Chapter 105: Physical Evidence is Hard to Prove, and Zhongli is Tired
"Is… is that so?" Dainsleif touched his still-numb mouth, his gaze falling upon the 'cute' General Youyou sitting innocently on the plate.
He thought back to the terrifying assault on his taste buds that had swept through his very soul just moments ago, a sensation like tasting all the bitterness in the world at once. The torrent of fragmented memories that followed… something felt deeply wrong.
But the man before him was his old friend, a companion he had fought alongside for ages, the very symbol of contracts. He had never doubted Zhongli's word.
So, despite his bewilderment, Dainsleif nodded, choosing to believe. "I see… In that case… that's good."
Seeing this, Hu Tao felt a fresh pang of guilt. She had originally intended to 'reward' (read: punish) her disobedient consultant, but had ended up accidentally collateral-damaging the righteous Brother Dainsleif. As the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, she had a reputation to maintain.
So, while Dainsleif was still a bit dazed and Zhongli's attention was focused on comforting him, she snatched up the 'evidence'—the offending General Youyou—and swiftly hid it in the cabinet behind her.
Her cheeks flushed slightly as she silently chanted to herself, 'Hu Tao, oh, Hu Tao, next time you punish the consultant, make sure there are no innocent bystanders around!'
Meanwhile, Dainsleif gave his head a vigorous shake, trying to dispel the strange numbness in his mouth and the chaotic images still flickering at the edges of his mind.
After a moment, his previously frozen memory rebooted.
That's right! Wasn't he just cooperating with Director Hu in a 'righteous interrogation' of Zhongli? How had he suddenly blacked out?
"Ahem." He cleared his throat, though his mouth was still devoid of all taste, and tried to resume his previous 'fair and strict' posture as he looked at Hu Tao.
"Director Hu, how far did we… get in the interrogation? Has Zhongli confessed honestly?" His serious expression made it seem as if he wasn't the one who had just been nearly knocked out by a slime-shaped dessert.
Hu Tao looked at Dainsleif, who had just suffered an unwarranted disaster yet whose first thought upon waking was still to help her uphold justice. Her flicker of apology instantly blossomed into immense gratitude.
What an honest man! What a good ally!
She immediately straightened her small frame, her expression turning serious once more. Her voice, when she spoke to Zhongli, was several shades louder than before.
"That's right! Consultant! Brother Dainsleif is correct! Don't you try to beat around the bush! The Traveler may be far away in Natlan, but that is absolutely no excuse for you to use her as a shield!"
"Confess honestly! Where exactly have you been enjoying… uh, 'busying' yourself these past two days?" She almost let it slip, quickly correcting herself, but the word 'enjoying' still betrayed her true assessment of Zhongli's tale.
Zhongli looked at the two of them, now a united front against a common enemy. He took in Dainsleif's earnest expression, a look that screamed, 'I've lost my memory, but I must still uphold justice,' and felt a deep sense of powerlessness wash over him.
He gave up on trying to explain further with words and decided to produce some physical evidence.
Walking to a slightly more open area in the hall, he waved his hand.
Accompanied by a soft golden light and subtle ripples in space, a strangely shaped motorcycle materialized from thin air, landing steadily on the floor.
The vehicle boasted sleek, powerful lines. Its main frame shimmered with the warm, jade-like luster of Starconch, a material unique to Liyue, yet its crucial components were fitted with precise mechanical parts that were clearly not of Liyue design. simplified, turquoise-colored sections, seemingly decorative, adorned both sides of the motorcycle, and a faint current of Anemo energy seemed to flow through them.
The entire vehicle was a fusion of otherworldly technology and the elemental power of Teyvat, making it at once avant-garde and mysterious.
Hu Tao's plum blossom pupils instantly widened.
She circled the motorcycle twice, her mouth slightly agape in surprise. This was definitely not something any workshop in Liyue could build. The design, the materials—especially the teal core and the floating crystals—all exuded a strong 'not of this world' aura.
Could it be… that the incredible things the consultant had just said… were true?
Just as the needle on Hu Tao's internal scale began to waver, about to tip towards the 'unbelievable but seemingly true' side…
"Ha!" Dainsleif's eyes lit up. He stepped forward to examine the motorcycle carefully, his tone carrying a hint of excitement and the distinct satisfaction of someone who had finally caught their quarry.
"You finally decided to bring out this treasure that Xianyun modified for you! Zhongli! Where's the matching model you promised me? Didn't I tell you to get one for me, too, when you left? Where's mine? Where's my 'Daiyuan'?"
He had completely forgotten the 'soul-leaving-the-body' incident from moments before, his mind now filled with the image of the cool flying mount that he believed Zhongli had promised but had yet to deliver.
"Xianyun?" Hu Tao latched onto the key name, immediately snapping out of her shock over the motorcycle.
Of course she knew Xianyun! The master of adeptal mechanisms who had recently moved to Liyue Harbor. Xiangling had mentioned her before, telling Hu Tao about an adeptal artisan named Xianyun who had challenged her to a cooking contest with a self-built 'divine cooking machine'—a contest that, fortunately, Xiangling had still won.
So, in Hu Tao's current understanding, Xianyun was a reclusive and extraordinarily skilled master of adeptal mechanics.
For her to build the motorcycle before them, a machine that combined adeptal arts with exquisite mechanisms, was completely within the world of reason.
The surprise on Hu Tao's face instantly faded, replaced by an 'as expected' expression tinged with the smug understanding of someone who had uncovered the truth.
She crossed her arms, squinting at Zhongli as she drawled, "Oh—? So it's Master Xianyun's handiwork… I knew it."
She walked over to the motorcycle and deliberately patted its jade-glowing body.
"Consultant, wouldn't it have been simpler if you had just said you had Master Xianyun modify your mount? Why go through such a long explanation, even making up stories about otherworldly Hollow racing… Tsk, tsk, tsk."
She shook her head, an expression of 'I've seen through your little game' plastered on her face. Then, she turned back to Zhongli, her eyes radiating 'confess and be lenient' pressure as her voice rose.
"Hmm? Consultant? Care to explain? What's this about a promised 'Daiyuan,' then? You're not planning to charge its modification fees to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's account, are you?"
The "Hmm?" at the end was drawn out, dripping with playful mockery.
Zhongli was silent.
He looked at his old friend Dainsleif, who had just been his staunch ally against a common enemy but was now gazing at him with innocent, expectant eyes fixed on the motorcycle.
Then he looked at the little Funeral Parlor Director, who was looking utterly smug, convinced she had caught him in a lie.
Even Zhongli's unshakable composure felt a ripple of something he could only name 'exhaustion.'
Should he perhaps go to Natlan to find some peace and quiet? The thought flashed through his mind, but he quickly suppressed it. As the God of Contracts, how could he retreat in the face of mere difficulty?
He composed himself, his golden eyes first looking at the motorcycle—the culprit of this misunderstanding—and then at Dainsleif, who was staring at it intently beside him.
"Ahem," Zhongli coughed lightly, his voice still steady but now carrying a barely perceptible hint of guidance. "Dainsleif, since you are so curious about this vehicle, why not… experience it for yourself?"
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