Liyue Harbor, Northland Bank.
Lumine and Paimon, having pushed open the door, were stunned by the sheer luxury of the scene. However, Lumine quickly regained her composure and dragged Paimon, who was drooling over the Mora, to the counter.
"Hello, we are looking for the Harbinger, Childe." Lumine didn't waste any time and spoke directly to the Fatui clerk at the counter.
Inside the counter, a clerk named Ekaterina replied calmly: "You must be the famous Traveler, right? Lord Childe has already informed us about you. Welcome to the Fatui."
"Who wants to join the Fatui?! Who on earth told you that?" Lumine was startled.
Ekaterina shook her head: "You are a friend of Lord Childe and a powerful individual. I believe you are fully capable of joining the Fatui, and I am certain you could become a Harbinger."
"Stop right there, I am not joining. Just tell me where Childe is waiting for me." Lumine got straight to the point.
Ekaterina nodded: "Lord Childe has already prepared a banquet at Liuli Pavilion and is waiting for your arrival."
The name Liuli Pavilion immediately caught Paimon's attention. She tore her eyes away from the glittering Mora and said to Lumine: "I know this! Liyue's cuisine is divided into Li cuisine and Yue cuisine. The two sides have been arguing for hundreds of years without a winner. Liuli Pavilion is the restaurant representing Li cuisine. They specifically opened it right across from Xinyue Kiosk, which represents Yue cuisine. Both of these places are super expensive!"
Ekaterina also nodded in confirmation: "That is correct. This little white fairy is right, but if you were to join the Fatui, I'm sure these expenses would be no problem at all."
"I am not joining the Fatui." Lumine rejected her invitation again, then said to Paimon: "Let's go, let's head straight to him."
After saying this, the two walked out of Northland Bank.
Ekaterina waved goodbye: "Please take care, and I look forward to the day we work together."
"Oh, you are so annoying! I said I wouldn't join!"
"The future is yet unknown. If you join the Fatui, the benefits—"
"Stop talking!"
Not long after, Childe saw the disgruntled-looking Lumine and Paimon at the entrance of Liuli Pavilion.
Childe felt something was off. Why were these two more hostile toward him today than usual? Hadn't he been performing well enough these past few days?
But since official business was more important, Childe intended to quickly find the location of the Exuvia, find the Geo Archon's Gnosis, and then hurry back to Snezhnaya to play with his younger siblings.
So, Childe steadied his mind and said to the two: "Come on, I've already found the person I was looking for. And today, I've specially prepared a local Liyue welcoming ceremony called a banquet!"
On the steps, the manager of Liuli Pavilion hurried over to welcome them: "Lord Childe, honored guests, please come inside. Mr. Zhongli has been waiting inside for some time."
Led by the manager, Lumine and Paimon followed behind Childe and soon arrived at a large private room.
Walking past the screen wall and the folding screen of the private room, the luxurious interior, which fit the stereotype of an expensive restaurant, appeared before them.
In the center of the room, behind an eight-immortal table laden with a banquet, a handsome man dressed in a modified Chinese-style suit was quietly sipping tea.
The man noticed them the moment Childe walked past the screen. He unhurriedly set down his teacup and waved his hand in a gesture of invitation.
Lumine and Paimon looked at each other; both had recognized that this person was the consultant Zhongli, mentioned by Orion.
And under Childe's introduction, both sides confirmed their identities.
Lumine and Paimon greeted Zhongli: "Hello, Mr. Zhongli, we have heard much about you."
Zhongli also responded politely: "You must be the Traveler from afar, Miss Lumine, and the guide, Paimon, right? A pleasure to meet you."
"Huh?" Childe was stunned. No, wait, you guys know each other? Then what was the point of me introducing you?
Zhongli noticed Childe's confusion and waved his hand to signal: "I have never met these two, but I have heard of them through some friends."
"Oh, oh, good, that's great, that actually makes things easier!" Childe laughed it off, then introduced to Lumine: "I don't know if you know that in addition to the Rite of Descension, there is actually a Rite of Descension in Liyue. And the WangSheng Funeral Parlor, where Mr. Zhongli works, is the professional department that handles the Rite of Descension."
At this point, Childe paused slightly and continued in a rather persuasive tone: "Although under the manipulation of the Tianquan Star, Ningguang, the immortal body of Rex Lapis has long been hidden by the Qixing, but..."
"But I have a way for you to see the immortal body of Rex Lapis." Zhongli took over the conversation: "Times change, the era of adepti rule in Liyue has gradually faded, and the era of human rule has arrived. Furthermore, with the passing of the God of contracts, the contract signed by the adepti and the Emperor to protect Liyue has also come to an end. However, whether it is an adeptus or a human, in the end, everyone is a part of Liyue. In the past, there have been instances of adepti passing away, and a Rite of Descension was always held in Liyue Harbor. But this time, the Geo Archon, the god of a nation and the ancestor of all adepti, has passed away, yet the entire Liyue Harbor, even the Qixing, has not mentioned this ancient tradition. The deceased should be treated with respect; it is truly lamentable. Therefore, WangSheng Funeral Parlor must step forward to give the deceased a dignified farewell. This is also the contract of WangSheng Funeral Parlor to all living beings in Liyue."
Childe nodded and followed up: "Exactly, and that, what was it called again?"
"Exuvia."
"Oh right, the Exuvia. The Geo Archon's Exuvia is, after all, the remains of the deceased. How could one hold a funeral without coming into contact with the remains? So, if you want to get in touch with the Geo Archon, following this Mr. Zhongli is the best way."
Zhongli also nodded: "I heard from Childe that you are also well-acquainted with the Anemo Archon in Mondstadt, which is why I venture to ask you to accompany me in preparing for the Rite of Descension."
Lumine and Paimon looked at each other. They didn't say much, but they had already accepted the proposal.
After the meal, the three of them left Liuli Pavilion, leaving behind Childe, who was still practicing how to use chopsticks.
They also took away a sum of startup capital provided by Childe.
As soon as they left Liuli Pavilion, Lumine whispered to Paimon: "The Fatui's intelligence network isn't that great, is it? They still think we are determined to find the Geo Archon."
Zhongli, who was to the side, had a few question marks appear over his head: "Since we are acquainted, I will not speak in riddles. I am well-acquainted with your travel companion and master, Orion, and I also learned from him that the purpose of your journey is to visit the seven nations' gods and find clues about your brother. But why are you not interested in the Geo Archon?"
Lumine shrugged: "When I first arrived, I was indeed curious about whether Morax was the god I was looking for. But for one, I've been in Liyue Harbor for over a month, and I even helped organize the Rite of Descension, so I have a pretty good idea of what kind of god He is. On the other hand, I've seen the statue of the seven in Liyue. Morax is a male god, right? The one who took my brother was a white-haired goddess. I can still tell the difference."
Zhongli:...
After weighing his words, Zhongli spoke: "I must remind you that in the long river of history, Rex Lapis has appeared in the world in countless different incarnations, many of which were different female appearances."
"That's still not right. I saw the Exuvia once, and I felt... the color scheme didn't look like it. Anyway, I don't think it's Him."
Lumine stuck to her own opinion.
Zhongli was puzzled: "Since you have no reason to look for Rex Lapis, and I see that you do not trust the Fatui, yet you have no ill will toward the Qixing, why are you going along with Childe's intentions?"
Lumine put her hands on her hips: "Because I can't just sit by and watch."
Zhongli was startled: "Oh?"
"I told my master about this. He told me to act according to my own thoughts. And my thought is 'to give the deceased a dignified funeral,' and if I can help Liyue, then I will help Liyue. I've been here for over a month, I've met a lot of people, and I've made quite a few local friends. Now that the Fatui wants to muddy the waters in Liyue, I don't see how I can stay out of it."
Lumine said these words as simply as if she were talking about eating.
In comparison, Zhongli was somewhat surprised.
As time passes, nowadays, unreasoned kindness becomes a reason for criticism, while reckless behavior can win applause. Yet this foreign visitor was able to say such things with such righteousness, which made him feel quite emotional.
"And besides," Lumine suddenly grinned: "My master said, I can do whatever I want. If something happens, he's got my back!"
Zhongli, with his hands behind his back, looked into the distance and laughed along.
"That is very reassuring."
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