Aha did not leave; instead, it vanished, planning to look for some amusement in this universe.
Zhongli, who was on his way back to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor (Genshin Impact), suddenly paused as though sensing something.
A glowing amber stone appeared before him, slowly rotating in mid-air.
"Hm? What is this?"
Hu Tao, walking beside him, tilted her head at the amber stone and asked in puzzlement.
Why is this amber stone so sparkly?
Zhongli kept his eyes on the amber and did not answer Hu Tao immediately.
After a moment of staring, Zhongli suddenly felt himself transported to a space he had never seen before.
The Interstice of the Paths.
There he saw a radiant stone giant.
Its name simultaneously surfaced in his mind.
"The Preservation Aeon, Qlipoth."
"Sculpt—(A thousand years of Preservation, unwavering.)"
"..."
A grand, bell-like voice echoed in Zhongli's mind, and then he felt his erosion vanish completely.
Such mighty power… worthy of the title Aeon.
Zhongli looked up and met Qlipoth's gaze.
The next instant, he was back beside Hu Tao.
The amber stone was now held in his palm, though he hadn't noticed when he'd grasped it.
His power… had undergone a qualitative change.
If the information in his mind was correct,
he should now be considered an Emanator of Preservation.
Calmly, Zhongli tucked the amber stone into his robe and regarded Hu Tao with an unruffled expression.
"It appears to be an amber stone steeped in history, hence such anomalies."
Arms folded, Zhongli spun this tale with a perfectly straight face.
Hu Tao was thoroughly taken in.
"Oh… I see."
She sensed nothing special about the stone and so thought no more of it.
Without further words, the two quickened their steps toward Wangsheng Funeral Parlor (Genshin Impact). Meanwhile, at the Northland Bank, Bianca and the Traveler had finished listening to Tartaglia's explanation.
"So even among the Fatui, there are good guys and bad guys…"
Paimon's tiny brows knitted; she clearly didn't believe it yet couldn't find a flaw.
After all, it was Childe who had gotten them out—otherwise the Millelith might have arrested them on the spot.
"We can trust you for now…"
Lumine paused, then sighed with a bitter smile.
"But now that Liyue has put a bounty on us, we can't move freely…"
"I'm sure you're not the culprits who attacked the Geo Archon. After all, the mighty Morax, hailed as the God of War, couldn't possibly be taken down so easily~"
Seeing her distress, Tartaglia's eyes flashed as he immediately sided with Lumine to comfort her.
"Thank you…"
Lumine blinked, a slight smile curling her lips as she turned apologetically to Bianca.
"Sorry… for dragging you into this…"
"It's all right. I simply couldn't stand by while an innocent young lady was wrongly accused."
Bianca shook her head, her tone frank and upright.
It wasn't because Lumine looked especially cute.
Had any other girl suffered such injustice, she would have stepped in just the same.
"Lumine, this pretty big sister is so reliable!"
Floating in the air, Paimon rubbed her tiny hands together, kicking her feet in excitement.
Lumine wholeheartedly agreed.
"Yeah, thank you so much… um… kind big sister…"
Lumine wanted to express her gratitude properly, only to realize she still didn't know the other's name. She scratched her cheek in embarrassment.
"I am Bianca Durandal Atagina; you can call me Bianca or Durandal, whichever you prefer."
Watching the flustered girl, Bianca smiled faintly, placed a hand to her chest, and introduced herself.
The name surprised everyone present.
Paimon even flew right up to Bianca's face, her big eyes full of question marks.
"Bianca, you're not from Liyue?!"
After all, her outfit was unmistakably Liyuean, and at her waist hung what looked like a Liyue military token!
Thus, along the way, everyone had simply assumed this pretty blonde girl was a local.
"No, I'm not. I come from the seventh ship of the Xianzhou Alliance—Wangshu."
"Xianzhou Alliance… Wangshu… Sounds nice, but Paimon's never heard of such a place in Teyvat…"
Paimon lowered her head, pinching her tiny chin in thought.
No matter how hard she racked her brain, she couldn't locate Wangshu anywhere in Teyvat.
She had, however, heard of a place called Wangshu Inn in Liyue…
But that clearly wasn't the Wangshu Bianca meant!
"Ugh… I can't figure it out!"
Paimon flailed through the air in frustration, then looked pitifully at Bianca.
"Where exactly is the Xianzhou? Can you tell Paimon?"
"Wangshu is not in this world; my little sister brought me here to sightsee…"
Bianca, charmed by Paimon's cuteness, instinctively hugged her and answered gently.
Those words made Lumine's pupils contract as she stared incredulously into Bianca's eyes.
She wasn't lying… she and her sister really came from beyond this world!?
"When you arrived, did you happen to meet a white-haired, golden-eyed goddess with an aloof aura?"
Lumine stepped closer, grasping Bianca's hands, urgency in her voice.
Bianca pondered briefly, then shook her head.
The rough description… sounded a bit like Sirin, but Sirin definitely hadn't come along—Bianca was certain of that.
"I see…"
Lumine's grip loosened, her eyes dimming with disappointment.
Seeing her like that stirred a protective instinct in Bianca.
Images of her all-capable little sister, Kiana, surfaced in her mind.
"Lumine, there is someone who might know the goddess you speak of…"
"Who—?!"
Lumine seized Bianca's hands again, hope rekindling in her brightened eyes.
She must be someone very important to her… Bianca mused before speaking.
"My little sister…"
"Can you take me to her?!"
"I can, but…"
Unless Kiana released her aura, Bianca had no way to sense her.
By now, Kiana might have already left the site of the Rite of Descension.
"Bianca, take Lumine to see your sister! Lumine's sibling was taken away by that goddess!"
"So that's how it is…"
Understanding dawned on Bianca and she nodded.
"But before that, I suggest we clear your names first, all right?"
Tartaglia suddenly interjected with a reminder.
Lumine lowered her head in thought, then nodded, temporarily setting aside her longing for her sister.
"All right… I don't want us to stay misunderstood forever."
"But how do we clear our names? They won't believe us if we just talk,"
Paimon fretted, scratching her head.
At that moment, Tartaglia flashed a mysterious smile and produced a talisman from his coat.
"With this—the Hundred‑No‑Taboo Talisman!"
-------------------------------
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