Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [557]

"What… just happened?"

Xiao stood in the clouds, stunned. His normally composed and serious nature faltered for the first time as doubt crept into his mind.

What had he just sensed?

The Lord of Geo… something had happened to him!

"I have to go!"

A raging gust of karmic winds, dark green and black, erupted around him as Xiao merged into them, hurtling toward Liyue Harbor at full speed.

Liyue Harbor was where the Lord of Geo resided. It was also home to that unruly junior of his, as well as many others who had left an impression on his heart.

He had to go.

"Heh heh, no need to be so impatient, Brother Xiao."

A figure in black robes appeared in midair, intercepting Xiao as planned. "That place isn’t somewhere you can go right now."

The mighty Conqueror of Demons was simply too powerful. If he were allowed to reach Liyue Harbor at this moment, there was a real possibility that everything would be resolved immediately.

And if that happened, that old man’s carefully laid plans might just fall apart.

Which meant… this mission had to succeed.

"But damn, this is gonna be tough," the black-robed figure muttered to himself. In his current state, could he really hold off Brother Xiao?

"Move!"

The karmic winds solidified into a spear and hurtled toward the black-robed man. In his urgency, Xiao even temporarily suppressed his own divine protection, unleashing the full ferocity of a yaksha!

"[Rocksundering Spear]."

The black-robed man didn’t dare lower his guard. He immediately raised both hands, summoning his strongest technique. If they had been underground, he might have been able to go toe-to-toe with Xiao for a while.

But here, on the surface?

"That damn old sage," he cursed under his breath. The [Rocksundering Spear] clashed with Xiao’s karmic energy, and the shockwave from the impact exploded outward in all directions.

"[Rocksundering Spear]… so you really are a descendant of the Gu family," Xiao said, his golden eyes narrowing. "And you’ve reached an adeptus-level power. Even Sanqiu can’t use that technique yet."

"Yeah, yeah, I’m a Gu kid, alright? So how about giving me some face, Brother Xiao? If we keep fighting, I’m pretty sure I’ll drop dead before I even realize what happened."

The black-robed man raised both hands in what looked like surrender, but he was still channeling elemental energy into the [Rocksundering Spear], ready for Xiao to strike at any moment.

"This upheaval… was it the Lord of Geo’s will?"

The black-robed man suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit. Xiao’s expression shifted—he understood.

This wasn’t just a random cough. It was a deliberate signal.

He was using his coughing to nod—confirming Xiao’s guess.

"If the Lord of Geo has his reasons, then I won’t interfere," Xiao said, withdrawing his karmic winds. "Judging by your condition, I assume I should also feign ignorance if someone comes looking for me?"

The black-robed man coughed even harder.

"Understood."

Xiao frowned slightly. "One more thing—who are you?"

"You wield the [Rocksundering Spear], but the form you manifest isn’t a twin-bladed greatsword. That means you aren’t Gu Shaochong, who mysteriously disappeared years ago."

"Old Sage… are you from the same era as Gu Sheng?"

"I don’t know anything, and I didn’t say anything."

Cursing himself for running his mouth, the black-robed man immediately clamped both hands over it and turned to flee toward the cave he had been hiding in.

"Well then, Brother Xiao, we’ll meet again if fate allows! Try not to miss me too much~"

Xiao said flatly, "If you run now, I’ll head straight for Liyue Harbor."

Shit.

The black-robed man froze. This was exactly what he had been afraid of!

Since when did Brother Xiao know how to play dirty like this?

Xiao seemed to read his mind. "I’ve dealt with your family for years. If I hadn’t picked up a trick or two to keep you in check, even you wouldn’t believe it."

"The Lord of Geo wants you to stay hidden. That means there’s an important task waiting for you. I won’t ask what it is—I just want to know who you are."

"The first time we met, you said something Gu Sheng used to say to me all the time. But he only ever said it in private, where few people could hear."

"In other words, unless someone was a trusted confidant, there’s no way they could have repeated it word for word."

With his divine protection reinforcing his mind, Xiao's thoughts grew clearer. The karmic corruption clouding his memories couldn’t stop him from piecing together the past.

"Erosion aside, there weren’t many people it could have been. Do I need to go through them one by one?"

"Forget it. Digging through old memories like that would harm you," the black-robed man said, his tone suddenly serious. "Brother Xiao, don’t do this to yourself. I’ll tell you."

After a brief silence, he dismissed the [Rocksundering Spear] and pulled back his hood just enough for Xiao to see his face.

It was enough.

"It’s… you?"

Xiao was stunned. "But you’re supposed to be dead!"

He truly hadn’t expected this person from his past to still be alive.

"Heh, might as well be dead," the black-robed man muttered, lowering his head as if showing his true face was something he found deeply uncomfortable.

"I’m leaving. Don’t bother with Jueyun Karst—someone else will take care of things there."

The black-robed man disappeared. Xiao furrowed his brows, forcing himself to suppress the urge to chase after him.

He’s still alive. But how?

And what did he mean by not bothering with Jueyun Karst? Were there others among the supposedly deceased who had also faked their deaths?

At Hulao Mountain, beneath the Dragon-Queller.

A massive horde of slimes, each nearly three stories tall, had gathered. In front of them stood three of Liyue’s most revered adepti—Moon Carver, Cloud Retainer, and Mountain Shaper.

"Recently, there’s been an intense surge of elemental energy beneath the Dragon-Queller. Could the seal be failing?"

Moon Carver frowned at the sealed area. "Or is this just a reaction from the slimes?"

"Whatever the case, we should reexamine the seal for safety’s sake," Cloud Retainer said, flapping her wings. "It may take time, but it is the most prudent course of action. I will require your assistance."

"Of course. But first, we should deal with these oversized slimes," Mountain Shaper said, looking up at them. "Have they received the Dragon King’s blessing? Otherwise, why would they be this large?"

"These little ones seem to consider us intruders," Moon Carver muttered, shifting his stance. His expression remained composed, but deep down, a nagging unease settled in.

Why do I feel so uneasy? Is there truly a problem with the seal?

No. If something had gone wrong, the Lord of Geo and the young master would have sensed it. There’s no way they wouldn’t have sent word.

Stay calm. Don’t lose focus.

Forcing himself to steady his thoughts, Moon Carver said, "Let’s begin. We must fulfill our duties first."

"Agreed."

Beneath the Dragon-Queller, Azhdaha yawned lazily. His tail flicked, brushing against his scales, where multicolored elemental energy shimmered faintly.

"I’ve done all I can. The rest is up to you, cunning bastard," he murmured. "Didn’t think you’d take the game this far."

He closed his eyes, muttering one last time.

"Morax… you better not actually die on me."

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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!