"Haha…"
Qiu Nian chuckled softly.
"At that time, Guoba ran out of the restaurant and headed toward the outskirts of Liyue Harbor."
"You were busy cooking, Xiangling, so I didn't want to disturb you."
"Seeing that, I set down my chopsticks and followed after him."
"In the end, Guoba stopped in a valley."
"And there… he faced off against a Stonehide Lawachurl."
Qiu Nian calmly narrated the story.
Guoba seemed to vaguely understand what Qiu Nian was saying.
First, he looked shocked.
Then confused.
As if thinking: When did that ever happen?
Unfortunately, everyone's attention was focused on Qiu Nian.
No one noticed Guoba's changing expressions.
And even if they had, they probably wouldn't have understood.
For example, the viewers in Xuehua's livestream simply assumed Guoba was reacting because Qiu Nian had exposed his secret.
"Hmm…"
Zhongli stroked his chin thoughtfully.
If he remembered correctly…
That day he had wanted to purchase an antique.
Since he was short on Mora, he had gone to Wanmin Restaurant to find Qiu Nian.
His old friend became curious about the antique and accompanied him to look at it.
So when exactly had Qiu Nian left Liyue Harbor?
Zhongli couldn't recall such a moment.
"And then what happened?!"
"Did Guoba fight the Lawachurl?"
Paimon asked excitedly.
Qiu Nian nodded.
"The Stonehide Lawachurl leapt forward."
"With both fists clasped together, it smashed down toward Guoba below."
"With a loud bang—"
"Its fists struck Guoba squarely on the head."
"Guoba's feet sank into the ground from the impact…"
"But he wasn't injured at all."
"Then, as if angered, Guoba spat out a burst of flame and charged straight at the Lawachurl."
"That collision knocked the Lawachurl off balance and sent it tumbling backward."
"And after finishing that…"
"Guoba simply hopped happily all the way back to Liyue Harbor."
Qiu Nian told the story vividly.
It sounded so convincing that it felt like it had truly happened.
"Guoba is so strong!"
"He looks so soft and cute, but he's actually that powerful!"
Xuehua laughed in amazement.
The chat immediately exploded.
[Getting smashed by a Lawachurl and taking zero damage is insane.]
[And he even knocked the Lawachurl down afterward.]
[Guoba is adorable.]
[That durability is ridiculous.]
"Lu! Lulu!"
Guoba suddenly ran over to Qiu Nian and stared at him with a shocked expression.
Even someone as composed as Qiu Nian felt slightly awkward under Guoba's intense gaze.
Sorry, Marchosius.
Next time I visit Wanmin Restaurant, I'll bring you something good to eat.
"Oh my gosh, Guoba!"
"I've known you for so long and never knew you were this strong!"
Xiangling said excitedly.
Guoba turned around, still wearing the same stunned expression.
"It's okay, Guoba. I'm not mad!"
"But next time you want to duel a monster, you have to bring me with you."
"Don't sneak off alone again!"
Xiangling crouched down and reminded him with a smile.
"Lu…"
Guoba drooped his arms and looked dejected.
"I definitely won't dare provoke Xiangling anymore."
"If Guoba rammed into me like that, I'd probably die on the spot."
Hu Tao placed her fists on her hips and laughed.
"Hmph!"
"See how strong Guoba is?"
"You'd better not mess with me from now on."
Xiangling folded her arms proudly.
"So that means…"
"Guoba likes challenging monsters?"
Xingqiu waved his hand thoughtfully.
"Sneaking out to spar with monsters from time to time…"
"Maybe he's trying to grow stronger so he can protect Xiangling."
"That's actually very touching."
Chongyun imagined Guoba gradually becoming stronger through constant battles.
His expression became complicated.
"Guoba…"
Xiangling placed a hand over her chest, clearly moved by the thought.
"But…"
"Why were those Geovishaps here?"
Lumine turned toward the dark countryside.
"Yeah."
"Those baby Geovishaps—and that huge one."
"Why would they come this close to Liyue Harbor?"
"They're supposed to live near Nantianmen."
"How did they even get here?"
Paimon spread her hands, confused.
Qiu Nian looked at the group.
"Since we've found Guoba, we should return to Liyue Harbor."
"And report what happened to the Millelith."
Everyone nodded.
They began walking back toward the city.
After returning to Liyue Harbor, they found a Millelith soldier patrolling the streets.
"A giant Geovishap…?"
"Please tell me the exact location so we can organize a patrol."
The handsome soldier asked seriously.
"It's northwest of Liyue Harbor, not far from the city."
Qiu Nian replied.
"Understood. I've noted it down."
"Millelith stand firm, mountains never fall."
"I wish you all a happy Lantern Rite."
The young soldier bowed slightly before heading toward the Ministry of Civil Affairs with his White Tassel spear.
"The Millelith of Liyue are really responsible."
"But we heard from Fengyan that Ningguang plans to dismiss some of them."
"I wonder if that soldier will be among them…"
Paimon sighed.
"Wow… he's handsome."
Xuehua stared dreamily at the soldier.
The chat instantly responded.
[It's true—most Millelith soldiers in Liyue are ridiculously good-looking.]
[They're disciplined and righteous too.]
[They should rename them the 'Handsome Army.']
[Wait, why are they reducing the army?]
[Didn't they say earlier Liyue has 600,000 Millelith? Ningguang can't afford them all.]
"That's understandable."
Zhongli said calmly.
"Why?"
Paimon asked.
"You may not know this, Paimon."
"Before Tianquan Ningguang took office, the Millelith numbered around 500,000."
"After she assumed the position, the number increased to 600,000."
"And even after expanding the army by one hundred thousand…"
"Liyue's economy not only remained stable—it actually improved."
Qiu Nian explained.
"It's no exaggeration to say that Ningguang is the most capable Tianquan of the past two hundred years."
"Under her governance, the military, the economy, and the living standards of Liyue's people have all improved significantly."
"Indeed."
Zhongli nodded.
Although the Rite of Descension once outlined Liyue's future plans…
The execution of those plans ultimately depended on the Qixing.
As Morax, he was satisfied with Ningguang.
And as Zhongli, an ordinary citizen—
He could clearly see Liyue Harbor becoming more prosperous.
"Furthermore, today's Millelith are far better trained overall."
"A strong military ensures stable commerce."
Qiu Nian continued.
"As far as I know, Ningguang only intends to retire some of the older Millelith soldiers."
"They'll still receive proper support afterward."
"New recruits will gradually join the army."
"The process may be slow, though."
"Because Ningguang wants to first restore the economy after the Overlord of the Vortex incident."
"Once the economy recovers, recruitment will likely speed up."
"Probably after the Lantern Rite."
As he finished speaking, Qiu Nian looked toward the bustling streets.
"I see!"
Paimon said in realization.
"Haha… Did Paimon misunderstand Lady Ningguang?"
Qiu Nian laughed.
"After what happened with the Overlord of the Vortex…"
"I doubt Ningguang would ever weaken Liyue's military strength out of foolishness."
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