Inside the Jade Chamber.
Ningguang had just finished listening to Yelan's detailed report on the recent abnormal movements of Snezhnaya merchant ships. He gently tapped his fingertips on the tabletop carved from precious jade, producing a crisp sound, and fell into a brief contemplation.
A moment later, he raised his eyes that saw through the world's affairs, the corners of his lips curving slightly: "Well done. The depth of the intelligence network's penetration has exceeded my expectations. Next, proceed according to the second step we discussed."
"Understood." Yelan nodded, neatly gathering the scrolls scattered on the table. He always acted decisively, preparing to stand and leave as soon as the report ended.
However, at the very moment he turned to leave, his footsteps paused slightly, as if he had suddenly remembered some trivial yet noteworthy anecdote. He turned back around, a faint, inscrutable expression between playfulness and solemnity on his face.
"By the way, Ningguang." Yelan's voice was a bit more relaxed than before. From the waist bag he carried, he took out a booklet that was not particularly exquisitely bound and placed it gently on the table in front of Ningguang.
"There is something I think you need to see."
Ningguang's gaze fell on the cover of the booklet—"Wanmin Restaurant Secret History: Is Guoba the Real God of Cookery?", authored by: Lovia.
His eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly. This kind of street-side leisure book, or rather, unofficial history from the common folk, usually found it difficult to enter the vision of him, the busy Tianquan Star.
"Lovia?" Ningguang repeated this unfamiliar pen name, his fingertips brushing the edge of the pages. "An unknown author, writing an unofficial history about Wanmin Restaurant and... Guoba?"
Ningguang's tone carried a hint of curiosity, but it was mostly the prudence of a superior. He did not believe Yelan would disturb him with such leisure reading for no reason.
Yelan seemed to see through his thoughts, crossing his arms and leaning against the table, his tone casual yet meaningful: "This Mr. Lovia, or perhaps lady, has become... quite famous in Liyue Harbor recently. The writing themes are wildly imaginative, especially good at researching... well,'secret anecdotes' about our Liyue's Adeptus and ancient Gods."
He placed special emphasis on "researching" and "secret anecdotes," then added: "This guoba the god of cookery is just one of his many works. Personally, from the perspective of the Tianquan Star, I suggest you might want to understand this author's... creative style and influence."
How intelligent Ningguang was; he immediately captured the key information from Yelan's words: an author specializing in secret anecdotes of Adepti and Gods, whose work was circulating widely and had caught the attention of the intelligence chief, Yelan.
This was no longer simple street talk; it was enough to stir up a storm of public opinion. However, if this matter truly would cause such a stir, Yelan certainly wouldn't have this attitude.
Ningguang finally developed a strong interest, leaning back slightly and elegantly picking up the booklet.
"Oh? A 'leisure book' that you would specifically bring for me to see must have something unusual about it." Ningguang flipped open the pages, his gaze quickly scanning the sentences.
Initially, his expression carried the ease of reading an oddity, but as he delved deeper, especially seeing the connection between the legend of the God of Stove Machius and Guoba's various "miraculous" deeds, as well as the inference at the end of the book where Rex Lapis's "old friend" phrase confirms the hypothesis, the laziness on Ningguang's face gradually faded, replaced by an extremely focused and solemn look.
His reading speed slowed down, sometimes even stopping, his fingertips gently rubbing a certain line of text as he fell into brief thought.
For a time, only the rustling of turning pages and the faint crackling of Burning incense remained in the office.
After a long while, he closed the booklet, placed it gently back on the table, and looked up at Yelan with a sharp gaze: "The tone is light, but the core... is not entirely groundless. It skillfully grafts folk legends, fragmented historical materials, and current figures together—truth and falsehood, reality and illusion. Most importantly..."
Ningguang paused, his fingertip pointing at the booklet: "It touches upon... ancient contracts and sacrifices that even official records are vague about. Regarding the God of Stove, and Rex Lapis's attitude, some of the 'hypotheses' in here are incredibly bold. This Lovia is not simple."
Yelan nodded, not at all surprised by Ningguang's judgment: "Exactly. I've checked; the author's identity is well-hidden, and the level of acceptance for the work is quite high. But it's precisely this kind of seemingly harmless creation that often contains unexpected dangers."
Ningguang stood up and paced to the railing outside, overlooking the prosperous Liyue Harbor below.
Liyue in the night was brightly lit and full of the atmosphere of the mortal world, and the story in that booklet was precisely an interpretation of the origin of this atmosphere.
"After Rex Lapis passed away... Liyue entered an era of human rule." Ningguang's voice was calm and powerful. "But we all know that the protection of the Adeptus has not moved far away, and the weight of history still exists. How to handle the relationship with the Adepti and how to interpret past history are subjects the Qixing must treat with caution."
He turned around, his gaze falling back on the "Wanmin Restaurant Secret History": "If such works circulate too widely, they might trigger unnecessary speculation and discussion, even affecting the public's perception of the Adepti. But on the other hand, it also reflects the vitality and inclusiveness of Liyue's culture, a kind of... courage to re-interpret and imagine tradition."
Yelan chuckled: "So, what do you mean?"
Ningguang walked back to the table, picked up the booklet, his well-defined fingers brushing over the two characters for "Lovia" on the cover, a hint of depth flashing in his eyes.
"Observe for now." He made a decision. "There's no need to deliberately suppress it, but we must also keep an eye on its movements. I am curious what kind of interesting story this Mr. Lovia will 'research' next. Perhaps we can see some... perspectives on Liyue that we have never noticed before."
He placed the booklet gently into a drawer, where several similar documents requiring "special attention" were already stored.
Yelan smiled knowingly, saying no more, and turned to leave quietly, blending into the shadows outside the door.
Before leaving, he left a sentence: "As far as I know, Mr. Lovia's other works... are much more interesting than the one in your hand."
Yelan's words carried a faint smile, as if casting an enticing bait: "If you have time, you might as well look for them; perhaps you will have... a deeper understanding."
As the voice fell, Yelan's figure had vanished like a ghost into the shadows of the hallway outside, leaving only a faint, lingering fragrance.
[Bonus chapter delivered! Thanks to all the big bosses for the 'feeding' and reading. Every bit of your support is my motivation for writing. Thank you, everyone! Sending hearts!]
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