"Ningguang, why are you as prejudiced against foreigners like me as Yelan? Liyue is a very open city, with countless foreign merchants and powers coming and going. Why do you hold such great suspicion towards a law-ababiding citizen like me?"
"If you were just an ordinary Inazuma citizen, I would welcome you. But how long have you been in Liyue? You've met Qiqi, the zombie adeptus child from Bubu Pharmacy, Ganyu, the half-adeptus beast from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Xiao, the Vigilant Yaksha from Wangsheng Inn, Shenhe, Cloud Retainer's beloved disciple from Jueyun Karst, and you even obtained a treasure from Narukami Ogosho.
Did you only make friends with adepti when you came to Inazuma? Are you going to hook up with Lord Rex Lapis in a while?"
Uh, you're a bit late, I actually already did… However, with Ningguang's reminder, Yuto realized that he really did have a connection with adepti. He had been in Liyue for so long, and it seemed everyone he met was related to adepti. Oh, Xiangling from Wanmin Restaurant is also Madame Ping's disciple, and Hu Tao from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is Lord Rex Lapis's wallet. It's confirmed, this really can't be explained.
Yuto scratched his head awkwardly and said apologetically, "It seems that's true. Does this prove that I have a connection with adepti? It's just, I don't seem to have broken Liyue's laws, have I?"
Ningguang's eyes involuntarily crinkled. She was very dissatisfied with this answer, but for a person in power of her caliber, her composure was first-rate. She said without changing her expression:
"Of course, you haven't broken the law. Otherwise, I wouldn't have asked Yelan to invite you to the Jade Chamber; I would have directly had the Millelith come to your door and arrest you. It's just that I'm curious and want you to enlighten me."
Hearing this, Yuto and Yelan both showed a hint of awkwardness, especially Yelan, whose face even flushed slightly, as if she suddenly remembered something, and she glared fiercely at Yuto.
Ningguang immediately understood that something must have happened between Yelan and Yuto. Considering the delay in Yelan bringing Yuto to the Jade Chamber, it was very likely not Yelan being lazy, but rather her suffering a setback because of Yuto.
There were very few people who could make Yelan suffer a setback; the Fatui Harbinger Regrator was one of them back then.
During that operation, Yelan lost a bracelet of the Mysterious Armlet, but she also obtained a large cape made of the hide of a rare magical beast, which was to be offered to the Tsaritsa. Yelan fashioned it into a new style of white silk flying ribbon cape, which is the very cloak Yelan is wearing behind her now.
That confrontation, strictly speaking, Yelan couldn't really be considered to have suffered a loss. But this time, Ningguang felt that Yelan must have suffered a pure and significant loss, because she had never seen her act like this before. It seemed she would have to ask what exactly happened later.
"Alright, Ningguang, please ask away. If I can answer, I will tell you everything I know."
"Then let's start from the beginning: your business with Qiqi."
"That's simple. Qiqi saved me, and then I, penniless, lay in Bubu Pharmacy for half a month, racking up a medical bill. Then Baizhu had Qiqi take me along to gather herbs to pay off the debt."
"That sounds plausible. What about Ganyu? I heard her say that someone told her something, which led her to also start working nine to five, with weekends off, and demanding a salary. To be honest, when she opened her mouth and asked for three thousand years of salary, I was startled, and I don't know if it was because of her words or the astonishing expense I would have to pay her."
"Ah, Ganyu said that because of her adepti bloodline, she couldn't properly integrate into Liyue Harbor. So I gave her a suggestion: she shouldn't just look like a human, but actually act like one too. Then I found out that you all had been exploiting her for over three thousand years, using one person to do the work of more than a dozen. That's simply outrageous."
"Cough, cough. This matter was indeed our oversight, taking Ganyu's contributions for granted. She is indeed more integrated into Liyue Harbor now. What about the Vigilant Yaksha?"
Ningguang's two coughs were very artful, immediately shifting the topic. This seamless transition was truly admirable.
"That's even simpler. He appeared when I was holding a plate of almond tofu. However, as soon as he appeared, I already sensed that his life was not long, so I recommended him to Mondstadt for treatment."
"Wait, the Vigilant Yaksha's life is not long? What's going on?"
"Hey, hey, what's wrong with you all? The Archon War in the Liyue region was the most brutal, with nine Gods fighting and slaughtering each other. In the end, only Lord Rex Lapis remained. The others either died, were sealed, or sacrificed. The remnants of the dead Gods transformed into intense resentment, giving rise to countless demons and evil spirits.
Seeing this, Lord Rex Lapis specifically dispatched five Yaksha skilled in combat to clear these demons and evil spirits. Unfortunately, the resentment generated by these God remnants, once tainted, could not be escaped even by adepti. In the end, of the five Yaksha, only the Vigilant Yaksha remained.
But he too is deeply corroded by the God's resentment. If he is not treated soon, he probably won't last much longer."
"So that's how it is. Why didn't Lord Rex Lapis mention these things to us? Our Millelith could also share his burden."
"The Yaksha physique is not comparable to mortals. They can endure the corrosion of resentment for thousands of years. But if humans are tainted by God remnants, it won't be long before they go berserk, lose their minds, and eventually die.
If the Millelith were also involved, over thousands of years, countless people would die because of it. Lord Rex Lapis must have thought of this, sacrificing the lives of his five most trusted Yaksha generals to save the lives of thousands of ordinary humans."
Everyone present suddenly fell silent, looking dejected, lost in thought.
"Wait, treatment? Mondstadt? Could it be that Lord Rex Lapis arranged for adepti to visit Mondstadt this time for this very reason? No wonder Moon Carver and the Vigilant Yaksha were arranged to go together. Then the one they are seeking help from must be the Anemo God, right?"
"Ningguang is indeed remarkably astute; you hit the nail on the head."
"Then I see Shenhe's name on the envoy list as well. What's her situation?"
"Her situation is the same as the Vigilant Yaksha's."
"What? She also got tainted by God remnants? Didn't you just say that humans tainted by God remnants can't even last a few months?"
"Shenhe is an exception. Mountain Shaper performed the Red Rope Soul-Binding technique on her, sealing her seven emotions and six desires, causing her to lose her own emotions. And the God's resentment needs negative emotions as a guide to act up. Without emotions, the God's resentment loses its trigger, and Shenhe has thus been able to grow up safely."
"Only by sealing the seven emotions and six desires can the God's resentment be stopped from acting up? This is indeed an intractable problem for ordinary people. No, let alone ordinary people, even adepti cannot avoid it."
"Alright, as for the remaining Narukami Ogosho's abode, just assume I discovered it by chance. The mingxia floating stone was also obtained from there. I am currently living in his abode. Do you have any other questions?"
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