Finally we were at the Jade Chamber. I didn't want to use Toriyama because I didn't want him to be seen. First we got into a misunderstanding at the Guizhong Ballista before Keqing cleared it up, then we had to find a gift for Ningguang, and finally we took a floating platform to get up to the Jade Chamber.

Patrick: We're finally here.

Theresa: We're on a floating island again like on Schicksal's floating island.

Mei: Don't remind us.

Theresa: Sorry.

Fu Hua: Now Ningguang should be here right about now.

From the Jade Chamber, Ningguang appeared before us.

Ningguang: I've been waiting for you, returnees from Jueyun Karst.

Paimon: Ah, it's Ningguang!

When Ningguang appeared, Fu Hua got out of our group and made herself viewable to Ningguang by getting a little closer.

Fu Hua: Ningguang. It's been a while. Glad you invited us here.

Ningguang: My pleasure, Fu Hua.

Then they shook hands.

Patrick: They really do know each other.

Captain: Yes they do. She did earn Ningguang's recognition and they become good friends.

Paimon: Since this is our first meeting, um, we've prepared a gift! Hope you like it?

Ningguang: Oh, for me? You have my thanks. It seems that I have made things difficult for you, considering that you were supposed to be my guests.

Paimon: Hehe... Oh no, it's nothing.

Aether: It's our first time coming to a place this high up...

Ningguang: This palace floats in the skies, higher than the peak of any mountain. From this vantage point, one may survey all of Liyue.

Ningguang: I have been gathering the funds necessary to build it from the time I began learning the merchant's craft. And since becoming the Tianquan, I have spared no effort in hiring the best craftsmen to constantly extend it...

Theresa: I've lived on a floating land before.

Patrick: We've all been on floating lands before.

Ningguang: At first, it was but the size of one room. Now, it is large enough to blot out the moon in the skies above Liyue.

Patrick: Must have taken years to build this place. Unless if Geo Vision users with expert crafting skills who can make rocks and other stone materials into any shape they want made building take less time.

Ningguang: Very imaginative.

What she said, flustered me.

Captain: Another creative theory you came up with, brother.

Patrick: Yeah.

Ningguang: One day, I believe it will overshadow all seven nations.

Aether in mind: This Tianquan does not lack for ambition...

Ningguang: Not many from outside of Liyue earn the right to ascent to the Jade Chamber. But I have been in correspondence with the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius who spoke highly of you.

Mei: So you know Jean.

Ningguang: I do.

Ningguang turned to me.

Ningguang: I also know that you can summon a dragon with a summoning spell. You've had to keep it a secret from Liyue so nobody sees him and thinks that your dragon is hostile.

Patrick: Yes, I can summon a dragon. Everyone always thinks that creatures bigger than them are hostile.

Ningguang: There will be no need to keep that a secret anymore. The Millelith already know that your master dragon is not hostile. You've done great things in Mondstadt.

Ningguang continued.

Ningguang: As such, I have been putting eyes and ears out ever since you reached Liyue...

Paimon and Kiana: What!?

Ningguang: And I finally got wind of your movements when you were on the way to Wangshu Inn.

Paimon: ...Wait. Was Verr Goldet one of your people!?

Ningguang: Just Verr Goldet? ...No. Everyone at Wangshu Inn is one of ours.

Paimon: @&%*!

Aether: We also ran into the Yuheng not long ago...

Ningguang: At the Guizhong Ballista, yes?

Fu Hua: That's right.

Paimon: Uh... you weren't peeking on us from the skies the whole time... were you!?

Ningguang: Haha... I fear that peeking would have been a little difficult from this altitude.

Seele: Unless if you had a telescope or binoculars to watch from above.

Bronya: Yes. Those two things.

Ningguang: Our eyes and ears are more than sufficient. You all are very interesting people, after all. It would be natural to take an interest..

Aether: Keqing said that the Qixing would not wish ill on Rex Lapis.

Ningguang: Well, I wouldn't expect you to trust us, considering that you have had far more interactions with the adepti. The reason I invited you here was to clear up some misunderstandings.

Ningguang walked to the edge then we did the same thing.

Ningguang: I believe that you've heard of the Archon War?

Aether: Only in the broadest of strokes.

Patrick: Yes we have.

Himeko: We've heard of it.

Ningguang: Many gods used to walk this earth, and many long wars were fought between them that did not abate until 2,000 years ago. Much blood was shed, and many lives were lost. In the end, only seven victors remained standing in Teyvat.

Sakura: The Seven Archons who control the elements.

Ningguang: They build cities and nations on the corpses of the vanquished, and thus began the era of The Seven. You can see Guyun Stone Forest from here, I trust?

Kallen: Yes we can.

Ningguang: It is not natural rock formation — those are giant spears of rock, hurled by Rex Lapis during the war. Beneath the spears lie those cast down by Rex Lapis in those days: gods that failed to seize the title of Archon. Not only is it true that gods may die, but so too has the membership of the Seven changed over the last two millennia. Rex Lapis' passing is an unimaginable disaster for Liyue, but the order of The Seven will not collapse simply because of that. Another Lord of Geo will arise sooner or later, yet how are we to forget Rex Lapis? When that time comes, the relationship between the people of Liyue and the gods and adepti will surely be different from before. Even in a new era, the Liyue Qixing remain Rex Lapis' former subjects... Do you really think us capable of having played a part in his demise? Of lacking the foresight to see the certain repercussions?

Aether: Why hide the Exuvia, then?

Patrick: that's what we need to know.

Ningguang: Heh... That day at Yujing Terrace — it was all so very sudden. Even I was caught completely off guard. You were there, you no doubt saw. But our enemy has long lain hidden within the harbor. If we do not act against them now, they will surely gain the upper hand. Hiding the Exuvia was a necessary maneuver to take the initiative back, to play the spider while our foes scurry about.

Paimon: Who's this "enemy" you're talking about?

Ningguang: What do you think, Travelers?

Aether: It's "him," isn't it?

Fu Hua: It has to be "him."

Paimon: Eh? What are you all talking about?

Ningguang: Well answered.

Paimon: ...Huh!?

Ningguang: Hah... The scenery out here is fine indeed, but the wind is a little strong. Our preparations to receive guests within are complete — so please, this way.

Ningguang led us inside the Jade Chamber. It was fancy inside.

Paimon: Wowee! What a huge hall! Paimon's never seen such a fancy place before...

Patrick: Feels like being in a museum.

Fu Hua: I've been in places like this before with designs like this.

Ningguang led us to a room.

Ningguang: Be at ease, you boys and girls. Make yourselves at home if you wish.

Paimon: Can we really!?

Ningguang: I have invited you two here as friends. And when friends come over to play, our enjoyment comes first, naturally.

Sakura: Since we just first met, we've already become friends this fast.

Fu Hua: Captain and I have already become friends with her, so we've gotten to know each other.

Aether: Is that what I think it is...?

On our right was something.

Paimon: Ooh! Isn't this that legendary wall?

Ningguang: Why, you've kept your ear to the ground, I see.

Paimon: That's because even the storytellers are talking about it... Everyone's after a piece of paper from that wall. It's super famous!

Ningguang: That's beacuse that wall records Liyue's secrets. Merchants have always been attracted to secrets.

Ningguang: But the secrets of the mercantile world are of no interest to you, are they, Travelers? You're rather special, really — and I think you're quite aware of that.

Kiana: We are.

Ningguang: If possible, I'd like to have your trust. But if you were to choose the more trustworthy person between myself and Keqing...

Aether: Well, between your orthodoxy and her heterodoxy...

Ningguang: Haha... You'd pick Keqing? I had a feeling. I originally thought her a bit too... hard-headed. With someone of her character on the Qixing, I've had some extra messes to clean up behind the scenes. But after she said those words: "The time of the adepti has long passed. If even the Liyue Qixing don't want to face that truth, then what future is there for Liyue..." Well, I must say that quite a few of my doubts have been dispelled. I won't deny that Rex Lapis' passing seems advantageous to us. But for Liyue's sake, we cannot allow ourselves to be shackled by rumors of our usurpation of power.

Aether: I surmise that the Fatui has a hand in these rumors?

Ningguang: Indeed... It seems that you understood what I meant to say from the very beginning. I called for the gag order and for the Exuvia to be hidden to temporarily stabilize the situation, and also to prevent something similar to the incident in Mondstadt.

Seele: You can say that again.

Ningguang: With Rex Lapis' death, the Fatui have busied themselves with many clandestine actions beyond their diplomatic remit. As the Tianquan, one responsible for Liyue, I cannot be too concerned with appearances when opposing them.

Seele: We've also been opposing them after what they've been doing in Mondstadt.

Ningguang: Allowing the Rite of Parting to take plce was also meant to buy some time for us to take control of Liyue's administration...

Paimon: Ugh... It's exactly as Zhongli said. The Qixing only provided the venue for the rite so they could use us for their own ends. Wait, that's right! Speaking of ends... Could Paimon say one other thing?

Ningguang: Of course.

Paimon: Paimon's heard that anyone who sends a greeting gift gets a little something in return... So, does that include us?

Aether: Seriously, Paimon? Seriously?

Ningguang: Hmm-hmm, It's quite alright. I like direct people. Well, we have made quite a bit of trouble for you recently. How about this? You can pick any one object here as you please, and you may take it with you.

Paimon: Yay! Paimon was just waiting for you to say that! Let's see, what should we get...

Paimon: One of those sheets on that wall!

Aether: ???

Paimon: Don't look at Paimon like that! One of these sheets of paper will sell for crazy prices, even if it's only as large as Paimon's fingernail! Just imagine... how much Mora a whole, untorn sheet would sell for!

Paimon: Let's grab one! The biggest one!

Seele: Not so fast. We need to discuss which one.

We discussed which one to choose and made our choice. The paper snow. The paper with the red circle.

Paimon: Huh? Well that was an easy search. The biggest sheet is right up there in the most obvious spot. Let's go with that one! La la-la la-la... Let's see what's written on it.

Paimon: Huh? There's a place marked with a circle on here. Ooh, could it be treasure!? Whatever it is, it better make us filthy rich! Let's see what's written over here...

Paimon: "Sigil"..."of Permission"... Mm-hmm and... "Fatui"... "research"..."copy"... Huh?

Fu Hua: Looks like the Fatui are up to something.

Paimon: Aw, that doesn't sound like treasure at all. This piece of paper shows that a Qixing spy discovered traces of classified Fatui research on the Sigil of Permission. Oh, Ningguang did say that the Fatui have been up to all kinds of mischief in the shadows of Liyue... Spreading rumors, wanting to get their hands on the archon's body, and what not.

Seele: Back in Mondstadt we were unable to prove that the Fatui are criminals. Maybe this time in Liyue we can prove that the Fatui are criminals if we go to that area.

Paimon: But research on the Sigil of Permission? Paimon wonders what they're up to. Speaking of which, there's also some connection between you all and the Sigil of Permission, Guys. Seems there's still more for us to find out.

Aether: It's all unfolding a little too perfectly.

Paimon: Oh? You really think so?

Fu Hua: Yes we do.

Paimon: Well... should we not go, then?

Aether: No, what I mean is...

Paimon: Oh, so you're saying that it's precisely because we can't completely trust Ningguang that we should confirm the truth of what she says for ourselves.

Fu Hua: Since I've known Ningguang for a while now, I still trust her.

Paimon: Hmm... That's way out of Paimon's league. Paimon thinks she's been nothing but good to us.

Fu Hua: Same here.

Paimon: Anyway, we'll see if you're on to something.
Paimon: Um, before we look for Zhongli at Dihua Marsh, let's go to the place marked out on these papers and see if the Fatui really are up to no good there.

Patrick: Yes we should.

Mei: We might be able to find some evidence to prove that they are criminals to show to the authorities.

Kiana: And we can finally put them behind bars and have the last laugh on them.

Ningguang: So, have you made your choice?

Fu Hua: Yes we have.

Ningguang: You don't have to confirm it with me. Just choose one and take it.

Ningguang: Afterwards, why not sit down for a while in the Jade Chamber, or have a short stroll? Rest is also an integral part of any journey.

Aether: Thank you for your hospitality.

Ningguang: Come now, there's no need to stand on ceremony. Loosen up a little.

Fu Hua: It's time we made a move. See you...

Ningguang: Alright then, I hope the next time we meet, you will either have already done the right thing... or, will be about to make the right call.

Fu Hua: We will do the right thing.

Sakura: Alright. It's time to prove that the Fatui are criminals.

Kallen: Right, if we'll be able to find some evidence, we can prove to Liyue that the Fatui are criminals.

Patrick: Then let's go!

Everyone: YEAH!

Once we got outside of the Jade Chamber, I summoned Toriyama then we flew to the area marked on the paper snow.