Summer Shop.
"These are all the intelligence reports we've gathered about Lesser Lord Kusanali over the years."
Yelan took out a thin booklet and handed it to Xia Ci.
Xia Ci accepted it, slightly surprised.
"So little?"
"Yes. I thought the same at first. Later, I specifically searched the archives for days, only to confirm that this is truly all we have. The Dendro Archon hasn't made a public appearance in years—she remains secluded in the Sanctuary of Surasthana."
"Is that so…"
Xia Ci looked down at the booklet in her hands, a thoughtful gleam in her eyes.
She had previously asked Zhongli about Lesser Lord Kusanali, but he hadn't provided much information.
After the cataclysm five hundred years ago, the positions of the Seven Archons shifted. The new gods, busy stabilizing their nations and dealing with personal matters, no longer gathered in Liyue as they once did. Communication between them had nearly ceased, leaving only their people to maintain trade ties.
Liyue's geographical advantage—bordered by Fontaine to the north, Inazuma to the south, Mondstadt to the east, and Sumeru to the west—was a key reason for its status as the continent's commercial hub.
Given Morax's temperament, even in peaceful times, he would never neglect monitoring the movements of neighboring Archons.
Xia Ci had initially assumed he was bound by some Contract that prevented him from sharing details. But now, it seemed he truly hadn't gathered much intel on Lesser Lord Kusanali.
Which meant the issue likely lay within Sumeru itself.
"This is the Akasha Terminal you requested. Chant 'May I be granted the wisdom of the divine' to activate it—though it only works within Sumeru's borders."
Yelan handed over a leaf-shaped device.
"That's everything you asked for."
Xia Ci nodded, accepting the Akasha Terminal, then passed a small cube to Yelan.
"Here's the upgraded recorder I promised. Usage is the same—just remember to have an Electro Vision holder recharge it for you."
"Got it."
…
Back room.
Incense curled through the air.
"Mr. Xia, today's fried chicken was delicious."
"Glad you liked it. I'm planning to develop a new flavor next week."
"New flavor? I'm looking forward to it. Pity I won't be here to try it."
"Oh?"
"I'm heading to The Chasm tomorrow."
"But wasn't The Chasm sealed due to the incident?"
"Exactly. I'm going to investigate the truth behind it."
"Personally?"
"Mm. We've sent operatives over the past few months, but progress has been minimal. Plus… this might be tied to the disappearance of one of my ancestors. For both duty and personal reasons, I need to go."
"I see. Well, duty calls. I'll save some for your return. By the way, isn't The Chasm quite far from Liyue?"
"Pushing hard, it's about three days' travel."
"That's quite a journey. When do you expect to be back?"
"Hard to say. Hopefully before the Lantern Rite. I'll come for a massage then."
"Then I wish you smooth sailing."
After the massage, Yelan thanked him with a smile and headed to the bathhouse.
Xia Zhi tidied the massage bed, then took out a handful of Mora from his inventory.
Time for a divination.
He tossed the coins onto the bed, watching as they settled into a pattern.
"Hexagram 53: Gradual Progress… Treading on thin ice… A sign that haste invites misfortune."
Not the most auspicious omen.
The imagery was of a traveler crossing a frozen river, only to find the ice thinning beneath their feet—a moment of sheer terror.
This suggested Yelan's mission would be perilous.
Yet, it wasn't wholly inauspicious.
Even on thinning ice, caution could ensure safe passage.
Given Yelan's meticulous nature, she'd likely emerge unscathed.
As Xia Zhi gathered the coins, Xia Ci walked in, curious.
"Cousin, what are you doing?"
"Divination."
"For whom?"
"Yelan. She has a mission tomorrow—I wanted to gauge its risks."
"What's the reading?"
"Treading on thin ice."
"Oh. Given the shady, dangerous work she does, that tracks."
"Mm."
Xia Ci smoothly lay down on the bed.
"Cousin, Yelan gave me the intel on Nahida today."
"Nahida? Your daughter?"
"What daughter?! She's my younger sister!"
"Cutting and replanting is a form of propagation. She sprouted from a branch of yours—that's basically a daughter."
"SISTER!"
"Fine, fine, if you're so hung up on it. So, any useful findings in those reports?"
"Yelan's intel was sparse… Five hundred years ago, after I vanished, the sages found the newly manifested Nahida and brought her back to Sumeru. To celebrate the 'return' of their god, they hailed her as Lesser Lord Kusanali and confined her to the Sanctuary of Surasthana. Since then, she's rarely been seen."
"Your sister's a shut-in?"
"How should I know? We share the same origin, but someone whisked me away before I could meet her!"
"Whisked? I rescued you!"
"You dragged me into a rift in spacetime after barely exchanging three sentences. That's abduction."
"Rescue!"
"Sure, sure. Once my body's fully restored, I'll repay you properly~"
"Stay on topic. What else did the reports say?"
"Mostly folk rumors."
"Such as?"
"Rumors that Lesser Lord Kusanali often appears in people's dreams, offering comfort and guidance through hardships. These accounts come from individuals who claim to have met her in dreams—though most Sumeru citizens dismiss them as delusions."
"That's it?"
"Also, adults in Sumeru hardly dream anymore. Only children do. The sages spin this as 'rationality'—claiming it's Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's blessing that frees Sumeru from the 'foolish illusions of sleep.' But I never said any such thing!"
"Something's off… You hold authority over dreams, so Nahida should as well. No god would willingly sever their own dominion. If the rumors are true, and she aids people in dreams, she clearly cares for them. So why remain hidden? And why is her worship so weak? Doesn't she gather faith?"
"Exactly! It's unnatural. Unlike other Archons, I've always preferred nature over palaces. If not for duties, I'd never stay cooped up."
"So she wants to leave, but something traps her in the Sanctuary of Surasthana?"
"What could it be?"
"No idea. I've never met her."
"…Then I'll have to see my sister myself."
"You're going to Sumeru?"
"No."
Xia Ci shook her head, holding up the Akasha Terminal.
"I'll use this."
"What is it?"
"A device that connects to the Akasha. In Sumeru, anyone wearing it can access the Akasha's knowledge repository."
"So… cloud computing?"
"Conceptually similar, but the implementation differs. The Akasha was my repository for pooling wisdom to counter Forbidden Knowledge, powered by the Dendro Gnosis."
"You said it only works in Sumeru. We're far beyond its range—no signal here."
"Hence, I'll use divine power to resonate with the Dendro Gnosis and establish a long-distance link."
"Your divine power isn't fully restored."
"That's where your essential oils come in. Cousin~ Help me out?"
"Honestly… Wait here. I'll fetch something better."
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