After purchasing the last of the required materials, Lumine finally let out a long sigh of relief. But when she looked at Zhongli—who was strolling along like an old grandpa out shopping—she couldn't help but feel a little irritated again.
From start to finish, this whole Rite of Parting had kept her busy, not him.
He had said he would organize the ceremony, but in the end, she was the one who ran around for everything.
Even the so-called "trials" were just errands dumped on the Fatui.
He really knew how to delegate!
Lumine huffed in frustration and muttered,
"Now are we done?!"
Zhongli gave a small nod.
"The materials are complete. After the Rite of Parting tomorrow afternoon, the millennia-old contracts will finally come to an end, and Liyue will take its first step into a better future."
"I shall also retire fully…"
"This ceremony's preparations—your contribution has been most valuable."
Paimon puffed up her cheeks, glaring at Zhongli.
"A verbal thank-you? That's it? We've run all over the place for this—don't you have anything nice to give us?"
"And you call yourself the oldest Archon!"
Zhongli was momentarily taken aback before replying softly:
"If you're asking for Mora… I have none to give."
"Who wants your Mora! Hmph, Lumine and I are being sponsored by Sister Ningguang, thank you very much!"
Paimon puffed out her chest proudly. This had been the most luxurious period of her life so far.
It wasn't quite waking up to breakfast in bed, but it was close—she'd open her eyes and delicious food would be waiting. When shopping, if she saw something tasty, she'd just grab it and say, "Send the bill to the Jade Chamber."
Paimon had practically eaten her way across Liyue.
This kind of pampered lifestyle had her completely unwilling to go back to the old days.
Zhongli chuckled softly.
"There's little I possess that would be useful to you… but if you're willing, I do have a ceremonial longsword—Rank 25—that I can gift you."
With that, Zhongli took out a long sword with a gleaming emerald blade.
The divine patterns and aura of the weapon were immediately obvious.
But to Lumine, it wasn't anything worth getting too excited about.
These days, she preferred thermal weapons.
Who still fights monsters with swords anyway?
Everyone's out there lobbing RPGs from a distance now!
Of course, a gifted divine weapon was still a divine weapon—no reason to turn it down. A good thing is a good thing!
"…I guess it's decent. Barely acceptable."
Lumine accepted the sword with obvious satisfaction.
Zhongli sighed a little.
"This is Vortex Vanquisher. Though it was originally a ceremonial weapon carved from pure jade, it has been bathed in time and the laws of the world for centuries—among divine weapons, it ranks quite highly."
"I got it, I got it—I'll treasure it, alright?"
Lumine waved her hand dismissively, then paused before saying softly:
"Now can you finally tell me… about my brother?"
Zhongli gave a small nod.
"Originally, I had only planned to share a few clues. The rest was meant for you to discover on your own."
"But now that Ryen's world has stirred such major changes, there's no longer a need to strictly follow the original plan."
"Ask what you want. As long as it doesn't touch on absolute secrets, I'll tell you everything I can."
Zhongli's unexpected honesty caught Lumine off guard.
After all, she still remembered the riddle-spewing Venti as a cautionary tale.
Zhongli being so straightforward now… left her unsure of how to even begin asking.
After a moment of silence, she looked up at the drifting clouds on the horizon and asked softly,
"Is he doing okay?"
"…It's hard to say he's doing well. But he's not doing badly, either."
Zhongli shook his head.
"He's trapped—by his own obsession, and by this world…"
"Obsession… Khaenri'ah?" Lumine asked.
Zhongli didn't hesitate in the slightest and nodded.
"Yes. After the destruction of Khaenri'ah, he became the Prince of the Abyss Order. He poured everything he had into reviving Khaenri'ah, into destroying Celestia… even the Seven Nations."
"The Abyss is his greatest weapon. But it is also a double-edged sword—one that may turn against him at any time. And beneath the Abyss… it's not just the Abyss Order that lies there."
"That concerns secrets tied to all of Teyvat. I cannot tell you more."
As he said that, he glanced at Lumine, who now wore a troubled, pensive look. He added,
"You don't yet have the strength to help him. And even if you did—he wouldn't allow you to get involved. He wouldn't let you step into the Abyss."
"This is his burden, his grudge against this world. It has nothing to do with you…"
Lumine suddenly looked up, her voice firm:
"But he's still my blood-related brother! How can I just stand by and watch him walk this dangerous path alone?"
"Precisely because he is your brother," Zhongli said calmly, "that he avoids you, hides from you. And if necessary… I will fulfill my contract with him and suppress you myself."
Zhongli spoke without hesitation, his tone indifferent.
"You must not be tainted by the Abyss."
"Why not?!"
Lumine's heart swelled with even more unanswered questions. She stared hard at Zhongli.
He sighed.
"Because you are a Descender—an existence that does not belong to this world."
"But my brother is too—"
"No. He is not."
Zhongli turned sharply and looked Lumine straight in the eye.
"I know. The two of you once traveled the stars together. You were both outsiders, both Descenders."
"But now… this world has bound itself to him. Teyvat has carved its imprint into him."
"It's like… two people reading a book. At first, they observe it from above, detached, reading its tale from a distance."
"Then suddenly… one of them gets pulled into the book's world—and becomes part of the story."
"You and he are now in that situation."
"He… is now a being of Teyvat."
Lumine stared at Zhongli, stunned.
"How can that be…? Then, he…"
"He keeps you away—only to preserve your existence outside Teyvat's control."
Zhongli turned again to gaze at the drifting clouds.
"All beings in this world are bound by the cycle of life and death, by destiny and reincarnation. In the end, they are all remembered by the world."
"And so… our possibilities are limited."
"But you are different. You are a Descender. You do not belong to this world. You are… an anomaly."
"The world cannot predict your fate. And neither can we see your future."
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