"Wait, you can't go in!"
Keqing was shocked and immediately rushed forward, trying to pull Yilan back.
But the moment she stepped into the cave, something seemed to stir — the entire cavern came alive.
Countless karmic miasmas, as if guided by an unseen force, turned into a violent wind that pushed her out.
In stark contrast, wherever Yilan passed, the mud blocking the road parted to either side, and even the karma transformed into a gentle breeze, retreating before him.
It was as if the entire cave was welcoming him, clearing a straight path between him and the "black boulder."
Following the cleared trail, Yilan quickly approached the "black boulder" and pressed his face against it.
"Yilan!!"
Keqing couldn't help but cry out in shock.
Although she had spent less than a day with the young man from Mondstadt, Keqing had already developed a fondness for him.
While it hadn't yet blossomed into deeper feelings, it was enough, based on what he had said earlier, for Keqing to regard him as a trusted companion.
Moreover, if such a key figure from Mondstadt were to die in Liyue, it would be extremely difficult for Liyue to explain itself to Mondstadt.
Yes — in Keqing's eyes, Yilan was almost certain to die.
It was clear that the "black boulder" radiated an ominous aura, and Yilan seemed bewitched by it.
The following scene should have been just like in those fairy tales: Yilan being devoured by the "black boulder," or his mind being corrupted by evil and turning into a disaster-bringing devil.
——However, none of those things happened.
Yilan, who pressed his face against the "black boulder," was neither absorbed into it nor laughing maniacally like a villain.
On the contrary, his face was calm, as if he were quietly listening to something, and from time to time, his lips moved slightly, as if speaking words too soft to hear.
"——"
Although Yilan did not seem in immediate danger, Keqing couldn't shake her growing sense of unease.
She was just about to rush in again and pull him out when a commotion sounded from outside the cave.
Along with hurried footsteps, several Fatui operatives — clad in armor of various colors and bearing Delusions — appeared at the entrance.
"The Fatui? Why are they here now?!" Keqing was stunned.
Upon spotting Keqing, the Fatui were clearly caught off guard, instinctively raising their weapons defensively.
The situation was grim: Yilan was still trapped inside the cave, while the Fatui now cut off Keqing's retreat.
She hesitated, unsure whether to save Yilan first or confront the Fatui when—
"Boom!"
A stone sword crashed from the sky, impaling a Fatui soldier into the ground.
What happened—?!
Both the Fatui and Keqing were stunned.
But while Keqing was astonished — scanning the surroundings, thinking perhaps an adeptus had come to help — the Fatui were horrified.
The falling sword was just the beginning.
In the next instant, countless stone swords rose from the ground, sweeping towards the Fatui like legendary sword formations.
Unstoppable.
Irresistible.
The Fatui, unable to even locate their attacker, could only watch helplessly as the stone swords closed in, shredding them like a dragnet.
"Damn it, who's attacking?!"
"Retreat! Run! It's the Adepti!"
"Ahhh!!"
"...!"
Screams filled the air.
It was an utterly one-sided massacre.
But just as the last of the dozen Fatui were about to be slaughtered, a tremendous shockwave erupted, as if the air itself was compressed by some massive force.
BOOM!
All the stone swords were shattered by the shockwave.
At the same time, a man appeared at the cave entrance:
Wearing aristocratic light-blue robes, a hat that covered the upper half of his face, and exuding a terrifying aura — it was unmistakably Dottore, the Second Harbinger of the Fatui.
With a playful smile, he gazed at Yilan — still pressing a hand against the "black stone" — and spoke loudly:
"It's true we made an uninvited visit, but, Your Excellency, isn't it a bit cruel to slaughter all my adorable subordinates over such a trivial matter?"
"Hah."
Yilan turned his head to face the newcomer, the corners of his mouth curling into a mocking smile.
"In terms of cruelty, who could possibly surpass Il Dottore, Second of the Fatui Harbingers?"
The two locked eyes across the distance.
Although no visible energy surged between them, everyone present — even Keqing — felt the air grow heavier, as if even breathing became difficult.
"You all, withdraw," Dottore said with a casual wave of his hand to the surviving Fatui.
"Yes, Doctor!"
Relieved as if receiving a royal pardon, the remaining Fatui fled down the mountain path.
At that moment, Yilan withdrew his hand from the "black boulder" and walked calmly out of the cave.
The karmic miasma and demonic filth along the way parted naturally before him.
Seeing this, the smile on Dottore's lips deepened.
"It seems you're quite interested in this artifact," Dottore said, his tone amused, "and you even seem to have learned how to wield its power. Have you considered joining us, the Fatui?"
Yilan chuckled lightly.
"I always thought someone like you, Doctor, would be subtle and profound… yet here you are, trying such a cheap and obvious recruitment tactic?"
"Well, what can I say?" Dottore shrugged. "Just like my code name suggests, I'm merely a humble researcher. I have no strength — all I can offer are my words."
As he spoke, Yilan had already stepped out of the cave, standing at the entrance.
The two stood barely half a meter apart, their smiles eerily similar, the restrained tension between them like an invisible storm.
After a brief silence, Dottore broke it first.
"Since you have no intention of keeping me, shall I take my leave?"
"Please," Yilan said, smiling.
Dottore chuckled and turned to leave without hesitation.
Watching his retreating back, Yilan rested his chin in his hand, lost in thought.
To be honest, Dottore's sudden appearance here had been a surprise.
Before coming to Liyue, Yilan had assumed — based on the game's plot — that only La Signora and Tartaglia (Childe) were operating in Liyue.
With his current strength, he wasn't worried about either of them.
But now… Dottore, the Second Harbinger himself, had appeared.
Upon closer thought, however, it made perfect sense.
Dottore had always been obsessed with studying abyssal corruption.
In the official manga, he experimented by injecting Abyssal remnants into humans; in Sumeru's plot, he used Abyssal power to suppress Eleazar; in Inazuma, he created Delusions from Abyssal energy; he even turned soldiers into "pseudo-gods."
In short — anything related to demonic remnants attracted Dottore's attention.
And here, hidden in Yuheng Mountain, was a cavern that had accumulated the corrupted remains of countless defeated demons over a thousand years.
In terms of raw energy density, the cave's filth probably exceeded even the lingering power of multiple fallen gods.
Not to mention, there was also the miraculous artifact known as the "Black Monolith."
How could Dottore not be drawn here?
The only good news was that this wasn't the strongest version of Dottore — the one who appeared in Sumeru later.
Because, notably, he didn't have his Sumeru clone body —
Cough cough.
Okay, that was just a joke.
More seriously: when they clashed earlier, Yilan and Dottore had subtly tested each other's strength — and they were roughly equal.
——Not surprising.
Although it's said that Dottore's full strength rivals that of the Seven Archons, obviously not every "segment" or "clone" of Dottore reaches that level.
Otherwise, why bother with elaborate schemes?
If every clone was Archon-level, they could just march into the Seven Nations and take the Gnoses by brute force.
The Tsaritsa would be no more than a figurehead — Dottore would already rule Snezhnaya himself.
As for why Dottore chose to retreat despite their equal footing…
It was likely because of what he glimpsed inside the cave.
Perhaps he suspected Yilan had hidden trump cards or backup plans, and thus dared not act recklessly.
As for whether Yilan really had any backup plans…
"Yilan!"
"Yilan!"
Pulled from his thoughts, Yilan looked up to see Keqing waving anxiously in front of him.
"Are you okay?" Keqing breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing him respond. "You were dazing off for a long time. Were you affected by the karma inside the cave?"
"I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you." Yilan shook his head, smiling faintly.
"I just didn't expect Dottore to show up. Besides him, who else among the Fatui's Harbingers are currently operating here?"
"The Eleventh Harbinger, Tartaglia, and the Eighth, Signora," Keqing answered.
"So it really is those two…"
"Yilan…" Keqing hesitated, then asked, "What exactly happened in the cave? Why didn't that black monolith harm you?"
"..."
Seeing her serious expression, Yilan realized he couldn't just brush her off.
He chose his words carefully.
"Unlike the filth outside, within that black boulder lies a very pure power," he said.
"Just like the most beautiful lotus blooms in the dirtiest mud… Do you understand what I mean?"
Keqing frowned. She felt she understood — partially.
This damn Yilan — why couldn't he just speak plainly? Why be so cryptic?!
Seeing her frustrated look, Yilan smiled wryly.
He really couldn't explain in detail — not without revealing secrets buried for thousands of years, secrets even Liyue's Qixing might not know.
Better to remain vague and let her draw her own conclusions.
"…Forget it. Anyway, Yilan, you won't do anything that harms Liyue, right?" Keqing asked seriously.
"I guarantee it!" Yilan answered solemnly.
"I trust you," Keqing nodded firmly.
It wasn't just because of the initial affinity created by seeing someone touch the "Face of God," but also because of the trust built during their time together.
She truly believed this young man from Mondstadt meant no harm to Liyue.
"Then let's hurry back to Liyue Harbor," Keqing said decisively. "Such a major incident — we must inform Ningguang at once."
Without wasting time, Keqing led Yilan down the mountain.
Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, she ordered the Qianyan Army to increase patrols, then swiftly returned to Liyue Harbor.
***
Thanks to Keqing's escort, they encountered no obstacles and soon reached the Jade Chamber.
Ningguang had clearly set aside her schedule.
After Baiwen, her secretary, guided them upstairs, Keqing wasted no time and recounted everything that had happened.
"Though I was already aware that another Harbinger was secretly operating in Liyue, I didn't expect it to be Dottore himself," Ningguang mused, frowning slightly.
She sat gracefully on a luxurious chair, her cheongsam stretched taut over her curves, her amber pipe tapping lightly against the table.
"It seems we must notify the Adepti," she said.
"But—" Keqing opened her mouth, but Ningguang cut her off.
"Keqing, regardless of our differing ideals, protecting Liyue must always come first," Ningguang said calmly.
"Besides, notifying the Adepti is merely an extra precaution. If we can solve it ourselves, we won't trouble them."
"…Alright. You're right, Ningguang." Keqing finally relented.
Yilan, listening silently, appreciated Keqing's ideals — but in truth, he agreed more with Ningguang's pragmatism.
Still, it wasn't his place to interfere in Liyue's internal affairs. He simply asked:
"When do you plan to act?"
"Tonight," Ningguang said firmly, setting her pipe aside.