Liyue Harbor, Yujing Terrace.
Early this morning, Nolan and the others returned to Liyue to attend the "Rite of Parting."
They had put in a lot of effort, running around for this event, so they had to come and see it through.
At this moment, the Yujing Terrace was crowded with even more people than during the previous "Rite of Descension."
After all, everyone wanted to know what really happened with the "murder of the Geo Archon."
Time passed quickly.
Unlike the twists and turns of the "Rite of Descension," the "Rite of Parting" concluded smoothly, without any surprises like the resurrection of the Geo Archon.
"Paimon can't believe they said the Geo Archon passed away because he failed to overcome a divine tribulation. That's such a lame excuse."
Paimon, floating next to Lumine, spread her hands in exasperation.
"Not necessarily. Few common folk have ever really seen an adeptus, and even if they have, they wouldn't really understand them. It's possible their idea of adepti involves 'divine tribulation.'"
"This explanation may not hold up under scrutiny, but it aligns with the public's general imagination."
Lumine blinked her amber eyes and smiled as she spoke to Paimon.
"Hmm?" Paimon, still confused, turned her gaze toward Shenhe, with her long white hair, and curiously asked, "Is that true?"
She thought that since Shenhe was a disciple of an adeptus, she might know.
"Master has never mentioned anything like that to me," Shenhe shook her head, her hair swaying gently as she responded.
"I think Lumine has a point," Nolan chimed in.
Based on his experience in the game, he figured that adepti probably didn't undergo divine tribulations. The Qixing likely used this explanation to make the situation more palatable to the public.
They certainly couldn't claim that the Geo Archon had faked his death.
With this narrative, they couldn't pin the crime of murdering the Archon on anyone else either—it wouldn't be fair to falsely accuse someone.
So, saying that the Geo Archon passed away due to a failed tribulation was actually the best explanation.
"Hey, Ganyu! Are you here for the 'Rite of Parting' too? But it's already over," Paimon suddenly exclaimed, interrupting Nolan's thoughts.
He looked up and saw the familiar figure of Ganyu—a woman with blue hair, wearing a black bodysuit under a short white qipao trimmed with gold.
"No, I'm here to find all of you," Ganyu shook her head.
"Find us?"
Lumine tugged at her sleeve, a hint of confusion appearing on her pale face.
"Yes, Lady Ningguang sent me to invite you all to Yuehai Pavilion for a meeting," Ganyu explained with a nod.
"Ningguang?"
"Yuehai Pavilion?"
Lumine and Paimon exchanged glances, quickly realizing the reason.
A few days ago, after they had defeated the Vortex God, Ningguang had mentioned rewarding those who had played an important role in the victory.
Perhaps Ningguang was summoning them for that reason.
And since the Jade Chamber had been destroyed, the meeting would be held at Yuehai Pavilion instead...
Lumine felt confident in her guess.
"Then please, Ganyu, lead the way. We're not too familiar with Yuehai Pavilion," Nolan nodded lightly.
"Of course, follow me," Ganyu said, walking ahead to guide them.
...
Yuehai Pavilion, like Yujing Terrace, was an administrative office, and the two weren't far apart.
However, they served slightly different purposes.
Yuehai Pavilion leaned more toward intelligence work, which was where Ganyu usually worked.
Under Ganyu's guidance, Nolan and the others soon arrived in a guest room at Yuehai Pavilion, where they met Lady Ningguang, dressed elegantly in a qipao, exuding grace and poise.
"It's been a while, everyone," Ningguang greeted them with a smile, her crimson eyes gleaming as she invited them to sit down.
"It hasn't been that long, but we're sorry we came empty-handed without bringing a gift," Paimon scratched her head, grinning.
Ningguang was probably the only person who could make Paimon think of bringing a gift—even Lumine didn't get that treatment.
What a little money-grubber, Nolan thought, amused as he watched her.
Paimon seemed intent on building a good relationship with Ningguang, hoping that one day, if Ningguang casually dropped even a small fortune, it would be enough to make them rich.
But she was being way too obvious—her intentions were written all over her face.
Lumine shot Paimon a disapproving look.
"Hehe, I invited you all here to thank you. How could I ask you to bring gifts?" Ningguang covered her mouth with a soft chuckle.
"Wow, that's great!" Paimon clapped her hands, spinning excitedly in mid-air.
"Now then, is there anything you need? Whether it's Mora or any kind of assistance, as long as it's within my power, I'll do my best to help," Ningguang said, looking at them with interest.
"Mora it is, then!" Paimon exclaimed, laughing and unable to contain her excitement.
"Paimon, you should be a bit more reserved," Nolan said with a hint of helplessness.
"No need to worry. Mora is a small matter," Ningguang replied without blinking. "Traveler, Honorary Knight, Miss Shenhe—do you have any other requests?"
As expected of a seasoned businesswoman, Ningguang agreed without hesitation.
Nolan couldn't help but wonder: if he had that much Mora, maybe he could issue a massive commission to acquire a large amount of Primogems. Wouldn't that help him gain tons of Adventure EXP?
His eyes lit up at the thought. "Ahem, Lady Ningguang, if it's possible, could you grant me some Primogems as well?"
Even though it was Ningguang offering rewards for their efforts, Nolan still felt a bit shy about making requests, unlike the thick-skinned Paimon.
"Primogems? Hmm, it's quite useful, though the cost-effectiveness isn't great. Still, if you need it, it's no problem," Ningguang said, lightly nodding her head after a moment of thought.
Primogems, being a versatile material, wasn't particularly valuable to most people because they could usually find substitutes for whatever they needed. It wasn't strictly necessary to use Primogems.
However, in a place like Liyue, Primogems was extremely scarce. Many research experiments or the setup of formations might require materials that were difficult to find or had long since disappeared, in which case, Primogems would be the best option.
"Thank you very much," Nolan said, smiling.
"And you, Traveler?" Ningguang turned her gaze toward Lumine.
Lumine thought for a moment.
Earlier, they had heard from Zhongli that their next destination, Inazuma, was separated from Liyue by a vast ocean. It would take a long sea voyage to get there. Now seemed like the perfect opportunity to ask Ningguang for advice on the matter.
"Lady Ningguang, we're planning to head to Inazuma next. Could you help us find a ship going in that direction?" Lumine, more reserved than the two who had only requested material wealth, finally spoke up, maintaining some dignity for the group.
"Heading to Inazuma, huh? Well, it just so happens I have a friend whose fleet will be setting sail for Inazuma in about half a month, loaded with cargo. I'll talk to her in the next few days," Ningguang agreed easily to such a simple request.
"And Miss Shenhe, you've contributed quite a bit as well. Is there anything you need?" Ningguang asked, turning her attention to Shenhe.
Shenhe was about to shake her head, as she didn't really need anything. But then she remembered that Nolan seemed to need Primogems, so she asked for it too.
"Hmm? You sure you don't want to think it over?" Nolan looked at Shenhe, surprised.
He figured Shenhe had asked for the Primogems because she knew he needed it.
Shenhe shook her head. "It's fine. It's for you. I don't have any pressing needs."
"Since everyone has made their decisions, I'll have Baiwen and Baixiao make the arrangements," Ningguang said, giving a glance to the two secretaries standing by.
"Yes, Lady Ningguang!" the two secretaries replied and temporarily left the room.
Once they were gone, Ningguang refocused her attention on Nolan and the others. "The gifts I just promised you are merely my personal tokens of appreciation. However, this next reward represents Liyue and the Qixing."
She produced a gemstone medallion with the hue of Geo energy, seemingly crafted from a gem Ningguang had created herself. One side of the medallion was engraved with the image of Liyue Harbor's thousand sails, while the other bore the characters for "Liyue."
"What's this?" Nolan asked, puzzled.
"This is the 'Distinguished Citizen of Liyue' medal, created with my Geo elemental power. Only those who have made great contributions to Liyue can receive it," Ningguang explained with a smile.
"Distinguished Citizen of Liyue? Is it something like the 'Honorary Knight' title from the Knights of Favonius?" Paimon asked, scratching her head in thought.
"Exactly. Since this honor was established, only a few individuals have ever been awarded it. You are among the rare few," Ningguang said, nodding.
Although the "Distinguished Citizen of Liyue" title didn't come with tangible rewards, it was similar to the "Honorary Knight" title. Having this honor meant being recognized as one of Liyue's own.
With this title, they would receive great privileges and assistance whenever they needed help or had to deal with matters in Liyue.
Naturally, everyone was pleased to receive such an honor.
Nolan, in particular, was delighted. As soon as Ningguang declared him a "Distinguished Citizen of Liyue," his character panel displayed a notification:
[Title Earned: Distinguished Citizen of Liyue]
Nolan mentally "clicked" on the title's details:
[Distinguished Citizen of Liyue: A Title Awarded To Individuals Who Have Made Outstanding Contributions to Liyue. It Increases Favorability When Interacting with Liyue Citizens and Grants a 'Protection' Effect in The Liyue Region, Reducing All Damage Taken By 10%.]
Whoa—10% damage reduction! Nolan was astonished.
It seemed that this effect had no upper limit, or if it did, the cap was extremely high. The only slight drawback was that it was limited to the Liyue region.
Still, that didn't diminish its strength. A 10% reduction might not sound like much, but it applied to all forms of damage. Even if the "Sustainer of Heavenly Principles" herself struck him, it would have to reduce its power by 10% first.
Nolan felt like his defense was maxed out.
At this moment, he couldn't imagine anything or anyone being able to hurt him. He had to admit, he was feeling a bit overconfident.
---
(End of Chapter)
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