Zhongli chose to explain himself.
"As you know, I have lived for over six thousand years. The establishment of Liyue alongside the adepti was already three thousand seven hundred years ago."
A whirlpool cannot shatter bedrock.
But bedrock will erode under the passage of time.
Zhongli had been convincing himself that the day when wear and tear would crack his foundation had not yet come.
His thoughts returned to an earlier time.
"On a certain drizzly day, I was strolling by the harbor when I overheard a merchant praising his subordinate:"
"'You have fulfilled your duty. Now, go and rest.'"
"—At that moment, I stood still amidst the bustling crowd, asking myself repeatedly: 'Has my duty... also been fulfilled?'"
[Plain translation: Suddenly felt like retiring]
[The murderer of the Geo Archon has been found—it was that merchant (laughs)]
[No kidding, it really was him]
[Should've slacked off earlier. Just look at Mondstadt next door]
[Slacking off seems to be a divine tradition]
Mu Yang understood Zhongli's sentiment.
But executing this retirement plan was far from simple.
This wasn't just some job where you could say, "The world is so big, I want to see it," and quit on the spot.
Liyue was essentially his life's work.
There were far too many things he needed to consider.
Foremost among them—
Had this land, which had walked alongside its god for millennia, truly prepared itself to step into a new era?
Could it withstand the covetous gazes of other forces after the fall of its deity?
"I had to create an opportunity to observe carefully before making my decision."
Thus, Zhongli said, this plan came into being.
"I orchestrated this fake death, dragging Childe, the adepti, and the Liyue Qixing into chaos..."
Mu Yang asked him, "I didn't do anything unnecessary, did I?"
Zhongli admitted that Mu Yang's appearance was indeed unexpected.
But variables had always existed.
This was also why Zhongli hadn't stopped him.
Lumine asked Zhongli, "If we had all failed in the end, would you have had a backup plan?"
"Indeed. That is why I retained the 'Gnosis' until now."
Paimon looked as if she had just had an epiphany. "So, if the chaos had spiraled beyond control..."
"You would have stepped in personally, using your divine power to quell Liyue's crisis one last time?"
The Fair Lady chuckled lightly. "Naturally. And for him, it would have been effortless."
She put on an air of grandeur as she delivered her lofty opinion.
"Ah, but now it seems... just as a child who loses their parents quickly matures..."
"This city called Liyue has also grown in the face of its 'god's death'..."
Zhongli paid her no mind.
He stated that the final resolution of all these events had exceeded his expectations in terms of satisfaction.
Especially regarding the adepti.
They had been given the least information.
Yet they had exercised the utmost restraint, willingly cooperated with the Qixing in times of crisis, and even attempted to understand the hearts of the people.
[Did the adepti really not know?]
[Pretty sure Xiao knew all along, lol]
["The Geo Archon... to suffer such a fate... I cannot imagine it" (monotone)]
As for the Fair Lady's role, at Zhongli's request,
the entire truth had been concealed from Childe, leaving him unaware of what she knew.
Finally, there was Zhongli himself.
Assuming the identity of the mortal Zhongli, he upheld Liyue's traditions.
Zhongli faced Lumine and Paimon.
"I thank you for accompanying me on this journey."
Lumine knew Zhongli was referring to the Rite of Parting.
Zhongli had just mentioned the unexpected appearance of Mu Yang,
the satisfactory conduct of the adepti,
the actions of the Fair Lady and Childe,
and finally, the Rite of Parting conducted by Lumine's side.
But wasn't something missing?
"What about the Qixing's performance?" she asked.
"The actions of the Liyue Qixing... exceeded my expectations."
According to Zhongli,
he had originally hoped the Qixing would simply fulfill their duties like the adepti—
guarding Liyue with steadfast devotion.
But the answer the Qixing ultimately delivered was—
seizing the opportunity to replace the divine, exploiting the power vacuum left by the god's death to swiftly consolidate all authority over Liyue.
Even Paimon was stunned by this description.
That didn't sound like a good thing.
Zhongli smiled. He believed this was for the best.
It was something he had once worried might come too soon, yet faintly anticipated would eventually arrive.
It was a sincere farewell to him, the god of a bygone era.
Tartaglia once again voiced his dissatisfaction.
He was now the joker in the deck—
deceived by the Fair Lady and Zhongli, never trusted by Lumine from start to finish.
As for Mu Yang—Mu Yang!
Damn that Mu Yang! The only way to vent his frustration was to fight him!
But Mu Yang wouldn't give him the satisfaction. He simply refused.
How infuriating. Let him stew in it.
Lumine teased him, "Haha, what a disgrace, Childe."
Childe groaned, "Ugh, damn it... 'See but don't expose'—didn't anyone in Liyue teach you that? Cough..."
And so, the matter came to a close.
The truth was:
The events in Liyue were a test orchestrated by the Geo Archon for this land—
to see whether it could step into a new era after losing its god.
The answer was clear, and Zhongli was thoroughly satisfied.
The contract had been fulfilled, and the Fair Lady had no desire to waste further words here.
Too many here made her uncomfortable.
She said to Childe,
"Enough idle chatter. You and I should return to Snezhnaya to report to Her Majesty."
"Tch... Fine. But I'll be going back later. I'd rather not share a ship with you."
"Hmph. Suit yourself."
As the Fair Lady passed by Mu Yang, she gave him a lingering glance.
He remained as enigmatic as ever—his strength a mystery,
his identity a mystery. But sooner or later, I'll tear off that mask of yours.
The Fair Lady thought to herself. She couldn't accept being threatened by Mu Yang back in Mondstadt.
With the Fair Lady and Childe gone, the four of them left the Northland Bank.
Along the way, Lumine was still curious.
"You said contracts demand fairness. What could possibly be worth trading a Gnosis for?"
Zhongli: "By common reasoning, nothing."
Paimon: "Huh???"
Zhongli: "But I am the God of Contracts. Over millennia, countless contracts have passed through my hands."
"If a transaction held no benefit, I would never have agreed to it."
His deal with the Cryo Archon was the final contract he established as the Geo Archon—
the "Contract to End All Contracts."
As for what the Tsaritsa offered on her end,
that was something Lumine would have to uncover in her future travels.
"That's no better than saying nothing at all..." Paimon grumbled impatiently.
"So, Zhongli! What exactly was the contract you made with the Cryo Archon? Tell me! I'm dying to know!"
Zhongli's reply was airtight.
"Not disclosing the contents of this contract is also part of the contract itself."
"Ugh—how stingy."
The four of them walked from the Northland Bank back to the streets of Liyue Harbor.
Mu Yang bid farewell to Lumine.
"Now that no one in Liyue Harbor can threaten you, it's time for me to go. We'll meet again if fate allows."
"Huh? But—"
Before Lumine could finish, Mu Yang was already gone.
"Honestly, now he's acting just like Xiao..."