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By the end of their meal, both Li Mo and Zhongli had achieved exactly what they wanted. Li Mo had successfully cultivated the persona of a mysterious, world-traveling powerhouse—a man who preferred a quiet life of leisure over conflict. For his part, Zhongli was now convinced that Li Mo posed no threat to the peace of Liyue. In his thousands of years of existence, the God of Contracts had developed a keen eye for character, and he was confident that he hadn't misjudged the young shopkeeper.
Later that night, the Archon sent a divine message through the dreams of the Adepti and the Liyue Qixing. He informed them of Li Mo's presence and advised them to remain respectful and avoid any unnecessary friction with the visitor.
The following morning, Li Mo finished his morning routine and walked to the front of the shop. When he pulled back the doors, he was met with a sight that nearly made him jump. A massive crowd had already gathered, buzzing with anticipation.
"Finally! It's past eight already. We thought you'd never open!"
"I've been standing here since six in the morning. I haven't even had breakfast yet!"
"Boss, you've got to be more proactive about making money. Open earlier next time!"
"I brought a bottle of wine today. They say wine makes you brave, and I'm going to need it to conquer Silent Hill."
"I went to Yujing Terrace at dawn to pray to the Lord of Rock. I asked for his blessing to help me finally clear that mountain!"
The eager customers surged into the cafe, rushing toward the counter to secure their sessions. Li Mo, still slightly groggy from sleeping in, felt a bit overwhelmed by their intensity.
"Easy now! Line up properly," he called out. "If anyone starts trouble, I'll kick you out. And listen up: because we have so many people and only twenty machines, I'm implementing a three-hour limit per person for now. Once we get more equipment, I'll lift the restriction."
The announcement was met with general agreement. Three hours of play was far better than standing outside all day with no seat at all. Once the first wave of players was settled, Li Mo sat back behind the counter and cracked open a cold can of sparkling water, finally enjoying a moment of peace.
A short while later, Keqing arrived. Her attitude today was a stark contrast to her sharp skepticism from the day before.
"Good morning, Boss Li Mo. I hope you'll accept my apologies for my conduct yesterday."
Having received the divine dream from Rex Lapis, Keqing was now acutely aware that Li Mo was an honored guest of the Emperor. The memory of her suspicion and lack of respect made her feel incredibly embarrassed. Li Mo simply waved it off with an easygoing smile.
"Don't worry about it, Lady Keqing. You were just doing your duty as a member of the Qixing."
Keqing breathed a sigh of relief before moving on to her official business. "Lady Ningguang would like to invite you to a special banquet at the Jade Chamber tonight. She's very interested in meeting you. Are you free?"
Li Mo thought for a moment. "The Jade Chamber? Sure, I can head up there once I close the shop for the evening."
"Wonderful," Keqing replied. She turned to leave, but Li Mo stopped her with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"By the way, are you planning to tackle the mountain again today? I should mention that someone else has already surpassed your progress from yesterday."
Keqing froze. She had vowed to herself that she would be the one to conquer that game after her embarrassing defeat. The thought of someone else claiming the first victory stung her pride.
"In that case... I suppose I can play for a little while." After a brief internal struggle, she decided that since she didn't have any pressing meetings until later, a small 'investigation' into the game wouldn't hurt.
She didn't have to wait long. One of the players near the front of the line recognized her and immediately offered up their spot, hoping to get into the Yuheng's good graces. Keqing thanked them, sat down, and launched Digging the Ground for Ascension for the second time.
After a quick warm-up, she demonstrated a surprising level of growth. She swung the hammer with newfound precision, clearing the lower obstacles that had frustrated her so much the day before. She reached her previous sticking point in record time.
"Stay calm... be steady... take your time..." she whispered, her hand gripping the mouse with focused intensity.
She swung the hammer downward, launching the bald man, Wu Ke, into the air. This time, the cauldron landed perfectly on the treacherous left-hand rock. She held her breath, carefully adjusting the angle to push off the wall toward the right. She exerted her force, and Wu Ke soared toward a steel plate.
The plate was flat and incredibly slippery. The hammer scraped against the edge but failed to catch a solid hold. The cauldron bumped the metal and plummeted downward. Fortunately, it landed on a lower ledge rather than falling all the way to the bottom. After a few more surgical attempts, she finally hooked the edge and pulled herself up, a triumphant smile lighting up her face.
Keqing felt like she had finally mastered the rhythm of the game. With her confidence soaring, she began to climb through a section of building ruins. Li Mo watched with interest; while her progress was impressive, the ruins were far more punishing than the rocks below.
The ruins were flat and unforgiving. The few points available for hooking the hammer were tiny and required pixel-perfect accuracy. Keqing tried to use an electrical distribution box to vault higher, aiming for a small protrusion on the wall. She missed. She tried again, but the hammer simply slid off the smooth surface.
Determined to find a better way, she spotted a triangular steel frame higher up. It was a larger target and looked much more secure. She hooked the distribution box and swung with everything she had, launching Wu Ke into a high arc. The hammer reached for the frame but only clipped the very edge.
Instead of hooking the frame, the momentum of the strike pushed the hammer against the metal, sending Wu Ke flying uncontrollably to the left—straight toward the empty abyss.
"No! Stop!"
Keqing's eyes widened in horror as her character began the long, familiar descent back toward the start of the mountain.