At the gates of Liyue Harbor, Qiu Xue transformed into Qiu Bai with a flick of her wrist.
Only then did Qiu Bai turn his attention to the silk stocking inside the system's storage.
It was pure white, adorned with intricate golden patterns, one on each side.
"Why does this look so much like white thigh-high stockings?"
His mouth twitched slightly. Upon closer inspection, he couldn't hold back a chuckle.
That said, his female form would probably look great wearing it.
"Oh well."
"I'll wear it next time I become Qiu Xue. If not, I can always give it to my sister."
Qiu Bai rubbed his chin and murmured to himself.
After all, that silk stocking could nourish divine power.
With that thought, he leisurely walked toward the gates of Liyue Harbor, where he suddenly heard the voices of Zhongli, Lumine, and Paimon.
Looking up, he saw them talking to a masked Fatui member.
"You must be Zhongli, the consultant of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
"The Millelith are keeping a close eye on us. These are extraordinary times—don't make any reckless moves."
The Fatui agent, Felix, spoke to Zhongli in a measured tone.
After all, the Fatui and Wangsheng Funeral Parlor had been working closely together for some time now.
"Hey! Paimon! Lumine! Zhongli!"
"What are you guys up to?"
Qiu Bai, noticing their conversation, walked over to join them.
"Consultant Qiu Bai of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
Felix seemed a bit surprised to see him.
"It's been a while, old friend."
Zhongli turned around, greeting him with a calm smile.
"Qiu Bai! You're here too?"
Paimon waved excitedly at him.
Qiu Bai stepped forward, reaching out to pat Paimon's head.
"It's been a while, Qiu Bai."
Lumine looked up at him with a warm smile.
"What were you all just talking about?"
Qiu Bai glanced between them and then at the Fatui agent, feeling a little puzzled.
"Mr. Qiu Bai, we were just discussing the current… unusual situation."
Hearing Qiu Bai's question, Felix slowly began to explain.
"Unusual situation?"
Qiu Bai played dumb, despite knowing full well what was happening.
Most likely, the adepti were already confronting the Liyue Qixing at this very moment.
"The adepti from Jueyun Karst have already set out."
"Their arrival does not bode well."
Seeing Qiu Bai's confusion, Felix elaborated further.
"Are they here to seek justice?"
Zhongli crossed his arms and gazed at the Fatui agent.
"Most likely. I've heard that several of the Qixing have already set out with their forces to meet them."
"Heh... Calling it a 'welcome' is a bit of a stretch. It's more like they're trying to keep the adepti outside the city walls."
Felix let out a sneer, his tone carrying a hint of mockery toward both the adepti and the Liyue Qixing.
Arms crossed, he continued, "But neither side is backing down. It's turned into a stalemate."
Hearing this, Zhongli stroked his chin, his expression contemplative.
After a moment, he spoke slowly, "This outcome was inevitable."
"The adepti do not recognize the Qixing, only their contract with the Geo Archon."
"But if they decide to launch a full-scale assault... Liyue Harbor may not be able to hold them back."
Lowering his hand, Zhongli met Felix gaze.
"That may be true, but the Qixing won't just sit and wait for their fate."
Qiu Bai chuckled from the side, seeing that Zhongli still had some faith in the modern Qixing.
"Hmph. As if their stubbornness isn't common knowledge."
"But it's precisely because of that stubbornness that the conflict between humans and adepti is on the verge of erupting!"
Felix snorted. The Qixing's hardline stance wasn't just aimed at the adepti—it extended to the Fatui as well.
Zhongli waved a hand dismissively.
"And yet, somehow, the Fatui have become the target of everyone's ire."
He looked at Felix with a knowing gaze.
"Hah, it's all because of Ningguang."
"She claims that in these turbulent times, the Millelith must fully monitor the Fatui's every move."
Felix scoffed at the three people in front of him, his tone dripping with disdain.
"Tch, only now do they decide to control the Fatui? The Qixing are nothing special after all."
Felix folded his arms, his voice carrying a warning.
"In any case, Mr. Qiu Bai, Mr. Zhongli—you are Lord Childe's business partners."
"Your stance reflects ours, at least in part. So be careful not to give anyone a reason to turn on you."
His sharp eyes flickered toward Qiu Bai and Zhongli as a subtle warning.
Qiu Bai and Zhongli exchanged a glance.
"Old friend," Zhongli voice echoed in Qiu Bai mind, "if this crisis spirals out of control, I may need to ask for your help."
"Come on, Morax, no need to be so formal."
Qiu Bai sent a telepathic response, smirking slightly.
"Don't worry, leave it to me."
After all, the Geo Archon was declared dead.
But he, the Yin-Yang Immortal, was only missing!
"Looks like the tensions within Liyue Harbor have reached their breaking point!"
Paimon whispered to the traveler beside her.
Lumine looked at Zhongli and Qiu Bai, her eyes growing resolute.
"I don't want to just stand by and watch."
She spoke firmly to the two men.
In the past few days, she had met so many people in Liyue. She didn't want to see disaster befall them.
Besides, she still needed to find clues about the Geo Archon.
"So you're saying you want to use your neutral position to mediate?"
"Or do you plan to rely on your personal strength to tip the balance?"
"Neither path will be easy."
Zhongli looked at Lumine and Paimon before speaking slowly.
"By the way, Mr. Zhongli, I heard that Wangsheng Funeral Parlor has been dragged into the conflict as well."
"Right now, they're in a standoff with some officials who came knocking at their door."
Felix glanced at Zhongli and said with a smirk.
Hearing this, Zhongli stroked his chin, his mouth twitching slightly.
"That child, Hu Tao... I wouldn't be surprised if she's already stirring up some trouble."
"This is bad."
He turned toward Lumine, Paimon, and Qiu Bai before saying:
"I need to leave first and check on Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
"Hopefully, Director Hu can handle things for now and not cause too big of a mess."
With that, Zhongli gave Qiu Bai a small nod before setting off.
Qiu Bai nearly chuckled.
"I wonder how Zhongli will react when he sees his 'little sister' again."
Turning to Lumine and Paimon, he said:
"Traveler, you should think carefully as well."
"In my view, if you want to prevent an explosion, the first step is finding the fuse."
As Zhongli walked into Liyue Harbor, Lumine and Paimon were left staring in confusion.
Paimon turned to Qiu Bai, puzzled.
"You're not going, Qiu Bai?"
"I mean, you are a guest consultant at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
She scratched her head, clearly not understanding why Qiu Bai wasn't heading there.
But Qiu Bai didn't answer directly. Instead, he said:
"Tell me, who's been covering your expenses this whole time?"
Tartaglia: ???
With just that one sentence, Lumine and Paimon eyes lit up in realization.
"Oh! I… I think I get it now!"
Paimon extended a finger, pointing into the air like a detective.
"If there's anyone who'd love for Liyue to descend into chaos, the first person that comes to mind is him!"
"That guy must be up to something shady while the whole city is in turmoil!"
"But where do we even find him now?"
Paimon waved her hands, confused.
"Liyue is huge! Who knows where that guy ran off to?"
Holding her forehead, she tried to think—but came up blank.
"There's only one place he would go."
Lumine voice was firm.
She turned to Qiu Bai and asked:
"Are you coming with us?"
After all, having another strong fighter on their side would be a huge help.
She and Paimon still remembered how Qiu Bai had punched a boulder so hard it left a perfect fist imprint.
"Of course. I'll go with you."
Qiu Bai ruffled Paimon hair, ignoring whether she was mad about it or not.
Then, turning to Lumine, he smirked.
"Let's go. To the Golden House."
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