Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [503]

Gu Sanqiu took a deep breath, calming himself down. It was mainly because Venti’s history of reckless behavior was just too absurd.

Once the old man’s identity was fully exposed, should he take the chance to ask him how to brew Awakening Tea?

And that Lianli Tranquilizing Powder—the one he specially developed for Xiao’s karmic debt. Now that Xiao had his incense-lit effigy, he no longer needed the medicine, but Gu Sanqiu still wanted to get his hands on it.

That was a specialized formula designed for Adepti. No doubt, its potency was unparalleled.

Yes. He would make Venti take both the Awakening Tea and the Lianli Tranquilizing Powder.

He strongly suspected that Venti’s alcohol addiction had practically become a karmic burden in itself.

...

"I need to take care of something in this location. Can you get me and Albedo there?"

Gu Sanqiu handed Venti the coordinates from the letter, along with two pristine, glistening sapphires.

"Consider this your transportation fee."

"Heh, now that’s how you do business, my dear nephew."

Venti snatched up the gemstones and pocketed them in an instant, smiling smugly as he nodded.

"Of course, I know the place well. And I also know that little girl was the one who sent you this message. It’s not too far from Mondstadt. Standard one-way fare: five gemstones. Thanks for your patronage~"

"That close, and you’re still charging me that much?"

Venti shook his head seriously. "This is an exclusive service, nephew. Do you really think you’ll find someone else who can transport you to that archipelago?"

Gu Sanqiu frowned. "Alice returned from beyond this world—I can understand you being able to sense her movements. But this is just a small overseas island. How do you know it so well?"

Venti let out an awkward chuckle. "Well, actually, it’s not really an archipelago. Those were originally landmasses around Mondstadt, you see. One day, I got a little too drunk, and, uh... let’s just say a gust of wind blew them out to sea. That’s all."

He gestured dramatically before adding, "Later, underground water veins seeped in, and that’s how the current Cider Lake was formed. Impressive, no? Have I given you a clearer picture of my divine might?"

Gu Sanqiu stared at him blankly, waiting to hear what other nonsense he’d spin.

He didn’t remember everything perfectly, but one thing was certain—Sea Ganoderma grew in the Golden Apple Archipelago.

Given Inazuma’s grim backstory and the ominous nature of that particular plant’s description, it was clearly something that didn’t match Mondstadt’s aesthetic at all.

"Alright, alright, you win. You’re just as difficult as your old man."

Venti sighed in defeat. "Honestly, I just stumbled upon it one day. I noticed the islands’ topography looked suspiciously similar to Cider Lake’s former terrain, so I thought about using a strong wind to bring them back."

Gu Sanqiu deadpanned, "Let me guess—you sobered up halfway through, realized it was too much trouble, and gave up?"

"Heh, my nephew is sharp."

Gu Sanqiu pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine. I’ll pay your fee. Just wait while I go get Albedo."

"Oh, no need for all that trouble. Just pay up, pay up."

Venti impatiently held out his hand. "Just a quick heads-up will do. Once you’re there, I guarantee you two will land in the same spot. Do you not understand the efficiency of Anemo Archon Express?"

Gu Sanqiu handed him a small pouch of Mora. "Wait, you mean you’re sending us? Isn’t Dvalin supposed to be the one flying us over?"

That was the correct way to reach the Golden Apple Archipelago, after all.

Venti instantly adopted a deadpan expression. "Tch. A nephew who won’t even spare a measly million Mora, and yet you still expect my dear companion to ferry you?"

He crossed his arms.

"Sorry, you don’t qualify."

Gu Sanqiu scowled. "Excuse me? I literally just paid for your service! With that kind of attitude, don’t make me go to the old man and compl—"

Before he could finish, a whirlwind surged around him.

And in the blink of an eye, Gu Sanqiu vanished from Windrise Plaza—without drawing so much as a glance from the surrounding crowd. It was clear that Venti had already set up some kind of divine barrier the moment they started talking.

The cunning Anemo Archon cupped a hand to his ear, still facing the now-empty space where Gu Sanqiu had stood. He held the pose for a solid half-minute.

"Hm? Didn’t you say you were gonna go complain to your old man?" He smirked. "Funny, I don’t hear anything. Guess you changed your mind, huh?"

With a smug chuckle, Venti twirled the gemstones in his palm, already thinking about converting them into a substantial alcohol fund.

"That’s great. Now I don’t have to sneak booze into his tea. It’s such a pain pulling that off, anyway."

---

Somewhere overseas—

Thud!

Gu Sanqiu crashed onto a sandy beach, groaning as he pushed himself up from the shallow crater his landing had created. His head was spinning.

Suddenly, he understood why Arataki Itto had looked half-dead the last time he went flying like this.

Even with his constitution, getting blasted by Venti’s wind was enough to make him dizzy.

That damned Anemo Archon was definitely messing with him on purpose.

Boom!

Another loud crash echoed nearby. Gu Sanqiu turned his head to see a plume of sand rising not far from him.

Strangely, the sight filled him with a sense of comfort.

At least I’m not the only one suffering.

"This is the place Lady Alice mentioned?"

Albedo strode over, his steps completely steady. Gu Sanqiu had to admit—being a homunculus certainly had its advantages. No matter how rough the landing, he showed no outward signs of disarray.

"Yeah, seems like it. Venti said it’s not too far from Mondstadt. Even if you took your alchemical airship here, it wouldn’t take long."

Gu Sanqiu dusted off the sand clinging to his clothes. "You do know this is all Klee’s mom’s doing, right? And yet you still came up with that whole ‘mysterious organization’ theory?"

Albedo gave him a sidelong glance. "And you played along very convincingly."

"Alice said she wanted me to spend time with Klee, so here I am. What about you?"

At the mention of keeping Klee company, Albedo smiled. But then his expression shifted into one of pure resignation.

"Alice said that if I refused to cooperate—or worse, ignored the whole situation—then the next time she returned, she’d scatter my lab equipment across all of Teyvat, swap my reagents with identical-looking combustibles, and use my research notes as kindling to roast fish."

He let out a deep sigh.

"What else could I do? Hope to corner and fight Lady Alice? Let’s not even discuss whether I could win—that’s still my godmother we’re talking about."

Unlike those who only issued empty threats, Alice would absolutely carry out her promises. If he really had ignored her request, everything she’d said would definitely have become reality.

Gu Sanqiu patted Albedo’s shoulder in sympathy.

Honestly, having a little sister with maxed-out chaos potential was already exhausting. If Albedo weren’t financially stable, competent, and incredibly resourceful, he’d probably have lost his mind by now.

Not to mention the added relief of Jean, Kaeya, and the entire Mondstadt community looking after Klee.

Because, well...

Klee was just too adorable.

As long as the damages were compensated and no one got hurt—who cared?

Cuteness is justice.

Gu Sanqiu nodded solemnly. "You’ve got it rough."

Thank the Archons homunculi didn’t suffer from overwork-related deaths.

Though, at this rate... was he sure all this chaos wasn’t accelerating wear and tear?

Albedo forced a small smile.

Yes. Yes, he was very aware.

---

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!