First came the technology of long-distance teleportation. Then came levitation technology that defied gravity.

And they had only just arrived in Liyue.

The New Eridu delegation was already witnessing Liyue's overwhelming strength—further proof, in their eyes, that Liyue truly had the power to deal with Hollow 0.

...

From up ahead came Paimon's voice:

"Zhu Yuan, Soldier 11, Billy—what are you all doing back there? Yujing Terrace is just ahead! Hurry up!"

Billy snapped back to attention and quickly asked,

"Wait—what about that house in the sky? What's going on with that?"

Paimon followed his gaze, glanced at the others, then looked back up at the massive structure floating above. At once, she understood.

"That's the Jade Chamber," Paimon explained seriously. "Ningguang is up there. Keqing said she'd get you all settled first. Tomorrow, she'll take you to the Jade Chamber to meet her."

Ningguang?

Who was that?

Billy didn't understand, but he didn't press the question. He just hurried after the group.

...

Along the way, the visitors from New Eridu kept looking around.

The more they saw, the stranger Liyue seemed to them.

On one hand, the nation had mastered impossibly advanced technologies like spatial teleportation and levitation. On the other, its daily life appeared almost primitive.

The carriages on the streets were still drawn by horses.

Most of the houses were made of wood, with only a few built from stone.

It was a bizarre contrast: highly advanced, yet oddly archaic.

...

Before long, they reached Yujing Terrace.

The news of Keqing's return spread like wildfire.

In moments, the entire Yujing Terrace was bustling. Secretary Ganyu, along with Keqing's subordinates, all rushed out to greet her.

Keqing sighed helplessly.

"There's no need for such a big fuss. Get back to your work."

Her people had intended to report on everything that had happened while she was away, but seeing that she was busy, they quickly returned to their posts.

Only Ganyu remained.

...

The New Eridu delegation couldn't help but stare at her in astonishment.

"Thiren?!"

In New Eridu, the Thiren had long since perished in the Hollow disasters. None of them had expected to see a living one here in Liyue.

But as soon as they voiced their surprise, Ganyu's expression turned flustered.

"N-no... I'm not a sheep... I'm not—"

Realizing their mistake, Zhu Yuan quickly bowed her head.

"Sorry, we didn't mean it like that..."

Paimon threw up her hands.

"Ganyu's not a sheep, and she's not a Thiren either. She's a Qilin. So quit shouting nonsense next time."

Qilin?

The name alone left Zhu Yuan and the others stunned.

They'd heard of it before—from old movies. A mythical beast from ages even earlier than the Old Era, said to wield extraordinary power.

But that was just fiction, wasn't it?

How could a creature like that really exist?

Though doubtful, the visitors knew better than to be rude. As guests in Liyue, they kept their questions to themselves, though their curious stares still left Ganyu visibly uneasy.

Tsukishiro Yanagi cleared her throat politely.

"Miss Qilin, I apologize. We didn't mean any offense."

Flustered, Ganyu shook her head.

"Please, don't call me Miss Qilin. I'm the secretary of the Liyue Qixing. Just call me Ganyu."

Yanagi nodded.

"Understood—Miss Ganyu, then."

...

Soon after, under the guidance of Ganyu and Keqing, the delegation from New Eridu, the members of Hare's House, and even Arataki Itto and his group from Inazuma were all arranged in the guest residences behind Yujing Terrace, specifically reserved for foreign delegations.

Once everyone was settled, Keqing immediately departed again, taking the Traveler, Paimon, and Xiao with her.

Their destination—the Jade Chamber.

Before any further talks could be held between Liyue and New Eridu, Keqing had to share the intelligence gathered during their recent expedition with Ningguang, and consult her on their next move.

...

After Keqing's departure, Zhu Yuan approached Ganyu.

"We'd like to look around Liyue's streets and maybe buy a few things. Could you send someone to guide us?"

Ganyu hesitated for a moment, then offered softly,

"Where do you want to go? I can guide you myself."

Zhu Yuan tilted her head.

"Then... what places are there in Liyue City?"

One by one, Ganyu listed the major districts, giving them a rough sense of the city's layout.

And so, with Ganyu leading the way, the delegation from New Eridu and the people of Hare's House returned to the bustling streets of Liyue.

It was then that Billy suddenly noticed something.

"Wait—Nicole, where's Sam Li? I don't see him anywhere."

Nicole replied calmly, though her heart was racing.

"Hu Tao said there was a huge backlog of work at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, so she took Sam Li back with her to help out."

"Will he be coming back?"

"Of course. He's an official employee of Hare's House. He signed a contract."

On the surface, Nicole sounded confident.

But inside, she was panicking.

If Hu Tao didn't return Sam Li... then she'd go and take him back herself.

Hare's House couldn't lose Sam Li, just as New Eridu couldn't lose its city center.

...

In just over an hour, Nicole, Zhu Yuan, Tsukishiro Yanagi, and the others had toured nearly all of Liyue Harbor.

They realized that, compared to New Eridu, Liyue wasn't particularly large. Its population and size were modest.

It felt less like a metropolis and more like a secluded paradise.

Curious, Zhu Yuan asked,

"Miss Ganyu, what's beyond those mountains? Are there Hollows out there?"

Ganyu shook her head.

"No. Liyue doesn't have the kind of Hollows you're talking about. But it just rained, and the mountain paths aren't easy to climb. If you want to go up Tianheng Mountain, I'd suggest waiting until tomorrow."

Zhu Yuan nodded.

"Thank you for the advice..."

As they spoke with Ganyu, Zhu Yuan, Tsukishiro Yanagi, and Commander Mikhail learned even more about Liyue.

In truth... Liyue wasn't just a city.

It was the name of an entire nation.

And Liyue Harbor—the port where they now stood—was only one part of it. Beyond the mountains lay countless more towns and cities.

The revelation left them deeply shaken.

From Ganyu's descriptions, Liyue's territory was vast—far beyond anything New Eridu could compare to.

...

Meanwhile, on the other side of Liyue Harbor.

Inside the Jade Chamber, Keqing led the Traveler, Paimon, and Xiao into the floating palace, where they were greeted by Ningguang herself.

Seeing them arrive, Ningguang's expression remained calm, as if she had already foreseen their return.

Before Paimon or Keqing could speak, Ningguang took the lead.

"Those people—are they the ones you brought back from the unknown region?"

When Keqing had passed through Liyue Harbor earlier with the delegation, Ningguang had been watching from above, observing their every step from the Jade Chamber.

At her question, Keqing nodded slowly.

"Yes. They're representatives sent by New Eridu, seeking to cooperate with us."