The Fond Farewell

==Steps==
# Look for Zhongli
# Look for Zhongli at the Northland Bank
# Leave Northland Bank
# Follow the road up to Yujing Terrace (0/2)
#* Talk to Big-Footed Dajiao and Wrench Wang (1/2)
#* Talk to Uncle Gao and Uncle Sun (2/2)
# Listen to the Millelith announcement
# Go to the site of the Rite of Parting
# Talk to the people taking part in the rite (0/3)
# Look for Zhongli at the scene
==Gameplay Notes==
* For step 7, you may talk to either Keqing, Ningguang, Ganyu, Madame Ping, Ying'er, or Shitou.
* Completing step 5 will grant the .
* Completing this quest will grant the .
==Dialogue==
===Searching for Zhongli===
;(After cinematic ends)
: Paimon: Is it... finally over?
: Moon Carver: The ominous aura of that monster has indeed begun to fade.
: Moon Carver: The effects of the Sigil of Permission last but a short time.
: Moon Carver: It will be some time before the Overlord of the Vortex can make any waves again.
: Ningguang: We are indebted to you for your assistance. If the adepti hadn't happened to be here, the future of Liyue Harbor would surely have been in great jeopardy...
: Cloud Retainer: Hmph, save your flattery. We didn't just "happen" to be here... Surely you won't pretend to have forgotten the reason for which we came?
: Madame Ping: Come now, there's no need for such harsh words, Cloud Retainer.
: Madame Ping: I've heard that when Ningguang began learning to do business, she had already started setting aside part of her then-limited income in preparation for building the Jade Chamber.
: Madame Ping: At first, it was only the size of a small room. But with continued expansion, it has become the palace that lies before you now.
: Madame Ping: It is a testament to Ningguang's entire life, both as a businesswoman and as the backbone of the Liyue Qixing.
: Madame Ping: Seeing the Jade Chamber destroyed in the defense of Liyue means much to her. To me, such cooperation and sacrifice deserves at least some recognition, don't you agree?
: Ningguang: Well, I was really hoping you would say that such sacrifice could at least be used as some leverage in our negotiations.
: Madame Ping: ...Heh.
: Ningguang: Thank you all for hearing me out. We know very well why the adepti came here today... But please forgive us, we cannot yield to your wishes.
: Moon Carver: Oh?
: Ningguang: 3,700 years... According to our records, the adepti signed a contract with Rex Lapis to protect Liyue 3,700 years ago.
: Ningguang: Even to this very day, Liyue and its lands have stood the test of time, immovable as stone, just as it was thousands of years before. This is truly no small feat.
: Ningguang: But that does not mean that the Liyue of today is the same city as it was all those years ago.
: Ningguang: Do not merely cast your protective gaze upon the land. Instead, focus your sights on our city and each of the citizens that dwell within it.
: Moon Carver: Are you questioning our means of protecting Liyue?
: Mountain Shaper: Hmm...
: Ningguang: I mean no offense. I simply hope that our adepti forebearers would see Liyue in a new light.
: Cloud Retainer: Hah, "forebearers" you say. One doubts you would be fit to be part of such a lineage...
: Ningguang: This morning, Rex Lapis appeared to me in a dream.
: Cloud Retainer: What?
: Ningguang: In the dream, I yearned to tell him that we Qixing, though mortal, are equally bound to the contract. Each passing generation of the Qixing leaves many things of value to be inherited by the next generation.
: Ningguang: I also thought to tell him how the past generations of Qixing had strove under his rule to survive in our mortal world, establishing a network of contracts which has since come to be known as "trade."
: Ningguang: But I dared not speak. I could only gaze at him in silence until the moment I awoke.
: Paimon: Aw, Ningguang...
: We're all on the same side here...
: Cloud Retainer: Yet another perspective... What are you trying to say, Outlander?
: When there is discord between the guardians and those they were meant to defend...
:: Harmony becomes very difficult to restore. 
: Paimon: Right, that's something that happened in Mondstadt — it's a story about the Four Winds and the people of the Anemo Archon.
: Paimon: The Anemo Archon sought to quell the strife between the two sides, because he believed that such conflict would only scar the hearts of both and that nothing good would come of it...
: This is what we learned in the City of Freedom.
: Keqing: Each of the Seven Nations has its own scars from the past.
: Mountain Shaper: Though your point is the very height of simplicity...
: Mountain Shaper: As adepti, we've become a laughingstock, to be chastised thus by an outlander who has lent us such succor.
: Madame Ping: Alright, alright. Didn't Ningguang suggest that we should focus on the city and each of its citizens? I know I already have, so why not see for yourselves?
;(Fengyan approaches)
: Fengyan: I apologize for appearing in full armor. I'm afraid I cannot show the proper courtesies.
: Moon Carver: And who are you?
: Fengyan: I am Fengyan, a sergeant of the Millelith. I have come to extend my thanks to the adepti.
: Fengyan: I thought this battle would perhaps be my last. But thanks to the aid of the adepti, our forces were not as badly battered as I feared we might be.
: Fengyan: Although I am a mere mortal soldier, I promise to hold the line and never betray the grace given to us by the illuminated adepti this day.
: Moon Carver: ...
: Xiao: ...
;(Changchang runs up)
: Changchang: Huh? Why does everyone look so down? Didn't we just beat that big monster?
: Madame Ping: Hahaha! Weren't you frightened, dear? It was quite the predicament...
: Changchang: I wasn't afraid. All the strong Millelith guards were there, and those powerful heroes with their Visions were there... Everyone was there!
: Changchang: When danger is near, everyone always protects me. And the rest of the time, they make fun toys, and tasty snacks, and... and loads of things that make the harbor so pretty!
: Changchang: Thanks for protecting Liyue Harbor! Please come visit us for the next Lantern Rite!
: Xiao: Unfortunately, we wouldn't be able to participate.
: Changchang: Huh?
: Xiao: Because we are adepti.
: Changchang: Oh, okay... It must be hard being an adeptus.
: Paimon: Aww...
: Madame Ping: You see, this is what Liyue is like today.
: Madame Ping: The country of contracts is grateful to the adepti for their protection. But it is no longer necessary for the city to rely on the adepti's power to solve every little niggling matter.
: Madame Ping: Although their blood is weak, there is still strength to be found in those we call mortals...
: Madame Ping: The time of contracts between gods and Liyue has long since passed. Now is the time of contracts between Liyue and its people.
: Mountain Shaper: Hmm, seeing the port around us now, it is hard not to feel a bit out of place... wouldn't you say so, Cloud Retainer?
: Cloud Retainer: Your line of inquiry is askew. One did not spearhead this expedition to Liyue Harbor...
: Paimon: Hmm... seems like the adepti have had a change of heart.
: They've listened to what the people have said.
: And they're trying to understand things from their perspective.
: Xiao: Let us return now.
: Moon Carver: ...Eager to leave, Conqueror of Demons?
: Madame Ping: Hehehe...
: Mountain Shaper: Yes, one understands what the Conqueror of Demons means. The city of Liyue has changed much after our long separation.
: Mountain Shaper: One fears that by the time one finally grasps the new contracts of Liyue, you humans would have once again changed the place beyond recognition.
: Mountain Shaper: Fair enough. Away we shall, and return whence we came...
: Moon Carver: Hmph...
: Moon Carver: Since we adepti have consensus, then one shall persist no further.
: Moon Carver: But how will we ensure that the Liyue Qixing will not simply exploit their power once we depart? In my view, that is still a thing to be guarded against...
: Ningguang: *chuckles*
: Madame Ping: Alright, Moon Carver. You needn't worry. It seems to me that this right of supervision is best left to the people of Liyue.
: Paimon: Whew... Looks like the conflict between humans and adepti was avoided. All's well that ends well, huh?
: You can say that again...
: The adepti were quite reasonable in the end...
: Paimon: Oh, right! It's nice that we've got peace and all, but we're forgetting one thing!
: Paimon: Childe wanted to unleash the god so he could lure Rex Lapis out!
: Paimon: But we were able to handle the Overlord of the Vortex on our own... So Rex Lapis never showed up!
: Paimon: Oh, and speaking of that — don't we still need to get to the bottom of that archon's "death," too?
: Paimon: Paimon doesn't get it... But, isn't the strongest lead we have the adepti-less Rite of Parting that we're organizing?
: Paimon: No idea where Zhongli's gone. Let's ask for him at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
;(Talk to the Ferrylady)
: Ferrylady: Is there anything I can do for you two? I'm afraid that Wangsheng Funeral Parlor isn't in the best state to receive guests.
: Paimon: We've come to see Zhongli. Could you please tell him we're here?
: Ferrylady: Unfortunately, Zhongli isn't here at the moment. It seems he went to Northland Bank.
: Paimon: Doesn't the Northland Bank belong to the Fatui?
: Paimon: Last time we saw Zhongli was before we went to the Golden House...
: Paimon: Do you think he doesn't know about the attack on Liyue? Visiting the Fatui at a time like this could only mean more trouble!
: Paimon: We had better go and make sure that everything is okay.
;(Talk to the Ferrylady again)
: Ferrylady: Come to think of it, I wonder what business Mr. Zhongli has at the Northland Bank? He didn't tell me, either...
===Northland Bank===
;(Upon entering Northland Bank)
: Childe: You call this "cooperation between Harbingers"? Cooperation involves communication, you know...
: Signora: Hehe, don't take it to heart, Childe. Besides, aren't you happy that you got to skip the formalities and bring chaos to the land? I'm sure you must've enjoyed that...
: Signora: ...Oh, it seems that some of your friends have arrived.
: Paimon: Hey, it's Zhongli and Childe! And... you! You're also one of the Harbingers...
: Signora!
: Signora: Haha, it's you two. I believe we've met once before... In the City of Bards, was it? I'm glad you still remember my name.
: Signora: Ah, right. I imagine that it must have been rather hard to forget watching helplessly as something precious was snatched away from your friend.
: (Breathe... Just stay calm.)
: I still have time to take it back.
:: Paimon: No, don't let her get to you, ...
:: Paimon: You've yet to gather the powers of all seven elements, and our last battle at the Golden House was almost more than you could handle...
:: Paimon: So it might be best to keep things peaceful this time, seeing that two of the Harbingers are here.
: Childe: Well, if it isn't . This is our first time seeing each other since Liyue was nearly wiped off the map. This is certainly a bit... awkward, wouldn't you say?
: Paimon: Hmph, Paimon knew that we should never have trusted a Fatui Harbinger!
: Childe: Aw, now don't say that. Sure, I may have misled you, but I never had anything against you personally...
: Childe: Besides, I thought we were getting along quite well together, didn't you? Except for that little tussle we had at the end... Haha.
: Childe: Nothing personal, we just have... different views, that's all. Of course, you may very well hold this against me, but that's up to you...
: Childe: The real deceivers here are Signora and Zhongli... curse them for leading me on.
: Zhongli tricked you?
: Signora and Zhongli?
: Childe: So actually, I think—
: Signora: Stop wasting time, Childe. There'll be plenty of time to chat once I'm through here.
: Signora: You remember the agreement, Morax. Now, if you would be so kind... The Gnosis, please.
: Agreement?
: Gnosis?
: Paimon: What in the world are you talking about!?
: Zhongli: ...
: Zhongli: The contract is fulfilled. That which thou seeketh is now bestowed unto thee, for my promise is solid as stone.
: Signora: Hmph, how sanctimonious...
: So Zhongli is actually Rex Lapis?
: I mean, I did have my suspicions...
: Paimon: What! So you're the Lord of Geo!?
: Paimon: No, wait! That's an exciting twist and all — but why give the Gnosis to the Fatui!?
: Zhongli: I do not give it for free. I give it as agreed upon in the contract... for it is a matter solely between the Tsaritsa and I.
: I'm afraid I don't understand...
: And why did you feign your death?
: Paimon: Yeah, you don't think you went a little bit too far with that whole fake death thing!? Everyone was preparing the ceremony for you when splat, this big dragon falls out of the sky and all of Liyue goes into an uproar. Talk about a disaster!
: Signora: Hehe... Gathering all the forces that had been bubbling behind the scenes, and then stirring them together in a pot that was bound to boil over... That's what he wanted to see, am I right?
: Paimon: Wait... what?
: Zhongli: Perhaps it's best that I explain.
: Zhongli: As you know, I've dwelt upon this world for more than six thousand years. It is now 3,700 years ago that I founded Liyue together with the adepti.
: Zhongli: Even boulders that can withstand whirlpools will erode with the passing of time. I kept convincing myself that cracks had not begun to form and that the end of my time had not yet come.
: Zhongli: Until one drizzly day, as I was strolling along the harbor, I heard a merchant tell one of his workers, "You've finished your duties, go ahead and call it a day."
: Zhongli: I stood motionless among the crowds, asking myself, "Have I already finished my duties?"
: Paimon: Oh, Zhongli...
: Zhongli: But as I began to consider relinquishing my divine role, I soon discovered that many reasons still remained to not hastily depart.
: Zhongli: Was Liyue, the city I had dwelt in for so long, already prepared to enter its next age? I decided that a test was needed in order to reveal the answer.
: Zhongli: So I feigned my own death, and gathered the cast of Childe, the adepti, and the Liyue Qixing to play their roles together on the stage that was Liyue.
: So, were you satisfied with the finale?
:: Zhongli: Indeed, I was. The Gnosis which I had kept for so many years suddenly seemed to have lost its meaning.
: Let me guess — you had another plan in case it all burned down.
:: Zhongli: That's right, which is why I continued to safeguard the Gnosis until now.
: Paimon: So you mean that if the chaos ever reached the point of no return, you would simply appear and use your divine powers to bring Liyue back under control?
: Signora: Of course. And it would have been all too easy for him, too.
: Signora: Just as a child quickly matures after losing their parents, so has Liyue matured when faced with the death of its deity...
: Zhongli: In the end, the resolution to all that has transpired was even more satisfactory than I could have hoped for.
: Zhongli: Take the adepti, for instance. Owing to their years of seclusion, they were the least informed. Yet, when faced with a crisis, they, commendably, showed the greatest amount of restraint possible. Not only did they manage to co-operate with the Qixing, but in the end, they even made efforts to understand the hearts of the people.
: Zhongli: Credit is also due to Signora, the emissary dispatched by the Cryo Archon to fulfill our contract. At my request, she kept everything she knew in strict confidence — this despite the eavesdropping ears of her colleague, Childe.
: Zhongli: This meant I could remain as Zhongli, even having the chance to fulfill the age-old traditions of Liyue in this mortal form. Thank you for joining me on this journey, Traveler.
: Zhongli: All of these things turned out as I had planned. There is only one thing that I had not anticipated... and that was the conduct of the Liyue Qixing.
: Zhongli: I had expected them to do no more than the adepti... To come to the defense of Liyue. But when all was said and done...
: Zhongli: They seized the opportunity to supplant Liyue's divine protectors, and used the subsequent power vacuum left by my death to quickly gain complete control of Liyue.
: Paimon: Huh? That doesn't sound good at all!
: Zhongli: Hah... On the contrary, I think it is excellent. I had always feared that it was too soon for them to take over from me, and it was also that which I longed for the most. As such, this is the best parting gift anyone could have given this god of old.
: Childe: Hey, what about me? Doesn't anyone feel the least bit of remorse for deceiving me? You've practically kept me in the dark!
: Signora: Heh, I think that thanks would be more appropriate. You certainly played no small part in all of this... Wreaking havoc and turning the city upside down. The Lord of Geo ought to thank you for your performance, if anything.
: Signora: If you hadn't created the pressure of a battle between mortals, adepti and a god, the lump of coal resting in the hands of the Geo Archon — Liyue — would never have been able to become a dazzling diamond of a city.
: Childe: Huh? Just whose side are you on, mocking me like that? Are you itching for a fight?
: We were both equally fooled.
:: Childe: Be that as it may, you've come out of this as the hero of Liyue. I, on the other hand, will be forever proscribed as a disturber of the peace, no?
: You've really embarrassed yourself this time.
:: Childe: Hey! Haven't you learned the Liyue saying? "Don't always call it as you see it"!
: Signora: Heh... Well then, with the Gnosis in my possession, I have no use for such idle chatter. We should return to Zapolyarny Palace and seek an audience with Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa. Come, Childe.
: Childe: Ugh, fine... I'll meet you there later. I'm not sharing a boat with the likes of you.
: Signora: Hmph, do as you wish.
: Zhongli: Now then, is there anything else you wish to ask me?
: I'd like to know what the Cryo Archon offered you.
: What could possibly be worth a Gnosis?
: Paimon: Right! As Zhongli always told us, "a good trade is a fair trade." Paimon has no idea what could be a good trade for a Gnosis.
: Zhongli: Realistically speaking, there is no such thing.
: Paimon: Huh???
: Zhongli: However, I am the God of Contracts. For thousands of years, I have made countless contracts. If the deal was of no benefit, then I certainly would not be inclined to agree to it.
: Zhongli: My agreement with the Cryo Archon will be the last of my contracts as the Geo Archon — my "contract to end all contracts."
: Zhongli: As for the bargaining chip that the Tsaritsa used to balance the scales...
: Zhongli: Uncover that answer for yourself in your future journeys.
----
;(If you talk to Zhongli again)
: Paimon: Paimon... can't... absorb so much information at once...
: Paimon: So, Zhongli, what sort of contract did you sign with the Cryo Archon? Paimon's so curious!
: Zhongli: ...One of the clauses of our contract was not to divulge any of its contents.
: Paimon: Ugh... You're so petty.
===Rite of Parting===
;(After exiting Northland Bank)
:
: Paimon: Today's the day of the Rite of Parting.
: Paimon: Although the star of the show is fake, we've spent so much time trying to organize it. It would be a real shame not to go there now.
;(Talk to Big-Footed Dajiao)
: Big-Footed Dajiao: ...Well, since we're going through with this Rite of Parting... I guess it means that those rumors hit the nail on the head.
: Wrench Wang: So Rex Lapis is really... But they didn't catch the culprit, did they?
: Big-Footed Dajiao: Ah, come on, do you think that the assassin could have been a normal person? You know what I think? I don't think any of the gossip on the streets you hear from those shady types is worth anything.
: Big-Footed Dajiao: There's only one real possibility in my mind. I've heard that the assassin was that Fatui fellow. Youngish, pretty high in rank — I think they called him Childe.
: Wrench Wang: The Fatui? They certainly are very suspicious. Who knows what those greedy, crooked folks...
: Big-Footed Dajiao: Shh! Lower your voice! If the Fatui catch you in their sights, Rex Lapis won't be around to protect you this time!
;(Talk to Uncle Gao)
: Uncle Gao: You know that god from the ocean couldn't have just shown up out of nowhere. I mean, it's been two thousand years since Rex Lapis subdued it.
: Uncle Sun: Yes, and to think that this happened right on the heels of the incident with Rex Lapis, too...
: Uncle Gao: Say, do you think the person who assassinated our Lord and released that evil god might have been one and the same?
: Uncle Sun: Now that you mention it, that's very possible. Yes... it's very possible indeed.
: Uncle Sun: I mean, it all fits together! That person must have colluded with the evil god to harm Rex Lapis. Ugh, that wicked, black-hearted scoundrel...
: Uncle Sun: Still, what sort of supernatural prowess must this person possess to be able to do such things? I have never heard of such a person in all my years.
: Uncle Gao: Ah, forget it. Guessing's no use to us. Look, the Millelith over there looks like he's about to make an announcement. Let's hear what the Ministry of Civil Affairs has to say first.
;(Approach the Millelith)
: Fengyan: Hear ye all the Qixing's words:
: Fengyan: Though a dragon soars ageless as the mountains, it too must return to dust. This is common knowledge.
: Fengyan: Gods and adepti live glorious lives, but both light and shadow have their season. So, too, must they face divinely-appointed trials.
: Fengyan: Rumors and hearsay abound on the streets that Rex Lapis was murdered. Now, let the truth be revealed.
: Fengyan: Having been thwarted in his trial, Rex Lapis' soul has recouped the celestial heights. He beseeches the people of Liyue to grieve not, and to let not their hearts be saddened.
: Fengyan: Nor are they to believe street-borne rumors or indulge in baseless speculation.
: Paimon: Ah... Um, Paimon needs a translation on what the Qixing's announcement said, .
: They said that Rex Lapis wasn't murdered.
: They said that Rex Lapis died because of a divine trial.
: Paimon: ...So that's how they're spinning it...
: Paimon: Something feels off. Why would they suddenly give up looking for the murderer? Not to mention how this excuse sounds like something they just made up on the spot.
: Paimon: Could the Qixing already have known that Rex Lapis wasn't dead? But Zhongli said that neither they nor the adepti knew anything...
: Paimon: Hmm... Did Zhongli tell them in secret after his Gnosis changed hands?
: That's possible.
: I think you've hit the bull's-eye this time.
: Paimon: Exactly, right? Ooh, seems like the Rite of Parting has been going on for a while now. Let's go have a look.
----
;(Approach the Rite of Parting area)
: Paimon: Look, it's Ningguang and Keqing. Are they saying something? Are their speeches over?
: Ningguang: ...As said previously, Rex Lapis' soul returning to the heavens is the end of the contract, and it is also the end of an era.
: Shitou: 3,700 years of contracts, burnt and reduced to ash...
: Ningguang: We, the people of Liyue were indeed prosperous. But blinded by our prosperity, we forgot that time can be pitiless.
: Ying'er: The long, unending dream of our archon walking among us...
: Madame Ping: Mm...
: Ningguang: Now that we have awoken from our dream, we must learn to say farewell.
: Ningguang: Will you stand with us as we reestablish our contracts — as we build a new age of prosperity?
: Ganyu: So concludes the words of her Eminence, the Tianquan.
: Ganyu: Does Her Eminence the Yuheng have anything to add?
: Paimon: Eh? Is she looking this way?
: Keqing: Traveler.
: Paimon: Yikes! She really is looking our way!
: Crowd: Is that the traveler who they say defeated the ancient god?
: Crowd: So young...
: Keqing: The Liyue Qixing always repay their debts. And as you have heard, our eyes see far and our reach is long.
: Keqing: Name your price. You deserve that much.
: Paimon: Whoa...
: ...
: : Well... could you help me put up some missing person posters...?
===Talking to the Attendees===
;(Talk to Shitou)
: Shitou: Ah, Rex Lapis... Rex Lapis...
: Shitou: Hmm. Now that I think about it, if everyone's of the same mind as me...
: Shitou: Perhaps mementos for Rex Lapis might be the best short-term business opportunity...
;(Talk to Ying'er)
: Ying'er: Ha, and to think I'd put my best perfume on before coming here, thinking you'd like it...
: Ying'er: But it seems as if those perfumes really were meant to be offered to Rex Lapis.
: Ying'er: Well, that's fine. Suffer no rivals in love, they say, and that's three gone in one stroke. *chuckles*
;(Talk to Madame Ping)
: Madame Ping: As for the mortals and adepti of Liyue... what shape shall our relationship take from now on?
;(Talk to Keqing)
: Keqing: Heh. Why, you... Were you just trying to look cool earlier, or are you really that selfless?
: Keqing: If you were looking for someone, you could have just told me that in private...
;(Talk to Ningguang)
: Ningguang: Roping you in was possibly the most masterful move we could have made. I believe that future generations will say so too, when our deeds come up for their review.
;(Talk to Ganyu)
: Ganyu: The clean-up of the premises, managing the crowds as they exit, making an account of the Rite... There's much that remains to be done. I didn't miss anything, did I?
;(Talk to Zhongli)
: Zhongli: Oh? Why are you hanging back here? Don't you want to get closer to the action?
: Zhongli: You went through a lot to organize this rite, and this is a rare opportunity to see your journey bear fruit with your own eyes. You should make the most of it.
===Zhongli's Farewell===
;(Talk to Zhongli)
: Paimon: Hey, Zhongli!
: Paimon: Look at this. Everyone in Liyue's caught up in their emotions, thinking that they'll never see Rex Lapis again...
: Paimon: ...And here you are, looking all relaxed!
: Zhongli: Hahaha. Why would I not feel more at ease after laying down the burden I have borne for 3,700 years?
: Zhongli: Right, if the two of you can spare the time, I should treat you to a meal at the Xinyue Kiosk.
: Paimon: Hah! That sounds like big talk, Zhongli. Paimon might have believed you if you were treating us to some Third-Round Knockout, but you'd have to pay out your nose just to stand inside Xinyue Kiosk. Are you sure you can afford it?
: Zhongli: Hmm...
: Zhongli: You're right, I do lack the Mora.
: You've been this way this entire time, but...
:: Paimon: But why would Morax lack Mora?
: But why would Morax lack Mora?
: Zhongli: As the Rex Lapis Morax, I can easily create Mora. But since I have chosen to walk this earth as the mortal Zhongli, I should abide by the same rules that mortals do.
: Zhongli: When I was journeying with you, though I still had the Gnosis in hand, I knew that I must soon retire from my role as an archon. So I had to... rehearse a little, for my new life.
: Paimon: Oh, no wonder! Paimon gets it now. You didn't look at the price tags when we were spending because you've never had to.
: Paimon: But since you weren't used to not being able to just make more Mora as and when you wanted to, you had to try becoming a parasite to society who lives off of other peoples' credit...
: Zhongli: Well, we were only spending Fatui money. You don't have to say it like that...
: Zhongli: In the city of commerce, we do not merely exchange money or goods. We also exchange knowledge, memories, and foresight, as well as positions, roles, and lives.
: Zhongli: The archon Morax could never experience life as the true mortal Zhongli could, no matter how many times he descended to be with his people.
: Zhongli: Haha, I must thank you for that, .
: Zhongli: I will treasure the memories that I made as Zhongli, traveling the streets of Liyue with you.
: It was a fine journey.
: Zhongli: That is true, but there is no journey that does not end. No meetings without partings.
: Paimon: Mm... Paimon thinks that we should make a move and continue our search for The Seven.
: Zhongli: I fear that continuing your journey may be difficult. The nation that neighbors Liyue by sea, Inazuma, is presently closed.
: "Closed"?
:: Zhongli: Yes. The nation has been closed by order of its deity.
: Who's the god who rules Inazuma?
: Zhongli: The Electro Archon, Baal — and just as the people of Liyue preferred to call me Rex Lapis, she too goes by another name among locals in Inazuma.
: Paimon: Um, Paimon thinks we've heard that one before. Uh.. Rai... Raiden?
: Zhongli: That is the case. And since Raiden is also the Shogun of Inazuma, people call her the Raiden Shogun.
: The Inazuma Shogunate...
: The Shogun...
: Paimon: That said, though people at the wharf were saying that the situation in Inazuma is very tense, Paimon doesn't remember that always being the case. It wasn't that bad last year...
: Paimon: Zhongli, since you're Rex Lapis, shouldn't you know something about what's happening there? Just how did Inazuma become a closed nation?
: Zhongli: It's because of Visions.
: Paimon: Visions?
: Zhongli: When faced with circumstances beyond their control, humans often bemoan their lack of power.
: Zhongli: But if a person shows true strength of will at a desperate and fateful moment in their life, the gods will look upon them with favor.
: Zhongli: This is what Visions are. Magical foci bestowed upon those who have been acknowledged by the gods.
: Paimon: Uh-huh. That's how people in Teyvat see it.
: Zhongli: But starting from last year, the Raiden Shogun began promulgating the "Vision Hunt Decree."
: Paimon: ...Vision Hunt Decree?
: Zhongli: Yes. It was an order to seize all Visions within Inazuma's borders, and to inlay them upon the hands of the Statue of the Omnipresent God.
: Paimon: They want to seize Visions? But why? Aren't Visions blessings from the gods?
: Zhongli: I should think that in the Raiden Shogun's eyes, it is precisely because they are divine blessings, that they should be under the sole dominion of divinity.
: Paimon: Whoa... That's harsh.
: Zhongli: The Anemo Archon is the God of Freedom, and the Geo Archon is the God of Contracts. For her part, the Raiden Shogun is the God of Eternity. It seems as though she has finally decided to eliminate any unstable elements that could pose a threat to her eternal realm.
: Zhongli: The fact that even I, the oldest of The Seven, have now "passed away" will only strengthen her resolve to pursue eternity.
: Zhongli: Knowing her, she must have again quoted that adage she is most fond of when proclaiming that decree to her people:
: Zhongli: "Seven ideals for seven gods, and of these, Eternity is nearest unto the Heavenly Principles."
: Heavenly Principles...
: Zhongli: Alright, then. Was there anything else you wished to know?
: So, about the "trial..."
:: Zhongli: Haha... Ah, that was a good one. Failing a divine trial? How they came up with that excuse, I will never know.
:: Zhongli: That said, the reason why the Qixing were so eager to resolve the incident and stop pursuing the culprit was indeed because they received news in secret that Rex Lapis was not dead.
:: Zhongli: I hinted as much to the adepti as well.
:: Zhongli: How did I accomplish that, you ask? Hmm... Have you ever heard of this particularly convenient adepti art known as "gifting dreams and visions"?
:;(Dialogue returns to option selection)
: What about Childe...
:: Paimon: Yeah, about that. Before the Qixing made their announcement, we listened to a lot of people talking on the way. Most of them put the blame for everything on Childe.
:: Zhongli: These are indeed false accusations, but it remains undeniably true that Childe did send people to the Jade Chamber to prevent the adepti and the Qixing from defeating the ancient god.
:: Zhongli: I've heard that Ningguang is busy milking that for all it's worth on the foreign relations front at the moment, browbeating the envoys of the Fatui...
:: Zhongli: Ah, those poor Snezhnayan diplomats. If it were not for Childe's exalted position as a Harbinger, I'm certain that they would have shifted all the blame to him and called for his dismissal by now.
:;(Dialogue returns to option selection)
: As for the Liyue Qixing...
:: Zhongli: "The time of the adepti has long passed. If even the Liyue Qixing don't want to face that truth, then what future is there for Liyue?"
:: Zhongli: Keqing is absolutely right in saying this.
:: Zhongli: Now, though I did laud Ningguang's desire for power, believing this to be a good thing, and thought as a matter of course that she must have been behind the Qixing's plan to take governing power over Liyue from the hands of the gods and adepti...
:: Zhongli: Could the original person who brought up the idea of seizing power have been...? Hmm...
:;(Dialogue returns to option selection)
: Now, about Mora...
:: Paimon: That's right! Zhongli, now that you don't have your Gnosis, what's going to happen to all the Mora in Teyvat?
:: Paimon: Since Morax is "dead," are they all just gonna disappear?
:: Paimon: Also, isn't the Golden House the only mint in the entire continent? Will it even continue to work?
:: Zhongli: The Mora present now will not vanish. But the Golden House will indeed have to cease operations for a lengthy period of time, since creating Mora requires the use of the Geo Archon's power.
:: Paimon: Argh! This is terrible. We're all about to run out of Mora! The world is coming to an end!
:: Zhongli: Yes, this is indeed a major issue from a financial standpoint...
:: Zhongli: Uh... Well. I suppose we'll just leave such troublesome matters to the Liyue Qixing to debate.
:: Paimon: Then... did you at least set some private funds aside for yourself?
:: Zhongli: Oh, a private fund? Hmm, this does seem like a good, logical, common-sense idea.
:: Zhongli: Ah, it's a shame...
:: Paimon: What's a shame?
:: Zhongli: It's a shame that I didn't think of it at the time.
:;(Dialogue returns to option selection)
: There's nothing else...
:: Zhongli: Well then, I suppose you'll have to find a way to get inside this closed nation. Have patience... I suspect that some serendipity must first come into play...
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