Following the voice, they saw a tall, slender woman with white hair standing not far away. She wore a tight black outfit with a simple, elegant robe over it, resembling a crane's feathers.
Her figure was graceful, and her cold expression gave her the aura of a celestial being.
"Are you... an adeptus?" Paimon asked uncertainly. This woman was walking on Mt. Aocang and had such an otherworldly presence. Could she be Cloud Retainer, the adeptus Mountain Shaper had mentioned?
"My name is Shenhe. I am not an adeptus," Shenhe shook her head.
"Not an adeptus?" Paimon was skeptical. She felt her intuition couldn't be wrong.
"Why have you come to Mt. Aocang?" Shenhe repeated her question, her eyes growing slightly dangerous. She had been meditating in a nearby cave when the sound of metal clashing interrupted her practice.
While many seekers of immortality visited Mt. Aocang, there were also those who came to plunder treasures. If it were the former, Shenhe wouldn't interfere, but if it were the latter, she would make sure they regretted it.
In her eyes, the two travelers digging for Cor Lapis seemed more like the latter.
"Misunderstanding! My name is Lumine, and this is Paimon. We were sent by Mountain Shaper to visit Cloud Retainer on Mt. Aocang," Lumine quickly explained, sensing the danger. They had already had enough trouble on this journey and didn't want any unnecessary conflicts.
"Master Mountain Shaper's request? I see," Shenhe's hostility faded slightly upon hearing Mountain Shaper's name, but her cold expression remained, like an unyielding block of ice.
"Master? So you're Cloud Retainer's disciple?" Paimon exclaimed in realization. So this woman was an adeptus's disciple!
"Mm," Shenhe nodded lightly. "Since you're here to see my master, follow me."
With that, Shenhe turned and led the way.
"Traveler, let's hurry and follow her."
Since Lumine and Paimon had already reached the halfway point of Mt. Aocang before meeting Shenhe, the journey to the summit wasn't far. In about an hour, the three arrived at the peak.
The curious Paimon looked around, her gaze eventually landing on a round stone table.
It was an ordinary stone table, surrounded by three cylindrical stone stools, enough to seat three people.
At the summit, they had stood for who knew how many years, bearing the scars of time and exuding an ancient aura.
"This is..." Paimon flew to the table, examining the offerings placed on it and the inscriptions carved into its surface. She read them softly.
"Here resides Cloud Retainer, here sits Guizhong, here borrows Rex Lapis." Paimon scratched her head. Rex Lapis referred to the Geo Archon, and Cloud Retainer was obvious, but who was Guizhong?
As if sensing Paimon's confusion, Shenhe explained, "Guizhong was my master and Rex Lapis's close friend, but she has since passed away. When you meet my master, do not mention this."
"Mm-hmm," Lumine and Paimon nodded. They were just curious.
Seeing their agreement, Shenhe walked to the door of the adeptus's abode and knocked three times.
"Master, your disciple has returned."
The three waited for a while, but there was no response.
"Master, your disciple has returned," Shenhe repeated, but still, there was no answer.
She sighed, forming a few hand seals and pressing them into the array on the door. Shenhe had the means to open the door, but since she had brought outsiders, she thought it best to inform Cloud Retainer first. However... it seemed her master was once again engrossed in her mechanical research.
Click, click, click...
The sound of gears turning came from inside, and soon, the door to the abode opened.
"So big!" Paimon exclaimed, marveling at the scene inside the abode. At Mt. Hulao, they had resorted to smashing the door and hadn't had the chance to explore the interior. Paimon had been disappointed then, but now she finally got her wish.
"I'll wait here. I'll go fetch my master," Shenhe said, then walked off without a second thought, completely unconcerned about whether the two would do anything mischievous.
"Traveler, I feel like Shenhe is a bit strange, like... she's lacking emotions?"
"Yeah, emotionless," Lumine said, crossing her arms with a smug look.
"But speaking of which, Traveler, did you notice that this abode seems much bigger inside than it looks from the outside? Is this the adeptus' spatial magic?"
"Probably," Lumine nodded. She wondered just how much space could be expanded. If it could be expanded enough, could they create a living space inside a small object? That way, they wouldn't have to stay in inns or sleep outdoors anymore.
As Lumine pondered this, Shenhe returned with Cloud Retainer.
"So, you're the ones Mountain Shaper sent? What brings you to seek me out?"
Lumine snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the bespectacled woman holding a wrench next to Shenhe.
This was Cloud Retainer? She looked more like a plumber.
"Hey, you there, your gaze is quite disrespectful," Cloud Retainer raised an eyebrow. Her adeptus intuition told her that this blonde girl was definitely thinking something inappropriate.
"Ah, sorry, my bad."
"Hmph, this adeptus is magnanimous and will let it slide this time. Now, tell me, what did Mountain Shaper send you here for?" Cloud Retainer said with a haughty tone, then asked for their purpose.
"It's like this..."
Lumine explained their mission and the news of Rex Lapis's death.
Cloud Retainer's expression shifted from calm to shocked, then from shocked to furious.
"Outrageous! The Qixing of Liyue have truly disappointed me!"