Walnut used me to boost her sales performance.

"We're going to Huaguang Forest tomorrow. Would Mr. Zhongli like to come with us?"

"No, you can go by yourselves." Zhong Li declined Jiang Bai's invitation.

Mr. Yun has a new play tomorrow, and he plans to go listen to it.

"Alright..." Jiang Bai was a little disappointed, but he couldn't force Zhong to leave, could he?

After a good night's rest, the two, fully prepared and in high spirits, set off for Huaguanglin early the next morning.

Leading Jiang Bai out of Liyue Harbor, Hu Tao pointed to the main road ahead, planning their route.

"We'll start from Guili Plain. There's a main road leading straight to Jueyun Pass. If we set off at this time, we should arrive at Wangshu Inn around 2 PM. We'll have lunch there, and then fly over the Biyue River from the rooftop of Wangshu Inn to Cuijue Slope..."

"Oh." Jiang Bai didn't know where anything was, but whatever Hu Tao said went.

He followed Hu Tao's footsteps along the main road, listening to Hu Tao supplement his knowledge as they walked.

"There is also a statue of the Seven Heavens God in Guili Plain. Because it is right next to the main road, people often go there to worship. Passersby will also stop for a while to pray to the Emperor for peace."

There are often many offerings displayed there. If you get hungry, you can sneak a little something without being caught...

"Isn't this a bad idea?"

"What's wrong with that? Food is meant to be eaten, isn't it? The Emperor can't possibly eat it all. Rather than letting it rot, it's better to soothe your hungry stomach."

At this point, her voice suddenly lowered, "But don't let the people who make offerings see you, or they'll beat you up~"

Jiang Bai didn't feel the need to steal the offerings. If he was hungry, wouldn't all the sweet flowers in the mountains smell good?

Hu Tao, on the other hand, looks very experienced.

"I see quite a few guards by the roadside..." These guards were wearing armor and carrying standard-issue long guns, looking very intimidating.

"This road is the main trade route to Mondstadt, so it's guarded by the Thousand Rock Army along the way. If you encounter any difficulties on the road, just ask the Thousand Rock Army..."

Hu Tao shook his head, attracting the attention of Qian Yanjun by the roadside.

"As for what the Thousand Rock Army is, as the name suggests, it is the army that protects Liyue and is under the jurisdiction of the General Affairs Department..."

Jiang Bai had seen the Thousand Rock Army in Liyue Harbor before, so Hu Tao didn't need to explain it to him.

"Don't we have any transportation? We'll have to walk the whole way?"

"Yes, a carriage!" Hu Tao put her hands behind her head, plucked a blade of grass and put it in her mouth. The grass trembled as she walked.

"But I don't like sitting. After all, I can get around quickly on my own. If I were to run, I couldn't outrun a carriage!"

As she spoke, Hu Tao moved backwards and even performed a fancy disappearing act for Jiang Bai.

"Master, what exactly is the principle behind your ability?" Jiang Bai had seen Hu Tao use this ability many times, and finally asked out of curiosity.

This ability seems to allow one to penetrate space, and it can even be used to evade attacks.

"As the 77th head of the Hall of Rebirth, responsible for maintaining the balance between Yin and Yang, of course I went to the world of the dead!"

The little ghost inside Hu Tao's body crawled out, its two short arms dangling, and opened its mouth to Jiang Bai, sticking out its tongue, making a fierce and vengeful appearance.

Jiang Bai suppressed a laugh, unable to feign fear.

This little thing is so cute! Who would be scared by it!

Does a world truly exist for the dead?

It sounds like the world the leader is making up. If there really is a world of the dead, what would it be like?

Are ghosts floating everywhere? Or is it like the eighteen levels of hell? Or is it simply nothingness?

"Of course there are, but they're not places you can access right now. Even the Hall of Rebirth is only known to a very small number of people."

"All right……"

Jiang Bai stopped investigating after hearing what Hu Tao said. The main reason was that if he continued to investigate, Hu Tao would not only not talk, but would also find him annoying, and it wouldn't be good if she shot him on the head.

As Jiang Bai walked to the side of the road, he noticed a strange device on a large rock.

The device is suspended above the stone steps and looks a bit like a spinning top used for weaving when viewed from the side, except that it is concave in the middle.

It is decorated with some gold patterns and is wrapped with blue crystals at both ends.

This was the first time Jiang Bai had ever seen this thing. He walked over curiously and asked, "What is this?"

"I don't know. This thing has been here ever since I first learned about it. Everyone says it's an ancient mysterious object, but nobody knows what it's used for."

"Ancient artifacts? Can they be preserved for this long?"

Jiang Bai curiously leaned over and reached out to touch it.

Jiang Bai had only touched it out of curiosity, but unexpectedly, he sensed something different.

It felt like touching the elemental creations that Mr. Zhongli had condensed for the first time.

He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking, as if he vaguely sensed some kind of pulse.

These veins, like the blood vessels of the human body, form an impenetrable net that envelops the entire earth and the entire world.

"There are two of these leyline anchors in Liyue Harbor. They were supposed to be demolished when the houses were built, but it was impossible to remove them. So, they left them as decorations. And these things are everywhere in this area, not just in Liyue Harbor..."

Hu Tao had no idea what Jiang Bai was doing or what he was sensing. Even though she was the head of the Hall of Rebirth, her understanding of this was limited to this.

Jiang Bai opened his eyes. "Master, this thing is so strange..."

"How is it strange?"

"When I first touched it, I felt something like veins, like a net, spreading across the earth..."

Jiang Bai briefly described his feelings.

"What you're sensing is probably the earth's veins, but why are you able to sense them?" Hu Tao asked, leaning closer and touching it herself. But just like before, she felt nothing at all.

"Earth veins? What are earth veins? The pulse of the earth?"

Hu Tao rested her chin on her hand, recalling her past conversations with Zhong Li.

When she was little, she was also very curious about this kind of thing. After her curiosity was piqued, she asked everyone around her, but only Mr. Zhongli gave her an answer.

Chapter 43 Earth Vein Network

However, even Zhongli's answers were heavily influenced by his personal speculations.

She remembered him saying:

'It's very likely that it's an anchor point for the earth's veins, but I don't know its specific function...'

She pressed him for an explanation of what ley lines were, and this is what he said:

"The ley lines are a conceptual network connecting everything in Teyvat. Different elements flow within them, and everything that happens on Earth is recorded within them..."

Hu Tao repeated what Zhong Li had once said.

She used to find these words difficult to understand, but after Jiang Bai's description, they suddenly became easy to grasp.

The human body has meridians and blood vessels, which transport blood and nutrients to the body, and the earth veins are the meridians of the earth.

"If what you're sensing is truly ley lines, then they might actually be a web..."

Although I'm not sure what the difference is between "网" and "网络", they both contain the character "网", so they should be similar, right?

"But why can you sense the earth's veins? I can't feel anything when I touch them." Hu Tao asked her question again.

Jiang Bai recalled what Zhong Li had told him: he was a person from another world and was not subject to the laws of Teyvat.

If you can sense the earth's veins, it must be the same, right?

"I don't know, maybe my senses are just more sensitive?"

Seeing that Jiang Bai couldn't explain it either, Hu Tao didn't press him further.

After all, what can you expect a person with amnesia to know?

"Does Liyue Harbor also have this Ley Line Anchor Point? I've never seen it before."

"How many times have you been to the Hall of Rebirth? It would be a ghost if you could see it, okay?" Hu Tao expressed her disdain for his behavior of staying at home.

Upon hearing the word "ghost," the little ghost emerged from her body, looking around blankly. Finding no ghost, it looked at Hu Tao with confusion.

Walnut silently grabbed its tail, and the little ghost, its tongue lolling out, floated away like a deflated balloon and disappeared.

"I'm just not familiar with the way..." Jiang Bai explained his decision to stay at home.

He opened his pockets, which were empty. "Besides, without Mora, I can't do anything outside, can I?"

The money here is called Mora, taken from the first two letters of the name of the rock god Morax.

Jiang Bai learned this basic common sense from Zhong Li.

"You have food and shelter, what do you need Mora for?" Hu Tao turned her head away, not wanting to look at his empty pockets.

They haven't even generated any profit for the Temple of Rebirth yet. It would be one thing to take her money and persuade her with reason, but to expect her to give Mora away is unacceptable!

Dream on!

"I just wanted to buy a gift for the sect leader..." Jiang Bai leaned closer with a cheeky grin, "After receiving so much help from the sect leader, I should at least show my appreciation..."

Hu Tao wasn't buying it. She pressed her index finger against his forehead and pushed his head back.

Don't get so close to me!

Seeing that Hu Tao wasn't falling for his charms, Jiang Bai pouted.

"Alright alright……"

He sniffed dramatically, his voice sounding aggrieved.

"I'm just a poor newcomer, penniless and unwanted. I'm so miserable..."

A grid pattern appeared on Hu Tao's forehead, and the protective amulet silently appeared in his hand.

"Um... Master, I'll go scout ahead..."

Upon seeing this, Jiang Bai immediately changed his expression on the spot, his feet turning into wheels as he took the lead and stepped out, moving incredibly fast.

Hu Tao rolled her eyes, exhausted.

She thought she could handle anyone and there was no client she couldn't entertain, but Jiang Bai just kept provoking her.

How can this guy be so shameless?

……

As the main trade route between Liyue and Mondstadt, Guili Plains has a smooth and wide road with lanterns on both sides for nighttime illumination. There are Thousand Rock Army garrisons at regular intervals, and Thousand Rock Army soldiers patrol the surrounding area, which greatly protects the safety of merchants.

Moreover, the surrounding scenery is beautiful and picturesque.

Jiang Bai was like someone on a picnic, wandering around, looking at things, occasionally picking a few mint plants and some sweet flowers to eat as candy.

As we walked, we soon came across the Seven Gods statues that emitted a pale blue glow.

"Huh, there are quite a few residents around here." Standing on the mountainside, looking at the neatly arranged houses around the statue below, Jiang Bai let out a soft exclamation.

Hu Tao put his hands on his hips, looking like there was nothing strange about it.

"Isn't it normal for there to be residents here? It's not far from Liyue Harbor, and it's even quieter than Liyue Harbor. The statue of the Emperor is right next to us. It's very comfortable to live here, isn't it?"

They own property here, which is the site of their funeral hall.

If the land here appreciates in value later, it might fetch a good price.

"That's true..."

There are advantages to living in the city, and there are also pleasures to living in the suburbs. This place is quite suitable for resting, escaping the summer heat, and having fun.

Moreover, with the Chiiwa Army constantly patrolling, safety is very well guaranteed.

These houses were built on both sides of the road, and there were also pavilions for passersby to rest and cool off.

Jiang Bai went over to rest, while Hu Tao drew a bucket of water from the well next to him and gulped it down.

After finishing her drink, she wiped the water from her lips and sighed, "The water here is so much better!"

The water here comes from mountain springs flowing down from Mount Tianheng, and it tastes much better than the water in Liyue Harbor.

"Drinking unboiled water can easily cause diarrhea," Jiang Bai said, quite inappropriately.

Who told you that?

"Nobody told me this. Isn't this common sense?"