Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [357]

"Find the troublemakers and deal with them? You make it sound like they'll line up eagerly to confess their involvement," Gu Sanqiu said, crossing his arms as he hovered mid-air. "Still, I suppose this trend does suggest the plot is thickening."

Why bother cataloging the combat capabilities of unofficial individuals? It wasn't as if Liyue was hosting a festival and needed to send them gift baskets or invite them to play Liyue Millennium Chess. The real reason was to gain a clear understanding of Liyue Harbor's current strength.

Although similar evaluations had been conducted in the past, considering what Keqing and her group were deliberating now, redoing the process felt necessary.

It wasn't about expecting these people to answer a call to arms in times of crisis; the goal was merely to ensure they wouldn't drag everyone down. In short, the baseline expectation was for them not to cause trouble, while the ideal scenario was for them to step up unprompted and defend Liyue Harbor as if it were their own lifeline.

Gu Sanqiu flew back home to retrieve a map, then headed toward the Dragon-Queller, checking the ley line eruption sites Xingqiu had mentioned along the way.

The map he carried was a detailed reproduction annotated with information about mineral deposits and suspected treasure sites. Its precision rivaled that of someone who meticulously classified resource points by size and type.

"Hmm, no discernible pattern," he muttered.

He abandoned his attempt to "connect the dots" to find a hidden design, such as ley line flows or mysterious symbols.

Real life doesn't hand you coincidental revelations or story beats like that, he thought with a sigh. If he had some latent genius ability like that bespectacled elementary detective, then maybe clues would just fall into place. But as it stood? Not a chance.

The lesson here: having an elder at home is like having a treasure, he concluded.

---

After some time, Gu Sanqiu arrived above the Dragon-Queller.

"Hey, old man! Care to chat? I'll make it worth your while—how about five Mora?"

"It's you again, boy. Get down to the seal area. Don't you know it's tiring to talk while craning my neck?"

Gu Sanqiu obediently descended to the sealed grounds, where Azhdaha's deep voice rumbled.

"What is it this time?"

Gu Sanqiu explained his purpose, and Azhdaha fell silent for a moment—a rare occurrence.

"Ley line eruptions? Interesting. But I haven't felt a single disturbance."

Gu Sanqiu frowned. "That can't be right. You're the ley lines' supreme ruler—how could you not notice?"

What could be more absurd than a palace fire that the emperor himself was unaware of?

"Humph. Supreme ruler of the ley lines? Hardly."

Azhdaha scoffed, though it was clear he was pleased by the title.

"Fine. I'll take a look for you."

Light flickered atop the Dragon-Queller, and resonant hums rippled outward, like radar waves searching across the land. The vibrations of Geo energy spread in all directions, probing the ley lines.

Gu Sanqiu sat down and pulled out a platter of exquisitely arranged dishes. He eyed the glowing seal before him, its aura radiating a commanding presence.

"What are you up to?"

A pair of draconic eyes suddenly appeared within the seal, locking onto Gu Sanqiu and his dish.

"Uh, I was wondering if I could get some food in there for you, but it seems the seal isn't exactly designed for that," Gu Sanqiu replied sheepishly.

"Forget it. I'm not eating anything you make."

...

Old man, can't there be some trust between humans and dragons? I'm not going to feed you something like Gu Shuwen's questionable cooking!

"Oh, by the way, could you focus on these specific locations? Those are all ley line eruption sites," Gu Sanqiu said, pointing to the map.

Azhdaha glanced at it briefly. "I've already checked those spots—nothing unusual. Are you sure the ley lines are the issue?"

"Nothing unusual?" Gu Sanqiu's brow furrowed. "Are you sure you looked carefully?"

"Boy, are you doubting my abilities?"

With his survival instincts kicking in, Gu Sanqiu shook his head vigorously. "Of course not! I just feel like something's off."

"If the ley lines are erupting without reason, it's either due to surface activity—or those underground lunatics," Azhdaha said gravely.

Gu Sanqiu froze, then cautiously raised his head to meet the dragon's eyes. "You mean... those people from the Abyss?"

A deafening roar erupted from Azhdaha, shaking the Dragon-Queller. Even the oversized slimes peacefully cohabiting nearby shrank back in terror, huddling in corners and trembling.

"Ridiculous! What was Morax thinking, letting you learn about such matters?"

"Calm down, old man! Morax didn't tell me anything—I already knew about them," Gu Sanqiu said, raising his hands defensively.

Azhdaha lowered his head. "You already knew?"

"I've fought more than a thousand Abyss monsters over the years. Of course, I know a thing or two. On my last trip to Mondstadt, I even crossed paths with the Abyss Order," Gu Sanqiu replied.

Azhdaha's piercing gaze fixed on him. "You've clashed with them?"

"More or less. I even acquired a trace of elemental law from the encounter," Gu Sanqiu said, showing Azhdaha a wisp of pink energy.

...

Azhdaha raised a massive claw and pressed it lightly against his forehead.

"Still with me, old man? Say something, please?" Gu Sanqiu ventured.

"Say what?" Azhdaha grumbled. "With your reckless personality, even if I told you to stay out of this, would you listen?"

He continued, "Your so-called ley line eruptions might very well be a side effect of something those lunatics have done—likely a cover for their movements."

"Then why not erase the evidence entirely, including the ley line disturbances? Wouldn't that be cleaner?" Gu Sanqiu asked.

"When you harness certain powers, traces inevitably remain in this world. That's the principle at work," Azhdaha explained. "Using ley line energy leaves behind phenomena distinct from ordinary activity. Understand now?"

Gu Sanqiu grimaced. "So, finding those guys is going to be next to impossible?"

"What do you even want with them?"

Gu Sanqiu replied casually, "Oh, my sister said I should find whoever's causing trouble in Liyue and eliminate them—along with their entire organization, if possible."

Azhdaha groaned, his claw now covering his face.

"Your sister? There are other Gu family members alive?"

"Well, not by blood, technically. But she's family in every way that matters."

---

T/N: i know what you guys are arleady thinking smh