Several of the Adepti were slightly puzzled in their hearts.
Since the Geo Archon had not passed away, where exactly was he, and why was there a body of his in the "Golden House"?
"I had some suspicions about this matter when those young ones came to borrow the 'Cleansing Bell' from me," Granny Ping thought for a moment and said.
"Ah Ping, stop being so cryptic. If you've figured something out, just say it!" Cloud Retainer, who had a short temper, grumbled.
"Hehe, no need to rush, Cloud Retainer." Granny Ping smiled, standing in midair. "The 'Cleansing Bell' is in my possession, and only you all know that. Since it wasn't any of you who told the youngsters about it, then naturally, it could only have been the Geo Archon."
"According to what this Adeptus has mentioned, that Mr. Zhongli who presided over the 'Rite of Parting'..."
Ningguang's vermillion eyes widened slightly.
"If he chose to transform into a mortal and hide among the common people, then we should avoid disturbing him."
Granny Ping shook her head and continued, "The Geo Archon's grand plan likely has the intention of letting go. For thousands of years, we have acted as guides and guardians over Liyue. Perhaps it's time we leave this path for you all to walk on your own."
Her gaze fell on Ningguang and Keqing, two of the Qixing.
"But even so, was it really necessary to fake his death in front of everyone?" Keqing asked, slightly perplexed.
"Only by having the Geo Archon 'die' can the people of Liyue learn to face difficulties without relying on him. So, make sure not to reveal the truth that the Archon is still alive," Granny Ping explained, seemingly concluding her thoughts.
"Hmph, that man is always so unpredictable. Give it some time, and I will certainly seek him out for a proper talking-to!" Cloud Retainer huffed, and after confirming that the Geo Archon had not died, saw no reason to linger. With a flap of her white wings, she flew off.
"Hey, Cloud Retainer!" Mountain Shaper sighed softly as he watched her leave.
"Well, since the Archon wishes to retire, I will respect his choice. Our thousands of years of unchanged ways no longer fit modern Liyue. The future is now in your hands." With those words, he too spread his wings and departed.
Moon Carver watched as his two old friends seemed to have made their decisions. He turned his gaze toward the young figure standing in midair and asked, "Vigilant Yaksha, what do you think?"
After all, Liyue, with its thousands of years of history, was the shared legacy of the Geo Archon and the Adepti. He felt uneasy about completely handing it over to the Qixing, fearing they might monopolize power and disrupt the rare prosperity of Liyue.
"I only care about protecting Liyue from Evil. The rest is not for me to concern myself with." Xiao believed that Liyue was faring well under the Qixing's rule, and his words conveyed no objections.
"Moon Carver, if you still have doubts, take some time to walk through the bustling streets of Liyue."
Granny Ping offered Moon Carver some advice. "Times are changing, and you, who haven't been to Liyue in a long time, would stand out even if you took on a human form and walked among the crowd. It's time to make the same choice as the Geo Archon."
The Adepti, who have long lived in the depths of the mountains, don't understand the rapidly changing society of today. How could they continue to guide it effectively when their ideas might already be outdated?
"Let's go back," Xiao said to Moon Carver before vanishing in a flash of Anemo energy, disappearing from where he stood.
Burdened by his karmic debt, Xiao could not approach ordinary humans. As a result, very few people could communicate with him, and he naturally did not concern himself with matters of letting go.
"Vigilant Yaksha?" Moon Carver glanced at the spot where Xiao had disappeared and sighed. "Very well, since everyone agrees, I won't insist any longer."
"Granny Ping, let's arrange a gathering with the Geo Archon sometime. I'd like to hear his thoughts."
Moon Carver, with his massive deer-like head, gave a final look at Granny Ping before turning and walking back into the void.
"Of course," Granny Ping nodded.
Before leaving, she smiled at Ningguang and Keqing, saying, "Now then, I'll leave the rest of the matters here, and the cleanup in Liyue Harbor, to you Qixing. I'm quite tired and should head back to rest."
The Adepti all departed one by one.
Only Nolan, Lumine, Paimon, Ningguang, Keqing, Ganyu, and Shenhe remained, standing on the translucent threads beneath them.
"Phew! That was a close call. If something had gone wrong, we could've ended up in a war between the Adepti after just finishing a battle with an ancient god," Paimon said, flying beside Lumine and patting her chest in relief.
"Yes, we owe it to Granny Ping for mediating the situation. At least things ended peacefully," Lumine nodded, her previously worried expression softening.
"Hehe, so, if we had really ended up fighting the Adepti, whose side would you all have taken?" Ningguang's fair face curved into a slight smile as she asked Nolan and the others.
"Wow, that's a tricky question! No matter which side we pick, it feels like the wrong answer," Paimon said, covering her head in distress.
Lumine stood with her hands on her hips, looking helplessly at Ningguang, surprised that even the illustrious Tianquan Star liked to tease people.
"Uh…" Nolan was also stumped by the question. After hesitating for a moment, he replied honestly, "On a personal level, we'd probably be inclined to help you.
"But this is ultimately an internal matter for your nation, and it's not our place to interfere, nor do we have the ability to."
Ningguang smiled brightly at his answer.
"A good response. Even when faced with a powerful enemy like the ancient god, you didn't hesitate to help us. After everything is settled, I will make sure to reward you all."
[Ningguang Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 260 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv. 4 (240/400)]
"Indeed, Ningguang is right. Thank you," Keqing said, crossing her arms and nodding.
[Keqing Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 180 points. Current Affection Level: Lv. 4 (270/400)]
"Hehe, there's no need to make it a big deal. After all, we're friends, aren't we?" Paimon, although her eyes lit up at the mention of a reward, still pretended to be modest.
Seeing Paimon, Ganyu couldn't help but smile. "Let's head back as well."
[Ganyu Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 220 points. Current Affection Level: Lv. 3 (120/300)]
Looking at the series of affection notifications on his interface, Nolan could clearly feel their gratitude. This journey had not only gained him Adventure EXP but also a significant amount of affection, making it quite worthwhile!
With Ganyu's help, everyone was granted an Adeptus ability to aid their flight. In just a few minutes, they had returned to Liyue Harbor.
Ningguang, Keqing, and Ganyu all had many things to handle, so they departed first, leaving Nolan, Lumine, Paimon, and Shenhe behind.
"Next, let's go find Zhongli and figure out what's going on. Paimon still can't believe he's actually the Geo Archon; he really doesn't seem like it at all," Paimon said, completely unable to reconcile the image of Zhongli with the legendary Geo Archon.
"Yes, I have my own reasons for seeing him," Lumine nodded. She hadn't forgotten her quest to meet the Seven Archons and ask about her brother.
(End of Chapter)
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