The Medicine Furnace Hermit was stunned. "How could it be Gu Sheng? Are you certain you're not mistaken?"
Xiao nodded. "If it had just been a single casual phrase, I might not have given it much thought. But that man recognized the method I used to break free from karmic corruption at a glance—that's highly suspicious."
The Medicine Furnace Hermit paced midair. "Words are just words. What's more important is why you think that black-clad man is Gu Sheng."
"A feeling."
Xiao turned his gaze toward the direction the man had disappeared. "At the very least, that figure is connected to Gu Sheng."
The Medicine Furnace Hermit was left speechless by Xiao's subjective reasoning. How could he argue against a 'feeling'? What was he supposed to say? I don't feel that way, so it can't be Gu Sheng?
"Why would he suddenly appear now? Surely not for that idiotic evil god statue."
The Medicine Furnace Hermit frowned. "No offense, but that was merely a statue manipulated by mortals using some method. Hardly something that should warrant Gu Sheng's involvement."
"Besides... we both know that Gu Sheng has been dead for a thousand years."
His tone grew somber. "What happened with Azhdaha... none of us could have foreseen that development. I understand that it's hard for you to accept."
"No. We never saw Gu Sheng's death with our own eyes."
Xiao looked up at the sky. "That incident—what we sensed was an extraordinary surge of power, beyond our comprehension. Then we learned that nearly all members of the Gu clan had perished."
"Gu Sheng was always meticulous. He must have had a contingency plan."
The Medicine Furnace Hermit fell silent for a moment before letting out a long sigh.
"To be honest, I'd also like to believe Gu Sheng is still alive. But you need to remember: he was mortal. Could a mortal truly survive for a thousand years?"
"If it were Gu Shen of that era, his strength might have allowed for such a feat. But Gu Sheng... he wasn't known for his physical prowess."
A faint smile crossed the Medicine Furnace Hermit's face. "If you're still clinging to memories, perhaps it's time to focus on the present. Watching that boy grow step by step is interesting in its own way."
"The present..."
Xiao mulled over the suggestion. Moments later, he dissolved into a streak of green light and left.
The Medicine Furnace Hermit licked his paw, glancing toward Gu Sanqiu.
"Work hard and grow stronger, boy. Whoever that black-clad man is, anyone capable of taking down a god-powered scholar in a single strike must be formidable."
"Liyue is at a turning point. Who knows what the future will bring?"
With a sigh, the Medicine Furnace Hermit cast one last glance in the direction the black-clad man had disappeared.
If you really are Gu Sheng—or perhaps a descendant of the Gu clan—why conceal your identity, only to reappear at such a critical time?
Suppressing his inner turmoil, the Medicine Furnace Hermit shook his head. His desire for answers was strong, but indulging in speculation was a waste of energy.
"Forget it. I'll go have tea with Ping."
---
Leaving the conversation between two relics of a bygone era aside, Gu Sanqiu was busy cleaning up the aftermath.
The scholar's corpse, the evil god statues, and the foul, congealed black substances on the ground all needed to be handled and brought back for processing.
Keqing's team would likely capture some survivors. As long as precautions were taken to prevent them from committing suicide, the authorities should have the expertise to interrogate them effectively.
In three to five days, no doubt the Sumeru ambassador would be sweating bullets as the Qixing publicly berated them like a parent scolding a child.
If Sumeru scholars had confined themselves to academic pursuits like historical research, Liyue might have even provided assistance with resources and manpower.
But using evil god statues to cause chaos in another nation—and on such a large scale, no less? Not expelling all Sumeru citizens outright would already be a testament to Liyue's restraint.
"What were those academic lunatics in Sumeru thinking?"
In that regard, Sumeru wasn't all that different from Snezhnaya. The distinction was merely one of methods: while Snezhnaya explored elemental power to unravel the mysteries of gods, Sumeru employed knowledge and unbridled experimentation.
"Their thirst for ordinary knowledge must have run dry. Now they're delving into the authority of gods, are they?"
Gu Sanqiu smirked wryly. He had no desire to visit Sumeru. Forget academic freedom—he doubted he'd even enjoy the relative freedom of speech.
Someone like him, who spoke without a filter, would probably be thrown into a dungeon for 're-education' within minutes.
---
After waiting for about half an hour, Gu Sanqiu confirmed that Xiao had indeed left without informing him. Resigned, he packed up the scene and returned to Liyue Harbor.
If his hunch was correct, Keqing was probably waiting to chew him out.
Bang!
Keqing slammed her hand on the table, pointing at a pile of bombs stacked in the corner. Her fiery gaze bore into Gu Sanqiu.
"Do you seriously have to plant so many bombs? Were you planning to take us all out along with them?!"
Ah, just as expected.
Unfazed, Gu Sanqiu calmly sipped his tea. Nearby, Hu Tao watched with a gloating expression, only to retreat under the weight of Gu Sanqiu's death glare.
"Relax. None of them exploded, right?"
"That's not the point! The issue is how much trouble you caused us while we were digging those things up!"
Keqing huffed angrily. "And why did I see members of the Ten Pull Association scavenging in multiple locations? I need a reasonable explanation!"
"That's not scavenging; it's responsibly collecting spoils of war."
Gu Sanqiu rolled his eyes. "I was worried about a repeat of the Sanxuan Society incident. So, I made the first move."
"Do you really need the money that badly?"
"Yes, I do. I've told you, I'm building a Mora amusement park. Did you forget?"
Stretching lazily, Gu Sanqiu stood up.
"Alright, instead of nitpicking over some petty change, why don't you focus on interrogating those we captured today?"
"The Sumeru scholars—standardized questioning is your department. My job was just to drag them out."
Pausing, he added, "By the way, does the Ministry of Civil Affairs have any particularly skilled specialists? Like hidden experts similar to martial sect masters?"
"They do. Why do you ask?"
"Does any of them use black light attacks? Something sharp and powerful, capable of penetrating defenses in one strike?"
Keqing frowned. "Not that I recall. Why the sudden interest?"
---
...
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– Syr ✨