Hu Tao Is Monetizing My Existence.

Hu Tao waved casually—her version of a greeting.

Jiang Bai just gave a polite smile. He didn't know them, after all, so a nod would have to do.

He thought that would be the end of it. Just a brief exchange of glances, nothing more. But to his surprise, after a short conversation between them, Ningguang and Beidou began walking over.

"It's been a while, Director Hu. And this is...?" Ningguang greeted Hu Tao with a smile, then turned her eyes to Jiang Bai.

Hu Tao, quick on the uptake, made the introductions. "This is Jiang Bai, the 渡魂者—Soul Ferryman—of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."

Then she turned to Jiang Bai and introduced the other two.

"This is Lady Ningguang, Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing. And this is Captain Beidou of the Crux."

"A pleasure, a real pleasure!" Jiang Bai offered an awkward smile.

He had thought Ningguang was just making small talk, so he responded in kind. But her reaction took him completely off guard.

Her eyes sparkled with amusement. Despite being one of the most powerful figures in Liyue, she was approachable and warm, with no hint of arrogance.

In a slightly playful tone, she said, "Indeed, a pleasure. I've heard quite a bit about you. This is the first time we've met in person."

"You've heard of someone like me, Lady Ningguang?" Jiang Bai asked, genuinely surprised.

He hadn't been in Liyue for long. Aside from tagging along with Hu Tao here and there, he couldn't think of anything noteworthy he'd done to attract the attention of someone as high-ranking as a Qixing.

Could it be… because of those old rumors?

The ones about him coming back from the dead, having three heads and six arms, a face like a demon…

Xiangling had heard those, after all.

But that was back when he first arrived. Street legends burned fast and faded just as quickly. Hardly anyone mentioned it these days.

Still, if the Qixing had noticed him because of that, they'd probably already looked into his background thoroughly.

Jiang Bai wasn't worried. He didn't even know his own origin, so what did he have to be nervous about?

"The revival of a man under Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's care—it's only natural that the Qixing would be informed," Ningguang said frankly, not bothering to conceal it.

That was only proper. The Qixing were the overseers of Liyue. It would be far more concerning if they didn't know something like that.

And besides, this was just a chance encounter. A polite greeting, nothing more. There was no deeper purpose behind it.

In the end, Jiang Bai was just a minor figure. Yes, he had a Vision, but he hadn't done anything truly remarkable. His origins were mysterious, sure, but that alone wasn't enough to draw Ningguang's serious attention. Maintaining friendly terms was sufficient.

As for Beidou—she had only come along to say hi.

"I've heard some things even way out on the Crux," Beidou said, grinning as she clapped a hand on Jiang Bai's shoulder. "For someone in your line of work, you've got a surprisingly high profile."

Before Ningguang brought it up, she hadn't realized this pale-faced young man was the subject of those recent rumors.

No wonder the stories sounded so wild—they were rumors, after all. Most of it was nonsense.

"Is that so? I've heard all kinds of tales about the Crux while wandering the harbor," Jiang Bai replied with a laugh.

Hu Tao had once promised that the name "Jiang Bai the Soul Ferryman" would be known across all of Teyvat—but before that could happen, the absurd rumors had already swept across Liyue Harbor first.

"Hahaha! You should come aboard my ship sometime!" Beidou offered heartily.

After a few more friendly words, the ceremonial bell rang out—marking the start of the Rite of Descension.

The bustle of Yujing Terrace fell silent at once.

The resonant toll of the bells echoed from the mountain, sweeping across the entire harbor.

Everyone knew then: the Rite had begun.

Musicians struck the ancient bronze chimes, and Keqing, clad in full ceremonial dress, stepped forward to the incense burner and faced the gathered crowd.

Leadership speeches—no matter where—were always the same: long-winded.

And stuffed with formalities.

Thankfully, Keqing wasn't a rigid traditionalist, so she had kept her remarks concise, saving everyone time.

Once her speech concluded, she lit three thick sticks of incense. After reciting a long, solemn invocation, she planted the incense upright into the burner with reverence.

The chime melody changed. Keqing lifted her voice, and the Millelith stationed around the terrace joined in, chanting a hymn in an ancient tongue.

The melody swelled and rolled, stirring the heart with its elegance and grandeur.

More rituals followed—each one intricate and steeped in tradition. Eventually, Keqing retrieved a long scroll from her sleeve and began reading aloud once again.

But this time, it wasn't a speech. This was the invocation to summon the Geo Archon.

Only now did Jiang Bai truly realize how complicated the Rite of Descension was. The procedures were elaborate, the pageantry over the top—he was nearly falling asleep on his feet.

No wonder the locals don't bother showing up. He definitely wasn't coming a second time.

Fortunately, it finally reached its climax. Keqing's crisp, powerful voice broke through the drowsy fog and brought everyone's attention back.

"Yuheng Star Keqing humbly invites the Archon!"

Jiang Bai's eyes shot up just in time to see the clouds above begin to shift.

What had been a sky of pure white suddenly shimmered with golden light.

A swirling vortex formed in the clouds, and from within it emerged a colossal figure—first the head, then the limbs, then the great body fully revealed.

It was a dragon—majestic, divine, awe-inspiring.

Its antlers resembled a deer's; its head was shaped like a camel's; its eyes shone like a rabbit's; its neck stretched like a serpent's; its belly swelled like a clam's; its scales gleamed like a fish's; its claws were sharp as an eagle's; its paws powerful as a tiger's; its ears curved like an ox's.

Its entire form radiated the weight and solidity of stone, and its luminous golden eyes burned with divine light.

The dragon looked down upon Liyue Harbor—upon the people, upon Keqing standing atop the altar. Its presence swept over them with a god's unshakable authority.

In the next instant, its massive form shrank and descended slowly, alighting upon the platform.

"Whoa—!" Jiang Bai couldn't help the awed sound that escaped his lips.

"So this is the true form of the Geo Archon? It looks nothing like the statue…"

"In Liyue legends, the Archon is said to take many forms. But during the Rite of Descension, it is always this true draconic form that appears." Ningguang said as she gently rotated her smoking pipe, eyes full of reverence.

This was the Geo Archon—the god who had watched over Liyue for 3,700 years.

"I've seen the Archon appear before, but every time I witness it, my heart pounds like it's the first," Hu Tao said, clenching a fist, excitement gleaming in her eyes.

Standing here for hours had been more than worth it.

"Yeah. We're lucky to have such a guardian," Beidou added, her tone solemn.

"I just hope this year's edict isn't about seafood again," she muttered.

"A dignified captain like you—worried about trade quotas?" Ningguang teased.

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T/N: YOU TWO SHOULD KISS