Every Masterpiece

Has its own Copy

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Time: 1:02 PM
Location: Liyue Harbor,  Liuli Pavilion
Status: Normal

Childe waves at the person sitting on the chair sipping tea while we entering this room and sit on the chair with him.

ID Name: Zhongli [????]

Childe: Allow me to Introduce Mr. Zhongli, consultant to an organization known as Wangsheng... and a trusted associate of the Fatui.

Kayden: Associated with Fatui?

Aether: Wangsheng?

Kayden chews the crunchy fried shrimp with sus face towards Zhongli 

Childe: Indeed. Wangsheng's line of work can be... sensitive at times. Lets just say they understand when discretion is needed. And we, the Fatui, have always been glad to do business with friends who walk in the shadows.

Paimon: W-Walk in the shadows?

Zhongli: It is an honor to meet the both of you. I have heard tell of you from Mondstadt.

Paimon: Discretion... Shadows... Ah! Is Wangsheng some kind of business involving... "Dealing" with people?

Zhongli: Indeed, it is as you have guessed.

Kayden: *Dramatic Gasp* Your not some sort of killer, are ya?!

Zhongli: Not Exactly. The Wangsheng Funeral parlor organizes burials. We ensure that those who pass on do so in peace.

Kayden: Phew.. I thought we involved worse jobs.

Childe: heh.. as I Expected. The Fatui calls many such people friends, but the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor does not dabble in such business... well, ostensibly.

Kayden: Are we forgotten to the Main Point?

Childe: oh, I Shouldn't say too much, In any case, I Brought you to meet Mr. Zhongli because...

Zhongli: Because I can bring you too Rex Lapis' vessel.

Paimon: What?!

Kayden points at Zhongli with question mark message on top of his head while looking at Childe.

Kayden: he can do that?

Childe: ha, don't be so surprised. Sure, the Geo Archon's body has been squirreled away by order of the Tianquan Ningguang.. But first, let's hear what Mr. Zhongli has to say, shall we?

Kayden Opens a Pepsi can and took seriously listening to Zhongli and starts sipping.

Zhongli: Rex Lapis may be the Prime of Adepti, but he is ultimately an adeptus. Many adepti have left us over the millennia - this is the inexorable trend. The times have changed - you must have felt it too when you were at Jueyun Karst.

Aether: The Geo Archon is also an Adeptus?

Zhongli: Archons go by many names. The God of Contracts, The God of Commerce, The Warrior God, Morax, Rex Lapis... is the idea that he also has the title of Adeptus so strange? As you have seen, the time of the Adepti is ending, and the time of mankind if slowly dawning. In years past, Liyue's Tradition was that a huge memorial service be held to mark the passing of every adeptus. But this time, the Qixing have made no attempt whatsoever to respect this tradition. It is sacrilege.

Aether: well, they do have deicide to deal with..

Paimon: Yeah, the killer hasn't even been caught yet.

Zhongli: Deicide or not, the concern of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is this: when the ritual to receive this god is so kingly, it is all the more egregious for his final send-off to go unattended to. Travelers, Childe has told me a lot about both of you. Since you have dealings with the Anemo Archon, could I ask you to help me prepare the Geo Archon's last Rites?

Aether: Childe said too much.

Childe: Oh? In our line of work, this means that you want to silence me... how interesting. Draw your sword. We shall-

Kayden: cmon, someone was eating here..ヾ(≧へ≦)〃

Childe: just kidding. Lets Continue, shall we? The Tianquan, Ningguang, has forbidden anyone from accessing Rex Lapis' vessel... which of course you would need to access if you are to achieve your goal of meeting all of the Seven.

Zhongli: Precisely. Only by participating in the Rite of Parting will you be able to see the form of Rex Lapis Again.

Kayden look at Aether.

Kayden: so, what do you think, Aether?

Aether: Looks like there's no other choice.

Zhongli: If we are agree, come with me. We will speak of the details as we walk.

Zhongli left, waiting for us outside.

Childe: Alright, my bridge-building work here is done. turned out well, didn't it? you can go if you want to, Don't worry about me. I Might just have a few more drinks.. and get acquainted with these things they called "Chopsticks" in the meantime.

(Timeskip)

We met Zhongli outside at the right time

Zhongli: After having experienced the land of the absentee archon, travelers, how does it feel to know about that our archon and adepti are here all around you in Liyue?

Kayden: Nostalgia.

Aether: I Prefer the atmosphere in Mondstadt.

Zhongli: I see, so you're that sort of person. It's not a bad thing. But I suppose you have yet to experience the substance of Liyue's Three thousand and seven hundred years of divinity. Organizing the Rite of Parting should prove to be an enlightening part of your travels. Liyue is the most prosperous of the seven nations, defended by deities and ruled by the Qixing. as such, the diplomatic maneuverings of the Fatui have gained no purchase here. Ningguang of the Qixing has always been on her guard against the Fatui. That is in all likelihood why Childe wants to make sure of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's connection.

Paimon: huh... what would Childe get out of us doing the Rite of Parting anyway?

Zhongli: I neither known nor do I wish to know. as Far as I am concerned, The Fatui are merely financial sponsors. I only wish for Liyue's Traditions to endure.

Zhongli gave us a pouch filled with Mora.

Zhongli: These are the advance funds that Childe has provided. If you use them up, you can go to him to apply for any subsequent funding.

Kayden opens the pouch and there enough mora to buy some stuff, quickly use the toolgun hiddenly and duped it, return back to the weapon slot.

Paimon: wow..

Kayden: Thats alot of em.. wait does that mean we can ask Childe for more money everytime we see him?

Zhongli: Not everytime. Well then, let us be off. The first step in our preparations shall be obtain some price Noctilucuous Jade Worthy of a Deity.

← To be Continue

It Maybe short but next is either 2k words or 1.5k words

which do you prefer? :v

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