Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [495]

Having successfully captured a precious moment, Xiangling turned and promptly shoved Guoba back into his seat, and the table once again descended into the chaos of an all-out food battle.

Ingredients of this quality—purple-tier—were rare, so Gu Sanqiu decided that for the next two days, he wouldn’t complain about his nearly nonexistent cheat ability.

Just these two days. After that, we’ll see how it behaves.

You get what I mean, right?

Once everyone had eaten their fill—well, except for Beidou, who was the only one who had truly drunk her fill—the group naturally dispersed. Keqing and Ningguang had preparations to handle for the upcoming ceremony, and others had their own plans.

For example, Zhongli, who had left early to secure a good seat for the opera.

Ever since Hu Tao took control of his finances, the old man’s retirement life had become much less extravagant. Gone were the days of reserving private rooms in advance and ordering the finest tea and snacks.

Everything was now… simplified.

"Hmm. Sitting in the main hall allows one to hear different perspectives on a performance. There is a certain elegance in that."

Whether this was genuine reflection or just self-consolation, only the former Geo Archon himself knew.

Of course, he could still convince Liyue’s wealthy elite to foot the bill for him purely through scholarly conversation, but that was just a fortunate byproduct of socializing—it wasn’t the goal.

If he deliberately sought out people to pay for him, it would taint the experience.

Xiao was the last to leave. Baizhu and Qiqi had already slipped away, with Qiqi mentioning that she’d eaten a bit too much and would need to do extra flexibility exercises that night.

Gu Sanqiu nearly burst out laughing when he saw Xiao—unfamiliar with the task—awkwardly gathering the dishes.

"Xiao, let me handle it. I’ll just conjure a Geo construct to take care of everything."

As Gu Sanqiu summoned his many-armed Geo avatar, Xiao hesitated for a moment before using a faintly golden gust of Anemo energy to gently lift the dishes and place them into the sink.

"Not bad, not bad! You’re getting the hang of it, Xiao."

Gu Sanqiu gave him a thumbs-up while multitasking—his Geo construct continued washing dishes, making the whole process much faster.

Xiao had originally intended to try washing them himself, but every time he picked up a dishcloth, his Yaksha instincts kicked in.

After shattering five or six plates, Gu Sanqiu simply chuckled and nudged him toward a stone table, pouring him a cup of Xianxian Tea.

He wasn’t sure if Yakshas needed to worry about gaining weight, but drinking tea to "wash the grease down" certainly wouldn’t hurt.

…Though, Xiao, were you treating the dishcloth like a weapon?

Gu Sanqiu’s expression was complicated. Teacups and bowls were fine—Xiao was at least used to those from his occasional meals at Wangshu Inn. But a simple dishcloth? Probably his first time handling one.

Still, it was unexpectedly amusing.

The type of amusement that came at the cost of broken tableware… and possibly ending up with a Primordial Jade Winged-Spear embedded in his skull.

No laughing. If I laugh out loud, I’m dead.

---

The ceremonial rites at Yujing Terrace had begun.

Thanks to a certain Yuheng Star’s persistence, Keqing had successfully secured the role of lead officiant for the ceremony honoring fallen warriors.

Before the great bronze cauldron, Keqing stood in traditional ceremonial robes, holding a scroll, solemnly reciting the eulogy that had been meticulously prepared by the Moon Sea Pavilion’s secretarial team.

Surrounding her were countless Liyue citizens, each holding small incense burners provided for free by the Qixing.

The Millelith stood in formation, both maintaining security and fulfilling their duty—to honor the warriors of the past by demonstrating the strength of the Millelith today.

"A public event like this should feel lively, but everyone is so serious."

At the edge of the crowd, Gu Sanqiu stood cloaked in black, hidden in the shade—not for dramatic effect, but simply because it was too damn hot outside.

If he didn’t wear this, he might accidentally disrupt the ceremony.

"Yeah, it’s rare to see such a massive gathering maintain such solemnity."

Another figure, also draped in a black cloak, appeared beside him.

Two similarly built individuals, standing in the shadows—at first glance, they could’ve been mistaken for background props.

"Yo. And you are?"

Gu Sanqiu immediately became alert.

He had his reasons for keeping a low profile here. But what about this guy?

With so many Millelith stationed nearby, no one would be dumb enough to stir up trouble… right?

Then again, one could never be too sure.

Without a word, Gu Sanqiu subtly gripped the hidden weapons in his sleeve.

If this guy had the confidence to approach him like this, it meant one of two things—either he was fearless, or he was a reckless fool looking to get himself killed.

"Heh. Didn’t think I’d run into someone dressed just like me. That’s interesting."

The cloaked man chuckled, then reached into his robes and pulled out a clay-sealed wine jar.

At the center of the clay seal, a design of a Qingxin flower was delicately inlaid with silver threads and jade.

"Here, my friend! A chance encounter is fate—let’s have a drink!"

Gu Sanqiu raised an eyebrow. "Before I take this, I have to ask—this isn’t stolen, is it?"

Silver-threaded and jade-embellished clay seals weren’t just decorative. They required exquisite craftsmanship and, more importantly, a lot of money.

This was undoubtedly a high-end vintage—possibly aged for decades. The kind of fine liquor that collectors would cherish.

In other words…

Venti’s dream drink.

"Hey, you wound me!"

The cloaked man sounded genuinely offended. "This is from my personal collection! If I didn’t think we had a fateful connection today, I wouldn’t have brought out something this good!"

"Alright, alright. I appreciate the gesture."

Gu Sanqiu pulled out two cups.

As the wine poured, its clarity was striking—like pristine mountain spring water.

Aged wines often developed sediment, but those stored under ideal conditions not only retained their smoothness, they also revealed deeper layers of flavor over time.

Now this… this is interesting.

Gu Sanqiu was starting to believe this eccentric man might actually be some hidden aristocrat—one with generations of wealth.

Otherwise, there was no way he’d be so meticulous about the details of drinking.

"Heh. Now that hits the spot."

The man tilted his head back and downed his drink. "Damn good wine. Never thought I’d come to watch a ceremony and end up finding such an interesting drinking buddy. I’d say fate brought us together!"

"Right, right. Fate."

Had it not been for the layer of Geo energy subtly covering the bottom of his cup—confirming that the wine was untainted—Gu Sanqiu would’ve had this guy tied up already.

A short distance away, Zhongli stood at the edge of the crowd.

To the passing civilians, he was invisible—just another nameless figure in the bustling city.

But as his gaze shifted toward the shaded corner, where two cloaked figures were laughing and drinking together…

The ancient weariness in his eyes vanished.

Instead, his expression flickered between exasperation… and amusement.

"Seriously?"

Clearing his throat, Zhongli sent a gentle pulse of energy into the mysterious man’s mind.

Yet the man didn’t seem affected at all.

Only after chatting with Gu Sanqiu for a while longer did he suddenly slap his forehead, muttering something about "having business to attend to" before disappearing around a few corners.

At the third corner, Gu Sanqiu stopped in his tracks, utterly speechless.

The man’s traces had been completely erased.

And on the wall…

A crude smiley face had been drawn in dirt—one that felt far more like mockery than a friendly farewell.

---

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!