Ch 32

"For the gods' death, the reaction of Liyue's Seven is quite intriguing," Childe remarked. "They publicly announced that due to the lack of evidence, no one is allowed to witness the 'Adepti's Abode,' and even attempted to block the news... But with the constant flow of Adepti coming and going, they can't entirely suppress the rumors."

The Traveler found the Seven's actions suspicious. They didn't agree with their approach.

At this point, Childe chimed in, offering to assist the Traveler once again. He promised to find someone who could help break the deadlock.

"Give me some time... to locate that gentleman," Childe said.

With the next goal set, Childe sighed, "Ah... truly interesting. The more suppressed the setup phase, the more intense the eventual eruption."

"To witness the unleashed chaos, I must endure until we meet again while I'm still alive."

The story came to a close in this atmosphere of impending turmoil.

....

On a cliff north of Liyue Harbor, a young bard-like figure sat on a protruding rock by the edge, holding a flute in hand. The melody he played carried with the wind, drifting towards Liyue Harbor not far away.

This was a sound unheard by ordinary mortals, only discernible to colleagues of the same earthly governing rank. The old man... should have heard this sound by now.

Though only two of the original Seven Gods remained in these times, protecting this nation—the God of Geo and him, the God of Wind.

In reality, Venti was considered quite "elderly" by human standards. However, he still fell short compared to that old man. Moreover, most of his time after becoming a god was spent in slumber, and the actual time he spent actively in the world was relatively short. Plus, Mora, the God of Geo, always had that stern and solemn appearance.

So, he earned the title accordingly.

Although Venti felt a bit nervous facing the God of Geo, he had mentally prepared himself to be blown away with a single strike.

Footsteps approached from behind.

As the God of Wind, Venti could discern a person's character from many details. The newcomer's footsteps were steady, leaving an impression with every step, indicating a mature and composed personality.

Venti turned around and saw a young man with dark brown hair, his eyes resembling amber. There was a sense of world-weariness in his gaze that didn't quite match his age.

"You are... Morax!?" Venti was surprised.

In his memory, the Lord of Geo was extremely imposing and dominant. He wore a black robe and white armor, concealing his face with a hood. His ancient golden runes adorned both arms, and a casual glance from him felt like a thunderclap.

The absolute martial god stance. But now, he was dressed in an ancient-style robe from some unknown organization, looking calm. There was no trace of the former sharpness about him. This transformation was like a sharp blade turning into smooth jade. So, when Venti saw him for the first time, he was so surprised that he even doubted if he had mistaken the person.

"Barbatos, long time no see," Zhong Li spoke. In fact, it had been so many years. Zhong Li felt that if he were a bit younger, he might have greeted this wine-loving poet with a jest.

The reason was the millennia-old "Windblume Ode" agreement Venti had forged back then. Even though Venti had fooled everyone with the fake contract, causing many of the aristocrats' soldiers to turn against them, that forged signature couldn't have deceived him. After all, he was the God of Wealth and Commerce. For someone who had fabricated a false contract, he should have imposed the punishment of eating rock on that person. However, the present Zhong Li had no intention of doing so. His earlier impulse felt like reminiscing about one's youthful and frivolous days. Besides, not long ago, Zhong Li had personally experienced the events related to Mondstadt, which gave him a better understanding of the carefree God of Wind.

"Haha, that's right, long time no see, Morax," Venti said as he took out a bottle of wine from his side and waved it towards Zhong Li. "This is an aged wine I've buried in Mondstadt for many years. I couldn't bear to drink it myself... consider it a gift from me to you!"

"That's very kind. Let's find a place to enjoy this fine wine," Zhong Li agreed.

Somewhere on the peak of a cloud-piercing mountain, Venti leaned on the railing and looked down at the sea of clouds below. "Hoo... this place is really high..."

Meanwhile, Zhong Li sat in his seat, preparing for the sobering ritual. Such aged wine required a special method before drinking; otherwise, half of its genuine aroma would be lost.

"Speaking of it, Morax, your mountain is incredibly high. Why did you choose to build a pavilion in a place like this? It's truly hard to fathom," Venti remarked.

After completing the wine-aerating process, Zhong Li said, "Since both of us have chosen to walk the world in the guise of ordinary people, let's call each other by ordinary names from now on. My name is Zhong Li."

"Zhong Li... Hmm, alright, I'll remember that. You can call me Venti from now on," Venti replied.

Zhong Li uncorked the old wine, and its rich aroma immediately filled the air. Venti's face lit up with fascination as he hurried over to the wine table.

"No wonder it's an aged vintage. I should have buried a few more bottles back then... Come, come, come, Master Zhong Li, let me pour you a drink."

Seeing Venti's enthusiastic attitude toward alcohol, Zhong Li couldn't help but sigh. This guy didn't seem to have changed at all. When the Seven gathered in Liyue in the past, Venti was always the one who could hold his liquor the best. Now, it appeared that nothing had changed. Although there were only the two of them at this moment, the atmosphere was still warm as old friends reunited.

After a few drinks, Venti began to open up. "Zhong Li, you have no idea how badly that mobile game has ruined me! Now, everyone in Mondstadt knows I'm the God of Wind. How am I supposed to continue living like this?"

Facing Venti's complaints, Zhong Li appeared quite indifferent. "Actually, I've already experienced that mobile game, and I've completed Mondstadt's story quests."

Upon hearing this, Venti couldn't hold back. "Huh? Old man, even you succumbed? Became one of the many players of that mobile game? I see them staring at those huge screens, sitting for hours on end, it's like they've been ensnared by it! Please don't tell me you're like that too!"

"In fact, I had already spent three days in that mobile game lounge before you arrived," Zhong Li confessed.

Venti: "..."

Then, perhaps to console Venti, Zhong Li revealed the recent fake-death plan, which had also been leaked by that mobile game. "Before you came, I visited that mobile game lounge and, a few days later, all the people in Mondstadt knew I was the God of Wind."

Venti patted Zhong Li's shoulder and said, "Maybe, in a few days, everyone in Liyue Harbor will know you're the God of Rock... Sigh... you better prepare yourself."

Zhong li face from relax become panic... 

...

...

In the lobby of the Liyue Harbor mobile game lounge, it was exceptionally lively. "We've finally returned to Liyue!"

"Mondstadt is nice and all, but there's a sense of belonging you can only find in Liyue Harbor!"

"I wonder which prominent Liyue figures will appear in the new story quests."

"The first act is called 'Life Amongst Stone', it already has the Liyue flavor!"

Now, the group of players who had progressed the fastest had successfully unlocked Liyue Harbor and entered the game. Arriving here felt like coming home, with familiar stilt houses, familiar streets and alleys, and many familiar characters. However, the players hadn't had the chance to explore the in-game Liyue Harbor yet, as they were immediately drawn into the story.

.....

The Adeptus ritual is happening today, a process well-known to the people of Liyue. Just as players were anticipating the grand entrance of the Geo Archon, something unexpected occurred. Indeed, the Geo Archon made a dazzling entrance, but it was in the form of a lifeless body falling from the sky. Players were left dumbfounded. The Geo Archon... gone? What's going on? He had just arrived in Liyue, and the Geo God was already killed?

"It can't be, absolutely impossible! Who has the capability to kill the Geo Archon?"

....

In the opening act of the main storyline, the Geo Archon was assassinated. This news quickly caused a sensation among players and spread throughout Liyue Harbor. Some people who hadn't played the mobile game were startled when they heard the news, but they breathed a sigh of relief when they learned it was just part of a video game plot. They couldn't help but be curious about this so-called mobile game, which was constantly creating news that shook Liyue Harbor.

First, someone spent a almost hundred million Mora just to obtain a weapon in the game. Now there was news of the Geo Archon's demise in the game's plot. The Adeptus ritual was about to take place; this was a great disrespect to the Geo Archon. Surely, the developer behind this plot would be punished by the Geo Archon?

Meanwhile, a young girl wandering around the harbor overheard these remarks and her face lit up with excitement. "Really? Did the Geo Lord actually die? Then, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor must hold a grand and solemn Adeptus ceremony for him!"

When the girl found out it was just a plot from some game, she couldn't help but sigh in disappointment. "Sigh, I thought I would have the chance to personally send off the Geo Archon during my tenure as the head of the funeral parlor. What a pity."

A passerby nearby, upon hearing her sigh, immediately recognized the girl's identity—the head of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao! They hurriedly tried to avoid her and quickly walked away. Hu Tao paid no mind and playfully lifted her small waist, her eyes twinkling like two little stars.

"That mobile game sounds quite interesting. Once I'm done with my work, I must experience it myself!"

...

The plot of the Geo Archon's assassination during the Adeptus ritual had become widely known among players. Most people believed it was just part of the game's story and couldn't possibly correspond to reality. However, a portion of players began to think it might be a warning and started working even harder on progressing through the story. They hoped to uncover the identity of the murderer who killed the Geo Archon as the plot unfolded. As the story progressed, players also understood why Tartaglia was the first character featured in the Liyue version's banner.

In this storyline, his role is quite substantial. After rescuing the Traveler, he gave her a [Baiwu Forbidden Tome] and instructed her to seek out the Adepti in the Jueyun Karst – Xiao, Moon Carver, Mountain Shaper, Cloud Retainer... These legendary Adepti turned out to be real. Many players felt as though they had opened the gates to a new world.

Liyue is vast, with many areas that ordinary people hesitate to explore. In this game, players could use the Traveler's identity to explore and learn about these mythical places, almost as if rediscovering the land they call home.

When they reached the Wangshu Inn, the legendary demon-slaying hero made his first appearance. Surprisingly, he appeared as a young Adeptus! Many players had heard stories of this Adeptus who fought demons when they were children, and now they finally laid eyes on the real Xiao.

"The demon-slaying hero, so his name is Xiao."

"Contrary to many legends depicting him as a sacred and noble figure, it seems the rumors were wrong."

"The true demon-slayer who has battled demons for centuries couldn't possibly be all pure and noble; it's only right!"

"Do you think Xiao will enter the character pool in the upcoming version?"

"Oh my, that's a bold idea."

"Setting everything aside, if Xiao does enter the pool, I'm going all out to get him!"

"For the countless years of demon-slaying achievements by Xiao, I must obtain his exclusive weapon!"

"You, my friend, have a lot of determination..."

"Ninety million Mora warning!"

"I don't care; if he really enters the pool, I'm doing it for Xiao-sama!"

In contrast to the lively discussions in the main hall about the plot and characters, two people in a private room were focused on rapidly increasing their adventure ranks. Ordinary people didn't have such a keen sense, and they were unaware of the correlation between this game and reality. However, Keqing knew. The game's biggest secret was that it was based on reality, with everything in the game mirroring real life. Tartaglia was aware of this secret as well.

They had no time to engage in discussions about characters and plot. They continuously explored various ways to increase their adventure ranks. Unbeknownst to them, the night had grown late, and many players had left the hall. Keqing slightly moved her wrist, which had become sore from constant activity. Through various means, she had raised her adventure rank to level 28. She only needed one more level to unlock new Archon quests, but she was currently stuck at this rank. She had exhausted all the efficient ways to gain adventure experience.

Keqing didn't know how far Childe had progressed, so she couldn't afford to let her guard down. At this moment, it was already 4 AM, and the daily commissions had reset. Keqing immediately completed them. After claiming the additional rewards from the Adventurers' Guild, the screen displayed a notification: "Adventure Rank has reached level 29!"

....

After completing the task of playing matchmaker, Childe departed. In order to achieve her goal of visiting the Seven, the Traveler ultimately agreed to help Zhongli prepare for the Adepti ceremony. While on their way to gather the necessary materials for the ceremony, Zhongli revealed the location of the Adeptus body of the Lord of Geo.

"The [Ancestral Transcendence Ritual] will be temporarily placed in the [Golden House] before the ceremony," he explained.

"Huh? How does Zhongli know about this?" Paimon wondered.

"Because [Adepti's Offering] has received the tacit approval of the Seven, it can be considered a semi-official event, so I can access some internal information," Zhongli explained.

With this information in hand, the next step was to prepare various items for the Adepti ceremony. According to Zhongli, the ceremony would require Noctilucous Jade, incense, Cleansing Bell, kites, and everlasting incense.

As the plot progressed, Keqing also noticed some distinct characteristics of this guest from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. First was the process of selecting Noctilucous Jade, which was the first step in preparing for the ceremony. They needed to obtain top-quality Noctilucous Jade that would match the caliber of a deity. The three of them went directly to Jueyun Karst.

Zhongli immediately requested "Candlelight" grade Noctilucous Jade. The boss of Jueyun Karst recognized him as an expert right away and promptly brought out three top-quality Noctilucous Jade pieces for them to choose from.

Paimon was still contemplating which one to choose when the Traveler wanted to ask Zhongli's opinion.

"In my opinion, the answer is quite simple..."

"Boss, I'll take all of them."

"Alright, sir! I noticed your extraordinary presence from the beginning. You really are generous with your spending!" The boss of Jueyun Karst complimented Zhongli without hesitation.

"Wait a minute!" Paimon suddenly became anxious. "Boss, what he just said doesn't count. Let's discuss it again!"

Turning around, Paimon confronted Zhongli with her hands on her hips.

"Hey! If the ceremony only requires one type, then buying them all would be a waste of three times the Mora, wouldn't it?"

"No, it would actually be a waste of two times," the Traveler corrected.