"This matter—I cannot assist you with."
Zhongli declined without hesitation. He did not accept the pouch of mora offered to him—for to take it would be to acknowledge a contract, and thus shoulder the obligation of aiding Futsu Mitama in gathering those materials.
But it was troublesome. Far too troublesome. Zhongli knew perfectly well where the components for a lifebond armament lay—yet he had no intention of retrieving them himself. Even so, out of consideration for Beelzebub's regard for this guest, he lifted his cup, took a sip of tea, and raised his gaze to meet Futsu Mitama's.
"The most crucial materials can only be found within The Chasm."
He spoke with a calm, unhurried cadence.
"The Chasm is currently sealed. It may be some time before the Qixing reopen it."
At those words, Kuki Shinobu's brows knit faintly. Her studies in Liyue, combined with her sharp curiosity—and the knowledge she gleaned from her immortal-blooded senior sister—granted her far deeper insight than most Liyue locals.
Regarding The Chasm, her senior sister had once entrusted her with a lingering will tied to that place. But with its closure, nothing could be done. They could only wait for the day its gates reopened.
If even her senior sister—whose blood carried immortal lineage—could not bypass the seal, what hope did outsiders like themselves have?
Thus, Shinobu could fully understand Zhongli's unwillingness to offer assistance.
"Is there truly no alternative?" Aila pressed despite herself. They had time to wait, yes—but the Young Master's strength had stabilized at an awkward ceiling, and he lacked a proper weapon. Once he obtained one, his abilities would grow substantially.
The Fatui had already set their sights on them. Neither Scaramouche nor the Lady had been defeated by their own power—they had relied on the Raiden Shogun's might. But now, they were far from Inazuma.
Aila trusted Futsu Mitama deeply, yet she still wished for him to obtain his weapon as soon as possible—something capable of allowing him to stand against a Harbinger-level threat.
"It is not that there is no way."
Zhongli paused, as he often did, letting his words settle before continuing.
"These materials are rare, yes—but that rarity cuts both ways. They are of little use to ordinary folk. It is possible that certain merchants have accumulated surplus stock."
"Coincidentally, I know of one. If you wish to try your luck, I can introduce you."
He then turned to Futsu Mitama, awaiting his decision.
Futsu Mitama merely smiled and nodded, calm and unhurried. "Then I'll trouble you. If the merchant does not have them, I'll look for another method."
Zhongli's eyes showed a brief flicker of approval. He naturally understood the significance of a lifebond armament. Beelzebub sending this young man to Liyue spoke volumes of her expectations. His composure under pressure was, in Zhongli's eyes, a blessing for Inazuma.
Was Futsu Mitama anxious? Not in the slightest. He planned to remain in Liyue for a while anyway—as long as nothing urgent happened in Inazuma. He even considered visiting Mondstadt or Sumeru later. As for returning to Inazuma—what was so appealing about that troublesome place?
If not for Kamisato Ayaka and Sangonomiya Kokomi, he would have gladly settled in Liyue permanently. The land was safe, the food delightful, the festivals vibrant—and most importantly, Liyue's Archon did not spontaneously malfunction and harm his own people.
Raiden Ei secluded herself in the Plane of Euthymia. The puppet Shogun followed rigid programming: the moment anything touched the concept of eternity, she would strike without mercy.
Thus, despite both Raiden Ei and the Raiden Shogun treating him very well, Futsu Mitama still felt uneasy about returning. After spending so long away, he would rather stay put unless absolutely necessary.
"Let us depart, then."
Zhongli naturally had no inkling of these thoughts—nor would he comment even if he knew.
"Very well," Futsu Mitama agreed, downing his tea in one motion. Shinobu and Aila followed suit.
Hu Tao waved them off cheerfully. "Go on, go on~ I'll stay here. Who knows? Perhaps a customer will arrive while you're away!"
Aila and Shinobu exchanged stiff expressions. Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was a place where "customers" only arrived under—certain circumstances. Hu Tao's enthusiasm felt unsettling.
But Futsu Mitama was unfazed. He had long grown used to Hu Tao's peculiar worldview—life and death were simply two roads in a single journey.
Led by Zhongli, the group left Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Along the way, Zhongli casually conversed with Futsu Mitama, subtly probing the current situation in Inazuma. Futsu Mitama answered openly, even pointing out the Fatui's growing influence.
Shinobu occasionally added her own questions—after all, Zhongli was clearly someone of profound knowledge. Yet despite his modest claim that he "knew only a little," he answered her inquiries flawlessly.
Shinobu was deeply impressed. It was her first-time meeting someone with such vast and effortless erudition.
Aila remained quiet at the back, but astonishment flickered in her eyes as well.
[Aila: "Incredible."]
[Kamisato Ayaka: "Eh? What happened?"]
[Yae Miko: "Ara~? 'Incredible'? My, my~~ It's broad daylight, you know~"]
[Raiden Makoto: "Where did you learn such nonsense over the centuries?"]
[Azhdaha: "Hm? Has something occurred in Liyue?"]
[Sangonomiya Kokomi: "Curious."]
[Aila: "We found someone impressive. He knows—everything."]
[Aila: "And he even knows a merchant who might carry the Young Master's weapon materials."]
[Azhdaha: "Merchant? Why not simply dig? I may have been sealed, but I still recall where most minerals are buried."]
[Azhdaha: "Go to The Chasm. With your strength, you three could mine them yourselves."]
[Kuki Shinobu: "But The Chasm is sealed by the Qixing due to—an incident."]
[Azhdaha: "Ah?!"]
[Raiden Makoto: "An incident? Sealed? What now?"]
[Yae Miko: "Then we can only trouble Ganyu~ As the Qixing's secretary, she might slip someone inside~"]
[Aila: "It's fine. Mister Zhongli already offered a solution."]
[Azhdaha: "No need to rush. Once Morax is invited to the Chat Group during the Rite of Descension, I can just tell him directly."]
[Raiden Makoto: "Azhdaha, you're not trying to poach Inazuma citizens, are you?"]
[Azhdaha: "Hahaha—Baal, you overthink."]
[Raiden Makoto: "Sign a contract, then."]
[Azhdaha: "…"]
[Yae Miko: "My, the Group Leader is popular~"]
[Albedo: "En route. If necessary, I can ask acquaintances in Liyue to assist."]
While the chat buzzed with its usual energy, Zhongli brought the group before a small shop.
Futsu Mitama looked up. Large characters on the signboard read: "Guiyan Assembly."
"Welcome."
A languid voice drifted from within. A moment later, its owner seemed to recognize someone.
"Huh? Mister Zhongli? You rarely drop by."
A white-haired, blue-eyed girl in a maid outfit stepped out, blinking in mild surprise.
"Is the shopkeeper not present?" Zhongli asked.
The girl let out a tired sigh. "The day you bought that old stone—my parents finally saved enough mora to tour the Seven Nations. They left immediately."
She gestured helplessly at the empty shop.
"I suppose parents are the ones in love, and children are accidents. Now I'm stuck running the place."
Everyone fell silent for a moment. Surely parents like these existed… but still—
"I see." Zhongli accepted the explanation without fuss. "This friend is visiting from Inazuma. He wishes to purchase rare ore materials."
Futsu Mitama stepped forward and handed her a list.
The maid glanced at Aila and Shinobu with a puzzled expression. "Inazumans even bring maids to serve them?"
Still, she inspected the list with professional seriousness. After a moment, she nodded—then shook her head.
Shinobu and Aila's hearts both dropped.
"If you had come just a few days earlier, we would've had nearly everything here." She sighed. "But Ningguang needed materials for expanding the Jade Chamber and bought out a massive batch."
"Now we're missing quite a lot."
She pointed out several entries.
"These—Dark Iron Ore, Falling Star Gemstone, bloodjade branch, Rock Jade, Magical Crystal Ore—"
"I can help check the first few. Someone in the Harbor might still have some."
"But the Bloodjade Branch—that one is nearly impossible. People say it's rare even within The Chasm. For that, I can only say—there's nothing I can do."
Her competence was undeniable. In just moments, she had narrowed a lengthy list to a handful of items, and even offered procurement routes. Only the bloodjade branch was beyond her reach.
Conveniently, Futsu Mitama knew exactly where that material came from. After all—he farmed it weekly, and the owner was even in his Chat Group.
"Then I'll trouble you. Here is the deposit."
He nodded to Aila. She stepped forward, producing a pouch containing five hundred thousand mora—sufficient for any advance. The Shopkeeper Daughter took the pouch with barely a glance, then paused as she studied Aila more closely.
"Have we met before?"
Aila answered without hesitation. "No."
"Alright." The Shopkeeper daughter didn't dwell on it. "Return in seven days. I'll have everything except the bloodjade branch ready."
"If I fail, I'll give you a thirty-percent discount."
Her confidence was genuine.
Satisfied, Futsu Mitama left the shop with the others.
He thanked Zhongli for the introduction—Guiyan Assembly truly matched his needs, and the shopkeeper's daughter was clearly someone capable.
"With the matter settled, I shall take my leave," Zhongli said gently. He still had many obligations awaiting him.
But Futsu Mitama had no intention of letting him slip away. This was a rare opportunity—how could he release someone so valuable?
He needed to pull Zhongli into the Chat Group. With him inside, he would essentially gain a living, walking Teyvat encyclopedia.
"Mr. Zhongli," he said solemnly, "I have a curious little gadget I'd like you to see."
"Hm?"
Zhongli turned, puzzled.
In the next moment, a voice echoed in his mind, accompanied by a line of glowing text.
"Ding! Would you like to join the Teyvat Continent Loving Family Chat Group?"
For an instant, Zhongli's expression tightened with surprise. Unlike Yae Miko, he did not mistake this for Sumeru's technology. He knew full well what Sumeru possessed—and this was not it.
Curiosity stirred.
Zhongli raised his hand…and tapped [Yes].