"But that place has been requisitioned by the Qixing. If you're planning to target it, you better be ready to spend some time in jail!" Paimon added.
Zhongli mentioned that the Archon's body is being kept in the "Golden House" by the Qixing. This likely means there will be even more guards stationed there.
"It really is quite expensive," Lumine admitted, feeling that even if she and Nolan pooled all their Mora together, they still wouldn't have enough to pay for the everlasting incense.
"Haha, it seems you all lack a bit of understanding about the everlasting incense. It has its reasons for being priced this high. Our shop would never overcharge our customers," Baizhu said with a warm smile.
"That's true, but still..." Nolan smiled awkwardly.
When he was playing Genshin Impact, he never imagined he would actually end up in Teyvat, so he didn't pay much attention to the storyline details. He'd forgotten long ago that the everlasting incense was this expensive—three million Mora, to be exact.
It's all Zhongli's fault; he didn't give any warning.
Now, with the two of them barely having enough Mora between them, even if they had enough to cover the cost, they could have bought it and then sought reimbursement from "Childe," the sponsor of the "Rite of Parting."
But reality is disappointing; it looks like they'll have to go back to "Childe" and get the money before coming back.
"Alright, I guess we'll have to return later," Paimon said, shrugging.
Nolan and the others were reluctantly heading towards the door when the orange-haired, somewhat handsome Fatui Harbinger, "Childe," walked in.
"Huh? 'Childe,' what are you doing here?!" Paimon exclaimed, hovering in the air with wide eyes as she looked at him.
"Haha, as the sponsor of the 'Rite of Parting,' I need to ensure nothing goes wrong with the ceremony. Naturally, I've been keeping an eye on your progress.
"When I heard you were coming to buy the everlasting incense, I figured you might be short on Mora. Seems I arrived just in time," Tartaglia said candidly, revealing that he had been watching Nolan and the others.
"Hmm? Something feels suspicious. Why is this irrelevant guy so interested in this matter?" Paimon wondered, scrutinizing "Childe," trying to discern his intentions.
"Hey, hey, don't look at me like that! We're all working together to make sure the ceremony goes smoothly, right?" Tartaglia responded, already having his plan in mind.
If he couldn't find out in advance where the Qixing had hidden the Geo Archon's body, he planned to make his move during the "Rite of Parting."
After all, extracting the Gnosis wouldn't take much time. He believed his strength was sufficient to grab it quickly and then retreat safely. This was why he didn't want any delays in preparing for the ceremony.
If he couldn't even see the Geo Archon's body, how could he complete the task assigned by Her Majesty the Tsaritsa?
Nolan could somewhat guess what "Childe" was thinking.
However, he didn't expose him. When Zhongli casually mentioned at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor that his body was hidden in the "Golden House," it wasn't entirely without the intention of letting "Childe" know and start causing trouble.
Because at this point in time, those "Adepti" were likely on their way to Liyue Harbor. If "Childe" took too long to make his move, by the time the Adepti arrived in Liyue, assessed the situation, and confirmed that the Archon was indeed dead, they would undoubtedly seek justice from the Qixing.
If the Adepti decided to remove the Qixing and take control of Liyue themselves, Zhongli's carefully orchestrated plan would be meaningless. If the Qixing didn't back down, conflict might even arise, which is something Zhongli didn't want to see happen.
He hoped that both the Adepti and the humans could face the crisis together, allowing the Adepti to see the brilliance of humanity and ultimately retreat to the background, serving only as protectors. From there, the rest would be left to the humans to develop on their own.
Now that "Childe" had been watching them for some time, it was only a matter of time before he figured out that the Geo Archon's body was temporarily placed in the "Golden House."
Nolan, of course, had no intention of interfering with Zhongli's plan. So, he quickly had "Childe" purchase the everlasting incense and leave. The sooner this was resolved, the sooner Lumine could ask Zhongli about the unknown god who had kidnapped her brother.
By participating in such a significant event, Nolan naturally hoped to gain some special character specialty.
After arranging for the cost of the everlasting incense to be charged to the Northland Bank, "Childe" didn't leave immediately. Instead, he moved to a secluded corner and leaned against the wall as if waiting for someone.
Before long, a masked member of the Fatui appeared.
"Lord 'Childe,'" Ekaterina greeted the highly respected Eleventh Harbinger with respect.
"What did you discover from following them and lying in wait here?" Tartaglia asked Ekaterina.
"Yes, I heard them mention that the 'Golden House' has been requisitioned by the Qixing," Ekaterina nodded.
"Oh, haha, I see," Tartaglia quickly deduced the underlying meaning of that statement.
The "Golden House" is usually just a mint, with no reason for the Qixing to requisition it. However, with the recent passing of the Geo Archon, his body needed a secure place for storage. The heavily guarded "Golden House" seemed like an ideal choice.
"Now that we have the everlasting incense, the next step is to find wild Glaze Lilies, right?" Paimon asked as they walked down the street toward Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
"Yes, let's first deliver the incense to Zhongli so he can take care of it. Then we can have lunch before heading out to find the flowers," Nolan nodded.
When they arrived at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, they didn't see Zhongli but instead encountered a somewhat tired Hu Tao.
"Yo, long time no see, it's you guys," Hu Tao said, slapping her cheeks lightly to perk herself up as she greeted them enthusiastically.
Then she continued, "I heard you've been hanging out with our guest consultant, Zhongli, helping with the preparations for the 'Rite of Parting'?"
"Hehe, that's right! We were just about to hand over the everlasting incense to him before heading out to find Glaze Lilies in the wild," Paimon replied, clearly fond of Hu Tao.
"I see. You've been working hard. I've been busy getting the staff to help set up the ceremony site. I haven't even had time to ride my cycle lately. Sigh~," Hu Tao sighed.
"Hu Tao, as the Funeral Parlor Director, you should be overseeing the work. You're not seriously hammering in nails yourself, are you?" Lumine joked with the quirky girl.
"Directing people is exhausting too, you know!" Hu Tao said, lowering her hat a bit in frustration. "But thankfully, the site is ready now, so I can take a little break."
"Haha, it sounds like you've been through a lot, Director Hu. By the way, is Zhongli around? We've got the everlasting incense he asked for," Nolan said with a light smile.
"Oh, that wooden block of a guy hasn't come back yet, it seems you've made a trip for nothing," Hu Tao said.
The sunlight cast a warm, reddish glow on her snow-white legs peeking out from beneath her shorts, and even just looking at them seemed to convey a sense of softness.
"I see, I guess it takes longer than expected to catch Crystalflies," Paimon mused.
"By the way, it's noon already. Director Hu, have you eaten yet? If not, how about joining us at Wanmin Restaurant? Our treat."
Since Zhongli wasn't around, the matter of handing over the everlasting incense would have to wait. Nolan and the others were about to go for lunch anyway, so they politely invited Hu Tao to join them.
Hu Tao rubbed her stomach through her red-brown outfit, realizing she was indeed a bit hungry.
Without any hesitation, she nodded and said, "Sure, I haven't had Xiangling's cooking in a while."
Wanmin Restaurant wasn't far from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. It was just a short walk through the Alchemy Plaza and down the street on the right.
Business at Wanmin Restaurant was bustling, but with Xiangling and Chef Mao working together, they managed to keep up with the orders.
Nolan and his group found an empty table and ordered a variety of signature dishes. After a while, Xiangling brought the dishes to the table, filling it with delicious food.
When it came to eating, Nolan never skimped on himself or others, so the meal was quite lavish.
Paimon was particularly enthusiastic, even reaching for the fish meatballs in front of him.
"Wow, I'm stuffed. Thanks for the meal," Hu Tao said after a while, leaning back in her chair and letting out a satisfied sigh as she finished her last sip of tofu fish soup.
[Hu Tao Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 120 Affection Points. Current Affection Level Lv.3 (10/300)]
Great, she's at level three now, which means we've become pretty good friends, Nolan thought, feeling pleased as he saw the affection prompt appear on his character screen.
"Hehe, no need to thank us," Paimon said, wiping the oil from her mouth with a smile.
After resting for about ten minutes, Nolan and the group set off to the wilderness to search for Glaze Lilies. When Hu Tao learned what they were planning, she offered to help, saying she knew a bit about Glaze Lilies and could assist in finding them.
With someone willing to help, Nolan and the others gladly accepted the offer. Besides, spending more time with her might even increase their friendship.
Having experienced the powerful affection skills gained from Fischl and Lumine, Nolan was now even more curious about what abilities other girls might offer.
In Liyue, at Guili Plains.
The four of them walked along a not-so-smooth path, with a bit of yellow dust clinging to their shoes.
"Glaze Lilies are a specialty of Liyue. They can be found in many places, like Qingce Village and near Yujing Terrace, but those are cultivated by humans. Truly wild Glaze Lilies are much rarer," Hu Tao said, resting her chin on her hand, her smooth black-painted nails reflecting a bit of light.
"So, where should we go to find wild Glaze Lilies?" Lumine asked, her white over-the-knee high-heeled boots alternating as she walked, the asymmetrical hem of her skirt swaying like a jellyfish in the sea with her movements.
Zhongli had also mentioned that wild Glaze Lilies were rare.
"Hmm, in that case, we need to head to a place where people rarely go," Hu Tao said, changing her posture and placing her hands on her hips.
"Rarely visited? Where should we go then?" Paimon asked, her starry eyes showing a hint of confusion.
As an outsider, Nolan naturally didn't know much about Glaze Lilies, so he turned his gaze to Hu Tao to see how she would handle things.
While Hu Tao might be playful at times, she was reliable when it came to serious matters.
"The place we need to go is near Qingce Village, at Wuwang Hill."
When Hu Tao mentioned "Wuwang Hill," she smiled mysteriously, as if she was up to something mischievous.
"Hey, you're not planning to trick us again, are you?" Paimon said, giving Hu Tao a skeptical look.
"Of course not! Let me explain," Hu Tao quickly denied, waving her hand. Through the wide sleeve of her robe, a glimpse of her fair arm was visible.
"Alright then, explain why a place with such an ominous-sounding name like Wuwang Hill would have wild Glaze Lilies," Paimon said, crossing her arms and giving Hu Tao a chance to justify herself.
"Hehe, Wuwang Hill is a place heavy with yin energy, where the sun rarely shines. Ghosts and wandering spirits often appear there. Even though it's close to Qingce Village, not many people dare to go there.
"So, if there's a place where wild Glaze Lilies might grow, Wuwang Hill would be it," Hu Tao explained with a mischievous smile on her pale lips.
"What?! Ghosts? Spirits?!" Paimon exclaimed in shock and fear. "No, no, no! I don't want to go to a place like that. Glaze Lilies can grow in other parts of Liyue, right? Let's find somewhere else, even if it's further away!"
It was clear that Paimon was terrified of ghosts.
Nolan vaguely remembered that in the game's storyline, the Traveler didn't find wild Glaze Lilies at Wuwang Hill, but he couldn't recall the exact location. Otherwise, they could head straight there.
"But Wuwang Hill is the only place I know that might have Glaze Lilies. I haven't heard of them growing anywhere else," Hu Tao said, shrugging helplessly.
"Uh, then how about we go back and post a commission at the Adventurers' Guild, asking other adventurers to find them for us?" Paimon suggested, moving closer to Lumine for comfort.
To be honest, Nolan was also a bit scared of ghosts and supernatural things. He remembered being unable to sleep after watching a horror movie with his dorm mates. Although he no longer feared that ghosts could actually harm him, he still preferred to avoid them if possible.
So, Nolan nodded in agreement with Paimon's suggestion.
As they continued walking along the dusty road, Lumine sighed, rubbing her forehead as she glanced at the two of them.
Were they really that scared of something so intangible?
"No way, that would be a waste of Mora. Besides, ordinary adventurers don't have our skills. They could get held up by a group of Hilichurls for ages, which would be terribly inefficient. We should handle this ourselves," Lumine said, rejecting the idea from Nolan and Paimon.
(End of Chapter)
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