"Good friend…"
Watching Xingqiu frown in thought, Taro's face lit up with a smile.
He immediately raised his hand and patted Xingqiu's shoulder, laughing as he said:
"Your goodwill, I understand."
"But don't worry, this isn't really trouble for me."
"Besides, the appointment with Keqing was during the Rite of Parting…"
"I heard the Qixing were busy in Yujing Terrace and Jueyun Karst the whole day."
"So I wasn't the only one who missed it."
Indeed.
Right after the Rite of Parting ended, it hadn't been long before the adepti reappeared together with Guizhong.
Although outsiders didn't know the details of that meeting, or what the Qixing and the adepti discussed, it was clear that instead of clashing, they had reached some kind of tacit understanding.
At least for now, Liyue's leadership had stabilized.
But with Morax stepping down, the workload… had multiplied at least fivefold for every Qixing.
The powers once controlled by the Archon had been split: half entrusted to Guizhong, half to the Qixing.
From the Rite of Parting until now—three full days—none of the Qixing had had a moment's rest.
Keqing was, of course, among them.
Not that she was someone who would normally break her promises.
But given everything that had happened these past days… her mind was probably a blur.
"Taro, are you sure?"
Xingqiu's eyes lit up. "If that's the case, I actually have quite a few—"
"Stop!"
Taro quickly waved his hands. "Back home. Lunch is ready. We'll talk after we eat."
His relationship with Keqing was fine.
It was just a meal.
Since both sides had forgotten, it was better to treat it as an unspoken postponement.
That way, no one lost face.
"Don't worry, this guy has plenty of connections."
Hu Tao shot Taro a sidelong glance, her lips curling into a smile.
Others might not know, but she certainly did.
Taro's ties in Liyue ran deep. He was connected with many adepti—and even Keqing herself, one of the leaders of the Qixing, had been resurrected by him.
If you had to say who was the most influential in Liyue, besides the Archon himself… it was probably this man.
Of course, the business about resurrecting adepti and archons wasn't something to spread around.
"Well, in that case~"
Xingqiu nodded lightly, saying no more.
Still, he secretly decided to ask around at Liuli Pavilion later.
Oh, Lady Tianquan, how cruel…
He had met Taro first, yet somehow Hu Tao seemed to understand him better.
What on earth had he missed these past days, buried in mundane matters?
Taro's recent experiences could probably be called legendary.
And he had missed them all.
Truly… frustrating beyond words.
"Master, welcome home!"
When Taro arrived at the door with his companions, Yingda was already waiting in her crimson robes.
Her light-purple eyes shimmered, as though no one else existed in the world but Taro.
"Kept you waiting, Yingda."
Taro smiled and nodded. "Everything's been handled—things are at ease again."
"This is my private secretary, Yingda," he introduced warmly.
"And this is Xingqiu. Both he and Hu Tao are here to join us for lunch."
"Mm." Yingda nodded deeply, only then turning her gaze toward Xingqiu.
"Young Master Xingqiu, Master Hu Tao—welcome."
"No need for formality." Xingqiu smiled and bowed slightly. "Just call me Xingqiu."
"Ahh~" Hu Tao squinted playfully, grinning.
"Yingda-jie, last time I told you to call me Hu Tao. Why so distant again?"
"Yes, yes~" Yingda covered her mouth with a soft laugh. "Come inside. Lilia has already prepared the meal—any later and it'll go cold."
"Come on in, all of you," Taro said, leading the way. "Treat my home like your own. Don't stand on ceremony."
…
Lunch was lively, though just five people sat at the table.
Hu Tao and Xingqiu regaled Taro with street gossip and amusing rumors, things he hadn't heard before.
Meanwhile, Heulia and Yingda listened on, occasionally chiming in with smiles.
The atmosphere was warm and harmonious.
After promising Xingqiu that he would visit his house next time, Taro saw him off, satisfied. Xingqiu, however, was already planning his preparations in advance.
Hu Tao, on the other hand, set off toward Wuwang Hill.
Though she'd joked about dumping all responsibility onto Zhongli, when it came to funerary rites, no one took the matter more seriously than her.
But Wuwang Hill wasn't exactly close to Liyue Harbor.
Even with a Vision—or adeptal power—travelling at full speed back and forth would take half a day at least.
So Taro opened a group teleportation gate for her, saving her the trouble.
…
Later, as he washed the dishes with Heulia and Yingda, Taro pondered.
His recent encounters had given him much insight into the nature of the Four Rulers.
Tiered magic still had some effect at their level, but not much.
It could wound them, but not fatally.
To truly threaten beings of Celestia's level, one had to start with super-tier spells.
More importantly, world-class artifacts once again proved their might—equal to or even surpassing both Celestia and the Abyss.
For Taro, Teyvat no longer held anything that could truly endanger him.
Even if the Primordial One at full strength returned, Taro, armed with world-class artifacts, could handle it.
But beyond those artifacts, his own offensive means were starting to fall behind.
Tiered magic, class skills, super-tier spells…
Aside from techniques he hadn't yet used—like Dimensional Severance and Dimensional Rift—most of his toolkit was starting to feel incomplete.
Only utility magic remained fully reliable.
It was time to upgrade.
New race. New class. New skills.
To shed the old, and welcome the new.
He wanted to see if, without relying on world-class artifacts, he could still achieve perfection.
(End of Chapter)
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