Liuyun glared at Qiu Bai, her face flushed with both embarrassment and anger.
"You're just as rigid as ever," she huffed.
"Why cling so tightly to seniority?
We all protect Liyue—those who can contribute should contribute, and those who can advise should offer their wisdom."
Qiu Bai glanced at Liuyun, who was clearly flustered, and waved a hand dismissively.
"Well then, if seniority doesn't matter that much..."
"How about I just start calling you 'Big Fool' from now on?"
Liuyun's temper flared instantly. Dropping all formalities, she retorted
"Oh? Then I won't even call you 'Immortal Lord' anymore—since you don't care about seniority!"
"Hey, that's not what I meant!" Qiu Bai frowned. "Fine, then I'll call you 'True Lord of Good Conversations'!"
Liuyun's expression darkened. "What kind of god even are you?!"
"I should have taken advantage of your slumber and left you on the peak of Jueyun Karst to be battered by the wind and sun!"
Blushing furiously, she shouted at him in frustration.
Qiu Bai smirked. "Well, too bad for you—I exist anyway. Annoyed?"
"It's your fault!"
"It's your fault!"
...
Paimon and Lumine stared at the bickering duo, utterly bewildered.
"Uh… Paimon feels like they're arguing like a couple of kids."
"Aren't they both thousands of years old?"
Paimon waved her hands in disbelief, turning to Lumine. The absurdity of the scene was impossible to ignore—it was hard to believe that the person arguing in front of them was the same Liyue deity who had cleaved the sky with a single strike just moments ago.
"Isn't this exactly how Paimon argues?" Lumine asked with a knowing smirk.
"I do not!"
Paimon stomped her foot indignantly.
"Ugh! You're making me mad—I'm going to mess up your hair!"
She lunged at Lumine's head.
"Hah! Paimon's so tiny, how do you expect to catch me?"
Lumine, unfazed, grabbed a handful of Paimon's hair in retaliation.
Nearby, the Qianyan guards twitched at the corners of their mouths, watching as the two started tugging at each other's hair.
Keqing, too, turned her gaze toward the quarreling Immortal Lord.
Rather than having her faith in him shattered by his childish antics, her eyes shimmered with admiration.
"The Immortal Lord is both gentle and approachable," she thought to herself.
"Even with the status of the Qixing, one should not wield authority to oppress others… that much is clear."
Keqing gave a small nod of approval. Two of her idols stood before her now—how could she not be excited? Of course, outwardly, she maintained her usual indifferent attitude toward the divine.
(If only she knew that Zhongli, the man she met that day, was actually the Geo Archon himself… Would she still feel like she was learning something new?)
"Master and the Immortal Lord sure get along well," Ganyu said softly, covering her mouth as she chuckled at the sight of their bickering.
Ningguang, too, observed the scene with amusement, a faint smile playing at her lips.
This level of discord was a rare sight, even for her. She hadn't expected her Immortal Lord to get into a squabble with an old friend just to support her ideals.
"...Ahem."
Nearby, Mountain Shaper Zhenjun took a moment to glance around.
With so many people gathered, all watching the argument unfold, he finally stepped forward toward Qiu Bai and Liuyun.
"Uh… Immortal Lord? Liuyun?" he asked cautiously.
"Do you need something, Mountain Shaper?" / "What do you want, old man?!"
Both Qiu Bai and Liuyun turned their heads at the same time, looking at Mountain Shaper, who stood before them with a dumbfounded expression.
Mountain Shaper hesitated for a moment before whispering, "Immortal Lord, Liuyun… perhaps take a look around you."
Qiu Bai and Liuyun slowly scanned their surroundings.
Even Qiu Bai, as thick-skinned as he was, couldn't help but rub his nose awkwardly at the dozens of eyes staring at them.
Liuyun's face burned even redder as she realized just how many people were watching.
"What are you looking at?! Stop staring at me!"
"Haven't you ever seen Adepti argue before?!"
The gathered Qianyan soldiers, the Liyue Qixing, and even Lumine and Paimon—who were still tugging at each other's hair—silently admitted that no, they had never seen such a thing before.
Before Liuyun could say anything else, Qiu Bai suddenly stepped forward.
She instinctively tried to follow, but before she could charge after him, Qiu Bai reached out and pressed a hand against her forehead, keeping her at arm's length.
"Heh. That settles it then," Qiu Bai said with a grin. "I'm siding with Ningguang on this one."
Liuyun, her head still held down by Qiu Bai's hand, fumed as she repeatedly pounded his arm with both fists.
"In that case, I'll take my leave for now. You all continue your conversation."
"Hahahaha…"
Just as Qiu Bai finished speaking and was about to leave, he suddenly turned back, his expression turning serious as he looked at the gathered Adepti and Qixing.
"Ningguang, I've fully recovered now. If you ever run into trouble, use this stone to contact me."
"But I will be entering slumber once again. Do you understand what I mean?"
A mysterious smile appeared on Qiu Bai's face as he spoke slowly, his gaze locking onto Ningguang. Then, he tossed her a stone, one half dark, the other light—marked by the balance of yin and yang.
Ningguang was stunned for a long moment before a smile gradually formed on her lips. She almost forgot to catch the stone, only realizing after a delay.
"Thank you, my lord Immortal."
She bowed deeply toward Qiu Bai's departing figure.
Nearby, Paimon and Lumine stood watching, utterly confused.
"Did you get any of that, Traveler?" Paimon asked, tilting her head.
"I think I understood, Paimon."
Lumine's lips curled into a faint smile as she watched Ningguang bow.
Among the onlookers, Madame Ping gently patted Qiqi's head while nodding at Ningguang with a warm smile.
Qiu Bai, satisfied with Ningguang's response, smiled to himself before calling out,
"Xiao, come over here and grab hold of me."
With one hand still fending off Liuyun's struggles, he used the other to beckon Xiao forward.
"Immortal Lord, what do you require of me?"
In an instant, Xiao teleported to his side.
"Just hold on to me," Qiu Bai said, still smiling.
"Understood."
Xiao did not hesitate, immediately grasping the fabric of Qiu Bai's robe.
And with that, Qiu Bai vanished, taking both Cloud Retainer—who was still resisting—and Xiao with him.
He figured the longer Liuyun stayed, the more awkward the situation would become.
Ningguang's gaze remained fixed on the spot where Qiu Bai had disappeared. She bowed once more.
"Farewell, my Lord Immortal."
Then, she slowly straightened and turned to face the assembled Adepti.
"The Immortal Lord has already acknowledged you. What more is there for us to say?"
Moon Carver Zhenjun and Mountain Shaper Zhenjun exchanged glances before falling silent.
"But as the saying goes, outsiders see things more clearly. So tell me—what do you think?"
Moon Carver Zhenjun's gaze fell upon Lumine and Paimon.
"When a guardian comes into conflict with those they are meant to protect…"
"It becomes difficult to mend what has been broken."
Lumine met his eyes and spoke calmly.
"Yes, that reminds me of a story from Mondstadt… about the Four Winds and the Anemo Archon's people."
"The Anemo Archon sought to stop their conflict, believing that such division would only leave wounds in their hearts and bring no benefit to either side."
Paimon explained, her voice softer than usual.
"This is a lesson we learned in Mondstadt," Lumine added, pressing a hand lightly over her chest as she addressed the Adeptus before her.
"The Seven Nations of Teyvat each have their own struggles," Keqing remarked, glancing at Lumine and Paimon.
"What you've said is nothing more than simple truth,"
"But as Adepti, we should not let outsiders who have aided us witness our internal disputes and laugh at us."
Mountain Shaper Zhenjun finally spoke, his tone calm yet firm.