One person and three beasts landed outside Liyue Harbor. The one who came out to receive them was Ningguang, who had presided over this morning's Rite of Descension.
"Tianquan Ningguang greets all of the Adepti."
Ningguang looked at Cloud Retainer and the others with great respect. When her gaze passed over Levi, a trace of curiosity flashed through her eyes.
As one of the Qixing, Ningguang had long heard of the existence of Cloud Retainer and the others.
But the man standing beside these three Adepti was someone she had never seen before. She had never even heard of him.
Judging by his appearance, he didn't seem to be an Adeptus.
He didn't have that immortal aura of someone detached from the mortal world.
'Could he be a disciple accepted by one of the Adepti?'
Ningguang kept guessing at Levi's identity.
Cloud Retainer swept her gaze ahead. Besides Ningguang, the Tianquan, Ganyu was also here.
"Retainer..."
Cloud Retainer flapped her wings, signaling her not to speak yet, while continuing to scan the area ahead.
Aside from a few attendants, Ningguang hadn't brought any guards with her.
But within Liyue Harbor, Cloud Retainer keenly noticed the presence of many soldiers. Clearly, Ningguang still had her guard up regarding their arrival.
"May I ask what brings all of you Adepti here?"
"Hmph! Asking when you already know!"
Although Cloud Retainer was displeased by Ningguang's caution toward them, she didn't say anything more.
She signaled to Levi with her eyes. It was his turn.
Cloud Retainer and the others had only come to provide support and make the whole matter seem more reasonable. Levi was responsible for handling all the details.
After all, asking these Adepti to put on an act in front of mortals was basically impossible.
Ningguang sharply caught Cloud Retainer's glance toward Levi, making her even more curious about him.
Ganyu also looked over curiously.
Since when had the Retainers gained a completely unfamiliar companion?
Under several pairs of eyes, Levi stepped forward and cleared his throat.
"Everyone in Liyue, please rest assured. We haven't come to hold anyone accountable. We're here to find someone."
'Find someone?'
Ningguang looked toward Ganyu. Other than Ganyu, she couldn't think of anyone else in Liyue Harbor worth the Adepti of Jueyun Karst making the trip personally.
As a merchant, her instincts told her that this smiling fellow was up to something.
"Retainers, who is it you're looking for?"
Ganyu asked. She was also curious why the Retainers had come to Liyue Harbor to find someone.
She had assumed the three Retainers had gathered to hold Liyue accountable. She had even prepared herself to step in and stop a fight. But aside from a bit of tension at the beginning, everything had remained peaceful afterward.
Besides...
Cloud Retainer, who usually talked the most, was standing off to the side without saying anything today.
Ganyu felt something was off.
She looked toward the unfamiliar man handling the conversation.
After hearing her question, he smiled slightly and spoke a name.
"Zhongli."
"The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's consultant, Zhongli."
"..."
Zhongli rubbed the tip of his nose, which had suddenly become itchy again. The uneasy feeling in his heart only grew stronger.
His own first seven days after death hadn't even passed, and someone was already coming after him?
He had originally planned to secretly help Lumine clear herself of suspicion, then have her assist him in carrying out the Rite of Parting.
But now, it seemed his own funeral would have to wait.
At the very least, he'd wait until the unease in his heart disappeared before holding the Rite of Parting.
———
[On A Street In Liyue Harbor]
"Lumine!"
"Paimon!"
"Lumine!"
"Xiangling!"
"Lumine!"
"Dummy!"
Hearing that the first two were called by name while she got the nickname Levi had given her, Kiana fell silent after being treated so differently.
"Bleh! Wrong one, wrong one!" Lumine quickly corrected herself. "Grasshopper!"
"..."
'Grass!' (A type of plant.)
Kiana looked at her, wondering whether she should help.
Help the Millelith arrest Lumine, that is.
Lumine, whose arm was being held by a Millelith soldier, reached out with tears streaming down her face, trying to grab the hands Paimon and Xiangling were reaching toward her.
Then the Millelith mercilessly stopped her.
"Paimon!"
"Lumine!"
"Xiangling!"
"Lumine!"
Annoyed by the shouting, Kiana couldn't help waving her arm.
"Take me with them too!"
The Millelith looked at her strangely, gently lowered her arm, and fastened a pair of handcuffs onto her.
Paimon, Xiangling, and Lumine all had handcuffs on as well.
Then the Millelith turned their attention toward Hu Tao, who was standing nearby. With so many burly men staring at her, Hu Tao felt sweat covering her forehead.
She raised both hands.
"I don't need those, right? Everyone knows I'm the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. How could I possibly do something like that?"
"Yeah, yeah! Everyone knows I'm a Rex Lapis fan. You're accusing a Rex Lapis fan of killing Rex Lapis. That's completely immoral..."
Hu Tao looked at the tearfully protesting Lumine and suddenly wanted to stab her in the butt with a spear.
Unfortunately, all their weapons had been confiscated by the Millelith at the very beginning. Otherwise, she'd definitely let her experience what a ruined chrysanthemum felt like.
"Come with us for questioning."
"Sigh..."
Hu Tao hung her head and followed at the back of the group.
If she'd known things would turn out like this, she should have gone back with Zhongli.
Still, Zhongli really was worthy of being the consultant she'd chosen. He had probably expected something like this would happen, which was why he had left.
"Doesn't that mean... he also knew he'd be arrested too?"
Hu Tao's eyes widened, revealing her plum blossom-shaped pupils completely.
No... Once she got back, she had to ask him about it.
She looked at the Millelith on both sides, then drooped her head again.
"That is, if I can get back first."
Ding!
Just as Kiana was wondering what prison food tasted like, she suddenly received a message from Levi.
[Levi: I've got a mission for you.]
[Kiana: What's the reward?]
Seeing that Levi wanted her help with something, Kiana didn't ask what it was first. Instead, she asked about the reward.
'A reward?'
Levi froze.
'There has to be a reward too?'
With nothing but rags on him, Levi couldn't think of anything to give Kiana. After thinking it over several times, he replied.
[Levi: We'll discuss it in person.]
Seeing the words "in person," Kiana didn't think much of it and asked what kind of mission he wanted her to do.
[Levi: Very simple. Go release that big guy under the sea.]
"The big guy under the sea?"
Kiana looked toward the ocean.
"How?"
[Levi: Find this guy called Psyduck and beat him up. Then that big guy will come out.]
Looking at the photo Levi had sent, Kiana nodded.
She glanced at the handcuffs on her wrists but didn't break free right away.
"I'll try the prison food first."
Gui Naifen had already taken her to try the prison food on the Luofu. Now it was time to see what prison food in a place called Liyue tasted like.
That was what gourmet Kiana thought.
Along the way, Paimon and Xiangling walked with their heads lowered, Hu Tao sighed silently, and Kiana strode along energetically, not looking like someone who had been arrested at all.
Meanwhile, Lumine kept shouting that she was a Rex Lapis fan, that accusing a Rex Lapis fan of killing Rex Lapis was immoral, and similar things.
———
[Wangsheng Funeral Parlor]
Looking at Cloud Retainer and the others who had come to his door, the corners of Zhongli's eyes twitched.
He looked at the smiling Levi.
Sure enough, this fellow had come for him.
"Rex Lapis!"
"...?!"
"..."
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