At Wanmin Restaurant, Xiangling was clearly surprised and delighted by Lumine and Paimon's arrival, immediately arranging a large table full of her signature dishes for them.
At the dinner table, Yuto finally witnessed how Paimon earned her reputation as a glutton. A whole chicken, larger than Paimon's face, was devoured by Paimon in a few swift bites. It was a mystery what her stomach was made of, to be able to hold so much food. In short: she ate as much as there was.
She truly lived up to her reputation as a formidable individual, costing Lumine three hundred thousand Mora in food expenses alone each month. With such a consumption level, if Lumine didn't frequently take on quests at the Adventurers' Guild, she truly wouldn't be able to afford him.
Seeing Yuto, who was already dumbfounded, and noticing the surprised glances from the surrounding diners, Lumine felt a bit embarrassed and tried to pretend she didn't know Paimon.
How shameful!
After they had eaten their fill, when Xiangling learned they were going to attend the Rite of Descension, she looked at the bustling crowd in Wanmin Restaurant with a troubled expression.
Since today was the day of the Rite of Descension, Liyue Harbor was flooded with many foreign tourists. It was also close to dinner time, and for these foreign tourists, the cost-effective Wanmin Restaurant was definitely more popular than the high-end, stylish Xinyue Kiosk and Liuli Pavilion.
At this moment, the diners at Wanmin Restaurant were already too much for her father alone to handle. Taking her friends away at such a busy time would go against her principles as a chef.
Yuto clearly saw Xiangling's predicament and generously offered to take Lumine and Paimon himself. "We're just visiting, it's nothing urgent. You should focus on the restaurant for now."
Lumine and Paimon also agreed with Yuto's words; it was indeed unwise to take Xiangling away during her busiest time. Xiangling gratefully thanked Yuto and turned back to help in the kitchen.
Yuto, Lumine, and Paimon then headed towards Yujing Terrace. Yuto asked, somewhat curiously, "Lumine, what are you doing in Liyue? Are you just here to witness the Rite of Descension?"
"We're here to find Lord Rex Lapis. We heard he only appears once a year at the Rite of Descension, so today's Rite of Descension is the most suitable time."
"Looking for Lord Rex Lapis? What do you need him for? In present-day Liyue, power is primarily held by the Liyue Qixing. It would be more appropriate to seek out the relevant Tianquan than Lord Rex Lapis."
"Uh, my situation is a bit special. I want to ask Lord Rex Lapis in person."
"I see. But don't have too high expectations. There will definitely be many people then. Whether Lord Rex Lapis can hear your question is one thing; whether he will answer it even if he hears it is another matter entirely.
As the God of Contracts, he has never made a losing deal in thousands of years. To get an answer from him, you might have to do many things for him."
Yujing Terrace was already packed with people, just as Xiangling had said. Most of the visitors were foreign tourists. As for the local Liyue merchants, they were positioned in the front row, ready to receive the God of Contracts's new business oracle at the first opportunity.
"Wow! There are so many people! I feel like we should have come earlier. In such a back position, it will be difficult to get Lord Rex Lapis's attention."
"After all, it's Liyue's annual grand ceremony, so it's normal for there to be many people. Let's go, we'll try our best to push to the front."
When Yuto and Lumine, with great effort, finally saw the platform for the Rite of Descension, Tianquan Ningguang was already there, eyes closed in contemplation, awaiting the optimal time for the ceremony to begin.
"Lumine, Paimon, look, that's Tianquan Ningguang."
"Wow, what a beautiful person. She feels mature, imposing, and very elegant. You can tell she has a lot of Mora."
"Uh... what you said is also true."
At this moment, Ningguang seemed to sense something, opening her eyes and looking in Yuto's direction. She immediately spotted Yuto in the crowd, smiled at him, and then returned to her original state.
"Yuto, look, look! She smiled at me!"
"She must have heard your praise for her and thinks you're very cute."
"Hehe! How embarrassing!"
The perceptive Lumine also saw Ningguang's action, but she felt that Ningguang wasn't smiling at Paimon. She had a premonition that she was smiling at Yuto. However, how could Yuto, a foreigner who had just arrived in Liyue, be regarded so highly by a prominent figure like Ningguang?
Lumine didn't ask Yuto this question, as it was only her suspicion and lacked sufficient evidence. She continued to await the arrival of the Rite of Descension.
After waiting for about half an hour, Ningguang, who had been meditating with her eyes closed, finally opened them and said, "The auspicious moment has arrived."
Her Vision on her waist immediately emitted a bright yellow light. Four bright yellow gemstones suddenly appeared in front of Ningguang, circling several times before flying into the incense burner designated for the Rite of Descension. The incense burner then shot a startling beam of light straight into the sky.
Subsequently, the weather changed abruptly, and a golden dragon plunged straight down from the clouds, precisely destroying the altar of the Rite of Descension.
After crouching down to inspect, Ningguang uttered that classic line: "The God of Contracts has been murdered. Seal off the entire area."
Large numbers of Millelith rushed into the venue, completely surrounding it. The entire Yujing Terrace descended into chaos. The Millelith focused on the foreign tourists present, checking them one by one.
Although the culprit was not among them, Lumine clearly had her own considerations and did not want to fall into the hands of the Millelith, so she tried to secretly leave the venue, which left Yuto no choice but to follow.
Then came a familiar sequence: being discovered and pursued by the Millelith, followed by our Childe, Tartaglia, coming to their rescue, and finally inviting them to meet at the Northland Bank.
Although Yuto, an outsider, had joined this group, Tartaglia clearly paid no mind to him, merely considering him a passerby who happened to be caught up in the situation. After all, Yuto did not possess a Vision, which represented combat prowess, and he had no interest in boring and uninteresting weaklings.
The Northland Bank, a bank established by Snezhnaya in Liyue, is located in Liyue's prime commercial center, a testament to its immense wealth.
"Although Liyue is Teyvat's most important commercial center, our nation is also very rich."
"Indeed, a poor country wouldn't be able to produce diplomats who openly disrespect the Knights of Favonius."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Tartaglia pulled out a talisman of banishing and handed it to Lumine, saying, "Here, take this."
"What is this?"
"This is a token, a token to ensure the adepti won't harm you." Tartaglia was about to briefly explain the talisman of banishing's purpose when he heard Yuto, whom he had been treating as a mere passerby, exclaim.
"Oh? This is actually a fake talisman of banishing? It's so realistic! Are you sure the adepti won't react adversely if Lumine carries this fake talisman of banishing?"
Tartaglia, who had been smiling moments before, had his fake smile freeze upon hearing Yuto's words, and a dangerous glint appeared in his eyes.
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