Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [606]

Chongyun was still channeling his pure Yang energy into Shenhe.

Although elemental energy of the same type could indeed aid recovery—for instance, with Chongyun and Shenhe, you could lay them both down on permafrost that hadn’t melted in millennia and they’d be fine for a while, maybe even stronger afterward—

That didn’t apply to Shenhe’s current condition.

The “source of the illness,” forcibly ripped out of her body, had taken a significant toll: not just stamina, but even a portion of her life force had been drained. What she needed most at that moment wasn’t elemental power.

Gu Sanqiu casually tossed the sealed capsule in his hand. For safety reasons, whatever was inside absolutely couldn’t be let loose. Fortunately, her core hadn’t been damaged—if it had, Shenhe’s condition would’ve been far more troublesome.

“That’s enough.”

Shenhe reached out to stop Chongyun and lightly patted his head.

“Thank you.”

“N-No need. You’re my auntie, after all.”

Chongyun said it politely, but still reflexively backed away several steps, like he’d just touched some kind of terrifying beast.

“So long as you’re recovering.”

Gu Sanqiu stepped closer. “Now the rest should be more straightforward. The baleful aura came from you—it was your own doing. Under the influence of the Soulbinding Red Rope, you couldn’t overcome the thing hiding inside you.”

“Your spiritual power was too strong, and it threw your body out of balance. The resulting complications were... well, a bit of a mess.”

“But now that the root cause has been dealt with, the rest is like weeds with no roots—you can handle it yourself.”

Sure, this airheaded, deadpan beauty could crush boulders with her bare hands, but compared to her spiritual strength, her body simply couldn’t keep up.

As for her recovery plan—forget all that meditation and cultivation. What she needed now was a brutal physical training regimen. That was the only path forward.

Everyone knows that when you’re exhausted enough, there’s no energy left to overthink.

Whether it was workouts or giving her manageable Ten Gold Guild tasks, the point was simple: stop treating this beauty like a delicate person.

In her current condition, hardcore physical training would do her more good than anything else.

“Thank you, Adeptus.”

Shenhe bowed solemnly to Gu Sanqiu. “I will repay this kindness one day.”

Gu Sanqiu nodded, not bothering with the usual “you should be thanking your master” nonsense.

Cloud Retainer helping her was one thing—he had helped her too, hadn’t he?

If she wanted to express her gratitude, she should know exactly who to direct it toward. And for someone as serious as Shenhe, trying to deflect her thanks would only leave a lingering shadow in her heart.

They’d only just found a sliver of hope for healing. The last thing he wanted was to cause a setback—no need to create problems for himself.

Gu Sanqiu hadn’t forgotten the deal Cloud Retainer had made with him: as long as he could resolve Shenhe’s issue, for the next two years, she would be his.

More precisely, she would belong to the Ten Gold Guild.

And the mental wellbeing of one’s subordinates deserved proper care. After all, strictly speaking, they were tools for making money—tools that needed good maintenance to keep profits flowing.

As for the item in his hand—it would be quite useful.

Gu Sanqiu glanced at the shadow writhing inside the seal, a mix of black and red, and smiled mischievously.

Osial was no longer an option—but this thing? It could serve as a perfectly fine test subject.

After the battle, Chongyun escorted Shenhe back to the Ten Gold Guild. On the way, they casually discussed when to go visit their relatives.

Gu Sanqiu, meanwhile, found a secluded spot and set up a formation. Only then did he summon that long-forgotten golden cheat device of his.

[Item: Tool sealing a spiritual corruption entity]
[Quality: Purple]
[Eligible for exchange]

“Whoa... this thing looks expensive.”

Seeing the evaluation, Gu Sanqiu’s eyes gleamed green. He began seriously considering whether he should send Brother Xiao a batch of sealing devices—have him trap those malevolent spirits and hand them over for processing.

It would be a guaranteed profit!

Besides, as long as the sealed items could be transferred this way—even if those spirits had partial god-like immortality traits—he’d only need to guard one central location. Far better than searching every mountain and forest.

And as for those especially powerful entities, the kind that even Brother Xiao had to exert himself to deal with?

No problem. One person might take time to subdue them—two people, though? That would do the trick. Either way, he was making that money.

After confirming the exchange, he received a pill capable of enhancing strength. He stashed it away, planning to study its ingredients and refine his own formulas.

Then, instinctively, he looked up, lost in thought.

Wasn’t there something... really important he’d forgotten?

---

Somewhere outside Liyue Harbor, Zhongli stood alone on a mountaintop—unexpectedly, without a cup of tea in sight.

“Lord Morax.”

Not long after, Cloud Retainer appeared behind him and bowed.

“No need for formalities. And no need to call me ‘Lord Morax’ anymore. Morax is no more—I’m merely a listener of worldly tales now.”

Cloud Retainer’s feathers trembled, a subtle sign of unease.

“Very well. Zhongli... sir.”

“Cloud Retainer, your little disciple’s problem should be resolved soon. I believe she’s close to overcoming the burdens left from her childhood.”

Cloud Retainer sighed softly. “Yes. All thanks to that young master. We sensed the issue too, but lacked the means to resolve it. That was the real reason I sent Shenhe down the mountain.”

“Mortals... always finding ways to create miracles where we least expect.”

“No, there’s something you haven’t said yet.”

Zhongli spoke gently. “That wasn’t the only reason, was it?”

“Why now? Why him—Gu Sanqiu?”

“Cloud Retainer, you’ve got your own agenda. You just don’t want to admit it to me.”

“Your insight cuts deep, as always.”

Cloud Retainer lowered her gaze. “I simply wanted to see... if the young master could truly bear the weight of the next era.”

“Call it a woman’s intuition, or paranoia if you like. I wanted to see it with my own eyes—not just hear about it from you or others.”

“Shenhe’s return to the mortal world was inevitable. If I could use that as an opportunity to test him, and further my own aims... well, that would be killing two birds with one stone.”

“Heh. Just as I suspected.”

Zhongli smiled. “And what do you think of the outcome?”

“I don’t know. I can’t say for sure.”

Cloud Retainer shook her head. “But one thing is certain: if Shenhe stands with him, he will protect her. That’s who he is. It’s a kind of pseudo-leadership, in its own way.”

Zhongli nodded slowly. “Indeed. Pseudo or not... a true leader should understand sacrifice. Yet he wants to protect everything.”

“But, Cloud Retainer—there’s something you haven’t realized yet.”

“Why do you think so many people gather around that brat? Based on his personality and life experience, he shouldn’t have been able to become that kind of person.”

“That’s exactly what you’re hoping to witness.”

He recalled the image Barbatos had sent through a thousand winds: their boy walking shoulder to shoulder with the blond one. Zhongli couldn’t help but smile.

“Hope... can be the creator reborn on the day the world ends. Or it can be the whisper of a gentle voice hidden within time.”

“That brat may not be the most qualified leader.”

“But he is... a gentle whisper of hope.”

Zhongli chuckled. “Or perhaps... a nagging, sentimental kind of hope. After all, the kid did forget the task I gave him.”

---

T/N: heh i forgot too

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!