"Hm… Three years ago, I found a tattered old book inside the house."
"Luckily, the contents inside weren't damaged. The book recorded many martial arts techniques."
"That house has been passed down through my family for generations."
"So I assume the book must have belonged to one of my ancestors as well."
Qiu Nian explained calmly to Lumine and Paimon.
"Wow…"
"Your ancestor who knew martial arts must have been amazing!"
Paimon said with admiration.
Not only had Qiu Nian's ancestor mastered martial arts, they had even left behind a martial arts manual.
Could it be that his ancestor had once been some legendary wandering hero?
"Haha…"
"I think he was pretty amazing too."
Qiu Nian laughed lightly.
The three of them continued chatting as they walked toward Dihua Marsh.
Before long, they spotted about thirty miners in the distance, apparently discussing something.
Twenty-eight of them wore blue clothing.
The other two wore red.
It was obvious they didn't come from the same place.
But the three of them paid little attention and continued toward Dihua Marsh.
Meanwhile, Qiu Nian quietly focused his senses, listening to their conversation.
"Miners like them, those outsourced small crews, go through layers and layers of subcontracting."
The leading miner among the twenty-eight spoke quietly to an apprentice beside him.
"So by the time it's subcontracted all the way down, only two people are left to do the work?"
The apprentice looked shocked.
"That's already considered decent."
"At least they still leave two workers."
"I once saw someone digging a medium-sized ore vein alone."
The lead miner glanced at the two miners in red and sighed.
"Hmph, how could one person dig a medium ore vein alone?"
The apprentice scoffed, clearly not believing it.
"When he first started digging that medium vein…"
"His son had just begun learning to read."
The lead miner explained.
"So where's his son now?"
The apprentice asked curiously.
"He's the one you're talking to."
The lead miner replied.
The apprentice froze.
"Haha…"
Qiu Nian couldn't help but laugh when he heard that.
By the time they arrived at Dihua Marsh, the sky was beginning to brighten.
Before them stretched a vast natural wetland.
Shallow waters spread across the land, intersected by winding streams.
Wooden bridges crossed the wetlands, and boats floated quietly on the water.
Many inns and buildings stood nearby, offering shelter to travelers passing through.
Large patches of reed flowers grew across the marsh.
Under the soft glow of the morning sun, the scenery looked breathtaking.
Qiu Nian took a deep breath of the fresh air.
Then he spotted Zhongli in the distance, standing beneath a tree and gazing toward the horizon.
The three of them walked over.
"You're quite punctual. I only arrived a short while ago myself."
"How was the Jade Chamber?"
Zhongli asked with a slight wave.
"It was huge, magnificent, and incredibly expensive!"
"It's the most luxurious building I've ever seen!"
Paimon spread her arms wide to demonstrate.
"Even when compared across history, a structure like the Jade Chamber is extremely rare."
Qiu Nian commented.
"Indeed. In present-day Liyue, if the Jade Chamber ranked second, no other building would dare claim first."
"You must have met Ningguang. How did the conversation go?"
Zhongli nodded and asked.
"She's very rich, very generous, and very friendly!"
Paimon answered with a smile.
"But friendliness…"
"…is also a merchant's weapon."
Lumine shook her head slightly.
"Mm. Though Ningguang appears friendly…"
"You cannot be certain how much of it is sincere."
Zhongli agreed.
"She's a very strategic person."
Lumine added.
"She reached her current position entirely through her own abilities."
"Someone like that must possess extraordinary qualities."
"I've heard that her continuous expansion of the Jade Chamber represents her ambition. It's the second most important thing in her life."
"Even if she were to give up her position as the Tianquan, she would never abandon the Jade Chamber."
Zhongli explained.
"The Jade Chamber is only second?"
"What's the first?"
Paimon asked curiously.
"Of course—Mora."
Zhongli replied matter-of-factly.
"Actually…"
"I think the most important thing in Lady Ningguang's heart is Liyue."
Qiu Nian said after thinking for a moment.
It seemed Morax had underestimated his own people.
In truth, Liyue had always been Ningguang's top priority.
After all, during the battle against the Overlord of the Vortex, she ultimately sacrificed the Jade Chamber—her most treasured possession—for Liyue's sake.
No wonder Morax later felt that Liyue's people had surpassed his expectations.
Apparently, this had been his impression of Ningguang all along.
"Hmm…"
"What you say does make sense, Mr. Qiu Nian."
Zhongli replied after a moment of thought.
In the end, everything would depend on the final outcome.
They would have to see what kind of answer Ningguang—acting as a human—would deliver.
"Oh right!"
"The thing she talked about the most was the Fatui."
"She said that ever since Rex Lapis was assassinated, the Fatui have been stirring up trouble in Liyue."
Paimon suddenly remembered.
"The Fatui have always behaved that way."
"I'm not surprised."
Zhongli replied calmly.
"And they're trying to replicate the Talismans of Permission."
Lumine added.
"No matter what the Fatui are plotting, it's best to remain cautious when dealing with them."
Zhongli said after a brief silence.
Everything seemed to be unfolding exactly as he had anticipated.
"Oh right, Zhongli!"
"We should tell you—Qiu Nian is incredibly skilled!"
"He defeated two Fatui soldiers effortlessly!"
Paimon bounced excitedly.
"Qiu Nian is really strong."
"He's the first person I've ever seen who doesn't have a Vision yet is still this powerful."
Lumine nodded.
She even felt that Qiu Nian's strength was comparable to her own.
"That's a bit exaggerated."
Qiu Nian laughed lightly.
Zhongli, however, looked somewhat surprised.
It seemed he hadn't expected his old friend to personally take action.
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