Lu Bu, the Thunder General, is my adoptive father in Genshin Impact.

The sudden thunder and wind made Xiao Yi swallow hard. With a death wish, he peered into the cauldron to observe his adoptive father's "exquisitely crafted" divine creation.

The contents are purple, and the raw material may be violet. The reason for saying "may" is that the purple, pasty substance is as if it is covered by a thick mosaic, and its true appearance cannot be seen from any angle.

Comes with a built-in real name hiding buff?!

Even more outrageous is that the "mosaic" moves depending on the viewing angle, as if the world's layers are actually covered with mosaics.

Miracle, miracle!

Wendy bit her lip and pulled up a chair, sitting down next to Zhongli on the "plastic chair." The playful Wind Lord revealed a long-unseen, serious expression with her brows furrowed.

Xiao Yi scooped out two blobs of censored purple paste, put them in a bowl, and then handed the two bowls of things—calling them food is an insult to the word "food"—to the Emperor and the Wind God.

"Please enjoy your meal..." Xiao Yi pretended that the food was normal and invited them to start the feast. When he found that no one was moving, he gently persuaded them, "Eat up, why aren't you eating? Your godfather's food is just the right amount of salty and bland, very delicious, and clean and hygienic."

Wendy took out her violin and said with a wry smile, "Grandpa, you eat, I'll play some music for you."

“Lord Barbatos, don’t worry, there’s plenty of food.” Xiao Yi snatched the zither with lightning speed. “You eat too, I’ll play for you.”

Just before his transmigration, Xiao Yi had learned some techniques for playing the Lyre through club activities, and he could barely play Wendy's instrument.

The boy, whose tools had been taken away, looked somewhat helpless and sat back down next to Zhongli, accepting reality.

Xiao Yi plucked and familiarized himself with the strings, thinking: What piece should I play? Let's play an elegant one, suitable for the dining table.

His slender fingers lightly touched the strings, and the gentle music, smooth and melodious, lingered around the dining table and the two diners like soft, fluffy snowflakes in winter.

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" is the song he knows best. Basically, as soon as the intro starts, he can imagine the beautiful melody of the whole song.

However, despite the elegant setting, neither of the two diners had any appetite. Wendy looked away from the food, fiddled with her braid for a while, and then absentmindedly observed it. Zhongli, out of politeness, gently stirred the food with his chopsticks.

The chopsticks were corroded and broke, the broken surface flashing with lightning elements.

Zhongli pondered for a moment and made a decision...

"The heavens move and all things are in motion."

Chapter 97 Pearl, Jade, and White Jade Chair

A miniature rock element star with a high concentration fell from the sky and landed squarely on the table in front of Zhongli where the general's food was placed.

In an instant, a deafening roar erupted, the table collapsed, and dust scattered everywhere.

The Qianyan Army soldiers who were monitoring the area quickly surrounded him, but Xiao Yi waved his hand, indicating that he was fine and there was no need to worry too much.

The Thousand Rock Army dispersed, and Xiao Yi looked at the table that had been smashed by Tianxing. On the ground lay a rock element crystal about the size of a duck egg, with lightning echoing inside.

Just after the mosaic food was sealed, the sky returned to normal, as if the previous anomaly had never happened.

“General Leidian may have taken the wrong thing and mistakenly put dangerous items into the cauldron for you to carry.” Zhongli stared calmly at the broken chopsticks. “But there’s no need to worry. I’ve already sealed it for you. Just find a deserted place to bury it.”

Judging from Zhongli's expression, he genuinely believed that Thor had made a mistake and never thought that this thing was food.

Xiao Yi returned the zither to Wendy, picked up the solid lightning ball from the ground, and at the same time, went along with Zhongli's kindness: "General, you are really careless. You actually messed up such an important thing. Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will definitely handle dangerous items properly."

He glanced at the cauldron; the general had only prepared a small amount this time, enough to fill two bowls, so no extra preparation was needed.

"By the way, Mr. Zhongli's chair looks quite unique." Xiao Yi awkwardly changed the subject, looking at the exquisitely crafted plastic chair. "It's a style I haven't seen much of before."

I've seen it before I traveled through time.

Without hesitation, Zhongli explained, "This is a pearl, jade, and white jade chair. It was made by using a secret method to grind a thousand-year-old pearl that can condense elemental power into powder, sealing it inside the jade, and then meticulously crafting this treasure. I bought it from a foreign merchant a week ago."

"Not long after the merchant left Liyue, the head of the hall discovered that I had used the funds of the Hall of Rebirth to buy miscellaneous items. He immediately set off to chase after the merchant, shouting that he wanted to return the goods. So now the Hall of Rebirth is in a state of being unmanaged. Moreover, business was already poor, and the employees are very idle."

"Looks like you're really enjoying this leisurely life..." Xiao Yi thought calmly to himself.

“Since it has caught your eye, this chair must be extraordinary.” He stared intently at the treasure that resembled a plastic chair from a street food stall.

Zhongli gently stroked the chair: "The skilled craftsmen of Sumeru used secret techniques to create this chair. White jade and elemental pearls are rare materials, and combined with unique technology, this gives the chair the special function of regulating the feng shui of the earth's veins. Those who sit on it for a long time will have abundant wealth and prosperous families..."

"It was originally bought as a gift for the head of the hall. Although she reluctantly believed my explanation, she insisted that she could become rich on her own and did not need any fancy props to help her."

“But that’s fine too. Liyue’s future development really needs a confident and talented young man like Master Hu.” Zhongli smiled meaningfully.

Wendy then squinted and examined the chair closely. After a moment, he commented, "What a pity. It was a perfect ritual implement, but it was ruined by a flaw."

"Flaws?" Xiao Yi asked, puzzled.

He believed that its biggest flaw was that it looked like a chair from a street food stall.

Zhongli nodded and followed the Wind God's words, saying, "The material for the sublimated white jadeite is twelve pearls ground into powder, which works like the finishing touch on a dragon."

"However, the merchant told me that the most exquisite pearl among the twelve, which was meant to be the finishing touch, was shipwrecked on its way to the workshop. Perhaps it was due to a storm or an attack by a sea monster; in any case, all the crew members and the pearl perished at sea."

"So this chair only used eleven pearls, and it just so happens that the most important one is missing, therefore it is imperfect."

"Of course, this happened hundreds of years ago. The craftsman who made the chair has passed away, and his descendants have fallen on hard times and gone into business, selling it to me."

This strange rumor, which was half true and half false, piqued Xiao Yi's curiosity. He continued to ask, "The Wind God just mentioned 'ritual implements.' Could it be that if the missing finishing touch were not missing, the chair's function could be even more powerful?"

Even without the most important pearl, one can still bring wealth and family harmony. If this flaw can be successfully repaired, wouldn't it evolve into a divine artifact that can defy fate?

He actually had another purpose in coming to Liyue: to heal his body, which had become tattered and broken from overexerting himself in the battle against the evil spirits.

Although Miss Shadow and Yae Fox were helpless, Xiao Yi believed that with Liyue's magical magic and treasures, he might be able to recover to his prime.

His intuition told him that if the "plastic chair" were repaired, it could heal his weak and fragile body.

“Actually, if the chair were perfect, it wouldn’t be very useful,” Wendy said playfully, raising the corners of her mouth. “For mortals, eleven pearls are the best right now.”

"What do you mean?" Xiao Yi scratched his head.

“There’s an old saying in Liyue: ‘Too much of a good thing is bad.’” Venti said, shaking his head and speaking with great confidence. “The chair absorbs ley lines to nourish its master and make him lucky, but the ley lines absorbed by the twelve pearls are far beyond what mortals can withstand.”

“At best, they will die on the spot; at worst, they will be shattered to pieces. However…” Wendy leaned closer to Xiao Yi, squinted her eyes, and said mysteriously, “If a mortal can withstand and survive, he might be able to absorb the power of the chair and become the eighth god.”

"Haha, this is just my guess, just a theory." Wendy regained her relaxed expression and moved away from Xiao Yi to sit back. "It's basically impossible in practice."

Come to think of it, the difference between demons and humans is already a difference in species. If humans could ascend to godhood so easily, then the existing seven gods would be too disgraceful.

Having satisfied all his curiosity about the "plastic chair," Xiao Yi prepared to steer the conversation back on track.

First, she asked about the treatment for Ye Yang Gan Yu, and then she asked about her own recovery.

"Based on my understanding of you, you must have done it on purpose," Zhong Li said with a hint of helplessness.

It turned out that Wendy didn't sit back in her own wooden chair, but instead stepped back and sat on Zhongli's lap.

“Hey, I also want to try the Pearl Jade White Jade Chair. Don’t be so stingy, Grandpa.” The boy got up and returned to his original position. “I did feel it just now. Even through Grandpa’s two long legs, a faint ley line energy flowed smoothly into my body.”

Just as Xiao Yi was about to ask the gleeful Wind God and the helpless Rock God to save Gan Yu and help him recover, a large number of Thousand Rock Army soldiers surrounded the scene again.

"What happened?!" a loud female voice demanded.

Xiao Yi turned his head and saw Ke Qing standing behind him, staring intently at the hole in the ground—the crater created by Emperor Tianxing.

"I accidentally released lightning, hahaha..." Xiao Yi took the blame for Zhong Li and made up a story, "Actually, I was injured before, and the aftereffect is that I occasionally release lightning out of control, but it won't hurt anyone, at most it will cause minor damage to buildings."

A half-truth is the most convincing lie; otherwise, it would be too troublesome to explain, and would not only easily offend the two gods, but also affect the godfather's authority.

You can't exactly say: "General Thunder's cooking was so bad that the Emperor buried her with celestial stars..."

Ke Qing said with some doubt, "Since that's the case, I can't let you wander around like that. From now on, I will stay by your side and never leave your side."

Chapter 98 Ningguang Loses Her Mind

Ke Qing looked Zhong Li and Wendy up and down, then cast a questioning gaze at Xiao Yi. She said nothing, yet it seemed as if she had said everything. At this moment, silence spoke louder than words.

Xiao Yi understood that she was questioning him about how he had gotten to know these two people in such a short time.

It must be admitted that Master Ke was very conscientious. Even the smallest doubts had to be thoroughly investigated and all unstable factors eliminated when they concerned Narutoko.

After all, the lies Xiao Yi fabricated to take the blame for the two gods were too dangerous. Although he claimed that he would not harm innocent people, it was like a dog owner swearing that his dog would not bite people, making it hard for people to believe him from the bottom of their hearts.

Because of the hole in the ground, Ke Qing, who likes to plan ahead, can no longer let Xiao Yi move freely, and wants to keep track of his movements to be prepared for any eventuality.

Therefore, Xiao Yi had no choice but to explain: "I am a naturally outgoing person. This Mr. Zhongli is a talented person with a very pleasant voice. And this little brother Wendy is proficient in playing various instruments and singing. He really appeals to my tastes... no, he fits my criteria for making friends very well."

"After exchanging only a few words, I found myself getting along well with them. If you hadn't come, we would have almost become sworn brothers. As for this large cauldron, it contains the snacks the general gave me for the journey. I wanted to share it with my two new friends—that's how it is."

Ke Qing fell into deep thought, feeling that Xiao Yi's words made sense.

She also knew Mr. Zhongli; he was a rare talent. She had even considered recruiting him to work under her several times, but ultimately gave up due to his undisciplined personality.

This bard... his performances attracted thousands of onlookers, clogging the streets, which proves he's no ordinary person who just wants a free drink.

Since they are all talented individuals, they do have a chance of gaining the favor of Narutoko, and Xiao Yi was not lying.

Thinking of this, Ke Qing's expression softened considerably. Besides, what Xiao Yi said about the lightning strike not harming anyone, and there were indeed traces of lightning element on the ground... If she's careful in the future, there shouldn't be any problems.

She looked at Zhongli and Wendy: "Mr. Zhongli, and the bard, this distinguished foreign guest has a very special identity and needs to be protected with the highest level of care, so he can't continue chatting with you. Without further ado, we'll take our leave."

Ke Qing grabbed Xiao Yi's sleeve and pulled him away from the noisy entrance to the Hall of Rebirth. The two deities looked at each other and continued to discuss the important question of where to have a drink and dinner.

The sheer size of the Chiyan army surrounding the scene drew crowds of onlookers, who noticed the young men and women being surrounded by soldiers.

Some people recognized the girl as Yuheng from the Seven Stars, but no one recognized the young man, and speculation abounded.

Some say that the fact that he could attract the attention of the Seven Stars, and that his hair was a mix of black and white, suggests that he must be a Liyue immortal with white hair and a youthful face; others speculate that he is Yuheng's fiancé or lover based on the way Keqing tugged at his sleeve; still others, combining this with recent rumors, believe that the young man is the prince of the legendary island nation of Inazuma across the sea...

……

The setting sun bathed everything in crimson, adding a unique romantic atmosphere to Liyue Harbor. Nevertheless, the city is far from ready to rest.

The Jade Pavilion, the pinnacle of Liyue's aerospace technology, is a floating pavilion above the city.

Xiao Yi's dinner location was Qunyu Pavilion, where he could enjoy fine cuisine while admiring the bustling city that was about to be enveloped by nightfall, and relish the pleasure of looking down on everything.

However, just like during the day, only Ke Qing accompanied the guests at this banquet. Tian Quan Xing Ning Guang, the owner of Qun Yu Ge, was nowhere to be seen, as if she completely ignored the distinguished guest who had come from afar.

In fact, Ningguang had been detached from politics for some time. When the last vote decided Gan Yu's fate, she casually found an excuse not to attend the meeting.

Clinking glasses with Keqing, Xiao Yi sincerely praised, "The Jade Pavilion is luxurious and magnificent, truly a wonder of Liyue!" After praising it, he casually asked, "It is said that the owner of the Jade Pavilion is Tianquan, one of the Seven Stars. With such delicious food and beautiful scenery, doesn't she come to enjoy it?"

Ningguang's situation is common knowledge among Liyue civil servants, and Xiao Yi could easily find out the answers to his questions with a little inquiry. Therefore, Keqing had no reason or intention to hide it.

She looked troubled: "To be honest, she is in this Jade Pavilion, but recently, Tianquan Ningguang's condition is not much better than Gan Yu's. She has been locking herself in her room, and even her subordinates rarely communicate with us..."

The only difference is that Gan Yu's mental instability was fake, a deception to fool Ming Shenzi, while Ning Guang's abnormal behavior was genuine, and no one knew the truth.

“Recently, Ningguang has spent a lot of money to buy many abandoned mines…” Keqing explained with a frown, “Given her usual stingy nature, she would never do something like this without any return.”

At first, the other seven stars thought she was plotting something in secret again, just like before. But as time went by, Ningguang still didn't make a public statement to clarify her motives or explain the benefits of doing so for Liyue.