Genshin Impact: I Made the Entire Playerbase Cry

Lumine couldn't quite wrap her head around it.

"Then why did you hide the Exuvia? Wouldn't that just make people even more suspicious?"

Ningguang chuckled lightly. "That day at Yujing Terrace, everything happened so suddenly—I was completely unprepared. You were there, so you saw it all."

"The Qixing's enemies had long been lying in wait within Liyue Harbor. If we hadn't taken action, we would've been at a disadvantage."

"Hiding the Exuvia was a necessary move. Only by doing so could I shift from the open to the shadows, biding my time to strike."

Lumine: "The enemy you're talking about… is that Fatui Harbinger, right?"

Ningguang's gaze at Lumine grew even more appreciative.

This traveler truly was extraordinary.

Even though Childe had been hovering around them all this time, she had remained vigilant.

Ningguang didn't confirm or deny, but the smile on her lips deepened.

Paimon suddenly had an epiphany. "No wonder Childe kept showing up out of nowhere while we were preparing the Rite of Parting!"

"Wait—was his funding for the Rite just a way to gather intel from Zhongli?"

[You're not Paimon. Who are you?]

[Paimon would never figure this out—shouldn't she be spouting nonsense like 'blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah'?]

[LMAO, that's brutal.]

Lumine felt a surge of pride. "Paimon's gotten smarter."

Ningguang didn't engage with the topic of the Fatui.

Instead, she changed the subject. "The view outside is lovely, but the winds at this altitude are a bit strong."

"The hall is prepared for guests. Please, follow me inside."

Lumine understood that Ningguang represented the highest authority in Liyue.

Even in her private floating palace, she wouldn't openly discuss sensitive matters like the Fatui.

As Lumine and Paimon turned to follow Ningguang inside, they noticed Mu Yang still staring intently at Guyun Stone Forest.

"Mu Yang? What's wrong?"

Mu Yang didn't turn his head, his gaze fixed on the distance.

"You two go ahead. Don't mind me."

Lumine knew there was no persuading him.

Maybe he was remembering something—something he didn't want to share with Ningguang.

So, Lumine followed Ningguang into the palace, glancing back every few steps.

As for Mu Yang, he was struggling to suppress the storm of thoughts raging inside him.

This is too strange. He'd always known what lay beneath those waters—Osial, the Overlord of the Vortex.

He also knew Ningguang was being overly optimistic.

The god wasn't dead—just sealed away.

But why hadn't he felt like this before?

Now, an overwhelming fury surged through him.

He wanted to draw his sword.

And what about Zhongli?

Why had he felt nothing when standing beside him?

It made no sense.

Meanwhile, Lumine and Paimon followed Ningguang through the opulent hall into her office.

"Make yourselves at home," Ningguang said warmly. "Since I've invited you here, I consider you friends. No need for formalities—just relax."

Paimon, of course, didn't hold back.

She immediately flew over to inspect the legendary "wall" mentioned in storytellers' tales.

Lumine was half-afraid the little money-grubber might try to sneak a piece to sell later.

…Surely she wouldn't go that far.

With Paimon and Mu Yang absent, Ningguang dropped all pretenses.

She wanted to earn Lumine's trust.

She asked Lumine: If forced to choose between her and Keqing, who would she find more trustworthy?

Lumine answered bluntly, "Keqing. She's probably the only one in Liyue bold enough to openly speak irreverently about the adepti in public."

Ningguang laughed softly, as if she'd expected this answer.

"…Hah, I knew you'd pick Keqing. I've got some intuition of my own."

"I used to think her personality was too rigid for the role of a Qixing—that she'd need me smoothing things over behind the scenes."

"But after she said, 'The age of the adepti is over. If even the Liyue Qixing refuse to face this truth, what future does Liyue have?'…"

"…Some of my doubts about her faded."

Lumine had heard those words from Keqing just that morning.

In a nation that walked alongside gods, saying such things took courage and resolve.

That was exactly why Lumine trusted Keqing more than Ningguang.

Ningguang continued, "I won't deny that Rex Lapis's passing may seem advantageous to the Qixing."

"But for Liyue's sake, I can't let rumors of a 'Qixing power grab' paralyze necessary action."

Lumine stared into Ningguang's eyes.

"Are the Fatui behind those rumors?"

Here, in private, Ningguang no longer avoided the topic.

"Mmm… It seems you already knew exactly what I was going to say."

"I ordered the news suppressed and the Exuvia hidden—first, to temporarily stabilize the situation."

"Second, to prevent… a repeat of what happened in Mondstadt."

The Fatui had already crossed diplomatic boundaries with their covert actions following Rex Lapis's death.

As the Tianquan, responsible for Liyue, Ningguang could no longer afford to worry about maintaining an elegant front.

Approving the preparations for the Rite of Parting was merely to buy the Qixing time to fully take control of Liyue.

Lumine: "Just as Mr. Zhongli said—the Qixing provided the venue to serve their own purposes."

Suddenly, Paimon flew over.

"Are you two done talking? Paimon has something to say!"

"Go ahead."

Paimon rubbed her hands together excitedly.

"Paimon heard that guests who bring gifts get special favors… So, uh, do we get anything?"

Lumine was utterly speechless.

She's still thinking about rewards?!

[Paimon keeps it 100]

['Staying true to herself']

[For real, just make Ningguang eat it on the spot and take the jade-carved box home]

[Mu Yang: I refuse to be associated with this.]

Lumine took a deep breath. "Paimon… Couldn't you have said something else?!"

Ningguang, however, didn't mind. She actually liked Paimon's straightforwardness—how she wore her thoughts on her sleeve.

"You've been through quite a bit lately on our behalf."

With a wave of her hand, she declared grandly:

"As an apology, you may choose any one item here to take with you."

Paimon's face lit up with barely contained glee.

"Yes! Paimon was waiting for this—Paimon already knows what she wants!"

She pointed at the legendary wall.

"Paimon wants one of those paper slips on the wall!"

Lumine: ???

Paimon: "Don't look at Paimon like that—come here!"

Lumine followed her.

Paimon pointed at the frontmost slip.

"Look! This one has a red circle marking a spot—it's intel about the Fatui and the 'Sigils of Permission'!"

"Don't you have a 'Sigil of Permission'? Now we can investigate that 'Childe' guy ourselves!"

"Instead of choosing whether to trust Ningguang or Childe, it's better to see the truth with our own eyes!"

Lumine was stunned. She reached out and pinched Paimon's cheeks.

"Are you really my Paimon?"