"Silly child… throughout Liyue's history, countless adepti have departed."
"And every time, it stirred up no small amount of turmoil."
"But no matter what happened, the rules were always the same."
"First, the Rite of Parting must be conducted properly."
"Only afterward should other matters be handled."
"If people keep shouting about catching the murderer while delaying the funeral rites…"
"In my view, that is putting the cart before the horse."
Granny Ping explained gently to Paimon.
Still…
Could it really be that the Geo Archon…
Thinking of that possibility, Granny Ping sighed softly.
"After all, the deceased deserve respect."
Qiu Nian nodded in agreement.
"Yes…"
"So when you came to borrow the bell…"
"I figured that perhaps one of my old friends could no longer stand by and had stepped forward to take charge."
"Since that is the case, why would I refuse to lend it to you?"
Granny Ping smiled and nodded to the three of them.
"But what if your old friend borrows the bell and never returns it?"
Lumine asked curiously.
"Doesn't return it? Hahaha!"
"If they really had the nerve to do such a thing…"
"Then this old woman would have to make a trip myself."
"It's been a long time since I've seen them anyway."
"Sharing some tea and conversation would be quite pleasant."
She chuckled warmly.
"Well then, since you've found what you came for, you should hurry back."
"Don't delay your important matters."
Granny Ping said kindly.
"Oh right."
"Please deliver a message to the person who sent you."
"Tell them that if they have time…"
"They are welcome to come drink tea with me."
"This old woman doesn't own much, but I do at least have a teapot."
After saying that, Granny Ping glanced at Qiu Nian.
Meanwhile, the viewers in Xuehua's livestream had begun analyzing the scene.
[Too bad the one hosting the Rite of Parting isn't the adepti—it's the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.]
[Aren't you curious why Zhongli knew Granny Ping had that teapot?]
[And Zhongli even said she's his friend. Being friends with an adeptus… his identity must be special.]
[Lots of people are guessing Zhongli is Rex Lapis now.]
[Yeah, he might as well have "I am Rex Lapis" written on his face.]
"Alright, Granny, we'll remember!"
"Thank you!"
Paimon nodded happily.
After saying their goodbyes, the three returned to where Zhongli was waiting—near the place where the ceremonial items for the Rite of Parting had been prepared.
Sure enough, Zhongli was already there.
"Excellent. This is indeed the Cleansing Bell."
"And it has been kept in excellent condition."
"Let us also place the perfume we prepared earlier."
Once everything was arranged, Zhongli noticed Lumine and Paimon staring at him suspiciously.
"You know Granny Ping?"
Lumine asked directly.
"Of course I do."
"Otherwise, how would I know the bell was in her care?"
Zhongli replied calmly.
"Hmm…"
"You two are both pretty suspicious…"
"You both know Granny Ping, who is clearly an adeptus."
"So many strange coincidences."
"But if you don't want to explain, we won't press the matter for now."
Paimon spread her hands.
"Haha…"
"But surely Mr. Zhongli is far more suspicious."
Qiu Nian laughed lightly.
"You're suspicious too."
"Just not as suspicious as Zhongli."
Lumine replied with a teasing expression.
"Oh right!"
"That granny asked us to pass along a message."
Paimon suddenly remembered.
"If you have time, you should go drink tea with her."
"This old woman doesn't have much, but she does have a teapot."
Paimon imitated Granny Ping's tone as best she could.
"Hahaha! That tone doesn't quite suit you."
"But her teapot really is excellent."
"It's perfect for brewing tea."
Zhongli laughed, clearly amused by Paimon.
Even Qiu Nian couldn't help smiling.
This was certainly one of those classic moments.
"When the time is right…"
"I will bring some fine tea and visit her."
Zhongli said with a nostalgic look.
"Ahhhh! Mr. Zhongli smiled!"
"And he looks so handsome when he smiles!"
Xuehua squealed at the screen.
[Streamer calm down. But yeah, Zhongli's smile is amazing.]
"So…"
"What's the next step in preparing the ceremony?"
Paimon asked.
"Hmm… the next step…"
"We need to buy a kite."
Zhongli said after thinking for a moment.
"A kite?"
"So you're taking us to play with kites?"
"Is this… a break in the middle of work?"
Paimon asked hopefully.
"Haha, not quite."
"Although kites are toys for children, they also carry symbolic meaning in Liyue's rituals."
"I will explain later."
"But for now, we should first obtain the kite."
Zhongli said.
"Hmm… alright."
"I'm still confused though."
Paimon rubbed her forehead.
"You two go buy the kite first."
"I have something else to take care of."
"I'll meet up with you shortly."
Qiu Nian said with a faint smile.
Soon after, Zhongli, Lumine, and Paimon left Yujing Terrace, heading toward the kite stalls in Liyue Harbor.
Watching their figures disappear into the distance, Qiu Nian smiled faintly.
Then he turned and walked out of Liyue Harbor.
Once outside, he simply began wandering around.
Yes—
He just wanted to take a walk.
Now, the number of Millelith guards stationed at Liyue Harbor's entrances had increased severalfold.
Anyone could tell that the atmosphere in Liyue Harbor was tense.
When Qiu Nian wandered farther from the city, he even saw groups of Millelith questioning travelers from other nations.
Eventually—
Even Qiu Nian was stopped.
"Name. Age. Place of residence."
A Millelith soldier holding a White Tassel spear stepped forward and asked.
From Qiu Nian's clothing and appearance, it was obvious he was from Liyue.
So the soldier skipped asking which nation he came from.
Beside the soldier stood a young woman wearing a traditional blouse and skirt.
She held a notebook and pen.
Her expression was completely neutral as she looked at Qiu Nian—
Clearly waiting for him to answer.