"Then... then alright."
Seeing Xiangling's sincere attitude, Keqing couldn't refuse and agreed. After all, it was just one more person.
Meanwhile, Shiki carefully observed this temporarily assembled "archaeological team."
According to mhy's tradition of looking for a horse while riding one, this God of the Hearth of ancient Liyue might just be among them.
So, among them, the most likely to be the God of the Hearth is... Guoba?
Thinking of this, Shiki's expression became a bit strange. If it were a manga, she'd probably have question marks popping above her head.
First, exclude Traveler and Paimon; those two are definitely not the God of the Hearth. Next is Keqing, but from her aura, one can sense that she is a pure-blooded human.
Then there's Xiangling; she is also a human.
Only Guoba's aura felt very peculiar to Shiki, as if she had encountered... a kindred spirit?
That familiar aura was very similar to when she had just obtained Lightning element.
Although weak, its status was higher than that of an ordinary person.
Shiki wasn't entirely sure if the God of the Hearth was Guoba, but she was certain that Guoba was a Archon, or rather, it used to be a Archon.
As for why it became its current weak form, it's highly likely that something happened during the ancient Liyue period that caused it to lose its power.
Finally, it turned into this less than one-meter tall little bear, only able to spit a little fire and such.
However, Shiki still felt that Guoba was the former God of the Hearth.
After all, think about it: in Mondstadt, you follow Venti to find Barbatos; in Liyue, you follow Morax to Morax's funeral; in Inazuma, you follow her to find Garan no Dou. So, taking Guoba to find the God of the Hearth is also very reasonable, right?
"Then I wish you all the best. We won't join in the fun."
"Lumine, remember to tell us what you see and hear on the way. I'm quite curious about who this God of the Hearth of Liyue really is."
Seeing Keqing's slightly strained expression, Shiki gave up the idea of going with them.
If people who knew each other were like this, how much more so for them, two people who had just met?
Moreover, the role she was playing was that of a Young Miss, not a sycophant.
Keqing: No, no, I just simply don't know how to get along with Xiangling.
"No problem, but where should we find you then?" Paimon nodded and asked.
"Probably a teahouse in Liyue where you can listen to stories. Ayaka and I plan to find a place to drink tea and rest our feet. You should be able to find us by just looking around," Shiki said.
She planned to visit Tian Tiezu's famous scenic spot in Liyue, which is the place in Morax's character demo. As for its name, she wasn't sure.
But it was easy to find. Teleport from Chi Hu Rock's Waypoint, and as long as you're not blind, you'll definitely be able to see them.
"Okay, we got it!"
"Ahem, without further ado, let's depart quickly. Qingce Village has a large number of ancient books, so I plan to go there first to take a look," Keqing said.
"So the first stop is Qingce Village?"
As soon as Traveler finished speaking, she took Xiangling with one hand and Keqing with the other and disappeared from Yujing Terrace. Teleportation was that convenient.
Presumably, a major reason Keqing invited Traveler to join the expedition team was this point. After all, it would take several days to walk from Liyue Harbor to Qingce Village, but with Traveler, they would arrive in an instant.
After the group disappeared, Shiki turned to look at the giant rock behind her. Her rainbow-blue Mystic Eyes of Death Perception emerged from her eye sockets.
Hmm, there are many lines of death. It seems it's just simply very hard, with nothing special about it.
Through her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, she had already seen what this so-called giant rock truly was.
The outside was a hard shell, and inside was a statue.
But because of the obstruction of the outer shell, she couldn't make out the specific image of the statue.
Her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception faded. Shiki had no intention of breaking the outer shell and revealing the mystery. It wouldn't be too late to do so after Traveler and the others finished their investigation and returned.
However, Shiki didn't notice that the moment she revealed her Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, Beidou immediately frowned.
Beidou was naturally extremely sensitive to danger. This perception ability had forged her powerful strength, allowing her to slay the beast named "Haishan" even without a Vision.
Yet, when she saw those eyes, she felt a chilling sensation.
Although the other party hadn't looked directly at her with those eyes, Beidou knew that once she encountered them, she would likely be in grave danger.
"Then, farewell for now, Lady Ningguang and Captain Beidou."
Ningguang said, "Farewell, Traveler from Inazuma."
Shiki nodded almost imperceptibly, then quietly left Yujing Terrace with Ayaka.
Watching the graceful and charming silhouette of the girl, Beidou's expression was solemn.
After the two girls had completely disappeared from the Yuheng Terrace, Ningguang slowly spoke, "Your face has been so serious since a moment ago. Did you discover something?"
Beidou stated seriously, "This Young Miss from Inazuma is very powerful."
"Oh? Why? Was it just from those eyes that suddenly changed color?"
"It seems you've truly been sitting in your office for too long. Let me put it this way: I would certainly lose against her." Beidou said faintly. Seeing this, Ningguang had to take it seriously.
Beidou's strength is among the very best of mortals. If just a glance was enough for Beidou to believe she couldn't win, the opponent's strength is probably more than just "respectable."
Ningguang: "Should we start an investigation?"
Beidou: "If you ask me, forget it. Any scout you send will definitely be discovered by her. Making an enemy of such a powerful being is not a wise choice."
"Besides, she doesn't seem to harbor ill will. I assume the Traveler invited her to Liyue just for a simple vacation. We don't need to disturb her enjoyment."
"And furthermore..."
Beidou paused here. If her information was correct, the war between Inazuma and Watatsumi Island had ended, and it was due to one person using overwhelming force to compel Watatsumi Island's forces to retreat.
And the element that person used was... Electro!
At this moment, a terrifying conjecture arose in Beidou's mind: Could this seemingly elegant and delicate Young Miss be that person?
"Furthermore what?" Ningguang asked.
Beidou shook her head: "No, nothing. In any case, just don't disturb her. The recent events in Inazuma are significant, and I suspect she might be involved."
"...I understand. But precautionary measures must still be taken."
"If you alone throw a drunken tantrum in Liyue Harbor, no one can stop you, let alone someone even stronger than you?"
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