"Ye, even if you're Rex Lapis' friend, joking about the late Geo Archon like this isn't appropriate."
Surprisingly, the first to react to Ye's words was Hu Tao.
Xiangling, on the other hand, was stunned by Ye's joke, unsure how to respond—after all, this was the first time she'd seen someone dare to mock Rex Lapis so brazenly, and even joke about his passing.
As for the actual subject of the joke, Rex Lapis himself, he remained completely unbothered, quietly taking a bite of fish as if the "late Geo Archon" had nothing to do with him.
Furina, meanwhile, nearly burst out laughing. Typical Ye—only he would crack jokes about the Geo Archon right in front of him. She couldn't help but feel a little smug. Serves you right for bossing me around earlier.
But Hu Tao, upholding the principle of respecting the deceased, turned serious and began lecturing Ye.
Despite Hu Tao's usual carefree demeanor, if she were truly as unreliable as she seemed, she wouldn't have earned the respect of the entire Wangsheng Funeral Parlor as their young director.
Hu Tao had a relaxed view of death, but she also knew when to be solemn and what words should never be spoken lightly—during funerals, she never joked around.
Similarly, making light of the deceased, whether it was Rex Lapis or anyone else, was unacceptable to her.
Of course, knowing Ye's true identity, she was also aware of his relationship with Rex Lapis, so she merely offered a reminder.
In Liyue's legends, the Supreme Bishop of Fontaine was a terrifying figure, yet he was also a rival and friend who shared mutual respect with Rex Lapis.
Both regarded each other as adversaries, yet also as companions—this was the tale of Rex Lapis and the Supreme Bishop passed down through Liyue's folklore.
Based on this story, countless scholars, playwrights, and novelists had created numerous works, and Hu Tao had heard her fair share of them.
So, in her eyes, Ye seizing an opportunity to poke fun at Rex Lapis like this… well, it actually fit the legendary image quite well.
For the first time, Hu Tao truly felt like she was witnessing a figure from legends come to life.
"My apologies, that might have been a bit rude. But don't worry—the Geo Archon isn't the type to take offense at something so trivial."
After apologizing to Hu Tao, Ye continued:
"In fact, if his own 'death from overwork' can serve as a warning to future generations, I'm sure Rex Lapis would be quite pleased."
"You…" Even Hu Tao was left speechless. "Did you really talk to Rex Lapis like this when you first came to Liyue?"
"What I said back then was far worse."
Ye wasn't lying.
When he first met Zhongli, it was like flint meeting steel—no, wait, that sounded wrong. Like… Natsu meeting Gray—ugh, why does this keep getting worse?
Anyway, their first encounter was nothing short of a verbal duel, with both of them tearing into each other mercilessly.
After all, the only reason Ye had come to Liyue to meet Zhongli in the first place was because Zhongli had forced him to. Naturally, he wasn't happy about it.
What? Why was he forced? Didn't Ye come willingly?
Nonsense. Back then, this old bastard had outright threatened to personally visit Fontaine for a "chat" with a certain Callas. If Ye hadn't swallowed his pride and hurried to Liyue, who knew what would've happened?
The hidden meaning in Zhongli's words couldn't have been more obvious:
"Fine, I admit defeat in economic warfare. Now let's settle this with real combat!"
—See?! That's exactly the attitude he had back then!
The legends passed down in Liyue were nothing but glorified tales painting Rex Lapis in a noble light. In reality, this old rogue had been fully prepared to flip the table and resort to brute force.
What could Ye do against such a bully?
He had no choice but to yield! At the time, the entirety of Fontaine combined wouldn't have stood a chance against him!
Still, even in defeat, Ye hadn't held back his words or attitude. Though he ultimately abandoned his plan to replace Mora with Fontaine's currency under Zhongli's threat of force, he managed to secure a massive boon for Fontaine in exchange—Liyue's ancient arts and mechanical knowledge.
"Look at Fontaine using guns while Liyue still relies on spears—doesn't that make Liyue seem backward?"
Pah. Get outta here.
Backward? Please. Liyue might not appear "technologically advanced," but that's because it never relied on technology in the first place. Its true strength lay in adeptal arts and ancient machinery!
Each of Teyvat's seven nations had its own unique path of development, and Liyue's adeptal arts and mechanical engineering were undoubtedly among the finest.
Just look at Ningguang's floating Jade Chamber—you really think Liyue is primitive?
The adepti casually enhanced the near-obsolete Guizhong Ballistae, and the next thing you know, the Millelith had mass-produced them. The level of craftsmanship was so impressive that Ye wished Fontaine's researchers could learn a thing or two.
"Humans have their own heritage."
That statement wasn't an exaggeration.
And if one could gather the collective wisdom of all seven nations…
---
"I'm serious. Can you actually give a proper answer?"
Lumine interrupted Ye's musings, frowning at him.
"You must have a way to keep Keqing from overworking herself, right?"
Well, there is one… How about I visit her dreams at night and help her… relax?
Of course, Ye didn't voice that thought aloud—he wasn't that eager to die.
Besides, with Lady Furina keeping such a close eye on him, he couldn't pull something like that even if he wanted to!
So, he offered an alternative solution:
"Traveler, the Lantern Rite is approaching. I've prepared gifts for Liyue's adepti and entrusted them to Keqing for delivery. However, she might struggle to locate them all. Would you be willing to assist her?"
"Huh?!"
Paimon gasped in shock, while Lumine's eyes widened.
"We came to you hoping you'd find a way to reduce Keqing's workload, not add to it!" Paimon protested.
But Lumine only had one question:
"Where's my gift?"
Paimon immediately caught on. "Ah, right! What about ours? Don't tell me you forgot us!"
Ye picked up his wine glass and took a slow sip.
"Don't worry, everyone's included. Not just the adepti, and not just you two—I've prepared gifts for many people. If you're interested, you can help deliver those as well. Consider it… an adventure commission. I'll provide appropriate compensation."
And so, just like that, Lumine received the Lantern Rite event mission she'd been longing for.
As for Keqing?
Well… the boat will straighten itself when it reaches the bridge.