Episode 174.3: "It's you! Yangu!"
『 Paimon listened, feeling puzzled. She thought, Aren't there plenty of Glaze Lilies over at Yujing Terrace? Even Madame Ping should have quite a few stored away. If worst comes to worst, we could always search Qingce Village nearby. Why do we have to come all the way to Dihua Marsh?
Zhongli seemed to read Paimon's mind and explained, "Most of the Glaze Lilies elsewhere are artificially cultivated, which makes them unsuitable for formal ceremonies. To perform the Rite of Parting, only wild ones will do."
The problem was that wild Glaze Lilies were almost extinct, with Dihua Marsh being the only place that still held a glimmer of hope.
The powdered wild Glaze Lilies, sprinkled into the censer of the Everlasting Incense, were the most authentic way to conduct the Rite of Parting.
But to pick this flower, they would need Lumine's help.
Lumine, upon learning that Glaze Lilies favored beautiful melodies, immediately understood Zhongli's intention.
Paimon, also privy to the information, turned to Lumine with an inquiring look, curious about the magic of her singing.
As a well-traveled adventurer, Lumine confidently gave a thumbs-up, proudly declaring:
"Singing? Piece of cake, I'm super good at it!"
...('I'm super good at it!!)...
Even though Paimon secretly had reservations about Lumine's singing voice, after all, Lumine hadn't sung once during their previous travels.
But now, they could only bite the bullet and go for it.
Look at these three; not one of them could hum a tune.
Zhongli? Just by looking at him, you could tell he had no musical talent.
As for Paimon herself, she was a master of off-key singing.
It seemed that letting Lumine try wouldn't hurt; it was their last desperate attempt.
So, the trio leisurely searched along the riverbank of Dihua Marsh and soon discovered a Glaze Lily.
After an appraisal by the omniscient Zhongli, it was indeed a wild Glaze Lily.
With the target confirmed, Lumine slowly walked towards the wild Glaze Lily and stood still.
She lightly coughed, then began to sing clearly: "Da... dadada.. dadada.. dadada.... da."
Paimon listened intently, and the more she listened, the more something felt off. This melody, why was it so familiar?
It wasn't until the song was almost over that Paimon suddenly realized—wasn't this the song of Mondstadt's Deaconess Barbara?
Unexpectedly, Lumine sang it with quite a bit of charm.』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Barbara (Genshin Impact): "Dadadadadadadadada!" ]
[ Alber (Genshin Impact)t: "Barbara Barbara Barbara!" ]
[ Albert (Genshin Impact): "Go Barbara go!" ]
[ Barbara (Genshin Impact): "(Shy) ...." ]
[ .....]
『 Just as everyone thought they could successfully pick the flower with this song, something unexpected happened.
As Lumine's last note faded, the wild Glaze Lily, which should have bloomed quietly, suddenly changed. Its entire plant shot up from the soil.
Paimon, witnessing this scene, her first reaction was: Did Lumine's Mondstadt song encounter a "cultural difference" here in Liyue, leading to this misunderstanding?
But Zhongli instantly saw through the true identities of these uninvited guests.
It turned out they weren't the wild Glaze Lilies they thought they were, but rather mischievous Whopperflowers disguised as lilies.
A real Glaze Lily, no matter how displeased with the song, would never suddenly jump up and attack people.
Since they weren't the target and attacked first,
Lumine naturally didn't need to show any mercy to these guys and took them all down in a few moves.
Afterward, when Zhongli examined these creatures, he found that although they were fake Whopperflowers, due to their age, they unexpectedly contained some usable medicinal components. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Baizhu (Genshin Impact): "Traveler, if you harvest more in the future, you can sell them to Bubu Pharmacy; we'll buy them." ]
[ Lumine (Genshin Impact): "Okay." ]
[ .....]
『 And when Paimon asked if they could be used for the Rite of Parting, Zhongli decisively shook his head and refused.
Just as they were talking, a voice interrupted their conversation: "Excuse me, are you looking for Glaze Lilies?"』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "Is Ganyu taking a nap again?" ]
[ Ganyu (Genshin Impact): "I don't know...." ]
[ .....]
『 Turning around, a familiar figure made Lumine exclaim: "It's you! Yangu!"
"'Yangu'? Wh—Who's that?" Ganyu was still confused about who Yangu was, then immediately realized Lumine was talking about her. "Ganyu and Yangu, you didn't even get a single word right!"』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Cloud Retainer (Genshin Impact): "So it turns out this Traveler didn't remember anyone's name." ]
[ Lumine (Genshin Impact): "Hehe!" ]
[ Lumine (Genshin Impact): "But you can't blame me entirely, I've only seen her once." ]
[ Lumine (Genshin Impact): "And she walked so fast!" ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Little Paimon didn't remember either~" ]
[ Albedo (Overlord): "Hehehe," ]
[ .....]
『 Ganyu then curiously asked them about their journey to the Jade Chamber.
Paimon immediately flared up: "It's all your fault for not telling us how to get up there! We had such a hard time finding the way!"
"Eh? Did I not explain clearly?" Ganyu looked at everyone in surprise.
Paimon emphasized again seriously: "Yes, we found out by ourselves!"』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Ganyu (Genshin Impact): "Oh dear, I just remembered, I caused everyone so much trouble, I'm so sorry." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "It's okay, it's okay, anyway, none of that had time to become real yet." ]
[ Cloud Retainer (Genshin Impact): "This child, Ganyu, her disposition hasn't changed after all these years." ]
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "After all, the god left, it's only natural to be a little sad, right?" ]
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "If Onii-chan left me, I would be very sad too." ]
[ Taihei Doma (Himouto): "You truly are my good little sister." ]
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "Hehehe." ]
[ .....]
『 Lumine, seeing the situation, gave Ganyu an out: "Maybe you didn't think it was a secret, so you didn't mention it? Next time we'll ask more questions to avoid taking detours."
She saw that Ganyu's expression was off, so she didn't press the "Yangu" matter further, to avoid awkwardness.
Ganyu, seeing an opening, quickly took it: "Yes, yes, that's right."
(Ganyu's inner thoughts: Oh no, I actually forgot to remind them about this...)
During their conversation, a complex emotion flickered across Ganyu's face, as if she was struggling internally, with a hint of subtle unease.
Paimon keenly noticed the subtle change in Ganyu's complexion; she looked a bit more tired than usual.
"You look a bit off. Are you feeling unwell?"
Paimon asked with concern, secretly wondering, There are so many good places to admire flowers in Liyue Harbor, why come all the way to such a remote place?
To Paimon's confusion, Ganyu gently explained: "I used to be the emissary of the Tianquan, but now I am just a silent bystander admiring flowers."
"Admiring flowers? There are many excellent spots in Liyue City. Why come all the way out here?"
Paimon became even more puzzled. The road from Liyue Harbor to Dihua Marsh was not short. If it weren't for Zhongli's request, she probably wouldn't have willingly undertaken such a distant journey.
Even flying would be quite taxing.
Ganyu sighed softly at the words, a hint of sadness in her expression: "Because at Yujing Terrace, that is where the Rex Lapis departed. Every flower blooming there makes me feel especially lonely. Recently, when handling official duties, I always subconsciously close the windows, not daring to look directly at the scenery outside, fearing that the view would stir up old emotions."
Paimon saw Ganyu's mood drop further and couldn't help but blame herself: "Oh dear, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have brought up that topic."
She had not expected that Rex Lapis's departure would have such a profound impact on Ganyu. Even with the passage of time, that sadness still surfaced inadvertently, making her heart ache so much that she had to distance herself from that painful place, even to enjoy beautiful scenery.
Feeling Paimon's concern, Ganyu quickly comforted her: "Don't be like that, it's just that I haven't fully moved on from those emotions myself."
A flicker of reminiscence passed through her eyes, "When the Archon War came to its end two thousand years ago, the first iteration of The Seven would gather in Liyue and drink with Rex Lapis. That scene is still vivid in my memory," Ganyu's voice gradually deepened, "But five of those original seven had already passed before Rex Lapis — it's truly a changing of the guard."
Lumine listened silently by her side, seemingly realizing something, "So..."
Of the original Seven Archons, five had already departed.
Mondstadt's Barbatos, everything seemed to connect. In the long river of history, too many unknown stories were hidden.
However, Ganyu quickly realized that this question was a secret for mortals, so she elaborated meticulously: "You are not wrong. Since the Archon has now returned to the heavens, then of the original Seven Archons, only Barbatos of Mondstadt remains in the mortal world."
"The other five, including Inazuma's Raiden Shogun, are no longer the same friends from two thousand years ago."
"Of the current Seven Archons, the youngest is Sumeru's God of Dendro. She is merely five hundred years old, whereas Rex Lapis was more than six thousand years old at the time of his passing."
"This means that Liyue had been under Rex Lapis' rule from the moment it was first founded 3,700 years ago. The city has never had to bid farewell to its deity...."』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail): "A god who ruled for three thousand seven hundred years, yes, it's understandable that anyone would be extremely sad for a while." ]
[ Jing Yuan (Honkai: Star Rail): "Lived for over six thousand years, guarded the nation for three thousand seven hundred years. As a god, he is truly great." ]
[ Zhongli (Genshin Impact): "By universal common sense, what is said is true." ]
(Zhongli mumbled to himself: Why is it so hard to retire?)
[ .....]
『 Just as the conversation reached this point, Zhongli, as the organizer of the Rite of Parting, was driven by curiosity to ask Ganyu: "Miss Ganyu, what are your unique insights regarding this Archon's farewell?"
This sudden question made Ganyu slightly flustered: "Oh, with you asking like that, I'm a bit..."
"As a human, I truly cannot imagine what Liyue will become without the Rex Lapis."
"But as an adeptus, I think this day was bound to come, and I will learn to accept it."
"Since Rex Lapis has departed, the era of contracts between adepti and Liyue should, in essence, also come to an end."
Whether from a human perspective or an adeptus's standpoint, Ganyu was deeply perplexed.
Perhaps Ganyu never thought that if she hadn't worked overtime until late into the night, day after day, things might have been different.
Meanwhile, Paimon, who was oblivious, caught the key point from another angle: "Wait, you said you're an adeptus?"
As Paimon wondered, Ganyu placed her hand on her chest and calmly explained: "Yes, I... I am a mix of human and Qilin. Adeptus blood flows through my veins. I fought for Rex Lapis and the city of Liyue during the Archon War."
"After the war ended, I signed a contract with Rex Lapis and took the position of secretary for the Qixing. I've continued those duties to this very day." Ganyu's calm narration revealed startling news. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Wait, you said you're an adeptus? Really?" ]
[ Ganyu (Genshin Impact): "Hmm, is there a problem?" ]
[ Ganyu (Genshin Impact): "Is it unusual for me to be an adeptus?" ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "But you've always been the secretary of the Qixing, how can you be an adeptus?" ]
[ Ganyu (Genshin Impact): "I am the secretary of all generations of the Qixing, not just the current one. My identity is far more ancient than you imagine." ]
[ Uncle Tian (Genshin Impact): "That's right, since I was young, Sister Ganyu has been helping us. Alas, time flies, we have all grown old, yet Sister Ganyu remains as graceful and beautiful as ever." ]
[ Ganyu (Genshin Impact): "These are all my duties." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "So many adepti, no wonder Liyue is so peaceful and harmonious." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "I originally thought that adepti were just a few legendary figures..." ]
[ Amber (Genshin Impact): "The situation in Liyue, we used to envy it so much." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Exactly, if it weren't for your slacker god, this wouldn't have happened." ]
[ Venti (Genshin Impact): "Ehe." ]
[ .....]
『 After listening to this explanation, Lumine seemed to have an epiphany.
"Oh, I see, no wonder you have such a unique horn on your head."
"Hehe, let's change the subject. By the way, are you here to look for wild Glaze Lilies?" Ganyu looked a little awkward and quickly steered the conversation away.
"Coincidentally, I happen to know the location of a Glaze Lily, and I picked one along the way. If you don't mind, I'll give it to you."
Since there was one readily available, Zhongli naturally accepted the kind offer and carefully put away the Glaze Lily Ganyu handed him. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Great! I thought we'd have to search longer." ]
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "Thank you, Miss Ganyu." ]
[ Ganyu (Genshin Impact): "No, this is a future matter, unrelated to me now." ]
[ .....]
『 At this moment, Paimon seemed to suddenly remember something, her eyes lighting up as she curiously asked, "Miss Ganyu, do you usually sing?"
Ganyu smiled and nodded, indicating that she indeed enjoyed singing and was quite good at traditional Liyue folk songs.
Paimon immediately looked at her with admiration, praising Ganyu's versatility. And when everyone thanked Ganyu, she, in turn, expressed her gratitude first.
In her opinion, being able to contribute to the Rite of Parting was already a great honor.
After a brief exchange, Ganyu bid farewell to the group and hurried back to work to continue her overtime.
Despite the many twists and turns along the way, the preparations for the Rite of Parting were finally successfully concluded.
Next, they just needed to process this precious Glaze Lily slightly, and everything would be complete.
—Returning—
As they arrived at the entrance of Liyue, they immediately noticed an unusual atmosphere in the air.
At the gate, the Millelith soldiers were stopping a group of Fatui soldiers, questioning them sternly. This scene made everyone involuntarily feel that something big was about to happen.
With curiosity and caution, they decided to go forward and investigate.
A Fatui soldier who was being interrogated, seeing Zhongli and the others approach, straightforwardly revealed the current situation.
It turned out that all Fatui members in Liyue Harbor were under strict surveillance by the Millelith.
As a friend of the Fatui, Zhongli himself also needed to be careful.
There were even rumors that the adepti from Jueyun Karst had descended upon Liyue Harbor, and the Qixing personally came out to greet them.
But the Fatui privately speculated that this might be because the Qixing didn't want the adepti to enter the city, and the superficial harmony between the two sides actually concealed underlying tensions. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Paimon (Genshin Impact): "The adepti have arrived, it seems results will be out soon." ]
[ Xingqiu (Genshin Impact): "Let's wait and see who murdered Rex Lapis." ]
[ Tartaglia (Genshin Impact): "I have a bad feeling." ]
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "It wouldn't actually be you, Fatui, right?" ]
[ .....]
『 Zhongli calmly stated that all of this was within his expectations.
The Fatui soldier then revealed that because of this, Ningguang had ordered the Millelith to strengthen their surveillance of the Fatui.
As Childe's partner, Zhongli's stance also represented the Fatui to some extent, so he himself needed to be extra careful.
During their conversation, the soldier dropped another shocking piece of news:
The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was also unfortunately caught in the turmoil and was currently confronting the arriving officials. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "What does this have to do with this Director?" ]
[ Hu Tao (Genshin Impact): "Our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is not that easy to bully!" ]
[ Ningguang (Genshin Impact): "It might be a misunderstanding." ]
[ .....]
『 Upon hearing that his own establishment was in trouble, Zhongli was anxious and eager to rush back to handle it.
It wasn't that he feared any secrets of his household being exposed, but rather that he worried the hot-tempered Director might get into danger.
It might not matter to him, but that little girl had already taken a place in his heart. 』
『 .....』