Thanks to Zhongli's familiarity with Liyue, the two of them managed to escape from the region without much trouble.
"Rover, there's something off about this Zhongli."
On a narrow path, the Echo mark on the back of Rover's hand faintly glowed as Abby spoke in a voice only Rover could hear.
Rover continued walking forward without changing his expression, though his thoughts had already shifted elsewhere.
"Zhongli doesn't smell human—more like the scent of stone, like a meteorite... Hmm, that's not quite right. It's more like bedrock. Yes, the smell of bedrock."
Rover froze for a moment, a ridiculous idea surfacing in his mind.
The silhouette of Liyue Harbor gradually disappeared from view as they arrived at Dihua Marsh, where the silvergrass still swayed gently. Beneath a wooden bridge, a clear stream flowed quietly.
Rover wasn't one for beating around the bush. He stopped in his tracks, and Zhongli, noticing his hesitation, halted as well.
"Zhongli, you—"
"Look out!"
Before Rover could finish, the Vision on Zhongli's person suddenly flared to life. A stone pillar materialized behind Rover just as an arrow struck it, the impact triggering an explosion.
"Tch, missed."
Rover turned sharply, his guard up. A woman draped in a fur coat stood atop a slope, toying with a pair of dice as she smirked down at them.
"Zhongli, consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Rover, Honorary Knight of Mondstadt, who recently helped the Knights of Favonius resolve the dragon crisis."
The woman spoke leisurely before leaping down, drawing her bow and taking aim at the two.
She seemed to know them well.
Rover wasted no time, summoning his weapon and charging forward.
If she was an enemy, there was no need for words.
The woman's arrows flew swiftly, several streaking toward Rover in quick succession. His eyes narrowed as he countered with bolts from the crossbow on his back.
But Rover quickly realized the ordinary arrows were just a feint. Hidden among them was a Hydro-infused arrow, arcing toward him at a tricky angle, aimed straight for his vitals. He swiftly transformed into a Shieldwall Mitachurl, blocking with its wooden shield.
The Hydro arrow exploded on impact, the force of the blast pushing Rover back a step or two.
Zhongli, witnessing Rover's transformation into a Hilichurl, was momentarily stunned. His golden, diamond-shaped pupils fixed on Rover as if trying to see through him.
Rover reverted to his original form, closing the distance between him and the woman in seconds. She was no pushover either—kicking her bow upward, she hurled it like a throwing weapon at Rover.
He blocked with his blade, but the woman yanked the bow back with threads wrapped around it. Seizing the moment, Rover swung his sword in a wide arc, only for the woman's Hydro Vision to glow as she dissolved into a blue afterimage, vanishing from sight.
The next instant, Rover felt nearly invisible threads winding around his body.
"Got you."
The woman clenched her fist and pulled sharply—but instead of the expected snap of severed threads, she saw dark energy radiating from Rover, corroding the threads into nothingness.
"My turn."
Rover raised his scythe, slashing through the air with a few swift strokes. The woman's eyes widened as she sensed true death looming. She dodged frantically, but Rover had already anticipated her movement—his left hand leveled a Spectro-infused crossbow bolt straight at her landing point.
The bolt pierced her shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she dissolved into another Hydro afterimage, reappearing atop a nearby hill.
With a flick of her wrist, she tossed her dice into the air. Countless threads wove around her as the dice, now infused with elemental energy, hovered by her side.
Every arrow she fired was now accompanied by three identical Hydro arrows launched from the dice.
Rover dodged the first standard arrow, but as the three Hydro arrows closed in, he shut his eyes and slowly sheathed his blade. The surrounding Anemo energy gathered within his scabbard.
Then, in a burst of silent pressure, Rover's eyes snapped open. A flurry of wind blades shredded the incoming arrows midair, even carving deep gashes into the ground at the woman's feet. The sheer force of the attack left her momentarily speechless before she turned and fled without another word.
...
"Yelan, where's the culprit?"
Ningguang and Keqing arrived at the scene after receiving Yelan's signal, only to find her shoulder still bleeding. They quickly called for the Millelith to tend to her wounds.
Yelan shook her head, her expression grave as she met Ningguang's gaze.
"Don't send anyone after him."
Keqing was baffled. She drove her sword into the ground, ready to argue with Ningguang's informant—until Yelan's next words left her speechless.
"He's strong. So strong that if any of us here fought him, we'd lose without question. If he hadn't held back, I'd be dead twice over."
"So we just let him go unpunished?!"
Keqing pressed her lips together, her eyes red-rimmed. The moment she witnessed the Geo Archon's fall, her heart had shattered.
"If Rover showed you mercy, then there's still room for negotiation."
True to her merchant's instincts, Ningguang swiftly adjusted her stance toward Rover. She glanced toward Wangshu Inn in the distance and ordered,
"No one is to approach Wangshu Inn without my permission. We need to discuss this carefully."
...
"Your power, young one... I don't believe I've seen its like before."
Zhongli studied Rover with curiosity. Rover sheathed his blade before responding.
"I'm a Rover from another world. These abilities come from where I'm from."
Zhongli seemed surprised by his honesty. But then Rover raised an eyebrow, staring straight at him as he stated with absolute certainty:
"So, Morax—how long do you plan to keep up this act?"
Zhongli inclined his head slightly, his expression unchanging as he asked,
"When did you realize?"
"The stone pillar! That pillar smelled exactly like the Statues of The Seven!"
Abby popped out, hands on his hips as he explained to Zhongli.