Morax is dead, Liyue will fall into my hands.

Li Ye: "Thank you for your trouble, Boss Ji. Also, we need to find a witness for the contract tonight. I wonder if Boss Ji has a suitable candidate?"

A contract witness is someone who witnesses the completion of a contract.

If one party violates the terms of the contract, the witness to the contract has the right and obligation to testify and cooperate with the General Affairs Department to punish the breaching party.

Witnesses are also part of the contract, and if a witness goes against their position, they will also be subject to the punishment of being devoured by rocks.

"Then..."

Ningguang thought to herself, "Then let's find Yanfei."

As Liyue's most famous legal consultant, Yanfei is naturally the most suitable person to be a contract witness.

However, considering that Yan Fei often communicates with him about legal issues, she might be able to see through his disguise at a glance.

No, we need to find another one!

Ningguang: "Does Mr. Li have any suitable candidates?"

When Li Ye heard that the other party asked him to find someone, a suitable candidate immediately came to mind: "What do you think of Mr. Zhongli, the guest elder of the Hall of Rebirth? He has knowledge far exceeding that of ordinary people and is an upright person. He is most suitable to be a witness to the contract."

Mr. Zhongli? Ningguang thought to herself that this man was proficient in many things that others did not know, and it seemed that no one could be more suitable than him in a short time: "This Mr. Zhongli is quite suitable, then we will have to ask Boss Li to go and invite him."

"No problem," Li Ye readily agreed. This Mr. Zhongli seemed very willing to help others bear witness, so if you asked him for help, he would probably agree immediately.

After a brief discussion of the relevant matters, and once the time and personnel were confirmed, Li Ye cut off the communication. The rest would be discussed in detail after arriving at Wangshu Inn.

At Yuehai Pavilion, Ningguang felt a sense of emptiness and unease after hanging up the call, as if she had forgotten to tell Li Ye something important.

After thinking about it carefully, I couldn't immediately recall where the mistake had gone wrong.

It's just a matter of having Li Ye go to Wangshu Inn to sign a contract. What could possibly go wrong? Perhaps I haven't been resting well these past few days, and my mind is a little hazy.

Ningguang comforted herself in this way.

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Story of Guili Plain

After confirming the time with Ningguang, Li Ye took out his phone to contact Zhong Li.

Upon hearing Li Ye's invitation to be a witness to the contract, Zhong Li readily agreed.

Wangshu Inn is quite far from Liyue Harbor; even by carriage, it takes half a day to get there.

Additionally, the route from Liyue Harbor to Wangshu Inn passes through Guili Plains.

Since the natural disaster and the flood, Guili Plain has long been deserted, with only ruins remaining.

Li Ye heard that Guili Plains had been quite unsafe recently, with frequent attacks on passersby by Hilichurls.

If Zhongli were to go to Wangshu Inn alone, he worried that Zhongli might be attacked by the Qiuqiu people and lose his life on the way to Guili Plain, so he suggested, "Where is Mr. Zhongli now? I'll come find you."

Don't worry, even if you encounter a Hilichurl attack in Guili Plains, I can ensure your safe arrival at Wangshu Inn.

Zhongli stared at the information displayed on the screen and remained silent for a long time. Should she have acted like she was crying her eyes out at this moment?

Whether Zhong Li was moved to tears is unknown, but Li Ye almost burst into tears upon seeing Zhong Li's reply: "I'm at the Glass Pavilion."

When Li Ye arrived at Liuli Pavilion, Shi Li had just finished lunch. Looking at the bill handed to him by the waiter, Li Ye felt a lingering sense of unease in his chest, and an urge to vomit blood.

Why was I so foul-mouthed? I should have waited another half an hour until Zhongli finished eating before contacting me.

I will never look for Zhongli during mealtimes again!

Li Ye paid the bill for Zhong Li, and the two then left the Liuli Pavilion together.

Leaving Liyue Harbor, the carriage leisurely traveled along the main road.

When Zhongli passed by Guili Plain, she noticed that Li Ye was staring blankly at the scenery outside the window.

What are some attractive views outside?

Zhong Li followed Li Ye's gaze and saw a scene of ruins, the bottom of which was covered with moss, revealing a desolate state under the erosion of time.

Li Ye: "Mr. Zhongli, I've heard that the people of Liyue originally lived in Guili Plains. Is that true? You are very knowledgeable and have a wide range of experience. Could you tell me about it?"

Zhongli was surprised that Li Ye was interested in the past of Guili Plains. It was as if he had met a long-lost confidant with whom he could speak freely. He was very happy to introduce it, saying, "Guili Plains is of great significance to Liyue."

Before the Demon God War, Liyue had not yet been established. There were three Demon Gods in this land. Morax was only one of them. The other two were the Demon God of Dust, Guizu, and the Demon God of the Hearth, Max Hughes.

At that time, Morax led his people to live south of Tianheng, which is now Liyue Harbor, while Guizhong, who was on good terms with Morax, led his people to live north of Tianheng, where they farmed.

Later, Morax made a pact with Guizhong, relocating the people south of Tianheng to the north of Tianheng.

At that time, the area north of Tianheng was crisscrossed by paths, with towns and farmlands stretching as far as Shimen.

Gui Zhong once said, "Now that my people are all living in peace and prosperity, almost like returning home, let us name this place Guiliyuan." This is the origin of the name Guiliyuan.

It was also in Guili Plains that Morax made a pact with the immortals and, together with the others, established the city of Liyue.

Li Ye looked at Zhong Li and then asked, "And then what happened?"

Zhongli recalled: "Later... during the war between the demons and gods, Guili Plain suffered greatly from the chaos of battle."

Misfortunes never come singly; during this time, another natural disaster struck, with a flood inundating Guili Plain.

Ultimately, the Demon King of Dust perished within it, and the Demon King of the Hearth, Mark Hughes, poured almost all of his power into the earth to quell the various plagues and disasters that frequently occurred after the catastrophe.

Morax carried on his friends' wishes, relocating the people of Liyue back to the south of Tianheng, where they established the present-day Liyue Harbor. Guili Plains fell into ruin, never to regain its former prosperity.

Upon hearing this, Li Ye continued to ask, "And then what happened?"

"later?"

Zhongli didn't understand Li Ye's meaning. Hadn't he already said that the people of Liyue were moved back to the south of Tianheng and Liyue Harbor was established, and Guili Plain was abandoned from then on? What did "later" refer to here?

Seeing that Zhongli didn't seem to understand what he meant, Li Ye explained, "I mean, why has Guili Plain been abandoned ever since?"

The war between demons and gods ended long ago, didn't it? The plagues that frequently broke out on Guili Plain have also disappeared. Why not rebuild Guili Plain?

Is it because Guiliyuan is unsuitable for living? Or is it due to its poor geographical location?

Surely neither is true, right?

The fact that Liyue was established in Guili Plains indicates that the area is suitable for human habitation. The towns and farmlands extend as far as Stone Gate, suggesting that the land is fertile and suitable for cultivation.

Furthermore, Guili Plains boasts a coastline with access to the sea and excellent transportation links. Once the overpopulation of Hilichurls and the remaining guardians of the ruins were dealt with, its potential as a commercial capital was limitless. Why then did Morax not rebuild Guili Plains?

Li Ye looked at Zhong Li with curiosity, he really couldn't understand this question.

Faced with Li Ye's question, Zhong Li fell into a long silence.

Why not rebuild Guiliyuan?

Is there no value in rebuilding?

Of course not. Even though rebuilding Guiliyuan would require a massive investment of resources, the benefits of a successful reconstruction would be immeasurable by Mora alone.

Is there no ability to rebuild?

Of course not. If Liyue Harbor did not have the resources to rebuild Guili Plains immediately after the Demon God War ended, it was not until Liyue recovered that it had the ability to rebuild Guili Plains.

Is there no reason to rebuild?

Of course not!

As the original location where Liyue was founded, Guili Plains holds an inseparable place in the hearts of the people of Liyue, and there is a reason for its reconstruction, both emotionally and logically.

So why wasn't it rebuilt?

The Liyue Seven Stars or Liyue merchants are short-sighted and hesitate to make investments that may not yield returns even in their lifetime. So why hasn't Morax, which theoretically has an infinite lifespan without considering wear and tear, taken any action to rebuild Guili Plains?

It wouldn't be right if Morax wanted to rebuild, only to have to abandon the idea because the Liyue Sept and the merchants jointly opposed it, would it?

impossible!

The merchants of Liyue have unwavering faith in the Geo Archon's divine pronouncements; they would never dare to voice any opposition, let alone harbor the slightest dissent.

So why not rebuild Guiliyuan?

Hearing Li Ye's question, Zhong Li turned his gaze to the window again, looking at the lush green plains. Memories flooded back, as if he had returned to that chaotic but striving era.

Past hardships and old friends flashed through my mind again and again.

Zhongli remained silent for a long time before slowly saying to Li Ye, "Perhaps it's because this place holds too many memories for Morax..."

Chapter Twenty-Four: "Spark"

"Because it carries too many of Morax's memories? That's understandable."

Looking out the window, Li Ye stretched his right hand out of the car window, clenched it into a fist, and smiled optimistically and confidently, saying, "Now that Morax is dead, there's no reason for Guili Plain to remain desolate any longer, is there?"

Seeing Li Ye's expression, Zhong Li seemed to guess what he was about to say.

"What does Mr. Li mean?"

"I think, no, I want to rebuild Guiliyuan!"

Li Ye said decisively, turning to look at the astonished Zhong Li, "I will rebuild a city in this desolate and ruined Guili Plain that is no less than Liyue Harbor."

"you..."

Even though she guessed what Li Ye wanted to say, Zhong Li was still shocked when he said it.

Reconstructing Guiliyuan?

This is not as simple as just saying it.

If the Geo Archon were still alive, at his command, the Three-Eyed Five Manifestations, the Seven Stars and Eight Gates of Liyue, the tens of thousands of Thousand Rock soldiers, and all the people of Liyue would be willing to give their all to rebuild Guili Plains.

But now the Geo Archon is dead, the Three-Eyed Immortals have departed from the world, and the Seven Stars and Eight Gates of Liyue are each ruling their own territory. There is no longer any force that can unite them together.

In this situation, the financial, material, and human resources required for reconstruction, as well as the time spent, would be enough to make Liyue abandon the idea of ​​rebuilding Guili Plains.

Not to mention, unforeseen events can happen at any time, and the existence of too many unexpected factors makes this project fraught with unpredictable risks...

After all, this is a large project that may require the joint efforts of several generations to complete.

Zhong Li thought of countless reasons to prove that Li Ye was indulging in wishful thinking, but... he suddenly regained his usual indifference.

Anyone with a normal brain would know that the risks of rebuilding Guiliyuan far outweigh the benefits. The question is, is Li Ye a normal person?

Compared to claiming to take over Liyue, rebuilding Guili Plains doesn't seem so outrageous.

Zhongli: "Is Boss Li really planning to rebuild Guili Plain?"

"Of course, does Mr. Zhongli think I'm joking?"

Li Ye sat down again and said to Zhong Li with a smile, "If you want to take over Liyue, you need to have your own firmly established territory."