Episode 170: Liyue's Fastest Legend, Guoba's Cart-Cart-Cart~!!
『 After bidding farewell to the store boss, the two carried the boxes straight to Yujing Terrace, ready to set up these special stones.
On the way, Paimon didn't forget to tease Zhongli, reminding him to remember to bring his wallet when he went out in the future. Zhongli simply smiled slightly, indicating that he had taken note.
Upon arriving at Yujing Terrace, the group arranged the Noctilucous Jade according to Zhongli's instructions...
It was then that Zhongli mentioned he had already invited a jeweler to help, only—this expense...
Though Lumine had anticipated this, she could only accept it with a wry smile, figuring she would find Childe to reimburse her later.
Once everything was set, Paimon looked around, surprised to find that this was the very plaza where the Rite of Descension had previously been held.
Hearing this, Zhongli turned around and said calmly: ...
"That's right. I have leased this area to prepare for the ceremony."
Lumine was slightly puzzled: "This is both the site of the Rite of Descension and the place where the Rex Lapis met misfortune. Is this really appropriate? Having the Rite of Descension and the Rite of Parting in the same location just feels strange..." 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Zhongli (Genshin Impact): "Is this strange?" ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "Not really...." ]
[ Shinomiya Kaguya (Love Is War): "That's because you are used to it, but to us, it seems very strange." ]
[ Hayasaka Ai (Love Is War): "That is the case." ]
[ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail): "It's alright, I guess." ]
[ .....]
『 Zhongli, however, had his own perspective:
"That's right. The Liyue Qixing have acquiesced to using the same location."
Paimon suddenly realized the strangeness of the situation throughout their journey.
"But something so major happened here before... Wait a minute, is it really appropriate for us, two suspects, to swagger back to the scene?"
"Although with that said, since we got back from Jueyun Karst, none of those pesky Millelith soldiers have come chasing after us. Wonder what that's about.... Also, the, uh, Rex Lapis' vessel..."...
Zhongli folded his arms, calmly correcting Paimon's terminology:
"According to our tradition, that should be called the Exuvia."
Paimon, as if reminded, urgently said:
"Ah, right. That's what it was called! You seem to know everything, Mr. Zhongli." Paimon recalled their previous conversation. "Um, so, was this Exuvia hidden away by the Qixing? I mean, we haven't even figured out who the murderer is..."
Zhongli smiled faintly, a plan forming in his heart:
"This only indicates that the Qixing have reached a conclusion regarding this matter, or they have secured solid evidence. In short, all the necessary clues have been gathered."
But in Lumine's eyes, the matter seemed unusual, and she couldn't help but complain:
"I still think it's ridiculous. Won't this be too hasty?"
Zhongli shook his head lightly and continued:
"Such a great affair naturally has people dedicated to planning it. If we tried to take over, we would only be inviting trouble. During the preparation for the ceremony, the Exuvia will be temporarily stored in the Golden House."
"The G-Golden House?" Paimon's eyes instantly lit up.
As if the glittering sight before his eyes held no appeal for him, Zhongli slowly revealed the true meaning of the Golden House:
"That is correct. This is Liyue's unique minting heartland, and the only place on the continent of Teyvat where currency is born. The Mora that circulated throughout the Seven Nations of Teyvat all originate from this location." 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Dori (Genshin Impact): "!" ]
[ Dori (Genshin Impact): "Wow! Can you swim in a sea of Mora inside?" ]
[ Ningguang (Genshin Impact): "You can try. The Millelith are waiting for you." ]
[ Cyno (Genshin Impact): "...." ]
[ Dori (Genshin Impact): "Hehe, Dori is a businesswoman, not a robber. I think I'll pass." ]
[ Shinomiya Kaguya (Love Is War): "So many nations, but only one mint? Is that enough?" ]
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "Didn't they say there were seven countries? And they all use the same currency now?" ]
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "Precisely. They all use the Mora created by Rex Lapis." ]
[ Taihei Doma (Himouto): "What a magical world." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "So, Rex Lapis must be a very rich god." ]
[ Zhongli (Genshin Impact): "..." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "But sadly, this god will actually be assassinated in the future. That's terrible." ]
[ Seven (Scissor Seven): "Not me. I wouldn't dare assassinate a god." ]
[ Dabao (Scissor Seven): "Why are you panicking? That's another world." ]
[ Seven (Scissor Seven): "It's just that I used to be the strongest assassin, ha ha ha ha." ]
[ Dabao (Scissor Seven): "...." ]
[ .....]
『 "Wow!~" Paimon exclaimed, quickly clarifying: "Don't misunderstand, Paimon wasn't thinking about anything bad. Paimon thinks it suits Morax's style. But why do you know this, Mr. Zhongli?"
Zhongli smiled calmly, revealing a surprising secret: "Because our Rite of Parting has the Qixing's tacit approval, it counts as a semi-official event, so I can obtain some internal information."
As the information unfolded piece by piece, Lumine's mind became more and more confused.
"The Qixing provide the venue, and Childe pays the money... What exactly are they plotting?"
The Liyue Qixing, who had once issued a warrant for her arrest, and those utterly despicable Fatui—
Now, these two parties were actually working together. What unknown scheme was hidden within this collaboration?
Lumine racked her brain but couldn't make sense of it, so she turned to Zhongli with a pleading look. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Paimon, Paimon is starting to get confused." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "What exactly is going on here?" ]
[ .....]
『 Faced with such a question, even Zhongli, despite his vast knowledge and well-informed connections, shook his head helplessly.
"I am not clear. Perhaps each has their own agenda. However, in this city of commerce, being occasionally used by others is not an acceptable matter. After all, in Liyue, governed by the God of Contracts, only contracts are inviolable. As for those minor tactics outside of the contract, I do not pay them much heed."
After these words, both fell into contemplation.
It was then that Zhongli suddenly announced the next step in their plan:
"Well then, we should go and prepare the perfumes used in the Rite." 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail): "Huh? To offer sacrifices to a god, you need perfumes ?" ]
[ Miyamizu Mitsuha (Your Name): "Does the great god need to smell nice too?" ]
[ Aqua (KonoSuba) "Of course! Gods need to smell nice to wake up." ]
[ Kazuma Satou (KonoSuba): "..." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "I don't know, but we should ask the knowledgeable Zhongli." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "I finally understand. Although he can spend money, the things he knows are truly extensive." ]
[ Zhongli (Genshin Impact): "It is rumored that when the Geo Archon traveled the mortal realm, it's not impossible that he sometimes took the form of a female." ]
[ Ganyu (Genshin Impact): "A female Geo Archon, hehehehe." ]
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "Ganyu? Are you alright? Have you gone crazy from working overtime?" ]
(It's over; the little cocogoat has worked herself silly. It seems she can be used for coconut milk now.)
( Translator-kun: Huh? What does it mean? )
[ .....]
『 Hearing the words "perfumes" from Zhongli, Paimon, and Lumine exchanged glances, confusion mirrored in their eyes.
So, the two turned and posed their questions to Zhongli.
"Perfumes? Where'll we get those? Do we buy them?"
"Does the Rex Lapis really need a little thing like perfumes?" 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Does the great Rex Lapis need lots and lots of perfumes?" ]
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "perfumes? The Rite of Parting should only require one, right?" ]
[ .....]
『 Zhongli did not get entangled in answering this barrage of questions. He simply turned slightly and smiled at the two:
"We shall not speak of the details right now. Follow me, we shall go to the merchants to purchase our ingredients."
Although the mystery remained unsolved, Paimon and Lumine closely followed Zhongli's footsteps, ready to investigate the process of making the perfumes.
Since the required material was the Silk Flowers, Zhongli led them to the General Goods Shop near the harbor.
There, after a sharp round of bargaining and guided by Zhongli's extensive knowledge, the trio successfully purchased three types of fresh flowers. Even Bolai, the owner of the general goods shop, couldn't help but secretly marvel at Zhongli's vast learning.
When it came time to pay, Zhongli, as usual, found his purse empty and had to let Lumine front the money once more.
After shopping, the group left the general goods shop and headed toward the other end of the harbor. At this point, Zhongli claimed he had matters to attend to and instructed Lumine and Paimon to use the flowers they had to prepare the three types of perfumes. As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and left.
Left with no choice, the two first sought help from Ms. Lan at the Adventurers' Guild. Following Ms. Lan's advice, they headed to the harbor to find a master perfumer named Qiming.
Along the way, they also learned of the famous "Scent of Spring Ying'er"—the wealthy and noble families of Liyue all favored the handmade custom products from Ying'er of the Scent of Spring.
Armed with this information, Lumine and Paimon set off for the Scent of Spring, though their hearts were filled with reluctance.
This wasn't because the Scent of Spring had a bad reputation; although the name alone could easily lead to misunderstanding, it was actually a legitimate place selling fine vases.
The reason for their reluctance was only one person—the woman named Ying'er.
Ying'er's personality was completely incompatible with Lumine's, and past encounters had left indelible marks on Lumine's heart.
Finally, to complete the Rite of Parting, Lumine took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and stepped toward the well-known Scent of Spring.
Ying'er, who was idly waiting by the door, quickly approached them as soon as she saw them coming.
"Well, hello... You found me at last. I've been waiting for you."
This sudden remark made Lumine and Paimon exchange confused looks.
"Huh? How did you know we were coming for you?"
Although Ying'erwas usually hard to approach, she couldn't possibly predict the future, could she?
They had only just decided to come looking for her. How could she be so certain they would show up?
Could it be that the two of them were being watched by the people of Liyue?
Immediately, the two nervously looked around, trying to spot the potential surveillant.
Ying'ersaw their reaction and immediately understood their intentions, letting out a burst of laughter.
"Oh, I heard a rumor about a couple who were snooping around town looking for a sweet-smelling lady.... Since I am so fragrant, it was inevitable that someone would come after me." 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Aether (Genshin Impact): "Snooping around?" ]
[ Aether (Genshin Impact): "Sister, are you interested in the wrong thing?" ]
[ Lumine (Genshin Impact): "I am not!" ]
[ Aether (Genshin Impact): "No, I must eliminate this dangerous thing." ]
[ .....]
『 Although Ying'er's explanation eased some of the vigilance in Lumine's heart,
Paimon's cheeks couldn't help but flush red upon hearing the phrase "Snooping around."
"Snooping around"? Why are you making it out like we're bad people?"
Although the two had indeed been asking around about who smelled the most fragrant,
This was all for the farewell ceremony of Rex Lapis, and Lumine decided not to argue further with Ying'er.
Ying'er seemed to notice something and looked Lumine over with interest.
"What can I say? People love to talk... Maybe you ought to be more discreet in the future if you don't want word to get around.~"
"Relax... I know why you're here. You want to get your hands on my homemade perfume, don't you? What kind would you like?"
Since Ying'er had said so, Lumine straightforwardly presented the three types of fresh flowers in her hand.
"We want to use these three flowers to make it."
"Three in one go... My goodness. You have extreme tastes for someone your age. Maybe the rumors I heard were true after all. You're on the prowl and need some sweet-smelling ammunition, is that it?" Ying'er took the flowers, half-jokingly and half-seriously guarding her chest. "Should I be careful? But, if it were you, I'd be quite happy about it." 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Can this person ever listen properly?" ]
[ Himeko Murata (Honkai: Impact Third): "She's doing it on purpose." ]
[ Kazuma Satou (KonoSuba): "Her personality is awful, just like this useless goddess." ]
[ Aqua (KonoSuba) "???" ]
[ .....]
『 Lumine was teased once again and could only helplessly refute:
"No! These three flowers are for Rex Lapis!"
It was precisely because of this that Lumine would rather face a fight than deal with Ying'er's unpredictable side.
She was truly very strange.
Lumine had spoken the truth, but in Ying'er's eyes, the reason still seemed unreliable.
"Tsk... Is that the best you could come up with? Even if you were genuinely offering perfume to a deity, that doesn't explain why you'd need three kinds."
"Sorry, your story just doesn't hold water!~"
Seeing Ying'er's expression, Lumine quickly tried to salvage the situation.
"Zhongli was right... This is an ancient tradition that has simply been forgotten over time."
Lumine didn't know where Zhongli had dug up such an old custom, forcing her to exhaust herself trying to explain this tricky matter.
However, after hearing this, Ying'er didn't continue teasing, but instead uttered a strange remark.
"As one of my favorite poems goes, "Oh, cherry tree, begrudge not thy blossoms as they are deflowered in the spring, for come winter, even thy sturdiest wood shall wither."
"What do you mean by that? That went over Paimon's head a little..." Paimon tilted her head, looking at Ying'er with a confused expression.
"In short, I'm happy to help. Traveler, you can be my assistant." Ying'er's finger lightly traced Lumine's cheek. "But you'd better make sure I'm the only person on your mind while you're hanging around with me~."
Lumine, flustered by the teasing, quickly took two steps back and forced herself to sound calm:
"Hehehe, let's go. We'll borrow the big pot from the kitchen at Xiangling's place... to boil it."
After thinking about it, Ying'er also agreed with this choice of location.
"You mean Wanmin Restaurant? Good choice! Let's go." 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Xiangling (Genshin Impact): "Huh?" ]
[ Xiangling (Genshin Impact): "They actually thought of using our big pot at Wanmin Restaurant." ]
[ Xiangling (Genshin Impact): "I guess it's not impossible." ]
[ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail): "Wanmin Restaurant is a place to eat, right? Is it really okay to use it to make this stuff?" ]
[ Miyamizu Mitsuha (Your Name): "It should be fine, right?" ]
[ Xiangling (Genshin Impact): "It's fine. A blast of Pyro will clean it right up." ]
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "Worthy of a master chef, to have such a method." ]
[ .....]
『 The group quickly arrived at Wanmin Restaurant. After entering, Ying'er, familiar with the place, walked straight to the counter to negotiate with Chef Mao.
Before long, Ying'er returned quickly, having finished her discussion.
"It's settled. I've spoken with Chef Mao, and now we can get started!.~"
"So, are you ready to take responsibility for me?"
At this remark, the two abruptly took a step back.
"Huh? What do you mean? We haven't done anything yet."
Oh dear, they hadn't even started the real work, and yet they were already talking about taking responsibility?
This was truly frustrating and amusing.
Just as the two stood there wide-eyed with surprise, Ying'er spoke up amidst a fit of giggles, explaining herself.
"I meant make me proud. As my assistant. Obviously~"
As soon as she said this, the heavy stone in their hearts finally dropped, and they sighed in relief.
It was unbelievable that this seemingly ordinary person's words were always so unexpected and surprising, constantly exceeding their expectations.
Although the misunderstanding was cleared up, Lumine was not willing to concede defeat and decided to find an opportunity to retaliate later.
As a Traveler roaming the four corners of the world, how could she show weakness now?
As Lumine was thinking, Ying'er's instruction rang out in her ear. She was busy setting up, but didn't forget to turn and instruct them:
"While I'm setting up, you can go and fetch some water."
Lumine quickly fetched the water. Ying'er carefully checked it and nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad. Quite capable."
Next, Ying'er took out the three flowers she had previously given to Lumine.
"Next step, now, I need you to extract the Silk Flower essence using a crafting bench."
"How do I do that?" Lumine looked confused.
The moment the words left her mouth, Lumine regretted it a little. Ying'er's subsequent words were precisely what she had vaguely worried about.
"Perfume-making uses an altogether different technique from alchemy. Here, let me teach you. Very carefully, take hold of the mortar and pestle... Gently does it,"
"You need to keep your wrist firm so your hand doesn't slip."
"Now, use your strong hand to stir it with a persistent rhythm... Keep going until the juices start to come out..." 』
『 .....』