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

---No, no, it's not time to think about that yet.

The traveler shook his head and quickly returned to reality.

She looked at Xiangling seriously, pointed to the thugs at the entrance of Wanmintang, and recounted what had just happened.

Xiangling was clearly surprised after hearing this.

She glanced at the thugs at the door, frowned slightly, and said softly, "I didn't expect that the [Rock Tea House] is actually a member of the Fatui. I heard that in Liyue, the Fatui are unable to use many of their methods and powers due to the suppression of Lady Ningguang of Tianquan, but I didn't expect them to use such a roundabout method."

"Hmm! You should be fine inside Wanmin Hall, but once you leave, those guys definitely won't let you go."

"Should we report this to the Thousand Rock Army?" Paimon suggested.

"I'm afraid it's difficult. Recently, around the time news of the Emperor's incident spread, the security situation in Liyue Harbor has deteriorated considerably," Xiangling explained earnestly. "I heard that most of the Thousand Rock Army has been deployed to guard the Emperor's [Celestial Ancestor's Manifestation], so there are far fewer Thousand Rock Army soldiers maintaining order in the markets. The remaining Thousand Rock Army soldiers also have to devote most of their energy to taking care of the various merchant guilds and shops. Ordinary workers have to solve problems on their own when they encounter difficulties."

"Actually, in Liyue Harbor, only those merchants who walk the line between the legitimate and criminal worlds would keep thugs. The [Rock Tea House] that you've gotten yourself into is a well-known underground casino."

"A casino?!" Paimon exclaimed in surprise. "Liyue actually allows casinos to exist?!"

“It’s half black and half white.” Xiangling shook her head, seemingly unhappy about it as well. “As you know, Lord Rock secured Liyue through a contract, and casinos exploit loopholes in contracts and laws. I’ve heard that Lady Ningguang wanted to amend the laws before, but I don’t know if she was too busy to remember, or if other laws were more important, but this loophole has remained for a long time.”

"Ugh! This is so annoying. I never even heard of casinos when I was little," Xiangling complained in a low voice.

"Uh." The traveler didn't know how to respond.

In her view, the Radiant Light of Tianquan Star does indeed have many negative aspects.

This legal loophole might have been deliberately left by the other party.

After all, all the information the traveler has come across suggests that Ningguang is practically omniscient and omnipotent in Liyue Harbor.

"Do not!!"

Just as she was thinking this, a crisp and clear voice suddenly came from the table next to her.

"You have to look at Ningguang with a critical eye."

"She is neither omniscient nor omnipotent."

"She is not the Rock King Emperor after all."

"So, she can't always do things right."

Chapter Thirty-Five: Jade Balance and Clear Skies (1)

The sudden sound made both the traveler girl and Xiangling look over at the same time.

Then they saw a graceful young girl sitting next to the traveler, munching on golden shrimp balls, seemingly unconcerned about being stared at.

This is a girl who looks to be about ten years old. Her long hair is styled in a very strange way, standing up on her head like a pair of cat ears.

She was wearing a light purple dress, which wasn't very wide and didn't even cover her knees.

On the table where she ate, there was a very peculiar sword case.

This outfit always makes one wonder—can such a short skirt really cover a girl's private parts when she's wielding a long sword?

Of course, what attracts travelers' attention most are her full and smooth long legs, encased in almost transparent black stockings, the gold and purple patterns on the stockings appearing mysterious and elegant.

Thank you for the treat, I'm so full today.

With his hands silently clasped together in his heart, the traveler felt that he must have consulted the "almanac" in the Liyue proverb to have such good luck today.

"Who are you??" Of the three, Paimon was the first to come to his senses.

He glanced thoughtfully at the girl who wore black pantyhose and whose hair was sticking up like cat ears.

"You know Ningguang, the star of Tianquan?"

“Of course we know each other.” The cat-eared girl finished the golden shrimp balls in front of her before turning around to face Xiangling and the traveler.

"Hello, Traveler and Chef of Wanmin Hall, I am Keqing, one of the Seven Stars of Liyue."

"Liyue Seven Stars??!!"

Paimon seemed like a comedic villain from some shonen manga, taking two or three steps back.

"Of course, although I don't wield the law or have the same power as Ningguang, I am indeed one of the Seven Stars of Liyue."

"Alright, let's not waste any more time and get to the point."

The girl named Keqing's clothing and figure had a subtle sense of separation from her movements and expressions.

If someone were to see this girl for the first time, they would probably think she is a cool and innocent kendo girl.

But the way she spoke gave people a sense of competence and urgency, as if time was of the essence, making people feel a great sense of impatience.

“From what you just discussed, I have a general understanding of the situation.” Ke Qing spoke quickly and reacted just as quickly: “I also know about the [Iwao Tea House], and I’ve heard Ning Guang talk about the purpose of this gambling den. I will not discuss its necessity.”

“But it’s quite obvious, to Ningguang’s and my surprise, that this teahouse has been taken over by Dardaria, the executor of the Fool’s Loyalty, and no one has ever noticed this before.” Keqing’s expression was serious. Although she looked like a little girl, her manner of speaking and her movements were very much like those of a capable merchant guild leader in her forties: “It seems that the chaos in the Liyue Seven Stars and the entire Liyue Harbor after the death of the Geo Archon has also been taken advantage of by some people with ulterior motives.”

"Perfect timing. I'll take this opportunity to clean up all the rats and ants in Liyue Harbor."

Keqing spoke with a resolute tone, and compared to Ningguang's oppressive and submissive aura, she gave off the feeling of a cold, short sword.

“This…” Paimon’s expression remained unpleasant upon hearing her words: “Hey, I’m telling you, Keqing of Yuheng Star in Liyue, aren’t you being a bit too arrogant?”

"Huh???" Keqing turned to face Paimon: "Arrogance?? Why? I was just saying what I should do."

"As one of the Seven Stars of Liyue, it is my responsibility to protect the people of Liyue and ensure that they live in peace, prosperity, and happiness."

"Now that the Geo Archon has passed away and the covenant with the immortals has ended, if we, the leaders of the Liyue people, do not rise up, how can the people of Liyue live happily?"

"If by arrogance you mean I'm boasting, then there's no need for that. Now that I've decided to do it, I already have many contingency plans in mind."

Keqing's words were so serious that Paimon was somewhat at a loss for words.

She simply disliked Ke Qing's arrogant and self-important attitude.

If you asked her to give a detailed rebuttal, she naturally wouldn't be able to.

Paimon's eyes darted around, and suddenly he remembered a rebuttal.

"Hey, since you just said that this [Iwa no Kasa] has its own purpose, what if you rashly try to eliminate it and ruin its purpose?"

"Hmph!" Keqing snorted coldly: "I said that I would not discuss the correctness of its existence, not that I agree with it. So, that's why I hate Ningguang. She treats Liyue Harbor, and even the whole of Liyue, as a business, so she will make all sorts of sacrifices based on the so-called big picture. In my opinion, doing so is really too unprincipled."

"The bigger picture? The prosperity of Liyue Harbor? Because of the importance of the Geo Archon's divine remains, the Thousand Rock Army, which is responsible for maintaining order in the city, was transferred out? Because underground casinos are difficult to eradicate, a relatively obedient and easy-to-manage teahouse on the rock was left unchecked?"

"Because of the need to restore stability to Liyue Harbor, they can't wait to bring the immortals back and re-sign the contract?"

"I've said it before: even the Geo Archon can't protect us for ten thousand years, a hundred thousand years, or a thousand thousand years. If we truly want Liyue to prosper, we need the efforts of the Liyue people themselves. Now that the Geo Archon has passed away, it is time for us to recognize reality and stride confidently toward the future of the Liyue people."

"But that annoying Ningguang!!! She's decided to sign the contract again without my permission!!!"

"This is really putting a lot of pressure on me."

Keqing's conversations are so disjointed that if the Traveler and Paimon hadn't personally experienced the entire process, they probably wouldn't have been able to understand her.

"so?"

The traveling girl looked expectantly at the cat-eared girl in front of her.

"Therefore, I will not agree with Ningguang, nor with the immortal she invited back, nor with the cold, hard decisions she made using data and intelligence."

"She wouldn't know, no, I should say she wouldn't bother to know."

"The image of a person who has lost everything due to gambling in the Iwagami Tea House, and his despair leading to suicide! The image of a dockworker who has spent all his wages on food in a day, thinking he has eaten too much rather than thinking his wages are too low!"

Chapter Thirty-Six: Jade Balance and Clear Skies (2)

"Hmph!" After saying a few words, Keqing glanced at the Traveler: "I know you're working for Ningguang, and you're also working for the Sage."

"But I will not acknowledge either the immortal or Ningguang."

"The immortals are the shackles that bind the Liyue people to their own struggles, while Ningguang is the one who treats Liyue as a business without any principles."

"These are all things I hate the most."

"..."

Keqing's words silenced the traveler girl for a short while.

After a moment, she suddenly spoke up: "So... what will you do?"

“Me??” Ke Qing glanced at her sideways.

"Alright. Traveler, I'll tell you, and you can tell the immortals you know."

"If it were me, I would spend a month hiding among those gamblers and thugs, to figure out their profit chain, to understand how they lure ordinary people into becoming gambling addicts, and to understand why they can so easily make someone fall into it."

"Then, I need to understand and analyze the funding sources and customer traffic behind the casinos, and analyze who will become them after they are eliminated."

"As for cracking down on places like the [Rock Tea House], the key is to investigate and shut them down one by one. At the same time, we should educate ordinary workers about the dangers of casinos and establish the image of the Seven Stars Society of Liyue as protecting the workers' legitimate and reasonable demands."

“I believe that what people call darkness in their hearts, and what cities call the dark side, are not things that cannot be overcome. At least a hundred years ago, when the Rock King Emperor was still personally handling worldly affairs, these things never existed.”

"The so-called inability to solve the problem is just an excuse for one's own laziness, and also an excuse to profit from it."

"I believe that what the Geo Archon can do, we ordinary Liyue humans can also do."

After saying this, the traveler fell silent again.

Seeing her expression, Ke Qing shook her head slightly and continued speaking.

"If I were facing the immortals, I would say that if you are willing to protect Liyue, then I will thank you."

"If you don't want to, then it's fine with me."

"I will not give anything of my own to earn your protection."

"The history of the people of Liyue needs to be created by the people of Liyue themselves."

"This is not something that immortals can easily accomplish."

"The chaos in Liyue Harbor is a trial we need to overcome. With the help of the immortals, it will eventually erupt again. Only when we master the true way to govern the world and overcome this trial together with the people of Liyue can Liyue truly recover."

“We are friends, partners, and like-minded people with the immortals, but we are not powerless mortals under the protection of the immortals.”

"The Rock King Emperor established his kingdom on contracts, but what he truly sought was nothing more than fairness. If basic fairness could be guaranteed within the contracts, then even the Rock King Emperor would tacitly approve of minor underhanded tactics outside the contracts."

“But I am different. I also believe that Liyue needs contracts and fairness. But what I want to establish is not a contract between a person or an entity and the people of Liyue.”

"It is a contract between the country of Liyue and the people within the country of Liyue."