Qiu Bai stared at the fragment in his hand, lost in thought.
"What's wrong, Mr. Qiu Bai?"
The Maiden asked with confusion.
"Is there something wrong with this fragment?"
"Hehe, it's nothing."
Qiu Bai replied with a smile as he looked at the pure and adorable girl before him.
"I just find this fragment somewhat familiar, that's all."
He then returned the fragment to the Maiden.
"Familiar?"
The Maiden murmured strangely as she put the fragment away. How could this Mr. Qiu Bai possibly find this fragment familiar?
"Let me help you heal these Fatui members."
Qiu Bai said to the girl with a smile.
"They can continue searching, but they should leave early, alright?"
White divine power then surged from his hands, transforming into streams of white light that flowed into the Fatui members lying on the ground.
Their wounds disappeared, and they slowly stood up.
"It's Lady Damselette!"
The Electrohammer exclaimed as he rose to his feet, looking anxiously at the Maiden among the group.
"She's been taken hostage! We must save her!"
He was about to charge forward with his weapon.
"No, Mokas, that's not what happened."
the Maiden stopped the Electrohammer and explained the situation to her subordinates.
Her subordinates were different from those of other Harbingers—they had never harmed others. Except for that time when Hu Tao had charged at them without a word and injured several of their brothers.
Who wouldn't be angry in such a situation?
"Is that so?"
The Electrohammer bowed to the Maiden.
"I apologize for my rashness, Lady Damselette."
He then turned to Qiu Bai and the others, expressing his regret.
"Hehe, I never expected to find such polite soldiers among the Fatui."
Qiu Bai laughed.
"You're too kind, Mr. Qiu Bai."
The Electrohammer replied with a smile, then shifted his gaze to the Maiden.
"We have been personally trained by Lady Damselette."
He looked toward a few Fatui members at the back who weren't standing properly.
"Except for those new recruits we picked up along the way, everyone else has been personally trained by Lady Damselette."
"Mr. Qiu Bai, the power you just used, was that divine power?"
The Maiden asked with surprise.
She felt that this power shared similarities with the power of the Tsaritsa.
"Hehe, you could say that."
Qiu Bai chuckled.
"That was indeed divine power."
"Then, then you are...?"
The Maiden covered her mouth in astonishment.
According to Fatui intelligence, the only one who could use white divine power and heal or resurrect people was Morax, the divine being of Liyue—the Immortsl of Yin and Yang, the very creator of that jade stone.
This Adeptus was her idol; she greatly admired such a divine being which was Qiu Bai.
"Yes, exactly as you've guessed."
Qiu Bai winked at her with a smile.
"Shh, but keep it a secret, alright?"
"Then, then those beside you..."
The Maiden somehow managed to transmit her voice directly into Qiu Bai's mind, inaudible to others.
Struggling to contain her surprise, she looked at Zhongli, Azhdaha, and Qiu Yue standing next to Qiu Bai.
Apart from Hu Tao, she couldn't see through these individuals.
"The Geo Archon, the Geo Dragon King, and my sister."
Qiu Bai transmitted back with a smile, seeing the surprised look on the Maiden face.
"My goodness..."
The Maiden took a deep breath and patted her small chest.
The Geo Archon Morax needed no introduction. As for the Geo Dragon King, the Fatui intelligence knew exactly how terrifying he was. And that Qiu Yue, being the sister of this Adeptus, must be at least an Archon herself.
She certainly knew that the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor had always protected this sacred place.
But never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that the supreme divine beings of Liyue were all working for this Director Hu standing before her.
Upon returning, she would have to issue an order to the Fatui: regardless of where they were in the seven nations, if they encountered employees of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, they must absolutely refrain from provoking them.
The Maiden took deep breaths in astonishment, looking at this group—one human, three gods, and a dragon king.
"If these individuals were to join the Fatui, the Tsaritsa's plan would surely succeed without a doubt."
she thought oddly,
"Um, Lady Hu Tao... no, Miss Hu Tao."
The Maiden carefully asked the girl before her.
"Would it be possible for you all to visit Snezhnaya?"
After all, the divine beings before her all answered to this young girl. So naturally, the Maiden had to ask for Hu Tao's opinion.
"Ah? Sure, sure!"
Hu Tao replied cheerfully.
"Hehe, I never expected to find such a cute girl among the Fatui Harbingers."
"I-I'm not that cute."
the Maiden responded shyly, touching her head despite her closed eyes, affected by the enthusiastic girl before her.
"Hehe, when shall we go then, sister Damselette?"
Hu Tao ran over and grabbed the Maiden's small hand with a smile.
Qiu Bai twitched at the corner of his mouth when he heard Hu Tao call the Maiden "sister."
The Maiden's age likely exceeded Hu Tao's by an unknown amount.
"I, I..." The Maiden was momentarily speechless in the face of Hu Tao's enthusiasm.
"By universal reasoning, Snezhnaya would be an interesting place to visit."
Zhongli said with his arms crossed and brows furrowed.
"However, the travel expenses..."
"Lord Zhongli, if you wish to visit Snezhnaya."
The Maiden hastily replied.
"I will find wealthy individuals to reimburse your expenses."
The person before her was none other than the Geo Archon, Morax!
"Lord Zhongli...?"
Hu Tao found it strange to hear the Maiden address Zhongli so formally.
"Damselette, you don't need to be so polite with him, just call him 'old fossil.'"
The Maiden was being extraordinarily polite, addressing Zhongli as "Lord" upon their first meeting.
"No, no, that wouldn't be appropriate..."
She waved her hands frantically.
"And Lord Qiu Bai and Lord Azhdaha, would you like to come as well?"
she asked excitedly.
"Hehe, perhaps in a while."
Qiu Bai replied with a smile to the adorable girl.
"We'll certainly visit. After all, I've never been to Snezhnaya."
"Then, then thank you, Lord Qiu Bai, for agreeing to visit Snezhnaya."
The Maiden's face flushed slightly as she looked at her idol. Her ethereal voice even stumbled a bit.
"I, I imagine the Tsaritsa would be pleased to see you all."
It was all too dreamlike—coming to find a fragment, only to encounter the very creator of that fragment in person.
If she hadn't been so curious about this God, if she hadn't so admired Qiu Bai's ability to guide souls back to the ley lines, why would she have come searching for the fragment?
...
A/N : I apologize to my treasured readers for taking a leave of absence. Something has come up. Sorry about that.
(T/N: Like the story fellow daoist? Read 20 chapters ahead on my P@treon [p@treon.com/DaoistRongyi] Thanks for your support! 😊)