Mt. Aocang, Liyue.
At the stone table on the mountaintop, Cloud Retainer was sipping tea and chatting with Moon Carver and Mountain Shaper. Beside them, a peculiar mechanism worked nonstop, wafting fragrant aromas from within.
Had Yucheng seen this mechanism, he would surely have exclaimed, "Holy shit! Teyvat actually has pressure cookers!"
"Cloud Retainer, speaking of which, where is my disciple Shenhe? I haven't seen her in days. I miss her dearly."
"Ningguang of the Liyue Qixing said she intended to rebuild the Jade Chamber. Presuming she would need Adeptal Talismans, I sent Shenhe down the mountain to deliver some to her. That would also repay the favor we owed her. She has been gone for so many days that she should be back by now."
"I performed a divination before coming here. Shenhe will return to Mt. Aocang today. Why else did you think Mountain Shaper and I came here together to reminisce with you?"
"Hmph! So that was it. I thought you two had long since abandoned me to sneak off and amuse yourselves in Liyue Harbor."
"Well... I only did that to learn more about Liyue Harbor. I must say, it has changed tremendously. It is already worlds apart from how it looked when Rex Lapis first established it."
"And that is your excuse for leaving me behind?"
"Have you not always disliked humans? I did not wish to spoil anyone's enjoyment."
"You... Hmph!"
Just then, Shenhe appeared at the summit of Mt. Aocang. Seeing all three of her masters sitting around the stone table and chatting, she could not help feeling a little surprised, but an immense sense of pressure immediately followed.
Shenhe closed her eyes and took a deep breath, seemingly making a momentous decision in her heart. Then she opened her eyes and walked