Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [554]

"Not just acquaintances—we're very close."

Gu Sanqiu gestured toward the Millelith soldiers packing up nearby. "These men are from the Guili Plains defensive line and the Qince Village camp. If you don’t believe me, feel free to ask them yourself."

He then turned back to Uncle Zhou, his expression growing serious. "Elder, I’ll need you to inform the other vendors—I’m taking all of you back to Qince Village."

"With the way things are now, it’s really not safe for you to be out here running a stall. There’s been an increase in demonic and malevolent activity."

"Once everything is settled, the Qixing will send out official permits allowing you all to resume business."

One of the Millelith stepped forward and saluted. "Xiangjun, the two suspects have been successfully apprehended. Neither resisted arrest."

Gu Sanqiu glanced at the runaway couple. "Put away your weapons. Since they didn’t resist, there’s no reason for us to get rough with them."

Honestly, he had half a mind to just kill these two and be done with it.

But after thinking it over, that wouldn't do. His main objective here was to evacuate the vendors from "Shimen’s little market"— which, in reality, was more of a community center for the elderly near Qince Village.

Randomly executing people could interfere with his goals.

It’d be better to hand them over to his cat-eared old friend. If he remembered correctly, this was a case that had been pending for quite some time.

Of course, there was another reason—Aether and Paimon.

Now that the two had entered Liyue, Gu Sanqiu figured it’d be best to create an "accidental" encounter and keep them within his line of sight at all times.

And absolutely not because he was concerned for their safety.

He was not the type to be overly invested in another man—no matter how absurdly handsome and adorable that man might be.

What he wanted to protect was Liyue’s safety.

He had no idea if Aether would suddenly develop some bizarre "Traveler Syndrome," but he was certain that Paimon’s ability to stir up chaos was legendary.

If he let his guard down for even a moment, he feared that the already messy storyline would spiral completely out of control.

For example:

One morning, these two might accidentally collapse the entire Forsaken Rift, throwing Wuwang Hill into an unnatural cycle of life and death, forcing the entire Wangsheng Funeral Parlor into crisis—and possibly dragging him into overtime work.

Then, in the afternoon, they’d head to the Guili Plains, where they'd somehow manage to "accidentally" dig up a long-lost relic related to a certain big-sleeved Demon God.

And by evening, their investigation would spiral into something as explosive as Before Sun and Moon, uncovering some world-shaking revelation.

If that happened, Gu Sanqiu would have no choice but to plaster Aether’s face across every Millelith outpost along Liyue’s borders, with the words "Aether & Paimon: Banned from Liyue."

And if the Millelith couldn’t memorize it?

They’d fail their training.

Realistically speaking, if Aether and Paimon did stumble upon something that catastrophic in the Guili Plains, and events unfolded the way he feared, then—

Orobashi’s fate might just repeat itself.

And guess where the disaster would happen?

Right on Liyue’s doorstep.

The Guili Plains had finally begun to recover after centuries of ruin. If it ended up with a landscape resembling the Musoujin Gorge, that would truly be disastrous.

Preventative measures were the best course of action. Keeping these two calamity magnets under close watch was the safest option.

Old man, I swear, I’m running myself ragged for this nation…

"Let’s go, you two."

Gu Sanqiu clapped a hand on Aether’s shoulder. "First, we’ll escort these elders back to Qince Village. Since we’re headed in the same direction, I’ll fly you there myself—it’ll save you a long walk."

At the mention of "flying," he distinctly noticed some of the Millelith twitching violently.

…Were they really that scared?

Gu Sanqiu shook his head, waiting as Uncle Zhou and Aunt Qiao worked with the Millelith to convince the elders.

Security preparations had long been in place. The defenses at Qince Village weren’t weak—not only were there elite squads capable of fighting prolonged battles using Killing Intent War Souls, but the standard combat forces were also well-equipped.

Weapons of terrifying power had been transported from the secret vault—artifacts dating back to the Archon War era, crafted to bridge the gap between Millelith forces and powerful enemies.

The situation was severe enough that even Gufei had repeatedly hinted at him, asking whether he was preparing for war.

Not to mention, there was still a fully combat-ready Vigilant Yaksha stationed in Dihua Marsh. He could arrive at Qince Village in an instant if necessary.

In short, Gu Sanqiu had strengthened Qince Village’s defenses to the absolute limit.

As long as the villagers didn’t act like brain-dead side characters in a tragedy—running toward danger instead of away from it—there wouldn’t be a problem.

He wasn’t sure if the Fatui would try to exploit the chaos or muddy the waters with their usual antics. But since there was a possibility, he had to take precautions.

He had considered blocking the Fatui’s ritual setup in Guyun Stone Forest—after all, even the Forbidden Talisman of a Hundred No-Taboos wasn’t an all-powerful remote control. It required proper coordination.

But in the end, he chose not to interfere. His focus was entirely on fortifying defenses, and he let the Fatui carry on under his watch.

His battlefield was set in Guyun Stone Forest. Even the Golden House might be too much for him to handle simultaneously—let alone Qince Village.

All he could do was prepare in advance.

And as for the secret vault, its activation required funding from the Liyue Qixing. He was merely an "unaffiliated citizen" who happened to have command privileges over it.

After all, he wasn’t the one footing the bill.

If the Fatui thought they could split their forces—creating trouble in Liyue Harbor while securing a backup plan in Qince Village—then Gu Sanqiu would be more than happy to show them exactly what "the foundation of the Contract Nation" looked like.

Want to stir up trouble?

Be my guest.

The more they came, the happier he’d be.

It’d be a perfect excuse to let those long-dormant Godslayer Weapons see some action—to awaken their bloodlust once more.

Because from here on out, Teyvat was about to enter an era of disaster after disaster.

If Mondstadt’s Dragon Calamity was the opening act, then the battle above the Jade Chamber against Osial would show Aether the true scale of world-altering disasters.

And when he finally arrived in Inazuma and witnessed the Musoujin Gorge, the impact of that battle would cement itself in his mind.

He’d understand, firsthand, the terrifying heights that the strongest beings of this world could reach.

Because even with just a fraction of its power leaking from a sealed state, Osial’s energy alone had shaken the skies above Guyun Stone Forest, making it seem as if the heavens themselves were about to collapse.

If Osial had fully broken free…

Gu Sanqiu didn’t even want to imagine the consequences.

Still, witnessing Osial’s destructive capabilities gave him insight into why the ruling Archons could remain so composed in the face of certain calamities.

Compared to the chaos of the Archon War, the problems within their respective nations probably seemed like minor inconveniences.

Especially the two old monsters who had survived to this day—Anemo and Geo.

When disaster struck, they probably just took a glance, processed the situation, and instinctively thought:

That’s it?

Honestly, Gu Sanqiu had to admire the Millelith—and the Millelith Corps of old.

Fighting in an era like this, without hesitation, giving their all.

Were they afraid?

Of course.

But what they feared more—was the fall of their homeland.

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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!