Genshin Impact, I'm Slime

Before the morning mist had even dissipated, Ningguang had already recounted the entire story of the Ninglan incident.

Although they did not witness the horrific scene of the body turning to ashes in the flames, the traveler and Paimon still felt a chill creep down their spines and were even more puzzled by Ning Lan's bizarre cause of death.

What ceases to exist in war?

The traveler repeated the verse to himself, feeling a sense of déjà vu, as if he had heard it somewhere before, but he couldn't quite place it.

Paimon shook her head, trying to process the sudden information. She noticed the deep worry between Ningguang's brows and couldn't help but ask, "So, Miss Ningguang, are you troubled by Miss Ninglan's cause of death?"

“Finding the cause of death is certainly important,” Ningguang tapped her pipe lightly, her starry eyes turning to the pensive traveler, “but the real problem is that I made a pact with Heuria, allowing her to exchange her demonic authority for the lives of Ninglan and everyone in the Silver Plains Hall.”

"Now that Ning Lan and everyone in Yinyuan Hall have died in an unknown calamity, what should I say if Heulia asks?"

Morning light streamed through the carved window lattice, casting dappled shadows into the shimmering red pupils.

Although Heuria had lost all power, her appearance had faded, and her strength had declined to the point of being no different from that of an ordinary person, she was strictly guarded by the Thousand Rock Army and placed under house arrest in the General Affairs Department's wing.

But the other party was, after all, a former demon god. Who can say for sure whether she still has any secret methods unknown to mortals?

If she were to learn that Ning Lan was dead, her reaction would be unpredictable, and the consequences would be hard to foresee.

Ningguang had considered hiding it, but how could paper cover up a fire for long? How long could she deceive him for a while?
However, choosing to eliminate Heuria once and for all, thus eradicating this potential threat... is an extreme idea that does not align with the overall interests of Liyue Harbor and the Seven Stars.

More importantly, Ningguang could not predict whether the destruction of a demon god, even one that had fallen to such a state, would leave unimaginable hidden dangers for the foundation of Liyue and even the Seven Stars.
After all, the lingering power of the Dust Demon God "Hagentus" when he fell has left Guili Plain barren to this day.

The morning breeze blew along the window frame, ruffling the stray hairs at Ningguang's temples and scattering the last wisp of smoke.

The morning in Liyue Harbor should have been bustling with activity, but the Rocky Palace was unusually quiet.

After Ningguang finished recounting the events, she fell silent, while the traveler continued to search his memory for that familiar phrase.

Soon, a scene of firelight and rock shadows intertwined appeared in the girl's mind.

During the Battle of Sunrise Harbor, Zhongli and Famas faced off in the sky, while she and Paimon arrived late on Dvalin.

Wendy once stood in the sea of ​​lava and recited: "The furnace is his skin, the flames are his eyes."

"...Let's see what will cease in the midst of war."

The traveler already had the answer in his heart.

In Liyue, who else but Famas possesses such power and is connected to war?
But what puzzled the traveler was why FAMAS did this.

The traveler looked up abruptly and met Ningguang's eyes, which were filled with bitterness and helplessness.

"So you've had your suspicions too?"

"Regarding the war... I can't think of anyone else besides that person... unless someone deliberately framed him."

Ningguang seemed to have expected this, her eyes flickered slightly, but she ultimately did not reveal the name of that god, which was as hot as a branding iron.

The true names of deities should not be lightly uttered by mortals; wherever such names are spoken, there will be a mysterious response.

The traveler stood frozen in place, utterly unable to fathom Fama's motive for committing such a tragedy.

Ning Lan's resurrection of Heuria by using the power of Liyue believers within Liyue is tantamount to treason and will inevitably provoke the wrath of Qixing and Zhongli. But what does this have to do with Famas, who is a Nata god?

Moreover, during their last encounter, Famas and Zhongli exposed each other's shortcomings, and it was clear from their words that they both felt a heavy sense of indebtedness to the former Salt Demon.

"Hey! Ningguang! Traveler! What kind of riddles are you two talking about?"

Paimon, left standing to the side, finally couldn't contain himself any longer. He paced anxiously in front of the traveler, waving his little hands and complaining, "I can't understand a single word!"

"Shh..." The traveler snapped back to reality, scooped the restless little one into his arms, and gestured for her to be quiet.

Paimon in my arms was still struggling like a fish out of water, muttering unwillingly and kicking its legs incessantly.

"The deceased are gone, and there is no point in talking about it now."

Ningguang sighed deeply and exhaled the last puff of smoke from her mouth.

Even knowing that the mastermind behind it all is likely the God of War, Famas himself, what recourse does Ningguang have against such a solitary and eternally living demon god?

The power of the Seven Stars and the laws of Liyue are like a candle flickering in the wind before the absolute, ancient power.

As for utilizing the remaining authority of the Salt Demon God Heuria...

Ningguang's gaze fell on the table.

The amber, shimmering with a warm luster, lay there quietly, and beneath its crystal-clear seal, the salt ruler and salt cup pulsed with a faint, almost silent rhythm.

Even when Heureia was at her peak, she could only kneel and retreat in the face of Famas, let alone now.
Ningguang also learned from Ganyu and Granny Ping that the authority sealed in the amber was not enough to reshape the body of the demon god; it was merely a few remaining wisps of light.

Therefore, there must be other reasons why Heureia was successfully resurrected.

The faith gathered at that extravagant banquet was at best a trigger; beneath it surged deeper, more hidden forces, which were the real, unresolved issues.

It was this very doubt that made Ningguang, even after confirming that Heuria had lost her authority and was no different from a mortal, dare not let her guard down and easily withdraw the Thousand Rock Army to let her leave.

Ningguang took a deep breath, forcefully pulling her gaze away from the amber, and also calming the tangled mess in her heart.

Her gaze refocused on the traveler before her, the heavy helplessness between her brows deliberately concealed, replaced by the insight and composure characteristic of Tianquan Star:

"Speaking of which," her tone had switched to its usual calm and clear, "you two came to see me today not just because of this past turmoil?"

Reminded by Ningguang, the traveler then remembered his business and released the little Paimon that was fluttering in his arms.

The two took turns recounting their discoveries in the Hall of Rebirth, Pantalone's conspiracy, the anomalies of the Lantern Tickets, and Mr. Zhongli's intriguing deductions.

Incense wafted and swirled in the hall. Ningguang held his pipe with an elegant and composed posture, only showing a hint of interest when he heard Zhongli's deduction.

"Ningguang, you... how come you're not surprised at all?"

Paimon was talking until his throat was dry and he was looking around for tea when he bumped into Ningguang's calm and unhurried expression.

Tianquanxing slowly took out the finest tea leaves from the drawer of his desk, while the spring water simmering on the charcoal stove was bubbling away.

Ningguang picked up the copper kettle beside the charcoal stove, poured water, and brewed tea with fluid movements. The rising steam from the tea blurred the sharpness in her crimson eyes: "I already know about this matter, there is no need to worry."

"Eh?!"

The traveler and Paimon looked at each other in bewilderment.

Such a conspiracy, enough to shake the very foundation of Liyue's economy, seemed insignificant in Ningguang's eyes, even less significant than the death of Ninglan.

What the Traveler doesn't know is that Tianquan, who holds power over Liyue, is no longer what it used to be.

Ningguang, who was just a merchant in the past, might have found Pantarone's schemes a bit troublesome, but now, the hundreds of thousands of Geo soldiers in Liyue, the merchant ships and ferries that filled the port, the Southern Cross Fleet, the largest armed fleet on the Yunlai Sea, and even all the wealth in the Golden House are under Ningguang's sole control.

All she had to deal with was a business trap set by a foreign bank.

Ningguang, now wielding immense power, has plenty of strength and means at her disposal.

But she was truly at a loss when facing Famas. (End of Chapter)