"The Fatui? They are indeed suspicious. Everyone knows they're a bunch of insatiable, unscrupulous people."
"Let's keep our voices down. What if the Fatui hear? There's no Geo Lord to protect us now."
"But think about it, that ancient god from the sea wouldn't have just appeared for no reason. It was sealed by the Geo Lord for two thousand years."
"Yeah, and it just happened to emerge right when the Geo Lord had his accident. I feel that the one who assassinated the Lord of Geo and the one who released the ancient god are the same person."
"Very likely, very likely."
"Forget it, let's not speculate. The Millelith over there seem about to make an announcement. Let's go hear what the Ministry of Civil Affairs has to say."
...
[Alhaitham: The battle of public opinion is also an important front. People's perceptions are the battlefield.]
[Tighnari: Come to think of it, the rumor about the Qixing assassinating the Emperor must have originated from the Fatui.]
[Nahida: The battle of public opinion is also a battle of perception, a battle of belief. The Qixing have always had a good reputation in Liyue, while the Fatui's reputation is poor. The Qixing should have a huge advantage in this regard. In a battle of public opinion, the Fatui cannot win.]
[Ningguang: The locals of Liyue naturally trust us. It's just the Traveler—at the beginning of the video, she did help the Fatui quite a bit. Unfortunately, Childe snatched it away in the end.]
[Childe: Hahaha, so in a way, I still won.]
[Zhongli: Generally speaking, Childe can't exactly be considered to have failed.]
[Paimon: Even though Childe failed miserably in the process, the objective was achieved. The Fatui still got the Gnosis.]
The Millelith Drill Sergeant announced: "By order of the Qixing, hear this official proclamation. Let it be known to all: Though the soaring dragon's lifespan rivals the mountains, in the end, it too returns to dust. The Emperor's divine station, his fate aligned with the sun and moon, yet even they wax and wane. Meeting with heavenly tribulation, amidst the street gossip and swirling rumors, the talk of the Emperor's assassination is not the truth."
"The Emperor encountered a heavenly calamity, his spirit returned to the lofty heavens. Therefore, this announcement is made to Liyue. We beseech the people to restrain their grief and avoid undue heartache. Furthermore, do not heed the rumors in the streets, nor indulge in wild conjecture."
The archaic language gave Paimon a headache: "Um, Lumine, can you translate that for me? What did the Qixing's announcement say?"
Lumine: "The announcement means the Emperor was not assassinated, but died while undergoing a heavenly tribulation."
Paimon shook her head: "Sigh, the Qixing's story has actually become this."
"Something's off. Why give up on investigating the culprit so quickly? And this reason feels like it was made up on the spot. Could it be the Qixing found out the Geo Lord isn't dead? But Zhongli clearly said neither the Qixing nor the adepti knew. Unless... after finishing the Gnosis deal, Zhongli secretly told them."
Lumine: "This time, I feel Paimon's guess is pretty accurate."
[Paimon: Why not pin this blame on the Fatui's Childe?]
[Ningguang: It's not that we don't want to, but that we can't. Think about it. If the Emperor was assassinated by a single Fatui Harbinger, and there are Eleven Harbingers, wouldn't that imply the Emperor's power was rather ordinary, able to be killed by a human? If such news spread, it would be an unimaginable disaster for Liyue. People from Liyue would instinctively feel inferior when meeting people from Snezhnaya, and the Fatui's prestige would skyrocket. We can't give them that credit, even if they wanted it.]
[Alhaitham: Worthy of the Tianquan, Ningguang. Your considerations are indeed meticulous.]
[Furina: That really seems to be the case. No individual can bear the blame for killing the Emperor. It would only ruin the Emperor's name as the God of War. Dying from a heavenly tribulation is actually the best explanation.]
[Lumine: Paimon doesn't need to think about such complicated problems. You wouldn't figure it out anyway.]
[Paimon: Lumine, you're bullying me again!]
Paimon: "Oh, right! The Rite of Parting seems to have started a while ago. Let's hurry over to take a look, or it'll be over."
Lumine nodded.
Presiding over the Rite of Parting were Ningguang and Keqing.
Ningguang stood at the main position: "As stated just now, the Emperor's spirit returning to the heavens marks the severing of a contract and the end of an era. The people of Liyue were once fortunate, forgetting the harshness of time in their happiness. After awakening from the dream, people learn to bid farewell. After the contract is remade, will you bless the next era?"
...
[Paimon: I really didn't expect Ningguang and Keqing to be presiding over the ceremony. I thought it would be Zhongli.]
[Ningguang: Given the Emperor's status, it is only fitting, both emotionally and rationally, for us to preside.]
[Paimon: But preparing your own funeral items for yourself... no matter how you think about it, it feels really strange.]
[Lumine: Not just that. I already see Zhongli. He even attended his own funeral.]
[Venti: Hehe, what's so strange about that? I often roast the Anemo Archon myself.]
[Paimon: Is that something to be proud of? That just makes it even weirder.]
[Furina: I was even put on trial by the very people I protected!]
[Paimon: I don't need any more Hydro energy right now!!!!]
At the Rite of Parting venue, Lumine spotted Zhongli from afar, standing by a railing, gazing at the distant scenery.
Paimon and Lumine immediately ran over.
Paimon initiated the greeting: "Hey, Zhongli! Look, the people of Liyue all think they'll never see the Geo Lord again. Look at this atmosphere of remembrance and mourning."
"And yet, you personally look... like a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders?"
Zhongli replied with a smile: "After putting down a burden carried for 3700 years, wouldn't one feel somewhat lighter?"
[Zhongli: Speaking of which, the burden of the Anemo Archon seems never to have been shouldered. Whenever I look towards Mondstadt, I always feel a little envy.]
[Venti: Freedom commanded by the God of Freedom is not true freedom at all. Mondstadt's affairs should be left to Mondstadters to solve themselves.]
[Zhongli: Right. Liyue's affairs should be left to the people of Liyue to solve themselves. I'll just stroll around the streets and observe.]
[Venti: I'll come find you for a drink in a couple of days?]
[Zhongli: Agreed.]
[Paimon: So Zhongli learned it from Venti...]
Zhongli looked at the Traveler and Paimon: "By the way, when are you free? I'll treat you to a meal at Xinyue Kiosk."
Paimon planted her hands on her hips, looking utterly disbelieving: "Stop bragging, Zhongli! I might believe 'Three Bowls and No More,' but Xinyue Kiosk even charges a tea fee! Can you really afford it?"
"Ah." Zhongli thought for a moment: "Now that you mention it... Mora is indeed insufficient."
Lumine asked curiously: "Zhongli spent money like this before too. But why would Morax lack Mora?"
Zhongli answered seriously: "As the Geo Archon Morax, I could naturally create Mora with ease. But since I have chosen the mortal identity of Zhongli, I should abide by mortal rules."
"During the journey I shared with you previously, although the Gnosis was still in my hand, I was aware I would soon step down from the position of one of The Seven. How could I not rehearse a bit for my future new life?"