"Huh? Jun Bai actually knows how to use a sword?" Stelle looked at the black-haired Jun Bai on the screen, who had not taken out his long spear but instead drew a long sword, feeling very surprised.
[Well, after all, he's currently in disguise. Using a long spear would make it easy for others to recognize his true identity.]
[As the Marshal of the Millelith, it's perfectly normal for him to be proficient with multiple weapons, right?]
[By the way, the voice actor did a really good job. Even from a god's-eye view we know Jun Bai is acting, but it doesn't sound like it at all. It really feels like Jun Bai is full of confidence.]
[Maybe it's method acting, since Jun Bai does have the capital to look down on Childe. In every aspect.]
"This Childe really doesn't have much strength."
Watching Childe being subdued by a single sword strike from Jun Bai, Stelle let out a smug taunt, as if she were the one who had defeated Childe.
"It is said that during the Archon War, a swordsman of unparalleled skill appeared in Qingce Village in Liyue."
"That swordsman possessed a sword technique capable of suppressing elemental power. Even Archons could not use their elemental power under that single strike. Could you be his successor?"
Listening to Childe's words, Stelle burst out laughing in the livestream room: "Brothers, I'm betting on a Crazy Thursday—this swordsman is Jun Bai himself."
[It feels like everyone can guess it.]
[I can already picture it: black-haired, red-eyed Jun Bai holding a long sword, fighting a great battle against an Archon in Qingce Village, then leaving behind a legend in Qingce Village.]
[So, Jun Bai's swordsmanship is actually superior to his spear skills? But his weapon type is polearm?]
"The polearm weapon point feels like foreshadowing."
Stelle rarely showed such thoughtful analysis.
The conversation between Childe and the protagonist group ended quickly. At this moment, players saw Signora appear on screen.
During the exchange between Childe and Signora, players learned that Childe had not used his full strength, but everyone's reaction was…
"It's not like Jun Bai used his full strength either." Stelle said with amusement. "He's a God. Even without using any elemental power and relying only on martial skill, you're still no match for him."
[The greatest misconception in history is Childe thinking that once he goes all out, he can remain undefeated against Jun Bai.]
[Childe definitely wouldn't expect that Jun Bai is currently at his weakest. He will gradually recover his strength later.]
[Childe still thinks Jun Bai is the successor of that Sword Immortal, completely unaware that it's the man himself.]
Amid the mocking laughter of the players, the scene shifted to the protagonist group. The quest marker instructed Stelle to talk to Jun Bai.
Then Stelle heard Lumine jokingly ask whether the swordsman mentioned by Childe was Jun Bai himself.
"As expected of my other half, she has the same idea as me." Stelle laughed, then confidently tapped the screen, waiting for Jun Bai's affirmative reply.
And then…
"No, it was just a friend I met during the Archon War. Moreover, the rumors about that guy have actually been somewhat embellished."
"It can indeed suppress elemental power, but saying that even Archons would be affected is still a bit exaggerated."
Looking at the fleeting dimness in Jun Bai's eyes—which the players still managed to catch—Stelle's smile gradually froze on her face.
[Brothers, there's a knife! Run!]
[This friend… couldn't have been killed during the final battle against the Archon because his swordsmanship couldn't affect the Archon, right…]
[And it seems Jun Bai was watching it happen…]
The chatters didn't say it outright, but everyone who understood, understood.
"Crazy Thursday, here I come."
Stelle slumped in her chair as if she had lost her soul.
Wait, was that really her main takeaway?
"So, do you all really have to seriously discuss the knife?" Stelle said weakly. "I was already caught off guard by the knife, and now you're making me relive it and deepen the impression?"
At this moment, the plot continued playing automatically, and Paimon's voice came from the screen.
"By the way, your swordsmanship is clearly very powerful too. So why are you using a spear now?"
Both Stelle and the viewers in the livestream simultaneously felt a bad premonition.
"Back then, a lot of things happened, so I abandoned the sword and took up the spear."
[Great, I'm not sleeping tonight.]
[I didn't expect to get stabbed even here. As expected of miHoYo.]
[It's fine, it's just a small knife. I can take it.]
The plot segment ended here. However, Stelle felt a little uncomfortable. Thinking back to what she had said before playing the story, she felt a rare pang of guilt.
Making jokes about someone else's painful past was really tasteless.
Stelle took out her phone, opened the electronic wooden fish, and devoutly tapped it three times. Only then did her expression return to normal.
After this conversation ended, players needed to advance time to the next morning to continue the story.
During this period, free exploration was possible, but Stelle only wanted to advance the plot, so she directly called out Paimon.
Time advanced to the next morning.
Following the quest marker, Stelle arrived at Liuli Pavilion. Upon entering, a cutscene was triggered.
[After visiting Fengdeng Lou, Liuli Pavilion feels so shabby. Is this one of the two major restaurants in Liyue Harbor?]
[Although there isn't much text about Fengdeng Lou yet, the little information revealed by Bonanus's wife is already enough to prove that Fengdeng Lou is not comparable to an ordinary restaurant.]
[Fengdeng Lou is a genuine thousand-year-old establishment. It seems even older than Liyue Harbor itself.]
[Not to mention anything else, the fact that the entire third floor of Fengdeng Lou belongs exclusively to Big Bro Bai is something Liuli Pavilion and Xinyue Kiosk can never hope to match.]
"The loading time is really long."
While Stelle was feeling bored, the screen finally finished loading.
The protagonist group of three walked into a private room in Liuli Pavilion, only to see Childe chatting with a man.
[Zhongli?]
[So Childe's method is to directly approach the real culprit?]
[We still can't confirm that Zhongli is the real culprit. We can only say that, from the players' perspective, Zhongli is the most suspicious.]
[Let's discuss it later. The plot will explain it.]
Because they had already seen Zhongli before, the barrage at this moment was quite calm; everyone was seriously discussing the plot.
"Hey, partner, and this gentleman here. This is the person I found who can help us see the Immortal Ancestor's Dharma Remains."
Childe was about to introduce Zhongli to the protagonist group when Jun Bai interrupted: "So the 'connection' you mentioned refers to the Rite of Descension."
"Lumine, Paimon, let me introduce you. This is the consultant of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Zhongli. He is also my friend." Jun Bai said to Lumine and Paimon.
"Hello to both of you." Zhongli gave a slight nod to Lumine and Paimon.
"Hello. We saw you on the street before, but we didn't come over to greet you at the time." Paimon said very politely.
Since he was Jun Bai's friend, he was most likely an adeptus. Having witnessed an adeptus's anger, Paimon no longer dared to be disrespectful toward adepti.
Childe's brow twitched. "It seems I don't need to introduce Mr. Zhongli to you all."
"My mistake. I thought about finding the Immortal Ancestor's Dharma Remains but didn't think of the Rite of Descension. If I had thought of it earlier, Lumine wouldn't have needed to make a deal with you." Jun Bai lightly mocked Childe.
"Jun Bai, what is the Rite of Descension?" Lumine asked.
"Let me explain." Zhongli took over the question and introduced the relevant information about the Rite of Descension to Lumine and Paimon.
"…During the period when Liyue Harbor was first established, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor had already handled the Rite of Descension for the Illuminated Bird who sacrificed her life for Liyue, as well as the Rite of Descension for the Sea Gazer who passed away of old age."
Zhongli added at the end.