Following the location provided on that paper, Lumine and Paimon truly discovered the Fatui.
Paimon: The location written on this paper actually had Fatui!
And they seemed very hostile towards us!
Lumine immediately drew her sword and began to fight, unleashing Wind Blades.
"Starfall"!
After all the Fatui were dealt with...
Paimon: There are so many talismans here, and several stacks of blank paper. What could they be for?
Lumine: It looks like they intend to copy the patterns on the talismans.
Paimon: The patterns on these seem familiar...
I remember now. The talisman of ubiquity Childe gave you also looked like this.
Hmm... It's quite suspicious why such an artifact related to an adeptus would fall into Childe's hands.
Lumine: And not just the artifact...
Paimon: Oh, right, Cloud Retainer said that when the Rock Lord created the talisman of ubiquity back then, it wasn't for use as an artifact.
The original purpose of this talisman was to unleash divine power during the God War...
Are the Fatui copying the talisman of ubiquity like this because they want to try to draw out an effect similar to the real thing?
Unleashing divine power in war... Hmm, that sounds very dangerous.
Lumine: It seems the Fatui have a big plan.
Paimon: So complicated... Anyway, we should be more wary of Childe from now on.
Alright, after all this trouble here, the time we arranged to meet Zhongli and Qixuan-jie is almost here.
The last stop on the Farewell to Sefarer Ritual preparations... I remember it was Dihua Marsh, right?
Let's go quickly, don't be late.
Dihua Marsh...
Qixuan: Oh, you're back? Right on time. Was the Jade Chamber fun?
Paimon: Super—big! Super luxurious, super expensive, it's the most expensive building I've ever seen!
Zhongli: Hahaha, indeed, if the Jade Chamber claims second, then no one in Liyue would dare claim first.
Qixuan: Has Paimon turned into a little money-grubber?
Lumine: She always has been (with a mischievous expression).
Paimon: Ahhh! Hmph!
Zhongli: You must have met Ningguang. How was your chat?
Paimon: She's so rich, so generous, she's a very kind person!
Lumine: But "kindness" is also a merchant's weapon.
Paimon: Hmm... Lumine's opinion of Ningguang is different from mine. She thinks that the Yuheng, who speaks too directly, is more trustworthy.
Zhongli: Oh? You also met Keqing? Did she say anything to you?
Paimon: She said, "The era of the adepti has passed. If even the Liyue Qixing dare not face this fact, then what will become of Liyue's future?"
Qixuan: She's quite bold, but what she said does have some truth to it. However, compared to Liyue governed by adepti, Liyue ruled by the Qixing might be better. What do you think?
Qixuan looked at Zhongli.
Zhongli: Hahaha... Disrespecting the adepti.
Indeed, compared to Keqing, who dares to say anything, Ningguang, also one of the Qixing, is more like a typical merchant.
Although she is kind, you cannot be 100% sure of her sincerity.
Lumine: Ningguang is a strategic person.
Zhongli: Yes, she rose to her current position entirely on her own.
Such a person must have extraordinary qualities.
I heard that the constantly expanding Jade Chamber is a manifestation of her ambition, and it is the second most important thing in her life.
Even if she gave up the position of Tianquan, she would not give up the Jade Chamber.
Paimon: The Jade Chamber is second? What's first then?
Zhongli: Of course, it's Mora.
Lumine: That makes a lot of sense.
Paimon: Oh, right, the thing she talked to us about the most was the Fatui.
She said that after the Lord of Geo was harmed, the Fatui have been stirring up trouble in Liyue, and they're really bad.
Zhongli: The Fatui have always been like this. I'm not surprised at all.
Lumine: And they are currently imitating the talisman of ubiquity.
Qixuan: As you know, the Fatui's goal is very clear.
Zhongli: Hmm... Whatever the Fatui are plotting, in any case, when dealing with them, always be on your guard.
Paimon: Speaking of which, are there things for the Farewell to Sefarer Ritual in Dihua Marsh too?
Zhongli: Yes, what we're looking for today are wild glaze lilies.
Paimon: Glaze lilies? Why come here to find them? There are so many in the gardens of Yujing Terrace... I heard there are some in Qingce Village too.
Oh, right, I remember when we met Granny Ping, she was looking at flowers.
Why don't we just ask Granny Ping for some?
Zhongli: No... Those are cultivated, and not suitable.
Glaze lilies once grew abundantly in Dihua Marsh. They are joyful flowers that listen to people's songs.
Before the God War, Dihua Marsh was still dry land.
It was the landslides caused by the war that flooded this place, turning it into a wetland, causing the glaze lilies to almost go extinct.
Now, some cultivated varieties are still preserved in the city.
But only a very few people know that wild glaze lilies have not completely died out...
These glaze lilies have a rich fragrance. When ground into powder and placed in the censer of the Everlasting Incense, that is the complete Farewell to Sefarer tradition.
However, to pick these flowers, I need your help.
Lumine: You need my labor?
Zhongli: No, I need you to sing to those flowers to enhance their fragrance.
Paimon: Uh...
How good is your singing?
Lumine: I'm super good!
Qixuan: Really? Let me see!
Lumine: No way!
Paimon: Ahhh! You two.
Zhongli: Alright, alright, we'll know the effect once we try.
Then everyone found a wild glaze lily.
Paimon: Start!
Lumine: *cough cough*, (Barbara's singing).
Suddenly... three Whopperflowers appeared.
Paimon: Wh-what happened?!
These flowers suddenly jumped up: They seem very angry! Could it be... because you sang a Mondstadt song... and they don't understand the Liyue language?
Qixuan: Paimon, those are Whopperflowers, they're monsters!
Paimon: Ah... this.
After Qixuan sent these Whopperflowers to meet the Heavenly Principles with a few more shots...
Lumine: Enemies beyond imagination...
Zhongli: Hmm? These petals...? Interesting.
The glaze lilies used for disguise, buried with the Whopperflowers for too long, have instead become excellent medicinal ingredients.
A blessing in disguise... Please collect these petals.
Paimon: There's such a good thing? Can these petals be used for the Farewell to Sefarer Ritual?
Zhongli: Unfortunately, no.
Paimon: Ah, why—
Just then, Ganyu suddenly appeared...
Ganyu: Excuse me... are you looking for glaze lilies?
Paimon: Ah! It's you! Uh... Darn, I can't remember your name...
Lumine: Hello, Ganyu.
Ganyu: Hello, Traveler, I didn't expect you to remember my name.
Speaking of which, how was your trip to the Jade Chamber?
Paimon: Because you didn't tell us how to get up there, we had to put in a lot of effort to find our way!
Ganyu: Eh eh eh? I, I didn't say?!
Paimon: We found out by asking around ourselves!
Lumine: Because it wasn't a secret, you didn't mention it, right?
Ganyu: Yes... yes, that's right.
(Oh no, I actually forgot to say it...)
Paimon: Hmm? Ganyu's face looks a bit off.
And compared to when we first met, her demeanor is also different... She doesn't seem to have that serious air she had before?
Ganyu: Ah... because back then I was in my capacity as the Tianquan's Emissary, but now I'm just looking at flowers.
Paimon: Looking at flowers? Why not look in the city, why come to a place like this?
Ganyu: ...Yujing Terrace is where the Lord of Geo passed away. Looking at flowers there is very lonely.
Qixuan: Pffft...
Ganyu: And this lady is?
Qixuan: Hello, Ganyu, you can call me Qixuan. I'm a good friend of Lumine's.
Ganyu: Alright. Sigh, these past few days, when I've been working near Yujing Terrace, I always close the windows to avoid seeing the scenery outside...
Paimon: Hmm... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought up that topic.
Ganyu: No... It's my own fault for not being able to sort out my feelings.
Two thousand years ago, after the God War ended, the original Seven Archons gathered in Liyue and drank with the Lord of Geo... Now, with the succession of divine positions, five of the Seven Archons at that banquet have passed away.
Lumine: So that means...
Ganyu: Yes, since the Lord of Geo has returned to the heavens, then of the original Seven Archons, only Barbatos of Mondstadt remains in the mortal realm.
Barbatos: As a God of Wind, why do I feel a chill down my spine?
Ganyu: The other five, including the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma, are no longer the same old friends from two thousand years ago.
Ganyu: The current Seven Archons, the God of Dendro of Sumeru is the youngest, only five hundred years old.
While the Rock Lord has lived the longest, for over six thousand years.
Therefore, Liyue, with its three thousand seven hundred years of history, has been ruled by the Lord of Geo since its establishment, and has never experienced a "farewell" with a deity...
Zhongli: Then, what are your thoughts on this "farewell"?
Ganyu: Eh? Asking so suddenly, I...
As a human, I still cannot imagine what Liyue would become without the Lord of Geo...
But as an adeptus... I think I will eventually accept the truth.
Since the Lord of Geo has passed away, then the era of adepti establishing contracts with Liyue has, in fact, come to an end.
Paimon: Huh? You said... as an adeptus?
Ganyu: I... I am a hybrid of human and qilin, with half-adeptus blood. During the God War, I also contributed my strength to the Lord of Geo and to Liyue.
After the war ended, I signed a contract with the Lord of Geo and began serving as the secretary to successive Qixing, and it has been that way until today.
Lumine: No wonder you have horns on your head!
Qixuan: Lumine, it's not nice to say that to a girl.
Ganyu: *cough* *cough*. Let's talk about something else. You just said you were looking for glaze lilies...
I also know where the wild glaze lilies are hidden, and I just picked one. If you don't mind, please accept it.
Zhongli: Then, it would be rude to refuse.
Paimon: Eh? Did you sing before you picked it?
Ganyu: Yes, I am quite familiar with this tradition.
Please rest assured, I sang a local Liyue folk song.
Paimon: Wow, you're very knowledgeable too! Thank you, Ganyu!
Ganyu: No, I should be thanking you. If it weren't for this chance encounter, I wouldn't have thought that I could offer my sentiments for the "Farewell to a Distant Body" ritual.
I should get back to work. I wish you all the best.
Ganyu finished speaking and left.
Zhongli: With this, the various preparations needed for the Farewell to Sefarer Ritual are basically complete.
Paimon: Alright, now that everything's taken care of, we should head back to Liyue Harbor.
At the city gate...
Paimon: Huh? What happened? Why are there so many Millelith at the city gate? And Fatui...
Fatui: Oh, it's the consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Mr. Zhongli.
The Millelith are keeping a close watch on us. These are extraordinary times, so don't make any rash moves.
Zhongli: Extraordinary times?
Fatui: The adepti of Jueyun Karst have finally set out. Their intentions are probably not good.
Zhongli: Are they here to demand an explanation?
Fatui: Most likely.
I heard that some of the Qixing brought people to greet them early... Heh, calling it a greeting, it's more like they want to stop the adepti outside the city.
But both sides are very stubborn, and it has reached a stalemate for now.
Zhongli: ...It was inevitable that things would come to this.
Qixuan: (I wonder if Guizhong would punish you by making you eat seafood if she saw this).
Fatui: The adepti do not recognize the Qixing; they only recognize their contract with the God of Geo.
If they decide to attack, Liyue Harbor probably won't be able to stop them.
Zhongli: But the Liyue Qixing are not people who sit back and wait to die.
Fatui: Hmph, who doesn't know they're stubborn? But precisely because of that, the conflict between humans and adepti is about to explode!
Zhongli: And then? Why have the Fatui become the target of everyone's criticism instead?
Fatui: Phew... It's all because of that Ningguang...
Saying something like, "At this moment of impending storm, the Millelith must completely control the movements of the Fatui."
Tch! Only now do they think of restricting our actions? The Qixing are nothing special!
In any case, Mr. Zhongli, you are Childe's collaborator, and your attitude is half our attitude, so don't let anyone catch you in the act.
Paimon: It seems that the various conflicts in Liyue Harbor have completely reached their limit...
Lumine: Is there anything we can do?
Zhongli: You mean, you want to mediate as a special neutral party? Or do you want to change certain balances with your personal strength?
Neither of those paths will be easy, I'm afraid...
Fatui: Ah, that's right! Mr. Zhongli, I heard that your Wangsheng Funeral Parlor also seems to be caught in the conflict and is currently confronting the official army that came knocking!
Zhongli: That's not good...
Qixuan: What? Are you worried about that girl Hu Tao?
Zhongli: Yes, I must go ahead to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and see. I hope Director Hu can handle it for now... and that no major trouble breaks out.
Traveler, you should also think about it again.
In my opinion, to stop an imminent explosion, it's better to first think about where the "fuse" is.
Paimon: Phew... Being "friends on the street" with the Fatui seems to have both benefits and troubles.
So, what did Zhongli mean by the "fuse" just now?
Qixuan: Think carefully about who guided us to find the adepti?
Lumine: Childe!
Paimon: I see! I... I think I understand too.
If I had to say who most wished for this kind of city-wide chaos, my first thought would be him.
That guy must be doing something bad while everyone is too busy to deal with him!
But where should we find him now?
When all the chaos becomes... particularly chaotic, where would he go?
Qixuan then said: Follow me, there's only one place he'd go.
Lumine: Qixuan-jie, you mean...
Paimon: The Golden House!