Hearing Zhongli himself mention Guizhong's name, even the usually insensitive Azhdaha immediately stopped smiling. The atmosphere at the table abruptly grew somber.
Early in the Archon War, the three gods Morax, Guizhong, and Marchosius had formed an alliance on the Guili Plains to protect their people together. Morax possessed unparalleled martial prowess, Marchosius concerned himself with the people's livelihoods, and Guizhong was a true intellectual. Though weak in combat, she was exceptionally brilliant.
It was precisely because they had the protection of three gods that the humans had enjoyed a period of relative peace amid the turmoil.
Unfortunately, the good times did not last. The Archon War had already begun to reveal its cruelty. While Morax led the adepti into battle elsewhere and Guizhong remained behind, four gods from the sea joined forces, landing on the eastern coast of the Guili Plains and launching a simultaneous assault. Ill-suited to combat, Guizhong faced four enemies alone. Ultimately overwhelmed, she died before reinforcements could arrive.
When Morax was the first to return to the Guili Plains, he arrived just in time to see Guizhong turn to dust and disperse. After killing her, the four gods had immediately fled far away, leaving behind only the Guili Plains, utterly devastated by seawater.
After that battle, the Guili Plains were completely ruined. Seawater flooded the fertile fields, turning them into a wasteland. The countless dead caused disease to run rampant, and with Archon Residue wreaking havoc after Guizhong's death, Morax, Marchosius, and the adepti had no choice but to lead the survivors south of Mt. Tianheng, to the site of present-day Liyue Harbor.
For Morax, the adepti of Liyue, and Azhdaha alike, that history was a pain they could barely bring themselves to speak of. It was also the greatest loss Morax had suffered in