Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [563]

"Heh, seems like I’ve been observing a little too passively this time."

Gu Sanqiu clenched his fists, flames and fierce winds swirling around the stone pillar, radiating an intense, weighty heat.

"Interesting. But does this mean… it’s finally my turn?"

He glanced at the hospital bed, then flicked a talisman into the air. A moment later, an identical "Gu Sanqiu" appeared, lying there as if still unconscious.

"Hmm… probably won’t fool them. It’s a bit too obvious."

Tilting his head slightly, he stretched out his right hand and made a pulling motion.

Three muffled thuds echoed in succession. The trio standing guard outside the door looked up, completely dumbfounded, as they met Gu Sanqiu’s grinning face.

"You’re awake?!"

Raimei’s eyes lit up. He stepped forward and gave Gu Sanqiu a friendly punch to the chest.

"Not bad, Sanqiu. Didn’t expect those adepti’s healing techniques to be this effective. Good to have you back."

"Ah, well, I wouldn’t say that effective."

Barely managed to suppress it in time. Otherwise, I’d have been out cold for even longer.

It’s still not the right moment.

Patience. Patience, Fragrance Bearer.

Gu Sanqiu chuckled. "I know what you’re about to ask, but I’m sorry to disappoint—I have no idea who knocked me out."

Even if I did know, it’s not like I’d dare say it.

"If I remember correctly, I was getting ready for battle."

He furrowed his brows, putting on a thoughtful expression. "I had just drawn my weapon… then everything went black."

"Knocked out in an instant… Whoever did this is ridiculously strong. Definitely not someone we can take lightly," Xingqiu mused.

"Given your usual approach, shouldn’t you be investigating from the shadows instead? Why bring us into this?"

"I just need you to keep guarding this place. That’s all. As for everything else—leave it to me. I do plan to stay hidden, but I need your cooperation."

Gu Sanqiu’s tone turned serious. "Just remember one thing: I’m still unconscious. Got it?"

The Wind and Thunder duo exchanged glances before nodding. "Don’t worry, we understand."

Xingqiu shrugged. "Of course. Honestly, with you still ‘unconscious,’ I have a perfect excuse to wander around. If I had to deal with responsibilities every day, I’d lose my mind."

"Don’t worry."

Gu Sanqiu flexed his fingers. "I’ll take care of everything soon enough."

---

Adventurers’ Guild – Guildmaster’s Office

Lady Lan sat at her desk, rubbing her temples, surrounded by towering stacks of paperwork.

"Why does the guildmaster have to deal with all this nonsense? Can’t we just dump everything on Katheryne?"

She sighed. "So much backlog, and now the Geo Archon’s gone… What a chaotic season."

"Indeed. Quite a chaotic season."

A calm voice rang through the office.

"It’s been a while, Lady Lan."

"Ah, it’s you, kid?"

Lan glanced at Gu Sanqiu, who was now seated across from her.

"The commission’s done, by the way. If you’re willing to handle all this paperwork for me, I might even let you off the hook for part of the payment."

"Sorry, but I find this stuff just as tedious as you do. So, no thanks."

Gu Sanqiu tapped the desk. "Did you find it?"

"Yeah, I did. Gotta say, though, your request was like looking for a needle in a haystack. If the pay wasn’t so generous, I wouldn’t have bothered."

Lan stood up and retrieved a locked box from a hidden compartment, handing it to him.

"All the intel you asked for is in there. With Liyue under lockdown, no one’s setting sail anytime soon, so it should be easy to track down your target."

"Not sure what you’re planning, but things can’t get much worse than they already are."

"Yeah. A real mess."

Gu Sanqiu glanced at her. "I’ll wire the remaining payment to the Adventurers’ Guild’s account at Liyue’s bank soon. Also, you know what to say, right?"

"This place is dead quiet most of the time. Even if someone does show up, I’ve never seen you before."

Lan waved dismissively. "Come on, anyone with half a brain could tell something’s off—an ‘unconscious’ Fragrance Bearer suddenly showing up at my office?"

"Heh. Didn’t expect you to care about such details."

"Of course I do. You’re one of my best clients. If you were actually unconscious, who would I collect my payment from?"

"Appreciate it."

Gu Sanqiu left the Adventurers’ Guild and unlocked the box, flipping through the stacks of documents inside.

"Hmm… This kind of information gathering is such a pain. Good thing Father’s good-looking—otherwise, this would’ve been really difficult."

A smirk crossed his lips as he scanned the target’s profile.

"Found you. Or is it just a coincidence?"

Liu Sanhu was an ordinary ship captain. When he wasn’t on long-distance trade routes, he sometimes took land-based transport jobs.

With Liyue Harbor under lockdown, he had enough savings to get by comfortably and didn’t have to worry about affording his next meal.

"Liu Sanhu, forty-five years old. Prefers mild honey liquor from Sumeru. No known gambling or other vices. Occasionally smokes when fatigued at sea."

Gu Sanqiu sat on a rooftop, calmly reading through Lan’s compiled intel.

"A bachelor. Spends most of his time at sea, so he’s kept in good shape. But given his age, he’s dropped from gold-tier bachelor status to silver—maybe even bronze. His appeal to younger women has declined."

What the hell?

Who wrote this report? I’m docking their pay.

"Seriously, this guy’s lived a completely ordinary, uneventful life."

He observed Captain Liu Sanhu, who was enjoying a quiet drink alone with some small dishes. His house was empty, but despite drinking alone, he didn’t seem particularly lonely.

Just an average guy—like any regular parent. His only remarkable trait is his self-discipline.

"But since those words came out of your mouth, your life is anything but ordinary now, Captain Liu."

Long ago, Gu Sanqiu had commissioned Lan with an expensive, highly complex, long-term task—finding this very man.

A simple search had turned into a drawn-out struggle due to the sheer lack of available information.

This was the same ship captain who, on an otherwise uneventful day, had casually told his crew: ‘Good work. You can rest now.’

At the time, his father had just so happened to be passing by.

And from that moment on, it was as if something had clicked within him.

He had suddenly understood.

That his work was nearly complete.

That the time had come to step back and allow humanity to move forward on its own.

Had Captain Liu Sanhu truly been acting of his own will?

Or had those words been uttered under some higher influence?

Was he connected to Celestia?

Gu Sanqiu wanted answers.

Had that single phrase been the final nudge that led to the old man’s decision?

Would Morax’s erosion have been less severe without it?

And if those words had never been spoken…

Would his father’s era have lasted just a little longer?

---

T/N: oops Sanqiu just let out what he truly thinks of Morax

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!