Divinity in mortal | Childe x Zhongli

Locating the Adepti

On the way back to The Northland Bank, Childe asked Zhongli for some book recommendations about the Adepti. Since there was a book store near the entrance of the Bank, he stopped by to ask for them and took two of the ones they had. Since the Geo Archon was the first Adeptus he figured he could find information about the places he is used to visit.

When he got to his office, he delegated some of the afternoon's debt collection tasks to his colleagues where they could be autonomous. He was very pleased with today but there was still the best part: drawing the first conclusions about the location of the Gnosis. He walked over to the table, pushed the orders aside and propped up the first book: Records of Jueyun: Stone Beasts Volume V. Zhongli had told him that this collection gathered the legends of Liyue but this particular volume focused on the Adepti, or also called stone or illuminated beasts. 

Childe began to read. "People believe that a qilin's characteristics, behavior, and their every movement is dictated by an age-old etiquette that has remained unchanged for a thousand years", must be why Zhongli expresses himself this way, he has studied too much about the Adepti, Childe thought. The thought made him smile. All joking aside, he decided to focus and take notes of the important facts as he read: 

"After the barbaric era of the Archon War, many Adepti became unable to continue living among the clamorous mortal world. As a result, and under the direction of Rex Lapis, they withdrew from society to live in isolation in the groves and mountains of bamboo."

"Yet some illuminated beasts there were that, over a thousand years of mortal cooperation, had cultivated deep friendships with ordinary humans. [...] Some hid in mountain hamlets, others walked the bustling city streets. They lived together and mixed with humankind, leaving behind unique bloodlines in Liyue Harbor." "Aha, very generic...", Childe complained. At least he could find some Adeptus for real. "[...] the elegant illuminated beasts continue to walk among the residents of Liyue, unseen among the sea of people, waiting for the day when Rex Lapis calls them forth once again", it wouldn't be as easy as Childe thought.

He stopped reading for a moment and looking at the wall, he began to think of people he knew that he considered 'elegant' in Liyue: Zhongli, Ningguang and Ekaterina... But Ekaterina was actually from Snezhnaya, he didn't think the Adepti had made it that far. And Zhongli... he couldn't be an Adeptus either. He would have realized it and considering everything Zhongli tells him, he would have told him, right? There was no point in hiding it in Liyue. Maybe Ningguang is an Adeptus, that's why she had control of the order over Liyue. After defending the nation for so long it was sensible that the Adepti had decided this as not to leave all control over the humans. In addition to being elegant she stood out for her beauty, a quality also characteristic of the stone beasts. Zhongli is also beautiful. Childe noticed warmth in his cheeks and he was surprised he had thought that. He was giving he information too much thought and it clearly affected him.

He decided to target Ningguang, even if it meant having to deal with The Seven Stars of Liyue, she had many compatible characteristics: beauty, elegance, refined manners, intelligence, position of power, good life, a dwelling above the clouds... Then he wondered if Rex Lapis considered himself a male or a female, could Ningguang be Rex Lapis himself? In the books they always referred to Rex Lapis in masculine but even so there is no mention of restrictions regarding the forms they could take.

He closed the now finished book, set it aside and placed in front of it the other one he bought: Stone Tablet Compilations Volume I. This collection focused more on Rex Lapis, it might confirm his theory about Ningguang.

"Guizhong, the Lord of Dust, was an ally to the Lord of Rock. Around Mt. Tianheng, Guizhong set up a Crossbow to keep guard, and it was named the Guizhong Ballista." Childe took note, he had to find it and destroy it.