Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [608]

“So basically, Dad, you’re not planning to tell me anything, huh.”

Gu Sanqiu finally understood—Zhongli had made up his mind to keep quiet. The only message he was getting was: “You’ll know when you get there.”

It felt exactly like when an unmarried man in his late twenties got dragged out to a family dinner, thinking it was just a nice meal—only to realize too late that it was actually a blind date setup.

Mentally shattered on the spot.

Zhongli offered a mild reassurance. “It’s nothing too serious. Things have stabilized in Liyue lately. A change of scenery might be good for you.”

“You’ve only just ascended to adeptal status. Even if you specialize in combat, your condition still needs some fine-tuning. You’re familiar with Mondstadt, so just treat this like a short trip to clear your head.”

He patted the heavy boulder sitting on Gu Sanqiu’s head. “And while you’re at it—return this to its rightful owner.”

Gu Sanqiu instinctively looked up at the absurdly heavy rock.

“This thing belongs to Venti?”

“Mm. The Thousand Winds Divine Stone.”

Gu Sanqiu’s eyes instantly turned a sickly green. So this was one of those glittering, golden, ultra-rare artifacts?

“Control yourself.”

Zhongli sighed. “That drunkard came up with it out of laziness. Of course, Mondstadt was short on hands and struggling to rebuild at the time, so that played a part too.”

“He asked me to craft this stone. Once placed in the right location, it catches the winds of Mondstadt and produces different tones. It’s a small tool for organizing regional climate patterns.”

Different tones?

Gu Sanqiu instinctively channeled a gust of Anemo energy into the stone. It instantly lit up with a bright green glow, and a powerful whooshing sound echoed in all directions.

“Whoa, it actually works.”

“Naturally.”

Zhongli brushed his hand over the surface of the stone. “Every line was carved by my own hand. Even after all these years, the wind still strikes it just as precisely.”

Whoa. So this rock was a joint creation—designed by one Archon, crafted by another?

Gu Sanqiu’s eyes darted. He couldn’t make a move with his father watching, but once the stone was returned to Mondstadt, Venti definitely wasn’t going to lock it up in some sacred vault. Knowing that bard, it’d probably get tossed into a corner of the Church of Favonius or left on someone’s balcony.

Mondstadt was the land of freedom, after all—famous for wine and tourism, with travelers passing through day and night. A few nimble-fingered master thieves wouldn’t be out of place there, right?

I want it. I want it so bad.

“Wait, Dad. If this thing is so important to Mondstadt, how did it end up with you? That doesn’t make sense.”

A divine artifact for listening to the winds and aiding the flow of the free Anemo currents—sure, maybe Venti didn’t care, but the Church of Favonius definitely should have treated it with reverence.

Like his disciple—if she found out that Liyue still held onto one of Barbatos’ relics, she’d probably follow him there just to beg Gu Sanqiu to return it to the church.

“That’s the problem.”

Zhongli shook his head. “That drunkard brought a mountain of fine wine and snacks to Liyue. Told me the Thousand Winds Divine Stone was no longer useful, but that he had a new idea.”

“So, he organized a massive singing festival in Liyue. Open to all, no theme restrictions. Anyone could take the stage.”

“And the Divine Stone? That was his stage. Its wind-infused harmonics were meant to accompany the performers and help blend their voices with the wind.”

“Then he got completely wasted, stumbled back to Mondstadt, and forgot to take the stage with him.”

Gu Sanqiu’s mouth opened. He was completely floored.

Of course it was you, Barbatos.

Using something that could practically be called a divine relic... as a concert stage. Only you could pull that off with a straight face!

“Hold on. Venti pulled off a massive music festival? With what money? The guy couldn’t afford his bar tab if he sold his soul!”

Zhongli calmly patted his head. “That drunken bard may lack refinement, but he is still a god.”

“When he wants to make money, he has his ways.”

Huh?

Gu Sanqiu was skeptical. “Singing ballads around Liyue pays that well?”

“Too slow. If you’re throwing a festival, and your only revenue is one bard hustling for change, the Yuehai Pavilion would never approve.”

Zhongli smiled faintly. “So instead, he spent half a week scouring the outskirts of Liyue Harbor. Eventually, he found several well-hidden storehouses—and withdrew a significant amount of wealth.”

Wait.

Well-hidden stores. Massive wealth.

Gu Sanqiu suddenly had a bad feeling. “Dad... you don’t mean... those storehouses?”

“Indeed. Just as you’re thinking.”

Zhongli nodded serenely. “What Barbatos found were the hidden supply caches your family keeps outside Liyue. There was... quite a commotion about it at the time.”

Gu Sanqiu looked up at the stone. He was seriously debating whether to just drop it and crush the thing right here.

Truly, no one flexes quite like you, Barbatos.

“So what you’re saying is—Venti didn’t even leave an IOU?”

Zhongli nodded again.

Gu Sanqiu felt his soul drain out of his body.

Unbelievable. And Barbatos still had the audacity to keep promising him “a big reward” one day.

Was the Anemo Archon’s face made of stone walls or what?

No—if he used his dad’s tone, it would probably be more like:

“Judging by all common reason, the face of that drunken poet has long been scattered by the thousand winds. Lack of shame is his natural state.”

“So now I’m going to Mondstadt, and instead of collecting a debt, I might end up paying in time and energy?”

Zhongli frowned slightly. “That’s not quite it. If the timing is right, pay close attention to events in Mondstadt.”

“The fact that Barbatos suddenly asked for the Divine Stone back—and that he specifically asked you to deliver it—suggests he needs your help.”

“After all, the only follower he has left is the East Wind Guardian. There are things... that companion cannot manage alone.”

Gu Sanqiu raised a brow. “You’re saying the Abyss Order might have their eyes on Mondstadt?”

“It’s possible. Or it could be another group—like the Fatui.”

Zhongli shook his head slowly. “This stone’s been here in Liyue for centuries. The fact that that drunken poet finally reached out suggests there’s something that needs your attention.”

Gu Sanqiu didn’t believe a word of it. “Mondstadt’s not lacking in top-tier strength. If things go south, they could just ask Lady Alice. Anyone messing with Mondstadt would get blown halfway to Celestia in seconds.”

“It’s not that simple.”

Zhongli began explaining. “Think of your own Ten Gold Guild. Those two friends of yours—aren’t they still listed as wandering ronin from Inazuma?”

“You know about that too?”

With Gu Sanqiu’s status and connections, getting official papers was a breeze. But for the sake of the guild’s operations, Kazuha and Raiden had remained off the books—ghost entries, unofficial but extremely powerful.

Hidden forces were the deadliest kind.

But at this point, it was basically public knowledge. Everyone knew the Ten Gold Guild had two elite Inazuman powerhouses.

Gu Sanqiu’s expression turned thoughtful.

So this time, whatever was happening in Mondstadt—maybe it wasn’t something the locals could step into. What they needed... was a foreign dragon to stir the pot.

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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!