This time, the search went smoothly.
With the help of the Millelith Army stationed all over the city, Su Yuan and his group quickly found traces of Zhongli.
At that moment, Zhongli was at a flower-and-bird shop, admiring the blossoms and watching the birds—a scene that perfectly matched Su Yuan's impression of him.
"Mr. Zhongli…" Ganyu stepped forward and greeted him.
Zhongli turned around, looked at the group, and said, "Ah, it's Miss Ganyu and Captain Beidou. And this is…?"
"Su Yuan. 'Su' as in Tiramisu, and 'Yuan' as in ruins and rubble."
"Mr. Zhongli, something very important has happened. Please come with us—we'll speak in a different place," Ganyu said, getting straight to the point.
"Very well." Seeing the seriousness on Ganyu's face, Zhongli didn't hesitate and agreed immediately.
After that, the group headed to a meeting room in Yuehai Pavilion.
"Everyone, I suppose the reason you've come to find me is, in all likelihood, because of the recent strange events in Liyue Harbor?"
Zhongli spoke slowly:
"It seems you've already resolved the issue with the Alcor and found Captain Beidou."
"In that case, you must be here about that criminal who stuffed earth and stone into people's mouths and brutally murdered them, correct?"
"As expected of Mr. Zhongli. We haven't even said a word, yet you've already guessed our purpose with near-perfect accuracy," Su Yuan remarked in admiration.
"It's just a shame… as for this mysterious and brutal murderer, I don't have any leads…"
Zhongli spoke with a hint of helplessness:
"His methods are highly sophisticated—he hasn't left behind a single piece of evidence that could point to his identity."
"If this is what you've come about, I'm afraid I won't be of much help."
"Actually, Mr. Zhongli, we already have some leads regarding this mysterious killer…"
Su Yuan didn't beat around the bush or waste any time—he spoke directly to Zhongli:
"The killer is very likely you yourself, Mr. Zhongli—under the control of some Eerie forces!"
"I see…"
However, Zhongli didn't seem surprised by this answer.
"Lately, I've been experiencing occasional memory lapses. At first, I thought it was due to the worsening of my wear…"
"But now it seems that during those times, I was being controlled by the Eerie forces…"
"That's right, Mr. Zhongli. Our preliminary theory is that whenever someone violates a contract in front of you, you fall into an Eerie state and punish them with the 'Wrath of the Rock'—killing them for breaking the contract!"
Su Yuan spoke:
"So, to be on the safe side, it's best that you don't wander around outside for now, just in case something unexpected happens…"
"I understand everything you've said, Su Yuan. But I still have some doubts…"
Zhongli fell into thought:
"There are some people I'm certain didn't break any contracts in front of me—so why did I choose to kill them…"
"That's something we're confused about as well…" Ganyu chimed in.
"You've only been active in Liyue Harbor recently, Mr. Zhongli, but people as far away as the Wangshu Inn area in Dihua Marsh have died due to the Judgment of Wrath of the Rock…"
"Could it be a case of copycat crime?" Beidou offered her own view.
"I've heard of some delinquent youths who like to imitate the acts of criminals, thinking it's cool, using it to satisfy their own vanity…"
"But usually, copycat crimes require time to build up public fear and notoriety before anyone tries to imitate them…"
Ganyu thought for a moment and offered a different perspective:
"The appearance of this Judgment of Wrath of the Rock killer is too recent. Not to mention the Dihua Marsh area—barely anyone in Liyue Harbor even knows about this case…"
"Moreover, those who do know are either staff from the Ministry of Civil Affairs or members of the Millelith Army…"
"So if what you said is true, Beidou—if someone is really mimicking the crime—then it must mean that someone within the Ministry or the Millelith Army broke protocol and leaked the details of the case…"
Ganyu and Beidou continued discussing the matter, but Su Yuan noticed something strange—Zhongli suddenly seemed off…
His expression had grown dark, and without saying a word, he started walking toward the door…
What's more, an almost imperceptible trace of Eerie energy was beginning to radiate from him…
"Ganyu, Beidou, stop talking—Zhongli seems to be entering an Eerie state!!" Su Yuan warned urgently.
"How is that possible?" Ganyu couldn't believe what was happening before her eyes.
She spoke in confusion, "There are only a few of us in this room. How could anyone have broken a contract in front of Mr. Zhongli?"
"It definitely wasn't any of us who violated a contract…"
Su Yuan said:
"If one of us had broken a contract, Zhongli would've attacked us directly!"
"But right now, it's clear—he's heading out, trying to get somewhere!"
"We need to follow him quickly and see what's going on!"
"It looks like we'll need to reassess the conditions that trigger Zhongli's Eerie state!"
Su Yuan just couldn't figure it out.
The rule inscribed on the palm of his right hand clearly stated: "In the presence of Morax, one must honor all contracts…"
In other words, breaking a contract in front of Morax could very likely trigger his Eerie transformation…
But the keyword was "in the presence."
Just now, they had all been in a sealed room, and no one had violated any contract—so why did Zhongli suddenly fall under the control of the Eerie state?
Su Yuan couldn't help but recall the situation back in Inazuma, where Arataki Itto had repeatedly lost control and transformed due to Dottore's meddling…
Could it be that what's happening with Zhongli now… is also the work of that Dottore bastard?
Su Yuan felt a headache coming on.
Not only did he transmigrate into the world of Teyvat and have to deal with the Eerie as the ultimate big boss, but now he also had to contend with Dottore—a character who was practically a boss-level threat himself…
But regardless of the reason, the most important thing now was to follow Zhongli and find out what was really going on!
Su Yuan and the others closely followed behind "Zhongli."
His pace wasn't fast—if anything, it could be described as a leisurely stroll.
Everyone could sense it—"Zhongli" carried an air of calm confidence, as if the one who had broken the contract was already within the grasp of his hand, with no chance of escape…
"Hm?"
As they walked behind him, Su Yuan suddenly felt a sense of familiarity with this path.
It was as if he had just walked it not long ago…
"This road… it leads to Bubu Pharmacy, doesn't it?"
"That's right—this is the path to Bubu Pharmacy…" Ganyu confirmed his suspicion.
A sense of foreboding instantly gripped Su Yuan.
Could something have happened to Baizhu, Qiqi, or Changsheng?
Who… had broken the contract?
---------------
Exclusive access : 320+ch on paetron
Join now : patreon*com/DeCakraWnloverz