Chapter Text
What was the saying again, ah, "Quiet, too quiet." A cliché, but a true one nonetheless. The winds brought tidings of rebellion, of a shattered throne, and the Sustainer never appeared, Celestia did not exact retribution for Focalors's actions, or even …her's up in her land of ice. Neither goddess's actions stirred their heavenly overlord.
Why?
This doesn't make sense, even if it is glad tidings. Pity he's spent so long playing drunkard, trying to drown the memories in wine that finding out what has happened would be difficult. At least, usually…
In this case, who would he go to but his friend over whose nation Celestia holds itself? Morax.
For all that the blockhead would claim that Chenyu Vale isn't under his purview, Jueyuan Karst is practically next door to the Adeptal residences there, and diagonal to Celestia itself, at least in terms of longitude and latitude if not altitude.
It'll be a breeze!
{ Time Skip }
The light brush of the wind across his face as he floats over the Stone Gate and across Bishui Plain is simply divine, like him! The white gold glow of the sun over the Plains, with silhouettes of mountains in the background are nothing if not beautiful.
The golden fields are stained with ichor and blood
The light of the sun in it's reign over hill and vale
But mountains lie yet further still to be climbed
While each trail leads back to lantern light
Not his best work, but a nice one regardless. Maybe he'll come back to tweak it a bit more, but this satisfies the poet in him regardless.
"Now, to find that blockhead!"
Morax… Zhongli isn't where he expects the other retired archon to be. He's not at work, despite it being a weekday, he's not browsing the markets, as the Traveler's descriptions would suggest, nor is he on a leisurely walk in the wilderness. Xiao hasn't seen him for a while either! Xiao! The blockhead loves that one with all of the fond adoration and anguish of a parent with a maturing, cloistered child.
.
.
.
He finally finds the blockhead at Yōuwàng-fǔ. With the table set for two to enjoy Chenyu Vale's unique tea. That blockhead knew he was looking for him and didn't bother telling him at all! If it weren't for the fact that Zhongli would point an laugh if their interaction devolved into childish antics he'd be stamping his foot to show his upset!
"Mor-Rax! I've been looking for you this entire time! You couldn't have sent even a whisper on the winds? I've been running in and out of all your domains I've access to! And by the way, if I made a mess, it's not my problem then! Ehe!" He did in fact make a bit of a mess in one of the domains, and now he's wishing he made more of one to spite the thoughtless and inconsiderate blockhead.
Powerful he may be, but patience seems to still be of short supply. "Barbatos. I seem to have assumed you would have found me sooner." Anyways, onto the important stuff.
"Why do the winds not cry. From the actions of those in the sky? You as well as I, know much has happened beneath their eyes." Fontaine's defier, Furina de Fontaine, yet lives and so does her dragon. There have been no nails. Not for water, not for fire. Not for pain or grace. Why?
Blockhead he may be pertaining notions of love and humanity, but politics and the emotions there have never been part of his blindspot. And they're friends, of sorts. You can't live as long as they do without growing attached to those who share your growing pains. "There is little to wonder about. Allow me to explain. To start with, what do you know about Liyue?"
Is this a trick question? It feels like one. "You put wards on the stones used in the foundations of the city…" A feat of strength, creating and connecting so many stones to the warding, the formation created for each hotspot of civilization, but feats of strength were normal, expected of him.
Morax had always been known for his strength, but he'd also been respected in the past for his followers, many of whom were also deities with worshippers long before they joined him. The Guili Assembly was a prime example of this, with many established gods such as Marchosius and Liúyún Jièfēng Zhēnjūn who had followings of their own and whom had no issue with bowing their heads to work for a common cause. Although, perhaps the most unusual part of Liyue as a whole was how many gods popped out of the woodwork trying to claim a divine throne during the Archon War.
Osial and Beisht. Havaria. Guizhong. Chi of Yore. Azhdaha. Lingyuan. Fujin. The one known as Herblord. Marchosius. Many of the Adepti whom are either Illuminated Beasts or Divine. Even Orobashi originated from Liyue. And Morax himself, who was stronger than all of them.
More deities than any other region, all gathered in Liyue.