Chapter 25

She understood all too well that now, with Rex Lapis gone, the Liyue Qixing had become the ones in charge — and they were about to face far greater challenges ahead.

"Don't panic. You are all the finest talents Liyue has to offer. There is no difficulty that can truly defeat you.

Think of this crisis as an exam — a test of whether the people of Liyue can govern Liyue themselves.

As for how to pass the exam, I already know the answer!"

"What's the answer?"

"Hold on. Let's wait until everyone is here, then we'll go over the detailed arrangements."

Keqing was a little puzzled as to who else they were waiting for — but what happened next left her completely dumbfounded.

The first to arrive was Ganyu. The moment she spotted Lu Lin, she shot him a reproachful glare.

Lu Lin knew exactly what that look meant. Back in the alley when he had been taking liberties with Ningguang, the others had surely sensed it through their shared connection.

He was utterly shameless about it. He stepped forward and pulled Ganyu into a big, warm hug.

Ganyu was a little flustered, but she didn't pull away. After all, he had already hugged her in front of everyone at the entrance to Yuehai Pavilion — that news had long since spread around.

Then Hu Tao arrived as well. Lu Lin had specifically asked Ningguang to send word and summon her.

Hu Tao was far more forward than Ganyu. She bounced over cheerfully and threw her arms around Lu Lin first, pulling him into a big hug herself.

Everyone else took it in stride. Only Keqing stood there, staring blankly at Lu Lin with a girl on each arm, utterly incredulous.

Wait — what was going on here? How many was that now?

She had only left Liyue Harbor to go deal with some monsters, and by the time she got back, they'd all been swept up in one fell swoop?

Ganyu, Hu Tao, Ningguang, and Xiangling — surely there wasn't anyone else?

Not for now — but you might very well be the next target~

After a short while, the rest of Ningguang's capable subordinates arrived as well. After a brief round of greetings and introductions, Lu Lin took command and began assigning tasks in a calm, methodical manner.

"For those handling intelligence work — send people to the Yueyan Tea House on the cliffs of Liyue Harbor. It's a secret Fatui stronghold, and there are important items inside. Make sure you send only your best!

The North Land Bank also needs to be watched. Prevent them from spreading rumors through the city. Of course, it's impossible to stop it entirely, but we at least need to keep track of their movements.

There are several Guizhong Ballistas left by the adepti at the ancient walls of Mt. Tianheng, correct? Those things pack tremendous power and will be extremely useful when the time comes. I need to go inspect them in person.

In addition, I need these materials — please have someone gather them as quickly as possible, and arrange for a team of the finest craftsmen available." Lu Lin produced a list of materials and handed it to Ningguang.

"Understood. I'll see to it!"

"The divine vessel of Rex Lapis — have you hidden it away?"

"It has been secretly moved and concealed at—"

"That information must be kept strictly confidential. Under no circumstances can the Fatui learn of it. In fact, it's best that none of us know for now either." Lu Lin cut her off. With so many people present, blurting it out risked a leak.

Lu Lin and Keqing had already discussed at length what problems Liyue might face without its god and how to address them. Now it was simply a matter of putting the plan into practice, working through it step by step.

There would inevitably be complications along the way — that was perfectly normal. Problems would arise, they would be addressed and refined, and things would naturally improve over time.

Ningguang watched him direct everything with such calm composure, and a strange feeling stirred quietly in her heart.

This... wasn't so bad, actually?

She was a self-made woman through and through — she had always relied solely on herself and never leaned on anyone else. Yet today, handing the reins to him and simply doing her own part without having to worry about everything... gave her an inexplicable sense of security.

If only he weren't such a hopeless flirt — when he was actually focused on getting things done, he was rather impressive.

At the ancient walls of Mt. Tianheng, Keqing and Lu Lin stood before an enormous ballista, examining it carefully.

This was a Guizhong Ballista — a massive war weapon invented by the Dust Archon Guizhong and later modified by Cloud Retainer.

"It looks well-preserved. There are signs of damage, but nothing serious — it should be easy enough to repair." Lu Lin studied it for a moment and nodded.

Keqing's role among the Qixing was to oversee land and construction. She had set foot on every inch of Liyue's territory and knew it like the back of her hand, which was why she had been the one to guide Lu Lin here.

"You know mechanical arts too?" Keqing was once again taken aback as she watched Lu Lin tinker with the machine in a surprisingly competent manner.

Was there anything this man couldn't do?

"Just a little." Lu Lin was uncharacteristically modest. "There are maintenance parts in the warehouse over there. Let's go grab some."

The Guizhong Ballistas had been built during the Archon War to repel invaders. Once the war ended, they had fallen out of use and into disrepair.

However, the replacement parts stored in the warehouse were still there. The two of them carried the parts out, and Lu Lin set to work on the repairs.

He had been studying Guizhong's mechanical arts for several days now. With the assistance of [Keen Intellect], his progress had been remarkably swift — repairing a damaged Guizhong Ballista was no great challenge for him.

He worked with focused concentration while Keqing crouched beside him as his assistant, handing him tools and parts as needed. The two worked in seamless coordination, and before long, the first Guizhong Ballista was fully restored.

"Done!" Lu Lin dusted off his hands and stood up. He glanced back at Keqing, who was still crouching on the ground, and his eyes lit up.

Keqing had a fondness for black stockings. Her slender, shapely legs were wrapped snugly in patterned black silk, and in her crouching position, they curved into a breathtaking arc.

Unfortunately, her rather pert rear was concealed beneath her purple skirt, denying Lu Lin a view of what he suspected was the most spectacular part of the silhouette.

She wore a fitted waist-cinching dress that accentuated her trim figure, giving her a sharp, capable look — while also making the fullness of her chest all the more striking by contrast.

Especially in her crouching position, where her knees pressed against the soft flesh, creating an astonishing shape.

By Lu Lin's estimation, she was absolutely no less impressive than Ganyu, Liyue's Cryo main carry.

That pose was truly criminal.

Sensing Lu Lin's burning gaze, Keqing felt a flash of irritation. You've already gotten your hands on so many girls — and now you're setting your sights on me too?

But this was a time when everyone needed to work together, and causing discord would be counterproductive. So she merely shot Lu Lin a glare and moved to stand up.

But she had been crouching for so long that her legs had gone numb. When she rose, the movement was too abrupt — she stumbled, lost her balance, and toppled straight backward.

The two of them had been crouching on the platform of the Guizhong Ballista, a full two meters off the ground. A fall from there would be no small matter.

At the critical moment, Lu Lin moved like a feather on the wind, tracing an effortlessly graceful arc through the air. He landed first and caught her squarely in his arms.

"Careful — are you all right?" Lu Lin asked gently.

"I'm fine. You pervert — where are your hands?!" Keqing was equal parts embarrassed and furious, a rosy flush spreading across her adorable doll-like face.

It had all happened so fast. Lu Lin had been focused entirely on catching her, and in doing so, his hand had inadvertently landed on the spectacular curve that had been hidden beneath her skirt just moments ago.

Firm, round, and wonderfully springy.

Rather than being flustered by Keqing's outburst, Lu Lin simply applied a little more pressure with his fingers and gave a couple of deliberate squeezes.

The silky smoothness of the stockings combined perfectly with the supple resilience beneath — the sensation was incomparable.

"You're still squeezing?! Put me down right now!" Keqing was blunt by nature, and seeing him push his luck only made her angrier.

Lu Lin flashed a mischievous grin, growing bolder by the second. "I was kind enough to catch you, and not only do you not thank me, you call me a pervert. I'm offended!"

That did put Keqing in a slightly awkward position. She said in a smaller voice, "Thank you for catching me. But you took advantage of the situation — that makes you a pervert."

"Oh? But don't you like it?" Lu Lin's technique had been enhanced by his entries, and even just a few squeezes like this had already brought Keqing an indescribable sense of pleasure.

An inexplicable, strange sensation rose from somewhere deep within her. Keqing puffed out her cheeks, ready to argue back — but before the words could leave her lips, a jolt like an electric current shot straight to the crown of her head.

"Mmh~ Let go of my... hand! I don't... like it at all!" The blunt girl's soft, sweet moan was utterly at odds with her usual personality.

"You don't like it? Then what about the other night at the mouth of Cuijue Slope — what were you doing when you..." Lu Lin's smile never wavered, but to Keqing, it was infuriating beyond words.

"No! Don't say it! Don't you dare bring up Cuijue Slope!" Keqing looked as though a switch had been flipped. She shook her head frantically and began struggling wildly in his arms.

But Lu Lin was no longer the same person he had once been. A struggle of this degree was nowhere near enough to break free from his hold.

"But it happened. Pretending it didn't won't change anything. Does Miss Keqing still truly believe she doesn't like it? Refusing to be honest doesn't seem very fitting for someone known for her directness and candor~"

Lu Lin pressed on like a devil, and his hand, not content with mere squeezing, ventured just a little further...

The moment his fingertips made contact, they were met with a warm, damp sensation.

The black stockings beneath her skirt were already soaked through, and a faint, sweet fragrance drifted quietly into the air.

Keqing clamped her legs together tightly, refusing to let Lu Lin go any further. She bit her lip, furrowed her brow, and held his gaze with stubborn, unyielding eyes.

"Heh." Lu Lin let out a meaningful laugh and asked again, "Miss Keqing — do you like it or not? Telling lies doesn't seem like a habit befitting the Yuheng Star~"

Keqing turned her face away and refused to look at him. After a long silence, she squeezed two words out through gritted teeth: "I like it."

"Since you like it, shall I keep going for a while?" Lu Lin's fingertips traced slow, light circles over the silk stockings as he asked.

Keqing pouted and refused to answer him.

Silence was as good as consent — but at that very moment, Lu Lin released her and set her down, even thoughtfully smoothing out her skirt for her. Then, with deliberate provocation, he said, "No answer, I suppose that means no more."

The moment his hands left her, Keqing felt a wave of relief — followed almost immediately by a faint, inexplicable sense of loss. When she heard his insufferably smug remark, her face flushed crimson with embarrassment, and she spun around to leave.

"Don't rush off — there are still two more Guizhong Ballistas that need fixing. I need your help!" Lu Lin called out cheerfully.

Keqing had barely taken two steps before she stopped in her tracks. She turned back, face carefully composed into a stern expression. "I'm only doing this for the greater good. Don't read anything into it — and don't try anything like that again. Understood?"

"Of course, of course. We're both people who put the greater good first!" Lu Lin's tone was exactly like someone humoring a child.

"Then let's get started — stop wasting time!" The blunt girl's eyes rolled so hard they nearly disappeared into the back of her head.

When it came to actual work, Lu Lin was perfectly professional. With the experience of the first repair under his belt, the remaining two took even less time. Before long, all three Guizhong Ballistas had been fully restored.

"Come to think of it — why are you so set on repairing the Guizhong Ballistas? Is Liyue actually going to face internal strife or war?" On the way back, Keqing couldn't hold back the question that had been nagging at her.

"Internal strife is unlikely. Liyue has been at peace for a long time, and the people's hearts are settled. Even without Rex Lapis, as long as the Qixing stand united, there's no reason for things to fall apart internally.

That said, an event this significant will certainly draw the attention of the adepti who have withdrawn to Jueyun Karst. There may be some friction when that happens — it's not something we can ignore.

But the Guizhong Ballistas aren't meant for dealing with the adepti. My main reason for restoring them is to guard against external threats."

"External threats? The Fatui?" All of Lu Lin's arrangements today had been directed at the Fatui, and Keqing had taken careful note of that.

"They may not be the final adversary, but they're certainly connected to whoever is. That's why I had people move to clear out the Fatui's strongholds."

Lu Lin had been right about one thing — for him, this was an open-book exam. He had known from the very beginning what the Fatui's goals and plans were, and he knew what Zhongli intended as well.

But he had no desire to let things play out to the very last moment.

Childe's plan was to locate the divine vessel of Rex Lapis and find the Gnosis hidden within it. If it couldn't be found, that would prove Rex Lapis had faked his death.

At that point, Childe would use a large number of counterfeit All-Immunity Talismans to unseal the Hydro Archon Osial, using Osial to force Rex Lapis to reveal himself.

Knowing all of this, Lu Lin had no intention of playing along with Childe's rhythm. So he had Ningguang conceal the divine vessel — its location was to remain absolutely secret.

He also had Ningguang send forces to destroy the Yueyan Tea House where the counterfeit All-Immunity Talismans were being produced, cutting off any possibility of Osial being unsealed.

This plan was precisely targeted. It would be very difficult for the Fatui to accomplish anything meaningful now.

But as a precaution, Lu Lin had still repaired the Guizhong Ballistas. If Osial were somehow awakened in the end, the Guizhong Ballistas would be the weapon to deal with him.

The Jade Chamber was the work of Ningguang's entire life. He certainly didn't want to see it destroyed — if it could be saved, it was worth every effort to do so.

As for Zhongli's wish to test whether the people of Liyue could face a crisis and protect their home on their own — wasn't neutralizing the crisis before it could even unfold a form of response in itself?

If anything, it deserved a perfect score.

Keqing noticed he had left his explanation half-finished, and knowing he wouldn't elaborate further, she reined in her curiosity and asked nothing more. The two of them returned to Liyue Harbor together.

Liyue. The North Land Bank.

A sharp-looking young man with short orange hair sat behind his desk, listening to a subordinate's report.

"Lord Childe, the Millelith launched a raid on the Yueyan Tea House. Everyone we had working on the counterfeit All-Immunity Talismans has been arrested, and every talisman we had produced has been confiscated!"

"What happened? The Yueyan Tea House was our most concealed stronghold. How did the Millelith get onto us? And not a single All-Immunity Talisman left?" Childe looked up, his eyes flashing with fury.

"My lord, except for the five that were delivered to the North Land Bank yesterday, none remain."

"This is a serious problem. Five All-Immunity Talismans won't be nearly enough. There are capable people among the Liyue Qixing — they've even managed to disrupt my contingency plan."

Childe rubbed his chin, a nagging sense that something was off. Why was this mission going so poorly?