Finally, Ann left Mt. Aocang.
She had stayed there for several days; originally, she had planned to ask Shenhe's master to go to Liyue Harbor to help investigate Rex Lapis's assassination and clear Lumine's name.
But she didn't expect that the matter wasn't resolved, and instead, she had 'handled' the master herself...
Thinking of this, Ann couldn't help but rub her forehead; she had thought that the Adepti's physiques were different from ordinary humans, but it turned out they could only last a bit longer at most.
Fortunately, she finally saw Lumine and saw that she was doing well, so Ann didn't have to worry too much about her.
It was just that Ann felt a bit lost about what she should do; it seemed she couldn't really help Lumine much in the current situation.
But no matter what, Ann decided to return to Liyue Harbor first to gather some information.
Anyway, Cloud Retainer had already gone to find the other Adepti, and Ann staying at Mt. Aocang would only mean waiting around with nothing else to do.
Additionally, Ann was also somewhat concerned about Ningguang's situation.
After all, this Please Immortal Ceremony was Ningguang's responsibility, and Lumine, the current "suspect," was also brought in by Ningguang.
Now that something had gone wrong with the Please Immortal Ceremony, Ningguang, as the person in charge, would likely bear much of the blame, and the pressure she faced was probably considerable.
This was not just pressure from within Liyue but also an invisible pressure from the Adepti.
"Shenhe, do you think the Adepti will go to Liyue Harbor together to demand accountability?" Walking back, Ann couldn't help but ask Shenhe.
Shenhe had lived with Adepti since she was young and had met the other Adepti, so she should understand them better than Ann.
This matter clearly still had significant doubts, and the Adepti should also know that Rex Lapis had not truly died, and was likely plotting something.
But no matter what, at least on the surface, the Adepti had to show some attitude.
Moreover, Cloud Retainer had repeatedly threatened to suppress Liyue Harbor before, which made Ann very worried.
"Perhaps," Shenhe nodded, her face showing no particular emotion.
It was as if whatever happened to Liyue Harbor had nothing to do with her.
Although, logically speaking, she should indeed side with the Adepti...
"But don't worry, Master won't suppress Liyue Harbor," Shenhe understood her master very well; she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
When so many people came to her master's cave to seek apprenticeship, her master didn't use forceful methods to drive them away; instead, she gave them a chance.
From this, it could be seen that her master's attitude towards mortals was not that bad.
"Mm, I hope so," Ann nodded, slowly sighing.
In Mondstadt, she had to face the Dragon Disaster; arriving in Liyue, she had hoped things would be smoother, but instead, something even bigger than the Mondstadt incident occurred.
What was Rex Lapis thinking? Why did he orchestrate such a scene?
And the Fatui's actions were also very strange; why did they seek out Lumine and even offer her help?
"The Fatui, I suppose, are not good people," Ann couldn't help but recall the Fatui Harbinger with the large round hat from before.
The malice emanating from that guy was truly unprecedented.
"Shenhe, let's walk faster."
"Mm."
------
Shortly after the incident, life in Liyue Harbor seemed to have not changed much despite Rex Lapis's departure.
It seemed that because the Liyue Seven Stars had sealed off the news, keeping the death a secret, people only wondered why Rex Lapis's divine oracle had not arrived after so many days since the Please Immortal Ceremony.
Of course, paper cannot wrap fire; moreover, although many people couldn't enter the inner venue of the Please Immortal Ceremony, many still stood outside watching.
These people were all asked to temporarily keep the events of the Please Immortal Ceremony a secret, but how many people could keep such a big secret?
Soon, some rumors spread within Liyue Harbor.
Coupled with the Millelith's movements in recent days, people had no choice but to believe them.
Thus, rumors about Rex Lapis's death began to circulate, with all sorts of stories being told in the streets and alleys.
Because the Fatui had a bad reputation, and the suspect was seemingly rescued by a Fatui Harbinger, many people were now saying that this incident was a conspiracy orchestrated by the Fatui.
Some others believed that all of this was done by the Liyue Seven Stars; they had long harbored rebellious intentions and thus launched a rebellion at this Please Immortal Ceremony, using the powerful strength of a foreign traveler, setting up a trap in advance, and assassinating the unsuspecting Rex Lapis.
In short, Liyue Harbor appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, undercurrents were already surging.
When Ann returned to Liyue Harbor, the first thing she noticed was the distinctly different atmosphere.
"I'm going to find Yelan, Shenhe you..."
"With you."
"Okay, alright," Ann nodded.
As Ningguang's direct special intelligence officer, Yelan must know a lot of inside information, so going to her was always the right choice.
However, recalling the terrible atmosphere of the Yanshang Teahouse, and how Ann always lost all her money every time she went, Ann didn't know if she should bring Shenhe along.
Bringing such an Adeptus-like being into a casino would feel somewhat strange, no matter how one thought about it.
But if she asked Shenhe to leave first and went alone, Shenhe probably wouldn't agree.
So, in the end, the two still arrived together at the entrance of the Yanshang Teahouse.
"It's Miss Ann," the guard standing at the door recognized Ann at a glance.
After all, every time Ann came to find Yelan, she would stay overnight in Yelan's room, and no one knew what she and Yelan did in the room.
So it was very memorable.
Similarly, Ann also had a very deep impression of the two people standing at the door.
After all, few people would make "Hum" and "Ha?" sounds when looking at others.
Ann had always secretly called the two of them the Hum and Ha Generals.
"Hello, is Yelan in?" Ann asked the two.
"You've come at just the right time, Madam Yelan has just returned, but she said she wouldn't see anyone..."
"Not even me?" Ann raised an eyebrow.
"You, of course, are an exception," these two had that much discernment; after all, not just anyone could gamble with Yelan all night and still leave with a smile the next morning.
"However, this person next to you..." The two's gazes simultaneously fell on Shenhe, both a bit hesitant.
"Don't worry, Yelan won't mind, you don't need to worry."
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