"Are you the Eighth Harbinger, La Signora?"
Ye Xi's brain short-circuited on the spot. He stared at Morax, only to find the other man sizing him up with a look of profound doubt. Morax seemed genuinely curious as to why "Signora" was a man.
As someone who knew the game inside and out, Ye Xi desperately wanted to explain that codenames were just codenames. It was like how the name "Pikachu" didn't mean the creature was literally made of skin.
But his thoughts hadn't quite caught up with his mouth yet. To prevent Morax from continuing that bizarre inspection, Ye Xi denied it without a second thought. "I am not La Signora. Do I look like her to you?"
Morax seemed ready to say something else, but Ye Xi cut him off instantly. "Don't ask."
This actually made Morax pause to think.
Ye Xi was blunt. "Stop thinking. I'm a man."
Morax: "..."
Having been interrupted several times, Morax could only sigh. "A rare moment of leisure should not be wasted entirely on such matters. It would be improper."
"I heard from the people at the Northland Bank that a new Harbinger had arrived in Liyue. I assume that is you."
"Whether it is La Signora or you, it makes no difference. I want to know your plan."
As he spoke, Morax stood at the highest point of Yujing Terrace, looking down at the bustling Liyue Harbor below. It was hard to tell what he was thinkingperhaps he was proud of the prosperity, or perhaps he was simply weary.
Ye Xi understood now. Between "the contract to end all contracts" and the mention of La Signora, the answer was self-evident. This was all for the sake of the coming upheaval during the Rite of Descension.
But this conversation was happening far too early!
According to the original story, Signora was supposed to resolve the Stormterror disaster in Mondstadt first and seize Barbatos' Gnosis. Only then would she come to Liyue to take Morax's Gnosis on behalf of the Tsaritsa.
Right now, Signora was still in Mondstadt. She hadn't even returned yet.
However, yesterday, the Fatui Skirmishers had mistaken Ye Xi for a Harbinger. Word of this had reached Morax's ears, leading the God of Contracts to believe that Snezhnaya had dispatched a new Harbinger to complete "the contract to end all contracts." Thus, he had come knocking on the door.
Ye Xi was speechless. Talk about a coincidence! He had only been faking the role of a Harbinger to squeeze some information out of the Fatui. He hadn't expected to attract Morax before getting a single lead.
Just as he was trying to figure out how to prove his identity, an ethereal voice rang out in his mind.
[Hidden Task Triggered]
[Objective: Obtain the Gnosis of the Geo Archon, Morax]
[Reward: 16,000 Primogems]
[Limited-time Event Wish Opened: "The Transience of Sublunary Fate"]
["Lonesome Transcendence" Shenhe (Cryo) Probability UP!]
Sixteen thousand Primogems!!!
Ye Xi sucked in a sharp breath. That was exactly one hundred pulls! You were guaranteed a gold at ninety pulls, and he'd still have 1,600 Primogems left over!
More importantly, he needed Shenhe's Constellations! He had heard from Madame Ping today that Shenhe was in danger because her red ropes were loosening. Ye Xi believed the solution was to use her Constellations to suppress the malevolence!
Up until now, his wishes had been part of a standard poola total mess of items. Obtaining Shenhe's Constellations there was as difficult as reaching the heavens. This limited-time Event Wish couldn't have come at a better time.
Therefore, he had to complete the task of getting the Gnosis!
He looked at Morax, forcing himself to remain calm. "I have one condition. After I explain the plan, I must receive the Gnosis first."
Morax fell into thought. After a moment, his gaze turned deep as he asked, "If I give you the Gnosis, can you guarantee that the contract will be fulfilled to the very end?"
Ye Xi answered frankly, "I can't."
"Ahem"
Morax was rendered speechless by Ye Xi's bluntness. If he hadn't lived for six thousand years, he might have dropped a Planet Befall on Ye Xi right then and there.
Seeing Morax's skepticism, Ye Xi shrugged. "It depends on whether your people cooperate. It depends on whether the people of Liyue cooperate. If the plan fails because you dropped the ball, you can't exactly blame me, can you?"
In truth, Ye Xi was just looking for an excuse. As long as La Signora hadn't rushed back from Mondstadt, he could give it a try. At the very least, he could help Morax retire "honorably" without a hitch.
Morax found Ye Xi's words reasonable and nodded. "Fair enough. Should the contract fail, I shall reclaim the Gnosis."
Ye Xi's lip twitched at that. The calmest tone paired with the most ruthless words! That was Morax for you. If a man like him was hunting you down, you might as well lie down and wait for death.
The entire Guyun Stone Forest was formed from the stone spears Morax had hurled in the past. One could only imagine how gargantuan those spears were. If one of those fell on your head, your life wouldn't be the only thing gonethe entire geography of the region would change. The Jade Chamber couldn't even begin to compare!
If Morax hadn't already planned to retire and slack off, even the Tsaritsa herself couldn't have taken the Gnosis from him. Against such a powerful existence, Ye Xi didn't need to worry about him breaking his word.
"Then, the contract is struck," Morax said plainly. "Contract-breakers shall suffer the Wrath of the Rock."
He looked at Ye Xi. "Shall we go to the Northland Bank to discuss the details?"
Ye Xi frowned slightly. The bank was Fatui territory. He was pretending to be a Harbinger, but if he ran into Childe, wouldn't his cover be blown?
However, if he refused to go, it would only arouse Morax's suspicion. A "Harbinger" who refused to discuss important matters at the Northland Bank was suspicious in itself.
"Fine," Ye Xi agreed, bracing himself. He could only hope Childe wasn't at the bank today.
Leaving Yujing Terrace, he walked side-by-side with Morax. The surrounding people seemed unable to even perceive the presence of the Geo Archon, busy as they were with their own lives. If they knew that the unremarkable man walking past them was their god, they would likely fall over in shock.
Soon, they climbed the redwood stairs and entered the bank.
Northland Bank.
As Ye Xi led Morax through the doors, every Fatui member in the lobby turned to look.
"Lord Harbinger! You've come!" The Fatui Agent from yesterday was the first to rush forward.
Upon hearing those words, the others began to whisper urgently.
"Is he really a Harbinger?"
"Does Liyue have a third Harbinger besides Lady Signora and Lord Childe?"
"I heard some people saw this lord using two elements last night. He must be a Harbinger!"
"Has anyone seen this lord before?"
Everyone shook their heads. As low-level members of the Fatui, they worked for Harbingers, but they didn't know all of them. Childe and Signora were the only ones they were familiar with. Some Harbingers were so secretive that the rank-and-file hadn't even heard their titles.
Seeing the others hesitating, the Fatui Agent began to bark orders. "What are you doing?! Quickly, pay your respects to the Lord Harbinger!"
At his command, the Fatui members dropped everything and rushed over to kneel.
"Greetings, Lord Harbinger!"
"Good evening, Lord Harbinger!"
"Welcome, Lord Harbinger, on your inspection!"
Ye Xi didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he watched the crowd of Fatui Skirmishers trembling on one knee. It looked like Childe wasn't around. He had set out to fake being a Harbinger, and somehow, he had actually pulled it off.
On second thought, it made sense. Who else in this world could use two types of elemental power? Harbingers were only able to do so by using a Delusion, and even then, at a great cost. Seeing someone use two elements naturally led people to think of a Delusion. It was the only logical conclusion.
Fortunately, Ningguang had suppressed all news about him yesterday afternoon, or he would have been exposed long ago.
Ye Xi put on an act, barking out sternly, "Prepare a room. I have important business to discuss!"
"Yes, sir!" The Fatui Agent hurried off to prepare.
Ye Xi noticed that Morax showed no signs of suspicion. Once they were inside a private room, they finally sat down. The Fatui members outside nervously brought in tea and water before bowing respectfully and retreating.
Ye Xi exhaled in relief. "We can talk here."
Morax nodded. "It is quiet. Please, proceed."
He was looking forward to Ye Xi's plan. Truth be told, he had ruled Liyue for thousands of years. He was tied to countless people, events, and gods by an unbreakable web of contracts. The idea of retirement wasn't new; he had wanted to leave many times, but his signed agreements bound him. Even as Rex Lapis, he couldn't simply walk away.
How could he retire in a way that severed those ties?
Ye Xi didn't mince words. "My plan is this..."
He laid it out directly, essentially reciting the plot from the game. It was a sophisticated arrangement. Morax would first strike a deal with the Cryo Archon, using his Gnosis to end all contracts.
Childe, responsible for seizing the Gnosis, would be kept completely in the dark. This was to ensure the Fatui's reaction was authentic, preventing the Liyue Qixing from suspecting a setup. Otherwise, Childe wouldn't have tried so hard to find the location of the Exuvia.
Next, Morax would fake his own assassination. To prevent conflict between the Adepti and the Liyue Qixing, the Fatui would use counterfeit Sigils of Permission to break the seal on Osial, the Overlord of the Vortex. This would force the negotiating Adepti and Qixing to set aside their differences and face the ancient god together.
With Morax failing to appear during such a terrifying crisis, the people would believe their god had truly passed away. The Adepti and Qixing would reconcile, and the Age of Mortals would begin. Morax's "death" would be accepted as reality by the entire world.
Ye Xi's plan followed this exact blueprint, with himself taking Signora's place in the performance. Of course, once the real Signora returned, he was going to have a massive headache.
"...That is the gist of it. Once you are 'dead,' your promises and contracts will naturally cease to be binding. No one will know you are aliveeven if you are living right beside them."
Ye Xi finished his explanation. He expected Morax to have more questions, but Morax suddenly clapped his hands.
"A perfect plan!" Morax exclaimed. "I only need to fake my death by assassination, and the rest will be handled by them. So, when shall we begin?"
Ye Xi began to calculate. If they were going to do this, it had to be before Signora returned to Liyue! Otherwise, she could expose him at any moment.
"How about in a few days?" Ye Xi asked. "Pick an auspicious day for yourself."
Morax: "..."
This was another one of those moments where Ye Xi left him speechless. Did he really need to pick a lucky date for his own "funeral"?
Morax sighed. For some reason, he kept seeing shadows of that person in Mondstadt within Ye Xi. They shared a certain flighty way of thinking. Sometimes the things that came out of Ye Xi's mouth left a man who had lived six millennia at a total loss for words.
"Looking at you reminds me of someone," Morax said helplessly. "A child I could never quite handle."
With that, he reached into his robes and pulled out a shimmering golden object. It looked like a piece from a chess set.
Zhongli spoke, "The contract is struck. As you have requested, I grant you the promised item."
He placed the Gnosisone of only seven in the worldon the table and turned to leave. It was as if he didn't want to say another word to Ye Xi.
Ye Xi couldn't help but grin. To make the great Rex Lapis have a headache just by being near him was quite the accomplishment. He picked up the Gnosis, and the ethereal voice returned.
[Hidden Task: Obtain the Gnosis of the Geo Archon, Morax (Completed)]
[Reward: 16,000 Primogems]
[Issuing reward, please check...]
Ye Xi was eager to collect his Primogems, but another prompt followed immediately.
[Task Activated]
[Objective: Collect the Gnoses of all the Seven Archons]
[Currently Collected: Geo Gnosis]
[Rewards will be issued for each Gnosis collected.]
[Next Target: The Anemo Gnosis!]
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