"When Lord Rex Lapis was still with us, Liyue was truly glorious—the strongest nation in all of Teyvat."
"In those days, no matter where a storyteller came from, the first tale they told was always about Lord Rex Lapis."
"Now that His Excellency has passed, even the storytellers don't take him seriously anymore. How infuriating!"
Though Rex Lapis had "passed," the people of Liyue's reverence for him had not diminished in the slightest. They kept urging the storyteller to tell the story of Rex Lapis and to make him sound heroic and wise.
But Li Mo, as the storyteller, would not be dictated to. He picked up his cup and took a small sip of tea. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he glanced toward Shenhe in the corner.
Sure enough, when he looked at her, Shenhe was gazing back at him with affectionate eyes, not caring in the slightest whether anyone might become suspicious.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the inn, Xiangling, who had come to listen for the first time, was already sobbing after hearing the story of Kazuha's friend.
"No wonder everyone comes here to listen. It's so moving. If the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma knew she had killed her own brother's reincarnation, she would be even more heartbroken."
Xiangling had planned to stay for a short while before returning to Wanmin Restaurant, but she had ended up listening for hours and could not stop.
Seeing Xiangling moved to tears, Hu Tao, who had somehow acquired a handful of sunflower seeds, cracked them indifferently. "The Raiden Shogun already knows. She's here listening too. Look, she's sitting in that corner."
Xiangling was taken aback. "Oh, so she really knows. How sad she must be."
Hu Tao shrugged nonchalantly. "This life is nothing. The Raiden Shogun killed her own brother with her own hands. What can we do about it? If you had the chance, you should listen to Qiqi's story from the second life, or Barbatos's story from the third—those are the real tearjerkers."
As she spoke, she reached out to touch Qiqi's forehead, but Qiqi swiftly dodged.
"Hu Tao, don't touch me. And don't you dare tell my story. If you do, you'll definitely make things up."
Though she had forgiven Hu Tao, Qiqi was still not very friendly toward her, having been buried by her once.
Hu Tao laughed. "So petty. Fine, I won't tell your story. If Xiangling wants to hear it, I'll take her to the storyteller's room under cover of night and have him tell it to her personally."
Qiqi: "…"
Xiangling was startled. "Oh, is that allowed? Wouldn't it disturb the storyteller?"
Keqing frowned when she heard this. She knew Hu Tao was not just joking; she might actually barge into the storyteller's room in the middle of the night.
So Keqing said seriously, "Don't listen to Hu Tao's nonsense. If you want to hear Qiqi's story, I'll tell it to you. I remember everything the storyteller said."
Xiangling's eyes lit up. "Tell me, tell me! I want to know how Qiqi became a zombie."
Having heard the storyteller's tales, Xiangling had immediately forgotten all about Wanmin Restaurant.
Keqing, imitating the storyteller, picked up her cup of tea, took a small sip, and began, "Well then—it was a thousand years ago, right when the demons invaded…"
...
Just as Keqing was telling Qiqi's story to Xiangling in her best storyteller manner, outside Wangshu Inn, the fleet captain in red and her crew had arrived at the entrance.
Seeing the crowded scene inside, Beidou frowned slightly. She knew Wangshu Inn was the largest and most luxurious inn in Liyue, and also the most expensive. Business was usually good, but never this packed. The hall was so crowded that forcing one's way in would take considerable effort.
"How strange. Has something big happened? It's so chaotic in here. How can Ningguang tolerate this without sending someone to sort it out?"
"You all go find another inn to stay at for the night. I'll go see what's going on here."
Except for Kazuha and a few core crew members, Beidou dismissed the ordinary sailors to find other accommodations, while she led Kazuha and the others into the inn.
The moment they appeared, they drew everyone's attention.
"Captain Beidou! Back from trading at sea again. You must have made a fortune this trip."
"Of course. I heard even the resistance army on Watatsumi Island gets their weapons shipped from Liyue by Captain Beidou."
"Quiet. The Raiden Shogun is here."
"Look! The person behind Captain Beidou—doesn't he look just like Kazuha from the story?"
"Not just similar—that must be Kazuha himself."
"What? Kazuha is here too? This is going to be interesting."
"Kazuha, danger! Run!"
"I hope the Raiden Shogun realizes her mistake and doesn't attack Kazuha."
Though the Liyue audience did not know Kazuha personally, they had seen his face many times in the projections above the inn. The person behind Captain Beidou looked exactly like him. Who else could it be?
Now, as Beidou and Kazuha entered the inn, they heard the audience's murmurs.
Beidou looked puzzled. "Kazuha, this is your first time in Liyue, isn't it? How do they know you?"
Kazuha was equally confused. "I have no idea. This really is my first time in Liyue."
He was genuinely puzzled. Over the past few years, he had been training and helping the resistance. He had never left Inazuma. This was his first time leaving Inazuma and coming to a world beyond.
But then, in the murmurs, he heard a name he despised: the Raiden Shogun. The one who had enacted the Vision Hunt Decree, killed his friend, and oppressed Watatsumi Island. His resentment toward her was deep.
Just then, Captain Beidou spotted Keqing in the corner and walked over with a smile. She had a good impression of the earnest Yuheng.
Kazuha followed behind Beidou, listening to the audience's chatter, his brow furrowing.
What were they talking about? A duel before the throne? The Raiden Shogun killing her brother? Kazuha challenging the Raiden Shogun? What nonsense were these people spouting? Did the citizens of Liyue always gossip like this about others behind their backs?