After Yelan left, Furina spoke with emotion.
"That Rock God actually... is truly dead..."
She waited until Yelan had left to say this, as it wasn't appropriate to speak of in front of unfamiliar citizens of the Rock God.
The God of War and God of Gold, who had shaken Teyvat, had died so silently.
The other two citizens of the Rock God, Shenhe and Hu Tao, showed no reaction upon hearing this.
They truly could not be measured by normal human logic.
"It was a bit too direct. If it were me, I'd at least make some noise," Venti analyzed.
"Being so direct would surely make people suspicious. I see that Qixing is already suspicious."
After speaking, Venti mumbled to himself.
"Sigh, that old man truly has no Talents for acting."
"Acting?" Furina caught the keyword.
"Uh... I mean... Ehe.", Venti tried to gloss over it.
Then a hand rested on Venti's shoulder, and Zhongli's steady voice came through.
"Poet friend, we meet again."
Venti was sweating profusely.
"consultantZhongli, you've come at just the right time. The Rite of Parting will be handed over to you," Hu Tao said.
"Alright, Hall Master," Zhongli nodded.
Speaking of which, Zhongli also couldn't figure out what Hu Tao was thinking.
Even if she didn't know he was the Geo Archon yet, she should have guessed he was an adeptus.
Yet Hu Tao's attitude towards him remained as usual, unchanged.
It had to be said, this was what Zhongli wanted.
"Lin Xiaoyou, are you satisfied with this Rite of Descension?" Zhongli asked again.
Lin Qiu was sweating profusely.
Zhongli smiled; he had no intention of making things difficult for his old friend, but it was a rare moment of relaxation, to tease a friend.
"It's chaotic right now, so the Rite of Parting probably can't be held for a while. How about we go for a drink first?" Venti pulled out another bottle of wine.
Zhongli snatched it away. "I just ran into an old friend over there; it's a good time to go have some tea."
"Eh? My wine!" Venti chased after Zhongli.
Lin Qiu was about to follow, but someone stopped him. It was Ningguang and Keqing, with the Millelith controlling the crowd behind them.
"Mr. Lin Qiu, may we speak in the Jade Chamber?" Ningguang asked.
"Of course, the other distinguished guests are also welcome; please come along."
Lin Qiu was amused. Someone was actually rushing to treat guests. Should I drink adeptal tea or Qixing tea?
In the end, Lin Qiu chose the Qixing tea. After all, the adepti were already his acquaintances.
Moreover, Lin Qiu also wanted to see the Jade Chamber in reality.
The group followed Ningguang up to the Jade Chamber. It truly was magnificent; the Jade Chamber in reality was even larger than in the game.
Looking out, the luxurious and grand architecture was full of beauty, and the surrounding plants adorned the buildings, adding a touch of nature to the place.
Hu Tao ran to the edge of the Jade Chamber, quietly peeking her little head out to look down.
"It's so high, it's really scary," Hu Tao lightly stroked her chest, as if she had been startled.
"I never thought this Hall Master would also be invited to the Jade Chamber," Hu Tao smiled.
On the other side, Navia was also looking left and right, marveling at the splendor here.
The Spina di Rosula now had no shortage of funds, but creating a place like this was akin to a fool's dream.
Furina was the most reserved, elegantly following half a step behind Lin Qiu, not looking around.
After all, Ningguang had invited Lin Qiu, so it was best for her, the Hydro Archon, not to overshadow her host.
If it weren't to maintain her image as the Hydro Archon, Furina would have loved to run around and look too.
Lin Qiu watched the boss, Hu Tao, running around everywhere, and the second boss, Navia, looking left and right, and couldn't help but sigh.
Why is it like Raiden Ei entering the city? You two are Demoiselles too.
From this, it seems there's still a gap between Demoiselles and rich women.
A rich woman could build an even bigger Jade Chamber than this one.
Is there any way to make Ningguang my third boss?
"Qiu, do you know how to build this thing?" Furina whispered, leaning into Lin Qiu's ear.
Lin Qiu indicated, don't tell me, I actually do know.
However, everything needed is in Liyue, so it would be quite difficult for you to make it happen.
He looked at Shenhe, "Later, in Shenhe's story, you'll know."
"My story?" Shenhe looked at Lin Qiu.
"Mm, a story about 'Goddess Splitting the Clouds'."
Shenhe wondered, what would her story be like? No, rather, would she truly still have a story?
"Mr. Lin Qiu, you already know the purpose of my seeking you, don't you?" Ningguang spoke, sitting indoors.
She had just learned of Lin Qiu's 'power' from Yelan.
Not only could he foresee the future, but he also played mind games; she had been deceived by his superficial appearance.
In Ningguang's view, Lin Qiu had probably already seen through her entire thought process.
In this room, there were only Lin Qiu and Ningguang; the others were with Keqing in another room.
Hearing Ningguang's question, Lin Qiu thought, should I know?
Why would Ningguang look for me? It's probably just about the Geo Archon, right? She must want to know the Geo Archon's identity, right?
Thinking of this, Lin Qiu nodded.
Ningguang saw this and showed an expression that said, 'just as expected'.
"Then I'll get straight to the point, Mr. Lin Qiu."
Without waiting for Lin Qiu's reply, Ningguang stood up and walked to a wall panel.
The wall panel was covered with various notes, photos, and lines drawn on them.
"Based on the information I've gathered, I haven't found any key clues regarding the culprit's identity."
"But today's Rite of Descension confirmed my idea, a new possibility."
Ningguang wrote 'No culprit' on the wall panel.
Lin Qiu expressed approval, 'Impressive, she saw at a glance that the wolf in this game was a self-stabber.'
"If there was no culprit from the very beginning, and the Geo Archon didn't die, could this just be a plan arranged by the Geo Archon?"
"If we deduce this, we shouldn't be looking for the culprit's identity, but rather the Geo Archon's identity."
Ningguang wrote 'Geo Archon's identity' on the wall panel, then drew lines connecting various characters.
Finally, she drew large crosses over many of the lines, leaving only three.
One pointed to Zhongli, another was blank, and the last line pointed to Lin Qiu.
"I investigated all the newly appeared individuals in Liyue Harbor, and the most suspicious ones are you and Mr. Zhongli."
"Mr. Zhongli's behavior, demeanor, and profound knowledge simply don't match his age."
"Your sudden appearance and prophetic abilities are also certainly not those of an ordinary person."
The reason she suspected Zhongli's identity was also thanks to Lin Qiu's book, which let Ningguang know that Zhongli wasn't just knowledgeable; he also knew adepti.
As she spoke, Ningguang drew a circle in the blank space and continued:
"Of course, there's also a possibility that the Geo Archon has returned to the mountains and no longer wishes to concern himself with worldly affairs."
"If Mr. Zhongli is merely an adeptus and not the Geo Archon himself..."
"Then what about you? Are you also just an adeptus with prophetic abilities?"
After Ningguang finished speaking, she looked at Lin Qiu and smiled without speaking, much like a child seeking praise from a parent.
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Character Voice Line · Ningguang: About Lin Qiu
"A formidable fellow. In my opinion, negotiations are like business wars; you need to understand the other party's bottom line.
But in front of him, I have no bottom line to speak of."