Genshin Impact: I, the Winter's Executor, am forced to work.

Chapter 198 Zhongli: The Emperor entrusted me...

"?"

Aside from Zhongli and Qin Ye, the sudden words shocked everyone present to varying degrees.

Does this mean they've admitted it, or...?

For a moment, it was hard to tell what this mature-beyond-his-years man was thinking.

“Tatiana, there’s no need to stand in front of the door with Ying and the others. We have some things to talk about. Why don’t you take Hu Tao and Yun Jin to my study for a tea party and have a chat? It’s good that they don’t know Ying very well, so they can get to know each other.”

Qin Ye interjected at the opportune moment, implying that the following secret was not suitable for these people to hear, and that going to "rest" first was the best option.

"Okay, Brother Qin Ye."

Tatiana had no questions or complaints. She first tidied up the teacups on the table, placed them on a tray, prepared a new snack, and cleaned up the scene. Then she led the girls upstairs.

Before leaving, Hu Tao even grinned at Zhong Li and Qin Ye.

"Old-fashioned...please don't say anything you shouldn't."

I certainly don't want both of you to become my premium customers at the same time.

"The sect leader is as lively and adorable as ever." Qin Ye nodded to Zhong Li.

"Listen to what people are saying!"

Qin Ye gestured for Hu Tao to relax and casually waved his hand.

"The three of you sitting together put a lot of pressure on me."

Ye Lan crossed her legs, shook her head with a smile, and spoke in a teasing tone.

In her view, the three of them sitting together were trying to put pressure on her. Although it was impossible for the three of them to force her to stay in the villa as a guest, threats and inducements were all possible.

There's no way around it; I've done this kind of thing too many times, and I'm extremely familiar with the process.

"Ye Lan, you're joking. We're all friends, so there's no such thing as pressure."

Qin Ye is currently in a middle position. Even though he appears to be on the side of Zhongli and Dadalia, his identity is the most convincing one.

"I sincerely hope that you can sit down and have a proper discussion. Once we open up, the problem will naturally be solved."

Sending off immortals in a grand ceremony, the abyss...

If he guessed correctly, Zhongli did indeed want to use this opportunity to lure the Abyss out of the shadows, and at the same time, he wanted to transition Liyue to a stage of rule by humans, so the death of the Rock King was necessary.

If all I'm asked to do is cooperate with him in staging a scene where I kill myself, that would be incredibly simple; there's no need to add the identity of a wanted criminal to my resume.

Therefore, the only possibility is that the existence of the Abyss forced him to find a way to reveal some information to Seven Stars. He couldn't directly tell Seven Stars the planners behind him, so he used my identity to help him.

Being outmaneuvered wasn't a big problem, since their interests aligned, but he really hadn't expected Zhongli to pull off something so big.

"Of course I know you, Qin Ye, and I believe this conversation can bring both sides to a pleasant conclusion."

Ye Lan smiled and nodded. Since the other party had already hinted that they wouldn't resort to force, the conversation was just a normal routine.

Seeing that the two had almost finished discussing things, Zhongli understood that the baton had been passed to him.

He put down his teacup and slowly began to speak.

“I am not the murderer who assassinated the Emperor. Before the ceremony of inviting immortals, I felt the Emperor summoning me. He appeared to me in a dream and asked me to be present at the ceremony. I usually do not like to get involved in mortal affairs, but since it was the Emperor who asked me, I will do my best.”

"and many more?"

Ye Lan felt a little confused.

A dream, a summons from the Emperor?

Each of these seemingly outrageous events suddenly seemed real thanks to the man's calm and collected way of connecting them.

Zhongli frowned at first, then looked enlightened.

"I forgot to introduce myself. I am the Eight Desolations and Six Directions True Lord. Unlike my old friends such as the Cloud-Leaving and Wind-Borrowing True Lord, I prefer the warmth and life of the human world, so I often walk around Liyue Harbor as a mortal."

"..."

Qin Ye couldn't catch his breath, so he tried to suppress the itching sensation in his throat, took a sip of hot tea, and calmed himself down.

You're so pretentious even when you just make up a title on the spot. You're something else.

How can you prove it?

Ye Lan's conversation also began to become more literary.

"I used to know the secretary of Seven Stars."

I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush. Listen to me first. If there's anything, just confirm with Gan Yu.

Qin Ye inwardly condemned this act of shifting blame.

Coconut Sheep is so cute, would you really let it take the blame for you?

"That Emperor?"

A glimmer of hope rekindled in Ye Lan's heart.

Although Seven Stars and other high-ranking members of Liyue were prepared to accept all of this, ordinary people, especially the older generation, still needed a certain period of transition.

Even if the Emperor is seriously injured and his divine power is constantly dissipating, it is still better than him suddenly dying.

"The Emperor is probably indeed dead."

Zhongli shook his head helplessly, his eyes filled with sorrow.

"?"

So, is he dead or not?

"But please rest assured, before the Emperor passed away, he told me that if Liyue encounters any insurmountable difficulties, he still has a final plan. He hopes that the Seven Stars will work together to lead Liyue forward."

The sorrowful expression, the sighing tone, and Zhongli's long sigh all drew Yelan into a state of grief.

Even after his death, the Emperor still burned his last bit of power for Liyue.

"Has the Emperor said anything yet?"

Zhongli closed his eyes and fell silent.

After a few seconds, he slowly spoke: "He hopes that Seven Stars can prepare for any potential threats that may arise later."

"A threat?" Ye Lan continued to ask.

The man remained silent for a few seconds again: "I don't know the specifics either, but it should be closely related to the Emperor's death."

"..."

Qin Ye's lips twitched.

You made all of these things up on the spot, didn't you? Although some of them are actually correct.

However, as a core member of Liyue, Yelan naturally took these words to heart.

But she still stared intently into Zhongli's eyes, trying to detect any hesitation, because she couldn't afford to be ambiguous about such a matter.

But after Zhongli finished speaking, he quietly began to drink his tea.

"I understand."

Ye Lan quickly stood up from the sofa: "I will then have Gan Yu verify the truth of the matter. Mr. Zhongli, you will likely be busy fulfilling the Emperor's request in the future, but I still hope you will not easily expose yourself to the people of Liyue, after all..."

“Of course I understand that.”

Zhongli nodded. As long as he wasn't hindered by the Seven Stars of Liyue, he could actually retreat unscathed at any time. However, Dadalia and Qin Ye also wanted to go with him, so he had to consider all aspects carefully.

"Then I'll take my leave now, Qin Ye. Remember to say hello to Master Hu and Mr. Yun for me."

She walked briskly toward the door, then wisely slowed her pace: "Next time I will visit as a friend, Qin Ye."

Chapter 199 You Came Just in Time

"Ye Lan and his men have already turned a blind eye, you don't need to be so covered up, do you?"

Qin Ye and Tartaglia walked together through the streets of Liyue Harbor.

The mysterious figure wore a red scarf that covered the area below the nose, and a headscarf that covered the area above the nose. His usual combat clothing, which allowed him to move around easily, was replaced with a loose-fitting cloth robe with a Sumeru-like color scheme.

"Although you said there's no need to hide so well, I'm very self-aware. In order not to cause you any trouble, this disguise has to be complete. Don't worry, no one will recognize me."

The young master confidently gave a thumbs-up, and Qin Ye felt he could see his white teeth even through the red scarf.

"..."

What I really want to say is that it's better not to disguise yourself at all, because when you go through checkpoints, they'll definitely make you take it off and verify your identity.

If it were a baseball cap, they might just glance at it and let you pass, but this headscarf...

Once you take it off, there's nothing left to cover you up.

Never mind, it's not a big problem. As long as Yelan doesn't conduct a thorough search, the normal Thousand Rock Army won't even be able to see how the young master escaped.

"What are your plans next, buddy?"

D'Artagnan was already itching for a fight, since during this period of fighting he could only manage to stop at a point with Zhongli, and neither of them could gain the upper hand.

That's right, neither side was injured, so that's a draw? Is there a problem?

Qin Ye had already turned his route westward, while Tatiana was gathering intelligence in the city to confirm whether the Abyss had infiltrated the area.

As for Ying, she was left to her own devices, since it was better to let her own ability to handle things come into play than to order travelers to do certain things.

Zhongli said he was going to visit an old friend, but actually headed towards Guyun Pavilion, not knowing what he was going to do.

Qin Ye's words...

To be honest, I kind of miss Columbia.

Just considering their usual interactions, which one, the young master or the young lady, would give one more peace of mind when standing by their side?

Needless to say, it would be impolite to say another word.

"I can't just wait for them to make a move before I can take the hit. It's definitely better to take the initiative. I've always been curious about where the Abyss is hiding in Liyue. I'm more worried about Katarina and the others."

D'Artagnan quickly became serious: "You mean the Ninth Company? I heard that Dotole has personally gone to Sumeru, so the company should be under the responsibility of... Puchnera, right?"

He knew that the rooster man and his partners had fought fiercely in the political arena before, and that man was a pure pragmatist.