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

Unable to vent his anger, he could only bear it through the emptiness before him and Columbia.

"Is this a desperate gamble?" Kong looked at the girl beside him with a questioning gaze.

"Qin cannot regain the power of the Abyss now, otherwise he will inevitably fail again like before. The plan cannot be ruined by being impatient. Let's defeat him for now and then decide the outcome."

If it weren't for the need to defeat the forces of Heaven, this deal would truly be a loss...

Kong's gaze was exceptionally serious. Holding his sword in one hand, he stared at his enemy. The power of the abyss left a black trail as it refracted several times before crashing down on the two of them.

Without having to spare any energy to deal with the Rock King Emperor, the Abyss King's power was instantly enhanced.

But this also meant that he needed to finish the war quickly.

A phantom, growing countless times larger, emerged from behind him, and the power of the abyss began to climb along the tip of the empty sword, forcing him to abandon his weapon and choose another method.

Corrupted by the opponent's power, the outcome is predictable; just look at Oser, who unwittingly became the weakest of the weak.

The Abyss King slammed his palms against the top of Tianheng Mountain, and the sharp power of the abyss transformed into several sword energies that slashed in all directions, like flowers blooming on a rocky mountain.

At the same time, he himself turned into afterimages, and several avatars arrived beside Sora and Columbia in a few quick steps. Black blades resembling shark fins grew from the arms wrapped in shadows, heading straight for the two's vital points.

The elemental force formed a huge lute, which became a shield in front of the two, but the power of the abyss wrapped around and spread, quickly turning it into fragments.

"The ability to cause trouble..."

Columbia and the other two formed a triangle, slowly moving towards the sky.

If it were anyone else, even those stronger than them would likely find it difficult to withstand the combined attack of her and Kong.

But this ability to erode is truly somewhat unfair.

While they were pondering, the dark figure opposite them suddenly fell silent, its arms hanging limply in front of it, its head drooping listlessly, as if it had fallen into a deathly stillness.

"Oh no..."

Seeing Columbia's expression, Sora frowned gravely and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Qin sealed its memories within its body to prevent it from going mad..."

"..." Kong twitched the corner of his mouth.

Doesn't that mean your sarcastic remarks just now broke his defenses? Why didn't you tone it down a bit?

He cursed inwardly but didn't directly express his dissatisfaction, after all, they were still teammates on the same side.

"die."

The dark figure swayed slightly twice and arrived in front of the two people in the blink of an eye.

His arm bent backward incredulously, and black mist gushed from the joint, like splattered blood.

The sharp claws pierced the ground, and a towering pillar of purplish-black fire rose into the sky.

Two figures darted out from the middle, both with some injuries.

The shadowy figure tried to press its advantage, but the ground beneath its feet cracked due to the immense force.

Blue-purple flames ignited between the two groups of people, and the familiar aura drew everyone's attention.

The Abyss King extended a finger, his tone laced with threat: "Do you want to completely sever ties, Daines Reeb?"

"I think you've misunderstood something... I just happened to be here."

"You put it down..."

Din interrupted the other person's angry words: "I was just catching up with an old friend. The one who really wanted to see you was him, not me."

His tone was so calm, as if he were describing something that had nothing to do with him.

The Abyss King slowly lowered his arm, a bad feeling creeping into his heart.

"Yes, they are all faces that I miss."

An old, deep voice came from behind, and the old man, wearing the cloak of the Fools, walked steadily, exuding a terrifying aura.

"Piero, I didn't expect you to come here in person. Is the peaceful atmosphere of late winter not enough for you?"

Colombia's tone was quite casual, completely lacking the demeanor one would expect when the third seat meets the first seat; in fact, it suggested that she held a higher position.

"It's understandable that you would blame me like this. Although I haven't traveled to many countries in the past five hundred years, every step I've taken has been to pave the way for that person. As you can see, everything is progressing on the right track."

The girl turned her head away from him and said, "You're just following the path Qin Ye laid out, step by step."

"As you said, even that person's plans could not have gone through a century without miscalculation. Of course, this is only human nature, and I have no other meaning."

Piero's answer was quite rational; he neither flattered Qin Ye nor exaggerated his own contributions, and his attitude towards the young girl was neither humble nor arrogant.

His gaze fell on the body shrouded in shadow: "As expected of that person, the choice to store his consciousness in the alchemical puppet back then was unexpectedly correct. The worn-out body truly cannot resist the erosion of the abyss."

Even you...

The Abyss King clenched his fists, his anger reaching its peak, but he knew the best time to strike had passed.

The Fool isn't interfering now because the power hasn't been fully absorbed; everyone is afraid that the puppet's body won't be able to withstand the abyss's corruption before the power is fully integrated...

The girl and the others naturally thought the same thing.

They originally didn't want to go all out for fear of disrupting Qin Ye's plans, but now it's different. If the other party really intends to fight to the last moment, the people present, along with the Rock King Emperor, can completely suppress and seal him.

It doesn't matter when Qin Ye is ready; he can just release the other party whenever he's ready.

Everyone knew perfectly well that Qin Ye wanted to absorb the power of the Abyss from the other party, while the imposter who possessed the power of the Abyss also wanted Qin Ye to regain his power and then take advantage of his weakest moment to turn the tables.

"What, it seems your intentions to replace Qin Ye aren't entirely pure, you imposter."

Columbia's figure rushed out instantly; she wanted to forcefully detain him to reduce future troubles for Qin Ye.

Even if this makes others unhappy, so what? She's only making plans for Qin Ye.

If something really happens to her, Qin Ye will also be more estranged from everyone present, which is something no one wants to see.

So she used herself as bait, with the aim of luring everyone onto the warship.

"Humph!"

The power of the abyss surged into the sky, and the opponent abandoned their plan to confront them head-on, withdrawing from the encirclement.

"Tell that imposter that next time we meet, he shouldn't be hiding behind a woman." He didn't forget to throw out a harsh threat before leaving.

"hehe."

Columbia covered her mouth and chuckled softly: "I'll reply to you on his behalf..."

Don't be sour.

Chapter 228 Prince Yan

"You really know how to make excuses without even trying..."

Qin Ye looked at Liyue Harbor, which had resumed basic operations, and then turned his gaze to Zhong Li beside him.

The Geo Archon was assassinated by his enemies. It was originally a ploy to lure the enemy into a trap. Recently, the crisis in Liyue Harbor has been resolved. The Archon has exhausted his power and has fallen into a deep slumber. May the Seven Stars and the people of Liyue unite as one and forge ahead.

This lie... a white lie is the most widely circulated official explanation in Liyue Harbor recently.

As for the second figure that appeared in the sky that day, it was none other than the Emperor's old friend, the Eight Desolations and Six Directions True Lord.

"It's not an excuse. Even a rock that a whirlpool can't break will be worn down by the erosion of time. I just kept convincing myself that the day when it's worn down and cracks appear has not yet come."

Zhongli walked forward through the crowd with his hands behind his back. Although he and Qin Ye had outstanding appearances, in the eyes of the busy people of Liyue, they were no different from the millions of ordinary people. The two of them just moved forward silently.

"Brother Qin once told me that when I was in power, I was blinded by a leaf and could not examine myself in all aspects. Only when I stepped down from the throne could I understand the whole picture."

He smiled helplessly: "Now it seems that what Brother Qin said is true. I have experienced the difficulty of retiring at the peak of one's career. When I started to consider stepping down from my divine position, I found that there were many reasons why I could not leave."

"And now?" Qin Ye's question was very brief, but those three short words earned him a gratified expression from the Emperor.

"Looking back now, I realize I was worrying too much. My contract with Brother Qin is now complete, and I will now travel the world as the mortal Zhongli."

"...As a good brother, I personally suggest that you first learn about Mora's value scale and concepts."

The two suddenly fell silent until Zhongli slowly nodded: "I'll try my best. But Brother Qin, are you uncomfortable with the revelation of your immortal identity?"

"What does the appearance of the Eight Desolations and Six Directions True Lord have to do with me, Qin Ye?"

I'll be thankful as long as you don't recommend me for the throne.

"That's excellent." Zhongli remained silent for a while, then asked, "I wonder what I asked Brother Qin to carry..."

"I've definitely brought it, but I still hope Brother Zhongli will show mercy."

Zhongli changed into a black outfit in a corner and covered his face with a loose hood.

"Brother Zhongli...won't you scare people when you go to their homes in that outfit?"

"..." The other party remained silent for a while, then opened their mouth towards Qin Ye's white attire, but was too embarrassed to say that it looked like they were going to a funeral.

The two of them naturally had a specific purpose for their trip. This purpose may sound simple, but it was actually a habit that Zhongli had been practicing for thousands of years.

However, he can no longer create Mora with his bare hands, so he can only ask Qin Ye for help.

In the residential area of ​​Liyue, a knock was heard on the door of a simple wooden house.

"Here it comes! Please wait a moment."

The two did not wait long. A woman holding a child slowly pushed open the door and was startled by the two people in black and white whose faces she could not see. She hurriedly tried to close the door.

"Don't be afraid, sister." Qin Ye knew that Zhong Li's clothes would scare people.

"We are two commissioners from the General Affairs Department... led by Lord Yuheng. We heard that your husband was injured in the battle some time ago and is unable to get out of bed, so we came to check on his condition."

"..." The woman forced a smile and nodded to the Black and White Impermanence before her: "So...so you are Lord Yuheng's subordinates. My apologies, please come in."

No, calm down. Perhaps the restoration work in Liyue Harbor is urgent, and the Seven Stars simply have no one else to send. We must understand their predicament.

Qin Ye walked to the bedside, looked at the Qianyan Army soldiers who were still frowning in their sleep, and couldn't help but sigh.

His arm has been reattached after special treatment, but due to the long-term impact of the storm created by the demon god, the hidden injuries left in his body are difficult to remove, and he is probably suffering from pain every moment.

It is said that this man, as the commander of the Thousand Rock Army, had been guarding the front line alone from the very beginning without ever leaving the battlefield to rest. He only fainted when the Emperor appeared and was rushed to the hospital by his comrades.

"This... sister." Zhong Li's tone was awkward, and she didn't know how to address the other party, but since Brother Qin called her that, she would just go along with it.

"Didn't Seven Stars send any follow-up subsidies?"

The woman placed her daughter on the bed. The Qianyan soldiers beside her seemed to sense something and struggled to turn over, changing from lying flat to lying on their sides, leaving more space on the bed.