Genshin Impact: I, the Winter Prince, reign supreme.

"Furthermore, judging from their appearance, the salt cup and salt ruler are intact, indicating that they have not been damaged. How could they have easily lost their demonic powers? My opinion is that both of these items are imitations."

Zhongli couldn't help but praise, "Your analysis is well-reasoned and supported by evidence. Mr. Su Yu is truly knowledgeable about the situation in Liyue. Many retired people don't have your knowledge and experience. These two items are indeed fakes, but the forgery techniques are so sophisticated that even the masters at the auction house couldn't distinguish them from the real thing."

Then, his gaze became stern.

"Fairness and impartiality are the most fundamental contracts between the Geo Archon and merchants worldwide. Who exactly violated these contracts and disrupted Liyue's commercial system? After this auction ends, the buyer who purchased the counterfeit item will likely report it to the Geo Archon."

While sipping his tea, Su Yu leisurely said, "There are only a handful of people in the entire Teyvat who can counterfeit the artifacts of the Maw. Counterfeiting artifacts requires not only superb skills but also extraordinary courage. And in the Liyue region, where the Geo Archon is personally in charge, the only people with the ability and the courage to do this are the 'Liyue Seven Stars'. If my guess is correct, the mastermind behind this is Ningguang of Tianquan Star."

"Ningguang?"

Zhongli frowned, completely baffled.

"Of course, this is just my personal speculation. I've heard that Ningguang of Tianquan Star is very perceptive and skilled in scheming. She probably didn't cheat at this auction to make money. It's not worth it for her to risk a few hundred million Mora and even lose her position as Tianquan Star. Ningguang wouldn't be that stupid."

Zhongli asked, "Then why did she do that?"

"They're probably fishing. Let's continue drinking tea and see who takes the bait."

Chapter 62 The Auction (Part 5)

The prices of salt rulers and salt cups continued to rise, and fewer and fewer people bid. In the end, there were very few people left to bid, and only a few scattered voices could be heard still calling out prices.

"One hundred and twenty million Mora!"

"One hundred and twenty-seven million Mora!"

"One hundred and fifty million Mora!"

A merchant from Nata drastically increased the price, aiming to acquire the Demon God's relic in one fell swoop.

Sure enough, when he quoted that price, no one followed suit for a long time.

Just when he thought he had succeeded, a clear, crisp female voice came from a corner of the auction house.

"Two hundred million Mora!"

The Nata Merchant was furious when an additional 50 million Mora was added to his account, even suspecting the person was a shill.

However, when he saw the face of the person making the offer, his attitude immediately softened.

"Wanyan, is your Yinyuan Hall going to interfere in the auction of the sacred relics?"

The person making the offer wore black-rimmed glasses and was named Wan Yan.

Yinyuan Hall is one of the "Eight Gates" of Liyue, in charge of the salt and iron industry, and Wanyan is the head of this department.

The salt and iron industries are the two major economic pillars of Liyue, and her status carries considerable weight; many merchants want to curry favor with her.

“My ancestors were descendants of the Salt Demon God Heuria, so I must buy back her relics. This is the result of a meeting held in our Silver Plains Hall.”

Then everyone remembered that after the Demon God War, the Geo Archon established the "Seven Stars Eight Gates" to revitalize Liyue's economy.

The Silver Plains Hall, one of the Eight Gates, is almost entirely staffed by descendants of Heuria.

"I read in the history books that after the death of the Salt Goddess Heuria, the people she protected came to Liyue and sought refuge with the Geo Archon. Out of gratitude for Heuria's kindness, the Archon promoted her people to positions in the Silver Plains, managing Liyue's salt and iron industries. From then on, Liyue's salt and iron industries entered a period of rapid development, which has made an indispensable contribution to Liyue's current prosperity."

"So Wanyan is a survivor protected by the Demon God. No wonder she was willing to pay such a high price."

The Nata merchant withdrew from the auction and gave the item to Wanyan.

After receiving the salt ruler and salt cup, Wan Yan stood up and announced to everyone: "Back then, the Rock King Emperor vied for supremacy in the Demon God War, killing many demon gods and suppressing a group of them under the Guyun Pavilion. The Salt Demon God Heulia died at the Emperor's hands!"

"The salt cup and salt ruler that have lost their power are the best evidence. The relics of the Demon God are indestructible; only the power of the Emperor can accomplish this."

Wan Yan held the salt ruler and salt cup high, but her face showed not sadness, but ease and joy...

"Survival of the fittest. I am not here today to condemn the evils of the Demon God War. We remain loyal to the Emperor. I am simply to clarify a fact. I hope that in the future, archaeologists and historians in Liyue will record this event truthfully in the history books."

After saying that, Wan Yan left the scene with the two sacred relics.

On the stands, Zhong Li's expression was uncertain.

"Herria was clearly killed by the people she protected, yet the Emperor bears the name of indiscriminate killing. Even after all these years, her people still believe that the Emperor is the murderer of the Salt Demon. Perhaps at the right time, the Emperor can reveal the truth to them. At that time, they will realize that they have wronged the Emperor and beg for his forgiveness."

Su Yu shook his head and said, "Zhongli, haven't you realized that Wanyan and the other survivors of Herria are not seeking the truth?"

"On the contrary, they tried their best to cover up the truth and confirm the crime of the Rock King Emperor killing the Salt Demon. In this way, they would not have to bear the infamy of killing their master."

"Wanyan and the others have worked hard for generations to cleanse their identities and establish themselves in Liyue. Yet you want them to admit that they were the executioners who killed their former master. Do you think they would admit their mistakes to the Emperor and beg for forgiveness as you wish?"

"They are not unaware of the truth, but rather unwilling to accept it."

Zhongli thought about it carefully and replied, "Your analysis certainly makes some sense. But the truth still needs to be witnessed with our own eyes."

It seems they still don't want to face reality.

Barbatos's opinion that Zhongli was a stubborn old man was not without reason.

However, it doesn't matter. When the Traveler and Paimon arrive in Liyue, the legend of the Salt of the Earth will be unlocked, and Zhongli will naturally understand Wanyan and her group's thoughts.

This matter is not about right or wrong, but about human nature.

For Morax to fully integrate into human society, he still needs to understand the complexity of human nature, which has both a kind and great side, as well as moments of selfishness.

"Heureia was born at the wrong time. I often think that if she lived in today's peaceful era, she would definitely be a great demon god."

On the issue of Wanyan, the two disagreed again, so Zhongli brought the topic back to the Salt Demon God itself.

"I'm not so sure, Zhongli. The prosperity, peace, and stability of Liyue today are the result of the Emperor's bloodshed. If Liyue had no Emperor, or if it were ruled by Heuria, it would disappear into the annals of history in a few hundred years. Someone as kind and weak as Heuria would bring disaster to Liyue even in times of peace."

Zhongli said confidently, "The Emperor has made countless contracts for Liyue. As long as these contracts are strictly followed, I believe that even without the Emperor, the 'Liyue Seven Stars' can manage this country well."

This time, Su Yu lowered his head and drank his tea, without responding to him.

The provocation he had just used had clearly worked, and Morax seemed even more determined to abdicate.

Delegating power to the people and allowing them to roam freely in the world has many benefits for Morax, such as avoiding wear and tear and improving their state of mind.

Most importantly, he can only hand over the Heart of the Rock God with a clear conscience after stepping down from his position as one of the Seven Rulers.

After Wanyan left, the auction proceeded to the final item, which was the highlight of the auction and was highly anticipated by everyone.

"The last item to be auctioned today is related to the Rock King Emperor."

The moment the proprietress, Ji Fang, opened her mouth, she stirred up the enthusiasm of the entire room.

The Geo Archon, the guardian deity of Liyue, the god of worship for all people, and the god of contracts on the continent of Teyvat. Without him, there would be no Liyue.

"This artifact was discovered in Guili Plain and is called the Lock of the Mortal World!"

Ji Fang opened a brocade box and showed everyone the items inside. It was shaped like a Rubik's Cube, with the mechanism on the surface slowly turning, both exquisite and ancient.

"This item is a token of the alliance between the Dust Demon God Gui Zhong, the great demon god who invented the Gui Zhong machine, and the Rock King Emperor before the Demon God War."

"After Gui Zhong's death, this earthly lock, which embodied her life's wisdom and passion, was treasured by the Rock King Emperor and carried with him. Later, for reasons unknown, the Emperor discarded it and buried it in the ruins of Gui Li Plain. Until recently, it was accidentally discovered by a traveler..."

When Zhongli heard the words "the lock of the mortal world," his hand holding the teacup seemed to freeze in mid-air, and a faint emotion flashed in his eyes, but Su Yu still noticed it.

It was neither like sadness nor indifference.

It was a rare emotion to appear in the Emperor's eyes—

Morax, the only one who can make you understand the mortal world is indeed that Demon God of Dust, who has returned to the end.

……

PS:

wish everybody:

Happy Lantern Festival!

Chapter 63 The Auction (Part Six)

"This is a token of our covenant, and also my challenge to you."

"All my wisdom is hidden in this stone lock."

"If only we could untangle it..."

Zhongli recalled the first time he met the Demon God of Dust, Gui Zhong. That day, the wilderness was filled with blooming glass lilies, and a barefoot girl wearing a wide-sleeved dress presented the token with a solemn yet joyful expression.

Zhongli had seen countless demons in his life, but only this lively Dust Demon took the initiative to ask to sign a covenant with him.

Zhongli was getting impatient at that time, thinking:

How foolish! There was no formal contract; they were just acting together without any regard for their own interests...

Seeing Zhongli remain silent, Gui Zhong smiled and said:

"Don't always have such a stern face. Actually, everyone likes you. I used to think that just because I had the power of the Demon God, I should have a cold expression on my face."

"But those lovely humans, though as insignificant and fragile as dust, often tell me that no matter how great the difficulties we encounter, we must learn to always smile."

"Look, now I've learned it—"

Gui Zhong squinted and grinned foolishly in front of Zhong Li.

"Enough! This battle for supremacy is for the sake of all living beings, and I will do my utmost."

Zhongli stood with his hands behind his back, turned around, and gazed at the vast sea of ​​clouds in the distant mountain stream.

"oh oh."

After being scolded by Zhongli, Gui Zhong shrugged.

But she wasn't afraid of Zhongli at all; she just playfully stuck out her little tongue.

"Can I still walk with you and fight alongside you?"

"random."

"whee……"

From then on, she silently followed behind Zhongli, and the True Lord of Gechenlang City and all the immortals laughed at her for being a tagalong.

In countless battles that followed, she helped Zhongli escape danger on numerous occasions, and every time Zhongli was injured, she was the first to appear and provide him with meticulous treatment.

So much so that Zhongli once asked in suspicion, "Are you an enemy spy? Why have you been spying on me?"

Gui covered her mouth and chuckled softly, finding the man beside her quite adorable at that moment.

"Yes, yes, I am a spy of the Vortex Demon God Oser, here specifically to assassinate you."