I'm in the Teyvat running group

Beneath the salt pan, however, were not monsters, but a group of Fatui soldiers and several men dressed in Liyue attire, facing off against each other, seemingly arguing about something.

Especially the man in Liyue attire standing in the very center, he was arguing so fiercely that even Yunxiu could hear their quarrel from afar.

"I've already poisoned Tian Shu Star; it was your strategy that failed and was discovered!"

“Mr. Zhiyi, I think you are not in a position to argue with the Fools right now.”

"...You really dare to kill me? I am one of the heirs of Tian Shu Star!"

"If you really are the heir of Tian Shu Star, of course we wouldn't dare kill you, but the question is, are you really?"

"What do you mean? Tian Shu has already begun to assess us!"

"An investigation? It's just bait. Besides, the Seven Stars are backed by the major families of Liyue. Do you think that old man Yun Qing would still choose you after having Yun Xiu as his son?"

Although I am indeed qualified to be a Seven Star, I don't really have much interest in it...

Yunxiu had no doubt about this. As long as he revealed his intention to become one of the Seven Stars, it was highly likely that the Seven Stars would vote for him. Ningguang and Keqing's families had business dealings with him. Kaiyang and Yaoguang were the first to enjoy the benefits of the storage bag and the elemental isolation spell. As for Tian Shu's father, there was no need to say more.

However, Yunxiu was not very interested. Being a Seven Star meant a huge amount of work and complex political struggles. As a newly emerging merchant and representative of the Geo Archon in Liyue, his power was no less than that of a Seven Star, and he was much freer.

"I think the most important thing right now is for you to surrender obediently and come back to Liyue Harbor with me, right?" Seeing the Fatui Commander and Zhiyi arguing more and more fiercely, Yunxiu couldn't bear it anymore and walked out directly. Looking at Zhiyi, she said sarcastically, "Besides, Zhiyi, the only thing you don't have to worry about is this sentence: I have no interest in the Seven Stars."

"You're lying! How could you possibly not be interested in the Seven Stars!" Zhiyi's face was contorted with rage. "You high and mighty people of noble birth simply look down on us commoners!"

"I don't look down on you."

Anyone can say nice things!

“It might sound nice to others, but it really doesn’t mean it to me,” Yunxiu said seriously. “To fight for power to this extent, yet still not understand the essence of power, is truly a laughable fool.”

Chapter 97 Drunken Words Reveal Secrets (Third Update on Wednesday)

"I just don't want to go back to that damp place, I don't want to be like an ant anymore. What did I do wrong?" Zhiyi's face was almost unrecognizable: "You help me to the top, and I will guarantee your interests in Liyue!"

“That’s why I say you don’t understand what power is at all,” Yunxiu said helplessly. “Power and responsibility are equal. The greater the power, the greater the responsibility. When you can shoulder the responsibility, you will naturally have power.”

"Responsibility? Does taking responsibility mean I can gain Tian Shu's favor? Or get on the candidate list?"

“Zhiyi, this is the part of my father you understand the least.” Yunxiu stared intently into Zhiyi’s eyes, her gaze almost devouring him: “Even this morning when I set off, my father told me that you had essentially taken the wrong path, and that if you wanted, he could take you back to Liyue to serve your sentence.”

Before Zhiyi could ask a question, Yunxiu continued speaking quickly.

"Even without the poisoning and your ridiculous propaganda, do you think my father wouldn't have noticed you? You're so wrong! Besides, my father never intended to pass the Seven Stars position to me in the first place."

"How is that possible?" Zhiyi exclaimed in bewilderment, "What do the Seven Stars mean to you?"

“I am an honorary knight of Mondstadt, and the ninth sage of Sumeru.” Yunxiu looked at her with pity, then pointed to Yueji and said, “This is a general of the Otsuki clan of Inazuma. If I am willing to join Inazuma, then the Thunder God will definitely give me a position no less than hers.”

“That’s right.” Tsukihime said with a serious expression, “If he wants, he can even establish the Fourth Magistrate’s Family in Inazuma.”

“A person’s status and recognition are not determined by their background, or even their ability, but by how much responsibility they can shoulder for themselves and everything around them.” Yunxiu looked at Zhiyi, who was shocked and could not believe it, and then calmly said, “I am also bearing the responsibilities that I should bear in my position, which is why the gods have given me the identity of an agent.”

"What does that have to do with us people of humble origins?"

“Do you know? Just a few days ago, we were arguing about a girl whose strength and status are far inferior to yours.” Seeing the incredulous look in Zhiyi’s eyes, Yunxiu continued, “The reason for our argument was not criticism, but to protect her, and we eventually agreed to her request. Now she is mapping the Layered Rock Abyss.”

"Layer upon layer...layer upon layer of rock, a colossal abyss..."

“Yes, the Abyss of Layered Rocks. My father once greatly admired you. If you truly follow the righteous path, you have every chance of succeeding Tian Shu after my father retires.”

"I...I..." Seeing Zhiyi on the verge of collapse, Yunxiu didn't say much. Instead, she sealed him with a force field. It was better to leave the matter to her father.

The surrounding fools had already been bound by Shen He's powerful talismanic magic. The leader looked at Yun Xiu and said with a bitter smile, "So it's my turn next? No wonder Lord 'Rich Man' said that I must never meet you..."

"Oh?" Yunxiu stepped forward with her staff, poked the body of the Fools, and said seriously, "I don't think I pose that much of a threat to the Fools."

"What a joke! You plotted to kidnap 'Lady,' colluded with the wind god Barbatos to kill 'The Doctor,' made a deal with 'The Servant,' and destroyed 'The Rich Man's' preparations a few days ago. Do you dare say you didn't do it on purpose?"

Although I really want to say that I did have a deliberate intention, it was mainly you Fools who delivered it to me personally. Isn't that a bit too sarcastic?

Yunxiu sighed, and used several force field spheres to collect the leading Fools. Then, with a playful smile, she looked at the other group of Fools and said, "My advice is that you should escape from here as soon as possible. If nothing unexpected happens, this place will soon be completely closed. At that time, in the Salt God's Kingdom, you will only be able to eat salt for the rest of your life."

After saying that, Yunxiu took Shenhe and Yueji and flew to the huge salt jar to study how to break the artifact.

The fools below quickly scattered like headless flies, but judging from the distance Yunxiu had flown over, they would most likely be trapped and die here...

After a little research, Yunxiu understood how to break the artifact. It was actually quite simple: just insert the salt ruler directly into the center of the salt jar, and the salt jar would shrink into the shape of an ordinary jar. After putting the salt jar away, a strange rune would be exposed on the ground.

“These are… runes of necromancy and conjuration magic. Strictly speaking, they should be cloning, resurrection of the dead, and summoning from another world…” Yunxiu thought carefully for a moment before suddenly realizing, “So that’s how it is. The divine kingdom itself is an ‘other world,’ and the artifacts and the remains of the demon god can serve as the basis for ‘cloning,’ with the artifacts providing the energy.”

Undoubtedly, this is "forbidden knowledge" for Teyvat itself.

But Yunxiu still noticed something different here. The runes for resurrection from the dead and summoning from another world didn't actually come from the D&D world! They were just very similar in structure, which was why it was easy to tell.

Judging from the intricate necromancy runes, necromancy in this world must be so abundant as to be almost rampant…

"If forbidden knowledge comes from all sorts of different worlds, what if one day we get some Emperor-proving techniques from 'Covering the Sky'..." Yunxiu complained as she cast spell after spell to dispel the array. It took more than twenty minutes for the array to be completely destroyed, turning into a wisp of black smoke that dispersed in all directions.

Nodding in satisfaction, Yunxiu tossed the salt shaker and salt ruler to Yueji: "Another treasure!"

"What's the use of this?" Tsukihime asked, puzzled. "Even if there really is an endless supply of salt, isn't salt already everywhere?"

"This salt..."

"Hmm? Shen He, do you have any thoughts?"

"It should be very pure; the master might enjoy doing experiments."

"Um... that's a bit extravagant," Yunxiu said helplessly. "Let's hand him over to the Emperor and see how he handles it."

The group quickly flew back to the place where Fushe and Xiao had fought the Holy Relic. The battle was coming to an end. The Holy Relic Beast seemed to know that it only had one life left, so it used all its strength to absorb energy and transformed into an even larger monster.

However, Fushe Yaksha was not entirely inferior, and actually used the Law of Heaven and Earth, which overwhelmed the Holy Beast in terms of momentum! The Calamity-Suppressing Weapon became enormous in his hands, reaching several thousand meters in length. The artifact was wrapped in a vast amount of lightning elemental power, and with just a few thrusts, the Holy Beast was covered in bursts of salt!

Xiao transformed into a streak of black and green light, darting back and forth and piercing the entire body of the giant beast to pieces!

"Roar--!"

With a final, unwilling scream, the entire Sacred Beast collapsed, scattering into a pile of salt crystals and strange monster fragments.

The Floating Yaksha shrank rapidly, its two large hands retracting into its body. Soon, it transformed into a burly man over two meters tall, who, if Yunxiu had to describe him, was quite handsome.

"Well done!" Fu She stretched out his hand and handed Xi Zai to Shen He, then patted Yun Xiu on the shoulder and said excitedly, "I just came back from that place called Sumeru and met you young talents. However, I only recognize General Yue Ji. And you two are?"

"I am Shen He, a disciple accepted by True Lord Liuyun Jiefeng fourteen years ago." After receiving Xizai, Shen He only said one sentence before standing back behind Yunxiu.

"Liu Yun borrows the wind, Liu Yun borrows the wind..." Fu She scratched his head, then suddenly seemed to remember something and said, "You are the little girl with the 'Lonely Star Calamity' destiny, right? Liu Yun even came to us back then, but unfortunately I was powerless to help. In the end, it was the Emperor who personally suppressed your destiny. In terms of cultivation, I am still far inferior to the Emperor. And what about this one?"

“I am Yunxiu, the son of Tian Shu Star.” Yunxiu replied with a smile, “I am deeply grateful to the Emperor for bestowing upon me the talisman of freedom to roam the mortal realm. This is my first time meeting Grand Marshal Tengshe, though my father has met you several times before.”

“Oh… I remember now, you’re a little unlucky one too…” Fu She scratched his chin with his huge hand: “It’s good enough that you’re growing up healthy. But Tian Shu’s fishing skills are pretty good. I can’t catch as many fish as him with four hands…”

Um... I remember my dad's fishing skills were only so-so?

After thinking about it helplessly, Yunxiu realized that he had never known anything about his father's fishing skills, which gave him a bit of a headache. But he quickly focused his attention and happened to run into Fushe. He did have something more important to ask!

"Grand Marshal Tengshe..."

"Just call me Fushe. If you don't mind, you can call me Big Brother, I'll accept it!"

“Alright, Lord Fushe, I do have a question to ask.” Yunxiu said seriously, “I found out that five hundred years ago, you and a human named ‘Boyang’ escaped from the Layered Rock Abyss. Did you see anything at the bottom of the abyss?”

“Five hundred years ago… allow me to think about it.” Fu She pondered for a while, and just as he was about to begin meditating, Xiao Ze helplessly advised the others to leave this place as soon as possible.

Led by Xiao, the group arrived at Wangshu Inn and sat down in a private room on the top floor.

After drinking four jars of Qingce Manor's aged wine, Fushe seemed to finally remember something, and said with a slightly hazy recollection, "If I remember correctly, there were probably more than just Boyang and me at the time, there might have been a third person..."

"A third person!"

But Fushe quickly fell into his memories again, and Yunxiu could only wait anxiously.

Yakshas don't actually have very good memories, and most of the time, they actively give up their memories. The reason is that because of the karmic fire, yakshas are very susceptible to the torment of karmic fire and their Dao heart. This makes the more memories they retain, the more painful it is when they encounter karmic fire.

Of course, Yunxiu was confident that Fushe must have remembered some things, and the fact that he buried Boyang afterwards meant that this matter was very important to him.

But this doesn't mean that Fushe can remember everything, because many things can be selectively forgotten.

"Boyang... when Boyang arrived, there was a mysterious young man behind him. He wasn't an ordinary human; he seemed to be some kind of construct... a mechanical being? Something like that." Fushe continued to recall as he drank, "That mechanical being kept teaching us how to unleash the maximum potential of the Taiwei Instrument, telling us that someone would soon stop the calamity, and then we could escape..."

"A mechanical man?"

"They are mechanical beings, I'm certain of that..." Fu She said decisively, "Later, Bo Yang died from the erosion of the calamity, so I buried him near the Bronze Sparrow Terrace, and then I went to Sumeru to take turns with the generals of other countries to deal with the newly formed Dead Zone..."

Then a third person appeared...

A strange woman wielding a dragon-scale staff, a physically strong man capable of using Karthus's divine arts, and a "mechanical puppet," all appearing almost simultaneously from the same era...

"Before Boyang left, he seemed to have said something else. What was it again?" Fushe put down the wine jar, took a few casual bites, and then continued, "I remember now. It should be something like, 'It's worth living five more years in this life.' It's quite a strange statement."

Then, Fushe said with a smile, "He probably thought he should die at the bottom of the abyss, but he survived in the end, so he lived for five more years. Although he was afflicted by the calamity, I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing."

"!"

Yunxiu was almost certain that this sentence was meant for her!

That "mechanical man" must have known that Boyang would die here, which is why he helped Boyang and Fushe escape from this place. The reason Boyang took him with him was to give information at the bottom of the abyss!

But who exactly is this mechanical being?

Chapter 98 The Red String Temporarily Untied Brings Warmth and Peace of Mind (First Update on Thursday)

Ever since heading to Mondstadt and experiencing the unusual changes in Teyvat, Yunxiu has been pondering this question: how exactly did Teyvat change back then?

Five hundred years ago, was there really only one person who plugged the breach? But judging from the current situation, that's far from the truth. A mysterious woman appeared in Inazuma, and a mysterious mechanical figure appeared in Liyue.

If I'm not mistaken, there must be some kind of character in Mondstadt, but Jean and Diluc are relatively weak and haven't yet come into contact with that level of power.

Aberdo was clearly unwilling to talk about it; as Rheindorf's apprentice, he must know more than one might imagine.

Therefore, based on this calculation, these people must have appeared simultaneously in all seven kingdoms of the continent and in Kanria! One key figure plugged the loopholes, while the rest were responsible for minimizing the harm caused by the calamities in each country, as if they had been deliberately trained.

"This way of doing things is really like my style..." Yunxiu couldn't help but sigh, "But this makes it even more certain that I definitely didn't go back to the past. So who did it, and how did they do it?"

Even for the key role of plugging the loopholes, Yunxiu believed that this was definitely not the limit of what he could do. The reason he was so sure was because of the completeness of the whole plan.

If he wasn't mistaken, this "massive dead zone" was most likely left behind intentionally to allow the Teyvats to train their troops and maintain a sense of crisis. Otherwise, if they were to live in peace for five hundred years, then it would be more accurate to say that the Abyss would not be the one to suffer in the future.

Therefore, the theft of the Nibelungen power to seal off the area must have been intentional, so as to leave behind that large, non-lethal but highly representative dead zone.

Otherwise, given that this world possesses the divine artifact [Tears of the Goddess of the White Night, Serene], one could easily steal divine power to amplify the artifact's strength hundreds or thousands of times, forcibly covering the abyss with Serene's purifying power; at least the outcome would be much more aesthetically pleasing.

"If that's the case, then I need to rethink what the true nature of the abyss really is..."