Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [576]

"Aether, what do you say? Are you coming back with me?"

Gu Sanqiu had his hands tucked into his pockets, the power of the fierce wind slowly gathering beneath him.

"You’re safe here. Or rather, as long as that piece of amber remains sealed, you’re absolutely safe. But if you return to Liyue Harbor, you’ll probably have to come with me to the battlefield and grind some experience."

Aether was deep in thought. When it came down to it, the affairs of Liyue Harbor weren’t really his business. The only reasons he had gotten so involved were, first, because of his friends—and second, for a kindness even he hadn’t realized was within him.

"Sanqiu, why did Tartaglia go out of his way to involve me in all of this?"

Aether asked, puzzled. "During the Rite of Parting, it was just him and Mister Zhongli who needed to handle things. Why did he insist on making me take responsibility for part of it too?"

"Because you’re important."

Gu Sanqiu answered bluntly. "He probably values your abilities. As for which ability exactly? I wouldn’t know."

"Remember this—once we leave the Golden House, don’t say a word about what happened in there. I won’t admit to saying anything to you inside either."

"We discovered the Fatui Harbingers’ scheme. The Millelith set up an ambush in advance. A traveler from a distant land arrived as backup just in time, successfully thwarting Tartaglia’s ill intentions toward the Rite of Resurrecting the Adeptus."

"That’s the official story. Got it? Memorize every word. Even if my dear uncle, the one in charge of Mondstadt, asks about it, just stick to that version."

Gu Sanqiu curled his lips into a smirk. "Not that it would matter—if he really wants to know, he’ll find out one way or another."

"Why?"

Aether was even more confused. "I didn’t actually do anything, so why am I being included in the official explanation?"

"You didn’t do nothing—when I was unconscious, weren’t you the one helping out? My friends all think highly of you."

Gu Sanqiu patted the blond traveler’s shoulder. "This world is complicated. To certain people, your identity matters. What exactly they want from you, I have no idea."

"But the moment I laid eyes on your sister, I decided I wanted to be your brother-in-law."

?!

Aether stared at Gu Sanqiu in shock. "You’re serious?"

Sanqiu as my brother-in-law?

No way, no way—I haven’t even met my sister yet! I can’t just agree to something like that!

"Obviously, I was joking."

Gu Sanqiu shook his head. "That person—who might be your sister—came out alongside the Abyss Order. That means if you want to get involved in their affairs, you need to have the strength to do so."

"Before you even get to that point, you have to travel across the seven nations of Teyvat. You need experience, connections, and—most importantly—people who will stand by your side when it truly matters."

Gu Sanqiu smiled. "I call myself a free-spirited wanderer, but I still have things I need to do. I can’t just follow you around everywhere like little Paimon."

"The future is something you’ll have to face yourselves. As your friends, the most we can do is try to minimize the difficulties along your path."

Simply put, Gu Sanqiu wanted to maintain the official version of events while also conveniently boosting the reputation of his blond-haired companion.

Mondstadt’s reputation was already well-established, but Liyue… that was another story.

After all, he hadn’t even unlocked that part of the map yet (crossed out).

Though his treatment of Aether might seem like he was raising a support character for future use, he still sincerely hoped Aether could reunite with his sister as soon as possible.

High Emotional Intelligence: Gain the loyalty of a valuable asset.
 Low Emotional Intelligence: He’s being overly sentimental again.

"Alright, I’ll go with you."

Aether made up his mind. "I can’t just sit back and take credit without putting in the effort. I’ll return to Liyue Harbor with you."

"Very good. My dear brother-in-law is truly brave."

Aether’s expression instantly turned bitter. "Wait—Sanqiu, are you seriously into my sister?"

He was starting to strongly suspect that Sanqiu’s real reason for helping him wasn’t friendship, but an interest in his sister.

"I already told you, at most, she’s just a possible candidate. I was just joking."

A fierce wind wrapped around the three of them as they soared into the sky, heading toward Liyue Harbor—leaving behind a speechless, emotionally shattered Harbinger lying amidst a pile of Mora in silent despair.

Within Gu Sanqiu’s body, the Seed of the Fierce Wind pulsed violently. A new surge of power was emerging from what could now truly be called a Throne Seed.

"Sanqiu, when we get back to Liyue Harbor, are we really going to face a god?"

Paimon was worried. "A god, you know? That must be really powerful. Can we actually defeat them?"

"It’s not about defeating—it’s about fighting."

Gu Sanqiu corrected her. "The ‘Sigil of Permission’ at most allows for a temporary breach in the seal. That gap won’t last forever."

"As long as we hold out until the Sigil’s effect expires, the god that was released will be sealed away once more."

A god couldn’t be killed. That fact was truly disgusting.

"Then why don’t you just find the Sigil and cut off its connection to the seal?"

Gu Sanqiu shook his head. "I thought about that too. But unfortunately, the person who designed this whole plan wouldn’t give me that kind of opportunity."

The Doctor once said, ‘Failures never overcome obstacles.’

At that moment, Sanqiu understood—the mastermind behind this plan had changed.

If Childe had put on an exaggerated performance in the Golden House, dramatically unsealing Osial like a stage actor, then sure—Gu Sanqiu could’ve taken him down in one move and completely wrecked the Fatui’s plans.

But Liyue was his foundation. The number of times this butterfly had flapped its wings was too many to count—change was inevitable.

Dottore wasn’t a fool. And in this rushed situation, Sanqiu wasn’t confident he could fully grasp the mad scientist’s thought process.

If he clung to the idea of cutting off the problem at its root, he might actually make things worse in the end.

If this were just a casual gathering of friends, he wouldn’t mind gambling a little—maybe a round of ‘loser drinks the spiciest hotpot broth’ or something.

But not now. This was different.

"Sanqiu, you wasted so much time in the Golden House. Isn’t it too late to rush back now?"

Aether asked, confused. "If you’re really worried, shouldn’t we be speeding back as fast as possible?"

"I already told you—Rex Lapis leads all of Liyue, not just the Gu Clan. Even if my entire family perished, Liyue would still endure."

From what he had gathered so far, his family’s issues likely involved some deeper, more mysterious forces. But the fact remained—

The world wouldn’t stop turning just because a few people, or even an entire generation, disappeared.

"If I put myself in the villains’ shoes, Liyue is a tough bone to chew. Not so easy to take down."

"Climbing cliffs to gather herbs, mining deep underground—these traditions have existed since ancient times. And that’s not even mentioning the influence of the adepti."

Gu Sanqiu’s tone was lighthearted. "Liyue has always been a nation of warriors. Maybe not as fanatical about combat as Natlan, but still."

So, was he truly not worried about what was happening in Liyue Harbor?

Bullshit. Someone as sentimental as him? Of course, he was worried to death.

But he had to endure.

Liyue could forge a new era of glory with mortal hands.

An age of humanity—full of limitless possibilities.

---

T/N: woahh brother in law...

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!