"Ah… that's such a shame. Are we leaving right now?"
Nahida looked visibly disappointed.
If they waited just a little longer, the fireworks would begin.
But some things simply couldn't wait.
Idris didn't want to leave either—yet at moments like this, there were always blind fools stirring up trouble at the worst possible time.
Ganyu was reluctant to see the Grand Sage go, but she didn't try to stop him.
This was an unforeseen emergency—otherwise, she would never have allowed him to leave so abruptly. It would make Liyue seem discourteous to its guest.
If anything, Idris felt faintly relieved.
After all, he had already obtained the system's reward through Ganyu.
Without that Abyss teleportation gate, he wouldn't even know how to deal with this situation. Some places weren't places you could come and go from at will.
Even strength had its limits.
It was like a master martial artist locked inside a prison—
all skill, nowhere to use it.
"We're heading back now," Idris said softly, patting Nahida's head.
"When we return to Liyue next time, we'll watch the fireworks then."
Nahida nodded hard.
Turning to the others, Idris continued,
"We'll take our leave. Please tell Ningguang that everything in the contract remains unchanged. If there's anything unclear, she's welcome to send envoys to Sumeru at any time."
With that, he prepared to depart.
Shenhe quietly followed after him.
"Rest assured, Grand Sage," Ganyu replied.
"Liyue will deliver the manpower and the blueprints to Sumeru as soon as possible."
She couldn't help glancing at her junior sister with envy.
To follow the Grand Sage to Sumeru openly and legitimately—
it was something countless people could only dream of.
If only it were me…
As Idris and Shenhe disappeared into the night, a trace of melancholy surfaced in Ganyu's heart.
She knew the Grand Sage's departure marked a new stage in cooperation between Liyue and Sumeru.
It also made her wonder whether she should involve herself more deeply.
After all… she was his public girlfriend.
Would doing nothing make her seem cold or indifferent?
But pretending forever was risky.
One day, the truth would surface.
The best solution, of course, was to turn the fake into something real.
Cook the rice before anyone can stop it.
Ganyu's face flushed red at the thought.
Perhaps her master wasn't wrong after all.
Nahida, who had been eagerly anticipating the fireworks, sighed softly.
Small as she was, her worries were not.
Watching the figures vanish, Ganyu turned resolutely toward Jade Chamber.
Under the starlit sky, Liyue Harbor glowed with lights.
If she truly wanted to succeed, she had to change.
Ningguang was a senior in her eyes—
Surely she could offer valuable advice.
After all, earlier that day, when they boarded the Jade Chamber together, the Grand Sage's very first glance had landed squarely on Ningguang's legs.
There's something to learn there.
Next time Idris returned, she would be ready.
One strike—victory secured.
At the same time, Xiao was busy at Wangshu Inn.
Several Slimes had somehow broken into the inn's vegetable garden, trampling everything before slipping back into the shadows. The staff panicked, scrambling to respond.
Xiao frowned and stepped in.
But that moment of haste gave an Abyss Mage the opening to ambush him.
He was furious—and injured.
Fortunately, the wounds weren't severe, though lingering elemental residue told him one thing clearly:
This wasn't an ordinary Abyss Mage.
It was an elder-level caster.
Meanwhile, Zhongli heard that Idris was leaving.
He lost all interest in the opera at once and rose to his feet.
He needed answers.
Had the Grand Sage been joking all along?
Why leave so suddenly?
Even Yun Jin, mid-performance, noticed Zhongli's absence.
That was strange.
Not even Ningguang herself could pull Zhongli away from a show.
What's gotten into him today?
Idris soon reached the city gates.
Returning wouldn't take long—but he worried about Sumeru.
If the Dendro Dragon and the others ran into trouble they couldn't handle…
They were strong, yes—but only under normal circumstances.
This situation was different.
The Abyss had chosen its timing too perfectly.
This wasn't a coincidence.
It was premeditated.
I just hope the Dendro Dragon hasn't been beaten half to death yet…
Abyss Mages were notoriously annoying—
teleporting, harassing, dealing absurd damage, and refusing to die.
If there were too many of them in Sumeru, he might have to call in outside help.
After handling the Slimes, Xiao began investigating the Abyss Mage's origins.
Clues were scarce—only that recent elemental disturbances seemed connected.
He reinforced Wangshu Inn's defenses immediately.
Idris sensed it too.
This incident likely hid a much larger plot.
Suddenly, Shenhe stopped.
"Grand Sage—look. Who is that?"
She pointed toward the road beside the city gate.
A tall man was approaching rapidly.
Nahida grew nervous and grabbed Idris's sleeve.
Despite being the God of Wisdom, whenever she stayed beside Idris, she instinctively became a child again.
Fortunately, Idris's eyes were sharp.
One glance was enough.
Friend—not foe.
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
patreon.com/nani_kaito