He changed Tiwat

Astrologers do not divine their own fate unless absolutely necessary. The old woman once said that such behavior could lead to contradictions in one's destiny and is very dangerous.

So Mona cleverly played a "close call".

Instead of divining her future, she divined the best route for her journey.

I don't divine the fortune of my trip to Mondstadt; instead, I divine how to get there most smoothly. In astrology, everything is connected, and taking the best path often yields the best results. For example, if you're going to Mondstadt from Liyue, taking the Stone Gate is always safer and faster than climbing the snow mountain.

The divination results indicate that traveling through Liyue to Mondstadt is the best route.

So Mona came to Liyue.

Who knew the weather in Liyue would be so bad, and we even encountered a flood, making the journey anything but smooth.

Someone else might have doubted the divination result, but as an astrologer, Mona had no doubts about it—astrology is absolute.

For example, a recent divination told her that the delay caused by the Liyue floods made her miss her master's old friend. That old friend left Mondstadt while she was stranded, and the chest is now being kept by that person's successor.

—This is truly fantastic news.

You have to understand that the old woman's friend was no ordinary person; in Mona's eyes, that person was just as terrifying as the old woman.

This made it much easier for Mona to uncover the box's secrets; see, astrology is never wrong.

However, Mona needs to make some preparations before meeting the "successor." Retrieving the box isn't something to be done casually; it might involve some mystical "battle" to win.

So she performed another divination before the morning star set, and the result told her that the person she needed would appear near Liyue Harbor, and that the time would be today.

Mona put away the "water tray" with great satisfaction.

“Miss Mona.” Mr. Zhu’s voice sounded behind her.

Mona turned around and saw Boss Zhu standing there with a big smile on his face, holding a plate.

"I'm here to ask if you would like breakfast?"

On the plate in Boss Zhu's hand was a steaming bowl of lean meat porridge, one of Liyue's traditional breakfasts.

"Breakfast, I..." Mona was about to say she needed it, but the words that came out were: "I, I've already eaten."

—Actually, from last night until now, she has only eaten a plate of homemade salad and drunk a pot of free tea.

Oh, of course it's not because Mona is trying to lose weight. She doesn't have an ounce of fat on her body; in fact, she's rather thin.

Limiting material desires is part of an astrologer's practice; only by living a simple life can one glimpse the true nature of the world.

Yes, that's right. Fasting is also a form of spiritual practice.

Just then, her stomach growled.

Mona's face immediately turned red.

Mr. Zhu smiled kindly; he had already noticed the guest's embarrassment.

"Ms. Mona, could you do me a favor? I've been adjusting the flavors of our menu lately. Would you be willing to try it and give me some feedback and suggestions?"

“…Hmm.” Mona raised her chin slightly, maintaining the mystery and arrogance of an astrologer, and replied in a calm yet reserved tone, “I, Astrologis Mona Megistus, am willing to accept your request. For an astrologer, in order to see through the truth of the world, sometimes it is necessary to experience all sorts of things.”

She accepted the plate with great grace and began her "tasting".

Then she moved the spoon in her hand faster and faster.

"How are you feeling, Miss Mona?" Boss Zhu asked with a smile.

Mona replied with two words without even looking up: "It smells so good!"

"Liyue Harbor is just ahead!" the white sprite shouted excitedly in the air.

Beside the elf, a golden-haired traveler shaded his eyes with his hand, gazing at the magnificent commercial port before him.

The towering city walls, the rows of buildings, and the endless stream of people all demonstrate the prosperity of Liyue Harbor.

The sight of sails coming and going in the harbor filled her with anticipation—merchants from all over the world brought not only goods, but also intelligence.

Finding people on the continent of Teyvat is actually quite difficult. I've heard that in any country, the uninhabited areas are much larger than human settlements.

This is certainly good news for adventurers, indicating that there are countless hidden realms in the world waiting for them to explore, but it is not good news for Ying, who is searching for her relatives—which mountain can't hide someone?

Guided by Paimon, he entered Mondstadt, resolved the Stormterror incident, became a Knight of Honor, made many friends, experienced an adventure in the snowy mountains, and briefly reunited with Dain and his brother before parting ways again...

Ying can now say that she has searched every corner of Mondstadt, but there is no news from either the "Order of the Abyss" or her brother.

And perhaps clues to her blood relatives are hidden in Liyue Harbor, Teyvat's largest trading port.

—Perhaps someone has seen her brother.

Ying quickened her pace, preparing to cross the long bridge at the north gate of Liyue Harbor and enter the city.

Just then, a blue figure suddenly descended from the sky in front of her.

"You've finally arrived." The person blocking the way was a girl with twin ponytails wearing a pointed hat.

Chapter Three: Deception, and More Deception

The girl in the pointed hat jumped down from the hillside beside the road and blocked the road.

Generally speaking, there's only one type of person who would make such an appearance—a treasure-hunting gang that ambushes people on the road.

Although the girl in the pointed hat looked different from the heist group, not all bad guys wear the same uniform as the Fools.

Ying immediately leaped back into a fighting stance, her eyes filled with vigilance, while Paimon huddled behind her, peeking out a small head to scout the uninvited guest before her.

The uninvited guest was also observing Ying at the same time.

After glancing at it a few times, she said with satisfaction, "Heh heh, my 'astrology' is indeed accurate—hey, you, come with me."

She beckoned to Ying with her finger.

The taciturn traveler would not speak so easily, after all, she has an external vocal organ.

The traveler's external vocal cords, Paimon, spoke for her: "Astrology... um... are you a door-to-door fortune teller? Sorry, we don't need that..."

Fortune telling is an ancient profession, and of course, there are people in Mondstadt who do it. Most of the time, they just tell fortunes about money and love, saying a few auspicious words to make people happy... For example, bartenders in bars sometimes use leftover drinks to tell fortunes for customers, and Flora in the florist's shop will interpret the meaning of flowers for customers. In short, it's not for real.

Some fortune tellers, in order to attract business, often resort to scare tactics. For example, they might suddenly stop you on the street and say that you will have great misfortune soon, but that divination can bring a way to avert disaster, and persuade you to go with them for a divination to remove the calamity. These kinds of fortune tellers are collectively known as "charlatans."

The traveler was a seasoned veteran, having seen it all, and Paimon, who accompanied her, was also very experienced in dealing with these charlatans.

But today, this fortune teller doesn't seem so easy to deal with.

The fortune teller raised the brim of his pointed hat, and an unusual light shone in his gray-green pupils: "Honorary Knight Ying, who defeated the Stormterror, you... don't belong to our world, do you?"

Upon hearing this, both Ying and Paimon's eyes widened.

It's not surprising that people know the Traveler's name, but only a very small number of people know the secret that the Traveler comes from beyond the world.

"Why, why do you know this!" Paimon exclaimed in shock.

The fortune teller puffed out her small chest.

"Because what I have mastered is true 'astrology'."

She clapped her hands triumphantly, as if she had just finished a spectacular show on stage: "No more questions, right? Let's go then."

Ying finally couldn't help but complain: "There are questions everywhere!"

Although she gives the impression of being taciturn, once she speaks, her criticisms are often precise and to the point.

The fortune teller shook his head: "Sigh, this is troublesome. I'll explain it patiently then."

“My name is Astrologis Mona Megistus. Considering it would be very impolite to misremember my name, I usually allow people to call me Mona. I am an astrologer, and I am currently on my way to Mondstadt to retrieve a chest for my master. It was a promise she made with a friend fifty years ago. But now she is old and has difficulty moving around, so she can only rely on me.”

"Astrologist, what's Mona..."

"The promise made fifty years ago..."

Ying and Paimon exchanged a glance: they recognized each other immediately; he was a troublesome person.

Paimon spread out his little hands: "You want to get the box back... This doesn't seem to have anything to do with us, does it? Why are you dragging us along?"

Mona raised her chin: "Well, because I still want to have a go at the guy who keeps the box. My master and her friend have been fighting over the occult their whole lives and still haven't settled things. If I can win, then I'll be even better than my master!"

Paimon leaned closer to the traveler, and the two whispered a few words:

"She seemed to be no match for the person who was keeping the box, but she wanted to act like she was really tough, so she asked us for help."

"In short, it's all about saving face at the cost of suffering."

"Hey! What are you saying! I can hear you!" Mona stamped her foot. "This is an academic debate. I just want to use this opportunity to prove the strength and status of 'astrology'!"

“Based on my astrological observations, my master’s friend has now left Mondstadt, and her successor is now in charge of the chest. Like me, that successor must be even more outstanding than their master, so we can’t let our guard down. I want to be able to secure victory in this contest, and after considering it, I thought of you!”

Paimon and Ying both tilted their heads to look at Mona.

"I don't know astrology either."

How did the topic suddenly shift to her?

Mona coughed lightly: "The knowledge passed down from my master must be passed on forever. Having a successor is proof of a sorcerer's ability to stand alone. If I go to see her successor with my apprentice already in hand, wouldn't I be ahead of her? And you are a great hero of Mondstadt, your status is worthy of mine. So..."

Ying shook her head, interrupting Mona: "I refuse."

Paimon crossed his arms: "The great heroes of Mondstadt cannot just become apprentices to anyone."

Mona quickly waved her hand: "Oh, I don't need you to actually be my apprentice, you just need to put on a show. Besides, coming with me to get the box will be good for you. For example, you can figure out that you're looking for your blood relatives, right? I'm an astrologer, I can help you find out where your blood relatives are."

Paimon and the Traveler looked at each other again.

"The whole of Mondstadt knows you're looking for your brother, right?"

“Yeah, Amber’s missing person posters are all over the place.”

"And if the busker gets drunk, he might accidentally reveal your background."

"He's the one who told us that coming to Liyue would provide clues."

"But this person doesn't seem trustworthy..."

"Unless she can calculate it for us right now."

"That's right."

The two looked at Mona again, their meaning clear—show us what you've got?

Mona's forehead was covered in sweat: "I can't figure it out right now... those things are too far away and too vague. When I meet the successor, I will have the opportunity to exchange knowledge with her, and I will be able to see your fate more clearly."

“Oh…” Ying and Paimon dragged out the last syllable, their faces clearly saying six words: “Keep fooling us, keep fooling us.”

We travelers aren't idiots. If you get fooled a few times by a drunkard named Wendy and a bad boy named Kaiya, you'll learn to be smart—at least you'll learn not to act without a sure thing and not to do anything without a deposit.

Under the interrogation of Ying and Paimon, the self-proclaimed "great astrologer," who was being treated as a fraud, was forced to summon her "water divination chart."

Mona reached out and stirred the water in the basin, muttering, "The illusion of fate is reflected in the water."

She quickly turned her gaze away from the water basin and pointed behind her: "I predict that in a quarter of an hour, a magnificent carriage will pass by, and the owner of the carriage will allow us to ride in it for free."

Chapter Four: Dain is My Friend

Han Fulai lay on the soft carriage seat, wishing he could roll around in bed.

The spacious carriage even had a large wine cabinet filled with fine wines from various Teyvat countries, along with a variety of exquisite wine vessels. Even someone like Han Fulai, who didn't drink, felt quite tempted to try them.

Moreover, the shock absorption design of this carriage is particularly good; you can hardly feel any bumps while lying inside.

Hmm, there's even a hint of lily scent in the air... just like Ningguang's scent.

After all, this is Ningguang's car.

If Keqing's car is a Maybach GLS, then Ningguang's should be a stretched Lincoln limousine.

This woman really knows how to enjoy life; he's even benefited from it. He's even thinking about whether he should get himself a car. If he actually asked Ningguang for one, she'd probably be happy to give it to him...

Just imagine, sitting in the car with Ningguang in the future, getting all drunk and excited... No, no, if this continues, I'll be corrupted by Ningguang's gentle charms.

How can you use this to test your cadres?

What if I can't resist and fall into depravity?

Even though there was no one else in the carriage, Han Fulai quickly straightened his back and sat up straight.

He stayed overnight at Qunyu Pavilion last night, and this morning, Ningguang had already taken care of all his travel preparations.

This car was also prepared for him by Ningguang.

Of course, nominally this car belongs to the VIP service of a subsidiary chamber of commerce within the "Ningguang Chamber of Commerce," used to transport important business partners of the chamber. This is similar to a modern company CEO buying a car in the company's name, with the vehicle becoming a fixed asset of the company—in short, on the surface, this is not Ningguang's private car.

Generally speaking, Ningguang uses this car when she needs to go out secretly on certain occasions, such as when she is in contact with foreign intelligence agents.

Not only did they provide him with a private car to take him out of the city, but they also prepared all his change of clothes and travel expenses.