Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [565]

"In any case, since I no longer have my strength and am just an ordinary person now, I’m afraid you’re going to be quite busy."

Zhongli spoke with perfect composure.

"Xiao has seen you now as well. I imagine he’s also pondering the question you just raised—whether anyone else might have faked their death and survived."

"No one."

"I know you suspect the most likely candidate is the Little God, but ironically, he’s the least likely. None of the other families have your clan’s knack for survival either."

"Oh, right. My family does cling to life like a damn tortoise."

The black-robed man tilted his head, deep in thought—until something suddenly struck him.

"Wait. Why doesn’t my own elder carry that same aura? That’s not normal!"

He turned to Zhongli with a sharp glare.

"Old man, why doesn’t he bear any traces of longevity cultivation?"

"Back in the day, my clan’s longevity arts were impressive enough for even you to acknowledge them. So why doesn’t Gu Sanqiu have a single trace of training?"

"What happened to The Supreme Art of Eternal Life?"

Zhongli shook his head. "Lost."

"...What?"

The black-robed man was stunned.

"That’s like telling me you accidentally misplaced Liyue Harbor! How do you lose something like that?!"

"I don’t know. This is just like what we were discussing earlier—I truly have no recollection."

Zhongli’s tone was calm, but firm.

"All I know is that the last person to study the longevity arts was Shaochong. After he disappeared, your clan’s technique mysteriously vanished along with him."

The black-robed man mulled over the information. Then something clicked.

Wait a minute.

So no one faked their death…

But what about those who simply disappeared?

Disappearing isn’t the same as dying, after all.

By that logic… Shaochong should still be alive?!

Damn it, old man! And you say you don’t know anything? Who the hell would believe that?!

"Sure, sure. You don’t know a thing. You’re just a powerless old man who doesn’t even carry money when he goes out."

The black-robed man exhaled sharply, his soul burning with frustration.

"I swear, why don’t you just come clean to him already? At least then you’d have someone around who knows your identity and can cover your tabs."

"My clan’s got plenty of savings. But if you never reveal yourself, do you expect to just keep spending our money? Pretty sure that wouldn’t fly."

"Soon. After this, I should be able to tell him the truth."

Zhongli’s tone was as steady as ever.

"And to correct you—I am currently a consultant for Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Given your clan’s relationship with the Hu family, you should know I’m not exactly lacking in funds."

His logic was sound, yet something about it felt… off.

"Besides, that brat who wants my Gnosis has been covering my expenses lately. I suspect his research on The SIgil Of Permission is nearing completion."

The black-robed man sighed. "So in the end, you’re still spending our money."

"No," Zhongli replied. "He’ll likely continue tagging along with me for various reasons. He’s already realized that with me and Hu Tao present, little Sanqiu tends to restrain himself. At the very least, he behaves like a normal person in our presence."

"Taking everything into account, while I never carry Mora, I am never short on money."

The black-robed man groaned. "What if he finds out who you really are? Isn’t mooching off a junior like this embarrassing?"

Zhongli remained utterly composed.

"No problem. Consider it payment for assisting him with his research. And, in a way, it’s a small compensation for Liyue in advance."

"I have a clear conscience."

What the hell.

The black-robed man was done.

He was convinced now—this old man always pulled out some absurd, roundabout reasoning to justify his shameless behavior.

He’s just taking advantage of the fact that I’m not the smartest!

No wonder that bastard Old Sage loved chatting with me!

But no matter how ridiculous Zhongli’s logic was, the black-robed man couldn’t find a way to argue against it.

---

Completely unaware that he was being manipulated by sheer seniority, Gu Sanqiu went to Liyue’s bank to settle the final payment on his commission.

After all, this was the Nation of Contracts—not paying simply because he didn’t uncover any leads would be dishonorable.

He hadn’t suspected Liu Sanhu of being tied to the Abyss.

From past encounters, it was clear that while regular Hilichurls and Abyss Mages roamed freely, those humanoid monstrosities had some sort of restriction on appearing above ground.

If not for certain special circumstances, those Apostles and Heralds wouldn’t be able to walk the surface so brazenly. They were like fugitives, constantly finding ways to evade surveillance.

And against the omniscience of the Heavenly Principles… no matter how well they concealed themselves, they were as good as exposed.

As for the Adventurers’ Guild’s Liyue branch master, Lady Lan—she was an interesting figure in her own right.

Her hands-off approach to management wasn’t due to laziness. She was nothing like certain slacker-types.

Though she was wholly dedicated to her quest for the Hidden Edge Sword, she was still a capable adventurer—so much so that Yuehai Pavilion had tried recruiting her several times.

Her journey as an adventurer reflected a single truth:

Hard work will always yield results.

Even if the outcome wasn’t what one originally sought, every step forward was a step closer to something worthwhile.

Lady Lan had spent years searching for the Hidden Edge Sword, taking on every commission remotely related to swords. Then, one day—without realizing how—it all paid off.

The headquarters in Snezhnaya sent a notice.

Having completed two high-difficulty S-rank commissions and boasting a flawless track record, Lady Lan was suddenly promoted from a renowned adventurer to a branch master—ascending as fast as one of Alice’s rocket experiments.

Had Zhongli not staged his own exit from the scene, she would have remained a mere figurehead, leaving everything to Katheryne.

Instead, she’d probably still be out in the field, personally tackling commissions in pursuit of her elder brother’s weapon.

"Wait a second."

"If we follow a normal timeline, the Rite of Parting should be happening soon. That means Goldilocks is about to officially meet his old man, right?"

Gu Sanqiu instinctively shook his head.

No. That shouldn’t happen. The Rite of Parting would have to wait until he woke up.

He could skip the Rite of Descension, but once the Rite of Parting was set in motion, he’d have to be involved personally.

Unless…

Some meddling elder decided to interfere again.

---

"Moon Carver."

Zhongli transmitted his message.

"Have them begin preparations for the Rite of Parting. The official reason will be that we cannot allow the Lord of Geo’s remains to remain in the Golden House indefinitely. His departure must be honored with the utmost respect. Understood?"

Moon Carver sighed.

"Master… Why don’t you just personally meet with Cloud Retainer and Mountain Shaper?"

I’m caught in the middle here—do you have any idea how exhausting this is?!

Every time I have to make up some excuse, it’s a nightmare. Both of them are intelligent, and Cloud Retainer has that damn female intuition!

I swear, I’ve burned through more mental energy in the past few days than in the last ten years combined.

I’m exhausted. No creature should have to deal with this.

"It’s not time yet."

Zhongli’s tone remained even.

"Cloud Retainer is stubborn. Unless she sees something tangible, she won’t let this go."

"As for Mountain Shaper—he may not be as rigid, but I need him to stand with Cloud Retainer right now. That way, we ensure stability."

---

T/N: im starting to think Sanqiu really is Zhongli's son...

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!