Mu Yang rubbed his eyes and sat up from the bed.
He had expected to feel sore or weak all over, but there was nothing.
"System, how long has it been?"
System: "One minute."
Damn. Even though he had experienced it node by node inside, centuries had passed for him. Yet outside, only a minute had gone by. No wonder his body showed no abnormalities—how could anything happen after just one minute of lying down?
This simulation still hadn't revealed anything about that God. It only covered Fujin and the other two. In the ga, there were almost no records about this God, so Mu Yang had no idea what was going on. He had hoped to et her during the simulation, but it ended before he could.
It seed he still needed more Character Popularity Points.
Because right now, things felt too strange.
Apart from the new mories added by the simulation, Mu Yang's recollection of what happened afterward was extrely hazy. Aside from Yaojun being struck down and him drawing his sword to charge at the God, everything else was a blank.
"What exactly happened after that?"
Generally, in Teyvat, mories and power were connected. Could it be that he had lost too much of his strength?
Mu Yang suppressed these thoughts.
He'd have to wait until he had enough Character Popularity Points for a second simulation to find out. For now, it was ti to prepare for Liyue's main storyline.
Mu Yang ordered a full table of dishes, thoroughly enjoying the delicacies of Wangshu Inn before setting off toward Liyue Harbor.
——————
anwhile, Lumine, after several days of odd jobs, had finally saved up enough for travel expenses—mostly Paimon's food bills. Along the way, she had also shared many adventures with the characters of Mondstadt.
At last, she arrived at Liyue Harbor.
Lumine gazed in awe at the vast harbor, bustling with people.
Millelith patrolled the streets.
Vendors' cries rose and fell in waves.
The haggling between shopkeepers and custors filled the air.
——————
Guinaifen's Livestream
After days of grinding daily quests and optimizing her Adventure Rank, she had finally reached the level needed to continue the main story.
Looking at the familiar streets and architecture, she exclaid:
"The vibes are just too perfect, folks!"
[Damn, strear's so dedicated she even calculated chest EXP. I'm crying.]
[Little Gui really went all out just to play the main story.]
[Wow, so this is Liyue?]
[As a die-hard Liyue patriot, the atmosphere's hitting hard.]
[The BGM—I can taste the nostalgia.]
When it ca to s, the chat never disappointed.
Guinaifen couldn't hold back.
"Pfft— 'Taste the nostalgia'? What the hell is that? Hahaha!"
——————
Paimon also seed a little dazed but quickly rembered her role as a guide.
"Ahem, this is Liyue!"
"If you want to find the Geo Archon, there's only one chance every year."
Lumine crossed her arms and stared at her.
"If Venti hadn't reminded us, we would've missed the 'Rite of Descension'!"
Paimon scratched her head sheepishly.
"Ehe… A guide can forget things sotis too, you know…"
Lumine asked, "Then do you at least know the exact ti and location?"
Paimon spread her hands.
"Well, since even the timing was sothing Venti told us… Of course I—don't know!"
"But now that we're in Liyue, we can just ask the locals!"
[This is a guide?]
[A 'guide' my ass.]
[You're actually unbelievable.]
[Humans shouldn't… no, just shouldn't.]
[Paimon, the utterly useless.]
[Literally just ergency food, huh?]
With her guide being this unreliable, Lumine had to rely on herself.
She headed into the city, planning to ask a few approachable-looking people.
'Liyue… I wonder if we'll run into Mu Yang here?'
'He's from Liyue, right? Though I think he ntioned so place called Chenyu Vale… No idea where that is.'
Paimon's voice snapped Lumine out of her thoughts—perhaps trying to prove she had so use.
"Oh, right! About the Geo Archon, 'Morax'…"
"Did you know? The 'Mora' we use is nad after him!"
"But if we foreigners call him that in Liyue, we'll be downgraded to 'rude outsiders'!"
This was the first ti Lumine had heard such a thing. After all, in Mondstadt, people casually referred to their god as the Anemo Archon or Barbatos.
She asked Paimon, "Then what should we call him?"
Paimon: "Just like the locals—'Rex Lapis' is the proper way!"
——————
Guinaifen took a loud sip of her milk tea.
"Rex Lapis? Sounds badass, don't you think?"
[Way cooler than 'Geo Archon'.]
[He makes Mora? So he's basically a walking mint?]
[What kind of rich god is this?! Gotta latch onto that golden thigh!]
[Except he's about to die in a bit.]
[Oh shit, I just rembered—is Mu Yang actually the one who kills him?]
"Even if he's the villain, I'm pulling for him, folks."
——————
Lumine admitted Paimon was at least slightly useful and morized the title 'Rex Lapis'.
She then approached two friendly-looking locals to ask about the 'Rite of Descension'.
A rchant-looking woman explained that every year on this day, Rex Lapis would deliver divine prophecies to guide Liyue's economic direction for the coming year. Last year, the one who invited the divine decree was the 'Yuheng' of the 'Liyue Qixing'.
"'Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing'?"
This was a new term for Lumine.
Paimon smugly crossed her arms.
"Hmph, this one I know!"
"Just like how Mondstadt is the city of 'Freedom', Liyue is the land of 'Contracts', where comrce and trade reign supre."
"The 'Liyue Qixing'—seven great rchants representing seven comrcial forces—are the ones who actually govern the nation!"
[So it's like the Knights of Favonius in Mondstadt.]
[Though in god-ruled nations, the real authority still lies with the Archon.]
[True. He only shows up once a year, but that's enough to guide Liyue for the entire year.]
[Wait… I've got a bad feeling. Are the Qixing planning a coup?]
[Now that you ntion it…]
[Are the Qixing the real masterminds?!]
The rchant corrected Paimon.
"That's how foreigners see it."
"The true ruler of Liyue will always be Rex Lapis."
"The Qixing are humans. Rex Lapis is a god."
"The God of Freedom may no longer be in Mondstadt, but our god is eternal."
[Damn, this girl shut that down fast.]
[So you're the one jinxing it?]
[Rex Lapis: Why do I feel a chill down my spine?]
Afterward, Lumine asked a few more people along the way before finally learning the location of the Rite of Descension—Yujing Terrace, the highest point of the harbor. All she had to do was keep climbing upward.
Following the crowd, Lumine ascended until she reached Yujing Terrace.
She noticed soone lighting incense.
Paimon explained that it was a ritual—making a wish during the Rite of Descension was said to be especially auspicious.
Lumine walked to a less crowded incense burner, where a woman had just finished making her wish.
Noticing Lumine's foreign attire, the woman chuckled.
"Here to soak up so divine blessings too?"
"Haha, you've got the right idea, girl!"
"If you make a wish today, Rex Lapis and the adepti will surely watch over you."
Hearing this, Lumine mimicked her actions, lighting three sticks of incense and making her own wishes.
"I hope I can find my brother soon…"
"I hope the Geo Archon can give a lead…"
After her wishes, the crowd around her grew quieter.
The Rite of Descension was about to begin.
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