I, the Geo Archon Morax with 2.1 Billion Mora, Have Joined a Chat Group [69]

"I am the Cloud Retainer. State your purpose quickly."

From the distance, a graceful jade-green crane soared through the ethereal skies, descending upon the celestial platform where the Traveler stood.

The voice was clear and ethereal, a serene melody tinged with faint traces of humanity.

“This place is massive, with so many intricate mechanisms,” Paimon remarked, her hands clasped behind her back as she gazed around with wide-eyed curiosity. “Do you live here all alone? Are you secluded here to study mechanism arts or something?”

“Hmph!” Cloud Retainer snorted lightly, her tone laced with faint annoyance. “This abode exists merely for the sake of tranquility. I do not favor noisy places, nor do I enjoy idle mingling with others.”

“Enough of that. State your purpose quickly, and do not disturb this adeptus’ rest further.”

The Traveler’s expression grew solemn. Together with Paimon, she recounted the events surrounding the Geo Archon’s assassination and Moon Carver’s defeat at the hands of the Fourth Apostle.

At first, Cloud Retainer seemed indifferent, but as the tale unfolded, her countenance grew increasingly grave.

When they mentioned the death of the Geo Archon, she could no longer contain her shock.

“The Geo Archon… assassinated? Impossible!” she cried out, her sharp call echoing through the chamber.

“The Geo Archon is not only the ruler of Liyue but an eternal sovereign destined to live for countless eons. How could such a thing occur?”

“This must be nonsense meant to deceive me! I will go to Liyue Harbor immediately and seek out the Geo Archon myself!”

“No, don’t!”

Paimon quickly interjected, her tone urgent. “It’s dangerous! Didn’t we just tell you? Moon Carver was attacked. What if you’re ambushed in Liyue Harbor?”

“Hmm?” Cloud Retainer paused, processing the warning. “You mean to say Liyue Harbor is currently unsafe?”

“Indeed…” she murmured, analyzing the situation calmly. “The Geo Archon’s true form has long been known only to the Qixing and their half-adeptus secretary, Ganyu. For anyone to assassinate the Geo Archon, there must have been internal collusion.”

“Considering this, it is possible that the Qixing have betrayed the Geo Archon—perhaps even all seven of them.”

“This situation calls for careful deliberation,” Cloud Retainer said, her voice heavy with thought. “The Geo Archon established Liyue with the concept of contracts not for the contracts themselves but for the fairness they represent.

“With fairness, contracts can be upheld. Without it, contracts are but meaningless scraps of paper. Mortals in Liyue Harbor have long focused only on the letter of the contract while neglecting its spirit of fairness, causing no end of trouble for the Geo Archon.”

“And now this…”

Cloud Retainer tilted her head upward, gazing at the sky for a moment before letting out a long sigh.

She turned to Paimon and inclined her head slightly. “Thank you for your warning, Traveler.”

“You have spoken with Moon Carver and Mountain Shaper, yes? You have even survived an attack while with Moon Carver, and he could not defeat the foe. Is that correct?”

The Traveler nodded lightly.

“I see… While your account is compelling, this talisman alone does not prove your words to be true. I shall verify these claims myself.”

“Doubtless, Moon Carver expected as much.”

“Enough. You may leave now. Do not disturb this adeptus further.”

Without waiting for a response, Cloud Retainer summoned a gentle gust of wind that carried the Traveler and Paimon out of the chamber.

Standing at the entrance of the sanctuary, the Traveler and Paimon exchanged glances.

After a few moments, Paimon spoke, her voice tinged with resignation. “Well, Lumine, we’ve told three adepti so far. Let’s head to Wangshu Inn next. I hear there’s an adeptus there called the Conqueror of Demons, Xiao. With a title like that, he must be strong, right? If we notify him, we’ll probably be safe.”

“Hmm…”

The Traveler nodded slightly, saying nothing as she began descending the mountain toward Wangshu Inn.

---

“That little girl down there,” Accelerator muttered, peering down from high above the clouds. Beside him, Reimu Hakurei lounged lazily, observing the Traveler from a distance.

“What’s our objective this time?” Reimu asked, holding an oni mask in one hand and an apple in the other, occasionally taking bites.

“Tch! How do you not remember? Is your brain stuffed with food or did a zombie eat it?” Accelerator’s tone was as sharp as ever.

“Yup!” Reimu replied nonchalantly. “So, Mr. Smartypants, why don’t you remind me?”

“Tch!” Finding the conversation dull, Accelerator squinted at the Traveler trekking through the landscape below and spoke indifferently. “It’s the same as what I did last time: pick a fight with the Conqueror of Demons, Xiao. Whether you win or lose, retreat as soon as you’re injured or when the battle gets heated.”

“Three thousand points each. Not bad,” Reimu said with a grin, patting her stomach contentedly. “This mission’s not dangerous, and we’re earning 6,000 or 7,000 points. What a surprise! Hehe, I hope the God of Wealth assigns us more jobs like this.”

“It’s possible,” Accelerator mused, recalling how Zhongli’s resurrection plot had plunged the world into chaos. Small disruptions like this felt insignificant by comparison.

Still, a contract was a contract, and fulfilling it was the task at hand.

Focusing his gaze, he spotted the tall structure of Wangshu Inn in the distance.

—Wangshu Inn.

—The Conqueror of Demons, Xiao.

—He looks like a formidable opponent.

“Ugh! I’m so tired!” Paimon groaned, flopping against the Traveler as they approached Wangshu Inn. “My legs hurt so much! Finally, we’re here!”

The Traveler raised an eyebrow but refrained from commenting on how Paimon hadn’t actually used her legs.

Instead, she tilted her head upward, gazing at the towering structure of the inn. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself.

She had questioned three adepti about her brother, yet none knew anything about the mysterious “Sustainer of Heavenly Principles.”

However, they had all agreed on one thing: the Geo Archon was not the Sustainer.

—Perhaps this Conqueror of Demons will have answers.

With that thought, the Traveler stepped forward, boarding the elevator to Wangshu Inn.

---

This is a fan translation of 我，21亿岩王帝君加入聊天群 by 大一统. 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!