While I was in Mondstadt, I never imagined becoming a god.

"Is it really that exaggerated?" Xu Chuan laughed.

"Yes!" Paimon nodded vigorously, his little face extremely serious. "It's even more exaggerated than you think!"

Ying walked beside him, a serious expression appearing on her delicate face.

"I really need to thank you properly." Her voice was soft, but the sincerity in her tone was undeniable.

Those golden eyes looked at Xu Chuan without any politeness or perfunctory remarks.

Xu Chuan patted her shoulder, looking completely unconcerned. "Don't be so polite, aren't we good friends?"

Ying did not dodge his hand, but the apology on her face did not disappear.

The two had only just met in Liyue when she was already busy again, cooperating with the Seven Stars of Liyue to investigate the true nature of the Fatui.

There wasn't even time to properly thank Xu Chuan.

Chapter 88 Using Immortals as Messengers

Ying knew that Xu Chuan had helped her a lot, from Mondstadt to Liyue, he was always the one to take the initiative to help her every time.

She wasn't good at expressing herself, but she remembered this kindness.

“Speaking of which,” Xu Chuan withdrew his hand, speaking casually, “I was originally planning to take you to meet an extraordinary person tomorrow.”

"Since you're busy, then we'll do it next time."

"Extraordinary?" Paimon's eyes lit up, and he seemed to float a lot higher. "Who is it? Even more powerful than Ningguang?"

"It's a secret." Xu Chuan blinked.

Paimon's curiosity was piqued, and he circled Xu Chuan twice. "Tell me, tell me! Paimon won't tell anyone!"

"I'll definitely do it next time," Xu Chuan said, mimicking her tone.

Ying watched the two bickering, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

She noticed that when Xu Chuan said "next time," his gaze lingered on her for a moment.

“It’s a deal,” she said.

"It's settled."

The three parted ways at the street corner.

Ying and Paimon walked towards the port, while Xu Chuan stood still.

Ying walked for a while, then suddenly looked back.

She met Xu Chuan's gaze, nodded slightly to him, and then turned and continued walking.

Xu Chuan did not immediately go to the Hall of Longevity.

I first went into a shop and bought writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

I also picked out a few small gifts with Liyue characteristics at a gift shop.

Before leaving Mondstadt, he promised to write to Yura, a promise he kept in mind.

Back at the Baiju Inn, Xu Chuan sat down by the window, spread out some letter paper, ground ink, and picked up his brush.

The sea breeze blew in through the window, carrying a salty and damp scent, causing the letter to flutter slightly.

He thought for a moment, then put pen to paper.

"Yura, it's as if I'm seeing you in person. I've been in Liyue for several days now, and everything is fine."

He wrote very slowly, as if he was carefully considering each word.

Occasionally, I would glance up at the sea outside the window. In the twilight, several merchant ships were docking, their sails gleaming golden in the setting sun.

He would occasionally put down his pen and space out for a while.

Looking at the contents of the letter, even he felt a little embarrassed. After hesitating for a moment, he still kept it.

After receiving the letter, Yura will probably blush, but the corners of her mouth will definitely turn up.

The whole afternoon passed in the blink of an eye.

Xu Chuan also wrote a brief message to the others in Mondstadt: he reported the situation in Liyue to Jean, using formal language, like a short diplomatic report.

I greeted Abedo and Sugar, and also tried to persuade Timaus to come to Liyue. I wonder if I can convince him.

He also politely greeted Amber, Noelle, and Lisa in the letter.

Each letter was short, but each one was written with care.

When I put down my pen, it was already dark outside the window.

The lights of Liyue Harbor lit up one by one, casting shimmering light on the sea.

The sound of a night watchman striking his clapper drifted from afar, deep and resonant.

As night fell, Xu Chuan led the cannon to a secluded spot in Liyue Harbor.

Far from the docks and streets, it's so quiet that you can only hear the waves crashing against the shore.

The moonlight shone on the bluestone path, casting long shadows of the two people.

The cannon stood behind him, expressionless, its purple eyes empty and calm.

He took a deep breath and called out, "Xiao".

The night breeze stopped for a moment.

A moment later, a dark green figure fell from the height.

A strong wind blew the dust off the ground, producing a dull thud.

Xiao stood before him, her short, dark green hair fluttering slightly in the wind, her clothes rustling in the night breeze.

"What is it?" His voice was cold and detached, as always, sparing with his words.

Xu Chuan took the stack of letters from Da Pao and handed them over. "I'd like to ask you for a favor: to deliver a few letters to Mondstadt."

Xiao's expression did not change.

But Xu Chuan noticed that his eyebrows twitched slightly.

Those subtle changes are so subtle that they are almost imperceptible unless you look very closely.

The mighty Sage Who Subdues Demons is treated like a servant.

He probably hadn't encountered something like this before.

"Don't call me unless it's an emergency." Xiao's tone was still cold, but Xu Chuan could hear a hint of helplessness in it.

That feeling of helplessness wasn't anger, but rather a sense of powerlessness that made me think, "How could you be like this?"

“I know.” Xu Chuan did not withdraw his hand. “But in return, I can help you find out something.”

Xiao looked at him but didn't reply.

"The deeper meaning behind the actions of the Rock King Emperor at Jade Capital Terrace." Xu Chuan's voice was soft, but every word was as clear as if etched on a stone slab. "Don't you want to know?"

Xiao fell silent, a flicker of emotion flashing in his golden eyes.

Regarding the Emperor's "fall," he said that the Emperor must have had a deeper meaning in doing so.

But do you really have no doubts?

Why would a god who has ruled Liyue for so many years "die" in public during a summoning ceremony?

Why let your people, whom you have protected for thousands of years, fall into panic and confusion?

He thought about this question for a long time, but had no answer.

Silence spread between the two.

The sound of waves crashing against the shore could be clearly heard, and the boatmen's chants echoed from the distant dock, long and desolate.

The moonlight shone on Xiao's face, making his handsome features appear particularly aloof in the light and shadow. However, Xu Chuan noticed that his lips pursed slightly.

"Deal." Xiao took the stack of letters, flipped his sleeve, and the letters disappeared.

His movements were swift and decisive, as practiced as if he were retrieving a concealed weapon.

Xu Chuan smiled. "Then I'll leave it to you."

Xiao didn't say another word.

His figure vanished in the moonlight, like a wisp of mist blown away by the wind.

They came and went in a hurry, without even saying "goodbye".

Xu Chuan stood in the moonlight, looking in that direction.

Xiao had been cold-faced for so many years, but the expression he made today when he was being used as a tool was the most vivid one he had ever seen.

His slight twitch of his brow was more meaningful than a hundred words.

"Let's go." Xu Chuan turned around, and Da Pao silently followed behind him.

While Liyue Harbor is quiet at night, some areas are quite lively.

The fishing lights at the dock and the lanterns along the street illuminated the entire city as if it were daytime.

Xu Chuan walked through the bustling scene, pondering what was to come.

Tomorrow I'm going to the Hall of Rebirth to see Zhongli, the "deceased" Rock King Emperor.

But walking in the night of Liyue, he was no longer in a hurry.

The moon is so round. I wonder if the moonlight in Mondstadt is just as beautiful.

Yura is probably asleep already.

She's a restless sleeper; when she's with me, she always kicks the blanket to one side.

Back in Mondstadt, he would wake up in the middle of the night and cover her up, but now no one covers her up anymore. I wonder if she'll catch a cold.

Xu Chuan shook his head, dismissing the thought.

We've only been apart for a few days, why are you already thinking about these things?

He quickened his pace and headed towards the White Horse Inn.

The cannon followed behind him, its footsteps rhythmic and precise.

The night breeze carries the scent of seawater through Liyue Harbor, creating a reassuring atmosphere of everyday life.

Chapter Eighty-Nine: Guest Elders of the Hall of Rebirth

In the early morning in Liyue Harbor, the sunlight rises from the sea and directly bathes the entire city.

The green tiles and red walls were gilded with a warm gold, the dew on the stone road quickly evaporated, and the air was filled with the aroma of the sea breeze and the morning tea stalls.

Xu Chuan pushed open the wooden door of Baiju Inn and stretched on the threshold.

The cannon followed behind him, still silent.

"The weather is nice today."

After saying that, Xu Chuan stepped into the morning light.

Today I should go to the Hall of Rebirth to see Master Zhongli.

However, Xu Chuan's real purpose was not just to see him.

Walking along the road, Liyue Harbor was much larger than he had imagined.

The streets and alleys are interconnected, the market is bustling with people, and the warehouses in the dock area are endless.

After walking for the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, he still hadn't found the right direction.

"Excuse me, how do I get to the Hall of Rebirth?"

The old woman selling breakfast by the roadside looked up and sized him up and down with the kind of look one would give someone else who was pitiful.

“Wangsheng Hall... Walk to the end of this street, turn left, cross two intersections, and then turn right.”

Thank you.

Xu Chuan thanked him and was about to leave.