Meanwhile, Lumine and Paimon, after much travel, finally notified all the Adepti. As expected, after presenting the replicated Talisman of All-Eliminating Evil, the Adepti were only surprised, but not a single one doubted the authenticity of the talisman.
Lumine then quickly explained what had happened in Liyue Harbor. As expected, all the Adepti immediately erupted, rushing to Liyue to demand an explanation.
By the time Lumine and Paimon returned to Liyue again, their arrest warrant had been withdrawn, and they could now openly appear in Liyue Harbor.
In the past, Liyue always had the Rite of Descension and the Rite of Parting, but the main event was always the Rite of Descension, with the Rite of Parting merely a supporting act. However, this year's Rite of Descension had such an incident, and the Liyue Qixing didn't even want to hold the Rite of Parting, hoping to quickly calm things down.
If they held another Rite of Parting, wouldn't they have to give an explanation to the people of Liyue? How could they explain that their beloved Lord Rex Lapis was murdered in plain sight, but the Liyue Qixing couldn't find the real culprit? Wouldn't that undermine the people's trust in the Qixing?
But Zhongli, the consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, who was responsible for organizing the Rite of Descension and the Rite of Parting, was very dissatisfied with this sentiment. Since the Ministry of Civil Affairs didn't want to fund the Rite of Parting, he would go find sponsors himself.
Just at this moment, Zhongli's other wallet, Tartaglia, made a dazzling appearance, saying that the Northland Bank would cover all expenses for this Rite of Parting. The two hit it off immediately and cooperated happily.
However, as a Fatui Harbinger, he didn't have the time to personally follow an ordinary Wangsheng Funeral Parlor consultant around for purchases; that would be too undignified.
So, Tartaglia specifically hosted a banquet at Xinyue Kiosk, arranging for Lumine and Paimon to meet Zhongli, and entrusted Lumine and Paimon to assist Zhongli with the Rite of Parting, also serving as Zhongli's supervisors.
"Mr. Zhongli, why is the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor cooperating with the Fatui for this Rite of Parting?"
"Liyue is the most prosperous of The Seven Nations, and in previous years, it had a God guarding it and the Qixing governing it. Therefore, many of the Fatui's diplomatic methods cannot be implemented in Liyue. Ningguang, one of the Qixing, has always been heavily guarded against the Fatui. Perhaps this is why Childe wants to use the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's connections to conduct business."
"Hmm... Does the Rite of Parting we're organizing benefit Childe in any way?"
"I don't know, nor do I want to know. For me, the Fatui are just providing financial support. I only hope that Liyue's traditions are not forgotten. Let's go. First, we need to obtain the highest quality noctilucous jade, worthy of a God."
Near Chihuo Rock, there is a shop called [Xie Cui Xing], which offers both unpolished stones for gambling and already cut, clear materials.
Although the price of unpolished stones is cheap, the gamble is huge, and it can be said that nine out of ten gambles are lost. But even so, that single glimmer of hope attracts many people, as the thrill of winning big with a small stake is irresistible to some.
When Lumine and Paimon arrived at Chihuo Rock, they happened to encounter Yuto coming out of Wanmin Restaurant. Paimon enthusiastically greeted him: "Yuto, over here, over here."
"Oh? Paimon and Lumine, you're back from Jueyun Karst! Have you eaten? Why don't we have a meal at Wanmin Restaurant?"
"No, no, we just ate at Xinyue Kiosk."
"Xinyue Kiosk? Goodness, you went to such a high-end restaurant and didn't even call me! I've been in Liyue for so long, and I've only been to Xinyue Kiosk once, and that was when someone invited me. Otherwise, I wouldn't dare go."
"Hehe, someone invited us too! Oh, let me introduce you. This is Zhongli, the consultant from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. We are currently responsible for organizing the Rite of Parting for Lord Rex Lapis. Zhongli, this is our friend, Uchiha Mikage. That name is a bit long; you can just call him Yuto."
"Organizing the Rite of Parting for Lord Rex Lapis?" Yuto and Zhongli exchanged glances. Yuto struggled to control his facial expression, trying to suppress his laughter, his features twisting oddly, which made Lumine and Paimon find it strange.
Zhongli, on the other hand, despite some awkwardness, remained expressionless, as expected of a seasoned veteran of over six thousand years, with first-rate composure.
"Yuto, what's wrong? Why did you suddenly start laughing?"
"Nothing, I just suddenly remembered something happy."
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