Once Gu Sanqiu set his mind on something, he wasted no time. He leapt off the forge platform and made his way toward the storage cabinet, lightly pressing a button on the side.
With the sound of mechanisms whirring to life, a passage leading deeper underground revealed itself. Gu Sanqiu gathered the necessary materials for crafting the shield and took the dragon scale into his hand.
"I still can't wrap my head around what the Gu Clan ancestors were thinking, creating a secret chamber for forging items in a place like this."
He placed an ice pack on his head and tossed the dragon scale into the furnace in front of him. With a flick of a switch, the large cauldron lowered into the river of magma below.
"Besides my sister and a few others, no one should know that there's a river of magma flowing beneath Liyue Harbor, and that the Fengxiang Clan uses it as a workspace."
After learning this family secret, Gu Sanqiu had been a bit stunned. The river's origin remained unclear, but it flowed toward the ocean's depths, which put his mind at ease.
The Gu Clan likely built the forge here not only to take advantage of the heat from the magma but also to monitor the river's condition for any abnormalities. Of course, the historical records said as much, but Gu Sanqiu suspected that one of his ancestors simply had a wild idea to do something big.
Perhaps they thought, in the event of an unstoppable enemy invasion of Liyue Harbor, the Gu Clan could trigger some kind of explosion using the magma to take everyone down with them after the citizens had evacuated.
As these wild thoughts passed through his mind, Gu Sanqiu's hands remained busy, tossing ingredients into the cauldron like he was preparing a massive stew, hoping to melt the dragon scale into something usable.
As expected, it didn't take long before signs of the scale softening appeared, just as Gu Sanqiu had predicted. The two ancient figures had already laid all the groundwork for him.
"Hmm, maybe I should bring a gift to visit Azhdaha one day?"
Thinking of the long distance and Liyue's somewhat outdated transportation system, Gu Sanqiu decided to tuck that idea away for now.
With a snap of his fingers, a pile of Mora beside him transformed into a golden stream, flowing into the cauldron.
"Alright, these Mora should be enough as the main ingredient for this 'stew,'" he muttered, carefully observing the mixture inside the cauldron. Whether for forging or enhancing, the amount of Mora had to be just right—not too much, not too little. As for the theoretical side of things, Gu Sanqiu didn't really understand it.
He had once bought a kitchen knife, enhanced it with an excessive amount of Mora, and then used it to chop vegetables. The result? An entire cabbage had turned into Mora.
If the knife hadn't disintegrated and nearly scarred his face, he might have thought he'd discovered some secret alchemy technique to turn items into gold.
Forging a weapon was an exhausting process, but Gu Sanqiu remained highly focused, knowing that his life might depend on it.
"Once I finish this, I'll finally have crafted a locally produced high-tier weapon."
He grinned. This was no ordinary item—this was made from a piece of Azhdaha's scales! He could even pass it down as a family heirloom.
...
Three days later, Gu Sanqiu was brimming with pride as he strolled to Granny Ping's to have tea. Every now and then, he'd shift the shield strapped to his arm into view.
"Ahem, little Gu, I've already noticed your shield. Doesn't holding it up while drinking tea tire you out?"
Granny Ping's eyes twinkled with amusement at his youthful behavior. Now he was finally acting like a young person.
"Hehe, I'm just a little too excited."
Gu Sanqiu couldn't help but run his hand over the shield. If it weren't freshly crafted, he might have worn it smooth by now from all the touching.
"Alright, Granny Ping, I'll be heading to Yuehai Pavilion to report my activities. Otherwise, someone's bound to give me trouble."
As Gu Sanqiu left for Yuehai Pavilion, Granny Ping smiled warmly, glancing toward the rooftop.
"Haha, that shield bears the aura of a certain someone. It seems the recent disturbance had something to do with little Gu."
"So, how about it, General Meow? Still thinking of dropping by for dinner at the Gu residence?"
"It's General Cat!"
The black-and-white feline peered down from the roof, first correcting Granny Ping with an embarrassed huff before glancing in the direction Gu Sanqiu had gone. A flash of both joy and wariness flickered in its eyes.
"Hmph, if he's earned that one's approval, it means he's met the Geo Archon. Since both of them seem to trust this Fengxiang descendant, I suppose I don't need to worry. But finding an excuse to visit for food in the future... that might be tricky."
That's a piece of the Dragon King himself... If I show up, am I sure I won't lose my cool and embarrass myself in front of my elders?
(:з」∠)
So exhausting... Maybe I should just nap instead of thinking about this. The sun is so warm today, why not enjoy a comfortable sleep?
Watching the cat curl up and begin snoring, Granny Ping shook her head, amused.
"Lazy cat."
At Yuehai Pavilion, Keqing greeted Gu Sanqiu with a smile—though the sparking lightning on her longsword suggested her mood wasn't entirely friendly.
"Alright, tell me, what's the reason you've summoned me here? If you hadn't blocked out my schedule, I would be on my way to Guili Plains to visit the Millelith soldiers."
Her expression sharpened. "I hope you've got a good reason for this, or I won't be letting you off so easily."
Sweet Smile of Danger—Keqing Edition
"Ahem, no need for all the violence! Put your sword away. I do have something important to discuss."
"The reason I've come is simple. Over the past few days, your people should have noticed some strange activity near Huaguang Stone Forest, right?"
Keqing's gaze became dangerously focused. "Are you about to confess that you were responsible for it? I'm already thinking about how many years of punishment you'll get for environmental damage."
"Hey, hey! As soon as I was rested, I came straight to Yuehai Pavilion to report. In a way, you should be thanking me for saving your people the effort of investigating."
Gu Sanqiu puffed up his chest. "I'm not saying it's my duty, but coming here shows that I'm giving you and my sister some respect. It reflects my deep sense of civic duty and my willingness to sacrifice for the sake of Liyue."
"Don't you understand the importance of a patriot willing to spill blood for their nation?"
(＿ ＿)ノ｜
"Alright, alright, stop. You're making me feel nauseous."
Keqing sheathed her sword and sat down. "The area's changes are simply too bizarre. It's as if two giant beasts had fought there."
"I even asked Ganyu about it. She said her strength could reach that level, which is within the normal scope of power for an adeptus. What's strange is that the reports indicate the landscape was altered not just by elemental forces, but by some advanced technique combining physical power and geomantic energy..."
As she spoke, Keqing began to realize something. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at Gu Sanqiu, who offered her an awkward grin.
"Considering why you came to report so suddenly..."
Keqing let out a long sigh. "You're telling me there's something at Huaguang Stone Forest that forced you to go all out? Enough to cause that kind of damage?"
What you saw had already been repaired by the Geo Archon, Keqing. Otherwise, the aftermath would've been even more shocking.
As for the adeptus-level strength Ganyu mentioned, well... that was just Zhongli cleaning up with Planet Befall. Gu Sanqiu wasn't about to claim his destruction had reached that kind of level.
"Explaining it might get complicated, and this isn't the best place to talk. Let's postpone the Millelith supply visit for a day. Tonight, you and my sister can come over for dinner."
Gu Sanqiu patted Keqing's shoulder. "I'll cover all the costs—wages, meat, wine—you name it. And you can take full credit for the idea. How about that?"
"You really need to stop being so impulsive..."
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