Alice, in her usual boisterous manner, hung up the communication without a word.
Zhongli stared at the silent device in his hand, his face turning pale.
Crap.
The Explosive Archon was coming to Liyue with her little explosive apprentice to cause chaos.
Thinking about Alice’s past feats, and then considering the little firecracker that was Klee, despite her young age, Zhongli had a bad feeling about this visit. He felt like something was going to be missing in Liyue this time around.
Last time Alice came, she nearly blew up Yaoguang Shoal. This time…
Would she blow up Tianqiu Valley?
Zhongli felt increasingly uneasy.
He was over six thousand years old, and yet he had to deal with this?
Was there even law in this world?
After a moment of silence, Zhongli sighed.
“Tianquan, send someone to watch the Stone Gate. If you see a frivolous woman with blonde hair and a witch’s hat, accompanied by a red-haired girl with fiery hair…”
“Follow them closely and never let them out of your sight.”
“Also, instruct the Qixing soldiers watching them to refuse anything Alice gives them, refuse to take anything, refuse to eat anything she gives them.”
“Try to avoid talking to them, and watch out for anything that could be easily ignited or exploded.”
“Especially, don’t let them get close to any ruins or water sources.”
“At the same time, warn all the guards of the ruins, mountains, and water areas to be vigilant against explosions and fires.”
“If you find any adorable-looking toys that don't belong to Liyue, stay away from them.”
“Understood?”
Ningguang was a little dazed, but she still nodded and started taking notes.
Keqing was puzzled, muttering:
“Is it necessary to be so nervous? It’s just a witch and her child. I’ve met Klee before.”
“She’s a little lively, and likes to play with dangerous explosives, but she just blows up some fish. There’s no need to be so paranoid, Rex Lapis.”
Zhongli looked at Keqing with a melancholic gaze, and after a moment, he whispered:
“The ruins of Mondstadt’s Stormterror’s Lair weren't ruins. They were blown up by Alice.”
“She wanted to use Hilichurls for a sweatshop to provide energy for Mondstadt, but it was too inhumane and was stopped.”
“She blew up Mondstadt's city gates in front of the Knights of Favonius...”
“She used a pot from the Wangshu Inn to make a bomb and almost blew up Yaoguang Shoal.”
“She thought about blowing a tunnel through the underground water of Jueyun Karst to drain it into the sea, so Jueyun Karst would be shorter.”
“She damaged the wings of Kujou Sara, the Raiden Shogun's general, gave the Electro Archon the nickname 'Stinky-Face General', and almost blew up Tenryou Commission.”
One by one, these incidents filled Ningguang and the others with growing worry.
Zhongli took a deep breath.
“Her daughter, Klee, inherited Alice's explosive talent.”
“At such a young age, she blew up Mondstadt’s Stormbearer Mountains, permanently altering its terrain.”
“She nearly set Mondstadt’s Whispering Woods on fire, blew up fish in Cider Lake, and almost destroyed Mondstadt’s bridge.”
“Now, what do you think of my arrangements?”
Keqing lowered her head and remained silent for a while. After a moment, she raised her head and said seriously:
“Rex Lapis, I think it’s better to have the Adeptus follow them, because I’m afraid the Qixing soldiers won't be able to defend against them!”
“Also, if possible, could you stop Alice and her daughter from entering Liyue Harbor?”
“Ideally, they shouldn’t even cross the Stone Gate.”
Hearing Zhongli’s description, even Ningguang was scared, not just Keqing.
Two explosive maniacs who could alter terrain in a matter of minutes, yet Alice casually mentioned fighting against two top-tier Archons.
Their strength was clearly evident.
This was someone they couldn't afford to mess with.
They should try to keep them out of Liyue.
Zhongli sighed and shook his head.
“It's useless. Once that woman sets her mind on something, she will do it.”
“Maybe she's already on some weird teleporting device and back in Mondstadt.”
“Anyway, be careful during this time. At the very least, avoid any uncontrolled fires and any damage to the terrain.”
With Zhongli saying this, Ningguang and the others could only accept it.
They could only resolve to strengthen their defenses.
For now, Alice and her daughter were more of a threat to Ningguang and the others than Jiang Yan.
At least Jiang Yan, after being with them for a while, didn't seem like he would act rashly.
Seeing that he had said all he needed to say, Zhongli decided not to stay any longer.
Otherwise, Hu Tao would complain again that he had disappeared for a day and didn't do any work.
Thinking about it, Zhongli rose and said helplessly:
“That’s the end of today's meeting. I hope everyone will keep this a secret before the large-scale promotion of cultivation.”
“If there’s nothing else, you all can go. I’ll take you to meet Daoist Jiang tomorrow to discuss other matters.”
Seeing that no one had any objections, Zhongli turned into a golden light and left.
The other Adeptus didn’t want to stay either. They still needed to think about the cultivation issue.
So they followed Zhongli and left.
Soon, only Ningguang, Keqing, and Ganyu remained in the Jade Chamber.
The other Qixing, either too old or having urgent matters to deal with elsewhere, had already left.
Only the two of them could stay and work in Liyue Harbor long-term.
Seeing that Ganyu was also about to return to Moon Sea Pavilion, Ningguang quickly said:
“Secretary Ganyu, can we talk? We have a lot of questions about Mr. Jiang and cultivation.”
As soon as she heard it was about Jiang Yan, Ganyu immediately perked up.
“Sure!”
Ningguang smiled faintly.
“Secretary Ganyu has been with Mr. Jiang for a hundred days. What kind of person do you think he is?”
This opened the floodgates for Ganyu.
Her eyes shone brightly, as if there were little stars twinkling in them.
“Jiang Yan… he’s a very gentle, kind, sincere, talented, and capable man!”
Hearing this, Ningguang and Keqing looked at each other in surprise.
Looking at Ganyu’s glowing eyes at this moment, they realized something was amiss.
It felt like…
Ganyu’s evaluation wasn’t objective at all.
Moreover…
They wanted to know about Jiang Yan's personality, not his abilities and talents!
Had Ganyu been enchanted?
Thinking this, the two looked at Ganyu, who was now talking non-stop, and felt a sense of unease.
It seemed like they wouldn’t be able to get any useful information from Ganyu!
They wanted to interrupt Ganyu and get her to leave, but seeing her go on and on about how interesting her casual conversations with Jiang Yan were a few days ago, Ningguang realized that they were going to be stuck listening to Ganyu's ramblings today.
…
Near dusk in Jueyun Karst.
The sky was draped in gold.
Rustling leaves, carried by the wind, fluttered down towards the sea of clouds below.
The rolling clouds did indeed resemble a sea, especially the sun in the distance, slowly sinking towards the clouds.
It was like a golden tide.
There were few birds in the sky, and even those were white cranes.
They occasionally flew out of the clouds, leaving trails like whales in the sea.
This breathtaking scenery was something few people could appreciate.
After all, not just anyone could come to Jueyun Karst.
However, Jiang Yan, who had just returned from the Quantum Sea, saw it all clearly.
Even though he had some work to do, he couldn't help but sit down and admire the view for a moment.
The true meaning of life lies in occasionally stopping, taking a break, and appreciating the scenery.
Jueyun Karst was lonely, but Jiang Yan didn’t feel that it was desolate.
He sat cross-legged under a tree, and when the sun finally set and the fake stars started twinkling, he was covered in fallen leaves.
Looking up, Jiang Yan, who had just returned from the Quantum Sea, was well aware of the emptiness of this sky.
He didn’t have much interest in watching it anymore.
He stood up and gently shook off the leaves.
He casually sent out a burst of True Qi, and a spatial crack opened nearby, releasing a refreshing breeze filled with rich spiritual energy.
It was truly invigorating.
Jiang Yan stepped into the Shushan Cave Heaven without bothering to see how the animals he had brought back from the Quantum Sea were doing.
He took a step, and it was like crossing a world.
As he passed various mountains and rivers, he paused briefly at any exceptionally beautiful terrain.
One by one, he inscribed soul-binding curses in their souls, ensuring that these Archons wouldn’t cause any trouble.
Although Jiang Yan thought they were weak, they were still cultivators at the Refinement Qi and Transform Spirit level.
If they really wanted to cause damage, it would be a big deal.
Jiang Yan wasn’t interested in supervising them every day.
What Jiang Yan had told Zhongli and the others was true. He had really gone hunting in the Outer Sea of Darkness.
He really did treat these Archons like beasts.
And he still found these Archons weak.
But catching beings at the Refinement Spirit and Return to Void level wasn't easy.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t catch them, but creatures of this level were rare in the Quantum Sea.
Even if he sensed them, they could hide away quickly.
Life in the Quantum Sea had ingrained the instinct to seek advantage and avoid danger deep within their bones.
But this was enough for now.
Jiang Yan didn’t just catch Archons in the Outer Sea of Darkness, he also caught many demonic familiars at the Refinement Essence and Transform Qi level.
It was training…
Not all disciples who joined his sect would be like Zhongli, at the Refinement Qi and Transform Spirit level.
He continued to release them, and finally, Jiang Yan arrived at the seashore.
He still had two Archons left, his best catches today.
As for their strength…
Peak Refinement Qi and Transform Spirit!