This afternoon, the sun was shining just right.
Xingqiu and Chongyun had agreed to stroll through the Liyue Harbor market, and as they chatted, the conversation turned back to the travels of shi po chen · part two, which they had finished reading yesterday.
"The part where Lord Rex Lapis distributes the perfume is truly exquisite, especially the reaction of the Conqueror of Demons..." Xingqiu fanned himself with a folding fan, a bright smile on his face. "Though the expression isn't directly described, the words 'hand trembled slightly' and'silent for a long time' are full of imagery, making one unable to help but chuckle."
Chongyun, however, was still hung up on the final part: "I still think that wordless tombstone at the end is a bit... strange. Why was Lord Rex Lapis so special toward that specific monument? And those words he said—just who is buried under that stone?"
"Perhaps it's a departed friend, or an Adeptus who fought alongside him?" Xingqiu speculated. "The author's brushwork turned gentle and subtle there, leaving much to the imagination. That's the brilliance of it—it invites contemplation."
As the two were talking and laughing, they passed by Sanyu Bookstore. They noticed the entrance was even more crowded than usual. Several readers were excitedly discussing something, their voices loud enough to drift clearly into the duo's ears.
"If you ask me, the one buried under that wordless tombstone is definitely 'Mora' without a doubt!"
"Isn't that the truth! record of shi pos wanderings only used that falling leaf looking like Mora as a hint, but 'synthesizing deities' wrote it plain as day! That gentle goddess in charge of creating Mora sacrificed herself for Kexi and merged into his body, and that's how we got the current Lord Rex Lapis Morax!"
"Exactly! And that book 'Twin Deities and the Life-Death Contract' also verified it! Twin Gods, one named Mora and one named Kexi, dependent on each other in life and death, eventually merging into one! That wordless tombstone, combined with that final hint, must be a memorial Lord Rex Lapis erected for his departed lover, Mora!"
"Wait, brother, what book are you talking about? And where did this news of Lord Rex Lapis's late wife come from? Although the end of the travels of shi po chen · part two mentioned a wordless tombstone, it never stated who it was for. And besides... Lord Rex Lapis has a wife?"
"Hah! Haven't you read the two earlier earth-shattering works by Mr. Lovia? 'regarding the matter of the geo archon being a synthesized god who caused his wifes death' and 'The Name Morax Actually Hides Twin Deities and a Life-Death Contract!' It's all written there clearly! So, the one resting under that wordless tombstone is none other than Lord Rex Lapis's lover, who sacrificed herself to the Dao under the name 'Mora'!"
"What?! A synthesized God? Caused his wife's death? Such things actually happened?!"
"It's absolutely true! Mr. Lovia's research is extremely detailed; it's said he cited many lost ancient texts! Liyue Harbor is going crazy over it! Everyone says the reason Lord Rex Lapis doesn't carry Mora normally is that seeing Mora is like seeing his late wife, making his heart heavy. Moreover, the ability to create true Mora died forever with 'Mora's' passing!"
"It... it's actually like that?! No wonder Lord Rex Lapis always sends the bills to the Qixing..."
"Quick! Shop Assistant, give me one of each! What? Both books are almost out of stock?!"
"Sigh, to think the old gentleman had such a heartbreaking past. No wonder he went there to stand in silence and even offered the newly released perfume... It's truly a story that brings tears to all who hear it!"
"Yeah, thinking about it that way, everything in record of shi pos wanderings—Lord Rex Lapis not carrying money, not understanding promotions, and even giving away those hundred boxes of perfume, especially the gesture left for 'that person' at the end—it all makes sense! It was all to mourn his late wife!"
...Xingqiu and Chongyun's footsteps came to a sudden halt.
The two looked at each other, both seeing massive shock and bewilderment in the other's eyes.
Two even earlier earth-shattering works?
Synthesized God? Caused his wife's death?
Late wife named "Mora"?
The power to create Mora is lost?
Lord Rex Lapis doesn't carry Mora because he's in mourning?
One explosive fragment of information after another popped out from the passersby's discussion, leaving Xingqiu—the well-traveled Second Young Master of the Feiyun Commerce Guild—completely stunned, and making Chongyun stare agape, nearly dropping the popsicle in his hand.
"What... what are they saying?" Chongyun looked at Xingqiu blankly, feeling as if he had missed out on the excitement of an entire world. "Wasn't the point of yesterday's chapter the 'ten boxes at half price'?"
The composed smile on Xingqiu's face had long since vanished, replaced by extreme astonishment and deep curiosity. He snapped his folding fan shut and pointed toward the bookstore, sounding incredibly excited: "It seems we've missed a crucial prequel! Quick!"
Xingqiu pulled the still-petrified Chongyun along as he walked briskly toward Sanyu Bookstore.
"Hurry, Chongyun!" Xingqiu's tone carried unprecedented urgency and excitement. "No wonder the ending of the travels of shi po chen · part two felt so profound; it turns out there was such a setup before it... No, there are even more explosive settings!"
Chongyun stumbled along as he was pulled, his brain still in a fog: "L-Late wife? Lord Rex Lapis... c-caused his own wife's death? Synthesized God? W-what on earth is all this?! Can this even be written? Shouldn't they be arrested by the Millelith?!"
"That's why I say this Mr. Lovia is incredibly bold!" A spark of intense curiosity flashed in Xingqiu's eyes. "The previous book only wrote about the Archon haggling while window shopping, but this one directly subverts the divine image! twin deities, a life-death contract, and the late wife is Mora herself... No wonder he doesn't carry money, and no wonder he can create Mora yet doesn't have any on him—so that's how it is!"
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that while this setting was absurd to the extreme, it was strangely logically self-consistent. It even perfectly explained all the "suspicious points" left in record of shi pos wanderings.
The two immediately squeezed into Sanyu Bookstore.
They saw the counter surrounded by people, all waving Mora and demanding to buy 'regarding the matter of the geo archon being a synthesized god who caused his wifes death' and 'The Name Morax Actually Hides twin deities and a Life-Death contract' by Lovia.
The Bookshop Shop Assistant was sweating profusely, collecting money while shouting to calm the crowd: "Please be patient, customers! We still have copies of 'synthesizing deities' and 'twin deities'!"
Shopkeeper Sun was also swamped, standing right next to the assistant, his voice turning raspy from shouting: "We have them, we have them! There are still a few copies of 'synthesizing deities' and 'twin deities'! The record of shi pos wanderings series is also almost sold out! Buy them while you can!"
Relying on his agile movements, Xingqiu pulled Chongyun through the crowd and, without hesitation, bought one copy each of the two books with titles more explosive than the last.
The moment he got the books, Xingqiu felt as if the paper in his hands was burning hot.
Xingqiu and Chongyun quickly retreated from the crowded bookstore with their "surviving" publications and found a quiet corner in a teahouse to sit down.
As soon as they sat, Xingqiu couldn't wait to flip open the title page of 'regarding the matter of the geo archon being a synthesized god who caused his wifes death', and Chongyun nervously leaned his head in to look.
After reading just a few lines of the synopsis and the first chapter title, both of their breaths hitched simultaneously.
The names alone gave them a sense of impropriety hitting them in the face; this was completely different from the record of shi pos wanderings series!
[The Contract of Twins], [The Counterfeit Coin of Rock], [My Name is Morax]... The chapter titles alone exuded a tragic and bizarre atmosphere, but... it didn't seem to explicitly write about "causing the wife's death" yet?
As they read deeper, the expression on Xingqiu's face shifted from curiosity to shock, and then to a complex look that was a mix of "this is too ridiculous" and "but why does it sound somewhat plausible?"
Chongyun's face turned pale and then flushed red, and then pale again. He muttered, "This... this... the Geo Archon was actually synthesized from himself and his wife?! And it wasn't causing her death, but an eternal symbiosis?"
"Huh? The Archon actually used rocks to forge counterfeit Mora to circulate in the world? Is... is this allowed to be written?! It's over, it's all over. If the Qixing see this..."
By the end, his hands were shaking: "This... this is too much speculation about the Archon! This is simply..."
He couldn't find the right words for a moment to describe such a bold and reckless act.
Xingqiu's eyes, however, grew brighter the more he read, and his breathing became slightly hurried: "Chongyun, look! Though these settings are shocking, they are logically self-consistent! It perfectly explains the thousand-year mystery of why the Archon can create Mora yet 'carries no Mora,' and it even gives a new interpretation to the name 'Morax'! This is no longer a simple street rumor; this is reconstructing the background of the Archon's legend!"
He suddenly looked up, his face filled with extreme excitement: "This Mr. Lovia—he's no mere playboy or old scholar. He is clearly a genius who dares to subvert everything, with a power of imagination that can only be described as terrifying! No, he's a freakish talent!"
He now completely understood why the description of the wordless tombstone at the end of the travels of shi po chen · part two would lead people to such associations.
If those two texts were the background, the existence of that wordless tombstone and the Archon's gentle whisper were instantly given a completely different and extremely explosive meaning.
Could it be that the Geo Archon really had a wife?
"No wonder the bookstore was so lively yesterday..." Xingqiu murmured. "Compared to this, the record of shi pos wanderings series could almost be called 'mild'!"
"Quick, Chongyun, let's look at the next one!"
...And at that moment, not far from the Sanyu Bookstore they had just left, a petite figure wrapped in a hood was carefully slipping away along the wall, hiding a manuscript fee so generous it made the tip of her tail quiver.
Lovia listened to the heated discussions behind her in the bookstore about the Archon's late wife, the ten boxes at half price, and so on, as well as the occasional praise like "Mr. Lovia is a great talent" and "truly moving yet shocking."
She felt waves of guilt, yet couldn't help a tiny bit of proud joy.
"It seems... everyone's acceptance is quite high?" she whispered to herself, then immediately shook her head vigorously. "No, no, Lovia, stay calm. You're walking on the edge of a prison sentence. Hurry up and run!"
She patted the warm Mora in her arms and decided to go restock her "premium afternoon tea" supplies.
For instance, the particularly fresh and sweet live crabs from that street vendor, and the high-quality ores just transported from The Chasm.
As for Young Master Xingqiu and Taoist Practitioner Chongyun?
She had no idea that those two enthusiastic youths had just acquired her "heavyweight bombs."