"So, you're saying you want to take me to The Chasm to see if the Nail of Frost there has also been affected?"
By now, Azhdaha's irritation had mostly faded. This matter was indeed important. But what she didn't understand was why Zhongli needed to bring her along. Did he think that if he couldn't solve the problem, she could?
Seeing her confusion, Zhongli let out a sigh, his face full of melancholy.
"Sigh, Azhdaha, you know I'm no longer the Geo Archon. According to the contract, I no longer carry the Gnosis. My strength is far from what it used to be."
"The Chasm is extremely dangerous. Without your help, I fear I might never return from there."
"Morax, do you really think I'm stupid?! On the day Osial was freed, you threw me all the way from Liyue Harbor to Wangshu Inn. Do you take me for a fool?"
Azhdaha was nearly fuming at Zhongli's excuse. Did he really think she had no brain? Seeing his ruse hadn't worked, Zhongli changed his approach.
"Azhdaha, you know I'm just an ordinary person now. To others, I don't appear powerful at all. If I showed up at The Chasm alone, it would raise suspicion."
"But if you, an adeptus, were with me, even if we were discovered, people would only think it was you—that you, the adeptus, sensed something wrong at The Chasm and brought me along to investigate."
"That way, your reputation in Liyue would only grow."
Azhdaha thought it over. That did make sense. Once her reputation was high enough, she would rally the people to elect Zhongli as one of the Liyue Qixing. That old man she met today was a Qixing member. He was old enough to retire, and Zhongli could take his place. She didn't believe Zhongli could ignore the will of the people. Then he'd have no time to keep an eye on her, and she could play all she wanted.
"Fine. I'll go with you."
Seeing Azhdaha agree, Zhongli secretly congratulated himself. Once you have one, you'll have a second. And after that, many more. It seemed he could delegate more tasks in the future. His retirement was getting cozier by the minute.
And so, each with their own hidden agenda, the two set off toward The Chasm, their gazes toward each other remarkably innocent, as if neither had any ulterior motives.
...
After Zhongli and Azhdaha left, the group tidied up the battered Hilichurl camp to prepare lunch. Apart from Klee and Qiqi, who were a little sad to see Azhdaha go, no one else was affected. In fact, with Zhongli gone, Hu Tao seemed even more excited. No one was going to hold her back on this trip to the snowy mountain.
Seeing Hu Tao take Klee and Qiqi out to forage for ingredients, while Lumine and Mona busied themselves at the stove and Shenhe observed their cooking techniques from the side, Su Bai suddenly realized he had nothing to do.
"I remember Klee likes fish. I'll go catch some from the river."
Deciding this was the only way he could help, Su Bai headed toward a nearby frozen lake. From his years of experience fishing with Electro, he knew there should be plenty of fish there.
Approaching the lake, Su Bai couldn't help but sigh. Despite the cold and wind, the snowy mountain had its own charm. Having seen Liyue's grand landscapes for so long, the change of scenery was captivating. The mountains, the water, the people... wait. These two people felt familiar. Could they be Eula and Amber?
"Su Bai, it really is you! I told Eula I saw you, and she didn't believe me."
"Haha, I didn't expect to run into you here either."
Su Bai waved happily at Eula and Amber. Running into friends in such a remote place was a pleasant surprise.
"Hmph, you perverted fox weren't trying to spy on us bathing, were you? I'll remember this grudge!"
Just from Eula's opening remark, Su Bai could guess why they were there. He scratched his head awkwardly. This was a misunderstanding. He hadn't done anything. Amber's face flushed as she quickly changed the subject.
"Su Bai, are you here for the Adventurers' Guild event too? I heard the prizes are quite generous."
"No, not really. Lumine might be, though. I'm here to find an alchemist named Albedo."
"Lumine? She's here too?! That's great! With her help, things will be much easier."
Amber cheered at the news. Su Bai wasn't as optimistic. If it were just Lumine, it would be fine. But Hu Tao was here too. With her around, there was bound to be some chaos. Still, Hu Tao was strong, so she could handle most problems.
"Do you want to come back to our camp with me? We took over a Hilichurl camp nearby and are about to cook."
"Really? That would be great! Thank you."
Back at the camp, Hu Tao and the others had already returned and were preparing the game they had hunted. Frozen meat was a rare ingredient in Liyue Harbor. Even the well-off Hu Tao had only tasted it a handful of times.
As for Mona, she'd barely had meat at all. Earlier, when Hu Tao dragged a frozen boar back to camp, Mona had even borrowed Lumine's Kamera to take a picture as a keepsake.
"Oh, Amber, Eula, you're here too! You must be here for the event as well."
"Long time no see, Paimon. You look like you've gained weight. Be careful—if you get too heavy, you might fall out of the sky."
"Paimon hasn't gained weight! It's just your imagination, Amber!"
Amber teased Paimon a bit, and Su Bai introduced them to the group. Amber handled the greetings well, but Eula seemed visibly uncomfortable.
Seeing Eula struggling to fit in, Hu Tao immediately jumped in. She somehow produced a Wangsheng package flyer and shoved it into Eula's hands before she could react.
"Eula, I heard from Su Bai that you have a large family. How about ordering a few of our Wangsheng packages? Great value, first come first served."
"Packages? Let me see... 'Another Home'? Not really my thing. I'm staying at Su Bai's place for now, so I don't need that."
"Huh? You're thinking about other things while talking to me? I'll remember this grudge!"
Eula waved her hand in front of Hu Tao's dazed eyes. Only then did Hu Tao snap back to reality, feeling the cold glare from Shenhe behind her. She swallowed hard.
"Um, Eula, I really hope you'll consider buying one. You won't regret it. I'll even give you a discount."
Hu Tao swore she had never been more sincere in selling a Wangsheng package, even at a loss. But Eula didn't seem interested. She barely glanced at the flyer before handing it back.