"Learning? What do I have here that's worth you learning?" Ningguang was a bit bewildered. Yu Jin didn't seem like the studious type.
Ningguang looked at her exquisitely decorated Jade Chamber. Perhaps Yu Jin was also a lover of beauty? Did he want to study art?
"Not learning from you, but from Morgott." Clearly, Ningguang was overthinking it; Yu Jin was not the artistic type at all.
"Learning from me?" Morgott was surprised. Had Yu Jin changed his ways?
"Yes, didn't you tell me to learn more about social etiquette? There's a case coming up soon. You explain it to me, and I'll learn." Yu Jin nodded. For his shaky throne, he felt it was time to put in some effort.
Because he felt it was a bit unreasonable for a king not to know his subordinates' thoughts.
"Good! Since the King has said so, I will certainly perform well!" Morgott nodded, a sense of confidence welling up within him.
He scrutinized Ningguang, as if trying to see right through her.
Ningguang shivered, feeling Morgott's burning gaze. "You two, what are you trying to do? I'll warn you, I finally made time to meet Lumine. Don't cause trouble."
"It's fine. Lumine and I are very close, so even if we mess up, it's no problem," Yu Jin said indifferently, patting his chest.
This infuriated Ningguang, but she looked at Morgott's burning gaze and Yu Jin, who was craning his neck to look down, and sighed helplessly.
"You two can look around freely, just don't cause trouble!" After a rather meaningless threat, Ningguang automatically ignored Morgott and Yu Jin.
The sun was slowly rising from the east, and as noon approached, new changes finally appeared in the Jade Chamber.
The hum of the Plaustrite gradually became clearer. Below the Jade Chamber, Lumine and Paimon ascended on a stone platform made of Plaustrite.
"Huh? Tianquan… no? How is it you two?!" Paimon had vaguely seen figures on the Jade Chamber from below. She originally thought it was Tianquan waiting for them, but she didn't expect it to be Yu Jin and Morgott.
"Pretend I don't exist, I'm just here to watch." Yu Jin saw Lumine and Paimon come up and consciously moved aside.
Morgott, beside him, also turned his head, his burning gaze sweeping over Paimon and Lumine.
The two of them immediately shivered, feeling as if Morgott had seen right through them.
"Then… alright," Lumine nodded, wiping the fine sweat from her forehead. She now felt that she wouldn't be surprised no matter where she saw Yu Jin.
Yu Jin always seemed to pop out from unexpected places.
Just as Lumine was looking around for the so-called "Tianquan Star," the main hall doors in the distance opened, and Ningguang emerged with her three attendants.
"Why haven't you two gone down yet?" Ningguang asked, surprised to see Yu Jin and Morgott still standing there.
Are these two guys that idle? They can stay outside the Jade Chamber all morning even when no one is paying attention to them.
"Why go down? I've been waiting for this moment! Please—" Yu Jin bowed and extended his hand, making a "please" gesture.
"Cough… cough, I've been waiting for you, the one who returned from Jueyun Karst." Ningguang heard this, then forcibly turned her head and greeted Lumine and Paimon.
"Ning… Ningguang, nice to meet you. This is the gift we prepared, we hope you like it," Paimon also greeted her.
Yu Jin looked up at Morgott. The latter's gaze lingered on Lumine, Paimon, and Ningguang for a moment before he said blandly:
"I can't see any deep meaning, it should just be a simple greeting."
"…"
"…"
"…"
The three of them heard this and turned to look at Morgott. The latter was not to be outdone, returning their gaze with his own shimmering eyes.
"Oh, I see." Yu Jin nodded, a notebook appearing in his hand at some point, and he was writing something.
After finishing, Yu Jin looked up and saw the silent crowd.
"Hmm? Why so distant? Keep chatting?" Yu Jin greeted them familiarly, acting as if he wasn't an outsider.
"Hoo—"
Ningguang took a few deep breaths, then smiled at Lumine, "Lumine, right? I have quite a few letters exchanged with the Acting Grand Master of Mondstadt. She praised you highly!"
"So, as soon as you arrived in Liyue, I sent out my informants. Finally, at Wangshu Inn, I completely grasped your movements."
Ningguang crossed her arms, slowly revealing her surveillance of Lumine and Paimon.
"Verr Goldet, the boss of Wangshu Inn, is your person?!" Paimon asked in shock.
"No," Ningguang chuckled softly, then looked up and said seriously, "The entire Wangshu Inn belongs to us."
"Didn't you two meet Yuheng at the Guizhong Ballista a few days ago?" Ningguang recounted Lumine and Paimon's experiences from a few days prior, and with her previous words, an aura of a mastermind washed over them.
"$#%..." Paimon became incoherent. So they had been under someone else's watchful eye all this time?
"This is a release of goodwill. Ningguang can see Lumine, but Lumine cannot see Ningguang. Now she is directly clarifying this point, actively giving up the advantage of information, which is a release of goodwill."
Morgott tapped the floor with his Cursed Sword, then continued, "There might also be a hint of threat in it. Since the Qixing can track Lumine once, they can track her twice."
"If she continues to get involved with the Fatui, she'd best consider whether she can fend off an assassination during her relaxed moments these past few days."
"Oh, I see." Yu Jin was impressed without fully understanding. Was this really not over-interpreting? But since it was Morgott's deduction, it shouldn't be too far off.
"…"
"…"
"…"
Ningguang felt what it was like to break into a cold sweat for the first time. She offered Lumine and Paimon a faint smile and said, "You can just ignore what they say, don't mind it."
"O-okay," Lumine also nodded stiffly. The Qixing truly lived up to their name; just a few words held so much hidden meaning.
But if Morgott hadn't interpreted it, would she really have understood? Lumine scratched her head, thinking she probably wouldn't have.
"You first sought the Adepti, and then had frequent contact with the Fatui. I presume you must have many misunderstandings about us Qixing." Ningguang composed herself and continued the conversation.
Lumine nodded, still in a somewhat dazed state.
Fleeing in panic, encountering Childe, seeking Adepti in the mountains, the Rite of Parting, and now ascending to the Jade Chamber—everything happened too quickly, and people changed too fast. Lumine hadn't had time to sort out her thoughts.
"Do you know about the Archon War?"
"Not really," Lumine shook her head. The Archon War was too long ago, and many records had been lost to time.
"I remember that those things called 'Gods' here become very dangerous after they die, right?" Morgott asked Yu Jin.
"Probably? After a God dies, there are remnants of a god, which are very dangerous," Yu Jin replied. He hadn't seen a God die either.
However, given the danger of the remnants of a god, if a God's death isn't handled properly, it can poison future generations.
"Then that's right," Morgott understood.
"Right about what?" Yu Jin asked.
"This statement is a test, to see if Lumine's trip to Jueyun Karst to seek the Adepti was a misunderstanding."
"If she knew about the Archon War, then she would certainly know a thing or two about the dangers after a God's death."
"In a situation where it's known that the Geo Archon is not dead, yet she still goes to seek the Adepti, that would be intentionally cooperating with the Fatui to cause trouble for the Qixing."
"But Lumine just said she didn't know," Yu Jin added.
"So, all of this means Lumine was misled. She isn't truly hostile to the Qixing. There's still room for discussion between Lumine and the Qixing."
Morgott calmly stated his interpretation.
"Oh, I see." Yu Jin nodded. He felt he would never learn Morgott's ability to read expressions and situations in this lifetime.
Ningguang, beside him, looked at Morgott, then at Yu Jin, remaining silent for a long time.
She couldn't hold it together anymore.
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