Li Shui scratched his head awkwardly, forcing a dry laugh. "Ahem… Nephew Yinjian. I was just joking—just talking."
Song Yinjian couldn't be bothered to indulge him. He walked straight to Zhongli. "Consultant Zhongli, it's late. Come have dinner at my place."
"Whatever it is, we can talk while we eat."
Zhongli nodded. "That would be best. I'll trouble you." The three entered the shop together.
Song Yinjian greeted them briefly, then carried the vegetables he'd bought into the kitchen and got to work.
Zhongli sat at the simple wooden table, expression composed.
Shenhe stepped out of her room. She dipped into a light bow—elegant and cool, a quiet beauty in every movement.
Zhongli returned the gesture with a slight nod.
After receiving his acknowledgment, Shenhe turned back into her room and shut the door, not speaking a single unnecessary word.
Zhongli understood her temperament and didn't mind at all. Li Shui, however, couldn't resist commenting.
"That child's soul is bound by red cords. That's why she's so cold."
"Luckily Nephew Yinjian is by her side—otherwise she'd have lost what little humanity she still has."
"Only pity… his aptitude is truly terrible. At this rate, he won't live past a hundred." Zhongli understood immediately—Li Shui was trying to get him to help Song Yinjian. Zhongli sighed and shook his head.
"He has little fate with the adepti. If forced, it will backfire."
"But I can help him live a full century."
Li Shui's eyes dimmed with disappointment.
"A century is a century. For mortals, that's already rare good fortune."
Before long, Song Yinjian brought out three dishes and a soup: pickled pork and bamboo shoot stew, shredded trio, mi wowowo, and vegetable egg-drop soup.
The aroma alone made mouths water.
Then he went to the cellar, brought up two jars of strong baijiu, and poured generous cups for Zhongli and Li Shui with practiced ease.
Zhongli lifted the cup and took a small sip.
Spice and fragrance bloomed in his mouth, warming down his throat and into his stomach. His whole body felt pleasantly soothed.
And every dish on the table suited his palate perfectly.
After a few rounds of food and drink, Zhongli set down his chopsticks and looked at Song Yinjian, gaze deep.
"Boss Song… did you send Keqing to speak with me?" Song Yinjian admitted it openly. "I did."
"This matter can only be solved by you."
Zhongli's brow creased. "Liyue is in a crucial stage—transitioning from divine rule to human rule. I shouldn't interfere in mortal affairs anymore."
Song Yinjian shrugged, utterly indifferent.
"If you trust the Liyue Qixing so much, then let them handle it." "Zhang Xiaoli was just an ordinary, lowly illegitimate daughter." "But what you carry in your heart is all of Liyue."
"Impudence!" Li Shui slammed a palm on the table, face changing. "How dare you speak to my Lord like that!"
Song Yinjian didn't retreat.
If anything, his gaze sharpened. He stared straight at Zhongli and spoke with ringing clarity.
"From the day Northland Bank entered Liyue Harbor, for ten full years—how many Liyue citizens were crushed into ruined homes, broken families, scattered lives?"
A trace of guilt flashed through Zhongli's eyes. "This is my fault."
Song Yinjian shook his head, tone softer than before. "My Lord, you're not the one at fault."
"The ones truly at fault… are the Liyue Qixing."
"They're successful merchants—sharp, capable, each of them." "But they can't escape the merchant's weakness: compromise."
"Facing a power like Snezhnaya, they chose to retreat to protect their interests." Zhongli fell silent for a moment, then asked unexpectedly,
"Boss Song… what if you became one of the Qixing?" Song Yinjian refused instantly.
"I just want to run my funeral business honestly."
"And when I'm unhappy, I'll point at the sky, criticize governance, and curse the Liyue Qixing." Li Shui bristled.
"Yinjian! You're an adeptal disciple, and all you do is this kind of thing—shaming your master!" The room fell into an awkward, unnatural silence.
Li Shui rubbed his forehead and finally realized what he'd just said. Zhongli was still, in name, a consultant of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Li Shui hurriedly waved his hands to smooth it over.
"Drink, drink! Let's not talk about such unpleasant things—don't ruin the mood."
Song Yinjian and Zhongli didn't continue either, but the appetite had already been spoiled. The meal ended quickly.
Li Shui left, annoyed.
Zhongli and Song Yinjian exited the shop in quiet understanding and walked side by side beneath soft moonlight.
"My Lord… I spoke out of anger earlier. I overstepped," Song Yinjian said apologetically. Zhongli waved it off. "It's fine. I can feel your sincerity."
"Tell me—how do we prevent tragedies like Zhang Xiaoli's from happening again?" Song Yinjian answered with a question instead.
"Treat the symptoms, or treat the root?"
Zhongli considered briefly. "Treat the symptoms."
Song Yinjian looked disappointed—but he still laid it out clearly.
"First, enact strict laws to regulate usury—ban violent debt collection." "Second, educate the public about the dangers of loan sharks."
"Third, establish an official Liyue bank that places the people first, so citizens can borrow without fear."
After hearing it, approval flickered in Zhongli's eyes.
If these three measures were enforced properly, tragedies like Zhang Xiaoli's would almost never happen again.
"Boss Song," Zhongli said, "your talent is astonishing."
Song Yinjian smiled. "It's nothing. The Qixing could think of all this too." Then his expression turned serious.
"My Lord, I want you to force Northland Bank to hand over the killer who murdered Zhang Xiaoli."
Zhongli's answer was simple. "Very well."