Chapter 17: Keqing—Is the Little Bird an Emperor?
"So that's how it is? Internal energy really is a fascinating thing," Keqing murmured, deep in thought after hearing Aiden's explanation.
Though she had faced setbacks today, it was clear that this internal energy cultivation was a major improvement for a Vision user like herself. It only strengthened her resolve to spread its practice throughout Liyue.
The people of Liyue didn't have access to a mysterious chat group like she did, so they couldn't gain strength as quickly. But over time?
If it didn't work in one year, then two. If not two, then five or ten. Liyue had time.
"Internal energy has great potential for widespread use."
Aiden nodded as he crouched down in front of Keqing and grabbed her injured ankle.
"Hey—what are you doing?!" Keqing's expression changed as she instinctively tried to pull her foot away, but Aiden's grip was firm, like iron. She couldn't move at all.
Did this guy not understand that a girl's feet weren't something to just grab like that?!
And wait—was he taking off her shoe?!
Her face turned red.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
"Relax." Aiden held Keqing's foot, examining it calmly. There was no strange odor—actually, her feet were quite well-maintained. So the whole thing about black stockings smelling bad was just a myth?
Interesting.
If someone like him had a particular appreciation for legs and feet… well, this was quite a nice surprise.
"It's fine. No fractures, just a sprain. With your physique, you'll be fine after resting for a day." Aiden pressed gently on her ankle as he spoke.
"...Ah."
Seeing Aiden's serious expression, Keqing hesitated.
Had she been overthinking it?
Maybe in her world, things like this required caution, but in Aiden's world, it was a completely different matter. Perhaps she had misunderstood him…
For a moment, she felt a little embarrassed for assuming the worst.
But that moment of understanding was very short-lived.
Because before she could say anything, Aiden suddenly scooped her up into a princess carry.
"Hey—you!"
Keqing glared at him, furious. What the hell was this guy doing now?!
"I'm taking you back," Aiden said casually. "In your current condition, getting down Mt. Tianheng on your own will be difficult. If you push yourself, you might actually end up injuring the bone."
As he spoke, he subtly adjusted his grip, shifting his hands to avoid any inappropriate areas.
Keqing fell silent, staring at him.
Did this guy really not realize what he was doing? Or was he just pretending?
Or… was he doing this on purpose?
Does he… like me?
If so, then…
Was everything he did yesterday also intentional?
Her thoughts spiraled, and she found herself growing more and more wary of Aiden.
But then—
She glanced at his face.
Handsome. Calm. Confident.
She hesitated.
…Would someone like him really need to resort to cheap tricks just to get close to a woman?
If he was after someone's affection, he wouldn't need to go about it in such a roundabout way. And besides… he had never acted this way toward Ningguang!
If anything, someone like him would be more interested in a woman like Ningguang.
---
Liyue's Ley Lines Are in Turmoil
"As of now, the ley lines in Liyue are experiencing unusual fluctuations."
Aiden's voice broke through Keqing's thoughts as he carried her down the mountain.
"In fact, it's not just Liyue. The entire continent of Teyvat is being affected."
Keqing's eyes widened. "You've noticed it too? The ley lines have been incredibly unstable lately."
Aiden nodded. "This isn't something you can handle alone. It's a problem affecting all of Teyvat. If anything, it should be dealt with by the Seven Archons themselves."
He shook his head slightly. "Your focus should be on getting stronger. You need to be able to protect yourself first."
Keqing clenched her fists. "I've tested it before—spending 100 points in the system gives me a year's worth of internal energy cultivation.
Right now, this energy system feels weaker than elemental power, but they aren't conflicting forces.
I plan to develop both elemental power and internal energy together in the future!"
She spoke seriously. "But first, I need to learn how to actually integrate this power into my fighting style."
Aiden smirked. "That's your biggest weakness—you're too reliant on your Vision. With your natural talent, even if you fought purely with swordsmanship and internal energy, you still could've defeated those monsters earlier.
Your mistake was overconfidence."
He glanced at her. "Be more careful next time. I just happened to be here today, but I might not be around next time."
"...Yeah," Keqing muttered, barely audible.
---
The Emperor's Test?
Keqing wanted to ask Aiden so many things—but she didn't know where to start.
One thing was certain.
Aiden and the Geo Archon definitely knew each other.
But if that was the case… then where was Morax now?
Why had she and Ningguang been unable to contact him when they searched for him?
And more importantly…
If Morax understood the value of internal energy for Liyue, then why wasn't he the one spreading it?
After some hesitation, Keqing finally asked, "Aiden… have you met Morax before?"
Aiden glanced at her, a knowing glint in his eyes. "As you've said before—Morax doesn't know everything."
Keqing froze.
Then her face darkened.
"Is this guy mocking me?!"
"I didn't mean it as an insult," Aiden clarified. "Morax respects you, but your ideals are too idealistic.
You should understand by now that complete human rule is impossible."
Keqing's expression shifted.
"So you're saying that Morax actually agrees with my ideas… but he already knew from the start that it wouldn't be that simple?"
She suddenly recalled the events from yesterday.
"You showed us the history of your world—to prove that human rule is never that simple.
So, in the end, is this all a test from the Geo Archon?"
Her eyes lit up.
"Is this why Morax has refused to meet us? Is he waiting to see what path we take?"
"Is this why he sent Ganyu into the group—to guide us?!"
Aiden raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.
She wasn't completely right… but she wasn't far off either.
"She actually figured out 70% of the truth from a single conversation?!"
If it had been Ningguang who guessed all this, he wouldn't have been surprised. That woman was like a cunning fox.
But Keqing?
This was unexpected.
"Then, by that logic…"
Keqing's eyes narrowed.
"Morax must also be inside the chat group.
And right now, there's only one person in the group who hasn't spoken or revealed themselves—the Little Bird."
Aiden's expression turned unreadable.
"Logically speaking, there's no way Morax would name himself something like that," Keqing continued. "But if he wanted to avoid suspicion, it would make sense to pick an absurd name."
Her voice grew more confident.
"Which means… all of this is happening under Morax's watchful eyes!"
Aiden's expression twitched slightly.
…This woman was too sharp.