Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [393]

What the hell just happened?!

Gu Sanqiu maintained a blank expression, but his gaze involuntarily drifted back toward Aether.

Ah, that waist… so slim, so perfect. I want to hug it. No, I want to nuzzle it…

Boom!

This time, Gu Sanqiu was prepared. He cranked up the power of his dark will from the thickness of a single strand of hair to ten strands, nearly turning his eyes pitch black in the process. Only then did he manage to suppress the bizarre urge.

What is this? Does Decarabian have a thing for Aether?

Shutting his eyes decisively, Gu Sanqiu frowned. That doesn't make sense. There was no indication of such a thing in the story. Those two didn't even have any interactions.

Or is there some other explanation?

He recalled what Barbatos had said about him being "more special" and found himself unable to grasp the full truth of the situation.

It was almost certain now that his ancestors had dealings with the Abyss.

But from the characters involved, the Abyssal figure should have been the Princess, not the Prince. So why is this happening? What kind of nonsense is this?!

Gu Sanqiu's face remained stoic, but dangerous thoughts began churning in his mind.

Albedo's still in Mondstadt, right? What was my plan again?

If the golden-haired one appeared, Gu Sanqiu had intended to seize the opportunity to "borrow" an arm or leg for research.

This obviously couldn't involve the Secret Vault, but Albedo could help. Plus, he could run some tests to see if Gu Sanqiu had contracted some strange ailment.

If it had been the sister, then maybe these thoughts would make some sense. But it's the brother. The brother!

I'm a perfectly normal guy, damn it!

Silently, Gu Sanqiu pulled out a blade.

Barbatos, who had been silently observing Gu Sanqiu's subtle reactions, furrowed his brows in concern.

"So it's still affecting you… No, on second thought, this reaction already tells me a lot," Barbatos murmured to himself. He seemed to understand something but mostly looked regretful.

Then he saw the blade in Gu Sanqiu's hand.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Nephew, what are you doing? Could you act normal for once?"

Please don't let the Gu family's infamous mental quirks flare up now of all times.

"It's nothing," Gu Sanqiu said, his gaze growing sharp. "I just want to take some parts off that guy and have Albedo analyze them for me. Just some small pieces. I promise it won't disrupt your grand plan."

Gu Sanqiu ran his finger along the blade, imbuing it with Geo resonance energy.

"Relax. Just one clean cut. The cross-section will be smooth as a mirror. If he's not compatible with the Secret Vault's prosthetics, I can always go to Jueyun Karst and ask the Adepti for help."

Although interacting with the Adepti was against family rules, desperate times called for desperate measures.

More importantly, Gu Sanqiu desperately wanted to understand the source of his peculiar thoughts.

"Calm down!" Barbatos slapped a hand on Gu Sanqiu's head, suppressing his dangerous intentions with divine strength.

"You think this is the kind of problem that prosthetics can solve? Don't mess around! Even Morax's placed his bets on that guy, so don't go causing trouble."

Gu Sanqiu paused, thinking it over. "Alright… No arms or legs then. How about a finger or a hand?"

"Not even half a finger!" Barbatos's face darkened. "If you really want something, build a rapport with him and collect some hair or nail clippings instead."

"I refuse to grovel. That path leads to doom."

Hearing Barbatos's suggestion, Gu Sanqiu's blade glimmered with even stronger Geo energy.

"Cutting something off would be so much faster and easier."

"Hey! Don't you dare—"

Barbatos was about to protest further when his attention shifted to the scene ahead. For the first time, he sighed in relief at the sight of an approaching group of Hilichurls and Mitachurls.

"Well, it seems you won't get your chance to chop him up just yet."

Gu Sanqiu raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"His opponents have arrived," Barbatos said, nodding toward the creatures advancing toward Aether.

Gu Sanqiu's eyes lit up. "If he gets injured in battle… blood samples, maybe? That's even better! Blood is priceless for research!"

If Barbatos weren't keeping an eye on him, Gu Sanqiu would have been out there arming the Hilichurls with better weapons and equipping them with support tools.

Meanwhile, Aether noticed the approaching Hilichurls. A flash of gold lit up in his hand as he gripped the Traveler's Handy Sword, his expression turning serious as he prepared for battle.

"Well, let's see how good his combat skills are," Gu Sanqiu muttered.

After all, this was the man who could stand toe-to-toe with celestial beings. He couldn't be too weak.

Then Gu Sanqiu witnessed something that left him nearly speechless.

"Hah!"

Aether extended his right hand, clutching his wrist with his left as a swirling vortex of Anemo energy formed. The winds coalesced into sharp blades, slashing through the Hilichurls' ranks.

"Wind Blade!"

Releasing his grip, Aether unleashed a shockwave of Anemo energy that sent the Hilichurls tumbling. The little floating creature beside him stomped its feet excitedly in mid-air.

"That was amazing!"

…

That's it?

Gu Sanqiu's lips twitched. With Barbatos by his side, there was no risk of being caught spying, so he could afford to watch closely.

Do you think you're Xiao? Using pure Anemo energy in combat like that? What's next, no energy dispersion at all?

The so-called Wind Blade wasn't even that powerful. The lead Mitachurl shook its head after being blasted back, then got up and charged at Aether again.

After watching for a moment, Gu Sanqiu was certain: This golden-haired guy must have lost all his skills, techniques, and cultivation. Did someone completely drain him dry? He looks pretty pathetic right now.

Turning to Barbatos, Gu Sanqiu asked, "Did you teach him that move?"

"How could that be me?" Barbatos rolled his eyes. "Stop pinning everything on me. It's not very kind to your elders."

"Oh."

Gu Sanqiu nodded, his right hand twitching slightly—just enough for Barbatos to grab his wrist.

"Don't even think about it, kid. If anything goes wrong, Morax will actually kill you. And he might just do it with a Geo spear."

Is it really that serious?

Gu Sanqiu glanced at Aether again, recalling his mysterious origins.

Alright, fine. It does seem serious. Better not mess with the old man.

---

T/N: MUAHUAHUAHUAHUHAU

...

Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.

Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.

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