Last night, when he sent the snow lion out of his room, Kairo had casually told it:
"That girl called Fischl is one of our people."
With how much Fischl adored the snow lion, and considering how early she got up, it wasn't hard to guess what happened today:
She had probably dragged the lion all over Liyue for a morning tour.
Kairo couldn't help sighing inwardly.
Yeah… people with Visions really do have ridiculous stamina.
"Eh? Right!"
Paimon froze for a moment after hearing that, then scratched her head.
"No wonder I kept feeling like something was missing. It was the lion! I was even thinking of riding it today…"
Ying comforted her:
"Don't worry. You'll get your chance to ride it plenty of times in the future. No need to rush."
With that, Kairo, Ying, and Paimon headed toward Third-Round Knockout.
At Third-Round Knockout – Meeting Zhongli (and Someone Else)
The noonday sun shone through the scattered clouds, its warm light falling over the stone paths of the harbor. The wooden suspension bridges creaked faintly in the sea breeze, and waves slapped lazily against the shore, sending up glittering spray. The air held a faint salty moisture that made people unconsciously relax.
The three of them walked along the familiar harbor streets toward the stall where Third-Round Knockout set up. This was one of the most down-to-earth, "ordinary Liyue" places in the port. Tea stalls, wine stands, snack shops — all lined the streets in neat disarray. In the distance, pavilions and towers reflected in the water. Street vendors had long since opened their stalls and were shouting for customers. The crowds of merchants and travelers created a lively scene.
"Ha—ah…"
Paimon stretched in midair, wobbling as she floated along.
"The air in Liyue is just too comfortable. It makes me feel all lazy, like I don't want to move at all…"
Ying gave her a helpless glance. "And when do you not feel lazy?"
"Hmph! That's not true!" Paimon planted her fists on her hips indignantly. "It's just that Liyue is too relaxing, okay?"
Kairo chuckled. "So, have you decided what you want to eat today?"
"Oh, right!"
Paimon perked up instantly, eyes shining.
"What should we eat today? Liyue snacks are so good, I never get tired of them!"
As they chatted, they stepped into the area where Third-Round Knockout had its tables.
Not far away, at one of the low wooden tables, a familiar figure sat quietly, listening to the storyteller inside the tea house talk about Liyue's past.
It was Zhongli.
Clad in his dark robes, his expression was calm. He held a simple porcelain teacup in his hand, his presence steady and unshakable as a mountain.
Sensing their arrival, Zhongli lifted his gaze slightly. Then he raised his teacup toward Kairo in greeting.
"Hey, it's Zhongli!"
Paimon spotted him first and immediately waved, floating over happily.
"Zhongli, what are you doing here?"
"Listening to a story." Zhongli replied calmly.
"Listening to a story?"
Ying, curious, turned to look at the storyteller in the tea house. The man was narrating ancient wars in Liyue and the deeds of the adepti, his voice rich in rhythm. It was surprisingly engaging.
"It is pretty interesting," Ying nodded, then sat down across from Zhongli. Kairo took the seat at his side, and Paimon hovered over the table.
The four of them sat together, enjoying a rare quiet moment.
Zhongli took a sip of tea and said mildly,
"I woke up later than usual today."
Kairo raised a brow. "You're usually up very early."
"Even one such as I may indulge in idleness now and then." Zhongli said, his gaze drifting toward the bustling harbor. The amber color of his eyes flickered as if he'd recalled something.
Paimon sprawled on the table, sighing, "I feel the same way. Once we got to Liyue, I just don't feel like doing anything… I only want to eat and rest…"
Zhongli smiled faintly.
"That, too, is part of Liyue's charm.
Liyue is a place that allows for both tireless striving and peaceful retirement. Some are busy all day building their future. Others simply spend their later years drinking tea and listening to stories."
"For travelers like you, it simply offers more choices."
Ying nodded thoughtfully. Liyue truly was a city where all sorts of people could find their own place.
"Talk is cheap if there's nothing to eat," Paimon muttered.
Then she suddenly straightened and waved at the server: "Hey! Can we order something?"
The waiter hurried over with a grin and handed them a menu. Ying picked a few light, sweet cakes. Before long, steaming desserts were served one after another:
Golden, fragrant Osmanthus Cakes
Crisp Mixed Nut Rolls with layered flaky pastry
Soft Lotus Seed Buns filled with sweet lotus paste, smooth and not overly sweet
Paimon happily grabbed a piece of osmanthus cake and took a big bite. Her expression instantly melted into bliss.
"Mmm! This is so good! This is what Liyue desserts should taste like!"
Ying took a delicate bite of the nut roll, the corners of her lips curving up slightly. Kairo also tried a lotus seed bun, savoring the sweetness that slowly spread through his mouth. Zhongli watched them with a barely-there smile and took another sip of tea.
"Life's many flavors are all here on this table."
Just then, a light, amused voice suddenly rang out beside them.
"Haha, Zhongli, are these your new friends? And here I thought you were hiding them from me on purpose."
A young man walked over, laughing as he spoke. He looked at Zhongli with obvious familiarity, then turned to Ying and Kairo.
"Hello, I'm Childe," he said with an easy smile. "Since you're Zhongli's friends, that means you're friends of our company as well. Nice to meet you."
As he spoke, his gaze swept admiringly across Ying, then paused thoughtfully on Kairo.
At the same time—
Kairo's expression became a bit strange.
Because in front of his eyes, new lines of text appeared again:
[You encounter Dan Shu in the Seat of Divine Foresight, chatting with Jing Yuan.]
[Though Dan Shu cannot see, she can identify people by their footsteps. Determining that you're a friend of General Jing Yuan, she greets you.]
[Faced with Dan Shu's主动 greeting, you choose…]
Option 1: Sneer and Expose Her.
You know Dan Shu's true identity and immediately expose her in front of Jing Yuan: outwardly the chief alchemist of the Ten-Lords Commission, inwardly the leader of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
(Reward: Dragon-Coiling, Tiger-Leaping Pill Formula.)
Option 2: Ignore Her.
You completely disregard Dan Shu's attempt at friendliness. You know she's set her sights on the Trailblazer—getting entangled with her is just inviting needless trouble.
(Reward: Jade-Marrow Bone-Setting Ointment – made by slow-burning Qinjiao Horn and Cold-Eating Jade into powder, then mixing with a variety of herbal extracts. Dark green, fragrant, very effective for muscle and bone injuries. Do not ingest!)
Option 3: Play Along.
You respond with polite friendliness, letting Dan Shu believe you bear her no ill will. As the leader of Sanctus Medicus, she can deploy inner alchemists and even body-reforged abominations. In a place like the Luofu, with its complicated undercurrents, you know that open enemies are nothing compared to hidden daggers. You may even be able to use Dan Shu in turn.
(Reward: A Sanctus Medicus Inner Alchemist – can be summoned, unconditionally obeys your orders.)
Kairo: "…"
So Childe corresponds to Dan Shu?
One's a man, one's a woman, and Dan Shu is even blind.
Then he remembered Dan Shu's later "Ascended Body" form, and somehow ended up matching that with Childe's Foul Legacy transformation in his head.
…Honestly, the comparison kind of worked.
His gaze went back to the options and rewards:
The pill recipe was of little use here in Teyvat at the moment;
The ointment was nice, but more of a utility item;
The Inner Alchemist, however, was an outright combat asset: it could fly, had monstrous vitality, and some of them were nearly unkillable, reviving on the spot.
As for exposing Dan Shu's identity?
He knew full well it wouldn't be enough to uproot Sanctus Medicus. Jing Yuan had clearly chosen to "release the long line to catch bigger fish," letting Sanctus Medicus openly lure people on the Luofu's streets. If he'd wanted to crack down directly, that situation would never have been allowed in the first place.
In the same way, even if Zhongli knew Childe's full agenda, he was still making contracts with the Fatui.
What difference would "telling Jing Yuan" or "telling Liyue" make at this stage?
By contrast, Option 3's reward was pure value, and playing along with Childe here meant Kairo could potentially use the Fatui as a tool later.
Decision made, Kairo "selected" Option 3 in his mind—and nodded slightly at Childe in greeting.
Paimon, however, stared at the newcomer suspiciously.
"Childe? That's such a weird name. Who calls themselves that?"
"'Childe' is merely his codename as one of the Fatui Harbingers."
Zhongli put down his cup and said calmly, "His real name is Tartaglia."
"What?!"
"Fatui Harbinger?!"
"So he is a bad guy!"
Paimon and Ying's faces changed at once as they glared at Childe.
They'd already met one Harbinger — that "Lady" in Mondstadt — arrogant and cruel, who had stolen the bard's Gnosis and even slapped him. Now, another Harbinger suddenly appeared in Liyue?
Childe just laughed.
"Hey, hey, you can't lump all Harbingers together like that."
"From the looks of it, that esteemed Lady sure left you with a terrible impression. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of her either."
"Even if I'm a Harbinger, that doesn't mean we have to be enemies. Zhongli can vouch for me."
"I'm a friend of Zhongli's. Since you're Zhongli's friends, that means you're also my friends."
Paimon and Ying couldn't help glancing at Zhongli again.
The Geo Archon and a Fatui Harbinger… friends?
Of course, Childe didn't know Zhongli's real identity.
Even they wouldn't have known if Kairo hadn't prompted them and Zhongli hadn't openly admitted it.
Zhongli replied blandly, "For now, we have no conflicting interests."
"Hey now, Zhongli, don't make me sound so pathetic in front of new people."
Childe raised his hands in mock protest.
"And after all the times I've picked up the tab for you, too. How about introducing me to your new friends properly?"
"But I guess I don't really need an introduction at this point."
He looked at Kairo with a smile.
"See? We don't have any direct conflict. He knows I'm Fatui and still greeted me calmly."
"No need for you two to be so hostile just because of my job title, right?"
Paimon and Ying exchanged a look.
Seeing Kairo still sitting there quietly eating his bun, they reluctantly swallowed their words.
Though the Fatui had an awful reputation in their eyes, they didn't explode on the spot—just went silent and focused on their tea and cakes.
The atmosphere grew subtly tense.
Childe, of course, noticed.
He could feel how the air itself had stiffened since his arrival. Ying's gaze was cool and guarded. Paimon's cheeks were puffed up in a defensive pout, arms folded. Zhongli, as always, remained calm and unreadable, sipping his tea without comment.
Childe's smile didn't falter. He just sighed lightly.
"Well, I suppose I'm not exactly making things more comfortable here."
He drained the last of his tea, placed the cup down with a crisp clack, and stood up.
"I'll get out of your hair, then. No need to force conversation when the mood isn't right."
He gave them a relaxed half-bow.
"Enjoy your afternoon."
With that, he turned and walked out of the tea stall, leaving only his fading footsteps behind.
Only after his figure disappeared did Paimon finally exhale loudly, shoulders slumping in relief. Then she turned to stare at Zhongli, frowning.
"Zhongli, how did you even get to know that guy? Are you really friends with a Fatui Harbinger?"
Ying also looked over curiously, clearly wanting an answer.
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