In the courtyard, Gu Sanqiu stopped Xingqiu from testing his newly enhanced sword on a giant boar tree. He then casually helped him evaluate the weapon's durability.
"Hmm, as long as you don't go hacking at a Stonehide Lawachurl's shield, this sword shouldn't get any nicks."
"As for Chongyun, you should coat your claymore with talismans first. Then, reinforce it with the power of your Vision. You'll be able to cut through anything."
"Old Gu, where did you even find this tree? It looks... off," Chongyun said, marveling at the boar-shaped tree. "I guess our travels still haven't broadened our horizons enough. I've never even heard of this thing before."
"Tch, if I'd known it grew on trees, I wouldn't have eaten it," Xingqiu shuddered, recalling the man who had desperately tried to get close to him, his grip on the sword faltering.
"I don't think it's that bad. My mental state has been more stable since I tried it. If it still has an effect, I wouldn't mind trying another."
Gu Sanqiu scooped a ladle of fresh water and poured it over the tree. "It won't do anything if you eat another one now. You'll have to wait until you're back in Liyue Harbor next time."
This tree wasn't something to casually give away. He had considered gifting some boar shanks to close female friends and Ningguang, but ultimately decided against it.
With Ningguang and Beidou's personalities, they'd probably kneel from the mental interference, half singing songs of submission and half shouting "Queen!"
Keqing would be the same; her bull-headed determination was no joke.
Or to put it another way, if their mental resilience wasn't that pure, they wouldn't survive the pressure of constant overtime work.
And if he gave one to Chef Mao... Xiangling would probably drag him to use it as an ingredient for testing recipes.
"So, are you two planning to stay, or are you just trying to mooch a meal?"
"Tch, we just saw you moping around here alone and decided to be kind and keep you company," Xingqiu retorted with a wave of his hand.
"Then get going if you're heading out on your next adventure. Stop using my courtyard as a testing ground."
Just then, a series of rhythmic knocks came from the front gate.
Xingqiu sheathed his sword and opened the door to find a golden-eyed man standing there, his gaze calm and steady.
"Hm, unexpected company. Seems like a bad time," Gu Sanqiu commented.
"Wait, don't leave! You're the consultant from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Zhongli, right? Your timing's perfect. We were just about to leave," Xingqiu said with a hurried bow.
"Goodbye, Sanqiu! We'll bring you some local specialties from our next destination!"
Xingqiu dashed back to drag Chongyun along, giving Gu Sanqiu a quick farewell before bolting.
"Did I interrupt something important?" Zhongli asked with a slight tilt of his head.
Gu Sanqiu stood up to greet Zhongli. "No, they were just being considerate. They didn't want to impose while I was busy."
"I see."
Zhongli nodded thoughtfully. "I wonder if I might trouble you with a matter, Gu."
Gu Sanqiu bowed slightly, taking the request seriously. "Please, go ahead."
"Yesterday, the Geo Lord visited me in a dream. He told me that the object known as the Jiao Dragon Green Brick in my possession is of great importance, and I should bring you along to resolve the matter."
...
Gu Sanqiu was at a loss for words.
The Geo Lord visited me in a dream?
That was a good excuse—so good he didn't even know how to respond to it.
I visited myself in a dream?
Zhongli's reasoning was clearly just a pretext, but Gu Sanqiu had no intention of exposing him. All he could do was play along.
"If the Geo Lord appeared in a dream, it must be a crucial matter. May I ask why he chose to reveal it to you, Mr. Zhongli?"
Zhongli paused, rubbing his chin in thought.
Gu Sanqiu's forehead creased in concern. Did he come here without a clear reason? Or does he just assume that the Fragrant Lord wouldn't ask so many questions? I'm not the type to drop a topic so easily.
If Zhongli suddenly said, "I haven't thought of a reason yet," Gu Sanqiu would be done. He didn't have the patience to keep playing along.
"Because this task can only be accomplished by us," Zhongli said at last. "We are both familiar with the Jiao Dragon Green Brick, and we are scholars who have some understanding of the previous era."
"'Scholar' is too generous a title. Since it is a decree from the Geo Lord, the Gu family will naturally comply."
Gu Sanqiu bowed. "May I ask what exactly we are to do, and if I may take some time to gather the necessary supplies?"
"Indeed, Hu Tao mentioned that you're a meticulous man, and I can see that's true."
Zhongli's expression grew serious. "Our destination is Mt. Hulao. The Geo Lord has requested that we bring the Jiao Dragon Green Brick there. The purpose will become clear when we arrive."
Gu Sanqiu's lips twitched.
Mt. Hulao?
Do you think I don't know what's up there?!
And you want to bring that dragon-plagued brick along?!
This was like having "We're going to visit Azhdaha!" written across his forehead.
"Ahem, you're right. If the Geo Lord decrees it, there must be a deeper meaning. It's best not to overthink it."
"Please, make yourself comfortable, Mr. Zhongli. I'll just gather a few things that might be useful."
Gu Sanqiu headed to the underground storage. "I'm pretty sure I left that thing here somewhere... where did it go..."
"Ah, here it is."
He pulled a pitch-black weapon from a storage box. Its hefty scope and barrel seemed to scream pure, unadulterated firepower.
Item: "Shatter One" Sniper Rifle Origin: Hall of War, Research Division
Note: This weapon was developed by the craziest of the crazy researchers from the Hall of War. It's one of the few internal-use-only models banned from test firing. If you want to try it out, you'd better have a great lawyer and a huge compensation fund ready.
...
The moment Gu Sanqiu saw the bold letters "BANNED FROM TEST FIRING," he wisely decided to stash the rifle underground, padding it with the finest silk and cotton.
If even those maniacs from the Hall of War banned test firing on their own turf, he had no intention of finding out what it was capable of.
But now seemed like the perfect opportunity to use it.
Gu Sanqiu gently stroked the weapon's sleek surface. "With a warning like that, I hope you'll have enough power to make even that old man break a sweat if things go south."
His inventory of strange artifacts never made it easy to gauge how they compared to Teyvat's power scale.
"If it doesn't work out, I'll just hand this over to the Old Man along with the bullet enchantment manual."
Gu Sanqiu instinctively rubbed his chin.
Now that he thought about it, it wasn't a bad idea.
With Morax's talent, enchanting a bullet wouldn't take long.
When it came time to act, Gu Sanqiu could draw aggro for three seconds while Old Man Zhong fired a single, well-placed shot...
Heavenly Retribution—Sniper Edition.
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