Reading poems from Teyvat

"Are you comparing yourself to the Emperor?"

"I never underestimate myself, but I also don't think highly of myself," Shen Zhigui shook his head. "But my sense of difference is actually quite different from that of the Emperor, right? The Emperor's sense of difference is that he is a foundation that cannot be easily shaken. Although he has his own will, the principles he has formed over thousands of years will not be easily shaken, because he is the God of Liyue, and God loves the world, so as long as it is beneficial to the people of Liyue, he will most likely not refuse to do it. My sense of difference is that I am just a 'sword', and the principles of my 'sword' do not seem to be strong enough to compare with the Emperor's. However, I may easily break the rules woven by you, Lord Ningguang, and cause irreversible damage to these rules. My personal will is much more erratic than that of the Emperor who only appears once a year, and it is getting sharper day by day, and I am too close to you, Lord Ningguang, so you want to subdue my will and let me use this sword for you, right?"

Ningguang's eyes became more and more radiant.

Chapter 6: Poetry Can Express Resentment (Part 2)

"The foundation will not be easily shaken. In fact, because he has existed for too long, so long that mortals are nothing more than flowing water to him, so you can think of him as the embodiment of some rules. After all, judging from your and my lifespans, he will sooner or later turn into dust." Ningguang looked directly at the thin boy in front of him and said, "But the sword will fall into the hands of people and be controlled by their will. It can not only be used to break the rules, but also to kill enemies, remove rotten flesh from wounds, and clear weeds, as long as he is willing to be used by others, as long as he is willing to restrain his edge and only show it at the right time."

"Yes."

Shen Zhigui also nodded:

"As long as he wants to."

"But why wouldn't he?"

"Perhaps the country he wants to live in is not like what it looks like now?"

"Are you saying that the rules I have woven do not conform to your wishes?"

Shen Zhigui thought for a moment and said, "Zhuangzi was fishing in the Pu River. The King of Chu sent two officials to go ahead and said, 'I would like to go fishing in the territory!' Zhuangzi held the fishing rod and said, 'I heard that there is a divine turtle in Chu, which has been dead for three thousand years. The king hid it in a box in the temple. Would this turtle rather die and leave its bones to be precious? Or would it rather live and drag its tail in the mud?' The two officials said, 'I would rather live and drag my tail in the mud.' Zhuangzi said, 'Let's go! I will drag my tail in the mud.'"

Ningguang heard this. Although she didn't understand where Pushui was, where the King of Chu was the king of, and who Zhuangzi was, this passage was not complicated. With her literary literacy, she could understand it. It was simply saying whether a turtle would rather die and leave its bones in the ancestral temple of humans to be worshipped, or would rather live and roll in the mud. But she said:

"But humans are not turtles after all."

Even though Shen Zhigui wanted to say that Zhuangzi's teachings were meant to teach people to follow their own nature, when he heard Ningguang's words, he couldn't help but sigh and said, "Indeed, humans are not turtles after all."

Otherwise, why would we compare our own situation with the turtle and the fish, and yet remain trapped in a cage of our own making, unable to be free for a long time?

Zhuangzi could say that because he himself was that kind of person. For thousands of years, there was only one such person who would rather be a minor official in a lacquer garden than get involved in state affairs. This kind of detached state of mind of "treating life and death indifferently, and treating things as one" would probably never resonate with someone like Shen Zhigui in his lifetime, because he still had his own principles to uphold, and he also had people and things that he preferred and liked. He could never be like Zhuangzi, who would rather be a turtle rolling in the mud.

Besides, he is a bit of a germaphobe.

"So, although the rules I have woven do not conform to your ideals, I believe that you are not the kind of person who would fight to the death for this opinion. Perhaps we can seek common ground while reserving differences—"

Ningguang said, and then extended her hand to Shen Zhigui: "If you also want to weave your own ideal rules, why don't you join us and move forward with us? Although the life span of humans is only a hundred years, you are a human yourself. Why do you have to pin your hopes on immortals and ignore the efforts of humans themselves?"

Shen Zhigui stared at the hand she stretched out, and after a long time, he shook his head slightly.

"It seems that I still cannot convince Your Excellency?"

Ningguang clenched her palm and said with a smile.

"Actually, Lord Tianquan should not be surprised. After all, even Lord Yuheng could not convince me. Compared to Lord Tianquan, Lord Yuheng and I have a connection and relationship in the past. The possibility of her convincing me is much greater than yours."

"Although Yu Heng Xing has a good relationship with you, she is actually not as mature as she thinks. She just thinks she can see through the distant future, but ignores the fact that the people of Liyue are unwilling to accept and get used to a future without the Rock King Emperor, so she is destined to be unable to convince you."

Ningguang said with confidence.

"If you were to say this to her face..."

"So I never told her to her face."

Hearing Ningguang interrupt him like this, Shen Zhigui shook his head. For a moment, he didn't understand whether the relationship between the two was good or bad. However, for Ningguang, it didn't seem too much for her to treat Keqing as her target of teasing, right? Because sometimes he would tease Keqing occasionally -

Although there aren't many such times.

"But I also said that after losing the Geo King, Liyue can also allow the next Geo King to appear, right?"

"Do you really think Ganyu can succeed the emperor?"

"Can the Liyue Seven Stars continue to function without Ganyu?"

Shen Zhigui asked back.

Ningguang pondered for a moment, thinking of how Ganyu had been working at Yuehai Pavilion for the past thousand years. If she left, the work at Yuehai Pavilion might really fall into a mess that no one could clean up. But she still said, "But this can be overcome. It's just that it's hard to adapt when she leaves."

Shen Zhigui nodded. "If someone can recognize this problem and turn Ganyu's role into a position that can be replaced by someone else, or even intentionally set up a position similar to hers to exchange her work, then her departure can indeed be overcome. But you haven't really done such a thing, right? And since she has lived and worked in Liyue Harbor for thousands of years, no one can prove that their role can replace her, and no one can prove that she will harm Liyue Harbor, so why not let her continue? Isn't her dedication and hard work over the past thousands of years worthy of praise? Isn't she worthy of becoming the next Geo King Emperor?"

Ningguang was silent for a long time.

She knew that Shen Zhigui had criticized her in private.

In this young man's view, if she sits in the position of one of the Seven Stars of Liyue, she can act as both a referee and an athlete to manipulate Liyue's business, satisfy her own selfish desires, and build the Jade Pavilion floating in the air overlooking Liyue Harbor. Then why can't Ganyu, who is more fair and selfless, obtain that position through her unremitting work for thousands of years?

So, after a long silence, she spoke up and said, "Anyway, the topic about the Emperor and Ganyu is just a hypothesis. We can't see such a possibility in the short term, so whether she is suitable and willing to become the next Emperor is just empty talk. After all, as long as the Emperor does not leave, we have to maintain this status quo. And if you want to fulfill the contract with Yuhengxing, it's better to have our help than not, right?"

Chapter 7: Cuihua Imagines the Empty Mountain (Part 1)

Shen Zhigui was silent for a moment, but finally raised his eyelids and looked directly at the pampered woman sitting there, and said, "But I said it a long time ago, and it doesn't hurt to repeat it now. Your method tends to weave rules, while my method tends to sharpen swords. The will embodied by the network of rules can sometimes control the sword as an alien object to swing at its enemy, but for me, since Lord Tianquanxing calls me something that can weigh the world, then, does Lord Tianquanxing have the capacity to control me? Can I also weigh it myself?"

Ningguang looked at the boy with clear eyes:

"Your Excellency means..."

Shen Zhigui's hand brushed over the jade box hanging on his waist. After a moment, a emerald green jade sword appeared in his hand. He flicked his fingers and made the sword emit a clear sword chant: "If you want me to be your weapon, Lord Tianquanxing, you must prove that you are qualified to command me."

Ningguang looked at the boy, her ruby-like eyes sparkling with excitement, and then she shook her head: "You don't think that I have been pampered for so long that I don't even know how to control elemental power, do you?"

"In that case, Master Ningguang, you should accept this duel."

Shen Zhigui just said.

Bai Wen, who had been standing nearby but couldn't get a word in, heard Shen Zhigui take out his weapon. She originally wanted to scold the young man for being so audacious and rude to Lord Ningguang. Although she couldn't understand how the young man could take out a weapon out of thin air without even the Eye of God, the situation now developed so quickly that she couldn't understand it at all, because Lord Ningguang actually stood up, and even took out the Sun and Moon from his magic weapon box, and walked towards the open space outside the Qun Yu Pavilion with the young man, facing each other from a distance in the fierce wind in the sky, and the young man's aura was no less than that of the powerful Lord Tianquanxing!

How did things turn out like this?

Why did Lady Ningguang agree to compete with that young man?

Is it really necessary for her to go to this extent for that boy?

So she couldn't help but shout, "Master Ningguang..."

"how?"

"Why don't you let me first..."

Although Baiwen is just a secretary and does not have the Divine Eye, Liyue is a place where martial arts are the norm. As Ningguang's personal secretary, in order to have the means to protect herself in case of emergencies, she is actually a good swordsman. Seeing that Lady Ningguang was going to make an exception and do it herself, she couldn't help but volunteer to be the vanguard to help Ningguang test the young man's strength.

"No need for that. If there is an insurmountable gap between normal people and holders of the Eye of God, then Mr. Shen Zhigui has already crossed that gap and gained a glimpse of the essence of superior swordsmanship. This essence is actually largely irrelevant to normal people who don't have the Eye of God and can't control elemental power. But once he has crossed it, it proves that he is no longer a match for ordinary people."

"but……"

Baiwen said with a little reluctance.

"Speaking of which, I mentioned to you at the beginning that I wanted you to teach me my martial arts. What do you think about it?"

Shen Zhigui still tapped his fingers on the sword:

"As long as Lord Tianquanxing wins, I can satisfy Lord Tianquanxing's requests that are not excessive. What do you think?"

"So, is it too much to ask you to become my personal secretary or even my personal attendant?"

Ningguang said with a sweet smile.

“That’s probably too much, right?”

"why?"

"Because isn't this a bit too exciting for a minor?"

Shen Zhigui suddenly said seriously.

Ningguang shook her head. “But with my power, it seems that it is legally possible to raise the age of majority in Liyue to seventeen.”

Shen Zhigui's expression suddenly froze.

Then Ningguang smiled brightly: "But in the end, we still have to decide the winner before we can discuss other things. Mr. Shen Zhigui, please be careful."

She waved her hand, and the yellow rock element condensed into a long thread, and as the hand wearing the ink-colored silk glove waved, it flew towards the young man. Shen Zhigui jumped slightly and dodged it, but saw that the yellow jade-like long thread twisted its body in the air like a dancing snake, chasing him, while Ningguang was still using magic tools to continuously stimulate the rock element, causing several long threads in front and behind to rush towards him like mad snakes to bite him. Shen Zhigui retreated again and again, but saw that those long threads had formed their bodies into a net without knowing when, blocking his space and further reducing the range of his dodging and moving -

Shen Zhigui flicked his finger on the sword again:

"It seems that Lady Ningguang has collected intelligence on me..."

Because this is exactly how he intends to deal with Keqing.

In a sense, his current swordsmanship is actually similar to Keqing's. Of course, if he replaces his shuriken with a flute, then he might be able to defeat the enemy without fighting in secret. However, to accomplish that, one has to follow those people and play the flute for years. Rosaline's situation was just a coincidence.

"Didn't you say that? My method tends to be to weave a web, so naturally I can only deal with you in this way."

Ningguang stood in the distance and spoke leisurely.

"But I think I also said that my methods tend to sharpen swords, right?"

Shen Zhigui just spoke calmly.

"That depends on whether your sword is sharper or my net is stronger."

"But Master Ningguang, have you ever thought that if my swordsmanship can eliminate the karma of the Great Saint who conquers demons, it will be even more beneficial to the rock element that you control, right?"

"But I heard that you ran out of energy halfway through treating the Demon-Subduing Great Sage and had to return to Liyue Harbor to recuperate."

Ningguang still looked ready to go, and spoke slowly and calmly.

"Are you determined to play a war of attrition with me?"

Shen Zhigui just said it in his heart.

However, he raised the emerald green jade sword in his hand, and just as the long strands formed by the rock elements further narrowed the scope of coverage and even turned the place where he was into a cage, the young man swung the sword in his hand to cut through the long strands of rock elements, but then the long strands condensed in an instant and became a physical creation, a screen, and the sword sank into it, just like stirring the solidified cement!

At this moment, the rock element between reality and illusion seized the opportunity and rushed towards the young man!

Chapter 8: Cuihua Imagines the Empty Mountain (Part 2)

Actually, with Shen Zhigui's attainments in "Nanshan Dawn Snow Jade Rocks", it's not that he can't take on the attacks of the rock elements controlled by Ningguang head-on, but this would only give Ningguang the opportunity to continue to create cages around him to restrict his movements. In the end, he might even be put in a situation similar to those in urban legends where people are thrown into cement and driven into living stakes. So Shen Zhigui moved casually, used the "Cinnabar disappears without a trace when it sees fire" with his long sword, and instantly tore open a crack in the encirclement of the rock elements, and then rushed towards Ningguang at a high speed!

Ningguang was also prepared. She waved her hand again, and the physical screen appeared between the two of them again, blocking the boy's way.

Shen Zhigui wanted to jump up, but saw that an elemental force was ready at Ningguang's fingertips. It must be preparing to entangle him directly when he leaped into the air, so that he could no longer use the force in the air. So he temporarily gave up this idea and broke through from the side. However, the reality is not a game after all. With Ningguang's strength, it is obvious that she can create a screen at will, instead of being restricted to only one on the field like in the game. So Shen Zhigui rushed left and right, but saw that six barriers had been set up around Ningguang, perfectly protecting her body without leaving any gaps.

Once Shen Zhigui wanted to forcefully break through these screens, she would be able to control the elements more delicately and effortlessly at her close range, and could instantly transform the elements between reality and illusion. Even if Shen Zhigui could use "Cinnabar disappears without a trace when it meets fire" to annihilate these elements and creations, she could also replenish them in an instant, and then turn the place where the boy was into a cage. If a mage like her in the game might be a long-range profession, but now, Shen Zhigui couldn't help but think of a sentence she had often seen on the Internet before:

"From seven steps away, the gun is fast. Within seven steps, the gun is fast and accurate!"

But now is not the time to think about these things.

Since Shen Zhigui missed his attack, he could only retreat and make other plans. However, it was obvious that Ningguang had already decided to fight a war of attrition with him, so those long swords made of rock elements followed him closely like a thorn in his side. If he was not careful, Shen Zhigui might be entangled and dragged into the quagmire. Therefore, Shen Zhigui could only keep increasing the distance between him and Ningguang, and finally even reached the top of the Qun Yu Pavilion, before he finally tested the range of Ningguang's control of elemental power.

But maybe Ningguang was showing weakness on purpose.

Bai Wen, who was standing aside, saw the two men fighting quickly. In just a few rounds, the young man and Ningguang exchanged a few moves, and then they reached the top of the Qun Yu Pavilion like lightning and thunder. Seeing that he and Lady Ningguang had resumed their confrontation, and Ningguang looked calm and composed even though he was looking down on them, Bai Wen immediately breathed a sigh of relief:

Although no matter how she looked at it, she was unwilling to believe that Lady Ningguang would be defeated, a duel of this level was indeed not something that a mortal like her without the Eye of God could interfere with.

But if that’s the case, doesn’t that young man also not have the Eye of God?

Why can he do this?

Is his martial arts really that magical?

"If this continues, it will just be a draw, right?"

Ningguang still had that calm and composed look on her face.

The young man standing on the top of the Jade Pavilion also looked calm and calm: "If it continues like this, it will be true."

"So, do you have any other tricks left?"

"That's hard to say."

Shen Zhigui just said.

For some reason, seeing these two people, one tall and the other short, talking to each other in that manner, Bai Wen suddenly had the illusion that the two people seemed to be a good match. Then she shook her head fiercely and looked at the pretentious boy with a vicious look, wondering who he was to be worthy of the honorable Lord Tianquanxing?

"Then please let me do what I want."

Ningguang said generously.

"I think Lady Ningguang has been in an unbeatable position since the beginning, which is why she is so calm and elegant. Thinking about it carefully, it seems that our conditions have been a little unequal since the beginning?"

"But wasn't it you who said that you were the one who wanted to test whether I was qualified to use a sword as famous as yours?"

Ningguang just smiled.

"Yes."

Shen Zhigui nodded.

There's nothing much to say about this.