The waiting time was a bit long, so Mu Qingge went to a nearby tea stall, ordered a cup of tea, and slowly savored it.
The tea stall owner was a middle-aged woman, who even specifically asked if she needed sugar in her tea, which Mu Qingge refused.
What's with adding sugar to tea?
Although not old, Mu Qingge had grown to like the faint bitterness of tea.
Perhaps she had gotten used to drinking it while working every day.
The tea stall owner kept glancing at Mu Qingge, intentionally or unintentionally. Mu Qingge thought something was wrong, but after asking, she learned the reason and found it both funny and frustrating.
It was just because she was beautiful?!
She stopped bothering with it and let the other person look.
However, speaking of it, this avatar's appearance was indeed striking; the specially made Millelith armor perfectly accentuated her tall figure, her skin was tender and lustrous, and her silver-white hair was tied up high.
Sometimes, she herself would get lost in her own stunning beauty.
After a few cups of tea, Mu Qingge saw Lumine and Paimon appear at the street corner and immediately settled the bill.
"Lady Mu, walk safely!" The owner didn't forget to greet her.
---
"Lumine, have you finished?"
Lumine took out three packaged sachets: "Mm-hmm, let's go find Zhongli now."
The three immediately set off for the nearest Statue of the Seven.
Along the way, Lumine and Paimon tacitly avoided mentioning their encounter with Ying'er.
Perhaps Paimon didn't know, but Lumine...
Probably didn't want to talk about it.
Upon arriving at the Statue of the Seven, Zhongli had already been waiting there for a long time.
"Zhongli, we're here!" Paimon's voice was still so infectious.
Zhongli looked at the statue, slightly dazed.
"Zhongli, it seems like he's staring blankly at the statue. Did we make him wait too long?"
Zhongli snapped out of it and said, "Oh, you're back. I haven't waited very long."
"Compared to the watch of the Geo Archon carved into the statue, it's merely a fleeting moment."
Paimon was amused: "Haha, how can a person compare to a statue?"
Mu Qingge stepped forward, looking at the Archon in a relaxed sitting posture on the statue, and spoke with emotion:
"He established Liyue with his own hands, protected Liyue for thousands of years, suppressed sea monsters, subdued the Dragon King, founded Liyue, and opened sea routes. He established the most prosperous nation on the Teyvat continent, expanded its territory, and awed the eight directions, leading to national peace and prosperity throughout the land."
"He is the eternal faith of the people of Liyue, supporting them for so many years. He must be tired too."
"Every year during the Rite of Descension, he deploys plans for the coming year's trade, diplomacy, and agriculture, covering every aspect. Many of the things he mentions are even things we hadn't thought of. When these tasks are distributed to the Qixing and the Eight Trades, we are all swamped, let alone him who oversees the entire situation."
"Rest well, Geo Archon. We will take care of Liyue and will certainly not let you down!"
Paimon and Lumine were silent for a moment, while Zhongli quietly watched Mu Qingge, finally sighing softly.
Then Lumine offered the three sachets one by one: [Golden House Beauty], [Mountain Shade Brocade], and [Ethereal Immortal Fate].
These were the favorites of little girls, wealthy young ladies, and mature elder sisters, respectively.
When offering the last one, [Ethereal Immortal Fate], the statue stirred.
Paimon was very excited:
"It's the third one! The Geo Archon likes the sachet preferred by mature elder sisters. Could it be that the Geo Archon is really a mature elder sister?"
"Haha, the Geo Archon has countless incarnations, so perhaps there really is such an incarnation."
Paimon couldn't help but feel a little regretful: "Hmm, it's just a pity that we only saw that giant dragon..."
Mu Qingge looked at Lumine, who had been silent. It seemed only little Paimon kept chattering, while Lumine rarely spoke.
Originally, she was a little worried, but as she watched, she heard Lumine suddenly chuckle softly, and she knew her worry was unnecessary.
Lumine noticed Mu Qingge looking at her. She looked at Mu Qingge in confusion: "Is something wrong?"
"No..."
Lumine didn't think much of it and asked Zhongli: "Zhongli, what should we do next?"
"Please trouble the two of you to borrow the [Dust-Cleansing Bell] for me..."
"Eh? The two of us, isn't Qingge going?"
Paimon pointed at Mu Qingge with her tiny hand, which looked like an exquisite figurine, utterly adorable.
Mu Qingge also looked at Zhongli in confusion.
Zhongli just shook his head and said nothing.
Paimon still wanted to ask, but Lumine seemed to have understood something and pulled the little guy away.
"Let's walk a bit."
"Okay."
Zhongli walked slowly ahead, with Mu Qingge following a little behind.
"How does Kaiyang Star view human governance in Liyue?"
"Human governance?"
Mu Qingge thought for a moment, not about how to answer, but about why Zhongli would ask for her opinion at this time.
She subtly looked at Zhongli; his face remained indifferent, showing no expression, but with just a slight glance from his eyes, Mu Qingge understood.
As expected of the Geo Archon, thousands of years of experience were beyond her comparison.
"After the Archon War, all demons were eliminated. Even if there are still monsters causing trouble in the wild, they are basically within the control of the Millelith. In my opinion, whether it's foreign policy or internal development, Liyue's high-ranking officials have the ability and willingness to do well."
"Although we yearn for the Geo Archon's rule and hope he can continue to rule and accompany Liyue for a long time, even the hardest rock will erode with the passage of time. As the oldest existing Archon among the Seven Archons, I will firmly and relentlessly support his decisions!"
Zhongli's steps paused slightly.
"When did you know?"
Zhongli's question seemed a bit inexplicable, but Mu Qingge clearly understood his meaning.
"The Archons hold a very high status. I read in an ancient text that even the weakest Archon, upon their demise, would greatly impact the surrounding environment. The Geo Archon 'passed away' at the Jade Chamber, yet there was no impact whatsoever on the Jade Chamber or its surroundings. This is highly abnormal."
"Moreover, the Geo Archon is revered as the Warrior God. I truly cannot imagine who could assassinate him, and even if such a person existed, they would absolutely not be able to do it so silently. Therefore, I concluded that the Geo Archon has not passed away."
Zhongli awkwardly stroked his chin; he had indeed been a bit inconsiderate on that point.
"Then why did you think I was the Geo Archon?"
Mu Qingge paused for a few seconds, then looked directly into Zhongli's eyes:
"I only figured it out recently. Zhongli's words, actions, voice, and even his demeanor are very similar to the Geo Archon I've seen. Since I had already speculated that the Geo Archon hadn't passed away, with this prerequisite, Zhongli's behavior and words during this time became very worth scrutinizing."
"There are actually quite a few people who would attach such importance to Liyue's traditions and conduct the Rite of Parting at this time; the Geo Archon's possibility would be smaller. However... I won't hide it from Zhongli, I once investigated you and knew you were no ordinary person. Combined with the previous speculation, I therefore guessed you were the Geo Archon."
"But ultimately, it's still just a guess. The specific truth depends entirely on the Geo... on Zhongli's answer."
Zhongli's lips curled into a smile:
"Haha, you're quite bold in your guessing, and very meticulous. I watched you grow up and know you already have the answer in your heart. However, this matter is for you to know only; it must not be spread to others."
Mu Qingge clasped her hands: "I respectfully obey the Geo Archon's decree!"
"Uh..."
"Is there anything else you need clarification on? I can answer you."
"I feel like I didn't show any abnormalities before, so how did the Geo Archon know that I already knew he hadn't passed away, and that it was you specifically?"
"Haha, although you are a genius, you are not proficient in everything. Acting is one of your weak points."
Mu Qingge nodded silently, as if she had taken it to heart.
But in her mind, she thought:
'Geo Archon, oh Geo Archon, I can act, and my acting is very good...'
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