Liyue Harbor, Yujing Terrace.
The mighty Millelith soldiers were maintaining order at the venue for the Rite of Descension, carefully guiding the crowd to stand dispersed around the area to avoid congestion.
At the spacious center of Yujing Terrace, a large incense burner-like object was placed. In front of it, a stone table displayed an array of exquisite food offerings dedicated to the Geo Archon.
It seemed the time for the "Inviting of the Adepti" ceremony hadn't arrived yet, as one of the Qixing who was to host the ceremony had not appeared.
By the time Nolan and his companions arrived, Yujing Terrace was already surrounded by multiple layers of onlookers. Lumine stood on her tiptoes, looking around, but could only see the heads of the people in front of her.
"Wow, so many people! Let's move up a bit; we can't see anything from here," Paimon suggested, effortlessly flying into the air. Seeing this, Lumine also tried to push forward.
However, a stranger dressed in a dark blue robe blocked her way, glaring down at her, "Move aside. If you can't see, neither can I. If you have the ability, fly over like that little sprite."
"Fine, fine! No need to be so rude!" Lumine retorted, placing her hands on her hips and glaring back at him.
"Hmph, I'm not going to argue with a little girl," the man scoffed, folding his arms and turning away.
"Hmph!" Lumine huffed, her fair face showing her displeasure at the rude man.
Nolan, trying to lighten the mood, suggested, "No need to get upset. If you can't see, I can create an updraft using Anemo. How about I blow you over there?"
Lumine's amber eyes brightened at the idea. "Yes, please," she nodded, her golden hair swaying slightly.
"Alright, just a moment," Nolan said. Given his current strength, creating a small wind field was manageable. He stepped back to a clear area and began gathering Anemo elements in his hands, like swallows returning to their nests.
He then placed the miniature wind field on the ground, continuously infusing it with Anemo until it expanded to about a meter in width and height.
Once the wind field was ready, Nolan stopped infusing it with Anemo and gave Lumine a signal with his eyes. She nodded in understanding, opened her Wind Glider with a "whoosh," and lightly leaped into the wind field. She easily soared two or three meters into the air, like a kite catching the wind.
Their actions, however, attracted the attention of a Millelith soldier maintaining order nearby.
"Hey! You two! No using elemental powers at the Yujing Terrace; it's dangerous! Stop immediately!" the soldier shouted from the entrance.
Startled by the sudden shout, Nolan momentarily lost concentration, cutting off the flow of Anemo to the wind field. The wind field dissipated, causing Lumine to lose control of her Wind Glider and fall.
"Ah!" Lumine exclaimed in surprise. Just as she thought she was about to hit the ground, Nolan quickly reached out and caught her.
A substantial weight settled in Nolan's arms, with the soft, warm feeling of the girl's body noticeable both where his left hand held her shoulder and where her calves rested on his right hand.
"You... There are so many people watching; put me down," Lumine said, a slight blush appearing on her fair face. She glanced at Nolan, who seemed reluctant to let go, and instinctively pinched his side.
"Uh, sorry." Feeling the gentle pressure on his abdomen, Nolan quickly set her down.
"Hmph," Lumine huffed, standing upright and giving him a glare before walking away. She wanted to see if she could find a way to the front of the venue, preventing Nolan from getting any more "funny ideas."
[Lumine Had Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 160 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.8 (165/800)]
Seeing the notification on the character panel, Nolan realized Lumine wasn't truly angry. He turned to the Millelith soldier and apologized before following Lumine to see if they could get closer to the front. The crowd was indeed dense, making it hard to see ahead.
"Hey, why are you still out here? Lady Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Qixing, who's hosting this year's Rite of Descension, has already appeared!" Paimon exclaimed, flying back to them after having watched for a while. The ceremony was about to start, and she hadn't seen Nolan and Lumine yet.
"There are too many people, it's hard to get to the front. Paimon, how about you grab us both and fly us up to see?" Lumine suggested, eyeing Paimon's small hands.
"That's impossible! There's no way that would work!" Paimon retorted, annoyed. How could Lumine even suggest such a silly idea? There was no way she had the strength to lift two full-grown people!
"Alright, Paimon, just find a spot with a bigger gap, and I'll find a way to squeeze through," Nolan suggested with a smile.
"Hehe, that's more like it!" Paimon agreed, relieved she wouldn't have to use brute force. She nodded and flew higher, scanning the area before spotting a suitable spot. "I found it! Follow me."
Paimon led them to the left, where they found a slight gap near a pillar that separated the crowd a bit. Nolan, using his increased mental power, employed his "Spiritual Threads," now able to extend up to five meters. He gently, almost imperceptibly, nudged the crowd aside, creating enough space for them to slip through.
Quickly but discreetly, he and Lumine made their way to the front, gaining a perfect view of the venue where the Rite of Descension was about to begin.
Standing by the incense burner and stone table was a tall, dignified woman dressed in a luxurious cheongsam. The garment featured a base of white adorned with gold accents and black highlights, blending into a refined three-color design. Her aura commanded respect and attention.
Her platinum blonde hair, smooth and flowing, was elegantly gathered with a dark wooden hairpin.
The long ends of her hair split from the middle of her back, cascading along the graceful curves of her body and the hem of her cheongsam, reaching down to her pale calves.
Ningguang raised her right hand, clad in a black sleeve, shielding her forehead. Her crimson eyes, looking through golden-tipped fingers, glanced up at the dazzling sun, confirming that it was now at its zenith, signaling noon.
She then lowered her hands, gently clasping them in front of her lower abdomen, covered by the cheongsam. In a voice that blended authority with gentleness, she simply announced, "The auspicious hour has arrived."
With those words, two young women, seemingly there to assist, bowed slightly and stepped back.
A faint golden glow of Geo energy began to emanate from Ningguang. Several palm-sized, amber-colored gemstones appeared effortlessly around her and started orbiting her. With a wave of her left hand, these gems traced trails of Geo energy as they flew towards the large incense burner on the stone table.
After circling the burner a few times, Ningguang made a hand gesture, causing the gems to suddenly crash into the burner. Within seconds, the burner shook violently.
A massive golden pillar of light shot up into the sky, causing the weather to change abruptly. The sky darkened, swirling as if a vortex had formed.
"Does Geo Archon always make such a grand entrance?" Paimon, like everyone else, looked up at the sky in curiosity.
"Something seems off. It wasn't this dark when Geo Archon appeared two years ago," remarked a young man beside Nolan, speaking softly.
"Oh? Could there be some sort of incident?" Nolan casually responded.
Ningguang, appearing slightly puzzled, looked up along the golden pillar of light toward the sky.
Just as she was about to investigate further, a massive shadow plummeted from the clouds at great speed.
"Bang!"
The incense burner and the stone table were shattered instantly. As the dust settled, everyone saw a creature that appeared to be a mix of a qilin and a dragon lying in the ruins.
"What... what's going on?"
"It looks like Geo Archon fell from the sky!"
Hearing the murmurs around them, Lumine and Paimon widened their eyes, staring in shock at the creature lying in the rubble. This was not how they expected to encounter Rex Lapis.
Ningguang stepped forward in her black high heels, kneeling slightly without letting her white knees touch the ground. She carefully observed the semi-qilin, semi-dragon form of Rex Lapis with a serious expression.
After a moment, she arrived at a conclusion that even she found hard to believe.
"Geo Archon has been assassinated. Seal off the area!"
Ningguang stood up and quickly instructed the many Millelith soldiers to maintain order.
For Rex Lapis to have met his end now, right during the Rite of Descension at noon, was too coincidental. The culprit behind this assassination was likely among the crowd present.
"Wait, what's happening now?!"
Paimon, seeing the sudden commotion, was nearly overwhelmed. "Tianquan" Ningguang had just declared that "Geo Archon has been assassinated!"
"What do we do? They're going to start questioning suspicious-looking people!"
Paimon expressed her concern, worried that they might be suspected, given their close proximity to the scene.
"We don't know if this god is the one who took my brother. Just in case, we need to leave here quickly before they catch us," Lumine said, feeling a bit anxious as she glanced toward the round moon gate by the Jade Chamber's wall.
She was about to take a step towards escaping when she felt a tug on her hand, preventing her from moving.
Turning around, she saw that Nolan was holding her hand, prompting her to ask, confused, "What are you doing? If we don't run now, we'll get caught."
Understanding the context of this scene, Nolan quickly pulled Lumine closer, wrapping an arm around her waist, making them look like a couple.
This kept her from appearing as if she was trying to escape, which would raise suspicion.
"Hey, what are you doing at a time like this?" Lumine protested, pushing against Nolan's chest with both hands.
Normally, she could overlook his affectionate gestures, but given the crisis, she was genuinely upset.
"If you run now, it'll only make you look guilty, like you're the culprit," Nolan explained.
"Liyue Harbor is huge, and there are so many Millelith soldiers and the powerful 'Liyue Qixing.' Where could you possibly go? Besides, we're not the culprits. As long as we answer their questions like everyone else, we'll be fine. After all, we're honorary knights of the Knights of Favonius. Without evidence, they can't detain us without causing diplomatic issues!"
Nolan couldn't exactly explain that he knew Rex Lapis had faked his death. He simply wanted to experience a life of leisure, bringing some subtle changes and shocks to Liyue. Thus, he held Lumine tightly, not letting her go. It wouldn't be good to end up wanted by the Millelith, especially since it was avoidable.
"Right, Lumine, Paimon think this guy might have a point," Paimon chimed in, pondering for a moment.
Although Lumine's concerns were valid, Nolan's argument also seemed reasonable. They weren't the culprits, and running would only make them look suspicious.
"If we were really wanted by Liyue, the most prosperous nation on the continent of Teyvat, it wouldn't matter where we ran; it would only hinder your journey to find your brother!" Paimon, despite her usual obsession with food, wasn't dumb.
In times of crisis, she could assess the situation and make sound judgments.
Hearing Paimon's words, Lumine's hands, which had been pushing against Nolan's chest, relaxed.
She wasn't unintelligent; she had just panicked. Now, calming down, she realized that they were right; she'd been a bit hasty.
"Alright, I get it. Now let go of me," Lumine said, her fair cheeks blushing slightly from embarrassment.
Understanding the situation, she still felt a bit awkward, so she stomped on Nolan's foot to vent her frustration.
*[Lumine Had Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 260 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.8 (425/800)]*
Seeing Lumine's unexpectedly cute, tsundere behavior, Nolan sensibly released her, though he took the opportunity to hold her hand instead.
Lumine only made a token effort to pull away. When it didn't work, she pretended to be angry, turning her face away without making any further moves.
"Huh? You two?" Paimon exclaimed, suddenly realizing something as she looked at their clasped hands. She then glared at Nolan, saying, "So, you're a two-timer! Aren't you already in a relationship with Fischl? And now you're after Lumine?"
"Uh, I don't think she'll mind," Nolan replied, awkwardly rubbing his cheek and avoiding Paimon's gaze.
This was the benefit of high affection level. Neither Fischl nor Lumine seemed to mind that he had multiple romantic interests.
Just then, the Millelith soldiers noticed the unusual trio of Nolan, Lumine, and Paimon and approached them for questioning.
After all, Paimon, an unusual, fairy-like creature, stood out and drew attention.
---
(End of Chapter)
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