"Traveler, I don't think this Childe seems like a bad person. Is he really a Fatui Harbinger?" On their way back to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Paimon recalled Tartaglia's demeanor at the tea house and Xinyue Kiosk, sounding a bit uncertain.
"Paimon, did one meal really win you over?" Lumine rolled her eyes cutely and then shook her head. She couldn't fully trust Ningguang, and the same went for Tartaglia. This man was definitely not someone with a soft heart.
During their earlier conversation, Tartaglia had repeatedly mentioned his past glorious battles, especially when talking about fighting strong opponents. His eyes practically lit up, clearly showing he was a battle maniac through and through.
Before setting off for Liyue, Venti had secretly approached Lumine and told her that the Fatui were secretly collecting the Gnoses across the seven nations. La Signora's sudden attack was also related to the Gnosis.
Additionally, Venti had vaguely mentioned that the Gnosis was a symbol of authority granted by the Heavenly Principles to the Seven Archons and was connected to Celestia.
So, if she could get close to the Gnosis, might she discover something?
Therefore, during the conversation, Lumine had casually brought up the topic of the Gnosis. Although it was only for a moment, she had clearly sensed a terrifying killing intent. This Tartaglia was definitely extremely dangerous.
"Huh? But..." Paimon wanted to say more, but Lumine was quicker, grabbing Paimon's little face and giving it a playful tug. This glutton, how could one meal win her over so easily?
——————
"This traveler named Lumine is quite extraordinary. Moreover, she seems to have heard of my reputation. Could she be someone from the Qixing? I need to find a way to pull her into this mess. The more chaotic things get, the better..." After Lumine left, Tartaglia pondered how to involve her in his schemes while clinking glasses with Zhongli.
Although he hadn't attended today's Rite of Descension, he had noticed the commotion. The Geo Archon had actually fallen.
This sudden incident completely disrupted his plans, and now he had to come up with a new strategy. Although the cause of the Geo Archon's death was unknown, the Gnosis was likely still within his remains. He needed to find an opportunity to locate it.
"Childe, do you have something on your mind?" Noticing Tartaglia's unusual mood, Zhongli's eyes flickered as he asked.
"Ah? It's nothing. I just feel a bit regretful that I didn't get to see Rex Lapis one last time." As he spoke, Tartaglia sighed, putting on a look of deep sorrow.
"Is that so? If you wish to see Rex Lapis one more time, I might be able to help."
"Really?!" Tartaglia was pleasantly surprised. He hadn't expected Zhongli to have such capabilities. His judgment of people was indeed spot on!
"Indeed. Generally speaking, in Liyue, whenever an adeptus passes away, a grand Rite of Parting is held. As the premier funeral parlor in Liyue, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor has always been responsible for organizing such events." Zhongli set down his wine cup and spoke unhurriedly.
"Hahaha, then I'll have to rely on you, Mr. Zhongli. Let me toast to you!" Tartaglia immediately understood Zhongli's meaning and couldn't help but laugh.
"Please."
——————
'Charging complete. Evolution conditions met… Proceed with evolution now?'
"Xiao, let's stop here for now. Thank you for your hard work." Hearing the prompt from the Void Archives in his mind, Yun Fan temporarily put away the Fenghuang Downs and turned to Xiao, who was keeping watch.
"Yes, Divine Lord."
"Don't call me that anymore. Just call me Yun Fan." Yun Fan rubbed his forehead, feeling a bit of a headache. For some reason, the title sounded awkward coming from Xiao. Perhaps he just wasn't fond of being called "Lord."
"Yes, Lord Yun Fan."
Yun Fan: "..."
After Xiao left, Yun Fan spoke to the Void Archives in his mind, "Begin."
'Executing command… Fenghuang Downs evolving… Time remaining: 10 days.'
Yun Fan, who had been eagerly anticipating the Fenghuang Downs evolving into Thousand Feathers of Annihilation, froze. Why was there a time limit for evolution? When the Eden's Star evolved, there hadn't been such a delay!
"Whatever, it's not urgent anyway. Let's head to Liyue Harbor and see how things are progressing." After all, it had already been two days since the incident at the Rite of Descension, so the general situation should be clear by now. Muttering to himself, Yun Fan disappeared in a flash, transforming into a bolt of lightning and streaking toward Liyue Harbor.
The distance between The Chasm and Liyue Harbor wasn't far. In just a few breaths, Yun Fan, now a bolt of lightning, reached the outskirts of Liyue Harbor. To avoid drawing attention, he quickly reverted to his human form and prepared to enter on foot.
"Hold it right there!" But things didn't go as planned. As soon as he reached the city gates, Yun Fan was stopped by the guards.
"Sir, please show your identification," the Millelith guard said, extending his hand in a businesslike manner.
"Here." Yun Fan handed over his Wangsheng Funeral Parlor employee ID, which Zhongli had helped him obtain when he first arrived in Liyue. Thus, his identification was tied to the funeral parlor.
While the Millelith checked his ID, Yun Fan struck up a conversation. "Brother Millelith, what's going on? Why is the entire city on lockdown?"
"Do you really not know?" The Millelith guard looked at him strangely.
"Haha, I've been away on business at Wuwang Hill for a while, so I haven't been in Liyue Harbor."
"Is that so? Well, the sky has practically fallen in Liyue. Just two days ago, Rex Lapis passed away." The Millelith guard handed back Yun Fan's ID, his face filled with grief.
"What?!" Yun Fan feigned shock and quickly pressed for more information. "How did Rex Lapis pass away? Haven't the Qixing and the adepti given any explanation to the people?"
"The Qixing are busy searching for the culprit and preparing the Rite of Parting. As for the adepti, there's been no word from them. Honestly, at a time like this, the Divine Lord should step forward and take charge. I mean, who could possibly assassinate Rex Lapis..." The Millelith guard rambled on, as if he had opened the floodgates.
"Alright, brother, I need to get back to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Let's talk another time." Yun Fan quickly bid farewell to the Millelith guard. If this kept up, who knew how long they'd be talking? Still, this guard's vigilance was lacking. If Yun Fan were a spy, he could easily extract any information he wanted.
"The Qixing haven't chosen to consolidate power as they did in the original story. Instead, they've focused most of their efforts on capturing the culprit and preparing the Rite of Parting. Are they worried that I might hold them accountable?"