Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [561]

A few more days passed, yet Liyue Harbor’s sleeping beauty showed no signs of waking.

Perhaps he was waiting for a prince to arrive and give him a true love’s kiss. (Cross that out.)

But Liyue Harbor was already in turmoil—or rather, it was the eerie calm before a tsunami.

Cloud Retainer and Mountain Shaper had arrived. That fiery-tempered woman wasted no time before demanding an explanation from the Liyue Qixing—what exactly were they trying to do, and why had they failed to inform the adepti immediately about such a major event?

Put bluntly, she was questioning whether the Qixing were attempting a coup.

However, the Qixing, led by Ningguang and Keqing, were unfazed by the adepti’s accusations. Instead, they calmly and methodically laid out all the facts, their actions speaking louder than words, leaving Cloud Retainer momentarily speechless.

“This is utterly absurd! What exactly are the Qixing trying to do?!”

Atop the mountain, three adepti had gathered. Cloud Retainer flapped her wings in frustration.

“Do they think that just because the Lord of Geo was assassinated, Liyue Harbor is now theirs to rule? This is disgraceful betrayal! We should intervene immediately and set things right!”

Mountain Shaper shook his head. “From a duty standpoint, they have done their best. The only issue is that they did not notify us.”

“Cloud Retainer, you say we must set things right, but have you considered a key question? If we do as you suggest, who will inherit the rightful authority and carry out their responsibilities?”

This question left the two adepti in silence. Even Moon Carver, who had been watching the spectacle unfold, had to step in and steer the conversation back on track.

“That is indeed a problem. But, to be honest, it’s not an insurmountable one. I arrived a few days before you both, and I’ve witnessed firsthand the efforts the Qixing have been making.”

“While it’s true that they didn’t consult us immediately, that in itself is not an outrageous action.”

Moon Carver spoke in a measured tone. “We do hold supervisory authority, but in terms of their actual responsibilities, the Qixing have not been negligent. On the contrary, they are working tirelessly to mitigate the impact of this event.”

“We have no reason to obstruct them.”

“No reason?!”

Cloud Retainer was furious. “The Lord of Geo was assassinated, and the young master has also met misfortune. Is that not reason enough for us to intervene? Moon Carver, don’t forget who has guided us all this time!”

Moon Carver’s lips curled into a faint smirk.

My master isn’t dead, and the young master being unconscious like that is probably thanks to my master and that mysterious figure from the Gu family. What do I have to worry about?

According to legend, the Gu family had always been protected by a mysterious guardian spirit—one so powerful it was said to have been able to hold its own against a god for several rounds in battle. With that kind of force backing him up, was it any surprise the young master had passed out?

The divine stag muttered a few words internally, then suddenly understood why his master had yet to show himself. Sometimes, knowing spoilers ahead of time was more painful than being completely in the dark.

“…Hmm, Cloud Retainer makes a valid point.”

Mountain Shaper pondered for a moment before nodding. “But we must be careful in how we proceed. Why don’t we wake the young master first? That way, we would at least have a legitimate reason to step into the situation.”

“Having the young master deliver an edict on behalf of the gods and set Liyue back in motion—given what the Qixing are already striving for, that would be the best course of action.”

Cloud Retainer fell silent.

“A nation governed by mere mortals… Is that truly feasible?”

“That godless nation underground—was it not ultimately destroyed by a being far greater than itself? Are you not afraid that Liyue will follow the same path?”

“You two may not fear it, but my disciple still serves at Yuehai Pavilion. I cannot stand idly by while Liyue teeters on the edge of such a fate!”

“Who’s to say?”

Mountain Shaper took flight. “If we consider ourselves loyal subjects of the Lord of Geo, then let us try to think as he would.”

“Let us try to trust.”

“Let us try to bear witness.”

---

Meanwhile, at the Knights of Favonius headquarters in Mondstadt:

“Well, well! What kind of wind has blown our esteemed Lord Diluc to the Knights of Favonius today?”

Inside the Acting Grand Master’s office, Kaeya stared in exaggerated surprise at Diluc, who sat comfortably in a chair, sipping tea. He couldn’t quite wrap his head around what he was seeing.

Or could he?

Kaeya’s dark-skinned fingers twitched slightly as his gaze drifted toward Jean, who sat upright and composed. His mind spun with new possibilities.

Did something happen between these two while I was away?

Seems worth investigating!

Hmm, should I find an excuse to get Klee to ask them? Adults tend to let their guard down around children, after all.

Unlike me. (Grins.)

Diluc, of course, had no idea what nonsense was running through Kaeya’s head—much less that his dear "brother" was already plotting to use a child as a pawn.

If he did, Kaeya would likely spend the rest of his life locked away in the Dawn Winery’s underground cellar.

“Liyue’s intelligence reports… Have none of you received them?”

Diluc’s voice remained calm as he continued to sip his tea. But Kaeya’s expression was growing more and more peculiar.

Is someone trying to steal my brother away? (Hand slowly reaches for sword.)

Think about how Diluc usually talked about the Knights of Favonius. If half of what he said didn’t carry a sharp edge, that was already a miracle.

If this were the old days, he would have already thrown out lines like, "The Knights of Favonius’ incompetence never ceases to disappoint me," or "If your intelligence network can’t even function properly, how can you hope to protect Mondstadt?"

And if things really went south, a blunt "Such a useless order is beyond saving" wouldn’t have been out of the question. Diluc had the credentials to say such things, after all.

But just now—what had he said?

Was that something his brother would say?!

Where was the sarcasm? The biting remarks?

Who are you, and what have you done with my brother Diluc?!

Show your true form, you imposter!

Kaeya’s thoughts were in utter turmoil, while Jean turned toward Diluc, a flicker of uncertainty in her gaze.

“Diluc, what exactly has happened in Liyue?”

For the first time, Diluc’s ever-expressionless face revealed a hint of surprise—perhaps even a trace of shock.

“…You really don’t know?”

Kaeya spread his hands. “So, what exactly are you here for? Could you, I don’t know, just say it all at once?”

Come on now—Sir Kaeya, the illustrious Cavalry Captain, still had plans for later. He was looking forward to enjoying some snacks and a glass of Death Afternoon while basking in the winds of Mondstadt.

He wasn’t here to watch these two sit around and chat.

“…Liyue is in serious trouble. Morax was assassinated.”

“As for Sanqiu’s condition, I’m not sure. But the sheer impact of the first incident alone was enough to overshadow everything else.”

…!

…!

Kaeya’s eyes widened, while Jean instinctively raised a hand to her mouth, struggling to process the sheer gravity of what she had just heard.

“A god… was assassinated?”

The absurdity of it all was akin to someone boasting in Mondstadt’s taverns that they could lift Dragonspine with their bare hands.

Kaeya’s first thought was that his dear brother had finally lost his mind.

“…Is this information reliable?”

Diluc thought for a moment. “I have my own sources. Liyue Harbor has been under full lockdown recently, so it makes sense that conventional intelligence hasn’t gotten through.”

…?

You’re defending the Knights of Favonius now?!

Kaeya was so shocked that he nearly reached out to check if Diluc had a fever.

A fanfiction titled ‘My Brother Would Never Be This Reasonable’…

And you still say there’s nothing going on between you two?!

Even a dog wouldn’t believe that!

---

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!