Ganyu could already imagine the reactions of the other Archons if Jiang Chen went through with this.
Upon hearing the news, they would rush to Liyue immediately, leading to a tense standoff—and eventually, Jiang Chen controlling the resurrected Archons to fight.
The mere thought sent a shiver down Ganyu's spine.
How terrifying!
She could only hope things wouldn't escalate to that point.
Sighing, she pushed the matter aside and returned to her work.
She still had plenty left to do.
After ending the call with Ganyu, Jiang Chen's expression turned thoughtful.
So the fox is already making moves, huh?
Tsk tsk.
How interesting.
Come to think of it, there was still the matter of Azhdaha unresolved in Liyue.
Had Morax forgotten?
Too busy celebrating his revived friends to remember his old dragon buddy?
What a heartless man.
While Azhdaha continued to suffer from erosion, Zhongli was basking in the joy of his resurrected companions.
The poor dragon had been completely overlooked.
Tsk tsk!
Should he remind Zhongli?
Just let Azhdaha die once, then resurrect him—problem solved!
Flawless logic.
Death and rebirth would restore him to his former glory.
But after some consideration, Jiang Chen decided not to intervene.
If Zhongli wasn't in a hurry, why should he be?
Whether it was forgetfulness or deliberate neglect, it wasn't his concern—for now.
After a full day's work, Jiang Chen headed home.
Unlike Liyue Harbor, where evenings offered entertainment, Mingyun Village and Guili Plains had none.
If Lumine were home, he'd at least have some distractions.
But she was still out traveling.
So his only options were enjoying the sea breeze, chatting with others, and turning in early.
Back at the house, he began preparing dinner.
After some thought, he settled on barbecue.
Gathering meat, vegetables, and other ingredients, he headed to the beach to collect crabs and shellfish.
Living near Yaoguang Shoal meant seafood was always abundant.
And since the area was undeveloped, the marine life had zero wariness.
Jiang Chen practically filled his bucket without effort.
He wasn't the only one with this idea—many of Mingyun Village's new residents had also come down to forage.
Spotting Jiang Chen, they greeted him warmly.
Jiang Chen smiled and called out:
"Better enjoy the seafood while you can!"
"Once development starts, there won't be so much to gather."
This place would inevitably become a resort.
By then, free seafood feasts would be a thing of the past.
Such was the cost of progress.
So if they wanted a taste, now was the time.
The villagers nodded eagerly and redoubled their efforts.
Once Jiang Chen had enough, he returned home and lit the charcoal grill.
Soon, the aroma of roasting food filled the air.
Guizhong and Cloud Retainer, catching the scent, approached curiously.
"Smells amazing!"
"This looks fun—let me help!"
Guizhong immediately joined in.
Cloud Retainer sat down as well—though her expression was far from pleased.
Her face looked like she'd been cheated out of millions of Mora.
"What's wrong?"
"Who owes you money?"
"Guizhong?"
Jiang Chen was genuinely puzzled.
"Hmph!"
"None of your business!"
Amused, Jiang Chen turned to Guizhong.
"What's her deal?"
If Cloud Retainer wouldn't talk, Guizhong would.
Guizhong grinned.
"She's mad at Keqing."
Huh?
Jiang Chen was surprised.
Keqing had provoked her?
Seeing the topic raised, Cloud Retainer's anger boiled over.
"Your Qixing are outrageous!"
"How dare they order the Yakshas to build houses?!"
"Is this how you govern Liyue under Rex Lapis's decree?!"
She'd flown over the construction site earlier—only to see Yakshas doing manual labor.
The sight had infuriated her.
How dare that Qixing treat them like common workers?!
Jiang Chen sighed.
So that's what this was about.
"Hmph!"
"What do you know?!"
"The Yakshas' strength speeds up construction!"
"If possible, I'd even ask Rex Lapis to help!"
"Think of the time we'd save!"
"Since when are adepti too noble for labor?!"
Keqing, returning just in time, overheard and immediately fired back.
"Hmph!"
"Such disrespect for the adepti!!"
Cloud Retainer's temper flared further at the sight of her.
"Hmph!"
"You throw around 'disrespect' so casually—is this how an adeptus behaves?"
"I do respect the adepti—in my heart."
"I respect those who sacrificed for Liyue."
"I respect those who shed blood for this land."
"Respect isn't just empty words."
Cloud Retainer's teeth ground together in frustration.
Before the argument could escalate, Guizhong intervened.
"Enough."
"Stop fighting."
"This was probably Jiang Chen's idea anyway."
"Without him, the Yakshas wouldn't have obeyed so easily."
She knew enough to guess the truth.
This had Jiang Chen's fingerprints all over it.
Only the one who'd resurrected them could command such loyalty.
"Oh?"
"Your doing?"
Cloud Retainer's glare shifted to Jiang Chen.
Now the fire was directed at him.
Jiang Chen rolled his eyes.
"Yes, it was me."
"Got a problem with that?"
His challenging gaze silenced her instantly.
Well… if it was Jiang Chen's order, what could she say?
He'd brought them back—his authority over them was absolute.
Seeing her back down, Keqing snorted.
"Bullying the weak while fearing the strong."
That was the final straw.
Cloud Retainer exploded.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A COWARD?!"
"HOW DARE YOU?!"