Genshin Impact, I, a mere mortal, cannot accompany you to the very end.

The long corridor led to an altar at its end. Surprisingly, the altar was empty except for a simple, ancient earthenware pot.

The earthenware jar wasn't large; it was half-filled with fine salt.

Qingnuoyan stared at the half-jar of fine salt, lost in thought for some reason.

The agreement included finding the salt container.

This must be the salt shaker.

"Just a salt can..." Miss Ying seemed disappointed. She had thought she would make a fortune. "The Salt Demon God isn't rich."

"Although it is a salt shaker, it is not an ordinary one."

Zhongli said, "There is only half, but there will always be half. No matter how much you pour out, there will always be half in the salt jar."

"That's not endless...!"

"I want this one."

Ying's eyes lit up instantly. She quickly walked up to the altar, took down the salt jar, and guarded it against her chest like a little squirrel holding a nut.

"Little girl, I will keep my promise."

According to the contract, items are taken in sequence, one per person per time.

Wan Yan stared excitedly into the deepest part of the ruins, her eyes almost blind. "Endless... The authority of the Salt Demon God is indeed very powerful."

The more Wanyan explored, the more convinced she became that the powerful Salt God had been murdered by traitors sent by Morax, and yet the rulers of Liyue chose to cover up this disgraceful history.

Continuing forward, after passing through another bronze-forged gate, a new altar appeared, with a crystal-clear ruler placed on it.

“This is a salt ruler, and it also contains a portion of Heuria’s authority,” Zhongli explained. “When you insert it into the soil, the soil will be covered with salt, symbolizing the salt harvest.”

Compared to the endless salt pans, the salt ruler seems far more precious. The salt ruler's power is far greater.

Qing Nuoyan thought to himself.

Salt ruler, sure enough, the next one is a salt ruler.

The agreement was to collect a salt ruler and a salt container.

"I want—"

"Please hand me the salt ruler."

Surprisingly, Qing Nuoyan and Wan Yan spoke up at the same time.

Tsk.

This is troublesome.

The two of them both took a liking to the same item.

Qing Nuoyan thought to himself that in order to fulfill the agreement, he needed to obtain the salt ruler.

However, the 'contract' made with Mr. Zhongli is also an agreement, and Qingnuoyan hates breaking contracts.

But Wan Yan had no intention of backing down. The young girl's eyes shone brightly as she stared intently at the magnificent ruler and said softly:

"As long as we bring the ruler back and let the people of Liyue see it, everyone will know the power of the Salt Demon God... This will be the proof!"

“Mr. Zhongli.” Wanyan turned her head and looked at Zhongli. “Please give me this ruler.”

"You once said that."

She said earnestly, "Cultural people are indeed cultural people; they can argue about things in a very reasonable way, or rather, with twisted logic."

“The contract is fair, and Miss Ying and Qing Nuoyan are together. According to the rule of taking items in turn, they have already taken the salt container, so it should be my turn to take it this time. Otherwise, it is not fair.”

Although her statement was a bit pedantic, it did make some sense.

But Qingnuoyan cannot back down.

He had to keep his promise.

"Young man, I know."

Wan Yan's voice softened as she spoke to Qing Nuoyan.

"I have a rough idea of ​​what your purpose is. It's nothing more than wanting to make money by taking advantage of the Salt God's authority. You've already got the salt pans, so you won't be short of money."

She glanced at Ying, her gaze lingering for a moment on the small shovel at Ying's waist. In fact, Wanyan had been dissatisfied with Ying's attitude from the beginning, but she had been holding back her anger—what was that thing the girl was carrying, a shovel, a compass?

What does she view archaeology as?

Is money all you care about...?

If that's their value system, Wanyan couldn't say anything, but since it involved the salt god she worshipped, she couldn't remain silent any longer.

"But my purpose is different."

The girl's gaze was sincere, her eyes seemingly shining with a light like the bright sun at dawn—pure, clear, and magnificent. She stared intently into Qing Nuoyan's eyes, trying to soften the stubborn Qing Nuoyan.

“I need this salt ruler, I need to take it back—because it involves an important historical truth, and it is my duty as a historian. I have an obligation to reveal the ugly side of the immortals to the people!”

What she said was very touching, but from the beginning, Qing Nuoyan couldn't understand what she was saying.

Nonsensical remarks.

He tilted his head.

What about making money, what about mission, what about being different...? Is she the only one with a mission?

It makes it seem like... you're inferior.

Fulfilling his promise to his friends was also a mission that Qingnuoyan could not shirk.

This was something his friend had promised to give him.

Qing Nuoyan lowered his head, his pale blue eyes showing no extra expression, simply gazing calmly at Wanyan.

What does your mission have to do with me...?

You may be great, but am I inferior?

No one's mission is relevant to Qing Nuoyan. He has already made up his mind to live a carefree life. He is indifferent to his own life, so why would he care about other people's affairs?

Qingnuoyan hates being kidnapped the most.

“You’re awful,” he said. “I hate the tone of your voice.”

The atmosphere instantly turned icy.

It was Mr. Zhong Li's voice that broke the deadlock.

"You two," Zhong Li said earnestly, his tone not loud.

"Please do not argue. As Miss Wanyan said, a contract is a contract, and it is fair to everyone. Those who break the contract will suffer the punishment of being devoured by rocks."

"However, this is just my personal suggestion—suggestion for the two of you."

"Sometimes, giving up appropriately can get you what you want more; similarly, making appropriate concessions will eventually bring back what is rightfully yours."

"Once a choice is made, it cannot be regretted or changed."

Every gift bestowed by fate has already been secretly priced.

Miss Wanyan did not intend to take Mr. Zhongli's advice. She needed this salt ruler, she needed this evidence, and she needed to prove to the people of the salt in the earth that the Salt God was the powerful deity.

Qing Nuoyan looked at Zhong Li and found that the latter was also watching him.

Those bright golden eyes gazed calmly at him. Qing Nuoyan pondered Mr. Zhongli's words, seemingly realizing something and trying to decipher the rules of the contract.

He paused, then realized what was happening.

This contract is indeed fair, and so is this advice. Mr. Zhongli's words can actually be divided into two parts—he gave advice to both him and Wanyan respectively.

The first half of the sentence states that Wan Yan needs something more, while the second half states that what belongs to Qing Nuo Yan will ultimately belong to Qing Nuo Yan.

This suggestion is indeed fair.

Of course, this is just Qing Nuoyan's guess based on this passage.

It may refer to completely opposite people.

But in any case, the surface meaning is the same: to persuade them to give up the salt ruler.

Whether to adopt or not...

It also depends on themselves.

For some reason, perhaps it was some inexplicable sixth sense, Qing Nuoyan chose to believe.

It's strange, really. He had only met Mr. Zhongli once, yet he inexplicably trusted him.

Where does this sense of trust come from?

"This salt ruler," Qing Nuoyan said, looking at Wan Yan, "I'll give it to you for now. According to the rules of succession, it's my turn to take it next time."

"Wanyan," he said calmly, "I hope you won't regret it."

Qingnuoyan had a premonition that there might be an even more important secret ahead of the ruins.

-

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P.S.: Ugh, updating in this hellish place is so painful, I need to find a way to adjust my biological clock.

Volume 1: Chapter 86 "Fushe, Never Betrayed!" (Chapter 2.5)

Sometimes, giving up something appropriately can get you what you need more.

Wan Yan now understood the meaning of what Mr. Zhongli said.

We should heed Mr. Zhongli's advice—to abandon the salt ruler.

As Qing Nuoyan said, she seemed to really regret it.

What appeared before Wanyan was a broken sword, split in two.

Continuing along the ruins, passing through abandoned corridors and paths, stepping on withered moss-covered corpses, until reaching the end, pushing open the last bronze gate, where the two broken swords were enshrined in a shrine.

The broken sword was covered in dust, and fine, spiderweb-like cracks covered the blade, obscuring its original color. It was covered in rust, and time had etched mottled marks on the sword.