Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [628]

Gu Sanqiu was racing to the scene, but even though Aether wasn’t in immediate danger, things were far from good.

“What do we do, what do we do? Let’s head toward somewhere with people—maybe someone can help us!”

Paimon, nearly frantic, tugged at Aether’s hair. “If those people are cultivators, maybe they can get in touch with Liyue Harbor for help. That’s way better than just running around blindly!”

“There aren’t any adepti abodes nearby, but a cultivator’s gathering spot is still our best bet for reinforcements.”

“No. I can’t lead danger to anyone else.”

Though wounded, Aether grit his teeth and didn’t slow down, still heading toward the more remote wilderness.

“But that just puts us in even more danger!”

Tears gathered in Paimon’s eyes. “And your injury—if you don’t get treatment soon, it’s only going to get worse. You really can’t keep this up!”

Aether suddenly froze for a second. “You’re right. I really can’t keep this up.”

“We’ll split up. They’re after me, not you. If you get away, follow the route we took and find help. If you run into Sanqiu or Lord Zhongli, I’ll be saved for sure!”

“Trust me, Paimon!”

“Where do you think you’re going?!”

The cultists came chasing after them, shouting in rage. Each of them was battered and bleeding from talismans Gu Sanqiu had given Aether for fighting strong enemies.

“Obviously, I’m heading this way.”

A cold, somber voice rang out. All the cultists froze, staring up just in time to see a massive demon-subduing staff come crashing down from the sky, smashing into every last one of them.

Gu Sanqiu landed lightly, blue light at his feet. Even he was feeling a little winded from pushing his speed so hard, so he’d hit a bit harder than intended—both Aether and Paimon had been sent tumbling by the aftershock.

“Sanqiu! Quick, check on Aether’s injuries!”

“You make it sound like he’s dying.”

Gu Sanqiu reached out, channeling elemental energy to stabilize Aether’s condition. “How did you end up this badly hurt? Didn’t I give you a whole bunch of supplies? There should’ve been healing items in there.”

“This is after using them.”

Aether coughed up two mouthfuls of dark blood. “It’s better now. But how did you know we were here?”

“I got a message from one of the big shots, telling me to hurry over and put out a fire. If you weren’t the wrong age and gender, I’d seriously wonder if you were my long-lost brother.”

Gu Sanqiu gave Aether’s shoulder a pat. “You sure you’re not my dad’s and Venti’s secret kid? Every time you’re in trouble, I get called in for emergency rescue.”

“Pretty sure that’s not the case. But shouldn’t you be more concerned about the ones you just took out?”

Aether’s tone turned wary. “You didn’t… kill them, did you?”

“I don’t kill so casually—they’re just sealed by the demon-subduing staff. What do you take me for, someone who leaves loose ends everywhere?”

Gu Sanqiu strolled over and yanked one of the cultists out from under the massive staff.

“You lot are under suspicion for violent kidnapping, so what’s the point in talking? Aether, you want to take a little revenge yourself?”

Aether shook his head, then quickly added, “Sanqiu, those guys had some weird pendants—they kept giving off a strange energy, probably to alert their allies.”

“Weird pendants?”

Gu Sanqiu knocked out the cultist with a punch, then turned him over and inspected him until he found the item in question.

But as soon as he took the pendant off, a sharp warning blared in his mind.

“Get down!”

He threw the pendant away, and a Geo shield formed a dome over all three of them.

BOOM!

A bolt of golden lightning crashed down from the sky, vaporizing the pendant and the cultist into nothing but black smoke.

“Holy crap.”

Gu Sanqiu sucked in a sharp breath. “You sure that was just a communication tool?”

“I… think so?”

Aether, having seen it himself, wasn’t so certain anymore. “All I know is, when I first saw them, the pendant was already active. I have no clue what else it could do.”

“Interesting. Don’t tell me it’s some kind of artifact set.”

Now that he’d seen the power of that golden lightning, Gu Sanqiu glanced at the remaining cultists.

Well, might as well test the theory again. He doubted he was wrong.

CRACK!

Another bolt of lightning crashed down, smoke billowing. Gu Sanqiu frowned at his own nearly shattered Geo shield.

He’d only gotten a little closer, but even so, that kind of lightning didn’t damage the terrain or vegetation at all. That was terrifying.

Still, it proved his guess.

“So, do you have any questions—like where your sister might be, or anything? If not, I’m about to finish cleaning up.”

Aether looked tempted, but shook his head.

“If what you told me before wasn’t a lie, they won’t tell me where my sister is.”

“Hah, I never lie. Honesty and reliability are what make me the ideal incense-bearer.”

Gu Sanqiu grinned and waved his hand. “In that case, let’s have these imposters say goodbye to the surface world.”

With a flash of lightning, the rest of the cultists vanished—leaving not a single trace behind.

Just then, a streak of golden light fell from the sky, sank into Gu Sanqiu’s body, and entered his mind, reinforcing the seal against the black will inside him.

What?

Working for the big boss in the sky actually comes with perks like this?

Gu Sanqiu was genuinely surprised. If that’s how it is, it explains why they wanted him here to solve the problem himself.

Zhongli must have set this up for him—a father’s love, never openly spoken, but always there when it counts.

“But still, the old man’s not picky about methods, is he? He nearly killed me the last time we talked.”

Then again, that’s just how the Heavenly Principles operate: detached, orderly, ruthless when needed. You could call it the ultimate ruler’s mindset.

Interesting. If you want to put it simply, it’s like having the heart of a true emperor—cold, precise, always in control.

“Well, well, I was wondering who messed up our plans. Turns out it’s Liyue’s little prince.”

Gu Sanqiu snapped to attention, turning to glare at the monster that had appeared across from them.

He hadn’t even noticed how this thing got so close. That was dangerous.

“Heh. Last time, at the clash over the Resonant Gold Bell, you cleaned up the bodies afterward. Looks like you learned a thing or two, or you wouldn’t be walking so openly on the surface now.”

“My, as expected of Liyue’s prince. You remember exactly what we did back then.”

The monster smiled, surprisingly elegant. “It’s a pity, really. Those are rare consumables—once you use one, there’s one less in the world.”

Spear in hand, avatar floating, shield ready.

Gu Sanqiu narrowed his eyes. “So, you here to collect a debt from me?”

“No, no, Your Highness. We agreed long ago—we shouldn’t be enemies.”

The monster glanced at Aether. “Actually, we just wanted this young man’s help. If not for Dain stepping in, and now Your Highness showing up, things would have gone as planned.”

“Dainsleif?”

Gu Sanqiu looked back at Aether, who nodded repeatedly.

“That’s right. A guy with a sword suddenly showed up and broke through the encirclement. If not for him, I wouldn’t have made it out.”

Figures the Abyss cultists wouldn’t be so careless—it was a big shot after all. Dain really is a master at messing up their plans.

By the way, the protagonist aura is the real deal. If Dain hadn’t shown up, there’s no way Aether would’ve held out until I arrived.

“Heh, so you’re telling me that to ask a favor, your way is to beat someone half to death and carry them off? Good to know.”

A mocking laugh came from the side—Xiaohei had appeared out of nowhere, making Gu Sanqiu feel a bit hurt. Why did all these people move so silently?

“Oh, it’s you. I thought you were still hiding in a cave somewhere, barely hanging on.”

“Heh, enough small talk. How about doing me a favor too?”

Xiaohei drew a vicious-looking halberd. Gu Sanqiu’s eyes locked on the weapon at once.

Unlike his family’s heirlooms—was this guy really unrelated to his clan?

“No need. There’s still plenty of time before dawn. We’ll see plenty of each other.”

The monster melted into a spatial rift. “Your Highness, old rival, one last piece of advice: the young man you’re protecting isn’t nearly as simple as you think.”

“Us, you, them—friend or foe in the future? Who can say?”

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This is a fan translation of 原神之璃月奉香人 by 淡白蛋清. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!