Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [598]

"Correct."

Gu Sanqiu snapped his fingers. "Take Paimon with you. We're heading to the Golden House to see if anything's changed."

Hopefully, the entrance to the domain wouldn't appear smack at the front door—now that would be weird.

If Paimon happened to get greedy and grabbed a handful of Mora, he really wouldn't be able to protect her. He might have no choice but to chain Aether to Liyue Harbor with a signed indenture contract.

Hmm... should I actually go through with that? A potential future god, strong, upright, and with top-tier moral character—pretty high value.

Forget it. That’d be going too far.

"Sure, but... can we wait until I pay the bill first?" Aether gave a wry smile. "After we’re done, I still need to go pick up some commissions and earn a little cash."

Tsk. Poor kid.

A while later, with the bill finally settled, Aether—looking a bit pale—followed behind Gu Sanqiu, cradling the now-snoozing Paimon. The three of them flew to a hill near the Golden House.

"Look on the bright side, kid. That last domain netted you a pretty hefty reward, didn’t it? A prototype weapon from the ancient era? That’s gotta be worth a fortune, right?"

Aether glanced at him. "If I remember right, we already used it to upgrade our gear."

"That’s not the point. What matters is we’ve got a direction now—expanding income, reducing expenses. Don’t dwell on past costs; focus on the future, my friend."

Gu Sanqiu gave a dramatic wave. "If there’s another Ley Line Blossom this time, I’ll hook you up with a buyer who’s willing to pay top price. Guaranteed, your wallet will bounce back in no time."

Of course, this so-called "high-paying buyer" was definitely not going to be his old man. Otherwise, it’d be no different from personally sponsoring the blond himself.

And that would only encourage that retired old man’s dangerous spending habits.

This must not be allowed to continue!

Ever since retirement, the old guy had tossed aside all sense of restraint. He even raided the stash of Envy Tea that Sanqiu had carefully saved up. Despite hiding it in a new location, the old man still found it. Gu Sanqiu was at his wit’s end.

If he ever found out that the mysterious shadow at home was an accomplice, Sanqiu might have to seriously consider buying an off-site secret vault just to store things.

No matter how much you guard against outsiders, you can never guard against a thief in your own house...

Beyond the old man, there were plenty of others who were interested in these ancient weapon prototypes. Rich folks with money to burn liked these unearthed artifacts far more than the mass-produced northern boxes.

If all else failed, he could sell it to Yuehai Pavilion. They always paid fair prices.

Of course, that all hinged on Aether getting another artifact out of the domain this time.

If he did, and if he kept missing trials in the future, Gu Sanqiu would start dragging him in by force.

If this was a matter of probability, maybe that’d be unfair—but if, after a few more runs, Aether consistently drew ancient prototypes?

Well, don’t blame Gu Sanqiu when he turned into a shameless capitalist.

This isn’t gambling. This is stable investing—with an insane return rate.

Getting one high-grade prototype per run would not only cut costs but also boost the Ten Gold Association’s weapon quality.

Wait a second.

A thought struck Gu Sanqiu. If I bring Aether into the Ten Gold Association… do I not have to pay him anymore? I might even be able to get those prototypes legitimately!

Is that exploitation? No!

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. One where you, Aether, get to contribute to something greater. You should be thanking me—and handing over your loot! (redacted)

Paimon was about to become a mascot, right? Then it only made sense for the Ten Gold Association to have one too.

"Sanqiu, I can feel it," Aether said, looking up at the Golden House rooftop. "The domain entrance is up there."

Gu Sanqiu let out a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn’t on the front steps, he didn’t care. That height wasn’t an obstacle for them anyway.

"Alright, I’ll take you up there. Just make sure you submit an official request next time. With me escorting you this time, the Millelith won’t hassle you going forward."

He rubbed his hands together. "I’ve been wanting to climb to the top of the Golden House forever. Who knows, maybe there’s treasure up there."

Aether was tempted. Poverty has made me start thinking like Paimon...

After a thorough sweep—which mostly meant clearing dust and dead leaves—the two stood before the domain entrance.

Aether extended his right hand and touched the barrier. This domain wasn’t as overt as the one on Dragonspine; it needed a bit of sensing to fully reveal itself.

"What do you think? Are we going in together again?"

Aether frowned, then shook his head. "Doesn’t look like it. Only one person can enter at a time."

"A solo trial?" Gu Sanqiu’s brows furrowed. The butterfly effect’s already this strong...?

Then how am I supposed to bring Yaya in here to beat the crap out of— (redacted)

He looked at Aether. "So, you’re going in?"

Last time, even Sanqiu’s biggest attacks couldn’t scratch the enemy. That probably meant the domain required Aether specific strength.

Aether nodded, then carefully slung the sleeping Paimon onto his back before vanishing into the rooftop.

"Didn’t it say one person only?" Gu Sanqiu muttered lazily. Still, whatever. Hidden bosses got special privileges.

A familiar surge coursed through Aether body. When he opened his eyes again, his hand gripped his weapon on reflex, and his mind immediately stirred to call upon his elemental power.

A wet swish echoed. To his surprise, two elegantly-shaped, razor-sharp blades of water appeared in his hands.

???

Where’s my Anemo?!

"At last, I can cast off these shackles and face the unknown with my full strength."

That voice—so familiar. A tall, long-haired figure appeared across from him, utterly composed.

"You... you’re just the appetizer."

Aether's eyes widened. The man in front of him—was Sanqiu!

Wait, didn’t Sanqiu say—

Too late. Aether didn’t have time to think. Even if the weapons felt unfamiliar, he lunged forward, blades in hand, trying to seize the first strike.

"Mountain-Crushing Vajra Staff!"

The copy of Gu Sanqiu raised his hand—and a massive vajra staff slammed down, instantly engulfing Aether in a crushing blow mid-sprint.

"Rah!!"

With a roar, Aether burst free from the impact, electricity crackling over his body. His twin blades had transformed into thunder-forged longswords.

"Thousand Rock Seal—A Dream of Dust."

"Gu Sanqiu" moved again, summoning endless Geo energy that swallowed Aether whole, sealing him within a block of amber—like a bug trapped in resin.

No air holes this time.

After a moment of suffocating pressure, Aether and Paimon finally emerged from the domain, collapsing at Gu Sanqiu’s feet, gasping for breath.

Sanqiu raised a brow. "That bad? What was in there?"

Aether inhaled deeply, then pointed at him. "It was you."

...Huh?

Me?

Gu Sanqiu blinked. Why the hell would it be me in there?

After hearing the full account, he fell silent.

He hadn’t expected that.

As for the role Aether had played? That was pretty easy to figure out—it was clearly the poor Yaya, betrayed by his own colleague.

"That wasn’t even my full strength in there. If it was, you’d have dropped from the first vajra strike."

Gu Sanqiu began coaching. "Lead with a frontal suppression move like Vajra, then when your enemy closes the gap, lock them down. It’s a rigid combat pattern—so there’s definitely openings. You’ve got chances."

Aether nodded. It did seem like the fake Sanqiu was mechanical in his fighting style. That meant, with experience, he could beat it.

"I’ll go in again and try."

"Go for it."

The second time, Aether moved fast, activating his elemental power without hesitation, aiming for a preemptive strike.

Thud. Thud.

Ridges of rock shot from the ground—neatly trapping him in the center.

...?

"Opportunities like this don’t come often. Let me enjoy it properly."

In front of him, a Snezhnayan raised a bow with a smile. "Boundless—Whale Song!"

A massive spectral whale soared skyward, then came crashing down toward him. Just before impact, Aether managed to glance at the attacker’s hair—jet black.

What the hell is going on?!

---

T/N: JET BLACK??? WHAT THE FUCK? CHILDE?

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!