The Jade Chamber—an architectural marvel constructed entirely from Mora.
In the ga, it hadn't seed all that large. But in reality, Ningguang had spared no expense building it. After all, did anyone truly think a modest pavilion could fall and deal a devastating blow to Osial, the Overlord of the Vortex?
Of course, it wasn't that large either—roughly the size of a grand estate.
Its layout boasted an elegant blend of pavilions and terraces, interspersed with streams and rockeries. Every detail, from its intricately carved beams to the vibrantly painted panels, reflected its unparalleled beauty.
Especially now, bathed in the gentle light of dawn.
The golden sunlight mingled with the sea of clouds, creating a scene of surreal harmony. Mist curled around the towering structure as if it were serenading the Jade Chamber itself.
The asymtrical placent of its pavilions and varying heights broke away from the rigid beauty of symtrical design, imbuing it with an ethereal, free-spirited charm.
And yet, its extravagance added a subtle touch of earthly vulgarity—a paradoxical flaw in its otherwise divine allure.
Keqing and Ganyu sat at a table, surrounded by the remaining mbers of the Qixing.
Of the group, three were absent—Tianji, Kaiyang, and Yaoguang Stars—who were still away from Liyue Harbor.
The rest, however, had all gathered.
At the head of the table sat Ningguang, holding her ornate smoking pipe. She flipped nonchalantly through a financial report from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, her deanor one of detached indifference.
It was as if her thoughts were entirely elsewhere, despite Keqing's insistent declaration that this eting concerned Liyue's future for the next millennia.
Then again, precisely because Keqing had orchestrated this eting, Ningguang saw little reason to invest herself deeply.
And why was Ningguang, rather than Keqing, seated at the head of the table?
The answer was simple: authority and territory. Not only was Ningguang the most powerful among them at the mont, but the Jade Chamber was her domain.
Moreover, Ningguang had her own frustrations to contend with.
She had been tirelessly occupied with preparations for the upcoming Rite of Descension, and her schedule was already packed. Just this morning, she had planned to et with representatives of the Snezhnayan rchants to discuss the market for ores from the Chasm.
But before she could leave, Keqing had stord in, dragging her off with claims that nothing was more important than this eting.
And now, Ningguang had to sit through a session that felt, to her, like an affront to her recent efforts.
From the start, the atmosphere of the eting was tense.
Tianshu Star, who sat near Ningguang, glanced between her and Keqing.
Neither woman showed any overt emotion on their faces. But having worked with them both for years, the elderly Tianshu could easily sense the simring dissatisfaction in each of them.
Suppressing a sigh, he decided to step in as a diator.
"Well then," he began, his tone light. "Tianquan has gathered us here for a Qixing eting. What's the agenda?"
"Agenda?" Ningguang echoed lazily, turning a page of her report. She tapped her smoking pipe lightly on the table and said, "That's a question for Yuheng Star. She's the one who insisted I call this eting."
Keqing's face darkened, and she slamd her hand on the table. "Do you have to pick a fight with right now?"
Ningguang chuckled softly, her gaze lifting to et Keqing's. Her eyes, sharp and srizing, held a calmness as deep and lifeless as a still pond.
"Pick a fight? Where did that co from? Do you think I have the luxury of wasting my ti on sothing as petty as this?"
She leaned back slightly and added, "If there's sothing you need to discuss, Yuheng Star, I suggest you get on with it. We're all very busy. I, for one, have a eting with the Snezhnayan representatives. I can't afford to waste my ti here."
Keqing's eyes turned icy.
"Ningguang!"
"Now, now…"
Tianxuan Star Madam Ashan chuckled as she stepped in to diffuse the situation.
"Keqing, don't get so worked up. Ningguang's been overwheld lately with the Rite of Descension and trade negotiations. She's tired."
Turning to Keqing, Madam Ashan continued, "Didn't you say this was about a matter of imnse importance for Liyue's future? Why don't you go ahead and tell us?"
Hearing Ashan's words, Keqing snorted but held back her retort.
Taking a deep breath, she began, her tone steady yet firm.
"A year ago, a foreigner nad Ryen appeared near the Chasm. You should all be familiar with him by now."
"More than familiar," Ningguang replied, finally setting down her report. At her gesture, her attendant Baiwen stepped forward to replace her now-cold tea with a fresh cup.
"From what I've heard, this Ryen imdiately beca acquainted with Yuheng Star. It seems the two of you share quite a few ideas about governance and rule by the people."
Ningguang's lips curved into a faint smirk. "Tell , Yuheng Star, has the foreigner awakened your tender affections at last? Have you finally fallen for soone?"
She paused, her smile widening slightly.
"However… if this is all about that foreigner, then I see no reason to waste ti on this eting."
With that, Ningguang rose from her seat, intending to leave.
Keqing let out a cold snort, watching as Ningguang began to head toward her chambers. Only then did she speak, her voice low but deliberate.
"Ryen is a forward thinker. He cos from a nation far more advanced than ours, one without gods. He's given many ideas and suggestions. He is my friend."
Ningguang's expression didn't change, nor did she stop walking. She seed entirely uninterested in whatever Keqing had to say.
But just as she reached the door, Keqing's voice took on a sharper edge, her next words cutting through the room like a blade.
"But what I have to say about Ryen has nothing to do with that," Keqing said firmly.
"Ryen… possesses an entire world! A whole, untad, uncivilized world, teeming with resources and filled with wonder!"
The mont her words fell, the entire Jade Chamber plunged into a stunned silence.
Only the sound of the wind whistling outside could be heard.
Ningguang's brows knitted together as she turned back to her seat and sat down again.
Noticing this, Keqing smirked slightly and remarked with a hint of sarcasm, "What happened to Tianquan Star's urgency to discuss her trade deals?"
Ningguang t Keqing's gaze, her expression calm. After a mont of silence, she spoke softly.
"If you feel my earlier attitude was inappropriate, I can apologize. But you must understand—this is not sothing to joke about."
"Of course not! How could I ever joke about Liyue's future?" Keqing frowned, her tone resolute.
"Yesterday, Ganyu and I personally went to Ryen's world to investigate. Not only that, but we brought back approximately two hundred tons of resources!"
Hearing this, Ningguang's expression changed slightly. She waved her hand, and Baiwen imdiately understood the signal, departing the room without a word. Monts later, an intricate barrier of runes powered by adeptal energy enveloped the Jade Chamber, sealing it from outside interference.
Tianshu and Madam Ashan exchanged a glance. Though both were visibly shaken by what they were hearing, they chose to remain silent.
They were old, and their tenure as mbers of the Qixing was nearing its end. Without successors to take their places, they were reluctant to ddle in decisions that could reshape Liyue's destiny.
Instead, they left the matter to Ningguang and Keqing.
"Can you take full responsibility for your words? Are you willing to swear an oath before Rex Lapis himself?"
The subtle movents of Ningguang's smoking pipe betrayed her inner turmoil. Her hand trembled slightly, and her motions beca increasingly erratic.
An entire world…
No one understood the implications of this better than Ningguang, the self-made businesswoman who had risen to beco the wealthiest person in all of Teyvat.
Keqing didn't answer Ningguang's question directly. Instead, she exchanged a aningful glance with Ganyu.
Together, they stood and moved to the open center of the room.
With a simple gesture, Keqing produced two piles of coal, setting them down on the floor.
"This is a resource from that world. According to Ryen, this is coal—two piles of it, consisting of one hundred twenty-eight pieces in total."
Ningguang's brows furrowed in confusion. "This? This is all?"
Keqing sighed, clearly anticipating this reaction. Without offering further explanation, she gestured for Ganyu, who brought forward a large scale.
Keqing picked up a single piece of coal and casually placed it onto the scale.
Initially, Ningguang seed disinterested, even skeptical of what appeared to be a trivial demonstration.
But the mont the coal landed, a resounding thud echoed throughout the chamber.
The scale groaned under the weight, teetering precariously. Ningguang's eyes sharpened as her skepticism lted into shock.
Her gaze instinctively darted to the asurent on the scale, and her pupils contracted.
"One hundred sixty-seven kilograms? That's impossible!"
"This is reality," Ganyu interjected, her voice firm and steady as she t Ningguang's startled eyes.
"One piece of coal weighs one hundred sixty-seven kilograms. The two piles we brought back amount to just over twenty-one tons."
"Lady Ningguang, do you know how long it took us to mine these?"
Before Ningguang could answer, Ganyu's voice rang out like a hamr striking an anvil.
"In a single mine shaft spanning a thirty-ter radius, the three of us worked for twenty minutes. In that short ti, we extracted three and a half piles of coal."
"Altogether, we brought back approximately thirty-seven tons of coal."
"Lady Ningguang, do you believe that such a world holds the key to Liyue's future for the next thousand years?"
As Ganyu's words settled, an undeniable realization swept over Ningguang, Tianshu, and the others present.
A world like this…
Abundant resources.
Effortless extraction.
Ease of transportation.
Unfathomable potential.
It wasn't just an opportunity—it was a divine gift.
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