After finishing his meal, Gu Sanqiu returned home, packed a few things, and filled himself with Anemo energy before launching into the air. His movements were clumsy as he tried to adjust his posture and trajectory mid-flight.
He was attempting to fly.
Unlike using a Wind Glider to glide or relying on sheer brute strength like Xiao's "Illuminated Leap," achieving stable flight required both a substantial amount of elemental power and meticulous control.
To put it simply, the Wind Glider relied on natural wind currents, while Xiao's method was essentially a raw-power rocket. Sustained flight, however, was a much more technical endeavor.
"Phew, finally got it stable."
Using the gliding effects of his Wind Glider, Gu Sanqiu gradually adjusted his elemental control until he was able to stabilize himself mid-air. With a subtle shrug of his shoulders, he dismissed the glider, stretched his arms outward, and allowed the Anemo energy surrounding him to lift him toward the Jade Chamber.
"At least it's somewhat functional."
His speed wasn't anything impressive—comparable to that of a carriage. However, at a certain altitude, he could move in a straight line, which was progress.
Hypothetically, with enough practice, he could reach a point where he could emulate Xiao's near-instantaneous arrival within a specific range.
Right now, what Gu Sanqiu was doing could barely qualify as "basic flight," far from the advanced "teleportation" level. But with mastery and perhaps a few secret techniques, he imagined himself doing things like buying Fisherman's Toast for breakfast in Springvale, strolling around Mondstadt, and returning to Liyue Harbor for lunch—all in one day.
He even toyed with the idea of creating something himself and putting it into his mysterious "exchange system," hoping to trade it for some sort of super-speed transportation.
However, based on past experiences, there was always the risk that if he crafted a high-grade artifact-like carriage, the system might spit out something ridiculous like a paper-cutout chariot set. The only practical use for such a thing would be to sell it as a novelty item at Hu Tao's funeral parlor.
After careful consideration, he decided to take the hands-on approach to learning. If he ever needed to travel long distances, it would be much more satisfying to simply float across the skies in comfort.
The only downside? Avoiding anti-air defenses, like the ones his sister had installed on the Jade Chamber.
---
"Sis, is my room still in the same place as before?"
"You're here already?"
Ningguang stood in the small plaza outside the Jade Chamber, a faint trace of surprise on her face as she saw Gu Sanqiu appear.
"Did you fly up here?"
"Yeah. If anything urgent comes up in the future, I might just be Liyue's fastest responder. Leave it to me, no probl—"
Wait.
Gu Sanqiu paused, suddenly realizing something.
I learned this to float around and nap in the sky, not to work for my sister! How did my mindset drift so dangerously close to corporate servitude?!
"Oh? Is that so? In that case, I'll have to rely on my little brother more often."
Ningguang lightly tapped Gu Sanqiu's head with her smoking pipe. "Flying at this time of night and not dressing warmly? Wait until you catch a chill—you'll regret it."
"Sis, my constitution makes it practically impossible to catch a cold. You could toss me on Dragonspine, and I'd still be fine."
"Oh, so you're arguing back now?"
Ningguang grabbed his ear with a playful tug. "Stand here with me for a bit. There's another batch of documents coming up to the Jade Chamber soon. Once you've dealt with those, you can sleep."
"What? Working overtime at this hour? If I'd known, I would've asked Xiangling to prepare me a midnight snack!"
"Oh? The little chef's back? Looks like it's almost time for the festival—everyone wants to come home."
Ningguang gazed at the night sky. "Any plans for this year's Lantern Rite?"
"If you want me to scatter all those useless scraps of paper across Liyue, I suppose I could do that. A few claps should cover the whole region."
Gu Sanqiu sat down beside Ningguang. "Other than that, I don't have any plans. Maybe I'll send some New Year gifts to Mondstadt in a few days."
"Oh? Made some new friends, have you?"
"Something like that. I even picked up half a disciple there."
"A disciple?"
After Gu Sanqiu recounted the story of Barbara, Ningguang shook her head, half-amused. She poked him lightly on the forehead with her finger.
"You taught a church deacon self-defense techniques? What if her elders find out? What will they think of you?"
"Honestly, it's just basic survival skills—shouldn't be a big deal."
Gu Sanqiu tilted his head. "Wait, the Church of Favonius doesn't have any weird traditions about maintaining purity for spiritual communion with the Anemo Archon, do they?"
"What nonsense."
Ningguang burst into laughter. "Legend has it that Barbatos, the Anemo Archon, is close friends with our Geo Archon."
"The Geo Archon has no desire for conquest but fights to protect his people. To be friends with someone like that, Barbatos must be anything but a typical trickster. He's certainly no 'evil god.'"
"With such deities, their divine influence—visible or not—will naturally find its way into the hearts of the people. That much is certain."
Gu Sanqiu's thoughts wandered. He knew the two archons were friends, but he couldn't help thinking about their similarities.
Both were perpetually broke.
One was skilled at wracking up debts, while the other was adept at paying them off through odd jobs and freeloading.
Simply put, they both had unbreakable levels of shamelessness.
Appearance-wise, though, they couldn't be more different: Zhongli, the cold, elegant beauty, and Barbatos, the boy-next-door with the face of a first crush.
In this world, good looks really are a privilege...
"No strange traditions, huh? That's good. Anyway, do you need me to handle anything for you?"
"No, I was just wondering what this year's Lantern Rite will look like."
"The Lantern Rite, huh? It's always the same, isn't it? Bright lights, joyous laughter."
Gu Sanqiu started ticking off items. "The Dance of the Archon, lantern blessings, fireworks displays, official events, merchant stalls..."
"Oh, and aside from the holidays, there's one thing that working folks look forward to—year-end bonuses or triple overtime pay."
"Liyue. It's always been this way."
Ningguang stood, gazing at the bustling port below as its lights reflected in her eyes.
"That's why, to preserve this sight forever, we must work even harder."
"The world knows: The Tianquan reigns supreme."
She smiled.
"And when future generations speak of this era, I hope they'll remember my name."
"A lady, presiding over Tianquan, ushering in prosperity as envoys from all directions gather."
"They'll call it—The Tianquan Era."
---
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