Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [297]

The dream dissipated. Gu Sanqiu, lying on the ground, twitched slightly before calmly getting up. He brushed himself off to check for any dirt.

"Hmm, good. Looks like it really was just a dream."

Gu Sanqiu nodded in satisfaction. If he'd been dragged into some sort of Emperor's Realm by the old man, he might have had to add an extra round of laundry to his day.

Getting pressed into the dirt by dragon whiskers a few times? Not a big deal. He wouldn't mind experiencing it again (crossed out).

"On second thought, let's not."

Gu Sanqiu muttered to himself, "I don't have the guts to act so recklessly in front of the old man."

"But... once the old man hands over his Gnosis, I might just work up the courage to transform into dragon form and press him into the dirt for a change. A big one, at that."

Wait.

Gu Sanqiu's thoughts stalled. The Gnosis was supposed to be just a kind of "work credential," similar to the badges worn by event volunteers.

Even without the Gnosis, if the old man really wanted to fight him, Gu Sanqiu would still be the one getting thrashed.

And it wouldn't just be getting pressed into the dirt. At that point, he might as well go keep Azhdaha company.

...Yeah, no. He didn't have the guts for that either. Better let it go.

"Ten days of house arrest?"

Standing at the door, Gu Sanqiu looked down at his toes.

"Taking a tiny step outside, just barely poking one toe out, shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Better not. You can't act like Xingqiu in this situation—better to play it safe when necessary."

Besides, this wasn't really about being timid. It was about respecting his elder's demands. Doesn't anyone understand what it means to be Teyvat's number one obedient child?

"Whether I step out or not doesn't matter. The real concern is avoiding the old man suddenly dropping a Skyward Atlas on me."

The next morning, Gu Sanqiu stood in the courtyard, placing two fingers in his mouth to whistle. A bird soaring through the sky descended at his call.

"Take this letter to those two."

Injecting a sliver of spiritual energy into the bird's mind, Gu Sanqiu pulled out a small pill and flicked it into its beak.

"Off you go."

---

"You've been put under house arrest?"

Buyu Raimei glanced at Gu Sanqiu, then instinctively looked around.

Though it was awkward to say out loud, this massive estate seemed to house only Gu Sanqiu. Who could possibly enforce house arrest on him?

"Don't overthink it. The one reprimanding me isn't an ordinary person—it's that one in Liyue."

Gu Sanqiu calmly pointed to the sky.

?

The two froze. That one—did he mean the Geo Archon?!

"You're joking, right?"

Kazuha, visibly unsettled, rubbed his chin, pondering the truth of the statement.

"Why would I joke about something like that?"

Gu Sanqiu rolled his eyes. "Anyway, you two should head to the Feiyun Commerce Guild today. Hand over this letter of authorization; they'll know what to do."

Waving them off, he sent the pair on their way. Standing at the gate, Buyu Raimei looked at Kazuha with a gaze full of hesitation. He stared at Kazuha intently, clearly wanting to say something but holding back.

"Don't look at me like that. I did manage to dig up some information. Sanqiu isn't just a nouveau riche big shot—his family is a legitimate, millennia-old clan."

Kazuha massaged his temples. "However, details about his family's history are scarce. The tale about his ancestors building the nation alongside the Geo Archon? I only heard that from a storyteller."

"As for other rumors, until he appeared alongside the Vigilant Yaksha during the Lantern Rite Festival, many thought his family was nothing more than a group of con artists."

"Con artists? Descendants of gods?"

Buyu Raimei couldn't wrap his head around it.

"At least now we know he's far from ordinary."

Kazuha coughed lightly. "If even the Geo Archon personally orders him to stay home, it's beyond anything an ordinary relationship could explain."

It was like an emperor publicly admonishing a minister in court—something that carried deeper meaning. Kazuha was both surprised and impressed.

To possess unimaginable power yet remain so "pure" in character was a rare trait indeed.

"From divine lineage to being mistaken for a con artist... Sanqiu's ancestors really are something else."

Buyu Raimei chuckled. "I was thinking about when I could surpass Sanqiu in status. Looks like that'll be quite a challenge."

"The challenge makes it worthwhile, doesn't it?"

Kazuha smiled. "Come on, first day on the job. Let's hope they don't assign us anything too weird."

---

Gu Sanqiu began his daily "office work."

Well, strictly speaking, it wasn't work—it was bookkeeping.

"Liuli Pavilion, Wanmin Restaurant, tea houses, fashion boutiques… Wait, why is there a reimbursement request for performance bonuses from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor? Did they fund the bonuses through a loan?"

Gu Sanqiu's face fell. "They want me to cover this too?"

First house arrest by the old man, then mountains of bills. His heart was so cold he considered jumping into the lava rivers for warmth.

"At least the Fatui seem to be behaving themselves. Aside from negotiations for attracting investment, there doesn't seem to be much else going on."

Considering the Fatui might try replicating the Profane Incantation Script in the future, Gu Sanqiu kept a close watch on their movements, especially those skulking around Qingce Village seeking knowledge of cultivation.

"Thanks to Xiao's authority, the Tri-Xuan Society's Profane Incantation Script has been secured. Even finding information about it on the black market has become nearly impossible."

Rubbing his chin, Gu Sanqiu thought, "If their forgery efforts can be delayed, it might buy time to postpone the Many-Headed Serpent's emergence. But it's only within predetermined limits."

After all, everything began when the old man cast off his dragon form during the Rite of Parting.

Even if he slowed the Fatui's progress, it would merely be a matter of time management, not a permanent solution.

"Hmm, bold idea: during the Rite of Parting, I could secretly kick the dragon body back into hiding before anyone reacts. Would that count as forcing a resolution?"

Kicking it once and provoking the old man would be enough to declare victory!

Thinking of the old man's ferocious combat skills, as described in legends and family records, Gu Sanqiu shuddered. Maybe not. Better not.

"Ten days of house arrest. What's there to do? Teyvat doesn't even have smartphones."

Gu Sanqiu opened a black void and cast a fishing line into it. "Anything entertaining will do."

A flash of blue light revealed the results. Calmly, Gu Sanqiu pulled something out with one hand.

Item: Shut-in's Treasure—Computer.

Quality: Blue.

Origin: Too many shut-ins to count.

Note: Missing a bottle of soda and a bag of chips.

Gu Sanqiu gripped the fishing rod with both hands and jabbed it back into the void.

"Hey, say something! Speak up, you jerk!"

"Why is it that as soon as I get put under house arrest, this is what you give me? You're really setting the gold standard for quirky cheats. When will I get the ability to manifest my desires?"

"I'm starting to suspect you coordinated this with the old man. That level of seamless coordination can't be a coincidence."

"If you have the guts to talk to my family's big boss, then why not squeak a word at me, huh?!"

---

"..."

- Gardevoir

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