There was no doubt about it—Tartaglia was trying to persuade the people of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor through logic and rhetoric.
His justification sounded lofty and righteous: the Liyue Qixing were suspected of seizing power, and even the Geo Archon's death might have been caused by them. Otherwise, why would they centralize authority immediately and yet take no real action?
Anyone would find that suspicious.
He had already used this line of reasoning on multiple factions throughout Liyue, deliberately muddying the waters so he could fish for profit in the chaos.
After all, Tartaglia's true objective was to learn the exact location of the Adeptus' divine remains and obtain the Gnosis to complete his mission.
The process didn't matter—only the result.
Unfortunately for him, the other factions either refused outright or were simply powerless to help.
In the end, someone recommended Zhongli, consultant of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
If there was anyone left who might have a solution, it was him.
So Tartaglia made the trip once again.
Hearing this, Zhongli frowned slightly.
He hadn't expected that upon learning of the Geo Archon's death, the Qixing would not immediately hold the Rite of Descension's funeral ceremony.
No matter the circumstances, the proper rites should have been carried out first.
Just by looking at Zhongli's expression, Luo Li could tell what he was thinking—and nearly mocked him aloud.
To be honest, Zhongli's thinking was far too idealistic.
If a god suddenly died in public, no one in their right mind would rush to hold funeral rites immediately—especially when the death occurred during a descent ceremony.
Anyone with common sense would first investigate the cause and clarify what had happened.
Moreover, the Fatui had been scheming in Liyue for some time, conducting shady operations behind the scenes.
The Qixing had far too many urgent matters to handle—there was simply no time to conduct a Rite of Parting.
But Zhongli didn't care.
After all, the perspectives of adepti and humans were never the same. Perhaps this was precisely why the two sides had gradually drifted apart.
Thus, he agreed to Tartaglia's request without hesitation.
"I do have a way to deal with this."
Tartaglia's eyes lit up.
Perfect.
"Excellent. I have a friend who is extremely enthusiastic about uncovering the truth—and quite capable as well. I believe they'll be very useful. I'll host at Liuli Pavilion later; perhaps Mr. Zhongli could meet this friend of mine."
Zhongli nodded in agreement.
With the promise secured, Tartaglia was visibly pleased.
Luo Li simply watched the two of them perform their act in silence.
Outside Liyue Harbor
"Uh, Lumine… we've already met four adepti, and they cleared our suspicions, but what do we do now? They looked really angry just now. Something bad feels like it's about to happen."
The two-person "tool squad" was now full of worry.
With the help of the Sigil of Permission Tartaglia had given them, Lumine and Paimon successfully met the adepti and explained everything that had happened in Liyue Harbor to:
Moon Carver
Mountain Shaper
Cloud Retainer
Xiao, the Vigilant Yaksha
However, to their shock, after venting their fury, the adepti decided their first course of action was to suppress Liyue Harbor directly.
They intended to find the culprit who assassinated the Geo Archon.
If things escalated, the adepti would inevitably clash with Liyue's forces—possibly triggering a full-scale conflict.
"This is bad…"
Lumine didn't know what to do either. She held little influence; managing to clear her own name was already a success.
Heavy-hearted, she and Paimon hurried back toward Liyue Harbor.
What they saw next stunned them.
At the outskirts of the city, the Millelith and the adepti had already gathered.
And the atmosphere between them was anything but friendly.
Tension crackled in the air, sharp enough to cut.
Facing the heavily guarded city walls, Cloud Retainer shouted coldly:
"Liyue Qixing! Come out and face us at once! Or do you intend to hide the truth forever?!"
Upon learning of the Geo Archon's death, the adepti were already furious—being barred outside the city only worsened matters.
Liyue was built under a contract established by the adepti and the Geo Archon himself.
And now, after all these years, humans dared to block the adepti at the gates?
The audacity was staggering.
If not for the last shred of restraint, the adepti might have already forced their way into the city.
Moments later, a righteous, resolute young woman stepped forward atop the wall.
"Honored adepti, Liyue is currently in turmoil. We ask that you return to Jueyun Karst for now. Once matters are settled, we will provide a satisfactory explanation."
"Yuheng Star!" Cloud Retainer snapped. "Stop stalling! Open the gates and let us in! If you refuse to act, don't blame us for taking matters into our own hands!"
The sharp rebuke made Keqing frown slightly.
She took a deep breath and replied calmly:
"Honored adepti, we ask that you return temporarily. Once everything is resolved, you will receive an explanation."
Cloud Retainer's anger flared.
"I'll say it one last time—open the gates of Liyue and let us in! Otherwise, we will force our way through!"
Keqing did not waver.
"No matter how many times you ask, I will not open the gates. Liyue is at a critical moment—we cannot afford even the slightest mistake!"
Threats?
Keqing feared no one.
If the era of human governance had truly arrived, then the adepti—who had chosen seclusion—should uphold their own roles.
The Qixing would give an answer—just not now.
As the two sides glared at each other, the situation teetered on the brink of violence.
At that moment, Ganyu, standing behind them, could no longer watch in silence. She hurried forward to mediate.
"Cloud Retainer… please stop arguing. Teacher has returned and is already investigating the clues. I believe we'll have answers soon."
Seeing Ganyu, Cloud Retainer froze.
She hadn't expected this half-adeptus to stand on the opposite side—and couldn't help feeling a hint of disappointment.
But then she caught the word "teacher."
"Wait… who did you just say?"
"Teacher?"
The shock nearly made her forget about the Geo Archon's death entirely.
There had only ever been one person Ganyu called "teacher."
Even when Cloud Retainer herself had taken care of Ganyu, it was only as a guardian—not as a teacher.
Not only her, but Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver were equally shaken.
How was this possible?
Hadn't that person—according to the Geo Archon himself—already perished in the Abyss?
How could he have returned?!
Because of Ganyu's words, the tense atmosphere instantly fell into an awkward silence.