Genshin Impact: I'm just a mortal

Under the sunset breeze, Keqing's figure appeared especially resolute. The shadow of the girl with twin ponytails was stretched long by the setting sun.

As Yuxie looked at the young woman before him, for some reason, he felt a wave of contentment rise in his heart, as though witnessing a junior finally grow into someone capable of standing on their own. It was a strange feeling, as if, in this moment, he was still the former General of the Guili Assmebly, experiencing a heartfelt sense of satisfaction at seeing the growth of his successor.

"You can definitely do it, Keqing."

Yuxie spoke in a calm tone, but to Keqing, it seemed to carry a strange power, much like the sound of drums on the battlefield, offering her tremendous encouragement.

She smiled and firmly nodded, "Mm!"

....

A few days later, the sun was shining brightly, and the Rite of Descension took place as scheduled.

Ningguang had prepared all the necessary arrangements for the ceremony, just waiting for the right moment to arrive.

The Jade Chamber was filled with many residents of Liyue Harbor, all eager to witness the presence of the Geo Archon, who had protected Liyue for a thousand years.

Yuxie and others had also arrived at the Jade Chamber, standing aside in anticipation.

The crowd probably didn't realize that many of the Adeptus who once fought alongside the Geo Archon to protect Liyue were now present at the ceremony.

Yuxie's gaze scanned the crowd, and everything seemed perfectly normal.

The auspicious time arrived.

Rite of Descension began.

Ningguang, the Star of Tianquan, stepped to the center of the Jade Chamber, raised her hands, and golden Geo elemental power gathered above a large cauldron.

Then, a golden beam of light shot up from the cauldron into the sky.

In an instant, the clouds gathered, blocking out the sunlight, and the sky darkened.

The crowd looked puzzled, wondering if this was the usual scene of the Rite of Descension.

Before the confusion could settle, a black and gold dragon appeared in the sea of clouds — the "true form" of the Geo Archon.

But strangely, the Archon seemed out of control, plummeting from the clouds.

Moments later, the Geo Archon's body landed heavily in the center of the Jade Chamber, causing a loud thud.

Ningguang furrowed her brows at the sight.

The crowd couldn't stop murmuring among themselves.

The Adeptus, too, were visibly shocked.

Yet, Yuxie remained calm.

It seems that what had to happen, happened.

Amid the stunned gazes of the crowd, Ningguang stepped forward, crouching to examine the "Geo Archon" lying on the ground.

Moments later, Ningguang suddenly stood up.

"The Archon has been murdered, seal off the scene!"

As soon as her words fell, the Millelith immediately sprang into action.

The crowd was left bewildered as the Millelith locked down the entire Jade Chamber.

"The Archon..." Xianyun looked at the "Geo Archon" lying in the center of the Jade Chamber, hesitant to speak.

"How could this..." Ge Chen's eyes were filled with surprise and doubt.

Everyone was aware of the Archon's power, so how could this happen?

The others fell silent, their expressions full of confusion and disbelief.

"Everyone, do you think the Archon could have been murdered?" Yuxie spoke up.

The crowd fell silent for a moment.

"Yuxie, what are you implying..." Xianyun spoke first.

"Although I've never met the Archon, I don't think this situation is as it appears on the surface," Yuxie said, his tone filled with meaning.

After the Millelith's investigation, it was clear that no one had been in a position to reach or harm the Archon, ruling out the possibility of anyone having killed him under the current circumstances.

This became a mystery for the people of Liyue, leaving many with a sense of unease.

If the Archon was truly gone, what would become of Liyue?

Later that night, after discussing the next steps with the immortals, Yuxie was walking back to his residence, deep in thought about how to proceed quickly.

He had forgotten many of the details of how things developed, but still remembered the broad strokes.

Just then, a figure approached, and Yuxie stopped in his tracks.

"Hello, Yuxie, nice to meet you. Please allow me to introduce myself..."

Yuxie sized up the man in front of him and interrupted, "No need for introductions. I know who you are, Tartaglia, 11th Harbinger of the Fatui. What do you want from me?"

"Did Rosalyne mention me to you?" Tartaglia smiled. "No matter, that's not important. Actually, this saves me some trouble. Let me get straight to the point. Do you have some time now?"

"I do."

"Then, how about I treat you to a meal? We can discuss things while we eat."

"…No problem." Yuxie agreed readily. What's meant to happen will happen, and it's better to get this over with quickly.

Soon, Yuxie followed Tartaglia to a private room in Xinyue Pavilion.

Inside, a person had already been waiting.

This person was tall, with an extraordinary presence.

Zhongli, also known as the true Geo Archon.

"Allow me to introduce, this is Mr. Zhongli, a guest from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. And this is Yuxie. Don't be fooled by Yuxie's youth; he has close ties with both the current Tianquan Star and the Yuheng Star," Tartaglia said as he sat down, introducing the two.

Yuxie and Zhongli exchanged a glance, and no words were needed.

The only one left in the dark was Tartaglia.

From what Tartaglia had just said, Yuxie suspected that Tartaglia probably wanted to use him as a guide to find the "Geo Archon Dragon's Transformation," which was now hidden by the Seven Star of Liyue—essentially, the "remains" of the Geo Archon.

"You've been close with the Seven Star at such a young age. Mr. Yuxie must have extraordinary qualities," Zhongli said slowly.

"You're too kind. I've heard that Mr. Zhongli is a man of great discernment. It's you who have the extraordinary qualities," Yuxie replied.

"Come on, both of you, stop standing around. Let's dig in," Tartaglia said.

During the meal, Yuxie couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Tartaglia. He seemed completely unaware that he was just a pawn in someone else's scheme. He was still working hard to complete the task assigned by the Tsaritsa, all the while acting as Zhongli's wallet.

Yuxie could tell that Tartaglia was trying to gain his trust through this meal, but he had no idea that Yuxie already knew what was coming.

After the meal, everyone said their goodbyes.

To avoid arousing suspicion, Yuxie walked some distance before turning back.

Zhongli was waiting for him at the corner of the street.

"It's been a long time. Compared to before, you seem even younger now," Zhongli said softly as he saw Yuxie. "Sometimes, the mysterious events of this world are hard to explain."

"Honestly, based on my memories, today is the first time I've met you, Zhongli," Yuxie said with a gentle smile.

"It doesn't matter," Zhongli replied. "Memory is indeed important, but even without the memories of the past, your true self remains unchanged. What happened before still exists. This is beyond doubt."

End of chapter

Exclusive access : Get 270+ advanced chapters ahead of everyone else

Join now : patreon*com/DeCakraWnloverz