The Jade Chamber, an aerial palace hovering above Liyue Harbor, was the private residence of Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing. It was also a symbol of her power and status in Liyue.
From its dazzling splendor to its lofty vantage point overlooking Liyue Harbor and the whole land of Liyue, everything about it proclaimed her unchallenged preeminence among Liyue Harbor's merchants. Like the Jade Chamber high above, Ningguang's power stood above all others.
Across all of Liyue, she stood second only to the gods and above everyone else!
Almost every person in Liyue could only look up to her. The sole exception had been the former god of Liyue—the Geo Archon, Rex Lapis.
Of course, that Archon was gone now...
And so, the Tianquan Ningguang was now truly above all others: Liyue's de facto ruler and uncrowned queen!
"..."
At that moment, almost simultaneously with the report reaching the Fatui Harbinger Tartaglia, Ningguang sat inside the Jade Chamber, a palace as resplendent as an adeptus's abode. Her expression was grim as she stared at the bag of gold coins on her desk, her eyes flickering as she pondered who knew what.
"..."
Standing before her was Baixiao, her secretary and personal maid.
Faced with Ningguang's stern, displeased expression, Baixiao felt uneasy and apprehensive. But she didn't dare leave without permission, so she could only stand there with her head slightly lowered, waiting nervously for her mistress to speak.
"..."
The Tianquan said nothing. She merely furrowed her brows and scrutinized the coins in her hands.
Truth be told, she'd seen through them at a glance: they were counterfeit!
The secret serial numbers used exclusively by the Golden House gave them away. So, even if they looked incredibly convincing—better, in fact, than real Mora—they were still fake. No matter