"Ying, Feng Yi, save me, the wild flowers are eating people!"
Paimon was startled by the quickly emerging Whopperflowers and wanted to hide behind Feng Yi and Ying as fast as possible. However, due to her excessive weight, her flying speed was greatly reduced, and she was eventually hit in the backside by an Ice Whopperflower's ice ball.
The moment the Whopperflowers jumped out, Ying was already prepared for battle. She immediately drew her sword and charged, holding her own against three of them.
Feng Yi took out his spear and casually threw it, pinning a Whopperflower that was preparing to launch an ice attack to the ground.
The remaining two Whopperflowers were no match for Ying, and she finished them off in a few moves.
"Phew, that was close, I almost got eaten by wild flowers..."
Paimon, having narrowly escaped the flower's maw, expressed her relief at surviving, believing she almost met her end there if not for her agile reflexes.
"Right, these flowers seem really angry. I sang so well, why... Is it because I sang a Mondstadt song? Do Liyue's wild flowers not understand the language?"
Paimon was puzzled, and these flowers didn't look like Glaze Lilies at all.
"These are monsters called 'Whopperflowers.' Hmm? These petals...? Interesting."
After the battle, Zhongli stepped forward to investigate, a slight smile appearing on his lips.
"The Glaze Lilies used for camouflage have been buried with the 'Whopperflowers' for too long, turning them into excellent medicinal herbs. It's a blessing in disguise. Let's collect these petals..."
"Hey, Zhongli, why didn't you help during the fight just now?"
Paimon's anger flared up when she thought about how Zhongli had done nothing, just stood by with his hands behind his back, watching the show leisurely.
"I am more inclined towards literary research and do not excel in combat..."
Zhongli shook his head gently, spouting nonsense with a straight face.
"I see, I've misunderstood you!"
Paimon was stunned by his words and found them quite reasonable.
Feng Yi: "The God of War is not good at combat?!"
If Morax's defeated foes heard this, they would likely be half-dead from anger, if not entirely dead.
"Can these petals be used for the Rite of Descension?"
Paimon packed the petals from the ground and asked Zhongli.
"Regrettably, no."
Zhongli shook his head.
Zhongli: How could the funeral he prepared for himself be made up of just anything?
"Ah, why is that—"
Paimon found it hard to accept. Did that mean her singing and getting hit were all for naught?
"Don't worry, I know where there's another high-quality Glaze Lily. We can go pick it."
Zhongli smiled slightly, deciding not to tease the little one any longer.
"Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Paimon pouted, resentful that they had wasted so much effort.
"I just happened to see this rather good Glaze Lily along the way and didn't expect it to be a disguised Whopperflower."
Zhongli chuckled, unconcerned.
Unexpected events, after all, were an indispensable part of the journey.
After following Zhongli to pick the Glaze Lily, the materials required for the Rite of Descension were finally prepared.
Feng Yi and the others returned to Liyue Harbor and found a large crowd of Fatui and Millelith gathered at the city gate, as if something major had happened.
Rather than speculate, Zhongli decided to find someone to inquire about the situation.
"Excuse me, what has happened here?"
Zhongli chose a seemingly idle Fatui member to gather information.
"Oh? It's the Honorary Advisor of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Mr. Zhongli, isn't it? The Millelith are keeping a close eye on us. These are extraordinary times, so don't do anything rash..."
Mr. Zhongli was cooperating with their "Young Master" Childe, and they considered themselves on the same side for now. He felt it was necessary to warn Mr. Zhongli.
"Oh? Extraordinary times?"
"The Adepti from Jueyun Karst have finally made their move. Their intentions are likely not friendly."
Seeing that Mr. Zhongli seemed unaware of what was happening, the Fatui soldier explained it to him.
"Are they here to demand an explanation?"
"Most likely. I heard that several of the Liyue Qixing brought people to meet them early on... Heh, rather than a welcome, it's more like trying to keep the Adepti out of the city. But both sides are being stubborn, creating a stalemate."
The Fatui soldier clearly understood the delicate relationship between the Liyue Qixing and the Adepti, and couldn't help but let out a mocking chuckle.
"It was inevitable that things would reach this point."
Zhongli nodded, this scene was within his expectations.
"The Adepti do not recognize the Qixing, only the contract with the Geo Archon. If they decide to force their way in, Liyue Harbor might not be able to withstand it."
The Fatui soldier seemed to be enjoying their misfortune, hoping for a conflict so they could profit from the chaos.
"But the Liyue Qixing are not people who wait for their doom."
Zhongli believed that, by common sense, there were checks and balances between the Adepti and the Qixing. Out of concern for Liyue Harbor, a fight would normally not break out.
"Hmph, who doesn't know their stubborn attitude? But it's precisely because of this that the conflict between humans and Adepti is on the verge of erupting."
The Fatui had experienced the Liyue Qixing's strong stance firsthand. Especially recently, the Millelith patrols had become increasingly strict in monitoring the Fatui.
"And then? Why have the Fatui become the target of everyone's anger?"
"Hmph, it's all because of that Ningguang... She said, 'In these times of impending storm, the Millelith must completely control the movements of the Fatui.' Tch, only now do they think of restricting our actions? The Qixing are nothing more than this!"
Fatui Soldier: Although I've been kicked out, I'm still standing at your doorstep, mocking your incompetence!
"Mr. Zhongli, you are an associate of 'Young Master,' and your stance is also half of ours. Be careful not to give them any leverage."
The Fatui soldier didn't forget to remind Mr. Zhongli.
"Don't worry, I am self-aware."
Having gathered the desired information, Zhongli nodded and led Feng Yi and the others into the city.
"Feng Yi, Ying, and Paimon, I have urgent matters to attend to. I'll take my leave now."
With that said, Zhongli turned and bid them farewell, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
"Feng Yi, Ying, what do we do now?"
All the way, the Millelith looked solemn, truly giving the impression of an impending storm.
Perhaps it was an illusion, but Paimon vaguely smelled a whiff of gunpowder, as if a great battle awaited them.
"Ying, take this golden letter. Eat it in a time of crisis; it will help you through the difficulties..."
Feng Yi took out a golden letter and handed it to Ying. He had prepared it for Ying in the Jade Chamber, but only now was he able to give it to her.
"Wait, Feng Yi, where are you going?"
"A friend (Osial) might be coming over later. I'm going to prepare a meeting gift for him..."