Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [552]

"Not the right time yet, huh?"

The black-robed man leaned back into his seat. "Fine, fine. You're the boss. A small fry like me won't meddle in your decision-making."

"I’ve never been able to see eye to eye with smart people like you and that old sage. Such a hassle."

The cave fell into a brief silence. Then, elemental energy slowly gathered as Zhongli’s avatar materialized before the black-robed man. He reached out and gently patted his head.

"Tired?"

"Yeah, exhausted. Back then, that idiot old sage sweet-talked me into taking on this job, and I went along without a second thought."

"It’s been a real pain."

The black-robed man slumped into his seat. "Geezer, you’re not letting me step in because that so-called turning point you and the old sage mentioned hasn’t arrived yet, right?"

"That’s correct."

Zhongli nodded slowly. "Little Sanqiu has sensed something."

"Oh? I thought he was clueless about everything. He actually noticed something off? His brain's that sharp?"

"Who knows?"

Zhongli said, "It’s been thousands of years. Maybe your family really has developed some strange sixth sense. Wouldn’t be surprising if he picked up on something."

"By the way, if Liyue Harbor does experience a disaster, before I give the order for you to act, you have one more task."

"Stop Xiao. Don’t let him act recklessly."

Zhongli’s tone grew serious. "Little Sanqiu went through great effort to resolve his karmic erosion. If he stirs up trouble again, fixing it will be much harder."

"Got it."

The black-robed man’s breathing gradually steadied. "Go handle your own matters, old man. I’m beat. Gonna get some sleep. As for Brother Xiao, I’ll take care of it."

"Much appreciated."

Zhongli’s avatar dissipated as he slowly lifted his gaze toward the sky.

A flawless full moon. A pristine, cloudless night.

"The erosion inflicted upon me by Celestia… it truly affects everything around me. The old sage’s judgment back then wasn’t wrong."

"At last, the final contract has been drafted."

His spirit energy extended outward, first observing Gu Sanqiu standing silently on a rooftop, then shifting to the children playing and laughing with their firework tubes.

"For the sake of the final moment… the contract’s fulfillment must wait a little longer."

---

"No response?"

Gu Sanqiu frowned. Did he guess wrong? Was that mysterious black-robed figure not actually an elder of his family?

"Tsk, if even now he won’t show up, who else can I turn to?"

A strange feeling of frustration welled up in his chest. He suddenly had the urge to go find Duck and beat the hell out of some Fatui agents to vent.

Whoosh—

A powerful gust of wind swept past, hitting him square in the nose like a heavy punch—yet it didn’t even ruffle the children’s clothes.

"This feeling… Anemo energy?"

"Kid, that little friend of yours has set off for Liyue."

Decarabian!

Gu Sanqiu perked up instantly. Of course! How had he not thought of this before?

There was still another big boss he could call on!

"Hey, big guy, think you could drop by Liyue in a bit? I’d love to show you the scenery around here—completely different from Mondstadt. How about it?"

Silence.

It was clear that Decarabian wasn’t interested in entertaining him. He had delivered the message and promptly withdrawn his spirit energy.

"Figures. Big bosses always have their own quirks."

Gu Sanqiu shook his head. He was probably only getting this message as a courtesy because he had obtained an Elemental Seed.

But… so the golden-haired traveler had set off after all.

He’d assumed that after all the chaos he stirred up, Aether would just stay put in Mondstadt, focusing on mapping out the region instead of setting off so soon.

Now, though, if Decarabian had taken the trouble to pass on a message, there had to be another reason.

And it wasn’t hard to guess what that reason was.

"Venti, dear uncle of mine, you really are something else. This was your idea, wasn’t it?"

Gu Sanqiu felt a headache coming on. "So, what? You thought Liyue wasn’t chaotic enough already?"

Or maybe you just want me to drop dead from exhaustion!

"I give up!"

Gu Sanqiu took off, heading toward Guyun Stone Forest.

He decided to find some fun for himself—after spending all day running around, he needed a break.

Even Vision holders needed rest!

In Guyun Stone Forest, on a small, ore-covered island.

Well, calling it an "island" might have been a stretch. It was so tiny that even a picnic for six or seven people wouldn’t be practical.

Crunch, crunch—

A juvenile Geovishap was happily gnawing on a raw magical crystal chunk, its little tail wagging like an eager puppy scarfing down food from its bowl.

"Yo, I knew I’d find you here."

A teasing voice rang out behind the young Geovishap. It froze for a second before immediately curling into a ball and launching itself at Gu Sanqiu!

"Freezing up because you haven’t seen another living soul in ages makes sense. But rolling up and charging at me? Have you really gone so long without a fight that you can’t even gauge the difference in strength?"

With a light kick, Gu Sanqiu sent the little Geovishap flying, flipping it onto its back like an overturned turtle, its limbs flailing helplessly toward the sky.

"Looks like my memory is still sharp. This is definitely the right spot."

He casually smashed a boulder with his hand, the sheer force of it startling the struggling Geovishap into submission. It shrank back, trembling.

Big boss. Can’t afford to mess with him.

"Yep, definitely strong traces of ley line energy here. And quite a concentrated amount, too. Otherwise, how could you keep eating for so long without running out of food?"

Gu Sanqiu picked up a fragment of stone, tossing it lightly in his hand. "Even ordinary rocks, when infused with ley line energy, turn into high-quality material. No wonder adventurers say Guyun Stone Forest is full of treasures."

He casually discarded the stone. Ley line energy wasn’t something he cared about—who knew when Teyvat’s land itself would decide to shift again? People talked like it was an endless resource.

His goal today was simple: this little Geovishap, now curled up into a ball.

Day after day, stuck on this desolate patch of land, chewing on rocks. Maybe catching a fish or two for a change of pace—but what else?

Play in the sand?

"Pretty lonely, huh, you little punk?"

Gu Sanqiu grabbed the young Geovishap by the tail, lifting it up while rubbing his chin in thought.

"Hmm… A naturally Geo-attuned creature. If someone wanted to eat you, they’d have to go through a special process to tenderize the meat first. Otherwise, it’d be like chewing on stone."

The young Geovishap stayed perfectly still, completely resigned to its fate, looking like a helpless maiden at the mercy of a villain.

"Come on, let’s get you back to your kin. Sitting around in a place like this isn’t going to get you anywhere. You should aim higher—why not set your sights on becoming a true Ancient Geovishap?"

With surprising gentleness, Gu Sanqiu scooped up the Geovishap and took off into the sky. As he lifted his energy suppression, the young beast finally sensed the presence of an overwhelming authority—both familiar and commanding, like an elder of its own kind.

A supreme being among supremes!

Unable to help itself, the little Geovishap stuck out its tongue and licked Gu Sanqiu’s cheek, letting out a pleased growl.

"Oh, so now you’ve gone from greedy pup to affectionate cat?"

---

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!