Genshin Impact, all those behind-the-scenes big shots are me

"he?"

"Cardodia".

"Huh? How is that possible? He's clearly in Fontainebleau... and how could you possibly sense him?"

"There's no mistake, that fleeting glimpse of lightning was his power!"

"Oh my~" Zhen blinked and smiled, "That's a pleasant surprise."

“That’s right.” Ying said coldly, “It’s a pleasant surprise.”

...

Peeking out.jpg

"Navilette, are you sure Ryder is in Liyue Harbor?"

On a high mountain west of Tianheng Mountain.

Frynn's head popped out of the woods, and she walked to the edge of the cliff, looking down at the bustling Liyue Harbor below, and couldn't help but marvel.

"What a lively city-state! Much more lively than Fontainebleau."

“Liyue Harbor has been a place where thousands of merchants gather since ancient times. Now that it’s the Lantern Festival, it’s normal for it to be lively.” Navelette walked up from behind.

“I’ve only ever heard people who’ve been to Fontaine mention this place before…hehe~I’ve always wanted to come and see it, but what’s Ryder doing here in Liyue Harbor, celebrating a festival?” Fryna tilted her head.

Navelette thought to herself, "How would I know?"

After reaching the level of a fully-fledged dragon, he had absolute control over the water element, and he was better than Fukaros at using water to locate Su Chen.

Sure enough, Su Chen's location was quickly confirmed to be in Liyue Harbor.

“I’ve done what I promised. You can handle the rest yourself. I should go back now,” Navelette said.

After he left Fontaine, although someone else was taking over the work of the court, he was still not entirely at ease.

Besides, now that both the human and the divine Fufu have appeared, and he's not here, Fontaine is practically wide open.

"Wait, wait!" Funina quickly called out to him, "You have to help me find Ryder!"

"But..."

"Our agreement is to find! Ryder!"

Fu Ningna said, word by word.

How could she leave before the very last moment? What if Fukaros beat her to it? Anyway, she didn't trust any of her opponents, especially since the Great Tree King was also plotting something. Her opponents were all gods, and she was alone, so she was obviously at a disadvantage.

Water dragon, water dragon, you have to help me.

Navelette sighed.

"My only responsibility is to help you find Ryder; I'm not responsible for anything else."

For some reason, he had a vague feeling that the port city below was not safe.

This is what the waters told him.

Although it's not safe, it's not the kind of life-threatening battle, so it's fine for Funina to go in. As for him... well, let's just leave once we find him.

Funina grinned: "Okay!"

...

Lantern Festival!

The entire Liyue Harbor was ablaze with lights, couplets, window decorations, lanterns... the streets and alleys were shrouded in smoke, bustling with activity, and filled with all kinds of delicious food and snacks. The Lantern Festival venue was set up on an open space by the sea, across the street from Scarlet Cloud Slope. Due to Qixing's increased promotion this year, vendors lined up from one end of the street to the other, making it twice as lively as in previous years.

At this moment, inside the Emperor's Palace.

All the immortals gathered here to participate in this year's rare Sea Lantern Festival, the Emperor's Edition.

For them, human festivals are not necessary. Sometimes they go into seclusion for several years at a time, even though the Seven Stars send people to deliver festive gifts to the immortals every year.

Of course, if an immortal were to raise their arms and shout—"Kings, nobles, generals, and ministers, please... oops~ shout "The Human Emperor has returned!"—then there would be many more people.

"Here we go, here we go~"

Over here, Fanan and Yingda brought up bowls of steaming hot dishes.

There were no maids in the inner courtyard of the Emperor's Palace; everything was managed by the immortals themselves. The people all thought that the immortals were high above, but little did they know that the immortals also ate the food of mortals.

At the table, True Lord Xiaoyue looked up and asked, "This time it wasn't made by the Liuyun Cooking Machine, was it?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Yun appeared out of nowhere, wearing a white cheongsam with blue clouds. Her beautiful legs were the best in Liyue. She wore half-rimmed glasses, which made her look elegant and avant-garde. If she didn't have a mouth, she would probably be a goddess in the eyes of the immortals.

"What, is there something wrong with my cooking machine?" She glanced at Xiaoyue and snorted, "At least Guizhong can't make it."

"Hey, hey, hey, why are you dragging me into this again?" Gui Zhong, who was enjoying his wine, complained. "Liu Yun, why can't I do it?"

"What you said last time."

"That was because I was letting you win."

"Ridiculous! Why would I, an immortal, need you to defer to me?"

"Ridiculous! You think I, a god, am inferior to you?"

Xiaoyue said repeatedly, "Alright, alright, the Emperor and the Human Emperor are both here, stop arguing."

"Shut up!"*2

Xiaoyue lowered his head and silently drank.

Grandma Ping said with a smile, "It's rare for all the immortals to gather this year, which gives it a festive atmosphere."

Fa Nan chuckled: "Don't you usually hang out in Liyue Harbor all the time? Which festival did you miss this time?"

"It's still different," Grandma Ping sighed. "Human holidays are meant to be celebrated together, with friends and family. What's the point of a holiday if everyone is gone?"

"Ultimately, holidays are just about finding a legitimate reason to get everyone together and have fun."

"Even if I don't do anything, I won't feel uneasy, I don't need to ask for leave, and I won't have my wages deducted."

"Ugh~ You're so understanding... Stop talking, stop talking, I'm starting to feel uncomfortable."

"What are you upset about? You don't have to go to work to earn money."

"Speaking of which... what about Jinpeng?"

The immortals finally remembered that someone was missing.

Sitting high on the throne, Su Chen and Zhong Li sat side by side. When someone asked, he glanced around and asked, "Fu She, is Jin Peng not here?"

“This…” Big Muscle Ba Fushe scratched his head, “I don’t know, I haven’t seen him these past two days.”

“Speaking of which…” Heuria pondered for a moment, “Yesterday he suddenly told me that many suspicious people had appeared in Liyue Harbor, perhaps he was keeping an eye on them.”

Su Chen was speechless: "What's wrong with a suspicious person during a holiday? Just leave this to Qianyan Army. Fa Nan, go and call that guy over."

Xiao is great in every way, except he's a little too competent.

While others were at work, he was hoeing the fields.

While others were resting, he was still hoeing the fields.

Hey, Xiao, are you trying to kill us all by curling up like that?

Take a break when you need to, okay?

That's how he is now. He's done his job and is now enjoying the bliss of having multiple wives... Well, the fire at the Crystal Palace is a bit of a problem. Oh well, I'll leave that to my future self.

Enjoy the moment!

Go for it, future me!

“I’ll go,” said Stone Elder. As a Great Earth Immortal, it was easy for him to find people.

As a result, a gentle breeze swept by, and the green smoke transformed into the shape of a demon.

"They're here!" Mi Nu laughed loudly. "Jin Peng, come and have a drink!"

Xiao glanced at him, walked straight to the seats, and said to Su Chen and Zhong Li, "A few people have come, and their identities are somewhat special."

Su Chen waved his hand: "Don't worry about it. Qi Xing will handle it if anything happens. Come sit down and have a drink."

“I think…” Xiao hesitated, “it would be better if you met him in person.”

"Looking for me?" Su Chen was taken aback.

Zhongli turned his head, this familiar premonition felt like it was just yesterday... Oh, I remember now, it was at the Thousand Winds Festival in Mondstadt.

To prevent his old friend from repeating the same mistake, he reminded him, "Xuanyuan, do you want to...?"

Before the words were finished, a refreshing scent wafted from outside the courtyard. Along the forest path paved with flowers and green grass, the Great Tree King walked gracefully with a smile on its face.

"I heard that all the immortals of Liyue are gathered here today, and the Human Emperor is also here. I have come uninvited, and I hope the Human Emperor will forgive me."

The lively atmosphere at the banquet came to an abrupt halt.

All the immortals turned their heads to look at the deity surrounded by flowers; his ethereal beauty was breathtaking.

Su Chen was startled, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"Great, Great King of the Trees, what brings you here?"

The Great Tree King chuckled softly, "Of course I came to join in the fun. I was planning to go to Fontaine to find you, but then I heard that you came to Liyue, so I came along... Did I disturb you?"

Which bastard brought this up?! ...Su Chen cursed inwardly, repeatedly saying, "No, no, don't bother me."

"Hehe~" The Great Compassion Tree King laughed, waved his hand, and the jade wine cup filled with the finest wine landed in front of the immortals' table. "This is a gift I brought for you immortals."

“What a delicious wine!”

"Thank you for the great kindness of the King of Trees."

The immortals bowed repeatedly.

In terms of status, the Tree King is naturally superior to them.

The fact that they brought gifts shows their sincerity.

Zhong Li glanced at Su Chen.

They discovered that the latter was already drenched in sweat.

So he said, "Buyer, since you're here, please sit down and join us."