Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [447]

"I'd like to know what I'll gain if I agree to this," Gu Sanqiu said bluntly.

The Old Mother chuckled approvingly. "Good, good. You haven't abandoned your own interests just because of a few persuasive words. That's very wise."

"That was definitely more than 'a few words,'" Gu Sanqiu replied with a grin. "But I can't help it. If I were just some nobody, being offered the position of a Saint by a national church would be a no-brainer. But I'm not."

"You saw the people who pushed me here earlier, didn't you?"

The Old Mother smiled knowingly. "The Windwardens—the Church's most elite unit. If you agree to become the West Wind Saint, some of them will be assigned to you. You could even take them back to Liyue."

"Not necessary."

Gu Sanqiu sighed. "The enemies I've faced—and the ones I might face in the future—are far beyond their current capabilities."

"Future enemies, is it?" The Old Mother nodded thoughtfully. "Given your family's heritage, I doubt access to the Church's restricted library would be of much use to you. You've given me quite the puzzle."

"That's not on me," Gu Sanqiu quipped. "I didn't propose this deal, after all."

"Haha, cheeky boy," she said with a laugh. "Your situation is unique. For the sake of the Church, I can't simply hand you a position of real authority. So why don't you tell me what you want?"

"Throwing the problem back at me, huh?" Gu Sanqiu rubbed his chin. "Anything at all?"

"Anything—so long as it doesn't involve making young Barbara your personal maid."

"...You've got some imagination."

With a resigned smile, Gu Sanqiu said, "Alright, here's my price: I want the Church's methods for analyzing weather patterns and manipulating climates—all of it."

The Old Mother raised an eyebrow. "That's a bold demand. Mondstadt doesn't have a place like Liyue's Wangfeng Cliff. What use would it be to you?"

"It's about adapting the principles," he explained. "And trust me, I'll find a way to use it."

"In Liyue, most advanced techniques are tied to the Geo Archon. I'd like to develop some alternative means to strengthen myself."

With the Church's weather-manipulation techniques, Gu Sanqiu envisioned combining them with Liyue's geomantic resonance. He could potentially create catastrophic storms to suppress enemies, regardless of their type.

Though... getting lightning to cooperate might be tricky. Still, it's a goal worth pursuing.

"Hmm, fine. I can grant you that. With the relationship between the two Archons, it's not a problem."

The Old Mother's expression turned strange. "Do you know about the Treaty of the Leeward Wind? It played a critical role during the rebellion led by the great heroine, Vannessa.

"While Vennessa rallied the people against the tyrant, what truly caused many soldiers to defect was that treaty. It revealed the tyrant had sold Mondstadt's sovereignty to Liyue's Geo Archon."

"They say the last clause contained divine writing, the kind only gods can inscribe, and that the Geo Archon's name was boldly etched there."

"Of course, knowing what I do about Liyue and the benevolent and powerful Morax, I doubt he'd ever endorse such a thing, let alone accept 'traitors to their own nation.'"

Gu Sanqiu remained stone-faced, unsure how to respond.

Yep. That's exactly what happened, he thought. *Venti spent centuries perfecting his signature as a joke to backstab Zhongli, but the Contract God saw through it immediately."

And yet... that ridiculous practice actually helped realign Mondstadt with its ideals. Guess hard work pays off, huh? If only Xingqiu had the same dedication to practicing calligraphy.

"If you agree to this, you'll have to turn down the Honorary Knight title. Isn't that a shame?"

"Unless you're willing to bend the rules for me," Gu Sanqiu replied.

"Haha! If you can get Barbatos to personally respond to you, bending the rules wouldn't be an issue."

Oh, sure. I bet Venti's dreaming of ways to kill me right now.

"Will there be some kind of grand ceremony for me becoming the West Wind Saint?" he asked.

The Old Mother gave him an exasperated look. "What grand ceremony? Are you still half-asleep? Mondstadt is a free city, not some monarchy under a tyrant."

"This will only be announced internally within the Church, with a general public notice issued later. Aside from the truly curious, I doubt anyone will care."

She smiled faintly. "The Church has always been quieter than the more active Knights of Favonius, but perhaps this will help raise our profile."

Gu Sanqiu frowned. "If the Church has this level of combat power, why didn't you stop the Doctor's experiments back then?"

The Old Mother hesitated before sighing. "Sanqiu, you even know about that?"

After a pause, she continued. "The Church failed both Barbatos and Mondstadt in that matter. But... it's more complicated than you think."

"I only know the basics: the Doctor was conducting inhumane experiments."

She shook her head. "If it had been just the Fatui, the Windwardens alone could've stopped it. But they were blocked by an unknown faction."

"What's worse, some higher-ups in the Knights had been bribed, and the Lawrence clan had received foreign support, trying to reclaim their so-called 'glory.'"

"This time's incident may seem large, but back then, the situation was far more intricate."

Gu Sanqiu nodded. He understood her point.

This recent event had Mondstadt united against external threats. But in the past, they'd faced both external and internal strife, with traitors among the Knights, an ambitious Lawrence clan, and mysterious outsiders all stirring chaos.

If not for the Knights' protagonists—and Kaeya's ingenious, if grim, strategies—things wouldn't have ended so smoothly.

"The Fatui Harbinger who helped us this time... that was the Crimson Witch of Flames, wasn't it?"

The Old Mother's gaze sharpened. "Sanqiu, what does she want? Don't lie to me."

"Do you really not know, Grandma?" Gu Sanqiu asked, shrugging.

The Old Mother sighed. "The Flame Saintess... now called the Lady. Sanqiu, if she truly finds Barbatos, no matter what happens, I hope you'll spare her life."

"You are a god-touched soul and may not wish to set such a precedent. But whether you stop her or not, I ask that you leave her alive."

"She was once the Young Wolf and the Lion of Light. Mondstadt owes her nothing, but for the Saintess who strode through fire and blood to vanquish countless calamities... the Thousand Winds will remember."