I, the Rock King Emperor with 21 billion in power, have joined the chat group.

After thanking the young lady, the young traveler started running. A few minutes later, she reached the steps of the port and looked to her right, where she saw a crowd that almost filled the entire street.

It was truly a sea of ​​people, shoulder to shoulder.

The girl followed Paimon, using the elemental power of the breeze to gently push aside the crowd along the way, and thus arrived at the front.

Then she saw a mature woman standing in the center of the ceremony, wearing a bright white cheongsam dress with gold trim all around the hem.

Of course, what truly draws the eye is the hem of this mature woman's skirt. Whether it's the glimpse of her fair, long legs or the gold patterns that seem embroidered on her inner thighs, everything exudes a dignified yet alluring charm.

Thank you for your hospitality.

The traveler girl clasped her hands together in her heart, marveling that the hardships she had endured traveling all the way from Dawn Winery to Liyue Harbor were almost instantly healed.

"Who is that person standing in the center of the ceremony?" After being healed, she even had a few more words to say, and couldn't help but ask Paimon.

Paimon scratched his head, feigning ignorance: "Perhaps it's a priest of the Rock God?"

Her words immediately drew opposition from passersby.

"No, the Geo Archon has no priests or churches. Unlike Mondstadt, all humans in Liyue are children of the Geo Archon."

His voice was neither hurried nor slow, sounding serious and earnest without being dull.

Even the young female traveler couldn't help but look up and glance at it.

Then she saw a face that was even more handsome than her brother's.

"That's Ningguang, the Tianquan star that governs the law among the seven stars of Liyue."

The handsome passerby added another sentence, clearly answering her question.

"Yes, thank you." Although she wasn't good with words, the young traveler still thanked her politely.

After saying this, the two immediately stopped talking.

As time passed, Ningguang, standing at the center of the ceremony, raised her hand to look at the sun in the sky and estimated the time.

He then took two steps forward and loudly proclaimed to the eager Liyue members, "The time for the ceremony has come!"

After saying that, she took two steps back and turned around.

Countless golden gems transformed into streams of light that swirled around her body. Then, these golden lights flowed down her palms and toward the stone alchemy furnace at the very center of the ceremony.

A few breaths later, golden light filled the alchemy furnace.

Suddenly, it transformed into an exceptionally dazzling golden radiance that surged into the sky.

In an instant, the sky and earth changed color, and the originally clear sky suddenly turned into a dark cloud.

A faint roar of thunder could be heard, and the sky trembled.

The next second, Ningguang, who was standing in the center of the ceremony, suddenly changed color. She waved her hand, and several golden gems transformed into a strange barrier, blocking her way.

Then, almost instantly, before almost everyone onlookers could react, a seven-colored sphere crashed down, hitting the barrier erected by Ningguang.

Boom!

The explosion was followed by a sharp crack, and Ningguang's barrier shattered.

Her expression changed, and with a flick of her wrist, several even larger gems shot into the sky, transforming into a new barrier.

As expected, several colorful spheres crashed down simultaneously, hitting the barrier she had deployed.

If she hadn't blocked it in time, she would probably have been seriously injured.

"These are the seven stars of Liyue. Even the Radiant Star of Tianquan is nothing special."

A crisp sound came from the sky, carrying a hint of languor and a touch of subtle elation.

Ningguang frowned and waved her hand.

Her two maids immediately stepped back, and then hundreds of Thousand Rock Army soldiers wielding long spears surged out from outside the ceremony site, surrounding all the onlookers and the ceremony site.

After doing all this, Ningguang looked up at the sky and asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"

"Hahaha!!" A girl laughed loudly as she slowly descended from the sky.

Her figure emerged from the gloomy clouds and appeared before the assembled crowd.

This is a petite girl dressed in a peculiar red and white outfit resembling that of an ancient witch from the Kingdom of Daoqi. She holds a royal coin in her hand, and several black and white yin-yang spheres surround her.

She stood casually in the sky, her once beautiful face completely covered by a dark gray mask, leaving only her two eyes to observe her surroundings.

The girl looked arrogantly at Ningguang standing below, her voice clear and her words flippant.

“We are transgressors of the laws of nature, and awakeners of the abyss. We are the history of history, the element of element. You may call me [Ten Thousand Priestesses] Reimu Hakurei, or you may call me [The Third Apostle].

"Today, I am merely greeting you, the servants of the Seven Gods."

"Oh, right, I haven't given you a gift yet."

After saying that, she waved her hand.

The gloomy sky suddenly cleared, and a colossal object crashed down.

Ningguang's eyes narrowed, and without looking at the object, she quickly looked up.

But all I saw was a long red and white dress disappearing into the clouds.

She immediately realized what was happening and waved her hand again.

"The Emperor has been murdered,"

"Chiiwa Army! Seal off the scene!!!"

Chapter Twelve: Zhongli and the Traveler (1)

As Ningguang, the Star of Tianquan, uttered the words "The Emperor has been murdered," all the people of Liyue present suddenly went mad.

Some people wanted to go forward and see if the corpse that had fallen to the ground was the Emperor.

Some people, after seeing it clearly, felt extremely frightened and wanted to back away.

Some even knelt down on the ground, crying out in anguish.

Many people quickly looked left and right, wanting to leave.

The traveler and Paimon, standing at the front, naturally saw clearly what had fallen to the ground.

It was a colossal dragon, completely different from Dvalin, the dragon of Mondstadt. It had no wings, two horns on its head, scales on its back, whiskers and mane beside its mouth, and a bright pearl under its chin.

Its imposing presence commands respect.

He must have been very strong and powerful during his lifetime.

It is probably several times stronger than the wind dragon Dvalin.

But at this moment, such a powerful dragon was lying on the ground like a pile of rotten flesh.

"What do we do? What do we do?? The Chiiwa Army is interrogating everyone. All suspicious foreigners are being interrogated." Paimon looked at the Chiiwa Army not far away and couldn't help but panic. "Ying, you're definitely going to be arrested. Even if you haven't committed any crimes, you'll probably have to stay in jail for a long time until the facts are clear... What do we do??"

Paimon's shouts made the traveling girl a little flustered.

She glanced at Chiiwa-kun around her, gritted her teeth, and was about to quietly find a place where no one would notice her to get up and leave.

A gentle, calm voice suddenly rang in her ear.

"Don't panic."

The young traveler looked up and saw a face that looked somewhat familiar.

"Huh?? You're the one who just reminded us that the person holding the ritual in front of us is Ningguang's kind soul???" Paimon quickly said something that was a bit awkward, and surprisingly, he didn't bite his tongue.

"My name is Zhongli, traveler, hello."

Zhongli greeted them calmly.

"How do you know my name?" The traveler girl quickly took two steps back, her hand already gripping her single blade behind her back.

"Please don't be afraid." Zhongli's voice was gentle, without much emotional fluctuation: "As a well-known [Honorary Knight] in Mondstadt, your achievements are even known in some parts of Liyue."

"Hahaha~~!" Upon hearing this, Paimon put his hands on his hips and laughed triumphantly: "Luminous, it seems that we have already become famous in Mondstadt, and have even infiltrated Liyue."

Seeing Paimon's smug and arrogant demeanor, the traveler girl couldn't help but curl her lip and casually replied in a low voice, "Does that reputation even include your name, Paimon?"

"Huh???" Paimon was stunned for a moment, and then lowered his head in frustration: "Yeah, it only has your name Ying, not mine at all."

Seeing Paimon's dejected appearance, the traveler girl reached out and gently ruffled Paimon's hair: "It's alright, Paimon is my best friend."

"Hehehe~~! That's right! The traveler gained her fame under my guidance, which means her reputation is half mine." Paimon quickly cheered up again. Mental victory was her main method for always being silly and happy.

Zhongli didn't interrupt the two people's stand-up comedy; he simply stood beside the traveler and watched quietly.

After the two finished speaking, Zhongli continued, "I am Zhongli, a guest elder of the Rebirth Hall in Liyue City. Please give me your guidance."

The young traveler nodded slightly, indicating that she understood.

Paimon, standing nearby, couldn't help but ask, "Why do you say it's alright? Although I don't know much about Liyue, I do know how strict Liyue's laws are."

“A foreigner as suspicious as Ying would definitely be caught and questioned under such circumstances.”

“I can help you with the proof,” Zhongli replied.

These words excited Paimon: "Proof? What proof?"

“Naturally, it proves that I am a Knight of Honor of Mondstadt,” Zhongli replied. “I am not an accomplice of the priestess who just assassinated the Emperor.”

Their conversation caused the young traveler to miss the best time to escape.

As the Thousand Rock Army surrounded them, they seemed to notice Zhong Li's presence as well.

Several people nodded slightly to Zhongli in greeting.

One of the men, who appeared to be the leader, stepped forward as he watched Zhongli and the traveling girl chatting happily, and asked, "Mr. Zhongli, who is this person beside you?"

Zhongli turned around, facing the captain of the Thousand Rock Army, and extended a hand to say, "This is my good friend from Mondstadt. She just arrived in Liyue today. I invited her to participate in the Seven Stars Summoning Ceremony, but I didn't expect to encounter this kind of thing and be frightened."

"Mr. Zhongli's friend?" The captain looked the traveler girl up and down, then glanced at Paimon floating beside her, before nodding slightly and speaking to the girl.

"I'm so sorry. I was specially invited to travel to Liyue, but I've been dealt such a blow. I'm really sorry."

Upon hearing this, Paimon quickly put his hand behind his head and let out a standard silly grin: "Hahaha! It's alright, but... is this giant dragon really the Rock King Emperor?"

Upon hearing Paimon's words, the captain's expression quickly turned serious. He glared at Paimon and whispered, "How could the Rock King Emperor have been assassinated so easily? It must have been that woman who called herself the 'Third Apostle' who used a monster's corpse to impersonate the Emperor. Don't talk nonsense, you outsider."

"Oh~~ Oh oh oh oh oh!"