Paimon wanted to see if Zhongli's 'Rite of Descension' would still be performed.
Feng Yi had something to do later, so she dragged Lumine to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to find Zhongli, but they missed him. From the funeral parlor staff, they learned that Mr. Zhongli had gone to the Northland Bank. Paimon suddenly became worried about this not-so-martial guest of honor. The last time they saw Zhongli was before going to the Golden House. Did he not yet know about the Archons attacking Liyue? Going to the Fatui's territory at this time was like a lamb walking into a tiger's mouth! Paimon felt they had to help.
Zhongli: It doesn't sound like much at first, but with common sense, I'll be fine. They, however, might not be...
Paimon and Lumine arrived at the entrance of the Northland Bank. Before they even entered, they could hear shouting from inside. Paimon could vaguely make out the voices of the Fatui Harbinger Childe, Zhongli, and a strange woman.
"You actually call this 'cooperation between Harbingers'? For cooperation, there should at least be an exchange of information..."
Paimon signaled Lumine to press her ear against the door to hear what they were arguing about. Paimon clearly recognized the speaker as that Dàdá Yā who released the Archons.
"Heh heh... Don't dwell on such things. 'Childe,' didn't you have fun in the end, disregarding deals and schemes and just causing a ruckus? It suits your style..."
Paimon and Lumine exchanged a look. The one speaking now was the strange woman. She seemed to be a colleague of Dàdá Yā, but their relationship didn't seem good.
"Wait, it seems we have two new guests outside... You two, since you're already here, why not come in and talk?"
The female Fatui Harbinger suddenly stopped talking. Sensing the two eavesdropping outside the door, she chuckled.
Creak—
Eavesdropping was not an honorable thing, and being discovered by the other party was even more embarrassing. What was the difference between this and farting in the street? However, to protect this not-so-martial guest of honor, Zhongli, Paimon and Lumine pushed open the door and walked in, putting on a brave face.
"You've arrived."
To their surprise, the Zhongli guest of honor they were worried about greeted them with a calm expression, no trace of panic on his face.
"Well, hello there. This is our first meeting after all this is over. How should I put it, the atmosphere is a bit... awkward, isn't it?" Tartaglia said, shrugging.
"Hmph, we shouldn't have trusted you when we knew you were a Fatui Harbinger!" Paimon turned away angrily, crossing her arms and snorting.
"Don't say that. Although I deceived you a little before, I didn't have any ill intentions... Haha, aside from the unfortunate betrayal at the end, wasn't our cooperation quite enjoyable before that?" Tartaglia said with a smile. In his opinion, it was just a matter of different stances, and he wouldn't take it as a personal grudge. Of course, he could understand if the other party held some resentment.
"That might be true, but don't think I'll forgive you so easily... Zhongli, let's leave here quickly. After all, this is Fatui territory. It'll be dangerous if things fall apart..." Paimon said proudly, then quickly urged Zhongli to leave. If they were to fight the Fatui Harbingers again, Lumine wouldn't be able to protect both her and Zhongli, and that would be troublesome.
Zhongli: With common sense, if a fight truly broke out, this Northland Bank would be in danger...
"Hahaha, looking at you two, you're still in the dark, aren't you? It seems I'm not the only one who's been tricked by Mr. Zhongli and the lady." Tartaglia chuckled. Paimon and Lumine probably still didn't know Mr. Zhongli's true identity. If, hypothetically, the Fatui and Mr. Zhongli were to fight here, they probably wouldn't be enough to take a single slap from him.
"What do you mean?" Paimon asked, utterly confused. Dàdá Yā said Mr. Zhongli had tricked them, but what did he trick them about?
"Actually..."
"Let's not waste time. 'Childe,' if you want to chat, do it after I'm done with my business."
Just as Tartaglia was about to explain, the female Harbinger interrupted.
"As agreed... I have come to take your 'Gnosis,' Morax." The female Harbinger looked at the calm guest of honor Zhongli beside her.
"Gnosis? Morax? What are you talking about?" Paimon was even more bewildered. She understood each word separately, but their combination was too absurd! Lumine lowered her head, remaining silent. Some things that were previously incomprehensible now seemed to make sense. If... Zhongli was Morax! Moreover, Zhongli seemed to have secret dealings with the Fatui that even the Adepti and the Seven Stars didn't know about.
"'The contract' is fulfilled. As you requested, I bestow upon you the promised reward." Zhongli took out the Gnosis and floated it in his palm, handing it over.
"Hmph, such a condescending tone..." The lady snorted in dissatisfaction. He said 'bestow' and not 'give.' Was this the majesty of the Geo Archon?
"What, what? So you're the Geo Archon?!" Paimon was shocked. The Geo Archon was by her side all along! But more than that, Paimon was even more shocked that Zhongli would just give the Gnosis to the Fatui for free. Zhongli clarified that it wasn't a gift, but a transaction based on 'contract' – a matter between him and the Cryo Queen.
"I can't understand this. And your fake death was too much! Everyone was performing the ceremony to welcome you, and suddenly a dragon fell from the sky with a 'splat,' and then Liyue Harbor was in chaos, almost leading to a great disaster!" If Zhongli hadn't faked his death, they wouldn't have fled and been wanted as suspects, wouldn't have fallen for the trap of the Fatui Harbinger Childe, and all the subsequent messy affairs wouldn't have happened. Paimon felt that Zhongli was just trying to find trouble for no reason. Even if Zhongli was the legendary Geo Archon Morax, if he didn't treat her to chicken legs as compensation for her emotional distress, she would hold a grudge.
"Heh heh... To gather the undercurrents surging beneath the surface, and then let them burst forth after reaching their limit, isn't this precisely what he intended?" The female Harbinger was not surprised by such methods. If the legendary Morax only relied on force, he wouldn't have been able to sweep away all enemies during the Archon War and create a safe haven for Liyue.
"Huh?"
"Let me say it myself..."
Zhongli: After a lifetime of busyness, can't I enjoy myself a little?