wasn't this illustration exactly Granny Ping? And wasn't Streetward Rambler Granny Ping's adeptal title?

Keqing had seen Granny Ping's other form before, back during the incident with the Southern Summit's Mountain and Sea Enchantress. To meet with the Enchantress, Granny Ping had reverted to her younger appearance.

However, the image on the card naturally wasn't an exact replica of reality, so Keqing hadn't connected the dots immediately. But upon closer inspection, this was undeniably the younger version of Granny Ping.

But... back then, their attention had been entirely focused on the Mountain and Sea Enchantress, and the tense atmosphere had prevented them from dwelling on it. Now, seeing it again, the contrast between Granny Ping's current and past appearance was almost unbelievable.

"Ahahahaha." Granny Ping laughed softly. "Everyone was young once."

"But adepti don't age, right?" Paimon asked curiously. "Is this Granny Ping's true form? She's so beautiful!"

"Does it really matter which form is the 'true' one?" Granny Ping countered with a smile. "No matter the appearance, the one standing before you now is still me. That's all that matters."

"That's such a profound statement… though I don't really get it."

Paimon shared her thoughts honestly.

Granny Ping couldn't help but laugh again. "Not understanding is fine—I don't really get it either."

"Huh? So you were just saying it randomly?"

This time, Granny Ping didn't answer. She merely smiled again, deftly sidestepping the question.

—She might have been laughing, but the player, Elysia, was utterly stunned.

Covering her mouth with her tiny hands, her face filled with awe, she gasped: "So beautiful! Granny Ping's true form is this stunning?! Will Genshin release a Granny Ping banner? I'm pulling for her!"

[Aren't you from miHoYo?]

[How dare you say that—you dangled such a huge bait, now release her already!]

[I want Granny Ping! Give me Granny Ping! I want to play as Granny Ping's shockwave!]

"Ahem." Elysia glanced at the barrage of comments and chuckled. "I'm just a voice actor. Which characters get released isn't up to me—go ask Kiana. Of course, I'll ask her too. I've always liked Granny Ping, and now that she has such a gorgeous skin, I'm definitely pulling for her."

While Elysia confidently made her declaration, the story continued to play out automatically.

Lumine, examining the gift box, suddenly spoke up: "Granny Ping, there seems to be something else inside."

"Oh? Let me see… Hm? A letter."

Granny Ping unfolded the letter and began reading.

The contents of the letter appeared on the screen:

"Do you wish to see Guizhong again?

The first-ever Dueling Championship will be held in Liyue Harbor. As the event's organizer, I cordially invite you to participate, Streetward Rambler."

"What does this mean?"

Elysia tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"I can make a guess, but… let's keep watching first."

She clicked to continue.

Granny Ping's grip on the letter tightened, her pupils dilating slightly.

"What's wrong, Granny Ping?" Paimon asked in surprise.

"...No, it's nothing."

Granny Ping tucked the letter away.

"My apologies, but I must go speak with the Geo Archon. I'll take my leave for now."

With those words, a flash of blue light—and Granny Ping vanished.

Lumine and Keqing exchanged glances.

Keqing's expression was grave. "The Supreme Bishop of Fontaine's gifts really aren't simple, are they?"

"We still don't know what's going on. Let's deliver the rest of the gifts and see how the other adepti react."

This was somewhat unexpected. She had assumed this gift-delivery trip was just Ye's way of helping Keqing relax. But now, it seemed there was more to it.

Come to think of it, before she had even gone to see Ye, he had already tasked Keqing with delivering gifts.

In other words… helping Keqing unwind was just a side benefit?

Well, no matter. The gifts were in their hands now, and whatever Ye's intentions were, it didn't interfere with her goal of helping Keqing decompress.

So, for now, they would simply enjoy their sightseeing journey.

"My Lord, what do you make of this?"

Granny Ping—no, Streetward Rambler—had sought out Zhongli in her younger form, a sight he was once familiar with but hadn't seen in a long time.

Zhongli didn't immediately read the letter. Instead, he gazed at her and sighed softly. "It's been a while since I've seen you like this, Ping."

"My Lord, now isn't the time for such matters."

Though her expression remained composed, her inner turmoil was undeniable.

Confusion, anticipation, disbelief—her emotions were so tangled even she couldn't fully grasp them.

Zhongli lowered his eyes to the letter. His expression remained unchanged, his voice steady.

"It seems Ye has truly revived Guizhong… in the form of a card spirit."

Ping frowned slightly. "A card spirit?"

"In Ye's words, it means allowing unique souls to dwell within Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, granting them sentience. He mentioned before that he would revive Guizhong in this manner—though whether this truly counts as revival is debatable."

"But Guizhong was… Is something like this even possible?"

To resurrect a fallen god—one who had returned to dust—was such a thing even achievable?

Even the Geo Archon couldn't accomplish it. Ping was certain none of The Seven possessed such power. Otherwise, how could even the gods endure—

"It is indeed difficult to believe."

Zhongli acknowledged the point, but…

"But if it's Ye, then even achieving something like this wouldn't surprise me too much."

"..."

Yes, it was truly unbelievable. Yet the moment one considered that it was the Supreme Bishop of Fontaine, even the most inconceivable things would inevitably spark the thought—"Maybe it really is possible."

That was why Ping's emotions weren't just confusion and disbelief.

There was also… hope.

She hoped—perhaps this was real.

That was why she had come to seek the Geo Archon's confirmation.

And now, he had affirmed it.

Which meant…

"I understand."

Ping took out the card bearing her own image, gazing at her younger self as she murmured:

"No matter what his intentions are… I will participate in this so-called Dueling Championship."