Yes, Lady Funina!

If he remembered correctly, this girl should be one of Ningguang's three secretaries, named Bai... Bai something?

"I am Bai Xiao, Mr. Richard." Bai Xiao said, then turned and led Richard to the restaurant.

The Qunyu Pavilion is very large, and newcomers can easily get lost in the many turns and long corridors.

"Knowledgeable in everything, and there's another one who is..."

“It is Bai Shi, but as for her, well… Mr. Richard, you don’t need to worry too much. I will try my best to minimize your contact with her and prevent her from offending you,” Bai Xiao said.

"Does she have a problem with me?"

"No, it's not so much that she has a problem with you, but rather with Lady Ningguang..." Bai Xiao didn't know how to explain.

Richard gestured to Bai Xiao, indicating that there was no need for further explanation, as he already knew.

Because outside the main entrance, Bai Shi, whom Bai Xiao had mentioned, was perched on the doorframe, drooling as he gazed at Ning Guang, who sat gracefully at the dining table inside the restaurant. At the same time, he could hear her muttering softly:

"The dine-in-law Ningguang, her bare, jade-like hands, her soft lips painted with lipstick... hehe... hehe..."

"Excuse me." Bai Xiao, her eyes vacant, appeared behind Bai Shi, grabbing him by the back of his collar with a grappling move. She then turned to Richard with a friendly smile and said, "I apologize, Mr. Richard. As you can see, I have some matters to attend to. Please excuse me for now and go inside. Lady Ningguang has been waiting for quite some time..."

After saying that, the secretary led Bai Shi into an empty room with one hand.

Then a scream was heard from inside the house, and then there was no more sound.

'I hope he's alright!' Richard thought to himself.

He stepped into the restaurant, and Ningguang, hearing the noise, looked up and smiled gently, saying, "Those two kids were so energetic so early in the morning, did they scare you?"

Richard shook his head. "He certainly looks very energetic."

"How do you compare to those from Mo Mang Palace?" Ning Guang asked.

“Each has its own merits,” Richard replied.

"I see..." Ningguang lowered her head, picked up a spoon and stirred the steaming rice porridge clockwise. "Let's eat breakfast first."

After enjoying a hearty breakfast, Ningguang wiped her lips with a handkerchief and said to Richard, "Two guests will be visiting later."

"Does that mean I need to leave?" Richard wanted to use this opportunity to slip away.

“No need for that, and you should know these two guests as well.” Ningguang didn’t give Richard a chance to slip away.

“I know them…” Richard had already vaguely guessed which two acquaintances they were.

On the other side, in an alley of [Moon Sea Pavilion], Ying and Paimeng found the guide of [Qunyu Pavilion] by following the method given by [Yuheng Star] Keqing.

After exchanging the secret code for the "Yuheng Special Permit," the guide led the two up the floating stone steps leading to the Qunyu Pavilion.

Just to be on the safe side, the guide asked one more question, "Are you two the guests that Lady Ningguang arranged for today?"

“That’s right!” Paimon nodded. The guide looked at Paimon and then at Ying. It was indeed as described, but why wasn’t the code word “Guest” used?

However, since the person was correct and the code worked, the guide did not dwell on it too much.

Soon, the stone steps carried the three of them slowly into the air. Unlike the darkness of the night, the daytime allowed them to see more details.

"Whoa, that's so high... If I fell from here, I'd probably be smashed into a pulp, right?" Paimon poked his head out from the steps, then shrank back in fear.

Ying looked puzzled. "But can't you fly?"

"Oh right, I can fly, haha. I was so excited about meeting Lady Ningguang that I forgot I could fly," Paimon said, scratching his head sheepishly.

"Speaking of which, there must be many people who want to see Lady Ningguang of Tianquan Star, right? Will she be receiving any other guests besides us today?"

"No, that's not the case. Lady Ningguang has many things to attend to, and not all guests deserve her personal audience. However... I'm sorry, it's nothing, please don't mind." The guide almost misspoke, but quickly shut his mouth and didn't say another word for the rest of the journey.

Keeping one's mouth shut and not revealing any information about the visitors to Qunyu Pavilion to any outsiders is a basic requirement for a guide.

Paimon had only asked casually and didn't take it to heart. Holding the beautifully packaged gift box in her hand, she was already imagining what kind of return gift Ningguang would give her after receiving the gift.

Someone as important as Ningguang would surely give a very generous return gift, right? ...Rich and glorious, just thinking about it makes Paimon wish he could fly to Qunyu Pavilion immediately to meet Ningguang.

“G? Ying, does that person look familiar?” Paimon suddenly tugged at Ying’s arm and pointed in the direction of the Jade Pavilion.

“That person is…” Ying looked in the direction Paimon was pointing, and the stone steps beneath her feet were right next to the Jade Pavilion.

"Paimon, Ying, long time no see," Richard greeted first.

"Long time no see," Yingye said.

“It’s been so long… wait, what are you doing here?” Paimon couldn’t help but ask.

"We've been waiting for you, returnee from Jueyun." Ningguang spoke at the right moment, drawing Paimon's attention back.

"Oh, it's Ningguang!" Paimon exclaimed, then hurriedly presented the gift. "Nice to meet you. We've prepared a gift for you, and we hope you like it!"

"For me? Thank you so much. I invited you two here, but you've gone to so much trouble."

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all, hehe~" Paimon chuckled foolishly, already wondering what Ningguang would give him in return.

"Since you two are friends of my master, you are naturally my friends as well. Please come inside the Jade Pavilion to talk."

“Your... husband?” Ying looked at Richard, and Paimon looked at him as well.

“It’s the teacher’s idea,” Richard explained.

Ningguang smiled but neither spoke nor denied it.

The group entered the Qunyu Pavilion, and they didn't stop talking along the way. For example, Paimon kept asking about Richard.

For example, why was Richard seen in the Jade Pavilion? How is Frynn doing lately? And has Charlotte posted the missing person notice in the Steambird newspaper?

Of course, Richard wasn't entirely passive; he also took the initiative to ask about Ying and Paimon, such as why he had recently seen photos of the two being chased in the Steambird newspaper.

"Well... that's a long story." Paimon scratched his cheek, feeling embarrassed that Richard had seen him and Ying looking so disheveled.

After a brief conversation, Richard learned about Ying and Paimon's recent movements and why they were at the Jade Pavilion today.

On that day, in order to evade capture, Ying and Paimon encountered a mysterious man who called himself "Young Master" and claimed that as long as they found the immortal, there would be a way to prove their innocence.

They were also given a "No Taboos" talisman, which allowed them to meet the immortals in Jueyun Realm as long as they carried it.

At that time, Ying and Paimeng were desperate and could only temporarily believe what this suspicious man called "Young Master" said. As a result, they actually found the immortal living in Jueyun Mountain - whose name was "True Lord of Shaving the Moon and Building the Sun".

Under the guidance of the True Lord of Shaving the Moon and Building the Sun, they found the Great Sage Xiao who Subdues Demons, the True Lord of Managing Water and Stacking Mountains, and the True Lord of Retaining Clouds and Borrowing Wind.

In short, it was a very tortuous and bumpy experience. When narrating, Paimon also mentioned Zhongli, saying that she was preparing for the "Sending Off the Immortals Ceremony" and that they had helped a lot.

Richard raised an eyebrow when he heard this. Good heavens, they're planning to produce and sell themselves, sending themselves away.

Then, Ying and Pai Meng came to Qunyu Pavilion at Ningguang's invitation and met Ningguang and Richard.

“I think that ‘young master’ must have told you about the hypothesis that the Seven Stars assassinated the Emperor, right?” Ningguang said.

“Indeed, although he didn’t say it explicitly, his words conveyed the same meaning…” Paimon pondered.

"It's an attempt to sow discord," Ying judged.

"Oh? What made you change your mind?" Ningguang knew that Ying had a lot of dealings with the immortals and still harbored doubts about herself and even the entire Seven Stars.

So what could have made her suddenly change her mind? Ningguang looked at Richard.

o

“Keqing said that the Seven Stars would not harm the Emperor.” Ying paused and then added, “That day at Yujing Terrace, it happened suddenly, and you seemed completely unprepared.”

"Most importantly, as the Wind God once mentioned to us, Richard was also an old friend of the Rock God. If it really was the Seven Stars who assassinated the Emperor, he wouldn't be standing here."

"Who knows, maybe I'm the murderer too?" Richard said mysteriously, but no one fell for it.

“A friend of the Rock God…” Ningguang looked at Richard, “It seems that ‘the Master’ has a past that I don’t know about.”

“Yeah, I also think Richard is very mysterious. I always feel like this guy knows everyone, Jean, Barbara… By the way, do you know Diluc?” Paimon suddenly asked.

"Diluc? I don't know him."

"Finally, there's someone you don't know."

“I do know Cripps Legenfender.”

"Who?"

"Diluc Legonfind's father."

Paimon:...

“Speaking of which, I’ve been corresponding with the acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius. So the ‘reliable person’ she mentioned in her letters is you.” Ningguang felt more and more that she knew too little about Richard and had never expected that he would be so close to her.

I initially thought the other party had only obtained an official position in Fontaine, but I didn't expect that the other party also had connections with the acting leader of Mondstadt.

"Richard is indeed very reliable. Not only did he help resolve the dragon calamity, but he also repelled the Fatui ladies. Hmm... wait, Richard, you didn't come to Liyue this time for the Geo Archon's Heart, did you?"

“No, I just needed to ask an old friend for help. It’s all taken care of now. If it weren’t for Ningguang, I would be in Fontaine by now,” Richard said.

“Liyue is in a precarious situation, and I personally need your help,” Ningguang said frankly. Even if Richard didn’t help her, just having him by her side would bring her peace of mind.

“If I were to do it, it would be very expensive,” Richard said.

“I’ve heard that Ningguang is incredibly wealthy and can definitely afford the price, but Richard, don’t ask for too much,” Paimon chimed in.

"If we're talking about being the richest people in the world, then it would take the sum of my wealth and yours to be considered the richest in the world. After all, this Jade Pavilion we're standing in now is half his."

“G!!!” Paimon stared wide-eyed at Richard in disbelief.

It gives you a feeling of 'My ordinary friend is actually a billionaire!'

Ying looked at Richard with eyes that seemed to see through everything and sighed, "You are truly a man burdened with sin."

"Then I'll offer you the other half of the Jade Pavilion as payment in exchange for your help," Ningguang added.

“I heard from others that this group of jade pavilions was accumulated by Ningguang bit by bit, carrying her dreams. She just gave it away so easily?” Paimon whispered to Ying.

Ying also whispered back, "She didn't give it away easily. If the other party wasn't Richard, Ningguang would probably rather smash up this Jade Pavilion than hand it over, right?"

"What you're saying makes sense. Are you implying that Richard is a special person to Ningguang?"

“You used the word ‘also’ very skillfully, Paimon.”

“You two, I can hear you.” Richard said speechlessly, looking at Ying and Paimon, who were ‘plotting loudly’ in front of him.

“I will intervene, but not now. This is a test. You should understand, right, Ningguang?” Richard said to Ningguang seriously.

Ningguang pondered for a moment, then recalled the recent events. The assassination attempt on the Emperor seemed sudden, but there were actually signs of it all along.

Over the years, the Emperor has gradually delegated power to the Seven Stars and reduced his public appearances. In recent years, he has only appeared once a year at the Immortal Invitation Ceremony. Ningguang had already suspected this situation, but she was not sure yet.

Now, combined with Richard's words, Ningguang finally understood that the assassination attempt on the Emperor was inevitable, just as he said, it was a test.

A test for the Emperor against the Seven Stars, and for all the people of Liyue.

Thinking of this, Ningguang looked at Richard with a smile and asked, "So... does this count as leaking the question, sir?"

Volume 1: Chapter 91 The Jade Pavilion and the Jade Pendant

Leaving aside the question of whether or not to reveal the answer, Richard only promised Ningguang that he would help her if things became unmanageable.

Similarly, if his actions affect the Seven Stars' ratings with the Rock King Emperor, Richard will not take responsibility for it.

In fact, Richard already knew that Liyue and the Liyue Seven Stars would soon face their big test.

After all, the seal on Yunlaihai is already on the verge of collapse. With the current strength of the seal, the executor of the Fatui Clan, the "Prince," only needs to use the power granted to him by the Ice Queen, combined with the power of the Unrestricted, to easily break it and release the Vortex Demon God Oser, who was sealed by Morax during the Demon God War.

If things go quickly, Li could see the true face of the demon god from a thousand years ago this afternoon.

Based on the information provided by Ningguang, Ying and Paimon have gone to the Fatui's camp to investigate their "research on the unbridled" matter.

This was clearly the result of Ningguang's deliberate manipulation, with the aim of making them completely believe that the Fatui had ill intentions, intended to create chaos, and take the opportunity to seize the Heart of the Rock.

"Can the [Unfettered] technique really break the seal set up by the Emperor?" Ningguang asked.

Richard did not answer directly, but said, "Now that things have come to this, regardless of whether Bai Wuji has the power or not, as long as he uses it, the Vortex Demon God will definitely come out."

In Zhongli's calculations, even without the "Young Master," the Vortex Demon God would break the seal in another way, because this was originally a major test he had prepared for Liyue.

Let's see how Liyue will handle the crisis without him, and whether the Seven Stars can shoulder this heavy responsibility.

"So the Emperor didn't actually die, right?" Ningguang continued to ask.

"Like death."

Ningguang: ?

To be precise, the Geo Archon is currently in a state of superposition between life and death. If Seven Stars performs well, then he is truly dead.

But if things don't go as planned, there's no guarantee that the other party won't come back to life and give Oser, who just got out of prison, a hard blow before locking him up again, so he'll know who's really in charge in Liyue.